PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):---  Fire Chief and National Disaster Coordinator of the Office of Disaster Management (ODM) Clive Richardson, says ODM is currently monitoring an approaching tropical wave Invest 94L a couple hundred miles east of the Caribbean which has a low chance of formation over the next two to seven days according to the Meteorological Department of Sint Maarten (MDS).

The Colorado State University (CSU) Department of Atmospheric Science says that it is most likely category for Atlantic hurricane activity in the next two weeks is above-normal (50 per cent) for tropical cyclone development.

ODM is calling on residents and the business community to continue to remain vigilant and monitor local weather reports from the MDS: www.meteosxm.com or visit their social media page Facebook.com/sxmweather/ as the country moves through the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.

ODM calls on the community to double check their disaster supply kit which should be in place from the beginning of the hurricane season.

The disaster supply kit should have at least seven days of food and water. If you haven’t compiled such, the time to do so is now! Don’t wait for the last moment to be storm/hurricane ready.

The remaining storm names for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season are: Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sara, Tony, Valerie, and William.

The community is urged to learn more about hurricane hazards and resources you need on how to prepare your family, home, or business for a storm/hurricane strike by visiting the Government website: www.sintmaartengov.org/hurricane where you will be able to download your “Hurricane Season Readiness Guide’ and “Hurricane Tracking Chart.” The information here is also valuable for new residents.

Listen to the Government Radio station – SXMGOV 107.9FM - for official information and news before, during and after a hurricane. You can also follow weather related news and information as well as national addresses by the Prime Minister, chairperson of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) by going to @SXMGOV Facebook Page.

For official weather-related information, rely on forecasts that can be found at the website of the Meteorological Department of St. Maarten (MDS): www.meteosxm.com or visit their social media page Facebook.com/sxmweather/

Remember, it only takes one hurricane to make it a bad season. Remain vigilant and prepared!

The hurricane season runs through November 30.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Stichting Biblionef Netherlands, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education of Sint Maarten, the Library of Sint Maarten, the Help Our Children Foundation, and the University of St. Martin, is thrilled to announce the upcoming Reading Festival. This dynamic two-day event, set to take place on October 18 and 19, aims to ignite a love for reading among our students, their parents, and teachers.

The Reading Festival will be hosted at the University of Sint Maarten and will feature a variety of engaging activities designed to foster a lifelong love of reading. These activities include storytelling sessions, interactive games, workshops for parents and students, face painting, a skating rink, and visits from renowned local authors.

“We are excited to bring this festival to Sint Maarten and to inspire a new generation of readers,” said Bethzy Gianella Chiang, Director at Biblionef Netherlands. “With over 2,600 books to be donated and a wide range of fun, educational activities, we hope to create a memorable experience that will encourage children to develop a love for reading.”
The first day of the festival will welcome All group 3 students will with there teacher. Children aged 6 to 8, along with their teachers, for a morning of reading activities and interactive games. Somegroups 1, 2, & 4 students will be engaged with fun-filled activities with their teachers and volunteers at their schools. The second day will be open to the general public, with activities running from 10:00 am.

This festival represents a significant opportunity to positively impact the lives of children by capturing their imagination and fostering a love for reading. Additionally, all activities developed for the event will be documented in a handbook and provided to schools, libraries, and other organizations to ensure the sustainability of reading promotion activities.

For more information and to register for the Reading Festival, please visit https://readingfestivals.com/.

PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- Breast cancer caused 670,000 deaths globally in 2022, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
WHO adds that roughly half of all breast cancers occur in women with no specific risk factors other than sex and age. Breast cancer was the most common cancer in women in 157 countries out of 185 in 2022.
Breast cancer occurs in every country in the world, and approximately 0.5–1% of breast cancers occur in men.
Breast cancer is a disease in which abnormal breast cells grow out of control and form tumors. If left unchecked, the tumors can spread throughout the body and become fatal.
Breast cancer cells begin inside the milk ducts and the earliest form is not life-threatening and can be detected in early stages. Cancer cells can spread into nearby breast tissue, and this creates tumors that cause lumps or thickening.
Invasive cancers can spread to nearby lymph nodes or other organs and can be life-threatening and fatal. Treatment is based on the person, the type of cancer and its spread. Treatment combines surgery, radiation therapy and medications.
Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department from the Sint Maarten Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, says creating awareness about breast cancer is part of CPS’s annual calendar of health observances.

