The Tribune
Police Probe calls in scotland Yard
RBPF reaches out for support in investigation into leaked voice notes
By RAS hAD ROllE Tribune News Editor
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Royal Bahamas Police Force has formally asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to send diplomatic notes requesting Scotland Yard’s help investigating voice notes that purport to capture a quid-pro-quo arrangement involving a senior police officer and a gang leader,
according to a senior Davis administration official. The United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police is the force responsible for policing Greater London. It is one of the largest and oldest police forces in the United Kingdom. The request for its help comes after Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said on Tuesday night
‘Bar a ssociation chief should speak on proBe’
By TRIBuNE NE w STAFF
newsroom@tribunemedia.net
ATTORNEY Romona
Farquharson believes the Bahamas Bar Association (BBA) president should say whether an attorney at the centre of a high-profile investigation involving a senior police officer would be allowed to sit on the association’s committees pending the outcome of the police probe. The Tribune understands that the lawyer has a committee role at the Bar Association. Bar president Kahlil Parker has not answered or responded to calls and messages and has not spoken publicly about the
Police hold two men over shared video of man having sex with young girl
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
GRAND Bahama police took two men in custody after the social media circulation of a video showing an
Bahamas
adult male having sex with a young girl. The men, aged 43 and 41, are being questioned and assisting police in connection with the matter. One of the men had sex with the girl. The other was
Broker
By NEIl hARTNEll Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A BAHAMIAN broker/ dealer’s principal yesterday vowed “this is far from over” after a jury found himself and his former company guilty of violating US
associated with the incident. The minor involved is between the ages of 16 and 17.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Shanta
guilty of us legal violations
securities laws when operating from Nassau. Guy Gentile, head of MintBroker International, which was placed into full liquidation by the Bahamian Supreme Court in December 2021, signalled to Tribune Business in messaged replies to this
newspaper that he plans to appeal the July 2, 2024, verdict which comprehensively found for the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) on all charges brought against him.
Loretta Butler Turner pictuered here with her two huskies, Snowden and Putin.
Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
Atlantis Independence fireworks
The Independence celebration continues at Atlantis last night after weather delayed the fireworks display on Wednesday night.
Photos: chappell Whyms Jr
Police probe calls in Scotland Yard
that international assistance would ensure “an actual independent review” and that he was leaving it up to the police to define the parameters of that assistance.
Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander said during a press conference on Monday that officials had reached out to law enforcement in the United States and the United Kingdom. However, The Tribune understands only assistance from the UK has been formally requested.
Commissioner Fernander also said the Security and Intelligence Branch would lead the investigation. SIB is responsible for matters relating to the internal security of The Bahamas. It provides protection for ministers and foreign dignitaries. It vets people for various purposes and is tasked with preventing terrorism. It is unclear how many people work in that department.
Commissioner Fernander also said the “Inspectorate Board” –– the Police Complaints Inspectorate –– will supervise SIB’s investigation. The Inspectorate lacks investigators and has traditionally struggled to oversee the Complaints and Corruption Branch of the police force as it is legally required to do. Past members of the Inspectorate have recommended establishing a more robust institution because the body, which has five members, lacks the operational capacity to fulfill its mandate.
The police force was plunged into controversy after voice notes last week captured conversations involving a senior police officer, a lawyer and two murdered gang leaders: Michael Fox, Jr, and Dino Smith.
The Tribune reported on Thursday that Michael Fox Sr, the father of Fox, Jr, and Sandra Smith, the mother of Smith, said their sons told them to release the recordings if something happened to them. Ms Smith said she never got the voice notes. Mr Fox, Sr, said he had them, but was not behind their release.
‘Bar Association chief should speak on probe’
from page one
controversy.
The case, which has local and international attention, involves the leak of five voice notes purportedly involving a financial quid-pro-quo arrangement among a senior officer, a lawyer, and two recently murdered men police said were gang members: Michael Fox, Jr, and Dino Smith.
Ms Farquharson
acknowledged that the Bar cannot act unless a complaint has been filed.
A complaint, she said, would come from the police commissioner. She said given that Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander has said the matter is under investigation, a complaint to the Bar may not be a current issue.
However, she said the president could speak on other matters.
“Arguments can be
made for and against that,” she said. “But again, the president, he is the president. He leads the Bahamas Bar Association, and it’s curious that he’s silent, but he ought not be.”
“I mean, I do know that he, the particular attorney, may be represented by him, and I hope that that’s perhaps not what’s causing him a conflict in speaking, but he does represent him in certain civil matters that I’m on the
opposite side of so I’m aware of that relationship.
“But I would hope that it would not impede him or prevent him from doing what is right with respect to the Bar.”
Mrs Farquharson said depending on the outcome of the investigation, the case could have farreaching implications.
“So much hinges on what’s going to come of the investigation and whether or not charges will be laid,” she said.
Minnis calls for coMMission of inquiry into gang activity in the country
By Rashad Rolle
Tribune News editor
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Prime Min-
ister Dr Hubert Minnis called for a commission of inquiry into gang activity in The Bahamas as the Royal Bahamas Police
Force faces controversy following the release of voice notes that purport to capture a financial quid-pro-quo arrangement involving a senior police officer and a murdered gang leader.
“I am extremely concerned about the trajectory
we are headed in with respect to recent and disturbing events involving our Royal Bahamas Police Force and the vexing increase in criminal activity in our country,” he said in a statement.
“As gang violence spills over in our streets, as
civilians and even children become casualties of these wars we are doubly burdened with the revelations that our trusted Police force could potentially be involved in the obstruction of justice that families and the citizens of our country need and deserve.
“This is a call for transparency, accountability and one that will remove the veil of secrecy from the individuals that are trying to keep our country and its citizens in fear; those who believe they are above the law.
“We have been told that law enforcement teams from the US and the UK are willing to assist, and we have been told that a team from the Security and Intelligence branch of the RBPF will lead the investigations of probe into the actions of the CID Chief Superintendent.”
Dr Minnis said a commission of inquiry would consider violence perpetuated by gangs, leaders of gangs, the influence gangs have in communities, gangs’ involvement in illegal activities relating to firearms and drugs, the relationship among gang leaders and senior law enforcement officers and allegations that undermine confidence in the RBPF. Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said on Tuesday night that he found the voice notes “terribly disturbing”. He did not provide information about how foreign investigators would be involved in the investigation. Commissioner Fernander said on Monday that law enforcement teams from the US and UK will help with the investigation, but has yet to provide details. Neither he nor police press liaison Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings responded to questions seeking an update in recent days.
Police commissioner clayton Fernander
attorney romona Farquharson
Police hold two men over shared video of man having sex with young girl
Knowles, the officer in charge of Grand Bahama, said because the girl is of the legal age of consent, an unlawful sexual intercourse charge would not apply.
She said police are consulting the Department of Public Prosecutions concerning other possible charges in connection with the incident.
In the video, a man drives to a location. He then gets out and walks
over to the next side of the vehicle, where the girl is seated, and they both engage in sexual activity.
ACP Knowles said the teen was interviewed in the presence of her parents and a representative from the Department of Social Services.
Police expect to bring closure to the matter following consultations with the DPP today.
ACP Knowles said police acted to protect the young girl after the video came to their attention.
She advised people with the video to refrain from circulating it and to delete it. She noted it is against the law to disseminate such videos involving children.
“They can be prosecuted if they are found in possession of them,” she said.
“These are children, and they deserve to be children as much as possible and no one should take advantage of their vulnerability, and we see that in this case.
“But we certainly encourage young people
JOB OPPORTUNTIY
AMERICAN BRIDGE (BAHAMAS) LIMITED IS LOOKING TO FILL THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS:
Crane Operator
Responsible for lifting, moving, and positioning heavy materials and equipment in accordance with project requirements. Follow established safety guidelines and company policies to prevent accidents and maintain a secure work environment.
Comply with relevant regulations, standards, and industry best practices. Proven experience as a crane operator, preferably in a marine environment, is required.
Tugboat Captain Responsibilities include vessel navigation, towing operations, ensuring safety compliance, maintaining clear communication, and handling emergency responses.
To qualify, you must hold a valid Captain’s license and necessary certifications, have proven experience in a similar maritime role, possess strong knowledge of maritime regulations and safety protocols, and demonstrate excellent communication and leadership skills.
Foreman To Lead and supervise construction crews on civil projects. Coordinate tasks, equipment, and personnel efficiently. Ensure strict adherence to safety protocols and regulations. Maintain high standards of workmanship and project quality. Provide regular progress reports to project management. Proven experience as a Foreman in civil construction. Have strong leadership and team management skills. Commitment to maintaining a safe work environment.
Project Manager
Lead and manage civil construction projects, ensuring safety compliance and maintaining high standards of work quality. In this role, you’ll be responsible for coordinating tasks efficiently, managing resources effectively, and providing regular progress updates to senior management.
Proven track record as a Project Manager in civil construction. A degree in engineering is a plus.
