Read storyA bike mechanic who got rid of his car ten years ago said he has saved $5,000 a year and lowered his blood pressure.
Douglas Fawkes, 53, said he cycles about 2,500 miles a year and is encouraging more Bahamians to join him.
Fawkes would like to see bike lessons in schools and recommends that anyone who lives less than five miles from their job to try riding instead of driving.
Read storyPLP leader Perry Christie said the article suggesting Sir Lynden Pindling may have been connected to the disappearance of a pilot was the "vilest, most vicious and sickest piece of garbage" he has ever read.
Speaking from PLP headquarters Wednesday, Christie said the article did not give evidence for its allegations.
The former prime minister accused Tribune editor John Marquis of exploiting the pilot's father and former PLP backbencher, Chauncey Tynes Sr, in order to defame Sir Lynden.
Read storyThe 22nd annual Antique Car Show will be held this Saturday at Arawak Cay – free to the public.
Steak and chicken dinners will be on sale with all proceeds going to the Bilney Lane Home for Children and the Every Child Counts Learning Centre in Abaco.
Children will be invited to participate in an art contest that includes drawing one of the cars on display. Prizes will be awarded one week after the show.
Read storyCaribbean leaders began a two-day conference in Belize yesterday, as they met for the 20th Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government meeting.
High on the agenda are the world economy, the G20's position on offshore banking and the collapse of CLICO.
Read storyBahamian artists have turned a construction site into art, transforming Woodes Rogers walk with their creations.
Students from the College of the Bahamas, the National Art and Craft Enrichment Programme, D W Davis and recent high school graduates have painted murals on plywood sheets erected around the site of the former Straw Market.
Timothy Nottage, director of the art project, said, "It adds an aesthetic appeal to the waterfront where the tourists have to pass, rather than having an eyesore,”
Imagine if we can do this for all those dilapidated buildings and all those eyesores that are downtown. "
Read storyFormer chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas admitted he earned a commission when the corporation invested $800,000 of pension funds in CLICO (Bahamas).
Chairman Calsey Johnson was an executive at CLICO before moving to BCB's board and was still serving as an independent agent at the time of the investment.
Johnson said he did not consider his recommendation a conflict of interest.
BCB's current chairman Michael Moss said in earlier reports he had no idea when or how the pension funds ended up at CLICO.
Moss and union officers want answers about why the money was invested and how much they can expect to get back.
The walkathon, which went from the Old Trail Campus to the foot of the Paradise Island Bridge and back, raised $8,000 in donations, sponsorship and registration fees.
Read storyAccording to reports from the Carmichael Road Detention Centre, detainees who gave reports of abuse and poor conditions at the facility are being denied visitors and access to newspapers.
There were also reports of some improvements at the centre, including better food.
Information from a visit to the centre by Immigration Director Jack Thompson, Defence Force Commodore Clifford Scavella, representatives from the department of social services and psychologist Dr David Allen have still not been released.
The Tribune said it had received copies of letters from citizens of Germany, Canada and Spain appealing for an independent investigation into the centre.
Speaking at a celebration ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Brent Symonette pointed out some of the ways The Bahamas has played a key role in Commonwealth Affairs, including hosting a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 1985.
During that meeting, the Commonwealth Accord on South Africa was adopted. The accord played a pivotal role in dismantling South Africa's apartheid regime.
A list of Members of the Commonwealth of Nations here
Read storyHealth Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said the public was justified in complaints about the long wait for prescriptions but has pledged to fix the problem.
Hundreds of people were waiting for hours at the Princess Margaret Hospital on Tuesday. Dr Minnis waited for two hours himself when he went to the pharmacy to try it for himself.
Minnis said Tuesday's problem came after three pharmacists called in sick to an already short-staffed section. The minister said five pharmacists will soon be hired but added that that would still not be enough.
In addition he is preparing to meet with pharmacists to allow some people, especially the elderly, to get their medication outside of PMH.
Read storyRegulators from 18 countries met in Trinidad & Tobago yesterday to discuss the collapse of CLICO and what can be learned.
"It will be a review of the entire regulatory process to understand lessons learnt," Lennox McCartney, Bahamas Registrar of Insurance, said on Wednesday.
