01092024 NEWS AND SPORT

WOMAN & HEALTH

CARS! CARS!

The Tribune

TUESDAY

CLASSIFIEDS TRADER

Established 1903

HIGH 82ºF LOW 72ºF

L AT E S T

N E W S

O N

T R I B U N E 2 4 2 . C O M

Biggest And Best!

Volume: 121 No.33, January 9, 2024

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: PRICE–$

‘WE MUST CHANGE LAWS ON BAIL’ Commissioner repeats call for legal changes after schoolgirl’s murder

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net POLICE Commissioner Clayton Fernander said some people charged with serious crimes last year were released on bail “within two or three months”, adding: “Something is definitely wrong with that.”

His renewed call for

changes to bail laws came during a press conference in which he discussed the soaring murder rate, which has involved eight killings in 2024.

“We continue to say, and the law says within two to three years if the matter doesn’t come up in a week within that period, then he or she should be entitled

POLICE Commissioner Clayton Fernander during a press conference at Police Headquarters yesterday.

Photo: Dante Carrer

SEE PAGE FIVE

TRIBUTES PAID TO DAVINIQUE AFTER DEADLY SHOOTING

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net THE brutal shooting death of a 16-year-old RM Bailey Senior High School student led some of her peers to pledge themselves to Christ during a special assembly yesterday.

Davinique Gray was

killed after gunshots ripped through her Nassau village home on Saturday –– one of three people murdered over the weekend, bringing the murder toll for the year to eight.

Shari Russell, principal of RM Bailey High School, said many students SEE PAGE TWO

STUDENTS gather in the court for assembly at RM Bailey High School after a schoolmate, Davinique Gray was killed when the house she was in was riddle with bullets.

Photo: Moise Amisial

Jobs shock as PharmaChem King Meal Deal announces GB shutdown

$550

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE loss of more than 100 well-paid jobs through PharmaChem Technologies’ Friday shutdown was last night branded “another kick in the teeth” for Grand Bahama’s struggling economy.

James Carey, the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce president, told

Incl. VAT

Chicken Big King® Jr.

PHARMACHEM Tribune Business the pharmaceutical manufacturer’s

closure revelation had taken him by “total surprise” and raised fears that “something has gone terribly wrong” with its recent $400m expansion.

With the move “putting a damper” on renewed late 2023 optimism that Grand Bahama’s economy is poised for a turnaround, he suggested it must have also come as “a real shock” to FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

Big King® Jr. Includes 1 sandwich, 1 small fries and 1 small drink.

TM & © 2023 Burger King Corporation. Used under license. All rights reserved.

Nassau

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE TRIBUNE WILL BE ON THURSDAY - OUR OBITUARIES SECTION WILL BE ON FRIDAY THIS WEEK

PAGE 2, Tuesday, January 9, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

Tributes paid to Davinique from page one reacted on Facebook when they learned about the girl’s death, posting videos explaining what she meant to them. Some knew her from primary and junior high schools.

“We knew that our children were hurting,” Ms Russell said.

She said yesterday’s assembly was important to encourage them.

The pastor of Grace Community Church and grief counsellors from the Ministry of Education were there to offer the students support.

“This morning could not start off as a usual day,” she added. “We had to have an assembly in which they needed to hear from the word. They needed to hear what God had to say in a situation like this. And we are grateful for our pastor from Grace Community who spoke to them.”

Ms Russell continued: “Right now, in Grade 11, the teachers are not teaching, but the various counsellors who were sent from the Ministry of Education are presently in the SEE PAGE THREE

DAVINIQUE GRAY

STUDENTS gather in the courtyard at RM Bailey High School after their schoolmate Davinique Gray was killed when the house she was in was riddled with bullets.

Photos: Moise Amisial

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, January 9, 2024, PAGE 3

after deadly shooting from page two classes, including other members of Grace Community Church, who are there to speak with the students to counsel them, to encourage them, and even to pray with them.”

The school plans to reach out to the 11th grader’s family to see if a candlelight vigil will be held for her, according to Ms Russell, who said the school wants to offer its support in any way it can.

Davinique was charging a mobile device when gunshots pierced her Nassau Village residence, killing her on January 6.

Davinique’s sister, Davianna, 17, said her death occurred the day after their late father’s birthday and has further darkened an already sombre period as David Gray, Sr, was murdered in Montell Heights in December 2021.

A MEMBER of the Royal Bahamas Police Force speaks to students during an assmbly at RM Bailey High School after their schoolmate Davinique Gray was killed when the house she was in was riddled with bullets.

Photo: Moise Amisial

Traffic death of Abaco teen leaves friend inconsolable

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net THE tragic death of an Abaco teen has left relatives inconsolable in the days following the country’s first recorded traffic fatality of the year.

Terrado Hield told The Tribune that he loved Jamarion Russell, 17, like a little brother and has been crying uncontrollably ever since.

Jamarion Russell had recently graduated from SC Bootle High School, according to Hield, who said he struggled at first to accept that his cousin was no longer alive.

“I went to the scene the next day by myself to get, like, a full grasp and to come to the reality that it’s real,” Mr Hield said.

“I saw the car just to verify and come to reality.”

The teenager was driving a white Honda vehicle in the area of Blackwood on SC Bootle Highway when he reportedly lost control of the car and ran into bushes on the northern side of the street.

According to police, the traffic accident occurred at 8.10pm last Thursday.

Family members gathered at the Russell home, where they cried, grieved,

and comforted each other.

Mr Hield, 24, said he was about to go to sleep when his phone began “ringing off the hook” with calls that Mr Russell had been hurt in a car accident.

He underscored his close-knit friendship with Mr Russell, adding they would visit each other daily as they both lived in the north Abaco area.

He described Mr Russell as a slow-tempered, outgoing, and mature person.

Asked how he was coping, Mr Hield said: “Just basically crying to be honest, like uncontrollably crying. I’ll be talking to someone, and I’ll just burst out in tears.”

The teenager’s family said the recent graduate was a hard worker who often took on multiple jobs and was determined to make a sustainable income.

Mr Hield said he missed being able to talk to his cousin, noting the victim never judged him.

“When I was 17 years old, I wasn’t able to understand stuff like he did,” he said. “He just was mature enough to understand quicker.”

Jamarion was the youngest and only boy in a family of five sisters.

JAMARION RUSSELL

PAGE 4, Tuesday, January 9, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

Grand Bahama woman with dementia missing at Miami International Airport

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net POLICE in Miami are searching for Merlyn Cooper, a 78-year-old Grand Bahama resident who went missing at the Miami International Airport Sunday evening.

The woman, who has dementia, was travelling with her daughter, Gemini Cooper, when she was last seen around 3.50pm.

Airport cameras captured her walking outside the terminal. She has not been seen since, and relatives and authorities are concerned for her safety.

The woman’s daughter, Astrid Cooper, said her mother and sister had travelled from London to Miami on Sunday on British Airways.

They were in the baggage claim area when Cooper disappeared.

“We don’t know where she is right now and have been looking everywhere,” Ms Cooper said.

The Miami Dade Police Department issued an official missing person’s flyer on Monday with a photo and description of the elderly woman.

Detective Luis Sierra said investigations showed that Cooper walked out of the terminal at the Miami International Airport at 2100 Block of NW 42nd Avenue, Miami, Florida.

She was wearing a red sweater, blue jacket, and black pants. She is about five feet, four inches and 175 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair.

MERLYN COOPER, a 78-year-old Grand Bahama resident went missing from Miami International Airport on Sunday.

“I gathered she just walked out of door number 11 at Miami International Airport and came from London, and no one saw her again,” the detective said.

“She is an endangered missing person, and we

do know she needs services because she has dementia.”

Ms Cooper, a wellknown retired educator, went to Europe with her daughters over the Christmas break. According to Astrid, Gemini and their

mother were travelling together, but she arrived later.

“She was in a wheelchair, and someone was assisting her while my sister went to look for the bags. She had gotten up, and nobody knew where

she went,” she said.

“I don’t know how lucid she was, but they looked at the cameras and saw that she went outside.”

Ms Cooper needs medication. Anyone with information concerning her whereabouts is

asked to call Detective O. Tellez or any detective of the Miami-Dade Police Department Special Victims Bureau/Missing Persons Squad at (305) 715-3300 or Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).

LEGAL WARNING IN BEAUTY QUEEN ROW

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net THE law firm representing the Miss Bahamas Universe Organization has issued a warning that publishing interviews with former Miss Bahamas Universe winners Chantel O’Brian and Melissa Ingraham could lead to prosecution for defamation.

The letter from World Legal Services to The Tribune came after news organisations reported that Ms O’Brian and Ms Ingraham’s call for the pageant to be investigated. The organisation has not responded to questions about the women’s concerns.

“Please be advised that we represent the

Miss Bahamas Universe Organization and have been made aware of an intention on the part of the persons at caption to give interviews to various media houses during the course of today or the coming weeks,” the letter said.

“The organisation denies any wrongdoing in its pageant organisation, management and productions and will prosecute any and all defamatory statements made and disseminated to the public to the fullest extent of the law. We trust that you will heed this notice and govern yourselves accordingly.”

Miss Bahamas Universe 2023 Melissa Ingraham announced her resignation on Friday, pointing to “disappointing

experiences” and a lack of support from the organisation.

She claimed the Miss Bahamas Universe Organisation failed to uphold their commitments as outlined in her contractual agreement.

She claimed the organisation didn’t provide the necessary assistance in El Salvador when she competed in the 72nd Miss Universe Pageant.

“My first time in full national costume happened minutes prior to me appearing live on television, which was far from ideal given there was no time to practice walking in full costume,” she said. “Moreover, I found myself primarily responsible for coordinating most of my public appearances (including identifying

activities, transport to and from, wardrobe, hair, and make-up) and managing both my and the Miss Bahamas Universe social media pages.”

Miss Bahamas Universe 2021 Chantal O’Brien released a statement over the weekend.

“Despite an historic Top 10 finish and the Spirit of Carnival Award at Miss Universe, the organisation offered no further support, leaving my accomplishments fueled solely by personal dedication, teamwork and passion,” she said.

She said she complained to the Miss Universe Organisation, but the body took no action.

“I urge them, along with all affiliated individuals, corporations and ministers, to seriously consider

MISS Bahamas Universe 2023 Melissa Ingraham announced her resignation on Friday, pointing to “disappointing experiences” and a lack of support from the organisation. our grievances,” she said.

“Furthermore, I call for a formal investigation

into the ethics and financial management of the organisation.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, January 9, 2024, PAGE 5

‘We must change laws on bail’ from page one

to be reviewed for bail, but two to three months? That is something we really have to look at,” he said.

He also said the mother of 16-year-old Davinique Gray, who was murdered in her Nassau Village home on Saturday, was “harbouring” a fugitive who was the intended target of the murderers.

The fugitive, Gamaliel Gray, was a suspect wanted in connection with the death of Gerrad Coakley, who was shot and killed at his residence on January 2.

He said Gray was at the Nassau Village residence at the time of the incident.

He suggested the incident involved gang retaliation.

“Officers had to chase him maybe a day or so because we were looking for him. He was running from the police,” he said.

“It appears though she was harbouring him. He was there when individuals shot up the house, and it was so sad that the young 16-year-old was shot. It appears as though she was aware that we were looking for this individual, and he was hiding out.

“The criminals did their homework. Someone may have communicated or seen him in Nassau Village at that residence. She put the entire family at risk, and it’s so sad that it ended up that the daughter was shot and killed.”

