COOPER: WATER PARK NOT FINAL
Govt yet to consider cruise port proposal for $35m project
By JADE RUSSELL
Tribune Staff
Reporter
jrussell@tribunemedia.net
ACTING Prime Minister Chester Cooper said discussions about a $35m water park at the Nassau Cruise Port are premature because the government has yet to consider the proposal.
“In fact,” he told reporters yesterday, “there’s been no application at this point before the NEC, and therefore all conversations as it’s related thereto is rather premature at this stage.” Mr Cooper’s comments came after Mike Maura, the port’s CEO, told Tribune Business earlier this month that the $35m water park project would create 350 full-time jobs and should be completed within the next 18 months. He said the pool-based water park would be constructed behind the amphitheatre towards the western side of the existing property.
PRIME MINISTER FLIES TO US FOR SCIATICA TREATMENT
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis is seeking treatment in the United States to address compression of his sciatic nerve.
The Office of the Prime Minister did not say when he would return to the country, noting only that Chester Cooper would be acting prime minister. Health Minister Dr Michael Darville said Mr Davis had battled sciatica for a few months and suffered excruciating pain in one of his legs when he stood.
CORRECTION
THE front page of Friday’s edition of The Tribune featured an incorrect photograph. Due to a production error, a photograph of Miss Universe at Sand Dollar Beach Resort
was incorrectly printed instead of a photograph of the Fox Hill crime scene. There was no connection between Sand Dollar Beach Resort and the crime scene, for this, we apologise to Sand Dollar Beach Resort, Miss Universe Organization and Miss Bahamas Universe Organization for any bad publicity or damage that this may have caused.
SIX people have been killed since Thursday, pushing the murder count for the year to 71. As The Tribune was going to press last night, police reported that a man had been shot dead in Yellow Jasmine Close in Grand Bahama.
And on Saturday, a 24-year-old man was killed on Pinecrest Drive off East Street South.
Police officers found a red Dodge Ram truck that had crashed into a home. Inside, an adult man with several gunshot wounds was dead.
A FORMER police officer laughed and lamented turning on his body camera after shooting a man last year. Shando King’s camera footage was shown in the Coroner’s Court on Friday as the inquest into Valentino Johnson’s policeinvolved killing on April 16, 2023, continued. Police claim Johnson brandished a weapon and was killed after leading them on a
World’s second largest cruise ship to sail to The Bahamas exclusively
By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net
THE Utopia of the Seas, the world’s second-largest cruise ship, will exclusively sail to The Bahamas twice a week, resulting in about 800,000 passengers visiting the country’s shores a year.
The 1,188-foot-long ship, which weighs 236,860 gross tons, was officially docked at the Nassau Cruise Port for the first time yesterday.
The ship can hold over 5,000 guests, 2,290 international crew mates, 18 decks, over a dozen restaurants, five pools, a basketball court, a zipline, an ice skating rank, and other attractions.
The cruise ship will sail exclusively to Nassau and the Perfect Day at Coco Cay, located in the Berry Islands, twice a week.
During yesterday’s opening ceremony, officials said cruise passengers from Port
Canaveral, Florida, will be able to enjoy the cruise.
Mike Maura, Nassau Cruise Port’s CEO, said the Utopia’s arrival speaks to the value RCI sees in the Bahamas. He said that with the Utopia’s inclusion, Nassau will welcome 5.5 million cruise passengers this year alone.
Acting Prime Minister Chester Cooper said the cruise ship demonstrates Royal Caribbean’s over 50-year relationship with The Bahamas. He stressed the voyage would be a Bahamian cruise as the Utopia would only sail to The Bahamas.
Mr Cooper, who also serves as the minister of tourism, said he hopes the cruise ship will make Grand Bahama one of its destinations in the future.
Philip Simon, the Royal Beach Club’s president and general manager for the cruise line’s Bahamas
operations, said Mr Cooper’s hope for Grand Bahama to become a third destination is “wishful thinking.”
“The company will explore, you know, whatever works best but for now, it’s sailing to Coco Cay and Nassau,” Mr Simon said.