Safety Coordinator
Develop and enforce safety protocols across projects, integrate safety measures into operations, coordinate with teams for effective safety procedures, monitor and ensure compliance, and provide regular safety reports to management. Proven safety management in civil construction, strong leadership, commitment to safety, excellent organizational skills, and effective communication. Certifications such as OSHA 30Hour, CHST, CSP, ASP, and CSST are desirable.
Quality Control Coordinator
Ensures adherence to quality standards through procedure development, inspections, and testing coordination. Able to manage documentation, supplier quality, and training, driving continuous improvement. Develop, implement, and monitor quality control procedures. Coordinate testing, inspections, and analysis. Maintain documentation and manage supplier quality.
Bachelor’s degree in related field and experience in quality control. Knowledge of quality management systems.
Pile Driver
Operate pile driving equipment to install structural foundations in construction projects.
Drive pilings into the ground using various methods, such as hydraulic hammers or vibratory drivers. Follow project schedules and deadlines to complete pile driving tasks within specified timeframes. Certification or training in operating pile driving equipment. Proven experience in driving pilings for construction projects.
Diesel Mechanic
Perform diesel engine maintenance and repairs. Diagnose mechanical issues efficiently. Conduct routine inspections and maintenance tasks. Maintain accurate records of work completed. Collaborate with team members to ensure project deadlines are met. Adhere to strict safety protocols. Proven diesel mechanic experience and certification or vocational training preferred.
Executive Chef
Lead kitchen operations to ensure efficiency and quality. Develop creative menus aligned with culinary trends. Manage inventory and control food costs. Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations. Proven experience as an Executive Chef in a high-volume establishment. Culinary degree or equivalent certification preferred.
Maintenance Manager
Oversee and manage all maintenance activities for the construction pier site, ensuring efficient operation of equipment and adherence to safety regulations. Proven experience in maintenance management, strong organizational and leadership skills, and knowledge of construction equipment and safety standards.
Surveyor Conduct land surveys and measurements to determine property boundaries, topography, and features for construction, engineering, and mapping projects. Responsibilities include using surveying equipment to gather data, preparing detailed reports and maps, ensuring accuracy and compliance with regulations, and collaborating with engineers, architects, and construction teams.
A degree in Surveying, Geomatics, or a related field, along with relevant certifications and experience, is essential.
Electrical Engineer / Consultant
Responsible for designing, developing, and implementing electrical systems for various projects. Analyzing and troubleshooting electrical issues, ensuring compliance with standards, and optimizing system performance. You will collaborate with teams, provide technical guidance, mentor junior engineers, and prepare reports and proposals. Maintaining client relationships and delivering innovative, cost-effective solutions are also key aspects of the role.
not to fall prey to anyone who wants to offer them money for things like this and to be careful of these cellular phones and other devices that can record
them in these kinds of positions.” Social worker Challi Simmons, of the Child Services unit, said the Department of Social
being of children. She also said they are assisting by counselling the teen.
Mom ‘didn’t want gender identity to be distraction’
from page one
people are and the news media, how they switch focus from finding my child, a human being missing, into, oh, LGB, transgender. I’ve seen it done in the news before and that’s not the focus. The focus is finding Taylor for me.
“My child is transgender and has been for a while and proud of being transgender.”
Ms Casey was last seen in the Paradise Island area on June 19. She was in the country for the Sirvanada Ashram Yoga Retreat. Yoga Retreat Bahamas
said her disappearance was noticed on June 20 when she failed to attend morning classes. Emily Williams, one of Ms Casey’s friends, said she was the only black and transgender person in the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat and was isolated.
However, Peter Goudie, the CEO of PGHR Consulting, said the retreat would not have asked her about her transgender identity.
“The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat does not discriminate with anybody,” he said. “If some of the guests are doing something, we can’t control them.
“It doesn’t make any difference if she was transgender or not. She’s a guest, a paying guest.” Loved ones held a press conference yesterday in the US on Ms Casey’s 42nd birthday.
Kennedy Bartley, the managing deputy of external affairs in the Chicago mayor’s office, expressed the mayor’s office’s commitment to fighting to bring Ms Casey home.
During the press conference, Ms Seymore said she wants senators to “light a fire under the people in The Bahamas feet” so local officials can “correctly search” for her daughter.
Man found with gunshot wounds to his head becomes country’s 63rd murder
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was killed yesterday morning, the 63rd murder of the year.
Chief Superintendent of Police Anthon Rahming said shortly before 4am, police discovered the man unresponsive, suffering from gunshot injuries to his head, inside the driver’s seat of a silver Nissan Note off West Avenue near Judith P Thomson Primary School.
The driver’s side of the man’s car was shot. The deceased, who was slumped inside the car, was wearing
a white undershirt, long black trousers, and black gloves on both hands.
CSP Rahming said something happened within the vehicle. He said the car had two license plates attached, one of which was stolen.
He said the victim appeared to be in his late to early 30s.
A few hours earlier, police reported a stabbing incident of a 28-year-old man. Around 11pm on Wednesday, the victim had a physical altercation with a 36-year-old man at a bar on Solider Road.
The other man is listed in serious condition and suffered stab wounds to his head, neck, and upper body.
In the third incident, around 8.30pm on July 10, a man was injured in a shooting incident.
The victim arrived at a residence on Melvern Road in Yellow Elder Gardens, and upon exiting his vehicle, the occupants of a grey Japanese vehicle opened fire on him.
The 36-year-old suffered an injury to his head and remains in stable condition.
The 36-year-old stabbed the victim with a sharp instrument multiple times, which resulted in the 28-year-old man sustaining injuries to his head.
Toddler dies aT hospi Tal af T er repor T edly drowning in a bucke T
A ONE-YEAR-OLD boy died in hospital a day after reportedly falling into a bucket.
Detective Superintendent Darrel Weir said police received a report on July 4 from
the Rand Memorial Hospital concerning a oneyear-old brought in for medical attention.
He said parents told doctors the child had fallen into a bucket at their home on Frobisher Drive. The child died in hospital on July 5.
Supt Weir said investigations are continuing, and police are awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Taylor Casey
Police: still no answers from govt after medical insurance cancelled
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
SOME members of security branches are still seeking information from the government after their families’ medical
insurance policies were cancelled.
The Davis administration changed the policy to cover employees only, not their relatives.
“We’re still trying to get some more information from the government, but
we haven’t gotten anything from them,” Police Staff Association (PSA) executive chairman Ricardo Walkes said yesterday. He said while his association awaits feedback, vision and dental coverage were recently added to
members’ policy.
Mr Walkes previously called out the policy change, accusing the government of taking from officers instead of adding.
Deputy leader of the Free National Movement (FNM) Shanendon
Cartwright had labelled the decision by the government “disgraceful and heartless”, calling on the government to re-evaluate the decision.
The Ministry of National Security defended its decision, saying the policy
does not apply to officers who joined security branches before July 1, 2023, and that of the more than $80m the government spends on private insurance, the majority being covered are not employees.
Loretta Butler-Turner with her two Huskies
from page one
Incidents of cruelty to animals continue to be high in The Bahamas, with shelters regularly reporting animals left to suffer or starve by some owners. Our streets are often filled with strays, and too often there are cases where animals are mistreated. We want to encourage those who do treat their pets well to show them off - and by doing so letting others see a better way to treat their pets. Mrs Butler-Turner introduced The Tribune to her dogs Putin and Snowden - and now we want you to show off your dogs.
Send us a picture of you with your dogs to loveyadog@tribunemedia. net and we will feature you in our newspaper. And each time we share a picture, we will also share a piece of advice for how to look after your dog. For example, given we are now in the summer heat, have you ever noticed how hot the road, sidewalk and walkways become? You are okay but what about your dog when you take him out? Be sure to have grass or shady areas for him to walk on. He has pads on the bottom of his feet that can get burned and be very painful.
So spread the word, share the love - and send us pictures of you with your pet friends. Love Ya Dog.
Loretta Butler-Turner shares a moment of joy with her huskies, Snowden and Putin. Photos: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
The Tribune limited
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
(242) 502-2350
Advertising Manager (242) 502-2394
Circulation Department (242) 502-2386
Nassau fax (242) 328-2398
Freeport, Grand Bahama (242)-352-6608
Freeport fax (242) 352-9348
WEbsITE, TWITTER & faCEbOOK
www.tribune242.com
Kate Moss truly deserving of the title ‘ hero’
THI s year’s National Honours have been announced – and it is the story of the person to receive the Order of National Hero whose story stands out.
Kate Moss was a former slave. s he lived from 1812 to 1826, a short life, too cruelly cut short.
s he lived in Crooked Island, and died at the age of just 14. Kate was a domestic slave. s he had a torn dress and was deemed to be disobedient by her slave masters for refusing to mend it. Instead, she continued to wear it openly.
Most historians, it is said, believe this was her way of letting it be known that she had been sexually violated.
For this supposed crime, she was put into the stocks, whipped repeatedly over 17 days and subjected to other tortures as well.
s he was told that if only she would agree to mend her dress, the punishment would stop. s he refused.
When Kate was finally released, she was sent to work in the fields right away, even though she was seriously ill. s he collapsed and died soon after.