Gamaliel Gray surrendered to police yesterday, accompanied by his attorney.

POLICE Commissioner Clayton Fernander said some people charged with serious crimes last year were released on bail “within two or three months”, adding: “Something is definitely wrong with that.”

Photos: Dante Carrer Mr Fernander could not say whether the mother of the dead 16-year-old will be charged for harbouring a criminal, noting police expect to speak with her.

It is unclear how long Mr Gray had been hiding at the residence.

Of the eight murders this year, Commissioner Fernander said four were gang retaliation, two were domestic matters, and one was drug-related.

The 11th grader at RM Bailey High School was charging a mobile device on Saturday, two years after her father was murdered

and one day after what would have been his birthday.

Earlier that day, Travis Allen was allegedly killed

by Rashad “Eyes” Paul.

Mr Paul, who is allegedly on the run, is on bail for murder and was electronically monitored until he disposed of his device

in a lake, according to the commissioner.

In two separate incidents, both Darrell Ferguson and Christian Johnson were killed on January 5.

On January 3, a shooting on Prince Charles Drive claimed the lives of Dino Smith and Chatere Wells.

Gerrad Coakley, who was known to police, was killed on January 2.

Mario Cash, Sr, who was allegedly stabbed to death by his son, Mario Cash, Jr, was the first murder victim of the year.

Mr Fernander called the uptick in violent crime alarming.

Fernander ‘disappointed’ in chairman oF neighbourhood Watch council’s comments

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net POLICE Commissioner Clayton Fernander said he is disappointed in Keno Wong, the chairman of the Bahamas National Neighbourhood Watch Council, who complained last week that the relationship between the council and the Royal Bahamas Police Force has deteriorated in the last year.

Mr Wong said a breakdown in relations has contributed to increased vandalism, housebreaking, and sexual assaults in various communities.

“I’m very disappointed with the comments by the president and now he knows that our lines are always open,” Commissioner Fernander said during a press briefing yesterday.

“And I myself, all of

POLICE COMMISSIONER CLAYTON FERNANDER those matters that were occurring during the Christmas, one of them from the neighbourhood watch, from an area I wouldn’t call the name, this individual was calling me man, every hour on

the hour, as he saw things played out.

“So, I don’t know how the president got to this. This isn’t the time for that. This a time to come together, and if it’s any concern, my door is

police and christian council speak With gang members but get only silence in return

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net GANG members refused to answer critical questions about violence in the country when Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander and Bahamas Christian Council leaders met them over the weekend.

Commissioner Fernander told reporters during a press conference that the alleged gang members were in custody for the entire weekend.

He said the men were separated and members of the Christian Council spoke to them along with police investigators.

He said there was “tension in that room with those young boys” and “everybody head is down”.

“We wanted to know why, why you’re killing one

another? What is going on out there? What can we do to intervene and to save some lives, and we got no response.”

He said despite their silence, police won’t stop fighting to save the youth and to tackle crime. He said police plan to work with parents and target hot spot communities.

“We will not let them reach these young people that is out there,” he said. “I should’ve had a Bible to hold up my right hand. This Royal Bahamas Police Force will do whatever it takes to save a number of these youngsters who we know if left unattended, these same senior criminals who control these gangs recruit those ones.”

Opposition leader Michael Pintard last week urged the government to have a conclave with gang

leaders to figure out how to stop the bloodshed in the country.

The call came as murders soar in the country, with eight people killed so far for the year.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis decried the country’s increasing murder rate on Sunday, saying it “has taken on a horrifyingly new level of brutality and barbarity”.

“Something has indeed gone very, very wrong in our society,” he said at the RBPF’s annual church service on Sunday.

At the event, Mr Davis also invited the Christian Council to hold a National Day of Prayer for healing and comfort.

He said more will be said in the coming weeks about “a strategic initiative to implement a ‘whole government response’ to tackling gang crime”.

always open. He should reach out.”

The council oversees more than 165 neighbourhood watch groups.

Mr Wong had said the seeming disappearance of liaison officers, who were assigned to communities and helped ensure speedy responses to criminal complaints, has made the programme less effective.

He also raised questions about the whereabouts of the watch vehicles, saying residents don’t see them anymore.

“Once the liaison officers were pulled out of the communities, the communities kind of went back on its own and so it’s a struggle now,” he told The Tribune last week. “Who do you call? If you call this station, there’s always an issue. If you call 919,

they take down the information, and sometimes no one shows up.

Mr Fernander claimed yesterday police remain in constant communication with the neighbourhood watch council members, adding that the vehicles are in patrol.

“I, myself, and even Superintendent Pratt and Assistant Commissioner Anthony Rolle, they are in constant communication with their neighbourhood watch crew, and not only the saturation patrol vehicles but the neighbourhood police vehicles out there.

“You know, but this isn’t no time to be pulling; let’s come together man and if there are any challenges, let’s talk.”

PAGE 6, Tuesday, January 9, 2024

The Tribune Limited

THE TRIBUNE

PICTURE OF THE DAY

NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,

Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991

RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,

C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-

Published daily Monday to Friday

Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207 TELEPHONES News & General Information Advertising Manager Circulation Department Nassau fax Freeport, Grand Bahama Freeport fax

(242) 322-2350 (242) 502-2394 (242) 502-2386 (242) 328-2398 (242)-352-6608 (242) 352-9348

WEBSITE, TWITTER & FACEBOOK www.tribune242.com

@tribune242

tribune news network

Climate change affecting Fijian’s mental health It’s unlikely any region of the world will escape the effects of climate change.

These include increasing temperatures, more frequent and intense extreme weather events such as bushfires and floods, rising sea levels, and more.

But some areas, like the Pacific Islands, are likely to experience disproportionate effects from advancing climate change.

Pacific island nations are uniquely vulnerable to sea level rise, coastal erosion and cyclones of escalating intensity.

Increasing temperatures and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns present additional risks to populations largely reliant on traditional fishing and farming practices for both food sources and trade.

The consequences of climate change also pose significant risks to the mental health and wellbeing of the people living in these countries, as we observed in a recent study with rural Fijians.

We interviewed more than 70 Indigenous and other traditional Fijians living in rural villages in coastal, coastal hinterland and river delta regions of the country.

Interviewees from each village described environmental changes they had observed, ranging from shifts in seasons and rainfall, to warmer temperatures, to sea level rise resulting in more frequent flooding of the villages, particularly during “king tides”. As one participant said: “Now it is like we are having the hot season throughout. Now we are experiencing the abnormal changes in the weather like never before.”

Another commented: “Sea level is not where it used to be since it is moving into the village, especially when it is high tides. We are really worried and concerned.”

A strong theme of loss of traditional culture ran through our interviews, with many participants describing the ways these environmental changes were contributing to the loss of traditional ways of life and their broader cultural practices.

One participant talked about yatule, a fish customarily found in seas of the Nadroga-Navosa province, traditionally fished using only nets: “No longer is it [yatule] seen [here].

Fishing for the yatule here […] is done traditionally […] the traditional method is slowly fading.”

These observed losses were having an effect on mental wellbeing. In particular, participants routinely expressed concerns and grief about what would be left for future generations.

“Due to the climate change we are very concerned about our future generation.

At least now we can still eat fish, we don’t know what tomorrow will bring.”

All interviewees were aware of a potential need in the future to migrate (indeed, a couple of the villages we visited are already in the process of relocating to higher grounds). But this prospect was met with both reluctance and substantial anticipated loss. As one participant said: “[The villagers] will not follow suit since they have strong ties with this place.”

Another said: “This is our only land where we have lived in all our lives.”

Given the strong connections Pacific island peoples traditionally have to their ancestral lands, there is no question any forced relocation would have significant negative effects on their mental health and wellbeing.

Our interviews highlight the substantial distress associated with the rapidly changing environment of Fiji.

In many ways, these themes mirror those observed in the Indigenous Inuit peoples of the Circumpolar North, found in Alaska, northern Canada and Greenland. In these locations, rapidly declining sea ice is having a major impact on traditional cultural practices (such as fishing and travel), also resulting in grief, worry and mental ill-health.

Across the globe, it’s clear people and cultures with strong place-based attachments are especially vulnerable to the mental health effects of climate change, sometimes called “eco-grief”.

More research is urgently needed to better understand mental ill-health in Pacific peoples related to the effects of climate change, and to develop culturally informed supports. There’s also a need to strengthen mental health systems in Pacific island nations.

Finally, concerted climate change mitigation efforts are crucial to protect these unique Pacific cultures, which will aid in protecting their mental health and wellbeing.

Junkanoo integrity in question EDITOR, The Tribune.

KINDLY allow me space in your valuable columns to express an opinion as to why I believe the integrity of junkanoo is compromised.

Firstly, I would like to wish all Bahamians a happy and healthy new year. In my younger days I participated in the junkanoo parades when junkanoo was really junkanoo. Today, I believe junkanoo lost its way decades ago for a number of reasons. I recall, once upon a time, junkanoo started at 4am and by 9.30am that same day you knew who had won. Junkanoo groups rushed in the rain and the show went on. During those times men and women rushed for the fun, enjoyment and

the good competition. But alas, things have changed.

Nowadays, one has to pay to witness the parade. I feel for the fella who wants to bring his family of five to see the parade. Then the Junkanoo Corporation came along. And there have been numerous mathematical errors by judges when totaling the scores. Sometimes, days passed and we still don’t know who are the winners. It is now a business. It’s all about the shingles. There is little to no loyalty from members who switch from group to group on a yearly basis.

Worst of all in my opinion is when a group leader stops in Rawson Square during a parade and mingles with a Prime Minister. I am not pointing any fingers,

but we all know who started what I believe is an unethical practice. I cannot prove that the judges are compromised when this happens, but it does not look good in a competition where one is judged on its merit.

But Madam Editor, it does not end there. Nooooo.

We sent two group leaders to Trinidad to research carnival and return with a comprehensive report. Carnival has absolutely nothing to do with our culture. And, lo and behold, you know us Negroes we are good at copying. So now what used to be junkanoo is really Carnival, but we call it junkanoo.

PAT STRACHAN Nassau, January 1, 2024.

WILLEM Dafoe smiles at a ceremony honouring him with the star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Monday, in Los Angeles.

Photo: Chris Pizzello/AP

Concerned with Mount Tabor pulpit EDITOR, The Tribune.

AS I approach my 70th birthday this week, a milestone I greet with both gratitude and reflection, I find myself compelled to write to your publication for only the fifth time in my life. My words today are born not out of joy, but out of a deep sense of disappointment and concern for a community that has been an integral part of my life for over two decades – the Mount Tabor Church.

For more than 20 years, Mount Tabor has been my spiritual home, a place of solace, community, and faith. However, the recent events involving Pastor Rickeno R. Moncur have left me, and many others, deeply disturbed. What I have witnessed from Pastor Moncur’s sermons was not only unacceptable but profoundly disappointing. The pulpit, once a source of inspiration and guidance, has become a platform for personal vendettas and divisive rhetoric.

This year, for the first time in my life, I made the heart-wrenching decision not to attend the Watchnight service. It was a decision that weighed heavily on me, a symbol of the disquiet that now pervades my heart. Pastor Moncur’s approach and the ensuing unrest within the church have created an atmosphere that is contrary to the principles of love, unity, and respect that I have always associated with Mount Tabor.