Ivanna Seymour, 32, the highest-ranking Bahamian on the Royal Caribbean Utopia of the Seas, said she was in charge of plotting the navigation course for the ship to Nassau. She said she is grateful to be back home and to have the opportunity to visit Nassau twice a week.
Meanwhile, Mr Simon also noted the Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island is on target to be completed in the third quarter of 2025. He said 90 per cent of the work is complete to remove structures and that work is underway to relocate protected species.
Pool Photo
Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas made its inaugural visit to The Bahamas, arriving with the highest-ranking Bahamian on their ship, Chief Officer Ivanna Seymour (pictured on the right) along with captain of the ship, Gus Anderson (left).
Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr
Officer laughed as body camera switched on in police shooting
Johnson’s alleged weapon was not collected on the night of the killing. Instead, police took a weapon from the scene two days later.
In the body camera footage shown on Friday, Mr King spoke with his superiors.
“I don’t know what you tell me cut this on for,” he said between obscenities.
Sargeant 3354 Joe Cunningham, an officer who oversees body cameras for the RBPF, took the stand as the footage was played in court. The video showed what happened
after Johnson crashed into a vacant residence on Seven Hill Road, where the police chase ended.
Sgt Cunningham said protocol mandates that body cameras be turned on while pursuing a suspect.
Mr King, however, did not turn his camera on until after senior officers arrived on the scene.
Detective Corporal 4355 Deniro Deveaux, an officer from the Crime Scene Unit, testified that on April 18, 2023, he was instructed to report to the scene of the killing, where he spoke to Assistant Superintendent Arnold Strachan, Jr.
He said he saw the weapon, a Bersa Thunder 45, which police claim Johnson used to fire on officers. When court marshall Angelo Whitfield asked if he was accompanied by a team from the Crime Scene Unit, Mr Deveaux said he could not recall.
He said the firearm had dirt on it. He said he photographed, documented, and submitted the evidence, which he compiled onto a compact disk with his marking and signature and submitted as an exhibit in the inquest.
He testified that a photo of the firearm Johnson
allegedly used was on the disk. However, he said he was not present when the gun was initially found.
Mr Whitfield asked him if a police dog was in the area when he arrived, and he said no.
Officers previously testified that a police dog found the gun –– two days after the killing.
Mr Deveaux said the senior officer, Assistant Superintendent Strachan, pointed out the weapon near where he had taken photos.
Ryszard Humes, the attorney for Johnson’s family, asked Mr Deveaux why he was assigned to
Grand Bahama murder takes year’s tally to 71
Gunshots in that area around 7pm had prompted officers to visit the scene, where they saw a dark grey Nissan Cube fleeing at a high rate of speed.
The officers reportedly responded quickly by entering one of their private cars at the rear of the East Street South Police Station. Officers pursued the vehicle onto Bamboo Boulevard, where it collided with another private car driven by a man. No one was injured.
Three male suspects reportedly go out their vehicle and ran onto Thatch Palm Avenue, where officers pursued them on foot, successfully apprehending a 25-year-old man.
Another police unit pursued one of the suspects, a 21-year-old man who reportedly produced a firearm and engaged officers. That man was shot in the lower body and taken to the hospital, where he remained in stable condition.
Meanwhile, officers were patrolling the Sumner Street and Soldier Road area
killed on Saturday in the Pinewood area.
around 4.30am on Friday when they encountered a silver coloured Daihatsu Hijet van with a man inside believed to be in his early thirties suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to his upper torso. The man tried to flee, but collided with a pole. He died at the scene. The assailants reportedly fled west onto Soldier Road. Additionally, a man was killed on Crooked Island Street, north of Palmetto Street, around 1am on Friday. Police said two unknown men approached a 24-yearold man outside a bar, brandished a firearm and opened fire, shooting the
man and injuring a nearby 41-year-old woman. The man died at the scene. The woman, grazed in the head, was taken to the hospital, where she remained in stable condition.
Two men were also killed near Pineyard Road shortly before 10pm on Thursday.
MOFA claims Tribune misleading on US report on investment climate
THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused The Tribune of misleadingly reporting on the United States’ latest investment climate report on The Bahamas.