Read storyChinese workers caused a scene after news that they would be sent back to China, saying they have not been paid for months of work and have been treated unfairly.
ER Hanna Construction told half of its 26 workers that they were no longer needed Tuesday. Workers upset by the announcement became aggressive and administrators called Immigration and police officers to escort them from the scene.
The workers say they have not been paid since December and have not been given enough food and water at the site.
Tameka Hanna of ER Hanna said the company pays an agency in China which is responsible for paying the workers. Hanna said the company made water available and hired a chef to cook three meals a day.
Although they have paid for 12 work permit renewals, Hanna said she is not sure if the others will stay after yesterday's incident.
Read storyA woman believes her husband was killed along with a young pilot because he knew "too much" about the country's drug trade.
Ann Moree, now 55, said a few days before her husband Donald disappeared, two men came to their house and threatened them.
Moree said a few days later he boarded a flight with Chauncey Tynes Jr and was never seen again. That was 26 years ago.
Tynes worked for Columbian drug dealer Joe Lehder. In a controversial story by The Tribune, Tynes Sr said his son told him that he frequently carried cash from Lehder to former Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling.
A police source told The Tribune that a few days before his disappearance police caught Tynes on a plane filled with cocaine and expected him to testify soon.
Read storyPolice suspect that 73-year-old American Richard Merril drowned during a dive near Bimini.
Merill, who was visiting from New York, was pronounced dead at about 3pm Monday.
He had been on a dive with about 20 other divers near Cat Cay, about 8 miles south of Bimini. An autopsy will be done to determine the exact cause of death.
Anyone who believes they can assist with investigations should call 322-4444.
Read storyThe government may seek help from the private sector to improve the airport in time for the Miss Universe Pageant.
Tourism minister Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace said the ministry has often asked for financial support from the private sector and especially the Nassau/Paradise Island Promotion Board.
Read storyAn article connecting former Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling and Columbian Drug dealer Joe Lehder has attracted praise and condemnation.
The Tribune article (available here, Part II here) suggested that pilot Chauncey Tynes was killed because he knew of the close connection between the country's first Prime Minister, Lehder and a senior police officer.
Former PLP backbencher Edmund Moxey supported the article, saying "young Bahamians need to know their history".
Political activist Paul Moss said the article was "repulsive" and a "desecration".
Read storyResidents of eastern New Providence have had little to no water for the last two weeks because of a problem with the barge that brings water daily.
The Water and Sewerage Corporation said the barge is being repaired in Florida and should be operational again by the end of the week.
Water has been off for the last two weekends for some and low otherwise.
Residents with low or no water for extended periods are asked to call 302-5599.
Read story
Officers from the US Coast Guard gave lessons in boarding vessels and the differences between cooperative and uncooperative suspects.
US Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Matthew Rouse demonstrated how to attack pressure points, handcuffing procedures as well as how and when to use more force.
Officers from defense services from The Bahamas, St Vincent and Grenadines, St Kitts- Nevis, Haiti, Trinidad & Tobago, Belize, Barbados and the Dominican Republic were all at the Coral Harbour base Monday for Exercise Tradewinds 2009.
Read storyThe president of Baha Mar Resorts recently announced an agreement signed with Chinese investors to go ahead with the multi-billion dollar resort.
Although the agreements are described by hotel executives as preliminary, they include deals with the China State Construction Engineering Corporation to build the resort and a memorandum of understanding regarding project financing was signed with Export-Import Bank of China.
Baha Mar President Dan Robinson announced the agreements in China but, speaking to The Guardian at a seminar in the Bahamas, CEO Sarkiz Izmirlian said:
"The China State Construction Company will be the general contractor and [will] build the project. They will also be an investor in the project and then the China Exim Bank will finance the project."
"We're going to be operating the casino and the casino hotel and we're the developer. We put all this thing together."
Read storyThe government has approved price increases for several basic food items, including evaporated milk, butter, sugar, cheese, flour, and margarine.
A few items also went down in price. See the full story for more prices and differences in the family islands.
Read storyABACO: Assistant Commissioner of Police Hulan Hanna said police will again be making reports available to the press in Abaco.