I write this letter not to fan the flames of controversy, but to express a profound sense of loss. A loss of harmony, a loss of the spiritual nourishment that was once the cornerstone of Mount Tabor. As

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net I step into my 70th year, I find myself at a crossroads, making the painful decision to not return to Mount Tabor until there is a resolution to this strife.

The church, in any community, should stand as a symbol of hope and unity, particularly in times of conflict and division. It saddens me to witness the erosion of these values within Mount Tabor. I urge the church leadership and Pastor Moncur to reflect on the impact of their actions and words, and to strive towards healing the rift that has been created.

To witness the attacks on Bishop Neil Ellis from the very pulpit he built is both brutal and disturbing. It is a disservice to the legacy of a man who dedicated his life to fostering a community of faith and compassion. Bishop Ellis’s contributions to Mount Tabor Church extend far beyond the physical structure; he created a spiritual haven, a place where many, including myself, have found solace, guidance, and a sense of belonging.

In this time of turmoil, it’s important to remember the human element at the heart of this conflict. Both Pastor Rickeno R Moncur and Bishop Neil Ellis have been instrumental figures in the life of Mount Tabor Church, each contributing in their unique ways.

While it’s evident that the current situation is fraught with tension and hurt feelings, I firmly believe that reconciliation and mutual respect are not only possible, but necessary for the

well-being of our church community.

I hold no ill will towards Pastor Moncur. In fact, I earnestly hope for his success in his role as a leader.

A leader’s journey is never easy, and it often includes learning from challenging situations. Similarly, my respect and admiration for Bishop Ellis remains unwavering. His legacy is deeply interwoven into the fabric of Mount Tabor Church, and his spiritual and community contributions continue to resonate with us all.

It is with a heavy but hopeful heart that I appeal for a path to reconciliation. This is not just about rectifying a personal conflict; it’s about healing a community. I wish for both men to find a way to bridge their differences, not just for their own sake but for the sake of the entire congregation who looks up to them.

Churches, at their core, are built on the principles of forgiveness, understanding, and compassion.

It is in these values that I find hope for a resolution. I pray that both Pastor Moncur and Bishop Ellis can come together in a spirit of humility and empathy, recognizing the larger responsibility they hold towards their congregation.

As I turn 70, my wish is to see Mount Tabor Church return to being a place where all members feel welcome, respected, and united in their faith.

It is in this spirit of unity and reconciliation that I believe we can move forward, stronger and more cohesive than before.

In faith and hope, A Lifelong Member of Mount Tabor Church January 8, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

Judge dismisses woman’s injury claim against Commonwealth Brewery Ltd

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net A SUPREME Court judge dismissed a lawsuit from a former Commonwealth Brewery Limited employee last week after the woman sued the company for injuries she allegedly received after falling over a box at work.

Theodora Clarke, who had been employed at CLB for more than 20 years, allegedly suffered the mishap in the company’s warehouse office on August 5, 2016, while checking on a customer’s order.

Ms Clarke said she was leaving the area when she fell sideways and struck the wall after failing to break the fall with her left hand.

She said another agent left the box sitting in the walkway and accused the company of negligence.

CBL countered that the box was placed under a countertop, out of the walking path.

Ms Clarke, who frequented the area because of her work duties, claimed that boxes are not usually placed in that area and

said the injury caused her severe pain and discomfort.

Ms Rolle, a former employee who was present when Ms Clarke fell, testified that it was not unusual for boxes to be brought into the office and that it was not surprising to see boxes in the area.

The witness said she saw Ms Clarke on the ground but didn’t see her fall and therefore could not confirm that she “fell over the box just, that it was there”.

“If you’re not paying attention, you wouldn’t notice it,” the witness said about the box.

Ms Clarke said CBL breached the Health and Safety Work Act by failing to maintain a safe working environment for their workers.

However, the company rejected her negligence claim, insisting there was sufficient lighting in the warehouse to make the boxes visible and that all employees were aware of the boxes’ presence and the steps needed to be taken when walking through the premises.

CBL said “the plaintiff was negligent in that

she traversed the relevant area in a manner which was unsafe to do, failed to keep any or any proper lookout while traversing the relevant area; failed to traverse the relevant area in a manner exhibiting reasonable care and concern for her safety, traversed the relevant area in question in a manner which was negligent in all the circumstances to wit: navigating the area in such a manner would have resulted in any tripping.”

CBL also called on Ms Clarke to prove that her alleged fall occurred in the manner claimed.

In his ruling, Chief Justice Ian Winder said he was not satisfied with Clarke’s argument, citing inconsistencies in her evidence compared to her own witness.

Justice Winder also found that the box was located in an appropriate place “in the circumstances of a busy warehouse office which deals actively in processing boxes of items”.

“Clarke’s claim is therefore dismissed with costs to CBL to be taxed if not agreed,” he wrote.

TEEN SENT TO SIMPSON PENN AFTER BEING CHARGED WITH CHRISTMAS DAY MURDER

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A 15-YEAR-OLD boy was sent to Simpson Penn yesterday after he allegedly fatally shot a 38-year-old man on Jerome Avenue on Christmas Day. Magistrate Algernon Allen Jr charged the teenage defendant, whose name

is being withheld due to him being a minor, with murder.

The defendant was charged in the presence of his guardians. Mark Penn represented the accused.

The defendant allegedly shot and killed Mervin McKinney on the intersection of Jerome Avenue and Corlet Road on December 25, 2023 The victim was

pronounced dead at the scene.

The accused was told that his matter would be transferred to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

The defendant will be sent to the Simpson Penn Center for Boys until the higher court grants him bail.

The VBI in this matter is set for service on March 21.

52-YEAR-OLD MAN ACCUSED OF MOLESTING HIS FOUR-YEAR-OLD SON REMANDED

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A 52-YEAR-OLD man was locked behind bars yesterday after he was accused of molesting his four-year-old son last October.

Magistrate Shaka Serville charged the male defendant, whose name is being withheld to protect the identity of the alleged victim, with incest.

The accused allegedly had unlawful sexual intercourse with his son on October 11, 2023, in New

Providence.

The defendant was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. His case will be moved to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment slated for service on April 8.

MAN AND WOMAN ALLEGEDLY FOUND WITH A LOADED GUN GRANTED $7,500 BAIL

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MAN and woman were granted bail yesterday after they were allegedly found with a loaded gun and a large quantity of ammunition at a residence in Nassau Village last week.

Magistrate Lennox Coleby charged Latario Missick, 38, and Stephanie Burrows, 24, with several firearm charges.

These include possession

of an unlicenced firearm, possession of ammunition, possession of ammunition with intent to supply and two counts of possession of a part of a firearm.

Alex Morley represented the accused.

The duo were arrested at a residence on Spruce Street after police allegedly found a black and silver Taurus 9mm pistol on January 5. During this same incident, the defendants were allegedly also found with five rounds of .40mm ammunition, 26

rounds of 9mm ammunition, a black pistol magazine and a silver pistol magazine.

After pleading not guilty to charges and with prosecutor Inspector Lincoln McKenzie raising no objections, the defendant’s bail was set at $7,500 each.

Under their bail terms, Missick and Burrows must sign in at the Carmichael and Grove Police Stations every Monday, Wednesday and Friday by 6pm.

The defendants’ trial begins on March 4.

Tuesday, January 9, 2024, PAGE 7

PAGE 8, Tuesday, January 9, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

Nurse Bianca Edwards leads a call to action to support nurses BEING a nurse requires skill, constant learning, patience, empathy and quick decision making. It’s not for the faint of heart, and nurse Biance Edwards wants to make sure that her colleagues in The Bahamas have the support they need to be their best. She envisions a healthcare sector with increased support for nurses, including mental and physical health support, learning opportunities, career advancement and proper financial compensation.

“My vision calls for a unified approach, where policy makers, healthcare leaders, and community stakeholders unite to invest in and support the nursing profession,” she said of her goal.

“By heeding this call to action, The Bahamas can set a precedent for nurturing its healthcare professionals, ultimately leading to a stronger, healthier nation. This is an opportunity to demonstrate our profound respect and appreciation for our nurses and commit to their growth and well-being as they care for our communities.”

“Such an investment is in the nurses and every Bahamian’s future health and well-being. Such support systems are vital in the demanding field of healthcare, where challenges are met daily.”

Her call to action comes on the heels of an enlightening trip to Geneva, Switzerland, where she visited the headquarters of the World Health Organisation and the International Council of Nurses Headquarters.

GLOBAL LEADERSHIP Nurse Edwards was selected to attend the International Council of Nurses’ Global Nursing Leadership Institute (GNLI), which marks a significant milestone in her career. Chosen as one of only 30 applicants from over a hundred candidates, her participation in the GNLI highlights her exceptional leadership potential in nursing. This prestigious programme provided her with invaluable insights and experiences, and further solidified her commitment to professional development and mentoring in nursing.

During her October 2023 visit to Geneva, she engaged with global healthcare leaders and met representatives from the Permanent Mission of The Bahamas to the United Nations. This experience was an honour and an educational journey, allowing her to delve deeply into critical issues such as health policy, health disparities, gender equality, and universal healthcare.

The GNLI programme focuses on equipping its participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to influence health policy and address global health

Face to Face

By FELICITY DARVILLE

challenges. Nurse Edwards’s involvement in this programme is a testament to her dedication to addressing these vital issues and her ongoing effort to bring about positive change in healthcare, both locally in The Bahamas and on a global scale.

This landmark point in her career is the latest in a series of achievements that have highlighted nurse Edwards’ commitment to her profes-

strength found in unity and a collective voice. Through active participation, she believes that nurses can significantly advance the profession and enhance healthcare in The Bahamas.

This unity and collaboration set a precedent for excellence and impact in nursing.

“In the mosaic of healthcare,” she said, “Every tile represents a story, a challenge, a victory — nurses are the meticulous artists bring-

NURSE Bianca Edwards with Howard Catton, CEO of the International Council of Nurses in Geneva. sion. In December 2023, she was inducted as a Phi Gamma Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honour Society of Nursing (Sigma) member. Sigma Theta Tau International Honour Society of Nursing is known for its commitment to fostering high standards of nursing practice and promoting nurses’ professional and educational advancement.

This recognition underscores her commitment to nursing excellence and her standing in the global nursing community.

In December 2022, nurse Edwards received the Zenith Awards Nursing and Organisational Leadership Award from The Nurses Association of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. She was also recognised for her outstanding dedication to nursing when she received the Employee of The Year Award 2012/2013 from the Ministry of Health.

Nurse Edwards is also an active member of the Nurses Association of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

The association serves as a platform for advocacy, professional development, and upholding high standards of nursing practice. Nurse Edwards encourages her fellow nurses to join the association, highlighting the

ing this intricate picture of health to life.”

“Across the two cities and tranquil families of islands in The Bahamas, nurses craft wellness with a blend of art and science, making the extraordinary possible in every setting. In this vibrant tapestry, nurses stand out as skilled professionals and community pillars, embodying the spirit of healing and hope.”

ELEUTHERA UPBRINGING Bianca’s journey started and still continues on the picturesque and serene island of Eleuthera. She was born in Nassau, but she was raised in the quiet settlement of Water Ford, Eleuthera, where she experienced a nurturing childhood. The daughter of Bertram Rolle and Daphne Adderley, Bianca’s upbringing in Eleuthera instilled in her the values of community, compassion, and care that have guided her professional path.