This newspaper reported that the report accused the country of stalling on enacting anti-corruption laws that would improve transparency and accountability in Bahamian governance.
The US cited the delay of campaign finance reforms and the creation of an Integrity Commission as issues that expose the country to corruption and undue foreign influence in policy decisions. It highlighted the “complete disregard” some politicians and high-ranking public officials have toward complying with the Public Disclosure Act and noted that the Public Disclosure Commission has failed for the past 13 years
to meet its legal obligation to publish reports on who complied and who did not.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not challenge or respond to these concerns.
The ministry said the report was mostly positive, adding: “The headline and article are misleading in that they extrapolate a few comments from the US report and give the impression of an overall negative picture. Such an assessment of the US report is false.”
The ministry said the publication of the Country Commercial Guide (CCG) report and the Investment Climate Statement does not negatively impact bilateral relations with the United States.
“We have always maintained close political and commercial ties with the United States and look forward to expanding those ties,” the ministry said.
Man killed in three-car collision on cowpen road
A 51-YEAR-OLD man was killed on Friday night in a three-car collision on Cowpen Road. The crash occurred between a black Nissan Note, a white Mercedes Benz and a white Mitsubishi Canter around 9pm.
Police said the 51-yearold was driving the Nissan Note east along Cowpen Road when he veered into the opposite lane, colliding with a Mercedes Benz
driven by a woman travelling west. The Nissan then struck the Mitsubishi, which had three occupants. The male driver of the Mitsubishi was injured, but the other occupants were not. The Mercedes driver was also unhurt.
EMS personnel transported the Mitsubishi driver to the hospital for treatment. The 51-year-old man was found to be dead at the scene.
work on the scene. Mr Deveaux said he assumed it was because he happened to be on shift.
Asked about fingerprint analysis, Mr Deveaux said fingerprint analyses are conducted on suspected evidence and do not require a written request.
Jurors asked Mr Deveaux if the ground where the gun was found was disturbed. Mr Deveaux said he could not tell.
Police Corporal 3890 Keron King took the stand on Friday as well. Mr Whitfield, the court marshall, highlighted a photo from April 16 where the
angle showed no weapon. Mr King acknowledged he did not see dirt or a firearm in the photo. Mr Whitfield then showed him a photograph Mr Deveaux took from a similar angle two days later. There, a firearm leans against the outside wall of a flowerbed.
Mr King said the dirt covering the firearm was surface level and was moved when his police dog partner, Tracker, scratched at the weapon. Mr King admitted that a police dog would have been useful on April 16 when the shooting took place.
Police investigate the scene where a man was shot and
Photo: Nikia charlton
Darville: Hospitals able to deal with uptick including COVID-19
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
HEALTH Minister Dr Michael Darville said the nation’s hospitals are well equipped to address infectious diseases given the recent increase in the number of persons testing positive for influenza-like illnesses, including COVID-19.
Last month, the Ministry of Health issued a statement urging the public to continue to be vigilant amid the uptick. During the weekly press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister on Friday, Dr Darville said the effects of the new strain of COVID are similar to flu-like symptoms.
He said the spike in cases primarily affects adults, adding that there is no need to panic.
“Those who are in hospital who are COVIDpositive happen to be COVID-positive, but suffering from another medical condition. So, the whole protocol of isolation is very important in the tertiary healthcare facilities because we do not want that person on the open ward to infect the other potential cases because our wards at the Princess Margret Hospital, the majority are still Florence Nightingale wards,” Dr Darville said. He said the modular units
at Princess Margret Hospital and the Rand Memorial Hospital are permanent and operational. “They are in place, and thank God because we are now in the hurricane season
and it’s important to have the surplus of space in the event that we do have hurricanes and we do see a spike and we have cases coming into the hospital. I believe that we are better prepared
on
PHA appeals to families to collect ‘boarders’ who are residing at PMH
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
BOARDERS at the Princess Margaret Hospital are as young as four months old and as old as 80.
The Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) is asking families to come and take their loved ones, 22 of whom reside at PMH.
The PHA said the cost of housing the boarders “varies according to individual needs”.
Child boarders range from four months old to13 years old while adult boarders are between their late 30s and 80 years.
