CoB opens virtual library

Read storyThe College of The Bahamas has opened an online library with thousands of resources available to students and the public.

The $1.5 million library includes membership in the Digital Library of the Caribbean, which makes resources from around the region available to students.

Members of the public can get access to the library by paying an annual fee.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Government should make sure CLICO customers are repaid

Read storyThe government should be responsible for making sure CLICO (Bahamas) customers are repaid in full according to a statement by former attorney general Alfred Sears.

Sears said the government should have made sure that CLICO was following the correct procedures and should have improved regulations.

Sears said both political parties shared blame for the CLICO collapse.
He said a group should be assembled to review the country's insurance industry and consider what can be done to improve its regulation.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A1)

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Body found on boat near Potters Cay

Read storyA man's body was found aboard a boat moored near Potters Cay Dock Tuesday morning.

Police are asking for help from anyone who might know the man or anyone who has visited the 26-foot red and white vessel.

Police have classified the death as suspicious but are not ruling it a homicide.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here Page A1

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A1)

Bahamas may skip Caribbean festival for the second time

Read storyThe Bahamas may give up its second chance to host the Caribbean's premier arts festival because the country cannot afford it.

The Bahamas decided at the last minute not to host last year's Carifesta X and Guyana hosted instead.

The festival is estimated to cost between $5 and $15 million host.

With the poor economy, CARICOM is considering cancelling Carifesta XI, scheduled for 2010. Several Caribbean countries have already said they may not be able to take part.

Former director of culture Dr. Nicolette Bethelsaid the festival should be a chance to boost the economy:

"If it is approached in a business-like manner the festival can actually stimulate the economy. But the problem is there is too much political interference, and that is the real challenge."

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here Page A1

Atlantis asks 2,500 workers to take unpaid leave

Read storyAtlantis has asked 2,500 of its employees to take two weeks unpaid leave this year.

The decision affects mostly managers.

"As a part of our cost containment exercises, we are asking non union staff to voluntarily take two weeks unpaid vacation," Ed Fields, the resort's Senior VP of Public Affairs, told The Guardian.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here Page D-1

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The Bahamas is the best place for cancer treatment in the region

Read storyThe Bahamas' Cancer Centre is probably the best choice for cancer treatment for people from the Caribbean.

Professor Karol Sikora, medical director of CancerPartnersUK, said cancer care was cheaper here and makes use of the best equipment available in the region, including communication with cotors in Detroit, Montreal and the United Kingdom.

Dr. Arthur Porter, who manages the centre, said the cnetre has always aimed to provide cancer care second to none.

"The only reason that we wanted to do this was on the understanding that the quality of the center would be identical to the quality in the States, in Canada and Britain," Porter said.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Ministers join ride for cancer

Read storySeveral government ministers will be part of this year's Ride for hope, a fund-raiser that provides money for cancer care and treatment.

Minister of Health Hubert Minnis will open the 4th annual event at 9.30am on April 2nd. He will be joined by Minister of Sports Desmond Bannister, President of the Senate Lynn Holowesko, and Speaker of the House Alvin Smith.

The event is held in Eleuthera (click here to see map) and is open to all ages. Participants may ride one mile or up to 100.

Full Story in The Tribune here

CLICO paid $500,000 to First Caribbean

Read storyCLICO (Bahamas) liquidators have paid First Caribbean the $500,000 owed but has no further news for policy holders.

Liquidator Craig Gomez, who is responsible for reviewing the company's assets and prioritizing creditors said he is ranking a number of other creditors who have come forward.

Gomez said he is still preparing packages for the four companies that are interested in purchasing the company.

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Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here Page A1

TED: Beautiful art made from sugar, dust and thread

This video starts slowly but is oh so worth it. The Artist, Vik Muniz makes his medium mean as much to the work as the representation itself.

Unemployment assistance will start in April

Read storyThe government will use money set aside for medical facilities to fund an Unemployment Benefit Programme.