Her nursing journey was inspired by her mother’s compassion for the elderly, and the sparks of her passion for nursing began in her youth. After graduating from Preston H Albury High School, she pursued higher education in nursing, attaining degrees from The College of The Bahamas and

NURSE Bianca Edwards

The University of The West Indies, alongside a diploma in midwifery.

Today, she is still serving the community where she was born and bred. She is the Nursing Supervisor for the North Eleuthera Mainland Clinics. In her role, Nurse Edwards demonstrates a holistic approach to healthcare. Her responsibilities include clinical care, staff management, and community health initiatives, showcasing her adaptability and dedication, particularly in the distinctive setting of Family Island nursing.

“In The Bahamas, nurses are more than just healthcare providers; they are central figures in their communities,” she said.

“They navigate the complexities of health with grace and expertise, whether in the bustling hospitals, community clinics, or in the quiet, remote corners of the family islands. Their work, a perfect amalgamation of art and science, is essential to maintaining the nation’s health.”

“With over 28 million nurses worldwide, nursing is not just a profession but a global phenomenon. Nurses represent half of the healthcare workforce, and nurses are dedicated to the wellbeing of humanity. Their collective efforts create a global tapestry of care, where every thread is crucial to health.”

“As a nurse who has witnessed the transformative power of our profession, I can attest to the critical role nurses play. We are the agents who turn the key into the lock of the unknown, constantly innovating and adapting to meet the ever-changing needs of healthcare. Our hands build the doors to healing and knock them down when they become barriers, always prioritizing the smiles and well-being of our clients and their families.”

Nurse Edwards learned much during her trip to Geneva, clarifying her vision for her colleagues in The Bahamas: “Nurses in The Bahamas and worldwide are not just caregivers but agents of change. They challenge the status quo, advocate for better health policies, and ensure that care is accessible to all. Their contributions are vital in addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), combating climate change, and advancing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

“The work of nurses in The Bahamas and across the globe is a testament to their unwavering commitment to health and humanity. Their diverse roles in both public and private sectors highlight their indispensability in the healthcare system. It’s time for the world to recognise and support these artisans of health, whose impact

extends far beyond the confines of hospitals and clinics.

By celebrating and uplifting the nursing profession, we pave the way for a healthier, more equitable world.”

FAMILY ISLAND NURSING Nurse Edwards is not only an advocate for improved working conditions and resources for nurses, particularly on the Family Islands, but she is also a champion of community health. Her commitment to preventative care is evident through the numerous community projects she has spearheaded or been involved in. These projects range from health education initiatives and wellness programmes to community outreach efforts to improve public health and awareness.

Nurse Edwards’s commitment to midwifery and education is exemplified through her authorship of “Midwifery Mnemonics to Success”. This publication showcases her dedication to her field and serves as a valuable resource for aspiring midwives.

She is currently pursuing her PhD in Nursing.

Her scholarly endeavors extend beyond authorship to impactful research contributions. She has published a significant research article in The Global Journal of Nursing entitled: “Challenges to Breastfeeding During The First Four Weeks Postpartum Among Mothers Aged 18 – 29 Years, Who Attend Selected Clinics In

advised.

“When nurses are supported through education, resources, and favorable working conditions, they are empowered to provide the highest quality of care.

This empowerment leads to better health outcomes, reduced healthcare costs, and a more resilient healthcare system capable of facing modern challenges.”

Nurse Edwards hopes to inspire her daughter, Brielle, by showcasing the meaningful and fulfilling path that nursing can offer throughout her life: “I want Brielle to take pride in my legacy and walk in my footsteps, which I am engraving here on Earth.”

“I extend my deepest gratitude to my husband, Ricardo,” she added.

“Throughout the years, his unwavering support has been a cornerstone of my strength and resilience. His encouragement and understanding have played an invaluable role in my journey, enabling me to pursue my passion for nursing with dedication.”

“I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to every client, colleague, friend, and family member who has supported nurses and health professionals. This network of support is essential in sustaining the spirit and wellbeing of healthcare workers and enhancing the quality of care we provide.”

She acknowledges the invaluable contributions of past and current nursing leaders who have

NURSE Bianca Edwards with Howard Catton, CEO of the International Council of Nurses in Geneva.

Eleuthera, The Bahamas.”

This publication highlights her focus on addressing critical healthcare issues and contributes valuable insights to nursing.

A proponent of cultural humility, Nurse Edwards stresses the importance of understanding and respecting diverse cultural backgrounds. This principle is a cornerstone of her daily practice and healthcare vision, and one she hopes to see emulated throughout Family island clinics in The Bahamas.

Nurse Edwards emphasises the need for policies specifically tailored to the unique challenges faced

by Family Island nurses.

These professionals, she said, often work under resource-constrained conditions, yet their impact is immense. By developing and implementing policies that address their specific needs, she believes that we will collectively uplift the nursing profession and enhance the quality of care available to the communities they serve, even in the most remote areas of the country.

NATIONAL CALL TO ACTION “Investing in nursing has a profound ripple effect on the overall health of the Bahamian population,” she

paved the way for her and many others in the field.

Their mentorship, wisdom, and leadership have been instrumental in shaping her career and the broader nursing community.

Most of all, nurse Edwards added: “I give thanks to Almighty God for the blessings and achievements in my life, both personally and professionally. I recognize God’s guidance, which is pivotal in my journey as a nurse and leader. My faith has been a constant source of strength and inspiration, influencing my dedication to nursing.

Support systems are vital in the demanding field of healthcare, where challenges are met daily, she said. The encouragement and backing from loved ones and the community serve as a reminder of the collective effort required to maintain a robust and compassionate healthcare system.

In essence, this support network underscores a fundamental truth: that the journey of healthcare professionals like Nurse Edwards is not solitary. It is a shared path bolstered by the strength, love, and support of those around them.

To connect with Nurse Edwards and participate in a national call to action to support nurses, email nurseedwardsrn@gmail.com.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, January 9, 2024, PAGE 9

Getting to the root to save the tree ‘Our young men are dying needlessly. How do we redirect young lives before they reach this point.’

By TIMOTHY ROBERTS A VAST empty field lies in front of us all, regardless of our age.

The potential we have no matter where we are in life is always at hand before us, and it is up to us to sow our best or our worst in that field.

An amalgamation of our upbringing, experiences and choices all lends themselves to the kind of things we will ultimately sow whether as we will or against our will.

We are at a point in our history as a country where we have some difficult choices before us. None of the choices on so many other subjects matter as much as getting it right on how we address the rising murder rate, and criminality that is choking the life out of our young men (in particular), but affects us all.

I know there is a sector of our society that are saying to themselves – and perhaps to those around them - ‘good riddance, let these thugs and criminals kill each other off.’ But such a view is cold to the fact that each one of these are human lives; someone’s son, brother, father, uncle or friend and a soul that God loves.

Each life lost is a tragedy even though many have been involved in crimes and have even

murdered someone themselves (though quite often they are only charged with the crime and not convicted). Each life is worth doing all we can to save.

As we look backwards to the experiences that have shaped our lives, we can see the impactful things that may have led us to be bright, optimistic and outgoing or bitter, reserved and resentful. Many times, it is not just the life event that impacted us but the choices we made in how we dealt with those things. Additionally, our upbringing is dependent on the way our parents treated us and what life experiences they imparted to us and again, how we chose to follow or reject those experiences and inputs into our character’s makeup.

So, in a variety of circles I hear people speaking of all the ways we must address the issue after three straight years of one hundred plus murders, and a year that has started off with as many murders as days of this young year.

‘The justice system is broken.’

‘The police force is lousy, corrupt and inept.’ ‘Government is not setting the right policies in place to address the issues.’

And while there is truth to those issues existing, the talk centres invariably

around treating the issues at the stage where the crime is happening, but if we are serious about truly reversing this course that we are on the discussion needs to focus on the genesis of the problems.

And yes, I get it – it’s easier to complain and blame and focus on what is directly in front of us.

Getting to the root of the things, well that’s more work. It’s also more difficult because we don’t want to see the ugly side of the society we have all contributed to building. We all have our own problems in life that we are dealing with and can’t spend time fixing someone else’s issues.

Again, this is all fine until the violences spills over into our path and affects our lives and places us in fear.

This is our country. This is our society. These are our neighbours, friends, family. We must not shirk our responsibility to all around us and say ‘it’s not my problem.’ If not today, tomorrow or the next day it will be your problem, or my problem.

Our young men are dying needlessly. How do we redirect young lives before they reach this point.

Our every effort should be getting to the root and treating it so that the whole tree can be saved.

PAGE 10, Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Kelly’s House and Home and Super Value joined to provide Christmas gifts to children

L-R Bishop John Ferguson (Director of Big Harvest Community Sunday School), Barbara Harvey (Store Manager – Kelly’s House & Home), Santa, Candy Kelly (Vice President – Super Value), Debra Ferguson (President – Super Value), Opal Mackey (Advertising/ Marketing – Kelly’s House & Home) KELLY’S House and spreading festive cheer. celebrated the magic of the lives of those they serve.

Home and Super Value On December 21, rep- holiday season.

This collaborative effort joined forces once again resentatives from Kelly’s In addition to the gift- reflects the true meaning to bring joy and warmth House and Home and giving, Kelly’s House and of the holiday season – to the hearts of over 60 Super Value came together Home and Super Value are coming together to make a children associated with to present a variety of actively involved in sup- positive impact and share Big Harvest Community thoughtful gifts to the eager porting local initiatives that joy with those in need.

Sunday School. In the spirit children of the Big Har- contribute to the well-being Kelly’s House & Home and of giving, the two compa- vest Community Sunday of the community. This col- Super Value look forward nies have collaborated to School. The event was filled laboration with Big Harvest to continuing their comprovide Christmas gifts to with laughter, excitement, Community Sunday School munity-focused initiatives children within the local and the spirit of generosity, is just one example of their and wish everyone a Merry community, fostering a creating lasting memories ongoing commitment to Christmas and a Happy sense of togetherness and for the youngsters as they making a difference in the New Year.

THE TRIBUNE

MAN ACCUSED OF FATAL STABBING OF FATHER MUST RECEIVE MEDICATION FOR SICKLE CELL ANEMIA

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A 26-YEAR-OLD American man suffering from sickle cell anaemia must receive medical attention in prison after he was remanded over the weekend for the year’s first murder.

Mario Cash Jr once again appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley after he was arraigned last Friday for killing his father.

Cash Jr allegedly stabbed his father, Mario Cash Sr, at his residence in western New Providence on New Year’s Day. During his initial arraignment, Ian Cargill, Cash Jr’s attorney, claimed that his client was denied medication for his sickle cell and high blood pressure following his arrest.

The lawyer advised a US Embassy representative of the alleged denial of his client’s constitutional right to have his attorney present during an interview and the problems he was having getting his medication.

Mr Cargill also made a court request for the defendant’s relatives to access his father’s residence to retrieve the documentation necessary to get him bail.

Cash Jr told the magistrate in his latest court appearance that his family has yet to receive his passport and other documentation.

He said he had suffered a sickle cell crisis on remand at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS)

last Saturday. He also said that the prison was unable to fulfil his prescriptions for pretax, hydra and oxycodone. Cash Jr further claimed that he was denied access to water for over 24 hours before his court appearance.

Cash Jr told the magistrate that he was still shaking from the pain of not having his medication.