The publishers of The Abaconian, David and Kathy Ralph were concerned last week after Supt Sean Neville-Smith allegedly told the local newspaper that it would no longer receive crime reports “because they reflect badly on the police.”
Read storyA doctor made several errors in treating one of his patients and it might have led to heart failure, a court heard Monday.
Dr Andrew Selwyn, a cardiologist from Boston, said Dr Ian Kelly should have done several things differently in the case of Christopher Rogers.
Rogers, whose heart failed after weeks under Kelly's care, has taken legal action against the doctor.
Selwyn said Kelly should have been concerned about Rogers high score on a type of blood test, should have done a differential diagnoses and should have noticed the patient's fever and weight loss, which he said was a clear sign of infection.
Failure to figure out what was wrong with Rogers worsened his condition and caused more damage.
Read storyAmnesty International has renewed it's calls for inspections at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre.
In a letter issued to media as well as several ministers, the group said it is concerned about reports that inmates, including women and children, are marched outside three times a day for head counts and are pushed around with officers guns.
Other reports include overcrowding problems, inmates sleeping on the floor and a lack of appropriate attention to asylum requests.
Amnesty International wants an independent investigation and has asked the public to request an immediate and thorough investigation into claims of abuse at the centre.
I think psychologist Dan Gilbert offers some startling perspectives on happiness in this talk. He can be a little convoluted at times but it's worth watching more than once.
Most interesting was the value of synthetic happiness, which is human's ability to feel good about a situation even when it seems impossible.
Gilbert also shows how choice can be the enemy of happiness.
He has another talk that I plan to share soon so if you don't like this one you probably want to mark it boring.
Read storyGRAND BAHAMA: A new $60 million drydock opened in Grand Bahama last Saturday, expanding a service that already serves 70 percent of the cruise ships in the region.
The drydock is one of the largest in the world at 310 meters by 54 meters wide.
At the opening, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham welcomed the investment but also expressed a note of caution: "We here in the Bahamas are fully cognizant of another reality and that is this shipyard is mobile. It can be picked up and taken away any day."
Lecturer Frenand Leger has been given a $3,500 research grant to develop a textbook focused on modern teaching methods.
Leger envisions a text with photos of Haitian people and culture accompanied by audio lessons, a workbook and a website.
The move is part of the College's aim to encourage research and increase its international presence. Last year CoB awarded thousands of research dollars to faculty to pursue various projects.
Read storyBahamians have $23 million tied into long term investments in CLICO Bahamas, including $800,000 in ZNS pension funds and $3 million in annuity payments from Bahamasair.
There are nearly 400 similar accounts in CLICO's records; some deposits range from $100, others are several million.
At least four people have accounts of more than $1 million.
Prime Minister Ingraham said last week it was too early to tell if policy holders would lose money as a result of the company's liquidation.
He also said that annuity holders "are not likely to be as favorably rewarded at the end of the day as some other policyholders."
Read storyAn attack on his Sunburst Paint store was simply a way to get business owner Leslie Miller out of his house in order to rob him according to reports.
Miller, a former MP, said he rushed to his store at about 11pm Friday after he found out that several of his store windows were broken by a man with a hammer.
On the way to the store he remembered finding the door of his home tampered with earlier that day and so he phoned police.
Miller returned home to learn that someone had indeed broken into his home and taken cash from his nightstand.
He thinks the attackers were scared by the police, Miller said, thanking them for responding quickly.
Read storyGRAND BAHAMA: Explosives brought down some of Freeport's best-known landmarks Saturday when three concrete stacks built by the BORCO plant were demolished.
The stacks, which were several hundred feet high, were demolished to make way for the construction of tanks that will store 22 million barrels of oil.
The tanks are part of a $250 - $300 million dollar project by Vopak Terminal Bahamas.
T J Huizer, managing director of Vopak, said the company already has a large impact on global oil flow, pointing out that three quarters of the oil used in Puerto Rico is stored at their terminal in Freeport.
Read storyBahamian students took part in the Knights of Columbus Annual Spelling Bee Competition in Kissimmee, Florida (photos) over the weekend.
Sponsored by local chapters of the KoC, Yelena Persaud from St Francis de Sales School in Abaco placed first in her division.