The PHA, in a
statement to The Tribune , described the circumstances as “less than optimal” since boarders occupy hospital beds that could otherwise be used for patients who need to be admitted for care and treatment.
The PHA said it had actively contacted family members and engaged with the Ministry of Social Services for assistance.
The authority underlined the importance of “proactive long-term care planning and communication to enhance the well-being of our patients, many of whom receive little to no visitors”.
“Each boarder presents distinct challenges,” the PHA said. “For paediatric
patients, we collaborate with agencies like social services to engage with next of kin, facilitate adoptions, and arrange placements in local children’s homes. Adult boarders without next of kin identified or with complex health needs may require specialised discharge plans, potentially leading to extended stays or transfers to appropriate long-term care facilities.
“It is crucial to note that our more vulnerable patients may become exposed to additional challenges that require further assistance and medical support, extending their stay at our facilities.”
hand
maintaining physical distance, and getting tested and vaccinated, as these practices can significantly reduce transmission rates of infectious diseases.
Darville urged the public to adhere to COVID-19 protocol, saying “even though COVID is no longer a pandemic it still has potential effect for death and ill health”.
now than when we first came into office to handle infectious diseases coming into hospital,” he said
Friday. The public is reminded to continue practising good
hygiene, wearing masks,
Dr
Minister of Health and Wellness
Dr Michael Darville speaks during a press briefing at the Office of The Prime Minister on Friday.
Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
sanDra Mortimer-Russell (left) presented a copy of her book, ‘Happy Now,’ to Governor General Dame Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt in a courtesy call at the Office of the Governor General, July 16, 2024.
Photo: Patrick Hanna/BIS
Cooper: Water park not final
The announcement sparked debate and drew ire from some.
Education Minister Glenys HannaMartin said she opposes the plan in the House of Assembly on Wednesday, urging the port “to give it a rest.” She highlighted straw vendors, taxi drivers, and entrepreneurs that helped form the Bahamian experience, suggesting a water park could prevent tourists from experiencing them.
Office of the Prime Minister acting press secretary Keishla Adderley could not say Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis’ view on the water park.
“The prime minister has not spoken on that publicly or openly, so I’m unable to say what his position is,” she said during a briefing on Friday.
Some downtown vendors have said they are not benefiting from the cruise port because many guests do not venture outside of it.
Mr Cooper, the minister of tourism, said the Tourism Development Corporation works with vendors to ensure they offer services and products that appeal to guests. He said he is confident officials will continue funding them to modernise their payment options. He believes over time there will be fewer complaints about vendors not feeling the effect of cruise passengers.
“Anyone who is not feeling the buzz in their cash register, I’ll be happy to have a conversation with them,” he said. “I’ll be happy to have the Tourism Development Corporation sit with them to help to determine what might be going wrong.”
BCCEC head says he hopes Inland Revenue does not penalise businesses after global technology outage
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMAS Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation (BCCEC) President Leo Rolle said he hopes businesses are not penalised after Friday’s global technology outage.
He said BCCEC members have expressed concerns after the Department of Inland Revenue’s online payment portal went down.
“Just as our members now have to revert and use some type of mechanism, we’re wondering and hoping now what the Department of Inland Revenue’s contingency is in these instances where businesses are in [risk of] being penalised because of the fact that they’re unable to make their payments,” he said.
Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation (BCCEC) President Leo Rolle
Prime Minister flies to US for sciatica treatment
from page one
Dr Darville, during Thursday’s Office of the Prime Minister press briefing, said Mr Davis would do tests and that an MRI would show where his nerve fibre is being compressed.
Central Bank governor John Rolle noted some payment services went offline.
BCCEC CEO Mr Rolle said the chamber advised businesses to revert to manual receipts and
“I can’t really say whether there will be a recourse or there won’t. I haven’t seen anything relative to a contingency plan or any type of disaster management or crisis management measures being put in place by any of the ministries, but I’m certain there are protocols, and they will be released probably this week.” The outage affected several industries. Some banks reported ATMs were out of service, systems at the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) were disrupted, and some businesses and vendors were unable to process transactions.
transactions and avoid doing card transactions during the outage.