Mr Cargill requested that his client be taken to the hospital to renew his prescriptions, which expired in the four months he was in The Bahamas. He also said the defendant spoke with a US Embassy representative before coming to court.

Magistrate Reckley informed the defendant that the keys to his father’s residence had been given to his uncle Darron Cash.

Following a communique with the prison, prosecutor Superintendent Davis told the defence that BDCS can treat sickle cell. He also said that the prison can furnish all of Cash Jr’s medication and that a generic form of oxycodone is available.

As such, Cash Jr was expected to be sent to the prison’s medical unit after his court date and is expected to return to court on January 15.

Before being remanded to prison again, the defendant was allowed a moment with his two aunts in court. He sent a heart sign to his family as he was taken back into custody.

The voluntary bill of indictment transferring Cash Jr’s matter to the Supreme Court is set for service on April 25.

BISHOP PAYS A COURTESY CALL ON GOVERNOR GENERAL

GIFTS donated to Big Harvest Community Sunday School by Kelly’s House & Home and Super Value.

CYNTHIA ‘Mother’ Pratt, Governor General, welcomed Bishop Dr Glen Beneby, author of the book, ‘A Message of Hope’ during a courtesy call and book presentation, Friday at the Office of the Governor General. Also pictured from left are: Carolyn Beneby, Jasmine Beneby, and Denise Beneby.

Photo: Patrick Hanna/BIS

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, January 9, 2024, PAGE 11

With each strike, fears grow that Israel, the US and Iran’s allies are inching closer to all-out war

potential consequences for the world economy. Iran says its allies act on their own and not on orders from Tehran.

Washington has struggled to put together a multinational security force to protect Red Sea shipping.

But it appears hesitant to attack the Houthis on land when they appear close to reaching a peace deal with Saudi Arabia after years of war.

Meanwhile, Israeli officials have said the window for its allies to get both Hezbollah and the Houthis to stand down is closing.

Associated Press IN the last week alone, an Israeli airstrike has killed a Hezbollah commander in Lebanon, Hezbollah struck a sensitive Israeli base with rockets and Israel killed a senior Hamas militant with an airstrike in Beirut.

Each strike and counterstrike increases the risk of the catastrophic war in Gaza spilling across the region.

In the decades-old standoff pitting the US and Israel against Iran and allied militant groups, there are fears that any party could trigger a wider war if only to avoid appearing weak. A US airstrike killed an Iran-backed militia leader in Baghdad last week, and the US Navy recently traded fire with Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. The divisions within each camp add another layer of volatility. Hamas might have hoped its Oct. 7 rampage across southern Israel that triggered the war in Gaza would drag its allies into a wider conflict. Israelis increasingly talk about the need to change the equation in Lebanon even as Washington aims to contain the conflict.

As the intertwined chess games grow more complicated, the potential for miscalculation rises.

GAZA ZERO

IS

GROUND

Hamas says its Oct. 7 attack was a purely Palestinian response to decades of Israeli domination. There is no evidence that Iran, Hezbollah or other allied groups played a direct role or knew about it beforehand.

But when Israel responded by launching one of the 21st century’s most devastating military campaigns in Gaza, a besieged enclave home to 2.3 million Palestinians, the so-called Axis of Resistance — Iran and the militant groups it supports across the region — faced pressure to respond.

The Palestinian cause has

HOW DOES THIS END?

JAMAA Islamiya (Islamic group) gunmen carry the body of their comrade Saeid al-Bashashi, who was killed in an apparent Israeli strike in Beirut on Tuesday with one of the top Hamas commanders Saleh Arouri, during his funeral procession in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Friday.

Photo: Mohammed Zaatari/AP deep resonance across the region, and leaving Hamas alone to face Israel’s fury would have risked unravelling a military alliance that Iran has been building up since the 1979 Islamic Revolution put it on a collision course with the West.

“They don’t want war, but at the same time they don’t want to let the Israelis keep striking without retaliation,” said Qassim Qassir, a Lebanese expert on Hezbollah.

“Something big has to happen, without going to war, so that the Israelis and Americans are convinced that there is no way forward,” he said.

HEZBOLLAH THREADS THE NEEDLE Of all Iran’s regional proxies, Hezbollah faces the biggest dilemma.

If it tolerates Israeli attacks, like the strike in Beirut that killed Hamas’ deputy political leader, it

risks appearing to be a weak or unreliable ally. But if it triggers a full war, Israel has threatened to wreak major destruction on Lebanon, which is already mired in a severe economic crisis. Even Hezbollah’s supporters may see that as too heavy a price to pay for a Palestinian ally.

Hezbollah has carried out strikes along the border nearly every day since the war in Gaza broke out, with the apparent aim of tying down some Israeli troops.

Israel has returned fire, but each side appears to be calibrating its actions to limit the intensity.

A Hezbollah barrage of at least 40 rockets fired at an Israeli military base on Saturday sent a message without starting a war, though it may have triggered Monday’s strike.

Would 80 rockets have been a step too far? What if someone had been killed?

How many casualties would warrant a full-blown offensive? The grim math provides no clear answers.

And experts say it might not be a single strike that does it.

Israel is determined to see tens of thousands of its citizens return to communities near the border with Lebanon that were evacuated under Hezbollah fire nearly three months ago. After Oct. 7, it may no longer be able to tolerate an armed Hezbollah presence on the other side of the frontier.

Israeli leaders have repeatedly threatened to use military force if Hezbollah doesn’t respect a 2006 UN cease-fire that ordered the militant group to withdraw from the border.

“Neither side wants a war, but the two sides believe it is inevitable,” said Yoel Guzansky, a senior

researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University. “Everybody in Israel thinks it’s just a matter of time until we need to change the reality” so that people can return to their homes, he said.

US DETERRENCE ONLY GOES SO FAR The US positioned two aircraft carrier strike groups in the region in October.

One is returning home but is being replaced by other warships. The deployments sent an unmistakable warning to Iran and its allies against widening the conflict, but not all seem to have received the message.

Iran-backed militant groups in Syria and Iraq have launched dozens of rocket attacks on US bases.

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have attacked international shipping in the Red Sea, with

The regional tensions are likely to remain high as long as Israel keeps up its offensive in Gaza, which it says is aimed at crushing Hamas.

Many wonder if that’s possible, given the group’s deep roots in Palestinian society, and Israel’s own leaders say it will take many more months.

The US, which has provided crucial military and diplomatic support for Israel’s offensive, is widely seen as the only power capable of ending it. Iran’s allies seem to believe Washington will step in if its own costs get too high — hence the attacks on US bases and international shipping.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock are all back in the region this week, with the aim of trying to contain the violence through diplomacy.

But the most important messages will likely be sent by rocket.

“The Americans do not want an open war with Iran, and the Iranians do not want an open war with the United States,” said Ali Hamadeh, an analyst who writes for Lebanon’s An-Nahar newspaper. “Therefore, there are negotiations by fire.”

Judge in Haiti issues arrest warrants accusing former country heads of corruption PORT AU PRINCE Associated Press A JUDGE in Haiti has issued arrest warrants for more than 30 high-ranking officials accused of government corruption, including numerous former presidents and prime ministers.

The warrants, issued Friday and leaked on social media over the weekend, accuse the officials of misappropriation of funds or equipment related to Haiti’s National Equipment Center. The centre is responsible for using heavy machinery for tasks such as building roads or clearing rubble, especially after earthquakes.

Among those named are former presidents Michel Martelly and Jocelerme Privert, as well as former prime ministers Laurent Lamothe, Jean-Michel Lapin, Evans Paul and Jean-Henry Céant.

None of those named in the arrest warrant could be immediately reached for comment, although Privert and Lapin issued statements denying the allegations.

No one has been arrested in the case. No further details about the investigation were immediately available.

Judge Al Duniel Dimanche has requested that those accused meet with him for questioning as the investigation continues.

The judge could not be immediately reached for comment.

It is common for Haitian government officials accused in a criminal or civil case to ignore arrest warrants or requests for questioning and face no punishment as they accuse judges of political persecution. It is also rare for any high-ranking Haitian official to be charged with

HAITI’s former interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph, right, and Former Senator Cholzer Chancy, centre, arrive to court for questioning before the investigating judge in a corruption case in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, yesterday. A judge in Haiti has issued arrest warrants for more than 30 high-ranking officials related to the alleged misappropriation of funds or equipment connected to Haiti’s National Equipment Center.

Photo: Odelyn Joseph/AP corruption, let alone face trial.

Local newspaper Le Nouvelliste obtained a copy of a statement issued

by Lapin in which he says that he was never officially notified of the arrest warrant. He also said that at no time during his 32-year

political career did he ever become involved with the National Equipment Center.

“I have also never requisitioned or requested the use of any equipment from this institution for my personal needs or for loved ones,” he said.

Privert issued a statement accusing the judge of acting maliciously and thoughtlessly. He also asserted that the Court of First Instance in the capital of Port-au-Prince “has no jurisdiction over the actions taken by presidents, prime ministers and

ministers in the exercise of their functions.”

Former prime minister Claude Joseph, who is not named in the arrest warrant, said he met with the judge on Monday in case he could help with the case.

“No one, regardless of the position you held

in the state, is above the law,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, ahead of the meeting. “If a judge decides to abuse his office by abusing justice, that is his business. I will not despise the justice of my country. I will be present.”

PAGE 12, Tuesday, January 9, 2024

JAGUARS FIRE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR MIKE CALDWELL, SEVEN ASSISTANTS AFTER LATE-SEASON COLLAPSE

By MARK LONG AP Pro Football Writer JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and seven of his assistants ended up taking the fall for the biggest late-season collapse in Jacksonville Jaguars history.

Coach Doug Pederson fired Caldwell and the others Monday, a day after a 28-20 loss at Tennessee that knocked the Jaguars out of the playoffs. Jacksonville was 8-3 in late November and had been atop the AFC South since Week 3.

But Jacksonville (9-8) lost five of its final six games — the Jags no-showed on both sides of the ball during the slide — and failed miserably in a win-and-in game against the Titans.

Caldwell’s unit allowed 29.2 points and 146.8 yards rushing per game in the Jaguars’ five losses down the stretch.

Also relieved of their duties: D-line coach Brentson Buckner, linebackers coach Tony Gilbert, safeties coach Cody Grimm, senior defensive assistant Bob Sutton, cornerbacks coach Deshea Townsend and quality control assistants Sean Cullina and Tee Mitchell.

Pederson made it clear before the firings that Jacksonville is built to win now.

“You only get so many windows in this league,” said Pederson, who is 19-17 in two seasons in Jacksonville. “And we feel like with the personnel that we have, and we’ll continue to add, our window’s now. We’ve got to make the most of our opportunities. …

“We just can’t have the collapse like we did this year because you feel like now the season’s sort of wasted, right? You had a great opportunity to win the division and we didn’t.

So we have to live with that and we have to own it and we got to learn from it. But I still feel like we have the best football ahead of us moving forward.”

The Jaguars have several roster decisions to make in the coming months, including potentially releasing safety Rayshawn Jenkins and right guard Brandon Scherff to create salary cap space and finding a way to keep pass rusher Josh Allen and receiver Calvin Ridley.

But the locker room was more concerned with learning from the late-season free fall and using it as motivation moving forward.

THE TRIBUNE

TIGER WOODS AND NIKE END PARTNERSHIP AFTER MORE THAN 27 YEARS TIGER Woods tees off on the fifth hole during the final round at the Masters golf tournament in 2022, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer Tiger Woods has gone from “Hello, world,” to saying goodbye to Nike.