The programme is expected to start on April 20th. It will use $20 million from the medical branch of the National Insurance Fund.

The programme will eventually be supported by contributions from employers and employees.

Prime Minister Ingraham said the money taken from the National Insurance Fund will mean there will be less medical facilities built but that it would have no effect on the pension, disabilities or short-term benefits.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A1)

Suspect said shooter was stupid for killing gas station owner

Read storyAnother witness has blamed the shooting death of Keith Carey on Jamal Glinton.

On Monday, jurors watched a taped interview of Sean Brown, who is accused of the murder along with Glinton.

In the video Brown called Glinton stupid and said he did not know why Glinton had shot Carey.

He also described how the men split the money they got from the robbery – $16,000 each.

Last week in another taped interview Dwight Knowles also named Glinton as the shooter.

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Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

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Britain to take over Turks and Caicos government

Read storyTURKS & CAICOS: Britain has decided to shift power from the local government to the British Governor after reports of corruption.

Governor Gordon Wetherell has drafted an order that would transfer power from local ministers to him. The order is subject to approval by Queen Elizabeth and a debate in the British parliament on March 25.

Turks and Caicos’ Premier Michael Misick, who recently resigned, is at the centre of the corruption allegations. He is accused of building a multi-million dollar fortune since coming to power in 2003.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Full Story in The Tribune here

Car scammer fooled people from jail and while on bail

Read storyAfter conning 13 people out of $52,000 in a car sales scam, Shane Mackey was sentenced to five years in jail.

In explaining his actions Mackey, 28, said he has had a cocaine problem since he was 19.

He said he would repay the people he stole from and apologized for his actions.

Mackey spent six months in jail in 2007 for a similar offense and was able to continue his scamming from the prison. He was on bail for cheating seven people when he conned six more in January and February this year.

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Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

NIB wants employers emails

Read storyThe National Insurance Board is asking employers and self-employed persons to participate in a new system that will allow them to see their contribution status without visiting the NIB office.

The NIB plans to send out monthly statements of activity or inactivity by email.

Employers are asked to send an email from their business address that includes the following:

The name they registered with NIB
Their employer or self-employer number

Emails should be sent to:

employstatement@nib-bahamas.com

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Full Story in The Tribune here

National Stadium delay

Read storyBuilding materials for the National Stadium were unloaded at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre last Friday but a delay has put off the March 20th start date.

Twenty technical workers from China are waiting on visas from Britain which they need to travel here.

The stadium, which is expected to take three years to complete at a cost of $30 million, was scheduled to be finished by July 2007.

Full Story in The Tribune here

Bank gives $250,000 to CoB reading program

Read storyThe Bank of The Bahamas donated $250,000 to The College of The Bahamas to find out how many Bahamians can read and figure out the best way to teach it.

The money will be used to build the National Literacy Diagnostic Research Centre which will study how reading and writing are being taught.

Full Story in The Tribune here (Page A1)

New system can tell how many bullets were fired and where

Read storyA new system that can tell where gunfire is coming from and what type of gun was used may soon be part of the police toolkit.

Officers were set to review the Shotspotter system at a demonstration by the local distributor - Bahamas Fleet Management Solutions.

The system can tell the difference between guns and fireworks and detects how many shots were fired. It creates a map for dispatchers and could help officer response time.

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here

Bail rules should be uniform and fair

Read storyBail requirements should be uniform to ensure suspects that are granted bail have a fair chance of meeting them.

Ellsworth Johnson, lawyer and tutor at the Eugene Dupuch Law School’s Legal Aid Clinic, told The Nassau Guardian that requiring people to own property is an unfair condition, since there are many Bahamians who do not.

"You shouldn’t give someone bail and by the very things you require make it impossible for a person to avail himself of that bail," Johnson said.

Two lawyers, who did not want to give their names, echoed his statement, saying that bail requirements change from court to court and seem arbitrary. One said the requirements keeps people “running up and down for weeks.”

Full Story in The Nassau Guardian here