The outage happened after cybersecurity company CrowdStrike distributed a faulty update to its security software.
Mr Rolle said education can counter technophobia after the outage.
The Cleveland Clinic says sciatica involves irritation, inflammation, pinching or compression that affects one or more nerves running down the lower back and into the legs. The condition is not considered serious, but severe cases require surgery.
Dr Darville said the prime minister is usually fine when sitting, adding: “It’s when he stands up he does have excruciating, radiating pain, particularly running down one of his legs. I think it’s the right leg.”
Dr Darville said Mr Davis is in good spirits.
Mr Davis recently participated in a series of meetings and events in London.
Prime minister PhiliP ‘Brave’ Davis
acting Prime Minister Chester Cooper speaking during the inaugural visit of the Utopia of the Seas at the Nassau Cruise Port.
Photo: chappell Whyms Jr
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
Biden leaves presidential race, endorses his VP
THe announcement that President Joe Biden is dropping out of his bid for re-election has seemed inevitable as pressure has been building – but it is still remarkable that it has actually happened.
The election race has already seen the shocking incident of course in which former President Donald Trump was injured when a gunman opened fire from a rooftop at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A firefighter attending the rally was killed in the incident.
Mr Biden had struggled in a debate with Mr Trump – with rambling speeches and a series of errors. That debate prompted alarm in Democratic circles over whether Mr Biden should continue. Those discussions even circulated here in The Bahamas among both Amercians here and Bahamians wondering what the future will bring for us from this presidential race.
In comparison, Mr Trump seemed robust – even if factcheckers had trouble keeping up with some of his inaccurate comments.
That was compounded by the image of him with a fist in the air and blood on his face after the Butler shooting, shouting “Fight” to his supporters even as the Secret Service ushered him to safety.
That has become a rallying cry at Republican events since. The clenched fist has become a symbol for the campaign.
Mr Biden seems to favour his Vice President, Kamala Harris, to pick up the mantle. There has been much talk of how she will be able to hold Mr Trump to account in debates – though had that been the case, she has had plenty of opportunity to do so before now.
For The Bahamas, we have already seen how one Trump presidency will affect our nation – and there seemed to be little difference in terms of getting an ambassador appointed, a gap that has existed for many years now through
various administrations. The challenge there lies in getting the nominees approved by the Senate. That has been a logjam that has not been overcome to our benefit.
What can probably be safely predicted is that the rest of the election campaign in the US will not be without drama. There shall, we are sure, be many twists and turns between and election day on November 2024.
For Mr Biden, it is time to see out the remainder of his presidency and then pass on the baton. Who will pick it up remains to be seen.
Mitchell defends but doesn’t deny
IN a statement yesterday, Fred Mitchell criticised The Tribune for its report on a US report, saying our headline was misleading. It was not. The US report did indeed point out the delay in inaction of measures to tackle corruption.
The article went on to point out positive aspects of the report and the country’s position for investors - as indeed did the editorial article on this page on Friday.
We note Mr Mitchell in his statement does not deny the criticisms over delays in the Integrity Commission, campaign finance legislation, the disregard of the Public Disclosure Act, whether Bahamas Invest is ever going to come to fruition, and so on. The matters of substance in the report that our story highlighted, he does not deny.
Indeed, in this column on Friday, we said that given how there is a positive outlook for investors already, imagine how much better it might be if we tackled such issues. The government can happily proceed to do so, rather than criticise those who point such issues out.
Disgusted by Athol Island destruction
EDITOR, The Tribune.
I WRITe today to register my complete and utter disgust and revulsion of what is taking place on Athol Island. For a senior government minister to not only permit, but to be involved, via family connections, in such a blatant destruction of a cultural heritage site without any permits from the DePP, in the middle of a Marine Protected Area is beyond belief! Leon Lundy tried to convince parliament yesterday that permits had been approved. Come on Mr Lundy, we are not idiots! There is NO WAY the DePP would approve
such a blatant destruction of a heritage site. If they have subsequently done so, it would have to have been because of coercion and threats! Also, the construction of the dock. It is my understanding that a sea bed lease is required in order to construct a dock which entails driving pylons into the sea bed. There is no way a sea bed lease would be approved in a marine protected area. We do NOT need any more swimming pigs! What was once a curiosity in exuma has been exploited beyond belief. I cannot believe these innocent animals are happy in their new environments.