Woods ended months of speculation by making it official Monday that the partnership between golf’s biggest star and the powerful Swoosh brand is ending after 27 years, a move that raises questions about the future of both in the sport.

Woods in a social media post thanked Nike cofounder Phil Knight for his “passion and vision” that brought them together when he turned pro.

“Over 27 years ago, I was fortunate to start a partnership with one of the most iconic brands in the world,” Woods wrote. “The days since have been filled with so many amazing moments and memories, if I started naming them, I could go on forever.”

Mark Steinberg, his agent at Excel Sports, confirmed the end of the deal that began in 1996 when Woods turned pro after winning his third straight U.S. Amateur.

“I guess, hello world, huh?” a 20-year-old Woods said at the Greater Milwaukee Open.

Nike launched a “Hello, World” campaign two days later, and Woods lived up to the hype. Within eight months, he already had four wins, including the watershed Masters victory that made him the first golfer of Black heritage to win a major.

“It was time for the next

IN this June 19, 2004, file photo, Tiger Woods reacts on the fifth fairway after his shot toward the green during the third round of the U.S. at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y. (AP Photo/ Charles Krupa, File) chapter,” Steinberg told The Associated Press. “Amazing run. Great partnership.”

Nike also posted to social media, saying in a photo, “It was a hell of a round, Tiger.”

“Tiger, you challenged your competition, stereotypes, conventions, the old school way of thinking,” the Nike post was captioned.

“You challenged the entire institution of golf. You challenged us. And most of all, yourself. And for that challenge we’re grateful.”

Woods signed a five-year deal worth $40 million when he turned pro. It was shocking money at the time to most in the industry except Nike, and his father.

“Chump change,” the late Earl Woods once said, and he was proven correct. Woods renewed the deal believed to be worth over $100 million in 2001. His eight-year deal in 2006 was reported to be $160 million, and his latest deal was signed in 2013 for a reported $200 million.

As recognisable as any athlete in the world, Woods became the face of Nike Golf and had his own “TW” brand.

On the golf course, Woods set records as the youngest to win the Grand Slam at age 24, the only player to hold all four major titles at the same time and his 15-shot win at the U.S. Open, the largest margin for a major in golf history.

But there were signs in recent years of a fractured relationship.

Woods returned from his February 2021 car crash that shattered bones in his right leg by wearing FootJoy shoes, saying it was a better feel considering his injuries.

Woods remained in them — Nike has a long history making shoes — even until the PNC Championship last month that he played with his son.

When asked about his deal with Nike, Woods replied, “I’m still wearing their product,” and sternly repeated the phrase when asked if this was the end of his deal.

More than just a face, Woods unwittingly delivered big moments for Nike, none greater than his 2005 Masters victory when he hit a pitch

from below the 16th green that went up the slope and then rolled back toward the hole. The ball hung on the edge for a full second — the swoosh in full view — before it dropped. It remains one of the most famous moments in golf’s most-watched tournament.

He also was filming a commercial one year when between takes, Woods began bouncing the golf ball off his club.

That led to a spot where he bounced the ball off the club, between his legs, behind his back, before hitting the ball in mid-air.

“Throughout the course of our partnership, we have witnessed along with the rest of the world, how Tiger not only redefined the sport of golf, but broke barriers for all of sport,” Nike said in a statement. “We watched him set records, challenge conventional thinking and inspire generations of people around the globe. We are grateful to have been a part of it.

We wish him the best in the future.”

Woods has won 15 majors, second only to Jack Nicklaus (18), and his 82 career PGA Tour victories are tied with Sam Snead. But he has been slowed in recent years by five back surgeries, shattered ligaments in his rebuilt left knee, the 2021 car crash and age. He turned 48 at the end of last year.

Nike stood by him when his personal life imploded in 2009 over extramarital affairs, and when his schedule

was reduced greatly because of leg and back injuries.

Woods remarkably returned from fusion surgery to win the Masters in 2019, his fifth green jacket.

Nike also has shown signs of slowing its golf business.

It decided to get out of the hard goods business in 2016, sending Woods to play different clubs and a different golf ball.

Nike, meanwhile, said in a recent earnings call it planed to cut $2 billion over the next three years, raising questions about how much it would remain invested in golf.

The company still has a stable of golfers wearing its apparel — including Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player who wears a “TW” brand shoe — and Rory McIlroy and Nelly Korda.

Jason Day, a former No. 1 player, did not renew his deal this year and switched to a different apparel company.

Woods has been optimistic that he can play once a month in 2024, which likely is to start at the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles next month.

Steinberg said he was working on a new deal and that “I anticipate there could be an exciting announcement” at the Genesis Invitational.

Woods indicated the same.

“People will ask if there is another chapter,” Woods wrote in his post.

“Yes, there will certainly be another chapter. See you in LA!”

FRANZ BECKENBAUER, WORLD CUP WINNER AS PLAYER AND COACH FOR GERMANY, DIES AT 78

By CIARÁN FAHEY AP Sports Writer BERLIN (AP) — Franz Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup both as player and coach and became one of Germany’s most beloved personalities with his easygoing charm, has died. He was 78.

Beckenbauer’s death was first announced through a statement from his family to German news agency dpa and then confirmed by the German soccer federation.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday, Sunday, surrounded by his family,” the family said in its statement. “We ask that we be allowed to grieve in peace and be spared any questions.”

The statement did not provide a cause of death. The former Bayern Munich great, who became affectionately known as the “Kaiser” — or “Emperor” — had struggled with health problems in recent years.

Beckenbauer also had to contend with allegations of impropriety in later years. But they did nothing to damage the esteem in which he was held.

“The world of FC Bayern is no longer the way it used to be – suddenly darker, quieter, poorer,” the Bavarian powerhouse said on its website.

Beckenbauer was one of German soccer’s central figures. As a player, he reimagined the defender’s role in soccer and captained West Germany to the World Cup title in 1974 after it had lost to England in the 1966 final. He was the coach when West Germany won the tournament again in 1990, a symbolic moment for a country in the midst of reunification, months after the Berlin Wall fell.

“The ‘Kaiser’ was one of the best players our sport has ever seen,” German soccer federation president Bernd Neuendorf said. “With his lightness, his elegance and his vision, he set standards on the field. ... Franz Beckenbauer leaves a great legacy for the federation and soccer as a whole.”

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote on social media that Beckenbauer “inspired generations of

FRANZ BECKENBAUER, then West Germany’s captain, holds up the World Cup trophy after they defeated the Netherlands 2-1 in the World Cup soccer final at Munich’s Olympic stadium in Germany on July 7, 1974.

Beckenbauer has died age 78.

(AP Photo/File) enthusiasm for German soccer. We will miss him.”

Beckenbauer’s death comes just two days after the announcement that Mario Zagallo, the Brazilian who became the first person to win the World Cup as a player and coach, had died at the age of 92. The only other person to achieve that feat is France’s Didier Deschamps.

Beckenbauer was also instrumental in bringing the highly successful 2006 World Cup to Germany, though his legacy was later tainted by charges that he only succeeded in winning the hosting rights with the help of bribery. He denied the allegations.

“We did not want to bribe anyone and we didn’t bribe anyone,” Beckenbauer, who headed the World Cup organising committee, wrote in his last column for daily tabloid Bild in 2016.

Beckenbauer and three other members of the committee were formally made criminal suspects that year by Swiss prosecutors who suspected fraud in the true purpose of multi-million euro (dollar) payments that connected the 2006 World Cup with FIFA. But he was eventually

not indicted in 2019 for health reasons and the case ended without a judgment when the statute of limitations expired in 2020 amid delays to the court system caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Beckenbauer was in 2014 briefly suspended by FIFA’s ethics committee from all football-related activity for failing to cooperate with prosecutor Michael Garcia’s probe of alleged corruption in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup votes. The suspension was lifted during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil when he agreed to cooperate.

The allegations damaged Beckenbauer’s standing in public perception for the first time. Until then, Beckenbauer had seemingly been unable to say or do anything wrong. Germans simply loved him.

“He did everything that a German is not supposed to do,” former Bayern Munich teammate Paul Breitner once said of the man popularly known as “Der Kaiser.”

“He got divorced, he left his children, took off with his girlfriend, got into trouble with tax collectors, left his girlfriend again.

“But he is forgiven for everything because he’s got a good heart, he’s a positive person and he’s always ready to help. He doesn’t conceal his weaknesses, doesn’t sweep his mistakes under the carpet,” Breitner said.

The son of a post official from the working-class Munich district of Giesing, Beckenbauer became one of the greatest players to grace the game in a career that also included stints in the United States with the New York Cosmos in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Born on Sept. 11, 1945, months after Germany’s surrender in World War II, Beckenbauer studied to become an insurance salesman but he signed his first professional contract with Bayern when he was 18.

“You are not born to become a world star in Giesing. Football for me was a deliverance. Looking back, I can say: Everything went according to how I’d imagined my life. I had a perfect life,” Beckenbauer told the Sueddeutsche newspaper magazine in 2010.

Beckenbauer personalised the position of “libero,” the free-roaming nominal defender who often

moved forward to threaten the opponent’s goal, a role now virtually disappeared from modern football and rarely seen before his days.

An elegant, cool player with vision, Beckenbauer defined as captain the Bayern Munich side that won three successive European Cup titles from 1974 to 1976.

In his first World Cup as player in 1966, West Germany lost the final to host England as Beckenbauer chased Bobby Charlton around the field having been given the task of marking the England standout.

Four years later, with his arm strapped to his body because of a shoulder injury, Germany lost a memorable semifinal to Italy.

Finally, in 1974 at home, Beckenbauer captained West Germany to the title.

Beckenbauer left Bayern for New York in 1977 and later recalled fondly the time spent in the United States.

“From Munich-Giesing to New York City, that was a huge step,” Beckenbauer said.

Beckenbauer said the decisive step in luring him to the Cosmos was the helicopter ride the club officials gave him from the roof of the Pan Am Building across Manhattan to Giants Stadium in New Jersey.

“That was then the most modern stadium in the world, with VIP boxes.

We didn’t have that in Europe. As we flew over the stadium, I told them, ‘Fine, stop it, I am coming.’”

In that 2010 interview, Beckenbauer also recalled visits to famed nightclub Studio 54 with fellow Cosmos stars Pele and Carlos Alberto.

Beckenbauer missed the 1978 World Cup because the Germans decided not to invite players playing abroad. He returned to Germany in 1980, spent two seasons with Hamburg — and won another Bundesliga championship, his fifth — before returning for a final season at the Cosmos.

Although he had never coached before, Beckenbauer was hired to revive West Germany in 1984 after a flop at the European Championship.

West Germany made it to the final of the 1986 World Cup, losing to Diego Maradona’s Argentina in Mexico City. Although West

Germany failed to win the 1988 Euros title at home, it went to the final of the 1990 World Cup and defeated Argentina in the final in Rome, another highlight in the year after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The penalty goal came from Andreas Brehme, a defender Beckenbauer had once told to “play the piano, play the flute but not football.”

While his team celebrated, Beckenbauer cut a lonely figure walking and reflecting at the Olympic Stadium.

Later, at the news conference, he said he was “sorry for the rest of the world” because a united Germany would be unbeatable for years to come. But Germany had to wait 24 years before winning another World Cup title.