The female gender is the strongest breast cancer risk factor. Approximately 99% of breast cancers occur in women. The treatment of breast cancer in men follows the same principles of management as for women.
The WHO adds that certain factors increase the risk of breast cancer including increasing age, obesity, harmful use of alcohol, family history of breast cancer, history of radiation exposure, reproductive history (such as age that menstrual periods began and age at first pregnancy), tobacco use and postmenopausal hormone therapy.
“Approximately half of breast cancers develop in women who have no identifiable breast cancer risk factor other than gender (female) and age (over 40 years).
“Family history of breast cancer increases the risk of breast cancer, but most women diagnosed with breast cancer do not have a known family history of the disease. Lack of a known family history does not necessarily mean that a woman is at reduced risk.”
Women and men should check with their family physician as most people will not experience any symptoms when the cancer is still early hence the importance of early detection.

MAHO:--- The two-day conference, which is hosted by the BVI and co-hosted by the newly established St. Maarten Association for Governance Risk Management and Compliance Professionals (SXM AGRCP), is geared at enhancing Governance, Risk Management, and Compliance practices across St. Maarten and the Caribbean.

Prime Minister: Dr. Luc Mercelina said in his Opening Statement that St. Maarten is proud to host such a prestigious event. “Compliance is not static; it is a living, evolving thing. Compliance is the backbone of tourism, banking, and other sectors in our economy that rely on trust,” he said. “We are committed to ensuring that our regulatory procedures are robust, and we will remain proactive, positioning ourselves not as followers but as leaders in compliance. Remember, we are a manifestation of the region’s collective strength.”

Deputy Premier and Minister of the Financial Services of the British Virgin Islands, Ms. Lorna Smith, also addressed the audience of professionals and industry leaders but also used the opportunity to commend St. Maarten for the regrowth and redevelopment of the island following the devastation of Hurricanes Irma and Maria a few years ago. She pointed out, “What the hurricanes showed us with complete clarity is that given the climate threat that we will continue to face, without a resilient financial sector, our nation will not be able to bounce back or survive.” Mrs. Smith also stressed the importance of investing and building resilient economies. “A resilient financial sector is one where regulation is reflected in the very governance of the nation and one where compliance is sufficiently and successfully enforced. A well-regulated regime is a resilient regime.”

Marinka Gumbs, Minister of Finance, was also one of the opening speakers at the event. She commended the attendees for dispelling false assumptions that the Caribbean governments do not work together. “We often hear that we in the Caribbean are not united, but this conference demonstrates and underscores our collaboration and working together,” she said, commending the CRCA for this initiative. “As you can see, top Government officials have come together, to participate in a conference being hosted by a non-governmental organization. We know and understand that no individual country can tackle this problem alone, and we must continue to work together to combat these crimes that threaten our financial sector.”
Mr. Wayde Watson, the Minister of Finance, reiterated her remarks. “I am happy to see that we have come together in this setting to have discussions and to handle our shared concerns, compare our shared rules on this topic. The Bahamas is proud to be compliant, and we are not selfish, so we are willing to share ideas on this matter. We are happy to be compliant; we are happy not to be blacklisted, but for how long? The goalpost keeps shifting, and we want to continue to remain ahead of the issue, ahead of the goalpost, and we must continue to speak with one voice.”
President of the SXM AGRCP, Kyria Ali said she is extremely happy and proud that their organization was able to assist in facilitating such a prestigious event. In a lively panel discussion, which Kyria moderated, Caroline van Hees President of the SXM Bar Association and Stacy Ann Goodridge gave insight into the differences and similarities between Corporate Governance in the Dutch system versus the English Caribbean structure. This was followed by several other speakers from various industries within the compliance sector.
The conference continues today and will feature high profile players and gatekeepers in Law Enforcement, various government and non-governmental sectors, who play a role in fighting the war against financial crimes and ensuring compliance is adhered to.