Persaud had finished behind Maya Francis from Xaviers Lower School in the 42nd Annual Catholic Archdiocese Spelling Bee Competition in Nassau. Francis also took part in the weekend bee but failed to place in her division.
District grand knight Gregory Christie said: "Our knights throughout the Bahamas are pleased to have assisted these students in their opportunity to compete in this one-day event among their peers from around the state of Florida.
“We’ve had previous winners and runners-up at this event and we’re extremely proud that our first ever entrant from Abaco was able to return this year as champion speller in her division.
Read storyAfter reading about crew members of an American sailboat trespassing, chasing endangered birds and eventually killing and roasting their pet duck, a local family feels that police are not taking them seriously.
Peter Graham and his family read about the Americans' visit to the island on their blog, which included photos of the family's pet duck plucked and about to be cooked.
Graham's daughter, Amanda said the police have shown a lack of interest, even hanging up on the family when they call for updates.
"We filed a complaint and they haven’t done anything," Amanda said.
"The general perception is that we should just get over it but they are not seeing the bigger picture here, and perhaps that is the mentality of the police themselves."
Read storyIn the last six months, 762 students have moved from private schools to government schools.
Education Minister Carl Bethel said the transfers happened between September of last year and February 18.
Bethel said public schools will not refuse any students because of overcrowding: "We all must make room. This is critical and a matter of firm policy".
Read storyA number of agricultural projects could change the way Bahamians eat and support the economy.
Executive chairman of the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation Edison Key told the House of Assembly about a number of ways the government is working to improve agriculture:
The North Andros Agricultural Expansion Project – 561 acres in Andros for growing export-quality vegetables, citrus, tropical fruits and livestock
Two refrigerated trailers offered at a "nominal" fee to help farmers get their goods to market in the best condition possible.
Meetings between farmers and buyers will continue with an aim to get produce to markets throughout the country
Read storyCompanies in Nassau and Grand Bahama owe more than $2million in to the immigration department.
In his contribution to the budget debate, Immigration Minister Branville McCartney said $834,718 is owed from 70 companies in Nassau and $1.5 million from 330 companies in Grand Bahama.
The Minister said "As for those companies who owe the department money, the department will not be minded to issue further renewals without either a settlement of outstanding fees or a payment plan arrangement".
McCartney also stated spending figures:
$11.76 million on salaries including $3 million for overtime
Read storyAbout half the people unemployed in Grand Bahama lost their job in the last six months. In Nassau that number is about a third for the same time period.
As speculation about job loss grows, the Department of Statistics prepared a report ahead of its usual schedule. It showed that unemployment rose from 8.7% in May to 12.1% last month.
In Nassau that means 16,315 people of the 134,400-person workforce are without a job and 4,195 out of 28,820 in Grand Bahama.
The unemployment levels are the highest they have been since 1994.
Read storyFinance Minister Zhivargo Laing has accused former Public Works Minister Bradley Roberts of giving instructions to hire PLP supporters at the Bahamas Telecommunications Corporation.
Speaking at the House of Assembly, Laing submitted a list of about 100 names suggested for employment. Roberts name is listed near many of the applicants approved for employment.
The names of other MPs are written next to other employees hired and so are notes such as “strong party supporter”.
Roberts said the Laing has used the document to mislead. When asked where the document came from, the former minister told reporters to “ask Zhivargo Laing that".
After Laing tabled the document, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham stood to shake his hand and tell him he was "very proud".
Read storyShane Mackey, 28, pled guilty to stealing $14,700 from seven people on Friday.
Mackey collected deposits from people interested in buying cars. Customers found him through ads he placed in the classified section of local newspapers.
He is expected to return to court for sentencing today (Monday).
Read storyA court has suspended its case against a man accused of sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl because of the length of time it has taken for his trial to proceed.
The man was arraigned on March 30, 2005. He did not receive bail as he has no legal status in the country.
Supreme Court Justice Jon Isaacs said: “I am satisfied that the applicant’s right to have a fair trial within a reasonable time has been infringed when regard is had to the penalty that may be imposed."