Once he left for New York, Beckenbauer never had a home in Munich. He lived just across the border in the Austrian Alpine resort of Kitzbühel, where taxes were lower.

Beckenbauer was a voracious traveler and personally visited all 31 countries who had qualified for the World Cup in Germany in 2006.

Beckenbauer said he got the urge to travel as a child by collecting pictures for a sticker album. “There were photos from Africa, America.

It got me interested ... but I never thought I’d experience it personally.”

“There are many who travel but who see nothing because they are too busy. I was always curious.”

Beckenbauer retired from the West Germany job after coaching the team to the 1990 World Cup triumph.

The Berlin Wall had fallen the year before and Germany was in the process of reunifying after the Cold War. The final was the last tournament game played by a West Germanyonly team. He didn’t have much success at coaching Marseille, but won the Bundesliga title with Bayern in 1994 and the UEFA Cup in 1996, both after taking over as coach late in the season. He later became Bayern’s president, until leaving most functions when he turned 65 in 2010.

Beckenbauer’s legal issues around the 2006 World Cup continued into his retirement, but he remained a much-loved figure in German soccer and society.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, January 9, 2024, PAGE 13

MAYCOCK-DORSETT AND PINDER OVERALL WINNERS AT MACEDONIA BAPTIST CHURCH’S FAMILY FUN WALK RACE EVE Maycock-Dorsett and Donald Pinder emerged as the overall female and male winners of the Macedonia Baptist Church’s annual Family Fun Walk Race.

The event, held on Saturday, was staged as a part of the festivities for the Church’s annual Men’s Anniversary Month. It was held in memory of the late Charles Albury, a former treasurer and past Men’s President of the Church.

His family, led by his wife, Vandamae Albry, his sister, Angela Albury, his daughter, Dr Chavania Albury, and adopted sons, Jamaal, Labron and Lucus, along with other family members, were on hand to support the efforts.

Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Hartman Nixon, men’s president Rev. Brent Stubbs, secretary Dec. Eric Sweeting and treasurer Dec. Yelverton Williams, presented Dec. Albury with the proceeds from the walk race on Sunday during the divine worship service.

Saturday’s early morning riser took a cross section of Church members and visitors through a course that left the Church grounds on Bernard Road and headed west all the way to the stop light at Soldier Road. The competitors turned around and headed east back to the Church.

While they were waiting for the results to be tallied by chief statistician Ann Thompson, “Downtown” Natasha

Brown took the competitors through a series of workout sessions to prepare them for the new year.

Nursing officer Dec. Aleta Rolle, along with Nurses Brittany Brown and Dinae Johnson were also present to provide medical check ups for those interested.

In winning the women’s division, Maycock-Dorsett received a cell phone from BTC, while Pinder was presented with a car stereo from The Hit Spot.

Other prizes offered were gift certificates from Kelly’s, phone cards from BTC, gas vouchers from Porky’s and a membership from Empire Fitness.

Among the female winners were Brittany Stubbs, Kizzieanne Butler, Latoya Sturrup, Sarah Burnside and Macedonia and Fox Hill Golden Girl sisters Lavern and Beryl Eve, who both were home from the United States for the Christmas holiday.

As for the men, the list included Labron Minnis, Fredderick Williams Jr, Rev. Denero Rahming, Bryan Johnson, Christopher Johnson, Felix Rolle, Michael Dillet, Lucas Miller, Augustin Mott, Donato Adderlery and Aiden Simmons.

Sponsorship for the event was provided by Global Sun, Philip Simon, BTC, Kelly’s, Gatorade, Member of FEMALE overall winner Eve Maycock-Dorsett receives her Parliament for Fox Hill Fred Mitchell, awards, including a cell phone from BTC, from Angela, Tony Gardiner and Ronesto and Helena Vandamae and Dr. Chavania Albury.

Riley and The Hot Spot.

BRYAN Johnson receives his award from Deaconess Vandamae Abury and Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Hartman Nixon.

DEC. Eric Sweeting receives his award, including a phone card from BTC, from Dec. Vandamae Albury and Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Hartman Nixon.

DEC. Frederick Williams receives his award, including a phone card, from Dec. Vandamae Albury and Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Hartman Nixon.

DEC. Yelverton Williams receives his award, including a phone card from BTC, from Dec. Vandamae Albury and Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Hartman Nixon.

DR Chavania Albury presents awards to Donato Adderley and Augustoin Mott. Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Hartman Nixon is right.

FREDERICK Williams receives his award from Dec. Vandamae Albury and Senjor Pastor Rev. Dr. Hartman Nixon.

GOLDEN Girl Laverne Eve receives her award from Dec. Vandamae Albury and Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Hartman Nixon.

IRIS Adderley receives her award, including a phone card from BTC, from Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Hartman Nixon.

ANNAMAE Lightbourne receives a BTC phone card from Dec. Vandamae Albury and Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Hartman Nixon.

BRITTANY Stubbs receives her award from Deaconess Vandaemae Albury and Senior Pastor Rev Dr Hartman Nixon.

DEC. Jacqueline Sands receives her award, including a phone card from BTC, from Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Hartman Nixon.

DENAIRE Rahming receives her award, including a phone card from BTC, from Dec. Vandamae Albury and Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Hartman Nixon.

KIZZIEANNE Butler receives her award from Deaconess Vandamae Albury and Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Hartman Nixon.

DONALD Pinder receives his award from Deaconess Vandamae Albury and Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Hartman Nixon.

LABRON Minnis receives his award from Dec. Vandamae Albury and Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Hartman Nixon.

LINDA Sands receives her award, including a phone card from BTC, from Dec. Vandamae Albury and Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Hartman Nixon.

RACE organiser Rev. Brent Stubbs gives some instructions to participants of Macedonia Baptist Church’s THE FAMILY of the late Min. Charles Albury - Angela, annual Family Dr. Chavania and Dec. Vandamae Albury present Fun Walk Race. Christopher Johnson with his awards.

DR. Chavania Albury and Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Hartman Nixon present Rev. Stephen Duncombe with a gas voucher from Porky’s.

MINGOES TRACK WITH STRONG SEASON OPENER AT T-BIRD MEET

UNIVERSITY of The Bahamas runner Lhevinne Joseph competes in the open men’s 400m at The T-Bird Flyers over the weekend at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium. Joseph won the 400m event in 50.38 seconds. (UB ATHLETICS)

UNIVERSITY of The Bahamas runner Fridline Augustine competes in the open women’s 400m at The T-Bird Flyers over the weekend at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium. Augustine took 13th in 1:06.33.

(UB ATHLETICS)

THE University of The Bahamas track and field started 2024 with a strong performance—including two wins—at The T-Bird Flyers meet over the weekend.

Lhevinne Joseph won the open men 400m event and Candace Murphy won the open women 100m hurdle event in a personal best and UB record.

Joseph won the 400m event in 50.38 seconds with Fast Forward Athletics’ duo of Taryll Thompson finishing second in 50.56 seconds and Zion Davis taking third in 50.57 seconds.

“It gives me a small boost of confidence and I’m hopeful for the continuation of this season,” Joseph said.

“Normally I’d say it isn’t always about winning and it’s more about executing what I’ve learnt in practice

and trusting the process of my training. The focus for our first meet is to discover where we’re at in terms of physical fitness and how can we use that insight to improve whether it is our stamina, speed, strength or endurance.”

Dion Major finished in 7th in 51.21 and Donya Roberts finished 9th in 51.79 seconds.

Murphy—a walk-on athlete—won the 100m hurdles in 14.91 seconds and set a UB record.

Another walk-on— George Minnis—took third place in the 100m event in a personal best 11.13 seconds.

“Both athletes are walk on athletes from last season and are now coming into their own proving that the sprints and hurdles programme is working,” head coach Ednal Rolle said.

Minnis ran 11.15 in the heat and then came back strong in the final to get the personal best. “I was really just trying to get a good start and a good reaction,” he said. “The main focus was executing each phase of the race to the best of my ability. The start, the drive phase, and the top speed phase.”

Kaiya Cambridge took second place in the 100m hurdles in 15.46 seconds for The Mingoes.

In the women’s 1500m event, Lakeicia Lewis finished in second place in 5 minutes 58.39 seconds.

Jaidyn Brown took third place in the open high jump with a best jump of 1.80m (5-10 7/8) and also placed fifth in the open men long jump in 5.73m (18-9 5/8).

Brown, a high jump specialist, said he felt good about the high jump opener.

“It could’ve been better,” he said. “I know I had some things to sharpen up on, but I have nothing but high hopes for the rest of this upcoming season. I feel like my biggest challenge was not trusting my technique and also managing my leg in between the two events.”

Melvinique Gibson finished third in the 400m in 1:01.31 to open the season.

In the men’s open javelin, Rashad Evans took the 4th spot with a best throw of 38.57m (126-6 ½).

Lovevinski Tergenus took 4th place in the 1500m in 4:39.44 and Jackson Ozias finished 5th in 4:42.76.

Fridline Augustine took 13th in the women’s 400m in 1:06.33.

Tevin Wright finished the 100m in 11.87 seconds and finished 10th in the long jump in 5.13m (16-10).

PAGE 14, Tuesday, January 9, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

ACTION from the game between the Rattlers and the Magicmen.

Photos: Moise Amisial

Rattlers fire to huge win from back page play that pushed over the mark for a 101-13 advantage. With 2:30 left, Maynard got a steal, drove down the lane on a fast break and finished off with a one-handed dunk, much to the delight of the bench and their fans.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Cadet ended up with six points, Rasheed Brennen had five and Dylan Taylor scored the other two points.

After the loss, coach Elkin Sherman said they didn’t prepare for the game as they should have.

“We played against CI. Once these kids hear they are playing the big teams like CI Gibson, they get scared,” Sherman said.

“Plus, it’s a lack of practice.

“We had practice over the weekend and only five guys showed up. I want them to compete. This is a young team. The oldest guy is about 16. I have one 12th grader; two 11th graders and the rest are all tenth graders. So, we’re

rebuilding for the future, But we have to come out and compete, no matter who we play against.”

Lady Rattlers 49 Magicwomen 19 Philippa Ferguson was almost a one-woman wrecking crew with a game high 24 points, followed by Jada Francis with 11. Brihanna Farrington helped out with seven, Ferelu Sterva had five and Daranique Mackey added two. In a losing cause for Government High, Trinae Brice scored 12 and Azariah Anderson got the other seven.

Although coach Johnson admitted that it wasn’t his Lady Rattlers; best effort, they showed that they just wanted it a little more as they improved their record to 3-0 in their quest to repeat as champions.

“We didn’t play over the Christmas break, so the girls were a little rusty and winded, they need to get in better shape,” he insisted, “We will definitely do a lot of running and suicides so that we can get to where we

need to be.”

While the Lady Rattlers got five from Farrington, four from Ferguson and three from Francis, the Magicwomen could only respond with four from Anderson in the first quarter as CI Gibson jumped out to a 12-4 lead.

By the end of the first half, the Rattlers were up 31-6 as Ferguson reeled off 12 points. Ferguson came out of the break and continued her assault with eight and Francis added three in the third as CI Gibson extended their lead to 42-9.

The question was what would be the final score and despite being down by a bundle, Government High made a gallant effort to reduce the deficit with 10 points as Brice came through with eight and Anderson had two in the final outcome.

“I think we can make the playoffs. Our goal is to make the playoffs,” said Magicwomen’s coach Randy Cunningham. “We are making progress in the right direction.”

They are currently 1-2 in the league standings.