Kate came to be known as Poor Black Kate. Her cause became an important part of the abolitionist campaign in e ngland.
Outrage over her treatment saw the slave owners, Henry and Helen Moss, charged with cruelty to Kate. They were tried, convicted and imprisoned. A kinder fate than they inflicted on Kate.
It is believed that Kate’s case helped to hasten the end of slavery. It is also believed it made other Bahamian slave owners more wary – in case they had to answer to a court of law for their own mistreatment of slaves.
As the Office of the Governor General says in a note on Kate, “Kate’s influence on these positive developments, through her heroic acts of resistance, is plain to see.”
Kate, of course, does not know the effect she had. s he never lived to see justice. s he suffered and died at the hands of cruel people who believed
they could own another person. s he suffered brutality, torture – and seemingly sexual abuse. A reminder that she was just 14 when she suffered such degradations.
s he said no even when she had no expectation that anyone would listen to her. s he said no even as she suffered through the consequences of doing so. s he resisted, even as she was told not to do so.
Kate deserves the title of hero.
love ya Dog
The Tribune today launches a campaign – and we hope that you will support it.
How often do you drive around and see dogs roaming loose, with no owner in sight to care for them?
How often do you see dogs chained in the hot sun, unable to roam or seek shade?
How often do you hear stories of dogs being mistreated – or see cases of that happening?
There have long been devoted carers for animals who have tried to encourage those who do mistreat animals to do better.
Today, we hope to show there can be another way. We are launching a campaign called Love Ya Dog. And you can play a part.
It does not take much. Do you love your dog? Do you treat them well? s end us a picture with you and your dog, and we’ll show others there can be a better way. Tell us your name –and, of course, your dog’s name too!
We will also print some tips for looking after dogs alongside the picture.
That’s it. s imple. Let’s show others that we love our animals, and encourage others to do the same. s end your photographs to loveyadog@tribunemedia.net
We look forward to seeing your pet friends.
Importance of new US embassy
EDITOR, The Tribune.
Be FOR e the PR machine of government goes off crazily let’s put in true perspective what the truth and significance of the size of the new U s e mbassy is all about. The Bahamas is one of the most heavily in demand for U s VI s A applications in this hemisphere as a result of the cruise industry - their crews ‘000’s need U s
Visas to enter the U s The Bahamas is the most convenient location. Intelligence - OPBATDrug interdiction the U s has state of the art satellite surveillance and back up in Nassau at Queen’s s treet under not so safe location as they are now. Compare the e mbassy in Barbados modern quarter of the size. Trinidad and Jamaica far more population, but the e mbassy far smaller. Can we take some merit from the U s investment, note Duty Free investment $300m plus? Yes, convenience for servicing Cruise employee Visas made Nassau an opportune locale to expand. Let’s hope the wait will improve with the $300m edifice! J K JOhnsOn Nassau, July 2024.
EDITOR, The Tribune.
As a dedicated 30-year member of the Valley Boys, I watched Mr. Brian Adderley’s press conference yesterday with great disappointment. It was disheartening to witness his dismissive attitude toward the countless members who have volunteered their time, money, and talent for our beloved group. We have sacrificed much to rush, yet Mr Adderley can find the time for a press conference, but has not seen fit to call a single general meeting with us since last year. For over six years, our calls for an election have been ignored. We are not asking for a new group; we want our organisation to be run properly and fairly. How is it that Mr Adderley can stand confidently before the media, but cannot bring himself to face the members who make the Valley Boys what it is?
During the press conference, Mr Adderley mentioned that the JCNP honours his registration. However, we are confused by his conflicting banners. For Labour Day and during the press conference, the banner read “World Famous Valley Boys.” Why does the banner say “World Famous Valley Boys”? Meanwhile, Trevor Davis has openly posted his NPO certificate for the Valley Boys Junkanoo Group, claiming the members own the name, not
Brian Adderley. Why didn’t Mr. Adderley present his certificate to clear up this matter once and for all? Why does his business license say “World Famous Valley Boys” trading as “The Valley Boys”? How was this allowed to happen? We are not taking sides; we are seeking clarity. Why address the media, but not engage with the very group he claims to love? The assertion made to the Bahamian public that a Junkanoo group does not need to register as a Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) blatantly breaches the 2019 Notfor-Profit Laws in The Bahamas. I took the time, as I encourage others to do, to read the 2019 NPO legislation, and it clearly states that Junkanoo groups are covered under that law. I did some further investigation, as I urge other Bahamians and Valley Boys members to do, into the Business Licence Laws. When you apply for a business licence, you must declare whether you are for-profit or notfor-profit. We need the powers that be, including the Minister of Culture, to clarify his statement on the news last night that groups need either a business license or NPO registration. We need answers because there is some conflicting or, dare I
say, misinformation.
We are tired of this infighting. We call on the Attorney General, the Registrar General’s Office, and the Minister of s ports and Culture to step in today to ensure that no one is above the law. Publicly contravening laws meant to protect the public and the public purse is unacceptable. We need a definitive answer from all parties on who legally owns the name today.
Both Brian Adderley and Trevor Davis claim they own the Valley Boys Junkanoo Group. We need to know, once and for all, who the legal owner of the group is. As a registered entity, the group holds rights and privileges associated with its name, including its exclusive use for organizational purposes. If one of these individuals, or anyone else, is using the Valley Boys name for their business endeavours, misrepresenting our organization, and misleading the public, we need answers. We urge the Registrar General, Mrs Gomez, and the Attorney General to address this issue in a press conference today. The time for ambiguity and division has ended. We need clarity, resolution, and a return to the values that have made the Valley Boys a pillar of our community.
COnCERnED
30-yEaR MEMbER Of ThE VallEy bOys July 3,
Mick Jagger, of The Rolling Stones performs during the band’s “Hackney Diamonds” tour stop at SoFi Stadium, on Wednesday in Inglewood, California.
Photo: chris Pizzello/AP
Police are search for four person missing after boat sinks off Andros
PolICe are searching for four missing people following a boating incident in waters off Morgans Bluff, Andros. reports are that around 2am on Thursday, a vessel carrying eight people was
travelling from ocean Cay to eleuthera. The boating vessel began to take on water nine miles north of Morgans Bluff, Andros and sank.
local fishermen helped four men, three
Hondurans and one Haitian national. Four of the eight passengers, including the captain, are missing.
The royal Bahamas defence Force and US Coast Guard are assisting with search and rescue efforts.
young Man charged with rape, housebreaking and ar Med robbery
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A 21-yeAr-old man denied being involved in a housebreaking and sexual assault of a woman in New Providence last year.
Justice Cheryl GrantThompson arraigned Joel Strachan for rape, housebreaking and armed robbery.
The defendant appeared virtually from the Bahamas department of Correctional Services. He allegedly raped a woman in New Providence on May 6, 2022. rolle allegedly robbed Alteniece Key at gunpoint of $180 and $100 worth of jewellery on June 18 2023. Finally, on June 19 2023, Strachan allegedly broke into the home of doreen Bain on Poinciana Avenue.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges. rolle’s trial date will be fixed before Justice Jeanine Weech-Gomez on July 17. Glendon rolle represented the accused.
Man accused of two counts of ar Med robbery
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN denied stealing over $1,000 during an armed robbery of a food store on Marigold road last year.
Justice Cheryl Grant Thompson arraigned Shemar Bennett, 23, on two counts of armed robbery.
The defendant appeared virtually from the Bahamas department of Correctional Services. Bennett, while armed with a handgun, allegedly robbed cashiers Sandra rahming and Jameliah Ferguson of $1,643.27 belonging to the Family Market Food Store on Marigold road on November 24, 2023. After pleading not guilty to the charges, Bennet was told that his trial date would be fixed on July 22 before Justice Neil Brathwaite.
t een ordered to drug detox after car theft
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A 15-yeAr-old male was ordered to undergo drug detoxing yesterday after he admitted to stealing a woman’s car last week.
Senior Magistrate
Algernon Allen Jr arraigned the teenage defendant, whose name is being withheld because he is a minor, on charges of stealing and receiving. The defendant’s guardian was present for his arraignment.
The accused allegedly stole a grey 2010 Nissan
Cube valued at $5,500
belonging to Priadashni edillall from Charles Saunders Highway on July 7.
After pleading guilty to the charge, the defendant was remanded to the juvenile section of Sandilands rehabilitation Centre until he returns to court on August 22.
Man waiting for trial denies bail violations
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN accused in the kidnapping and attempted armed robbery of an immigration officer in 2013 was charged yesterday with allegedly breaching his bail.
Senior Magistrate Shaka Serville arraigned Cordero Saunders, 34, on two counts of violating bail conditions.
Saunders was on release for charges of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, attempted armed robbery and two counts of kidnapping. He and accomplices allegedly kidnapped and attempted to rob senior immigration officer Shane Gardiner and his girlfriend, Tishka Braynen, at gunpoint in 2013. The decomposed bodies of the couple were found on Newbold Farms in Fresh Creek, Andros, on
december 21, 2013, with apparent gunshot wounds to the head.