If convicted, the man would have face seven years in jail, the maximum sentence; four if he did not break prison rules.
Read storyGRAND BAHAMA: A woman suffered multiple face fractures when she tried to stop a group of students from fighting.
Students from the Eight Mile Rock High School (EMRHS) were fighting at a nearby KFC restaurant when a female KFC worker tried to stop them and was hit in the face with a rock.
Police say they are trying to determine who was involved in the fight and who was just watching.
Read storyGRAND BAHAMA: The Isle of Capri casino announced Tuesday that it will not renew its lease in May leaving 234 employees jobless if a new operator does not take over.
Casino officials said the company is shutting down operations in the United Kingdom as well and plans to concentrate on its 18 American properties.
Greg Moss, president of the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce, said:
"It's a fair comment to make that any termination of employment in Grand Bahama has a like effect as if it was a multiple of five times when compared to Nassau," Moss said. "So if you look at 100 people being terminated in Grand Bahama, it's like 500 people being terminated in New Providence when you look at the respective population sizes. So clearly, it will have a massive impact."
Read storyA woman who said she and her daughter were unnecessarily terrified by officers from the Immigration Department said she may be planning to sue.
Violet Hanna, 41, and her daughter Amber, 7, were sleeping when she claims the officers broke apart the gate securing the backyard of her Nassau Village home and broke a hinge on her back door during a 4am inspection on February 24.
Hanna said the officers left the maul they used to break her gate and door but have still not arranged to repair the damage.
Immigration Minister Branville McCartney said he would personally investigate the matter and Ms Hanna spoke with him last Friday but has not heard from him since.
Her daughter was in hospital for pneumonia which she said they both got after the incident.
Hanna said she has hired a lawyer and is looking into security bars in an effort to feel safe in her home again.
Read storyA judge refused the bail request of a man charged with murder, saying 17 months was not an unreasonable amount of time to wait for his trial to begin.
Senior Supreme Court Justice Anita Allen denied bail for Mario Flowers, who is charged with the December 2007 murder of police officer Ramos Williams.
Reports are that Williams and two other officers had followed a car onto Deveaux Street from Collins Avenue. The occupants of the vehicle allegedly fired on the policemen, hitting Williams in the chest and arm.
Read storyA change in work hours led some nurses to protest in Rawson Square Wednesday, saying the new schedules are unfair.
Nurses who formerly worked four 10-hour shifts followed by four days off are now working regular 8-hour shifts with two days off.
In addition some nurses are complaining that they have been scheduled to work at 7am after leaving work at 11pm the night before. They said this violates a union agreement guaranteeing a 12-hour break between shifts.
Health Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said the new shift system will save the government hundreds of thousands of dollars and will mean more nurses can be hired.
The change affects auxiliary nurses at Princess Margaret Hospital, Sandilands and the Rand Lab.
Read storyThe Cancer Centre has appointed one of the world's leading authorities in the education and treatment practice of cancer as director of medical oncology.
Dr Karol Sikora is Dean of the Buckingham School of Medicine advisor on cancer to the World Health Organisation and author of The Treatment of Cancer, the standard British post-graduate
textbook on cancer.
The $12 million Cancer Centre is the only facility in the western hemisphere and the second in the world outside the US to be accredited by the American College of Radiation Oncology.
Read storyUS Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner renewed President Barack Obama's commitment to crackdown on offshore banks that allow Americans to evade taxes.
Geithner said the President supported the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act, which lists The Bahamas as one of 34 'secrecy jurisdictions'.
Brian Moree and Ryan Pinder, both prominent figures in The Bahamas financial services industry, said the country must be proactive in proving our banks do not encourage or permit illegal activities if we expect to avoid pressure from US authorities.
Read storyThe sister of murder-victim Eric McGreggor told the court the details of her brother's shooting, Tuesday.
Shecoya McGreggor said on May 18, 2006, Edward Taylor pulled up to a laundromat on Carmichael Road, walked up to her brother and said "You have a message for me? You have a message for me?" before he pulled out a gun and fired.
She said Taylor fired again as Eric ran inside. Shecoya testified that she then put the killer's license plate number in her cell phone.