Church must face its hypocrisy
EDITOR, The Tribune. MY spirit has directed me to call it as I see it unapologetically. I am not being politically correct; neither does it matter what anyone thinks, says or does. We are too hypocritical, and our society is too cruel after pretending to be a Christian nation. For instance, we often condemn others for their sins while ignoring our own, or we preach love and acceptance but show judgment and exclusion to those who are different from us. We have managed to point fingers at everyone else but never muster the courage to accept that we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We quickly point to the sins of others just because their sins are different from ours. Reading this will bring you to your senses and allow you to spend valuable time fixing yourself rather than keeping notes of other people’s actions. Oh yes, we’re the great pretenders. Call me whatever you wish, don’t call me collect, pay for the call.
I will scan a few topics related to how, if the church plays its rightful role, all will be well.
to a false belief that the government need the council’s approval to proceed.
The council is hindering the growth of wisdom, being sidetracked by politics while interfering in the government’s decision to legalise marijuana rather than delivering the Lord’s message.
Christian Council’s president, Delton Fernander has failed to provide a clear biblical argument against marijuana use despite his role as a bishop. His silence on the fact that a prominent bishop is advocating for marijuana use is concerning.
What is most disturbing is the potential for a diabolical plan to include children in the use of marijuana or the lack of adequate policing of its use by minors, which is simply wicked. Just as there is a law prohibiting children from going to the bar, the same principles should apply to marijuana use.
exactly why domestic violence, violent arguments and sometimes death is so prevalent. We are too busy imposing our will and opinion on others.
Similarly, the church treats some humans like they are subhuman because of their preferences, belittling those who choose their lifestyle. No one suggests that there must be an agreement, but at least there should be respect. We must foster an environment of tolerance and acceptance in our church, where everyone is respected regardless of their lifestyle choices. “The Lord came not to call the righteous, but sinners too repentance.”
The mystery is how pastors who preach fire and brimstone against certain lifestyles have children who live those very lifestyles. Many pastors live with a cloud over their heads; it is not a halo.
All this destruction and ruination for the sake of money in the pockets of scrupulous developers.
It’s interesting that Mr Lundy, in his statement in parliament yesterday refused to give the names of the developers. However, in this day and age of the internet and WhatsApp, many of us KNOW who they are!
One thing is for sure, they will lose a lot of votes next election.
Signed, A totally disgusted, totally disillusioned, totally disappointed Bahamian Citizen.
BAHAMIAN CITIZEN Nassau
The Christian Council’s role must be clearly defined, emphasizing the church’s primary mission. This mission, which is to save souls, feed the hungry, visit the sick, help to mend the brokenhearted, and preach the acceptance of the Lord, is the bedrock of our faith and should steer all our actions.
The council’s role is to support and facilitate these missions, not to dictate or control them. It is not the council’s role to interfere in government affairs but rather to focus on the spiritual and social welfare of the community.
Addressing social problems and repairing families is crucial to the council’s mission. However, the council’s involvement in running the government, particularly in decision-making processes such as the legalisations of marijuana, is a clear overstepping of boundaries. As the scripture says, ‘Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s,’ which means that we should respect the authority of the government in secular matters while focusing on our spiritual mission. Don’t get the two mixed up.
The council’s persistent interference in government affairs has left people in a state of confusion. The lack of a clear boundary has led
My advice to Fernander is to take up the mantle and clean up all of the misconceptions about the church, especially the Baptist church, which is fragmented and seems not to be too interested in speaking with one voice. Thus, said the Lord, should be returned as the game plan for all Christians, nothing more, nothing less, especially since no one is above reproach. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
It’s high time we prioritise unity and respect within our church. These values should not just guide our interactions and decisions but also be the cornerstone of our community, where everyone is respected and valued.