While awaiting retrial for these charges, Saunders, while in New Providence, allegedly failed to sign in at the Bullocks Harbour Police Station between June 14 and July 8.
After pleading not guilty to the charges, Saunders’ bail was set at $500.
His matter will be heard before the Magistrate today.
Photo:
The next 50 years:
Building a tranformative and sustainable future for the prosperity of all Bahamians
As the golden sun rises over our pristine turquoise waters and the rhythmic beats of Junkanoo fill the air, we celebrate the 51st year of our independence and look forward to the next 50 years.
Our founding fathers and former leaders laid the groundwork for our independence. Their dedication, courage, and visionary leadership brought us independence in 1973 and have guided us through the decades. Figures like sir Lynden Pindling, sir Milo Butler, sir Cecil WallaceWhitfield, Arthur Foulkes, and Arthur Hanna played pivotal roles in shaping our national identity and political landscape. As we celebrate our past, it’s time to set our sights on a future that is even brighter and more sustainable.
In the past 50 years of independence, the common Bahamian dream was home ownership, a stable government job, access to affordable education, and the empowerment of the people. However, the world is ever-changing, and so are the values and aspirations of our younger generations.
Millennials and Generation Z place a higher emphasis on sustainability, ethical consumption, and corporate social responsibility. These evolving values must be integrated into our economic plans to ensure relevance and appeal to younger Bahamians over the next 50 years.
As we progress into the next 50 years, we must focus on economic diversification, technological innovation, promotion of entrepreneurship, encouraging more foreign direct investment through the ease of doing business, creating a globally competitive workforce, and developing our family islands for growth.
Tourism since gaining independence, The Bahamas has relied heavily on tourism as its primary economic driver. In 2019, tourism accounted for over 60 percent of the country’s GDP and directly or indirectly employed nearly half of the workforce. The COVID19 pandemic highlighted the vulnerabilities of this dependence, as the collapse of global travel led to significant economic disruptions and job losses.
To achieve economic resilience, we must explore and invest in new industries
By Keyron Smith
that can complement and eventually balance our tourism sector. Agriculture, manufacturing, technology, and renewable energy are promising sectors for diversification. Investing in these areas can create new jobs, stimulate economic growth, and reduce our vulnerability to external shocks.
Technology and digiT isaT ion
The focus on technology and digitalisation among younger generations means that investments in digital infrastructure and tech startups can yield significant returns. The rise of remote work and digital nomadism, accelerated by the COVID19 pandemic, presents an opportunity for The Bahamas to attract tech-savvy entrepreneurs and workers. Investing in digital infrastructure and encouraging the adoption of new technologies can enhance productivity, improve efficiency, and open up new economic opportunities.
PromoT ing enTrePreneurshiP and small businesses
There has been an uptick in Bahamian entrepreneurship and small businesses, which are vital engines of economic growth and innovation. By providing support for startups
and small businesses, we can create a dynamic and competitive business environment that drives innovation and job creation. support mechanisms such as funding, training, and mentorship are crucial for fostering entrepreneurship. some of this work has been started through the small Business Development Centre (sBDC) and Bahamas Development Bank (BDB). Business development services, including startup incubators and accelerators, can help entrepreneurs turn their ideas into successful ventures. streamlining regulations and improving access to capital can also make it easier for small businesses to thrive.
encouraging foreign invesTmenT and ease of doing business
Attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) is another key strategy for economic diversification. showcasing The Bahamas as a stable and attractive business destination can draw international companies and investors to our shores. To truly capitalise on FDI, we must improve the ease of doing business. simplifying bureaucratic processes, reducing red tape, and enhancing regulatory frameworks can create a more conducive
environment for businesses to start and grow. Improving access to financing, streamlining business registration, and providing better support services can significantly impact the entrepreneurial ecosystem. By making it easier for businesses and organisations to operate, we can attract both local and foreign investors, stimulate economic growth, and create jobs.
i mProving The workforce and develoPing human resources
To thrive in a globalised economy, The Bahamas must invest in improving its workforce and developing human resources that are competitive on an international scale. This involves enhancing education, vocational training, and professional development. Modernising curricula to include skills relevant to today’s job market, such as digital literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving, is essential. Expanding vocational training programs can equip students with practical skills in trades and professions that are in demand locally and globally. Continuous learning opportunities for the current workforce through workshops, seminars, and online courses can help individuals stay updated with the latest industry trends and technologies.
Encouraging lifelong learning can ensure that the workforce remains adaptable and skilled. Collaborating with businesses and industries to align educational programs with market needs can enhance job readiness. Internship and apprenticeship programs can provide realworld experience and help bridge the gap between
education and employment.
develoPmenT of our family i
slands
The development of our Family Islands is essential for the long-term sustainability of The Bahamas. These islands offer unique opportunities for diversification, particularly in agriculture, eco-tourism, and renewable energy. Investing in infrastructure such as transportation, communication, and utilities can spur economic activity and improve the quality of life for residents. Eleuthera serves as a prime example of an outer island needing significant infrastructure improvements to sustain its rapid growth. The island has seen a surge in interest from tourists and investors alike, drawn by its natural beauty and potential for development. However, the existing infrastructure is struggling to keep pace with this growth. Investments in transportation infrastructure, such as improving roads and expanding air and sea connectivity, are crucial. Better transportation networks will facilitate the movement of goods and people, boosting commerce and tourism. Additionally, enhancing communication infrastructure to ensure reliable internet and mobile services can attract remote workers and digital entrepreneurs. Utility services such as water and electricity also need upgrading. sustainable practices, such as renewable energy projects, can provide reliable power while preserving the island’s natural environment. similarly, modernizing water supply and waste management systems can ensure that the growing population and increased number of visitors do not strain local resources.
conclusion
Economic diversification and innovation are essential for building a resilient and prosperous Bahamas over the next 50 years. By reducing our dependency on tourism, promoting local entrepreneurship and small businesses, leveraging technology, encouraging foreign investment, improving the ease of doing business, developing the outer islands, and enhancing our workforce, we can create a dynamic and sustainable economy. The next 50 years present an opportunity to transform our economic landscape, ensuring long-term stability and prosperity for all Bahamians. By understanding and integrating the changing generational values into our strategies and actively involving young people, we can harness new opportunities and drive forward a more inclusive, sustainable, and forward-thinking economic agenda.
• Keyron Smith is the chief operating officer at the One Eleuthera Foundation and Centre for Training and Innovation. Established in 2012, the One Eleuthera Foundation (OEF) is a nonprofit organisation located in Rock Sound, Eleuthera. For more information, visit www.oneeleuthera.org or email info@oneeleuthera. org. The Centre for Training and Innovation (CTI) is the first and only postsecondary, non-profit education and training institution and social enterprise on Eleuthera. CTI operates a student training campus in Rock Sound, Eleuthera, with a 16-room training hotel, restaurant and farm. For more information about CTI’s programmemes email: info@oneeleuthera.org.
of one eleuthera foundation
Keyron Smith, President and CEO of One Eleuthera Foundation
A celebration of faith and music
By ALESHA CADET
Tribune Features Reporter acadet@tribunemedia.net
IN celebration of his 50th birthday, local gospel artist Oslien Jadorte is set to host an unprecedented evening of praise and worship this coming Sunday, July 14, beginning 7pm, at Agape Church in Golden Palm Estates.
In a press release by the Hummingbird Music Group, founded by Oslien, it noted that for many years the artist has been a beacon of light in the gospel music community, traveling extensively to represent The Bahamas and, most importantly, to spread the message of Jesus Christ.
The upcoming benefit concert is set to feature performances by some of Oslien’s favourite gospel artists, names like Denzcil Rolle and Friends, Cara T Newton, Eman, Davian Chase, Joinae Gibson, Agape Levites, The Church of God National Praise
Team, Antonio Thompson, Alia Coley, Shaback, Colyn Kristopher, The Ladies of Hummingbird Management Group, I Am Stacs, Gabrielle Styles, Bernadette Turnquest, and more. The evening will also feature a surprise launch, marking the significance of this benefit concert.
Organisers said this special announcement will highlight an exciting new initiative that promises to further Oslien’s mission and ministry.
“God has been so faithful in allowing me to see my 50th birthday. What better way to celebrate than by giving Him all the glory and honor for everything He has done,” said Oslien. For all those interested, admission to this soul-stirring event is $10 for adults and $5 for children.
Attendees are encouraged to arrive on time, as the evening is set to be a jam-packed celebration of faith, music, and community.
BERNADETTE TURNQUEST AND UNSCRIPTED WORSHIP
GLORY SEEKERS
DENZCIL ROLLE AND FRIENDS
ALIA COLEY
SHABACK
OSLIEN JADORTE
JOINAE GIBSON
COLYN KRISTOPHER
EMAN
CARA T NEWTON
DAVIAN CHASE
Samsung shows off AI twists with new watch and ring
SAMSUNG is dressing up its wearable devices in technology’s latest fashion — artificial intelligence.
The South Korean electronics giant on Wednesday revealed that both its first-ever premium smartwatch and a smart ring heralding its entry into a niche market will include AI features that are supposed to help people monitor and manage their health.