Shecoya said about a month before that Taylor had circled her family's home on Bacardi road threatening to kill people if they did not stop "sending the police around my [expletive] place".
Taylor's lawyer argued that she got the license number when the vehicle was impounded and that she was mistaken about the shooter being Taylor.
Read storyA senior officer from the Carmichael Road Detention Centre said social service worker and local clergy toured the facility Monday.
Senior Deputy Director at the centre, Roderick Bowe said the purpose of the tour was to inspect conditions at the facility.
Bowe was not a part of the tour, which included Immigration Director Jack Thompson and Defence Force Commodore Clifford Scavella. He did not give the names of the social workers or clergy or give details of their findings.
Reports received by The Tribune are that three detainees at the centre are still on a hunger strike that started last week Wednesday.
Read storyFormer Housing Minister Shane Gibson accused the government and the auditor general of politicizing a recent report to make him look bad.
He said the report - which said hundreds of thousands of dollars were unaccounted for – included figures that had been recorded in a previous report.
Gibson also said that whenever these kinds of reports are prepared there are documents that are missing.
“My point is, if they are losing documents, why should I be held responsible? No permanent secretary would release any cheques unless there is proper documentation. The PS is the official accounts officer. It’s all political.”
He said that it would be easy for someone to hide a document if they wanted to "make a minister look bad".
On Tuesday, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fred Mitchell, held a press conference to protest a Tribune headline based on the same report.
The headline read "$1 million missing from embassy funds".
Mitchell said the headline suggested that the funds were missing because of misconduct but the story (and the report) refer to procedure irregularities and missing documents.
Read storyAbaco residents are concerned that crime is rising and police have allegedly stopped crime reports to the local newspaper.
David and Kathy Ralph, publishers of the island's newspaper, The Abaconian, say residents are angry after they reported that they would no longer be getting crime reports. See story here.
But residents say crime in Abaco is getting worse and needs to be addressed. Several recent incidents have raised concern:
Lily Sands, a woman in her seventies, was forced into her home and gunpoint and locked in her closet while men robbed her home.
A man who was was locked in his trunk by a would-be kidnapper was told by a policeman that he could not help because he was there to patrol the Junkanoo parade. Meanwhile the kidnapper ran into the crowd.
Several boats have gone missing, in more than one case on the day after they dock in Abaco.
Pierre was speaking during a meeting with Philip Weech, director of the Bahamas Environment Science and Technology (BEST) commission and Arthur Rolle, director of the department of meteorology.
The meeting was to discuss the Review of the Economics of Climate Change in the Caribbean which will be presented at a United Nations Climate Conference in December.
Weech said The Bahamas needs to take long term steps, including introduce energy efficient technology, develop sustainable tourism, encourage cruise ships to use desalination plants and enforce land use and building codes.
If not, The Bahamas could change forever: “Climate change is a death sentence for small island states," he said.
Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said the event would expose the country to "a larger global audience that at any time in the history of The Bahamas”.
Atlantis will be the primary venue for the show but the Prime Minister said the entire nation would receive exposure as contestants will tour the family islands before the final show.
Read storyDespite the liquidation of the CLICO (Bahamas) insurance company, policy holders should keep paying their premiums, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham told the House of Assembly yesterday.
He said if the company is bought, the buyer will only take policies that are up to date. Those that are not up to date will be dealt with "somewhere down the line in the liquidation process".
Four Bahamian insurance companies have expressed interest in buying CLICO - Atlantic Medical, British American, Colina Imperial and Family Guardian.
In his speech, Ingraham outlined some of the mistakes that led to the government's decision to liquidate CLICO, including CLICO's decision to lend $73.6 million to a Florida real estate company that ultimately compromised its financial integrity.
Read storyABACO: The editor at an Abaco newspaper was told he will no longer receive crime reports because it makes the police look bad.
Dave Ralph, editor and publisher of the bi-weekly Abaconian, said Superintendent Sean Smith, the officer in charge of the Abacos, told him the paper would not be getting any more crime reports because they don't "reflect well on police efforts".
Ralph said he did not include the crime report from January in the most recent edition of the Abaconian after Smith asked him not to.
Ralph said he expects a lot of angry letters from his readers concerning the police decision.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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:
