Staff now need employer's signature for NIB benefits

Read storyWorkers will now have to get employers to fill out a form when they apply for certain National Insurance benefits.

In the past only the applicant and doctors were required to provide information on claims for sickness, maternity leave and injury benefits.

But according to a statement from the National Insurance Board, this often led to workers collecting supplementary income even though they were still going to work and collecting income.

Full Story in The Tribune here

Hundreds of thousands of government dollars missing

Read storyA report of government spending from the 2006/2007 financial year says officials did not account for money as they should have, leaving doubts about how taxpayers' money was used.

The report, made by the auditor general, has listed several areas of concern, including:

• It is unclear how $909,000 in funds intended to fund the opening of the Bahamas Embassy in Cuba were actually spent
  
• Items were released without evidence that duty was paid and nearly 3,000 cargo lists show no dollar values
  
• In Abaco $300,149 – nearly a quarter of the island's total expenditures – was released without the administrator's signature
  
• Hundreds of thousands of dollars spent by the Ministry of Housing is unaccounted for. Kenneth Russell, current Housing Minister, said police are investigating.
  
•  Visa applications are missing signatures, occupation details and a photograph. Auditors also raised concerns that one person was able to sponsor visas for 16 people.
  

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A1)

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Search for tourists accused of killing protected ducks

Read storyFor the second time this year, police want to question American tourists about an animal attack after they saw photos on the internet.

Police are looking for the crew of the Adamo sailboat, last seen in Exuma. The crew is suspected of trespassing on a private island where owner Peter Graham has been investing around $35,000 annually to increase the population of whistling ducks since the 1960s.

Pictures from the crew's blog (internet journal) showed a plucked duck about to be roasted. Killing and chasing the protected West Indian tree ducks is prohibited by international law.

Members of the Graham family suspect the crew of chasing ducks on the island for two hours before killing a flightless pet duck.
Graham said: "When we saw their pictures on their website we lost our minds. It's sickening."

Read about last month's arrest of two Americans for eating an iguana and catching under-sized conch here.

Full Story in The Tribune here

Grand Bahama Shipyard is the world's busiest

Read storyThe Grand Bahama Shipyard services four times as many ships as its closest competitor, making it the world's most productive shipyard, according to the Carnival Corporation.

Speaking at the 11th annual Grand Bahama Business Outlook conference in Freeport, Giora Israel said the GBS represents $200 million worth of investment for Carnival, which owns 80 per cent of the shipyard. The Grand Bahama Port Authority owns the rest.

Israel said GBS is one of the largest electricity users on the island and helps sustain the economy through the rental of housing by shipyard crews.

Full Story in The Tribune here

College of The Bahamas more Earth-friendly

Read storyThe College of The Bahamas is making efforts to lower its impact on the environment.

The school has ditched cleaning agents that include chloroform, carbon and petroleum and is using more natural products.

CoB has also installed programmable thermostats to lower its annual $1.5 million electricity bill, with aims of getting down to $900,000.

The change has already led to a $5,000 drop in the electricity costs from the first building they installed the thermostats.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Police were wrong to hold suspects beyond 48 hours

Read storyA Supreme Court judge has found the Police Force liable for unlawful detention and malicious prosecution of two people who were accused of stealing.

Omar Rolle and Atisha Tinker were arrested in April, 2004 and charged with stealing a CD player. The pair was held for 4 and half days.

Rolle and Tinker sued the police force and the Attorney General after charges were dropped in 2005.

Justice Anita Allen said the detention of the couple beyond 48 hours was not justified and that the prosecutors should not have moved ahead with so little evidence.

Justice Allen will hear arguments as to what damages will be awarded later this week.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Celebrity impersonators invite Bahamians to free show

Read storyCelebrity impersonators and twins Eddie and Anthony Edwards have invited Bahamians to a free show.

The brothers said the show is their way of saying thanks to the Bahamas for hosting their performances for the last three years.

All Bahamians with identification are welcome to the show at the Rainforest Theatre on Sunday, March 8.

Eddie is famous for his Barbara Streisand and Cher impersonations while Anthony will become Tom Jones (and others) for this Sunday's show.

Click here to see a video of the brothers.

The Tribune

Underwater weddings coming soon

Read storyPreparing to offer underwater weddings, Atlantis held a test run on Valentine's Day.

Linzi and Daniel Belton renewed their vows at the bottom of the Ruins Lagoon at the Resort.

Daniel wore a tux, Linzi wore her original wedding dress and the couple plunged into the chilly tank along with a local marriage officer, a photographer and a videographer.

Future ceremonies will offer custom-made his and her wetsuits as well as underwater communication.

Full Story in The Tribune here

TED: Amazing photo software

Amazing video about new software that could change the way we view and use photos.

Minister denies hunger strike claims

Read storyThree Cuban men at the Immigration Detention Centre said on Friday they had been on a hunger strike for two days but Immigration Minister Branville McCartney said that was not true.

The Minister said an internal investigation had shown there were no cases of abuse at the centre and that inmates were being well treated.

"From our investigations I can say there is not one person on a hunger strike in the Detention Centre."

The Minister said he was open to an international investigation but that he would want a third party involved as "international reports tend to be absolutely wrong on occasion".

Last week The Tribune published several stories based on interviews with inmates. The reports included allegations of officers being bribed to produce false papers and violent beatings of inmates.

On Thursday, The Tribune spoke to ten inmates at the centre who all said there was a hunger strike and who described some of the beatings and abuse they claim are a regular part of life at the centre.

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A1)

More than 100 employees sent home

Read storyCLICO (Bahamas) sent more than 100 employees home last week, perhaps for good.

During a midday meeting last Thursday, workers were asked to stay home and wait for further instructions according to staff who spoke with The Guardian.

Jerome Gomez, one of the company's liquidators, said it's too early to tell what's going to happen next and that assessments were still being made.

He said they plan to setup a call center and website for CLICO customers to answer questions.

The company has just over 29,000 policy holders and more than $100 million in policy liabilities.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Murdered man's cousin says he helped plan robbery

Read storyThe cousin of murdered gas station owner, Keith Carey, said he helped plan the robbery that led to Carey's death.

Vaughn Carey testified that he was promised $9,000 to help with the robbery, including telling the thieves the best time for a robbery and signaling them when his cousin, Keith, had left with the deposit bag.

Keith Carey was shot outside Bank of the Bahamas and robbed of $40,000. Vaughn said he never got the money he was promised and did not see the men again until all of them were in jail.

Vaughn was originally charged with three other men before he became a witness for the prosecution.

The defendants' lawyers all suggested that Vaughn had made up his testimony so that charges would be dropped against him.

See other CBN stories about this subject here

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

US Report said Bahamian schools overcrowded

Read storyA report by the US State Department said prejudice towards Haitians was common, discrimination against homosexuals was evident and that ZNS favored government candidates in the 2007 election.

• The report, released Thursday, highlighted a number of areas of concern, including:
  
• The large and expanding backlog of court cases, presently more than 8,000 A lack of legal aid for those who could not afford a lawyer
  
• Insufficient funding for child welfare and education, including a lack of basic educational materials and overcrowding in public schools
  
• A lack of proper consideration for immigrants seeking asylum 

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A1)

Jones Communications owes government $400,000

Read storyJones Communications owes government $400,000

The head of Jones Communications has pled guilty to owing more than $430,000 in National Insurance payments.

Wendall Jones, CEO of Jones Communications, said he was negotiating with the agency to come to an agreement.

Sources at magistrate's court told The Tribune that Jones has agreed to pay 40% - $180,000 - up front and the remaining $250,000 over the next two years.

Reports in The Guardian the 40% down payment is normal in these cases and that employers are usually given two years to pay the balance.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here
The Tribune

Half a million in Freeport development

Read storyGRAND BAHAMA: Minister of Works Neko Grant signed contracts for $673,000 worth of projects Thursday, including:

• $212,000 for a new 1,900 square-foot ferry terminal at the McCleans Town dock that will include a post office and police station
• $256,809 to repair the air conditioning at the Freeport Post Office
• $136,950 for road paving and between Freeport and Eight Mile Rock
• $42,500 for line markings and reflectors along the highway between Seagrape and West End
• $25,000 to repair graves and tombs at the Holmes Rock Cemetery that were damaged during Hurricane Wilma
  

The Nassau Guardian

The Tribune

Canadian tourist drowns in Eleuthera

Read storyCanadian tourist Beatrice Chapman drowned while snorkeling in Eleuthera Thursday.

Chapman, 71, was a passenger on the SS Maasdam cruise ship.

Police reported that Chapman was snorkeling in the Half Moon Cay area around noon when she drowned.

The Nassau Guardian

Immigration officers terrify Bahamian mother and daughter

Read storyA woman and her daughter are trying to get back to normal after a terrifying encounter with the Immigration Department.

Violet Hanna said she thought someone was trying to break in when she heard banging on her door early Tuesday morning.

She realized it was the Immigration Department after she saw more than a dozen armed men and women in green uniforms outside her front and back doors.

Hanna said the officers started counting down, threatening to break her door if she did not open it quickly. Her 7-year-old daughter, Amber, was so scared she started crying and throwing up, she said.

Hanna told The Tribune that officers never identified themselves and did not apologize for breaking her gate to get to her back door.

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

Bahamas may borrow $200m

Read storyThe Bahamas government wants to borrow $200 million to make up for a lack of revenue in the 2008-2009 financial year.

Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham announced the decision, which will have to be approved by parliament, during a budget report on Wednesday.

The Prime Minister said given the present economic difficulties facing the country, it makes more sense for the government to absorb losses rather than reduce government spending.

The money would come from several banks and be used for a stimulus programme.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

Incest victims not getting support

Read storyReports of incest from the Family Islands will mean island to island travel by social workers who want to hear from victims.

Chairman of the National Child Protection Council, Pastor Gil Maycock, said reported cases probably account for a third of total incidents.

"We've gotten reports. It's not just one or two. We have gotten reports. We've put some emphasis on certain islands over other islands,” Maycock said.

The chairman said the situation is made worse by relatives that are not willing to support victims because they are afraid of the shame it will mean for their family.

Maycock said with only a "miniscule" amount of government funding, the council will need donations to tackle the problem, which will mean traveling to the out islands.

Full Story in The Tribune here

CLICO customers worried

Read storyPolicyholders concerned about their investment were asking questions at Clico (Bahamas) Wednesday, a day after the government moved to liquidate the company.

Several customers were reassured that their money was safe; one said he was told to check back on Thursday (yesterday), another that he should not worry because the company will be bought and his life insurance policy was re-insured.

Another client was "seething" as she left the office because she was told she would have to wait two weeks for the liquidators to pay and that there was no guarantee she would get her money back.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A1)

Less overtime for customs officers = lower duty prices

Read storyThe government plans to change the way customs officers work to reduce overtime payments and lower the cost of importing goods.

Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said high overtime payments has for a long time meant high costs for airlines that come to The Bahamas and discouraged business.

Better management of customs is one of the ways the Ministry of Tourism hopes to lower the cost to travel to The Bahamas and attract more visitors.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Full Story in The Tribune here

Eleuthera school celebrates sustainable technology

Read storyThe Island School* in Eleuthera, which uses solar panels to power dorms and makes its own biodiesel, shared its 10th anniversary with some special speakers.

Students heard from College of The Bahamas president Jayne Hodder as well as Dr Eddie Widder, senior scientist at the US-based Ocean Conservation and Research Association, during anniversary celebrations this month.

The Island School is one of four entities funded through the Cape Eleuthera Foundation. The other three are:

• The Deep Creek Middle School
  
• The Cape Eleuthera Institute - a scientific research and technology site
  
• Cape Systems - installs sustainable technology around the island
  

*Open link in Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox

Full Story in The Tribune here

Bahamians owe hundreds of millions in property tax

Read storyBahamians owed more than $363 million in real property taxes up to June last year.

About $80 million of this figure came from 2006/2007 and the rest from previous years.

The Auditor General, who prepared the report, recommended that government take action immediately to collect money owed by taxpayers.

The money is especially important as the government considers ways to make up for lower national revenue.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Gas prices heading up again

Read storyGas prices have risen along with increased oil costs, making some fuel as much as 20 cents more.

Esso is up to $3.56 from 3.26 per gallon, Shell is at $3.34 and Texaco at $3.36. On other islands the price is as high as $3.75.

Diesel is about $2.73 a gallon in Nassau and as high as
2.82 in the Family Islands.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

TED: Check this out! (not sad)

Read story

No, this is not Bahamian or about The Bahamas. It is inspiring. Every day I'm going to try and post something educational at the bottom of the page, usually a video.

The only thing it won't be (hopefully) is boring.

If you have something inspiring that you want to share (especially Bahamian things) send them to:


(click on image)

Amnesty wants Detention Centre investigated

Read storyDespite a quick assurance from the Department of Immigration (DoI) that inmates at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre are not abused, Amnesty International wants an independent investigation.

Hours after a Tribune story detailed abuse claims (links at the end of this post) the Immigration Department released a statement saying it did not know of a planned hunger strike and that "at no time were detainees mistreated or beaten".

But Amnesty International said the claims were similar to reports it has gotten over the years including: "miniscule" amounts of food for inmates, inadequate medical and bathing facilities and limited access to the outside world.

The Immigration Department's statement said inmates are given quality food three times a day and that menu choices consider the different nationalities at the facility.

The statement said that angry detainees sometimes try to tarnish the names of workers at the facility.

Click here to read an interesting take on the DoI's statement by Tribune Editor Paco Nunez.

See other CBN stories about this subject here

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

The Nassau Guardian

Child abuse up 24%

Read story

Reports of child abuse rose by 24% in 2008, according to statistics from the National Child Protection Council (NCPC).

The NCPC released the findings at a press conference Tuesday.

NCPC chairman Gil Maycock said abuse falls into six categories:

1. Abandonement
   
2. Neglect
   
3. Incest
   
4. Emotional abuse
   
5. Sexual abuse
   
6. Physical abuse
   

Maycock said neglect is by far the largest category, and includes children left alone at night, not fed properly and living in unsanitary conditions.

He said the NCPC expect abuse cases to increase this year, along with the bad economy.

This is especially true of neglect she said, as people work several jobs to make ends meet.

Judge concerned that evidence not consistent

Read storyOfficers who chased Lincoln Forbes until he was shot and killed by a fellow policeman gave their versions of the night's events.

But Magistrate William Campbell pointed to a number of inconsistencies that have clouded details of Forbes's 2004 death.