COACH YO STILL HAPPY TEAM IS ON COURSE from back page “What’s next is two more games this week on Thursday and Sunday. One is Auburn at home and then our in-state rivals Mississippi State on the road. We just have to get ready to play those two games to get us back to where we need to be.”

McPhee-McCuin said the season is a journey and they just have to be prepared for the highs and the lows

when they play. She admitted that it will only make her team better as they seek to get another crack at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament at the end of the season in March.

“It’s not always going to be just one particular week that we will succeed,” she pointed out. “We have to stay focused on trying to win more than you lose.

So, if we can get that down pact. we will be alright.”

With about 14 games

left in the regular season, McPhee-McCuin said she expects that her team will continue to grow.

“There are some things we need to tighten up on both sides of the court on the defensive and offensive end,” she stressed.

“We have to continue to figure out ways to put ourselves in a situation to be successful against any team, to see different styles of play as we go through the SEC. “We are still young. We

are still growing. So, every time we play, we are trying to be better.”

Collins, the 6-feet, 2-inches forward from New Providence, didn’t play in the game because of a coach’s decision. But in the five games she’s played since coming off a concussion that prevented her from playing at the start of the season, McPheeMcCuin said she’s making some progress.

“Rhema is back. She’s healthy and looking strong,

so I’m excited about her,” said McPhee-McCuin, of Collins, who is averaging 2.2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game. “She just needs to get minutes when there’s opportunities for her to get it.

“Rhema’s best basketball is ahead of her. So right now my focus is to make sure that she continues to get better, nothing more, nothing less. She is just a freshman and due to her concession, she missed a great part of the pre-season

where she would have gotten some tremendous reps.”

Now that she’s back, McPhee-McCuin said she’s coming along slowly, but surely and as a freshman, she’s trying to figure it out as the season goes on.

McPhee-McCuin, however, insisted that she has some work to do just as the Lady Rebels.

But she’s confident that both Collins and Ole Miss will be a force to reckon with down the stretch.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, January 9, 2024, PAGE 15

Changing track pays off for Erin ERIN WHYLEY is on her second stint as a student of the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI). She initially began classes as a fashion design student in Fall 2020, the year the global COVID-19 pandemic hit. For multiple reasons, she lacked the drive to continue in that programme so she switched to entrepreneurship, graduated and is now back finishing what she started.

“I love the fashion programme at BTVI. I love the people. Everyone has big personalities and are creatives in their own way.

It’s fun. There is a big support system even for out of class projects. It’s extrinsic motivation and the instructors make all the difference,” said the 21-year-old.

Erin has discovered the possibilities of a BTVI education. In the entrepreneurship programme, she learned about ensuring there are no holes in a business plan, pitching and executing ideas and running a business. However, she said it was fashion that did an amazing work on her confidence levels.

“It has been a confidence booster. I was insecure. I was scared. The fashion programme pushed my boundaries. Before, everything had to be neat, symmetrical and perfect. Before, I was in a box, but lately I’ve been experimenting and no longer hold to this invisible standard,” said the creative.

The BTVI Story “Challenges come up, but I feel I could bulldoze through,” she added.

Garment design and portfolio selection was one of the courses Erin took last semester, which enhanced her creativity.

“I came to the programme as an artist. I’m artsy. I like being an artist, but I’ve always a maker.

Anything that is crafty, I bring it to life. Creativity is definitely my strength. Sometimes my work is eccentric, but wearable. I focus on the character and the story of the project. I focus on my clients’ personality,” said the character designer.

The garment design and portfolio selection class is designed to build the fashion, art and design skills of students. It is in this class where students begin to develop their signature design aesthetic and must present their work to the class for discussion and critique. These outcomes collectively build confidence and encourage individual creativity while strengthening design concepts that are used in other courses.

Head of department Apryl Burrows taught the class last semester and spoke of Erin’s abilities.

“Erin is very talented and has

a unique perspective on design.

Her ability to design garments and accessories for a specific clientele gives her an advantage when preparing for assignments.

She is not limited to design, however. Her communication and marketing skills are excellent and once fully developed, will serve as an asset to a successful fashion business,” said Ms Burrows.

Responding to Erin’s comment about the department’s support

system, Ms Burrows underscored that it is vital the entire fashion trades team offers support to all students, even if they are not their instructors.

“Students glean information from us daily and we always provide an honest, constructive critique, which builds trust. The instructors in the Fashion Department are all working professionals in the fashion and garment industry, and we are well aware of what it takes to succeed and survive in

A scholarship to soar

By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Education Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net STUDENTS HAVE received scholarships to become jet pilots through partnership with Qatar Aeronautical Academy and The Bahamas Aeronautical Academy.

Brittany Ford and Aysia Thurston received scholarships to study for two years at the Qatar Aeronautical Academy.

Brittany Ford is from Ragged Island and attended school in Exuma at LN Coakley High School, ultimately graduating from Saint Andrew’s Anglican School, Exuma.

Aysia Thurston is from New Providence and attended St Augustine’s College.

Chester Cooper, Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation said that the ladies are making a “major step” in the world of aviation which has 95 percent male jet pilots and 97 percent male CEOs. “This is a major step for women in aviation and youth in aviation,” he said.

“Women pilots account for approximately five percent of the total jet pilots in the world. Among airlines and aviation companies, about three percent of the CEOs are women.

BRITTANY FORD, left, and Aysia Thurston.

Therefore, we are delighted to be able to contribute to the advancement of women in aviation.”

He added that the programme will provide new opportunities for local students and expressed his gratitude to Qatar for partnering in the initiate.

“This initiative showcases our commitment to nurturing local talent and propelling the youth toward exceptional opportunities,” he said.

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the State of Qatar for their

generosity and investment in the future of Bahamian aviation and look forward to strengthening our relationship even further.”

The scholarship covers full room, board, and tuition, courtesy of Qatar, while the Department of Aviation will provide airfare and a relocation allowance.

Additionally, the Louise Cooper Scholarship Foundation generously contributed medical insurance coverage of $2,400 per year, per student.

FAIR TO BE HELD FOR CANADIAN SCHOOLS REPRESENTATIVES from 13 top Canadian boarding schools will be holding a school fair on Thursday at the Sandyport Beach Resort from 5-9pm.

The event will allow students to

meet with representatives from a variety of schools across Canada including all boys, all girls and co-ed schools as well as institutions that offer International Bachelorette (IB) programmes,

Advanced Placement (AP) courses and a range of art and athletic programmes.

For more information visit boardingschools.ca or contact Alyson Robertson at arobertson@cais.ca.

this industry; therefore it is essential that we prepare them for success,” she added.

“The BTVI Story” is a biweekly column which highlights the who, what and why of the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI), a tertiary institution where individuals ‘Discover the Possibilities’ related to various trades. The column is produced by BTVI’s Office of Public Relations.

DEADLINES LOOM FOR CONTESTS FOR BAHAMAS STUDENTS STUDENTS can compete for their share of over $10,000 in prizes and scholarships in the 2024 Bahamas Laws of Life Essay Competition.

The Ministry of Education & Technical Vocation and Templeton World Charity Foundation is holding the essay competition themed “Nurturing Minds, Sustaining Lives: The importance of self-care and mental health awareness”.

Students across The Bahamas, from grade 5 to collegiate levels, have until Friday, February 9, to submit their essays or videos.

For more information visit www.bahamaslawsoflife.org.

••• The Ministry of Education & Technical Vocation is holding a video competition themed “Celebrating Bahamian Pioneers: Architects of Freedom and Progress” Students from grades seven to nine can create a three-to-five-minute video highlighting the contributions of our nation’s leaders for a chance to win prizes.

Submission deadline is January 19.

SPORTS PAGE 16

TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2024

NIKE PARTS WITH WOODS

SEE PAGE 12

RATTLERS FIRE TO HUGE WIN

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net COACH Kevin “KJ” Johnson and his CI Gibson Rattlers senior girls and boys’ basketball teams were simply too much for the Government High Magicmen to handle as the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association’s 2023/24 season swung into high gear following the Christmas break.

While CI Gibson senior girls opened the double header at the DW Davis Gymnasium with a 49-19 rout, their senior boys didn’t have any mercy with a 106-13 massacre in the feature game.

Both of the Rattlers teams, who are the GSSSA defending champions, are playing the season in memory of the late Craig “Rambo” Smith Sr, one of their assistant coaches who passed away last year. They all are wearing “Rambo” on the back of their jerseys and Smith’s son, Craig Jr, is helping to coach the team. in honour of his father.

Rattlers 106 Magicmen 13 This one seemed to be over before coach Johnson switched the combination of players as fast as they went on a scoring spree as his defending champions simply dismantle the youthful Government High squad.

The stats sheet showed Darius Hanna, one of the youngest players on the team, leading the way with a game high 18 points. And just about every player on the team, except for two, contributed at least one point to the victory.

Tashon Butler and Dwayne Finley both had 14, Gerrad Rolle, Stevachko Jacques, Fernando Jean-Noel, D’Neo Smith and Charles Maynard all had eight, Stephon Johnson had seven and Prince Wheatley and Cordae Smith both added six.

“I thought they would have put up a little more resistance than that, but it is what it is,” coach Johnson said. “Coaches have to understand the importance of practicing and preparing your team.

“I’m sure the coach probably

THE RATTLERS during their huddle in the game against the Magicmen and, right, Coach Kevin “KJ” Johnson.

Photos: Moise Amisial called practice and these guys just didn’t come out. But at the end of the day, I played most of my bench and rested most of our starters and we came out with a huge win tonight.”

Johnson said although they won by a huge margin, they will not rest on their laurels because they will be back in the gym, correcting some things they did wrong, especially on the defensive end, so that they can be ready for their next opponents.

The Rattlers opened a 27-2 lead behind Finley’s 12, Butler’s seven and Rolle’s four. They scored another 28 to push their lead to 55-6 at the half, thanks to seven from Johnson.

With a consistent outpouring of 27 in the third, CI Gibson

extended their lead to 81-7 and it was just a matter of whether or not they would hit the century mark in the fourth and if Government High would reach ten points.

With four minutes and 41 seconds left in the game, Jeremiah Cadet got the Magic their 10th point number on a three-pointer.

But Hanna came back at the other end and canned a three to put CI Gibson up 94With 3:32, Hanna scored another three to inch closer to the century for a 97-13 lead.

Then with 2:47 on the clock, Hanna completed a three-point SEE PAGE 14

COACH YO STILL HAPPY TEAM IS ON COURSE

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net DESPITE losing a big game to Louisiana State University Lady Tigers, Bahamian head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said she’s still pleased with the way her Ole Miss Lady Rebels basketball team are playing this year.

Coming off the Christmas break, the Lady Rebels split their first two games of the season, winning 55-45 over the Alabama Crimson Tide on Thursday, January 4 before they fell 84-73 to LSU on Sunday.

The Lady Rebels, with a Bahamian connection in Rhema Collins joining the team this year as a freshman, fell to 1-1 in the Southeastern Conference and are 11-4 on the season, but McPhee-McCuin, a Grand Bahamian native, said there’s still a lot more basketball to be played.

“We just lost a tough one yesterday to LSU, the number ranked team in the country,” she said.

“We had some opportunities, but we fumbled and now we are focused on what’s next.”

SEE PAGE 14

OLE Miss Rebels head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin during the 2023 Boxing Day Junkanoo parade.

Photo: Dante Carrer