Both the Galaxy Watch Ultra, priced at $650, and the Galaxy Ring, priced at $400, are extensions of a push that Samsung launched six months ago when it introduced its first smartphones to feature AI technology as a main attraction.
The high-end smartwatch costs twice as much as Samsung’s latest standard model, the Galaxy Watch 7, which will sell for $300.
Tethering AI to people’s essential devices has become an accelerating trend. The technology already has been implanted on smartphones made by Google and Apple that compete against Samsung and also on the latest personal computers powered by Microsoft’s Windows software.
The AI deployment on Samsung’s new premium watch and ring is narrowly focused on improving and maintaining personal health — the main reason most people buy wearable technology.
Both Samsung’s watch and ring are leaning on AI to do a better job of analyzing biometric data collected from the person wearing the devices to customise assessments of their well-being through an “energy score” that will deliver ratings on a one to 100 scale and also make recommendations like a virtual fitness coach.
Just as Apple plans to do with its AI services, Samsung’s new wearable products will collect most sensitive information on the devices themselves. But some data will still be processed through remote computing centers with a “defence-grade, multi-layer security platform” that Samsung likens to a virtual Fort Knox, echoing Apple’s pledge to corral any personal information that must be processed off a device in a digital fortress. But those promises don’t necessarily guarantee there won’t ever be security breaches or other breakdowns that unintentionally exposes personal information to outsiders.
Samsung’s premium phone is the more sophisticated of its latest wearable devices, capable of performing some functions — such as flagging sleep apnea — that the Galaxy Ring can’t. However, the ring requires less frequent recharging, equipped with a battery that can last six to seven days
before needing to be replenished.
But the smartwatch is also in a much more crowded market currently led by Apple, which has been intensifying its focus on health features since entering the market a decade ago. More than 60 million people already use the Samsung Health app that works in tandem with its smartwatches.
The health benefits associated with wearable technology have helped spur more people to buy smartwatches, with worldwide sales of the devices expected to approach about $29 billion this year, based on a forecast by the research firm Gartner Inc. That translates to roughly 164 million new smartwatches being worn on wrists this year, with Gartner predicting the annual sales volume sold will rise to 195 million in 2028.
Samsung is likely to face more challenges in the smart ring market, even though it won’t be facing much competition so far.
The segment so far has been shaped by startups such as Oura and RingConn that haven’t made a significant dent so far.
“Smart rings are still an emerging category with no exclusive use cases, with little expectations of growing beyond a niche market” through 2028, Gartner said in its recent overview of the wearable technology market.
The firm expects a small segment that includes smart rings to generate $2.4 billion
in sales this year and eventually rise to about $4.6 billion in 2028.
Although it will come in nine different sizes, Samsung’s Galaxy Ring only fits with one kind of software — Google’s Android operating system. That locks out the mostly affluent consumers who own iPhones and often are interested in checking out new forms of technology such as the Galaxy Ring.
Samsung also is rolling out its latest attempt to lure more people into buying a foldable phone equipped with two display screens that can be hinged together so the device can be turned into a pseudo-tablet. It’s a concept that Samsung has pushing since 2019 with minimal success, but the company is continuing to update the device with camera and AI features to feed the niche market. The next-generation model, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, will sell for $1,900.
Meanwhile, unionised workers in South Korea declared an indefinite strike to pressure Samsung to accept their calls for higher pays and other benefits. Thousands of members of the National Samsung Electronics Union launched a temporary, three-day strike on Monday. But the union said Wednesday that it was announcing an indefinite strike, accusing the management of being unwilling to negotiate.
Samsung claims there have been no disruptions to production.
VETERAN JOURNALISTS TRIED CHATGPT - THEN SUED
WHEN two octogenarian buddies named Nick discovered that ChatGPT might be stealing and repurposing a lifetime of their work, they tapped a son-in-law to sue the companies behind the artificial intelligence chatbot.
Veteran journalists Nicholas Gage, 84, and Nicholas Basbanes, 81, who live near each other in the same Massachusetts town, each devoted decades to reporting, writing and book authorship.
Gage poured his tragic family story and search for the truth about his mother’s death into a bestselling memoir that led John Malkovich to play him in the 1985 film “Eleni”. Basbanes transitioned his skills as a daily newspaper reporter into writing widely-read books about literary culture.
Basbanes was the first of the duo to try fiddling with AI chatbots, finding them impressive but prone to falsehoods and lack of attribution. The friends commiserated and filed their lawsuit earlier this year, seeking to represent a class of writers whose copyrighted work they allege “has been systematically pilfered by” OpenAI and its
business partner Microsoft.
“It’s highway robbery,” Gage said in an interview in his office next to the 18thcentury farmhouse where he lives in central Massachusetts.
“It is,” added Basbanes, as the two men perused Gage’s book-filled shelves. “We worked too hard on these tomes.”
Now their lawsuit is subsumed into a broader case seeking class-action status led by household names like John Grisham, Jodi Picoult and “Game of Thrones” novelist George RR Martin; and proceeding under the same New York federal judge who’s hearing similar copyright claims from media outlets such as The New York Times, Chicago Tribune and Mother Jones.
What links all the cases is the claim that OpenAI — with help from Microsoft’s money and computing power — ingested huge troves of human writings to “train” AI chatbots to produce human-like passages of text, without getting permission or compensating the people who wrote the original works.
“If they can get it for nothing, why pay for
it?” Gage said. “But it’s grossly unfair and very harmful to the written word.”
OpenAI and Microsoft didn’t return requests for comment this week but have been fighting the allegations in court and in public. So have other AI companies confronting legal challenges not just from writers but visual artists, music labels and other creators who allege that generative AI profits have been built on misappropriation.
The chief executive of Microsoft’s AI division, Mustafa Suleyman, defended AI industry practices at last month’s Aspen Ideas Festival, voicing the theory that training AI systems on content that’s already on the open internet is protected by the “fair use” doctrine of US copyright laws.
“The social contract of that content since the 90s has been that it is fair use,” Suleyman said. “Anyone can copy it, recreate with it, reproduce with it. That has been freeware, if you like.”
Suleyman said it was more of a “gray area” in situations where some news organisations and others explicitly said they didn’t
THE Biden administration is awarding nearly $2 billion in grants to General Motors, Stellantis and other carmakers to help restart or expand electric vehicle manufacturing and assembly sites in eight states, including the presidential battlegrounds of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia.
The Energy Department will issue grants totaling $1.7 billion to create or retain thousands of union jobs and support auto-based communities that have long driven the US economy, the White House said Thursday. Besides the three battleground states, grants also will go to EV facilities in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland and Virginia.
The grants cover a broad range of the automotive supply chain, including parts for electric motorcycles and school buses, hybrid powertrains, heavy-duty commercial truck batteries and electric SUVs, the White House said.
“Building a clean energy economy can and should be a win-win for union autoworkers and automakers,’’ President Joe Biden said in a statement. “This investment will create thousands of good-paying, union manufacturing jobs and retain even more — from Lansing, Michigan to Fort Valley, Georgia — by helping auto companies retool, reboot and rehire in the same factories and communities.’’
GM said Thursday that its $500m federal grant will help the company convert an assembly plant in Lansing, Michigan to produce EVs. GM has already announced over $12 billion in investments in its North American EV manufacturing and supply chain since 2020. That investment and the federal grant “underscore our commitment to US leadership in manufacturing and innovation,” said Camilo Ballesty, GM vice president of North America Manufacturing and Labor Relations.
POLITICAL ADS ON SOCIAL MEDIA RIFE WITH MISINFORMATION
THE online advertisement to Donald Trump supporters was clear enough: Click here, and receive a free Trump 2024 flag and a commemorative coin. All in exchange for taking a quick survey and providing a credit card number for the $5 shipping and handling.
“You’ll get two free gifts just by taking this quick poll in support of Trump,” says the ad’s narrator.
The ad — which has appeared on Facebook, YouTube and other platforms — didn’t mention the $80 charge that would later appear on credit card statements. Those that clicked were scammed.
Political advertisements on social media are one of the best ways for candidates to reach supporters and raise campaign cash. But as a new report from Syracuse University shows, weak regulations governing online ads and haphazard enforcement by tech companies also make ads a prime source for misleading information about elections — and a tantalisingly easy way for con artists to target victims.
“There is very little regulation on the platforms,” said Jennifer StromerGalley, the professor who led the research for the ElectionGraph Project at Syracuse University’s Institute for Democracy, Journalism & Citizenship.
A SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch Ultra displayed during a media preview at Samsung Galaxy Experience space on Tuesday, in New York and, inset, a Samsung Galaxy Ring.
Photos: Yuki Iwamura/AP
WHEN, WHAT, AND HOW TO EAT BEFORE YOU TRAIN
IN the world of athletics, nutrition is just as crucial as the hours spent training. The foods you consume before a workout can significantly impact your performance, energy levels, and recovery.
Whether you’re an elite athlete or a weekend warrior, understanding the principles of pre-training nutrition can help you optimize your results. Let’s dive into the “when, what, and how” of eating before you train, ensuring you fuel your body for peak performance.