Detective Sergeant Rubin Stuart told the court that he and two other officers had stopped Forbes and his friend Trevon Stevens after chasing their car.

Stuart said Forbes ran out of the car and the other two officers chased him. Soon after, he told the court, the suspect came running from between some houses and fell on his face, shot.

Officer DC Martin, one of the officers who chased Forbes, testified that the third officer, named Ranger, shot Forbes when he turned and pointed his weapon at them.

A firearms expert testified earlier in the case that Forbes's weapon was actually a toy gun.

Magistrate Campbell asked why the officers had said that Forbes fell face down when crime scene photos showed him face up.

Stuart said that emergency medical workers had moved him but Campbell said the photos should have been taken that way.

The Magistrate also said it was unfortunate that Stuart's Uzi Submachine gun was not tested by police to see if it was fired on the night of the shooting.

Stevens testified that Stuart shattered their car's windshield with the Uzi during the chase. But Stuart said he had not fired the gun "at all".

The case resumes in April.

See other CBN stories about this subject here

Full Story in The Tribune here

Former officer said police would not come to help

Read storyFormer police officer Rupert Moxey said despite calling police three times, no-one came to help him stop a man who was throwing rocks at his home and threatening his life.

Moxey, 58, said at around 11 o'clock Friday night, he saw a young man fighting outside his home. The man turned on him after he told him to put down a rock.

The attacker came to his yard and said "I'll kill you, I'll **** you up."

Moxey called the police emergency number. When no one came he called back and was told to call the Carmichael Road Station. They told him there was no-one available.

Meanwhile, the man was throwing rock after rock at Moxey's house, damaging his friend's car and breaking his front gate.

After a sleepless night, he called back the next day and the following Monday but no one has gone to see him.

"I really just want the police to come so I don't have to deal with this on my own.

He threatened to kill me when he threw the first stone and I was really afraid."

Assistant Superintendent of Police Walter Evans said he would look into the incident.

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

Ross University means $10m for Grand Bahama

Read storyGRAND BAHAMA: Ross University is expected to bring $10 million to the Grand Bahama economy over the next year.

Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham was recently at the Freeport Campus for the school's launch.

The university is expected to pump $10 million as staff and students pay for housing, food, transportation and living expenses.

The Bahamas campus will serve as the clinical site of Ross University's medical programme in Dominica. Two hundred students have enrolled at the Freeport Campus for this year's courses.

Man ordered to give $5,000 to AIDS group

Read storyMagistrate Renae McKay ordered Travis Crossgill to pay $5,000 to the AIDS Foundation after he pled guilty to possession of 13 bullets for a 9mm handgun.

The guilty plea meant police dropped charges against the five people arrested with Crossgill, 20.

The Nassau Guardian

Man on bail charged with second murder

Read storyA man on bail for murder was charged with another murder in court Tuesday.

Dior Johnson is accused of shooting Ignacio Smith to death in front of his home on January 28.

Johnson was on bail for the October 2006 murder of Jason Rolle, who was stabbed to death.

The Nassau Guardian

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

CBN wants your vote

Read storyDo you like the way things are now or would you prefer more, shorter stories?

Click Boring if you want more stories.

Click Interesting to keep things as they are.

Thanks!

Cuban prisoners plan hunger strike to protest beatings

Read storyA detainee at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre will start a hunger strike today (Wednesday) after he was allegedly beaten so badly that he lost his fingernails.

It was one of many accusations made by inmates at the centre during an interview with The Tribune. Here are some of the most startling:

• People sleep on the floor and in bathrooms with old hole-filled blankets
  
• Inmates get so little to eat that some are willing to give sexual favours for food
  
• That American inmate Mathew Davenport - who set fire to a male dormitory at the centre - was beaten "senseless" when he climbed onto a roof to protest conditions. The next day he started the fire.
  
• That officers knocked out the teeth of a prisoner named Reginald and broke both his knees.
  

"Without hesitation I can say this is a concentration camp. Any human being walking through the door would be shocked. . . " according to a prisoner.

The protestors are asking Bahamians to donate diapers, baby formula and food.

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

Inmate says officers paid thousands to aid escapes

Read storyIn another story from the Carmichael Road Detention Centre an inmate told The Tribune that officers collect between $4,000 and $6,000 to help prisoners escape.

He also mentioned several cases of fraud, including the case of a Haitian man who paid $5,000 and "became a Bahamian national overnight”.

“They falsified school records to say he attended school in the Bahamas,” the detainee claimed. “I don't know what else happened from that point but that’s where it began,” he told The Tribune.

The inmate mentioned another case in which five Chinese persons paid officials at the centre $30,000 to be released.

“They put them on an airplane to Cuba so that they could try and re-enter the Bahamas from there and then go on to the US.

"They stayed in Cuba for a few days and then they got caught again here in the Bahamas, so essentially they lost their money,” he said.

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

Judge accuses judge of trying to ruin her career

Read storyA magistrate is suing Deputy Chief Magistrate Helen Jones, saying Jones wrongly accused her of accepting bribes and stealing fines.

Magistrate Subusola Lawanson-Swain accused Jones of making false accusations against her and trying to punish her because of the way she handled cases connected to Jones' husband, father-in-law and electrician.

Lawanson-Swain, who is now presiding over a juvenile court, said Jones' accusations caused enormous embarrassment and damaged her career.

She is seeking damages for slander, libel, malicious falsehood and misfeasance in public office.

The Nassau Guardian

Court Briefs: Stabbing, 12-year-old sex assault

Read storyA 17-year-old male was charged with the brutal stabbing of a Haitian man found dead on Wulff Road.

The victim, 33-year-old Ecvard Ficien, was still holding money when police found his body near the Happy Hour Bar last Wednesday.

See other CBN stories about this subject here

On Monday, Delbert Roberts, 44 was charged with having unlawful intercourse with a 12-year-old girl in December of last year.

Roberts was given $10,000 bail and his case was adjourned until April 28.

Sheehan Comarcho, 22, was charged with raping a woman at her Prince Charles Drive home and robbing her of $1,000, a phone and her Nissan Sentra.

Comarcho returns to court on June 1st.

See other CBN stories about this subject here

Men charged with taking $90,000 in robbery spree

Read storyThree men were charged in connection with armed robberies that included nine victims and were valued at more than $96,000 in cash and goods.

John Augustine and Colbert Augustine, both Haitian, were charged with robbing the Alpha Learning Centre of $2,100 in cash on February 16th.

Both men, along with Shaun Johnson, were charged with six robberies between two days in February. Click here to see table.

John Augustine and Colbert Augustine were charged with robbing more than $86,000 in on January 19th. Click here to see table.

Man shot by police had "toy" gun

Read storyFirearms expert Charles Bain told the Coroner's Court on Monday that the gun found next to Lincoln Forbes was a "toy gun" meant to shoot firecrackers.

But Mr Bain also testified that anyone could have mistaken the gun for the real thing.

The inquest is reviewing the details of Forbes' June 3, 2004 shooting death.

See other CBN stories about this subject here

Full Story in The Tribune here

Nassau Harbor getting $70 million deeper

Read storyIn about a month, the government will close a $70 million deal to dredge Nassau Harbour and extend Arawak Cay.

Bids from seven companies - all foreign – were considered. A Bahamian company did submit a bid but did not meet prequalifications.

