GREAT BAY--Young writer Sanaa Lake has won the 2026 Dame Ruby Bute National Short Story Contest, securing the top prize for the second consecutive year, while Gabrielle Joseph placed second in the annual competition organized by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (MECYS). Now in its second year, the contest is open to students ages 12 to 14 and is designed to encourage reading, writing, literacy and creative expression among St. Maarten’s young people. It also honors the legacy of Dame Ruby Bute, one of the island’s celebrated cultural icons, writers and storytellers.

MARIGOT--Leader of the Rassemblement Saint Martin and Alternative (RSMA) Louis Mussington on Friday announced its support for the candidacy of Valérie Damaseau, accompanied by her running mate Michel Petit, in the September 2026 Senate elections.

ORANJESTAD, St. Eustatius--The Statia Government is welcoming professional baseball player and motivational speaker Kalian Sams to St. Eustatius for his first-ever visit to the island as part of the “Statia on the Map” initiative.

GREAT BAY--On Wednesday, September 9, 2026, students at the St. Maarten Vocational Training School, SVTS, took part in a hands-on bootcamp initiative led by the Royal Netherlands Marines Corps, giving young people on the island a firsthand look at military discipline, teamwork and physical training.

THE HAGUE--The Dutch government is backing an enforceable European minimum age for social media, joining Spain in calling for a single approach across the European Union as concern grows over children’s exposure to addictive algorithms, harmful content and other online risks.

SOUTH REWARD--St. Dominic High School has received strong results from its 2026 International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme evaluation, with the official report confirming that all IB requirements are in place and that the school demonstrated development beyond requirements across almost all standards reviewed.