The Importance of Timing: When to Eat
The timing of your pretraining meal is critical. Eating too close to your workout can lead to discomfort, while eating too far in advance may leave you without enough energy.
• 3-4 Hours Before Training: Consuming a balanced meal rich in carbohydrates, proteins, and fats is ideal if you have a few hours before your workout. This allows enough time for digestion and ensures a steady release of energy. For example, a meal consisting of grilled
chicken, quinoa, and mixed vegetables provides a good balance of macronutrients.
• 1-2 Hours Before Train-
ing: If you’re closer to your training session, opt for a smaller meal that focuses more on easily digestible carbohydrates and a moderate amount of protein. A Greek yogurt with a banana or a smoothie with protein powder, oats, and berries can be an excellent choice.
• 30 Minutes to 1 Hour
Before Training: When you’re short on time, stick to quick-digesting carbohydrates that can provide a rapid energy boost without causing digestive issues. A piece of fruit like an apple or a small handful of raisins can do the trick.
Choosing the Right Foods: What to Eat
The composition of your pre-training meal is just as important as timing. Here’s a breakdown of what to focus on:
• Carbohydrates: Carbs are your body’s primary energy source, especially during high-intensity workouts. They help maintain blood glucose levels and
replenish muscle glycogen stores. Complex carbohydrates like whole grains, vegetables, and fruits provide sustained energy, while simple carbs like white rice or a sports drink offer quick energy.
• Proteins: Proteins are essential for muscle repair and growth. Including a moderate amount of protein in your pre-training meal helps support muscle protein synthesis during
and after your workout. Lean meats, dairy, and plant-based proteins like beans and lentils are excellent options.
• Fats: While fats are a secondary energy source, they play a crucial role in longer-duration activities. Healthy fats from sources like avocados, nuts, and olive oil can be part of your pre-training meal, especially if consumed several hours before the workout.
Execution: How to Eat It’s not just what and when you eat, but also how you eat that can make a difference. Here are some practical tips:
• Stay Hydrated: Hydration is vital for optimal performance. Drink water consistently throughout the day and consider an electrolyte drink if you’re engaging in prolonged or intense exercise. Dehydration can impair your performance and recovery, so aim to drink at least 500 ml of water about two hours before your workout.
• Avoid New Foods: Stick to familiar foods that you know your body tolerates
well. Introducing new foods right before a workout can lead to unexpected digestive issues.
• Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to how your body responds to different foods and meal timings. Everyone is unique, and what works for one person may not work for another. Keep a food diary to track your meals and their effects on your performance.
Practical Examples for Athletes
Consider the case of a young Bahamian athlete training for a track and field event. She might start her day with a balanced breakfast of oatmeal topped with fruits and nuts, providing complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. A couple of hours before her afternoon training, she could have a light meal of grilled fish with sweet potatoes and a side of green vegetables, ensuring a mix of carbs and protein.
For another athlete, say a basketball player with a morning practice session, a quick breakfast of a smoothie made with
Flag football sand wars July 27-28
FROM PAGE 16
Grand Bahama, Abaco and the Cayman Islands. The home teams to be featured in the ladies’ division are the Honey Badgers, Lady Sparks and Storm Breakers.
bananas, spinach, Greek yogurt, and a spoonful of peanut butter offers a blend of simple carbs, protein, and fats. If he needs a quick boost just before practice, a handful of grapes or a small energy bar can provide the necessary energy.
Conclusion
Proper nutrition before training is essential for maximizing performance and ensuring effective recovery. By focusing on the timing, composition, and manner of your pre-training meals, you can fuel your body for success.
Remember, the goal is to eat like a racehorse, not a bikini model. With the right approach to nutrition, you can train harder, perform better and achieve your athletic goals.
• Dr. Kent Bazard, a sports medicine physician at Empire Sports Medicine, specializes in ensuring athletes reach their peak performance safely. With extensive experience and a passion for sports health, Dr. Bazard provides insights and guidance for athletes of all ages.
Abaco will be represented by the Abaco Sharks, the reigning champions, and Outlaws. The Cayman Islands will be represented by the Cobras. Knowles said one of the main objectives of the
The visiting team in this division is the Lynx team from the Cayman Islands. The home teams in the male division are the. X-Force, Hornets, Dragons and Lions.
tourney is to bring back the “old school feel” of football in The Bahamas.
“Sand Wars offers the opportunity to be physical. We allow the opportunity for trash talking.
“Sand Wars is the ‘Rucker Park’ of football. What we allow in Sand Wars, the other football leagues do not allow
because they are more surrounded around rules and regulations.
“We have rules and regulations but we are bringing back the old school feel of football without tackling,” he said.
Each team will have the chance to play in three games and the matchups are scheduled to be played every 30 minutes. The sand element may prove to be the biggest X factor in the seasonal competition.
“The sand is the determining element in it. The sand actually levels the playing field. Playing on the grass you have a bit of an advantage if you can run faster, but sand is way more intense and to be playing about three to four games a day on that while running back and forth is very different,” he said. Individuals interested in seeing who will win the war on the sand can attend the event at a cost of $10.
Last year, the Dragons won the women’s division and the Abaco Sharks prevailed in the men’s division.
JAVELIN CAMP FROM PAGE
16
just a five-year thing when Taysha, Dior-Rae and those go off to college that javelin is dead. We want to continue building this and continue dominating the Western Hemisphere as well as the Caribbean which we are more involved in,” he said.
Participants can expect to pick up on some of the basic fundamentals needed for the javelin throw event.
Blue Chip Athletics is certainly one of the premier clubs in The Bahamas when it comes to producing some of the top throwers in the country and at the regional level.
Some of the more notable throwers to be a part of
the programme are University of Nebraska commits Dior-Rae Scott and Taysha Stubbs, national record holders Rhema Otabor and Keyshawn Strachan, Acacia Astwood, Tarajh Hudson, Calea Jackson and others.
According to Maycock, the free summer camp is aimed towards providing kids in the government and private school systems with another opportunity to improve their skills.
“This camp is geared more towards the government kids to give them an opportunity.
“We want to change this programme to where in the summer it focuses more on the government school students.
“We want kids to develop so when they go into their schools for GSSSA and BAISS they can contribute instead of looking like they
this day. I just love teaching the game of baseball. I love coaching kids, love the competition.”
Youth Baseball League.
Ever since, Francis has been ticking, making his contribution as a coach to so many young players in the country.
“I wouldn’t trade it for nothing in the world. I love it,” Francis said. “That’s why I continue to coach to
By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer
LONDON (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz’s ability to hit any type of shot, from any position on the court, on any surface, keeps fans on the edge of their seats. Keeps other players guessing, too.
Alcaraz delights in all of that — he loves putting on a show just as much as he enjoys knowing he makes the guys on the other side of the net uncomfortable — and figures it can only help him in the Wimbledon semifinals against Daniil Medvedev today.
It’s beneficial, Alcaraz said, that opponents need to focus on whether he’ll be “able to be back (in) the point or ... able to hit an unbelievable shot.”
“For me,” he said, “it’s great that they’re thinking about it.” Alcaraz, the No. 3 seed, is seeking a second
In 2010, Francis was invited to be a part of the Freedom Farm Baseball League and he has been one of the biggest supporters of organiser Greg Burrows Sr in keeping the programme alive in Yamacraw.
When he’s not coaching, Francis began to work with BFM’s Hospital Ministry team in 2000 where
consecutive trophy at the All England Club and fourth Grand Slam title overall. His triumph last month at the French Open made him, at 21, the youngest man to collect a major trophy on hard, grass and clay courts.Medvedev, who is seeded No. 5 and defeated No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals, won the 2021 U.S. Open but is just 1-5 in major finals.
The other match today will be No. 2 Novak Djokovic, who has won seven of his men’s-record 24 Slam championships at Wimbledon, against No. 25 Lorenzo Musetti, making his debut in a major semifinal.
“Against him, you are probably more stressed, because he’s probably the best player ever — or one of the best players ever,” said the 22-year-old Musetti, who beat Taylor Fritz in five sets on Wednesday, while Djokovic got the day off because his foe,
have never held the instrument before.
“We just want them to get the basics and they can get the basics within five days,” he said.
Coach Maycock is hopeful that the collaboration with the MOYSC can help to bring out as many kids as possible to attend the fiveday camp.
“We are hoping that both names can generate as much kids as possible. If we can have 40-50 kids that will be something we will look forward to in hopes that we can find 10-20 athletes out of that amount. Whatever we have we are gonna work with and we are gonna try and turn them into superstars in the future,” he said.
Persons that are interested can contact 242395-6381 for additional information.
they visit the sick at the Princess Margaret Hospital religiously on Tuesdays and Thursdays and they also go into homes to visit the shut in. “This has become a passion for me as well,” said Francis, who now heads the ministry. “So many times when you visit the sick, people remember you from playing baseball and they ask you if you can still hit the ball. “There are others, who call you coach because they know and have seen
‘Jazz’ talks with a fan over the phone
me coaching their children or other children. It’s so nice to know that even after I would have stopped playing baseball, people still remember me because of what I do as a coach now.”
With the two intertwining, the 63-year-old Francis said he will continue to make his contribution to society because God has been able to bless him with a “beautiful” home, a “lovely wife, Andrea and two “adorable” children, Janae and Jessica,
Alex de Minaur, withdrew with an injured hip.
“You walk on court with a different mentality,” said Musetti, whose 1-5 record against Djokovic includes a five-set loss at this year’s
French Open that ended at after 3 a.m. “If I play in a certain way, I could have my shot in the next round.” Alcaraz vs. Medvedev is a rematch from last year’s semifinals, when Alcaraz
who are now black belts in karate.
“They have always followed me to the park since they were kids. They were my number one fans,” Francis stated.
“We did a lot of travelling during the summer. I took them to school and picked them up and when they went off to college, I took them to get started and when their schools were closed, I was there to bring them back home.
won in straight sets before getting past Djokovic in the final.
It also offers a contrast between a talented attacker (Alcaraz) and a consummate defender (Medvedev).
“The most difficult thing about facing Daniil, or the most special thing about him, is he can reach every ball,” Alcaraz said. “Well, he is like a wall. Every ball bounces back.” Asked what Alcaraz’s best quality is, Medvedev began this way: “To be honest, everything.” That sounds like an exaggeration. Might not be. “That’s where it’s tough to play against him, because you know whatever shot you hit, he can hit a winner from there.
“So you try to make his life difficult. You try to hit the shot as good as you can. Maybe he goes for it and he cannot make it,” said Medvedev, who has won just
“They are now groomed, but they appreciate the things I did for them, even though I had my commitment to coaching baseball and visiting the sick in the hospital,” he summed up.
Ask Francis and he will be the first to tell you that there’s nothing else he would rather be doing and even though he’s been honoured for it, he will not allow the accolade to cause him to slacken off from his commitments to society.
two of their previous six encounters.
“Carlos can do whatever, from any position,” Medvedev said, “and that’s not easy to play against.” Tommy Paul, the 12thseeded American who lost to Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, put something else on the lengthy list of the Spaniard’s attributes. “He moves unbelievably well. He’s probably the quickest player. It’s very hard to get the ball by him,” Paul said. “Grass suits him. He moves incredible on the grass. It’s not easy to change direction the way that he does. He stays pretty low. Yeah, I mean, it’s not easy.” And then, in a nod to the sort of highlight-reel material Alcaraz regularly produces, Paul added: “Half of the job when you’re out there is not to let him win one of those crazy points — because when he does, he kind of gets on a roll.”
MIAMI Marlins centre fielder Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr talks with a fan over the phone before a baseball game against the Houston Astros yesterday in Houston.
(AP Photo/Kevin M Cox)
CARLOS ALCARAZ, of Spain, plays a shot back between his legs to Ugo Humbert of France during their fourth round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London on Sunday. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
BASKETBALL STANDOUT JOSHUA SEEKING HELP
By MIGUEL FERNANDER Tribune Intern
A BAHAMIAN student
athlete is hoping to keep his love for playing basketball alive, as he’s in need of a medical surgery to recover from a recent injury he suffered.
Joshua Burrows is a student athlete attending Wilbur Wright College in Chicago. He said ever since he was a little boy he had the dream of becoming a basketball player.
Burrows worked out everyday and night to become the top player of his graduating class, winning multiple sports championships. He had gotten his dreams to come true when he had gotten a scholarship to play in a preparatory school at the Junior College level. In a GoFundMe page posted by Burrows, he appealed for funds for a critical surgery for his knee.
“While working out trying to prepare myself as best as I could for the
upcoming season, I completely severed my ACL which caused minor damage to my meniscus,” he said on the page.
“These are two of the three most important ligaments and cartilage in the knee, causing my knee to be unstable.
“While I am still able to walk, my knee is limited to slow, careful movements.
“Any quick or sharp manoeuvres could cause further damage to my meniscus and/or other
ligaments in my knee.
Unfortunately, again being from a less fortunate country, I did not have insurance at the time of the injury.
“Thus, forcing me to pay out of pocket, which again my family is unable to afford.
“This is why I started this campaign, to aid my family and I as we try our best to raise enough funds so that we would be able to afford an allograft surgery,” according to the young Burrows.
Cedar Orthopedic Surgery Centre in Cedar City, Utah, is where the surgery is the cheapest with the greatest success rate for him not only to continue the fight in his dream to play basketball, but also continue his academic career. You can log on to https:// www.gofundme.com/f/thefuture-of-joshua-burrows.
The goal of the GoFundMe page is to raise $11,000 dollars for the surgery.
JOSHUA BURROWS
Jonquel Jones posts double double - 18 points and 13 rebounds - in win over Sky
By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) —
Sabrina Ionescu scored 21 points and Jonquel Jones added 18 points and 13 rebounds to help the New York Liberty beat the Chicago Sky 91-76 last night. Jones also had four blocked shots and three assists.
Angel Reese extended her WNBA record doubledouble streak to 15 straight games, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
She got her 10th rebound with just over 2 minutes left in the game, which drew a loud cheer from the crowd. New York (19-4) led 68-66 early in the fourth quarter before going on a 7-2 run to create some space.
Reese’s 10th point got the Sky (9-13) within 78-72 with 3:51 left. After a timeout, Ionescu hit a 3-pointer and the Sky never recovered.
Chennedy Carter scored 22 points to lead the Sky. Chicago jumped to a 37-24 lead midway through the second quarter behind
Carter before Stewart got going to rally the Liberty to within 40-38 at halftime. Stewart scored the first seven points of a 14-1 run to get New York back in the game. Ionescu had her first points of the game to cap the run and tie the game at 38. She had missed her first seven shots.Before the second quarter began New York honoured many of its former players, including ring of honour members Kym Hampton and Sue Wicks. The announcer
saved Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon for last and her former teammates went over and mobbed her after the ceremony ended. Weatherspoon got a warm ovation from the crowd of 17,758, the largest in Liberty history at Barclays Center. Both teams were playing the second game of a back-to-back. The Sky beat Atlanta in Chicago on Wednesday while New York won at Connecticut. The two teams play again on Saturday in Chicago.
US WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM LOOKS TO CONTINUE OLYMPIC DOMINANCE, SEEKING 8TH STRAIGHT GOLD
By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer
THE U.S. women’s basketball team is on an historic run, winning seven straight Olympic gold medals. While no one has come close to ending that streak, the rest of the world is getting better.
The Americans, who haven’t lost an Olympic contest since 1992, won by an average of 16 points in the Tokyo Games. That was their smallest margin of victory since the streak started at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
The biggest challenge for the U.S. will once again be the limited prep time to practice as unit.
The complete team will be together for the first time right before the Paris Games.
“The rest of the world is definitely improving,” sixtime Olympic participant Diana Taurasi said. “It’s not as easy as it’s looked over the years.”
FROM PAGE 16
Brown in an interview on the island yesterday. “God is good. It’s good to be back on home soil. I’m looking forward to working with the youths. I’m very excited.” Brown will be accompanied by two of his fellow Golden Knights teammates Demetrius Pinder and Ramon Miller, who helped him to bring some international glory to the Bahamas on the men’s 4 x 400 metre teams at the World Championships and the Olympic Games, along with coach James Rolle.
The Curtis husband and wife team from Harbour Island, Clara Young from the Ministry of Sports, Holly Pierce. Disney has come on board as a sponsor, along with Finantix, represented by Brian Shaw, Brown’s business partner.
Brown’s wife Faith is also making her contribution, although she’s back in Gwinnett County, Georgia, where they reside with their three children - Shiloh, Emerald and Zorah.
During the camp, Brown said the focus will be on
The 42-year-old Taurasi would know; she has been a part of the last five U.S. Olympic teams. She will be going for a record sixth gold medal in Paris.
The U.S. is trying to break a tie with the American men’s basketball team for most consecutive gold medals. The men won seven straight from 1936-68. The two basketball teams hold the longest streak for golds in a traditional team sport in Olympic history. The Americans understand what’s ahead and are focused on the present and not their past. The goal is just to win in Paris and not look at the bigger picture of continuing the dynasty.
“That can’t be your every day thought and then you lose sight of what it takes to get there,” U.S. coach Cheryl Reeve said.
“That’s the biggest thing you have to block out. There’s a huge narrative we can’t escape with this being one of the greatest sports
everything that the youngsters should know to enable them to become the next generation of superstars to come out of the Bahamas.
“We will touch on mental health, we will touch on the importance of activities and exercise. We will also talk about strategies. We’re not going to leave any stone unturned because we want to develop the youth of the nation.”
Following the trip to Eleuthera, Brown said he will take the track camp to Cat Island on September 7, Inagua on September 14, Andros on October 5, New Providence on November 2 and Grand Bahama on December 14.
“I want to be able to go in and touch as many islands as possible because there is so much talent out there in the Bahamas,” Brown said.
“I was discovered on Eleuthera and so I know there is more like me and even better who are out there looking for the same opportunity that I got.”