The project is expected to take nine months and will allow the harbor to accommodate new, larger cruise ships.

It is expected to more than double the length of Arawak Cay, which was chosen as a project partially because it was the most economical way to use the material dug up from the harbor.

The Nassau Guardian

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are in Nassau

Read storyCheerleaders from The Dallas Cowboys are in Nassau to shoot their 2010 calendar.

The cheerleaders will pose at spots around the Atlantis Resort.

About half of the team of 60 will be in Nassau until March 1.

Full Story in The Tribune here

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders website here

History channel looking for UFOs in The Bahamas

Read storyHosts from the History Channel's show, UFO Hunters, will be in Nassau next month to investigate recent alien sightings in and around the Bahamas.

Host Johnathan Walton told The Nassau Guardian that the team is looking for witnesses.

Anyone who thinks they have seen an Unidentified Flying Object of interest is asked to email him at walton@motionpictureprod.com.

Check out the UFO Hunters website here

Woman robbed and raped by intruder

Read storyA woman was raped during an attack at a Prince Charles Drive home early Friday morning.

After a man got into the house through the front door, he robbed a 30-year-old woman inside and sexually assaulted her.

The police officer reporting the crime did not reveal the extent of the woman's injuries but said she was substantially traumatized.

According to The Tribune, another woman in the house escaped to a neighbor where she called police. The Guardian reported that neighbors heard commotion from the home and called.

Either way, police were able to make an arrest, although again there are different reports.

The Tribune stated that police are holding one man in connection with the crime while The Guardian said two 23-year-olds.

Both papers said the suspect(s) were expected to appear in court yesterday.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

Two robberies at home entrance

Read storyA 32-year-old man was attacked by two gunmen outside his house in the Cool Acres subdivision Friday evening.

The men went inside his home, took his shotgun and then shot the man in his left leg when they were leaving.

He was in stable condition on Sunday.

Around 10pm, a woman in her early 50s was robbed of about $2,000 at her home in Twynam Heights.

The woman, who was with her son, was also approached by two men with guns, who took cash and some personal items.

They tried to take her car but did not succeed.

Police Superintendant Elsworth Moss warned Bahamians to make sure homes are well-lit on the outside and that people inside know to expect you.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Full Story in The Tribune here

Survey of Bahamas experts say the worst is coming

Read storyThat country may not have seen the worst of the financial crisis according to a survey of financial professionals in The Bahamas.

A survey of 40 financial service professionals, conducted by The Nassau Guardian and The Bahamas Financial Services Board, asked 13 questions about the state of the nation.

Not everyone answered every question but below are some of the points raised and the responses.

The worst has passed
29 said it hasn't

Government should focus more on financial services
30 said it should

Delayed/Cancelled projects will have a significant impact on the country's supply of foreign money
32 said they will

Difficulties facing Swiss banks will affect confidence in offshore banking
20 said yes, 16 said no

Everyone who responded to a question about local industry said the country would have to make major changes for the financial services sector - the nation's number two money-maker - to remain competitive.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Groups not coming to Atlantis

Read storyGroup bookings at the Atlantis' Resort are way down and are probably going to stay that way.

George Markantonis, president and managing director of Kerzner Bahamas, told The Nassau Guardian that companies that would normally come to the resort for meetings and rewards programs are cutting out exotic trips.

Citigroup Inc.'s Primerica Financial Services recently canceled a trip for its salespeople. Markantonis said that would have a big impact on occupancy levels but said the hotel intends to collect cancellation fees.

Despite the loss of much of its most important business, the Atlantis executive told The Nassau Guardian that the resort is more or less on target. There are no plans for layoffs among the resorts' 8,000-plus workers.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Family wants longer sentence for killer

Read storyGRAND BAHAMA: A family is upset that the man who killed their relative has been sentenced to only 15 years in prison.

Labion LaRoda stabbed his wife Tiffany at least 20 times, killing her. LaRoda pled guilty to the manslaughter.

Her sister, Shavonne Munnings, said: “I sat through the trial and the accused admitted and described in detail what he did as part of the plea bargain to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

"I do not agree with this plea bargaining thing and I also believe that the 15-year sentence was not sufficient because he took a mother away from her four children."

Ms Munnings said she believes LaRoda should have been sentenced to at least 35 years for his crime.

Rev Glenroy Bethel, founder of a group known as Families for Justice or FFJ, said the victim’s family would appeal the decision.

Full Story in The Tribune here

Man crashes Jeep into home

Read storyGRAND BAHAMA: After losing control of his Jeep Cherokee, a driver crashed through the wall of a home.

According to police, Ashley Moxey was speeding on the East Sunrise Highway at about 3am last week Friday.

Moxey lost control then hurtled across the median and the highway's other lane before crashing through the northern wall of Rowland Stuart's Home.

The crash did not hurt anyone in the home but Moxey was taken to Rand Memorial for treatment.

Full Story in The Tribune here

Police: Yard fires will be punished

Read storyBahamians that burn rubbish or debris will be subject to the most severe sentences possible according to Fire Services administrator Bradley Knowles.

"It's a nuisance and we want the public to understand that this is a breach of the law - the only (legal) avenue you have for lighting fires in the neighborhood is for cooking purposes," Knowles said.

"We've been doing a lot of warning but the time has come where we're going to have to prosecute people before the courts."

Full Story in The Tribune here

Government getting tougher on crown land policy

Read storyThe government plans to be tougher on squatters in efforts to protect the approximately 15,000 acres of crown land left on New Providence.

Land and Surveys Director Tex Turnquest said persons who are trying to hold on to land without devloping it will be stopped.

Turnquest said the government is providing more resources to the department which will help them to deal with squatters more efficiently.

Land and Surveys is currently putting together a map of the crown land still available in The Bahamas, one island at a time.

The Nassau Guardian

Mexican lawmakers say Bahamas resort is exploiting workers

Read storyPoliticians in Mexico have accused a developer in The Bahamas of exploiting 65 of its citizens.

Last week Thursday, lawmakers in Mexico requested various government agencies within Mexico to act on reports that the owners of a resort in The Bahamas have treated workers unfairly.

Mexican Senator Jose Zalvidea said that the company illegally took passports from Mexican employees.

The Senator said the resort threatened to turn workers over to Bahamian immigration authorities and that they could end up in jail.

Senator Zalvidea also suggested that workers were paid $80 a week instead of the $500 they were promised and were not allowed to leave the work area at lunchtime or after hours.

The Senate approved a request that Mexico should increase efforts to repatriate the workers.

The Tribune

Read a translated version of the story here

Four BEC bosses let go

Read storyAt least four BEC executives have been let go in efforts to improve the corporation's efficiency.

Executive Chairman Fred Gottlieb said the Bahamas Electricity Corporation needed to be less "top-heavy as far as executives are concerned".

Gottlieb said this was something that could continue on lower levels within the company as BEC aims to be more efficient.

Minister of State for Public Utilities Phenton Neymour said the decision was made after recommendations from an independent auditor.

Former Minister of Works Bradley Roberts said the removal of the executives was a haphazard approach to BEC's financial problems.

Roberts said the corporation was in a poor financial state because it did not pass the cost of higher duty prices on oil to its customers.

The Nassau Guardian

The Tribune

Policeman found guilty of accepting bribe

Read storyGRAND BAHAMA: Police Officer Pierre Martin was found guilty of accepting a bribe by a unanimous jury decision.

Martin was released on $10,000 bail and required to surrender travel documents until his sentencing in April.

The officer was convicted of accepting a bribe from Garrick Lewis in Feburay of 2007.

Martin had arrested Lewis that month and charged him with obscene language, resisting arrest and threatening to kill him (Officer Martin).

See other CBN stories about this subject here

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A05)

 

Solomon's Mines workers fear layoffs coming soon

Read storySolomon's Mines employees are worried that they may lose their jobs as they wait for late salary cheques.

An employee who called The Tribune said her salary was supposed to be paid two weeks ago and is not sure when she will be.

She said the staff is all the more upset because managers were recently given blackberry phones despite the store continually being late with salaries.

Store President Mark Finlayson told The Tribune in a previous article that the store was struggling with the lack of tourism dollars.

More recently, Finlayson told the newspaper that the store had done well in the week leading up to Valentines.

See other CBN stories about this subject here

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A03)

Might be ten years before CoB becomes University

Read storyThe College of The Bahamas may have to wait as much as ten years before it will become a University.

Education Minister Carl Bethel said it would be up to Cabinet Ministers to decide how long it would be, and that "it could be two years or it could be ten".

Bethel said the matter has not yet come before the Cabinet but that he expected it would soon.

The Nassau Guardian

Witness says police planted gun after killing his friend

Read storyA man testified that police planted a gun on his friend after killing him and moving his body.

Trevon Stevens told the court that he and Lincoln Forbes were chased by police before stopping in front of a Garden Hills building.

He testified that once he stopped the car, Forbes got out and ran around the side of a building. It was then that he noticed for the first time that his friend had a gun, Stevens said.

A few seconds later, he heard a shot. After that, Stevens testified, police dragged Forbes to the front of the building, took a gun from a police car and threw it next to his body.

The witness said although he pleaded with officers, they were in no rush to call an ambulance for Forbes, who bled to death.

Lawyers for the police officer who has admitted to shooting Forbes said Stevens was lying. They also argued that there were inconsistencies in his story.

But on several points, Magistrate William Campbell said he did not agree that Stevens had contradicted himself.

The testimony was part of an ongoing Coroner's inquest into Forbes' death.

See other CBN stories about this subject here

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

Murdered man found holding money

Read storyA 33-year-old man was found dead with a handful of money on Wednesday night.

Police say Edvard Ficien was stabbed four times in a brutal attack. Ficien, a Haitian, died next to the Happy Hour Bar on Wulff Road.

Police Superintendent Elsworth Moss said while robbery could have been a motive for the attack, the fact that the the money was left behind suggests otherwise.

Ficien is The Bahamas' 12th murder for the year.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

Witness says he was pressured to say "what they wanted"

Read storyA witness said the man accused of murdering Keith Carey dropped her to Police Headquarters on the day of the shooting.

The witness (whose name was withheld by court order) testified that Jamal Glinton, who is charged with killing Keith Carey in February of 2006, dropped her to her job at the Urban Renewal Project at the East Street Police station.

Her testimony matches another witness that says she was in a car with Glinton on the day of the shooting.

Prosecutors are hoping her testimony will establish a link between the car he used to drop her and the car they believe was used to leave the scene of the crime.

Glinton, along with Sean Brown and Dwight Knowles, is accused of shooting Carey at the Bank of the Bahamas on Harrold Road.

Knowles' cousin, Mickey Wright, testified that Knowles told him about a "situation" with a white Maxima and asked him to take it for repairs.

Wright said that he had been held by police for four days and pressured to tell them "what they wanted to hear".

The trial resumes Monday.

See other CBN stories about this subject here

The Nassau Guardian

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A03)

Judge: Bahamians should be unhappy with legal system

Read storyThe country's top judge said Bahamians should not be satisfied with the current state of the legal system.

Chief Justice Sir Burton Hall told the Rotary Club of West Nassau that without public interest the judicial system cannot function as it should.

Sir Burton said public support might encourage people with the power to improve the state of the nation's judicial system to do so.

He also pointed out that The Bahamas' legal support staff are made up of civil servants that administrators have limited powers to hire, fire or discipline.

Sir Burton also said that while criticism of judges and their decisions is part of a working democracy, personal attacks and self-serving accusations serve no-one.

The Nassau Guardian

Boy hospitalized after ninth fire in a week

Read storyBahamians need to be less careless when it comes to fire, an official said after reporting the ninth fire in a week.

Fire Services Administrator Bradley Knowles said most fires are caused by carelessness.

A ten-year-old boy was taken to hospital after helping his mother put out a fire in their home on Wednesday afternoon.

It was the ninth structural fire reported in a week and the tenth call that unit of firefighters responded to that day, police reported.

Knowles said smoke detectors are essential for better fire prevention and advised placing them in a hallway near bedrooms.

In the kitchen and outside the bathroom are not good spots, he said, since smoke from cooking and steamy showers could lead to false alarms.

The Nassau Guardian

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

Reports that high school boys sexually assaulted 6-year-old

Read storyA six-year-old girl was taken to the hospital after an attack at a government primary school.

Police are investigating claims that the girl was sexually assaulted by a group of secondary school boys.

The attack is said to have happened shortly after 3pm on January 23.

Education Minister Carl Bethel said the matter was kept private due to the nature of the incident and the fact that the police investigation has not yet concluded.

Police Superintendant Elsworth Moss said there is an investigation ongoing and that the attack involved at least two perpetrators. He did not describe the nature of the attack.

Moss said he expected to conclude the investigation in a few days.


The Tribune

Vendor says policeman demanded weekly $500 bribe

Read storyThe police complaints and corruption unit is reviewing two cases of alleged extortion by its officers.

In one case, an Arawak Cay stall owner said a policeman took $200 from one of his staff members.

He said the officer told him that people had complained about his stall but that he would "have him straight".

The stall owner said the next week the policeman came back and said he wanted $500 every week to "keep everbody off ya back".

In the other matter, 20-year-old Travis Brown said police told him there was a warrant out for his arrest.

Brown said three officers handcuffed him and drove him around for while before offering him a choice: spend a few days in a holding cell or pay a $100 "fine".

After Brown told them he didn't have the money, an officer reached into his pocket, took $50 and gave half to a policeman in the front seat.

Later, the officers were forced to stop at the Quackoo Street Police station when they realized they had no keys for the handcuffs, he said.

Brown said they later dropped him off on East Street.

Acting Commissioner Reginald Ferguson said all such activities must be stopped and encouraged citizens to report them to the Police Complaint Unit.

The Tribune

Police will soon charge man with shooting officer

Read storyPolice expect to charge a 27-year old Nassau Village man now in custody with the recent shooting of a police officer.

The man opened fire on officers when they tried to question him about firearm suspicions.

During the shooting, Officer 518 Johnson was hit in his left leg.

A witness told The Tribune that she told police where the suspect was after he had threatened her with a gun earlier in the day.

Tia Thurston said she was following police to the area when she heard several shots fired.

Police expect to bring the suspect to court on Friday.

See other CBN stories about this subject here


Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Minister wants higher fines for hiring illegal immigrants

Read storyImmigration Minister Branville McCartney said the government wants to raise fines for hiring illegal immigrants above the current $3,500 limit.

