James Whittaker

George Town

Journalist at Cayman Compass

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Articles

From North Sound to the majors, Justin Hastings taking scenic route to golf stardom

1 week ago | caymancompass.com | James Whittaker

Caymanian golfer Justin Hastings’ swift rise to the brink of sporting stardom is an overnight success story that has been years in the making. The 21-year-old’s performance in the US Open last weekend, where he made the halfway cut and took the low-amateur title, brought him to the notice of the wider world. But the talented former Cayman International School pupil hopes that brush with the limelight will not be the pinnacle of his golf career.
Plans to increase Cayman's $6 minimum wage on hold for now

1 week ago | caymancompass.com | James Whittaker

Plans to increase Cayman’s minimum wage are on hold for now, Immigration Minister Michael Myles has confirmed. The last government had indicated that the current $6-an-hour threshold would be increased to $7 for certain sectors on 1 July 2025. But the general election and the subsequent formation of the National Coalition for Caymanians means that plan is on hold as the new government rethinks the issue.
Missing Andrel: A trailblazing Caymanian journalist, beloved friend and colleague

2 weeks ago | caymancompass.com | James Whittaker

The faces in the search party told their own story. Current and former colleagues, old school friends, close and distant relatives, men and women of all ages and nationalities, people from the streets and a few from the corridors of power. The great and the good of Cayman society were out in force to join the search for Andrel Harris. Some only know him as a face on their television or mobile device screens, a voice on the radio or as a byline in the newspaper.
Immigration minister calls for 22-year wait for Caymanian status

2 weeks ago | caymancompass.com | James Whittaker

Foreign workers may have to wait up to 22 years to be eligible for Caymanian status under sweeping immigration reforms expected to go to Parliament this year. Government is also seeking to clamp down on marriages of convenience, reform the permanent residency points system and prevent people from “buying Caymanian citizenship”.
MP: Some HSA board members paid more than medical professionals

2 weeks ago | caymancompass.com | James Whittaker

Payments to Health Services Authority board members have increased tenfold with some directors now earning more than full-time medical professionals, MPs were told at a Finance Committee hearing Friday. Independent legislator Chris Saunders said the total annual payments to board members have increased from just under $19,000 in 2016 to more than $250,000 in 2023. He said, “Some board members are going home with eight or $9,000 per month.
Cayman's Hastings leads international team to victory at Arnold Palmer Cup

2 weeks ago | caymancompass.com | James Whittaker

Cayman’s Justin Hastings led a team of rising international golf stars to victory in the prestigious Arnold Palmer Cup this weekend — a perfect warm-up for his history-making appearance at the US Open later this week. Hastings, the first Caymanian to compete in the event, was the stand-out performer, with an unblemished 4-0 record in the team tournament that pits the best international college golfers against the best of the US.
MPs vote $45m in new welfare funding as cash runs out

2 weeks ago | caymancompass.com | James Whittaker

Government has approved $45 million in new welfare funding after it emerged it would be unable meet some of its financial obligations starting next month without a fresh cash injection. The money will cover the healthcare costs of people who don’t have sufficient insurance and for financial assistance to those in need.
Plan to restore eroded Marriott beach takes step forward

3 weeks ago | caymancompass.com | James Whittaker

Plans to restore the beach in front of the Grand Cayman Marriott Resort moved a step forward this week. The National Conservation Council voted that the project will not require an environmental impact assessment because the likely effects of the plans are already well known to the Department of Environment. The next step is for the DoE, in consultation with the council, to make a recommendation to Cabinet, which has the final decision on whether the project can proceed.
Cocaine tides: Millions of dollars worth of drugs wash up in Cayman

3 weeks ago | caymancompass.com | James Whittaker

Police recovered more than $1.65 million of cocaine that washed up on Cayman’s shores last year. The figure is likely a fraction of the amount of drugs that arrive in these islands on the tides, according to investigators, regional analysts and sources in the drug trade. Some of the cocaine that arrives in Cayman has been ditched by cartel boats running drugs into the US from South America. It may have floated for months, sometimes even years, before it finds its way to Cayman.
Police chief claims 'Al Capone approach' is making Cayman safer

3 weeks ago | caymancompass.com | James Whittaker

Cayman is taking the ‘Al Capone’ approach to going after violent criminals, according to police chief Kurt Walton. Referencing the infamous Chicago gangster, who evaded crimefighters for years before being jailed for tax evasion, the commissioner said his officers were using the same tactics to go after known gunmen in Cayman. He said the policy was paying dividends and claimed that in many cases, the people responsible for unsolved, violent crimes were now behind bars for other offences.