The 45-year-old Brown began running the 800 metres in Eleuthera before he moved to New
dynasties ever. It’s our first experience together with this group and this is our special journey, it’s about one gold medal.”
It’s definitely a special time for Brittney Griner, who is returning to the team for the Olympics. She missed the 2022 World Cup when she was wrongfully detained in Russia for 10 months. She has said that she’ll only play overseas with USA Basketball.
“We were all thinking of BG when she was away and we didn’t know if this moment would be possible,” Reeve said.
“I’m thrilled for her personally and thrilled for our basketball team.”
The Americans are in a pool with Japan, Belgium and Germany.
The Japanese team were silver medallists at the 2021 Tokyo Games. Group A features Serbia, Spain, China, and Puerto Rico.
DALLAS Wings forward Satou Sabally brings the ball up during the team’s WNBA basketball game against the Phoenix Mercury, June 7, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. Germany is making its first Olympic appearance led by the Sabally sisters: Nyara and Satou. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Group B is comprised of Canada, France, Australia and Nigeria. Play begins on Sunday, July 28 and ends with the gold medal game on the final day of the Olympics. Here are some other things to watch for:
great basketball IQ and certainly will help us.”
Newcomers Germany is making its first Olympic appearance led by the Sabally sisters — Nyara and Satou (who plays with the Dallas Wings).
The Germans will host the 2026 World Cup and hope to have a strong showing in Paris where they are in a tough pool with the U.S., Belgium and Japan.
“We’re just there to have fun,” Nyara Sabally said.
Providence to compete for the RM Bailey Pacers where he was converted to a 400m specialist. He went on to attend Norfolk State University and left his mark on a number of records as well as both the national men’s 400 and 800m records.
In fact, his time of one minute and 49.54 seconds that he ran on August 17, 1998, at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Maracaibo, Venezuela, still stands as the men’s 800m national record.
In his post-college career, Brown went on the pro circuit and established himself as one of the most decorated Bahamian athletes the country has ever seen.
The only thing missing from his résumé is a World Championships and Olympics individual medals. He has won international medals at every level from the CARIFTA Games to the World Indoors and Commonwealth Games.
Additionally, he has ran on just about every men’s 4 x 400m relay team that captured a medal on the international scene,
Welcome back Lauren Australia will receive a huge lift with the return of Lauren Jackson. The fourtime WNBA MVP won three Olympic silver medals and one bronze with the Opals before retiring from playing in 2016 after knee injuries derailed her career. She returned for the 2022 World Cup in Australia and led the team to a bronze medal. Now the 43-year-old forward will be playing in her fifth Olympics.
including the World Championships and the Olympics.
On August 22, 2012, Brown’s name was placed on a street named in his honour in his home settlement of Wemyss Bight,
“What Lauren has done is simply amazing,” Australia coach Sandy Brondello said. “She has a
“It’s basketball, you never know what’s going to happen. I’m really confident in our team and I think we have a really good team.
Looking for a win African nations haven’t fared well at the Olympics, going 1-36 with Nigeria getting the lone victory in the 2004 Athens Games when they topped Korea in the 11th place contest.
Nigeria will look to end that drought as the country plays in its third Olympic Games.
Eleuthera. His portrait is also hanging inside the Rock Sound Airport.
Then on August 3, 2022, Brown, along with National Basketball Association’s champion Rick Fox of the Los Angeles Lakers, was
named as Ambassadorat-Large for Sports in a ceremony attended by Governor General Cynthia Pratt, Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis and Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell.
NEW York Liberty’s Jonquel Jones, right, in action against Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese. (AP Photo)
SPORTS
FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2024
Mullings to host free jumps clinic
By TENAJH SWEETING
Sports Reporter
Ken Mullings, the Bahamian national record holder for the men’s heptathlon event, has enjoyed a successful last few weeks as a multi-athlete.
The versatile former University of The Bahamas student-athlete became the first Bahamian to qualify for the Olympic Games in any multi-event discipline.
Mullings made the qualification standards through the World Athletics Rankings system last week and now this Saturday he is dedicating his time to hosting a free jump clinic at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium. The national record holder, who is sponsored by Powerade, spoke about the initiative set to take place this weekend.
“The jump clinic is just a way for me to give back
some of the knowledge I have learned over the past few years of trying to better my long jump and high jump.
“It is just a way for me and Powerade to put something out there for the youth,” he said. The decathlete is accustomed to competing in 10 events which includes the 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400m, 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500m.
He believes that the drills and warmups before these events make a major difference and that is what he wants to pass on to the youth this Saturday.
“The skills they can expect to learn this Saturday are how I get through my warmups and my drills, the way I think and the way I process the drills the way I do.
“They will have a better understanding of how important the warmups and
certain drills are in these events,” he said. The jump clinic, sponsored by Powerade, will run from 11am to noon at the original TAR Stadium.
Mullings had this message for persons that are interested in attending.
“It is free. We are gonna have some fun, drink some Powerade and learn something new. It is not a long and tedious type of clinic, it is something where you actually come to learn
Sand Wars Bahamas to host ultimate beach flag football tournament
By TENAJH SWEETING
THE ultimate battle on the sand returns to the Beach Soccer Stadium from Saturday, July 27 to Sunday, July 28 for the 8th Sand Wars Bahamas beach flag football tournament.
Fourteen teams will look to lay it all out on the sand in hopes of not only leaving with some shiny hardware but also an extra $1,500 in their pockets.
The two-day event will run from 8am until 6:30pm on Saturday and then from 1pm until 7pm on Sunday, before the men and women’s champions are crowned.
Reginald Knowles, CEO and founder of Sand Wars Bahamas, is expecting topnotch competition to take
place on the sand in the next two weeks.
“The competition this year is gonna be very good. We have two teams coming in from the Cayman Islands and they just won their championship a month ago. We also have the two teams from Freeport and one of them is their flag football championship team.
“Abaco is also bringing in two teams. We also have about eight Nassau teams scheduled to compete so the competition level is really going to be top notch this time around.
“The numbers are there, the competition is going to be there and the hype is there,” he said. The summer event is expected to bring out teams from New Providence,
JEFF ‘SANGY’ FRANCIS HONOURED
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor
bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
WHEN he got started, Jeff ‘Sangy’ Francis said he never felt in his “wildest dream” that he would be honoured for his transformation from a player to a coach in baseball or to his community service as a prayer intercessor in his hospital ministry.
COACH Jeff ‘Sangy’ Francis can be seen at far right.
While doing what he does best during the Independence Day celebrations on Wednesday, watching the Babe Ruth Baseball Classic at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium, Francis said he got a call from Dr Kendal Major, former Speaker of the House of Assembly, congratulating him on receiving his honour. Thinking it was for an honour he’s about to receive from his church, Bahamas Faith Ministries, Francis said he thought nothing about it until he started to get so many more congratulatory remarks. That was when he realised that it was something different. He said he then found out that he was one of the recipients for the 2024 National Honours Act to Citizens of the Bahamas. He was one of the many in the group, who was conferred the “Distinguished Service Medal” as announced in the proclamation from Governor General Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt. “Never came to my mind,” said Francis when asked about receiving the recognition.”I thoroughly enjoy doing everything I do. They have become a passion of mine.” In 1980 when the late James ‘Jim’ Wood was looking for a coach to participate in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture
SEE PAGE 14
By TENAJH SWEETING
Sports Reporter
THE Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture (MOYSC) in collaboration with the Blue Chip Athletics Club, powered by Norwegian Cruise Line, have joined forces in hopes of finding the next generation of talented javelin throwers at a free camp to be hosted July 15-19 at the original Thomas A Robinson Stadium. The camp is open to all potential javelin throwers between ages 12-16 and will run from 9am to 1pm over the course of five days.
Corrington Maycock, head coach of the Blue Chip Athletics programme, outlined one of the goals of this dynamic joint effort. “We are trying to find some
in a nice and controlled environment.
“You do not have to worry about overworking and being in the sun too long. We are going out there to have fun and you have the opportunity to learn from an Olympian,” he said.
After the free clinic, the multi-athlete will shift his focus to preparing for the Paris Olympic Games scheduled for July 26 to August 11 in Paris, France.
By BRENT STUBBS
VERY rarely does he get home to do something like this, so Chris ‘The Fireman’ Brown is eagerly excited about what will take place at his “Rise of Champions” Track Camp this weekend. Now in his sixth year as the head coach at Clayton State in Morrow, Georgia, Brown has taken a muchneeded break to return to Eleuthera where he will conduct the one-day session on Saturday between the hours of 10am and 3pm at his alma mater at the Preston Albury School in Rock Sound. “It’s all about the youth,” were the first words from ‘FIREMAN’
Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net SEE PAGE 15
talented kids away from those involved in track and field right now. Hopefully, we can identify some diamonds in the rough throughout this whole
process. We are looking for the next Rhema, Keyshawn, Dior-Raè and Taysha. We do not want javelin to be
SHOWN, from left to right, CARIFTA gold medallist Taysha Stubbs, Blue Chip Athletics coach Corrington Maycock and CARIFTA javelin record holder Dior-Rae Scott.
Jonquel, Page 15