Appearing on the radio talk show Generation Next on 106.5 FM, McCartney said that persons who hire illegal immigrants should have to pay the cost of deportation and have their names printed in the newspapers.

Former Immigration Minister Shane Gibson agreed that fines were an important consideration but said there are other loopholes.

He asked how long The Bahamas would allow wooden-hulled vessels to enter its waters, pointing to the recent seizures of millions of dollars of cocaine found aboard two such vessels.

He said that the present government should photograph and fingerprint persons held at the Detention Center, a practice started while he was in power.

The Nassau Guardian

Woman dies after seizure in pool

Read storyA 39-year-old woman died in hospital after she suffered a seizure at a local pool.

Noelle Roberts, the daughter of the late Member of Parliament Noel Roberts and mother of two, had a history of seizures.

According to a statement from the swim club that Roberts belonged to, she suffered a seizure while swimming.

Although a nurse and coach on the scene were able to revive her with CPR, she remained in a coma until her death Wednesday afternoon.

The Tribune

The Nassau Guardian

Witness says she was with suspect in alleged getaway car

Read storyProsecutors seeking to link three men with a white getaway car questioned a woman who testified that she was in a car with a suspect on the date of the murder.

The testimony is part of the prosecution's case against Jamal Glinton, Sean Brown and Dwight Knowles, who are accused of the murder of Keith Carey in February 2006.

The woman, whose name was withheld by court order, said she was in a car with at least one of the suspects - Glinton.

The woman said she had known him for five years and had slept at Glinton's home the night before.

She told the court that she sat in the back seat with him on the way to her East Street job and that two other men were in the car.

Carey, who owned the Faith Avenue/Carmichael Road Esso Service Station, was shot outside the Bank of The Bahamas on Harrold Road while making a large deposit.

The Nassau Guardian

The Tribune

New eye tester helps club help kids

Read storyGRAND BAHAMA: The Freeport Lions Club has a new eye testing machine to help in their sight conservation program.

For years the club has helped children get eye exams and glasses at no cost as well as raising funds for eye surgeries.

The machine, which takes about 15 minutes to test eyes, can detect the early stages of short-sightedness and far-sightedness, crossed eyes and colour blindness.

It will be operated by trained members of the club.

To help pay for this and other sight conservation efforts, the club will hold a Fun Run Walk on February 22nd, starting at 6am at the Lions Club house on East Beach Drive.

The Tribune

Three schools robbed at gunpoint

Read storyThree schools were robbed at gunpoint in the space of five hours yesterday.

All three incidents involved a man of about six feet in dark clothing. Police say they are not assuming the crimes are linked but are not ruling it out.

The first robbery was at 11am at the Southwest Christian Academy, followed by the Bayview Academy at 3pm and the Alpha Learning Centre 30 minutes after that.

Cash, jewelry and some personal items were taken.

Lauroname Strachan, a supervisor at Southwest Christian Academy, said she saw the robber get into the passenger side of a blue Ford Explorer which then sped off.

Strachan said that the robber did not disturb the school children during the attack but headed straight for the office.

Reports are that in at least two of the incidents, the thief wore a dark cloth over his face.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Trial date set in tourist shooting case

Read storyThe two men accused of trying to kill a New Jersey cop will go to court this December.

Prosecutors have accused Ebenezer Sherman and Bradley Saunders of shooting John Casper while trying to rob his friend, Jean Algios, of her purse.

Casper, a policeman of 19 years, was shot in the chest on May 14 last year.

The incident happened near the Cable Beach home of former Prime Minister Perry Christie.

A member of Christie's security detail rushed Casper to the hospital in a commandeered vehicle.

Sherman and Saunders will remain on $25,000 bail.

The Nassau Guardian

China pledges $160 million for Bahamian projects

Read storyChina has agreed to lend The Bahamas $160 million and has committed to a number of projects, including roadwork and agriculture.

During the visit of several Chinese diplomats, including His Excellency Hui Liangyu, Vice Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, a number of agreements were signed.

The most prominent venture is a $150 million agreement which includes the Airport Highway project as "a high priority".

A second agreement commits $10 million under the title Economic and Technical Cooperation, and will be used toward projects that will be "decided through consultations between the two governments".

Another agreement will allow diplomats of either country to travel to the other nation without the need for a visa, as long as they are staying for less than 30 days.

The final agreement concerns agricultural co-operation, including: farming tropical fruits and vegetables, the production of peas, beans, corn and flowers as well as crab processing and poultry and fish farming.

During the second China-Caribbean Trade Economic Forum in 2007, the Chinese government committed to make more than $5 billion available to the region in the form of low-rate, 30-year loans.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

Nassau Village shooting leaves officer wounded

Read storyA policeman was shot in the leg while investigating reports that a man had an illegal gun in the Nassau Village area.

Officers on patrol around 3.40pm were given information about a man with a gun. The police saw the suspect sitting with other men.

As they approached the group, the man ran off. They chased him into a nearby yard and shots were fired.

Detective Corporal Johnson was shot in the left leg.

After the shooting, police launched a manhunt, covering an area that stretched from Nassau Village to Seabreeze Estates.

Superintendent Ellsworth Moss of the Central Detective Unit said a man was later arrested near Seabreeze.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

Mother questions witness about her son's death

Read storyThe mother of a 22-year-old man allegedly shot by police has taken an active role in the inquest into his 2004 death.

Ruth Julian rose several times to ask witnesses about the events surrounding the killing of her son, Lincoln Forbes.

On Tuesday, the first day of the inquest, jurors saw photographs of Lincoln's body, two guns and views of the street, all taken the night of the shooting,

Although a witness testified that he saw a gun in Forbes' hand, the photos show him lying on his back without a gun.

Questioned by Ms Julian as to why he saw a gun when there was none in the photos, the witness - Gavin Ellis – said he did not know but was sure that he saw a gun in Forbes' hand.

Jurors in the inquest also heard from Road Traffic supervisor Dwayne Pratt.

Pratt said he lent his car to a cousin, telling him to come right back. Pratt said he did not see his cousin again that night.

His car was found at the scene of the killing. When Pratt collected his car from a police compound, it had a bullet in the windshield.

The inquest continues on Thursday.

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A03)

Second man sentenced in $14 million drug bust

Read storyA second Haitian boat captain was sentenced to four years in jail for his role in a drug seizure worth several million dollars.

Roberson François, 39, pled guilty to four drug-related charges, including possession with intent to supply, drug importation and conspiring to sell cocaine.

He was given four years for each charge but will serve the four sentences at the same time.

François was arrested last week Thursday off Great Inagua when American and Bahamian officers found 600 pounds of cocaine hidden on a boat he was captain of.

Four men and one woman were charged along with the Haitian captain. All have pled not guilty and were denied bail.

The arrest in Great Inagua was one of two seizures from the area that day, which led to the confiscation of 1,400 pounds of cocaine.

See other CBN stories about this subject here

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Man charged with Valentine's killing

Read storyKendrick Dames was charged with the Valentine's Day murder of Philip Marcellus.

Dames is accused of stabbing Marcellus to death during a fight on Rocky Pine Road off McKinney Drive.

A preliminary inquiry into the matter will begin next week Tuesday, to determine if there is enough evidence for the matter to go to the Supreme Court.

See other CBN stories about this subject here

The Nassau Guardian

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

New system means hours of waiting for patients

Read storyCustomers had to wait as long as six hours for prescriptions from the Princess Margaret Hospital Tuesday.

A new system that is supposed to speed up pharmacy service is creating the holdup.

The delay is caused when staff collect information from patients who have not been to the hospital since the service was put in place.

Patients must answer a few personal questions before they can be registered.

PMH Public Relations officer Thelma Rolle asked the public to be patient while they make the transition.

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A03)

Police record required for Potters Cay vendors

Read storyFish-cleaning vendors at Potters Cay Dock are now required to wear uniforms, have their police record on hand and maintain clean facilities.

Assistant Port Controller Craig Curtis said the new rules are aimed at making the area safer.

When Guardian staff visited the site Tuesday, the cleaners were dressed in green overalls and high black water boots.

Fish Cleaners Association supervisor Kevin McKenzie said workers were happy with the new regulations, which also stipulate no drinking or cursing in the area.

The Nassau Guardian

Man charged with murder after making complaint

Read storyA man was charged with murder after he went to make a complaint at a local police station.

Officers at the station thought Valdez Bowleg, 26, looked like the sketch of a suspect in the murder of Edward Clarke.

Clarke was shot to death on March 14 last year.

Bowleg is also accused of burglarizing the home of Theophilus Knowles on the same date as Clarke shooting. He is also charged of attempting to rob Knowles with a handgun.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

Hotel guests leave after shooting

Read storyAbout half the guests at the El Greco Hotel checked out on Tuesday, fearful after a man was shot nearby.

About 4am Monday, a 28-year-old man told police he was shot after three men called him outside.

The victim, who's injuries were not life-threatening, lives near the Envy nightclub in the Mayfair building. Four a.m. is the club's closing time.

Later Monday morning, 10 of the 24 guests at the El Greco hotel, which is opposite the nightclub, left because they did not feel safe there.

The guests told staff that they had been solicited by prostitutes and that music from the club had kept them awake at night.

Owner of the Mayfair building, Keith Aranaj, said the club is licensed to operate until 4am.

Aranaj said: "Since the nightclub opened people have complained about the noise and I can't blame them for that but they should talk to the woman who rents the place and they should come to some understanding.

Police say they have no evidence of prostitution in the area but are following leads in the shooting matter.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

4-year sentence for $5million drug charge

Read storyA Haitian boat captain was sentenced to four years in jail in connection with the recent seizure of $5 million worth of cocaine.

On Monday, Lucio Blanc pled guilty to four cocaine-related charges including conspiracy to import and supply the drug as well as importation and possession of the drug.

Prosecutor Ercell Dorsette told the court that officers discovered 361 packages of cocaine hidden under planks of a 77-foot vessel captained by Blanc.

Blanc was sentenced to four years for each charge, but will serve all four simultaneously.

Magistrate Carolita Bethel said she did not give the maximum sentence because Blanc admitted his involvement and did not waste the court's time.

The five other men arrested with Blanc pled not guilty and were remanded to custody.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

Policeman accused of taking bribe testifies

Read storyGRAND BAHAMA: A police officer accused of accepting two bribes testified that he was offered money but did not take it.

Constable Pierre Martin, 25, is charged with accepting two bribes from Garrick Lewis in 2007, amounting to $2,500.

Martin arrested Lewis on February 5, 2007, and charged him with using obscene language, resisting arresting and threatening to kill him (Officer Martin).

It is alleged that Martin told Lewis that if he gave him $3,000, he would not have to go to court.

Lewis testified that he made two payments to Martin, one for $1,500 and one for $1,000.

Martin testified that Lewis offered him money not to show up in court but he refused. The officer said he did not report the attempted bribe.

He was arrested the morning of September 12, one of the days he was expected to appear as a witness in the case against Lewis.

Officers arrested Martin after he went to pick up ten tightly-wrapped $100 bills that were thrown from a car. He said he did not know what they were until later.

The officer said he had been to all of Lewis' court dates expect one, when asked for a postponement because he was not feeling well.

Martin is presently barred from duty. The case was expected to be put before the jury yesterday.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

Fatal car crash throws wreckage over 40 feet

Read storyGRAND BAHAMA: A violent crash that ripped a car in half brought the island's traffic fatalities to three for the year.

La'vaughan Munroe, a former member of the Bahamas Davis Cup Team, lost control of his Ford Mustang at about 1:15pm last week Sunday, police said.

Munroe hit a tree on Midshipman Road, which was forceful enough to throw the front end of the car some 45 feet away (see photos here).

Munroe's brother Bjorn, is part of the Bahamas team to this year's Davis Cup in Paraguay.

He was responsible for founding the Munroe Tennis Academy which included children from ages seven-17.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A02 and A11)

Pilot hits birds on the way to Bimini

Read storyA Florida pilot had to make an emergency landing in Fort Lauderdale after he crashed into a flock of vultures.

The pilot was headed to Bimini when he hit the birds, which cracked the windshield of the small plane. He sustained minor injuries.

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

Madonna to play the wife of former Bahamas Governor

Read storyWorld-famous music star Madonna will play the wife of Edward VIII, the former King of England and Governor of The Bahamas, in an upcoming movie.

King Edward gave up the throne in 1936 to marry Simpson, who had already been married once.

According to some accounts, Edward did not enjoy his time in The Bahamas, referring to the country as "a third-class British colony".

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A05)

Argument leads to stabbing death, again

Read storyFor the second time in less than a week, a disagreement ended with a stabbing death.

According to police reports, Phillip Marcellus (Guardian spelling = Methuleus), 27, was arguing with a 32-year-old man on near McKinney Drive around 3pm on Valentine's Day.

It is alleged that the two men were fighting about a woman.

The fight got worse and ended when Marcellus was stabbed several times. He was pronounced dead by paramedics on the scene.

Soon after, the alleged attacker turned himself in to the Carmichael Road Police Station.

Marcellus is the 10th homicide of 2009.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

Click here for CBN stories related to the first stabbing death here

Chinese official has busy Bahamas visit ahead

Read storyA high-ranking member of the Chinese government will spend Tuesday and Wednesday in The Bahamas this week.

His Excellency Hui Liangyu, Vice Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, will split his time between Nassau and Freeport.

Vice Premier Hui will visit the governor general and prime minister, tour the Atlantis resort, the Clifton Heritage Authority, the Freeport Container Port and the Grand Bahama Shipyard.

This week will include the signing of a comprehensive agreement that concerns agriculture, a loan for infrastructure, a waiver for visa requirements for persons with diplomatic passports and a grant to The Bahamas worth around $10 million according to officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The visit is part of a diplomatic mission to Latin America and the Caribbean. The Vice Premier has already visited Ecuador, Argentina and Barbados.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Illegal immigrants apprehended since 2002

Read story

This table is based on information taken from The Nassau Guardian. The numbers came from The Royal Bahamas Defence Force and were released on Sunday.

The numbers in bold are the highest and lowest years.

Bahamian politicians on Facebook

Read storyGet to know our local politicians better by checking them out Facebook style. Here are a few with profiles or public pages:

Minister of Health Dr Hubert Minnis

Branville McCartney, Minister of State for Immigration

Perry Christie, leader of the Opposition

Former Minister of Public Works Bradley Roberts

-Guardian

Women accused of stealing from City Markets

Read storyTwo women were charged with stealing $381.64 from the City Markets Food Store at Harbour Bay on Friday.

Cashier Doralee Williamson, 35 and Lindalee Bain, 45 pled not guilty to the February 4th theft.

They return to court on March 11.

They are the second pair of women to be charged with stealing from that City Markets this month. Read about the first here.

-Guardian

NFL star Ray Lewis buys home in The Bahamas

Read storyAmerican football star Ray Lewis has bought a home in Rum Cay.

The two-time defensive player of the year owns ocean-front property in the Paradise is Mine development on Rum Cay.

The community has named a street after the NFL star –52 Lewis Lane. Lewis is number 52 for the Baltimore Ravens.

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A03)

Man sentenced to extra year after running from court

Read storyAfter he was sentenced to four years in prison, a man ran from the court in an attempt to escape but instead got an extra year.

Carlos Holbert, 21, was given the four-year sentence for stealing a $50 bag, a $35 watch and two pairs of glasses, together worth $400. The items were taken from the car of Rose Ferguson in July last year.

After hearing the sentence, Holbert ran from court 5 on Bank Lane and witnesses said he jumped from the second story stairway.

Police in Bank Lane quickly caught him and took him back to court where Magistrate Derrence Rolle added a year to his sentence.

Prosecutors said Holbert was convicted of a similar crime last year.

Police said Holbert could be charged with escape and could be sentenced to an additional two years.

-Guardian

-Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

Robin Hood pays customers to take new bus route

Read storyA new bus route will provide easy access to the Robin Hood discount store and more options for residents of Cowpen and Marshall Roads.

To encourage use of the new route, Robin Hood has committed to pay for the bus rides of people who use the service to shop at the store.

President of the Public Transit Authority Reuben Rahming said drivers are making less than 15% of what they would make on other routes. But he said, "We are confident that with the volume of shoppers who are committed to the Robin Hood brand, things will soon pick up."

The new route, known as 22A, will be serviced by ten franchises.

It will take the following route:

• The former straw market on Bay street
  
• Elizabeth Avenue
  
• Market Street
  
• Wulff Road
  
• Poinciana Drive
  
• Thompson Boulevard
  
• Bethel Avenue
  
• Mckinney Avenue
  
• Christie Street
  
• Tonique Williams Darling Highway
  
• Milo Butler Highway
  
• Faith Avenue
  
• Marshall Road
  
• Baillou Hill Road
  
• Cowpen Road
  

-Guardian

Free rock climbing training at Atlantis

Read storyStarting this month, anyone between ages seven and 18 is welcome to try the Sky Climbers program on Paradise Island – free of charge.

Since it opened In September last year, 670 children have participated through schools and youth groups.

But after February 21, the program will be available on a first come, first serve basis.

Sky Climbers operations consultant Nick Sagar said children who have already climbed the wall are welcome to climb again and so are parents.

Sagar encouraged schools to sign up: "We want to reach out to more schools. It's free and they just need to transport the kids to us."

The program is currently open from 10am-6pm, Monday – Saturday. It is located on the old Club Med grounds on Paradise Island. Persons under 14 years old must be accompanied by a parent.

Funding for Sky Climbers is provided by the Butch Kerzner Foundation. Rock climbing was a passion of Kerzner's who learned from Sagar.

Mr Kerzner's widow, Vanessa, wanted young people to have access to the training.

Sagar had designed personalized climbing walls in the former Atlantis executive's home.

-Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A05)

Teacher accused of molestation resigns

Read storyA male teacher accused of molesting two of his male students has resigned according to a Ministry of Education statement.

The statement said the teacher was placed on leave and transferred to New Providence after the accusations were made. Formerly he taught at Eight Mile Rock High School.

The teacher was arrested and released during the investigation, which is still going on.

Since his arrest, the Ministry has required the teacher to sign in at its head office on a daily basis. Last week Wednesday, he resigned.

The Ministry has been criticized for the way it has handled the case. On Thursday of last week, the president of the Parent Teachers Association in Grand Bahama, Troy Garvey, called for the resignation of Education Director Lionel Sands and Education Minister Carl Bethel.

Garvey said: "Not one thing has been dealt with appropriately by the ministry from the issues at Eight Mile Rock High School started."

Defending its actions, the Ministry said the police force is responsible for investigation and prosecution.

See other CBN stories about this subject here.

-Guardian

Man found at the bottom of pool

Read storyA man was found at the bottom of his employer's pool last week Friday.

Jay Albury, who lives near the home, said around 10.15am he heard his neighbor's pool cleaner calling for help.

Albury and the pool cleaner, Hubel Duncombe, saw a man face down at the bottom of the pool, a broom next to him.

Albury brought the man to the surface and the two men pulled him out. He said the man was not breathing.

Emergency Medical workers were not able to resuscitate the man, who residents said was a gardener named Willy thought to be in his late 40s to early 50s.

Officers at the scene said they will wait for autopsy results to determine the cause of death. However, Detective Corporal Adderley said there were no signs of injury and foul play was not suspected.

-Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

Ex-prison officer charged with recent stabbing murder

Read storyJerome Bethel was charged with the killing of Gary Gardiner, who was stabbed during a fight on February 11.

Bethel, 36, was remanded to custody. He will return to court on March 3rd.

Bethel's lawyer, Tai Pinder, asked that his client be held in the hospital section of the prison for his safety.

Bethel was a prison officer from 1995-2001.

Vincent Peet, the Member of Parliament for North Andros and the Berry Islands said Gardiner's death has been deeply felt.

"His sudden death has sent shockwaves through North Andros . . . He was a supporter of mine but more importantly he was someone who was always willing to help," Peet said.

See other CBN stories about this subject here.

-Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)

-Guardian

Man accused of stealing $30,000 from Super Value

Read storySamuel Davis was charged with stealing nearly $30,000 from Super Value food store over a 4-month period.

Davis, 42, pled not guilty to accusations that he used his job at the Golden Gates store to take $29,377.87 between September 2007 and January 2008.

He was granted $15,000 bail. His case was adjourned to May 27.

-Guardian

Murder suspects sentenced to 12 years for robbery

Read storyFor their part in the attempted robbery of the Fantasy Club on Mackey Street, two men were sentenced to 12 years each Thursday.

Jamal Ambrister and Jacob Woodside were convicted by a unanimous decision last November. The attempted holdup took place in January, 2007.

The pair will have to be retried for two murders that prosecutors say are connected to the robbery. Jurors did not reach a verdict on those charges.

According to evidence, the club's guard, Emico Russell, was shot in the chest when he would not open the entrance gate for two armed men.

After the attack, the men left in Ford Explorer that was registered to Shervin Miller Jr. Miller's body was found dumped in bushes near South Ocean.

During the trial, prosecutors played a tape of Ambrister and Woodside leading them to the body. But they claim that police beat them into admitting the robbery.

-Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Argument ends with stabbing death

Read storyA man was stabbed to death during an argument Wednesday night.

Police said the fight took place around 9 o'clock in the Cowpen Road area.

Reports are that North Andros resident Harold Gardiner, 49, was arguing with a 36-year-old in a yard on at Williams Drive.

The row turned to an attack and Gardiner was stabbed several times. Emergency Medical staff found him lifeless on his back in the yard.

The other man in the argument later went to the East Street Police Station where he was detained.

Gardiner's sister, Maureen Prescott, said he was a calm person that walked away from fights.

She said Gardiner was hired to work on a roof in Nassau.

-Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A01)