Churches are popping up in everyone’s garage, abandoned buildings or used tents. The “glamorousness” of churches with the trappings of success has the gullible, who are simply followers, falling all over themselves. “The pie in the sky” sermon whips the weak into a frenzy, fleeced, and before they know it, they are bringing their Asue draw children’s school fees and utility payments to seed, hoping for a windfall. A con artist with the bible as a prop has been allowed to run roughshod over the vulnerable.
The church should be preaching unity across the board. The lack of tolerance of one another is
Alternative lifestyles have existed since time immemorial. The majority operate under the cover of darkness hidden from view. These are the same people we look up to every day. They are deep in every profession, religion, colors, and class.
The church nitpicks on what they think is moral or immoral, but there are never any sermons about promiscuity, sweet hearting, exploitation, incest and deceit. Maybe because key church members are too engrossed and fingers are on lips, it never meets the grade of the latest insatiable sermon. We must pray for our impressionable youth who look up to these false prophets. Simply put, God made all of us in his image and likeness, with choices. He is the only judge, so leave his business alone and allow everyone to plan their lives and answer to God when it is time.
Hypocrisy has been allowed to live unchallenged for too long.
I expect the narrowminded and petty cowards to hit the roof, but many would die a thousand deaths if they were exposed. If you’re a Christian who insults people, you’re a hypocrite. If you’re a Christian who judges people, you’re a hypocrite. If you’re a Christian who says “Oh my God!” you’re a hypocrite. There is none good, no not one
IVOINE W INGRAHAM Nassau, July 20, 2024.
US Vice President Kamala Harris with Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis in June last year. As US
President Joe Biden announced that he will step down from the presidential race, he gave his endorsement for Harris to be the Democratic candidate.
Photo: Austin Fernander
Govt to start construction on 50 homes in Grand Bahama
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
HOUSING and Urban Development Minister
Keith Bell announced on Friday that the government will start construction of 50 new homes in Grand Bahama.
He also said that Urban Renewal will commence small home repairs throughout the island to assist people in urgent need of repairs. According to Mr Bell, the government will build single-family units and multi-family units.
He said the multi-family unit rent-only programme will assist people who ordinarily would not be able to afford a mortgage or downpayment.
“We want to put everyone in a position to obtain a home,” he said.
He said: “We want to let Grand Bahamians that are desirous of obtaining a home to come to the Ministry for Grand Bahama or
Ministry of Housing, and those in urgent need of home repairs to come to Urban Renewal Centres and Ministry for Grand Bahama because we want to ensure that nobody is left behind.”
Grand Bahama Minister Ginger Moxey said her ministry is working with the Ministry of Housing to ensure people receive assistance.
Kingsley Smith, MP for West Grand Bahama and Bimini, said he is pleased that Mr Bell is in Grand Bahama because new homes and small home repairs are needed in his constituency. He asked his constituents to be patient.
Algernon Allen, the cochair of Urban Renewal, said the small home repairs programme will greatly benefit Grand Bahamians. The Rev Diana Francis, the co-chair of Urban Renewal, said the programmes will lift the hearts of people in Grand Bahama.
“They have been victims
Man accused of attempted murder
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter
kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
A 37-yeAR-OlD
man was sent to prison on Friday after being accused of attempting to end the life of Bernard Deveaux on Saturday, July 13.
Omar Johnson stood before the magistrate as the charge of attempted murder was read to him.
According to court dockets, while in New Providence, Johnson intentionally and unlawfully
attempted to murder Deveaux by means of unlawful harm.
Johnson was not required to enter a plea at this time as he was informed his matter would move to the higher court by way of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).
Johnson was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDOCS) as his case was adjourned to October 24 when his VBI may potentially be served.
Man gets probation over drug charges
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
A 37-yeAR-OlD man was put on a year’s probation after pleading guilty to having marijuana and cocaine.
Kioney Sidney Francis Jr, of lake Shore Road, stood in Magistrate’s Court charged with two counts of possession of dangerous drugs.
According to particulars on the court docket, on
Monday, July 15, Francis, Jr, was found in possession of 13g of Indian Hemp and one gram of cocaine while in New Providence. Francis, Jr, was conditionally discharged and was ordered to pay the default of $1,000 or serve three months in the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDOCS) as well as attend drug counseling for six months, which were the terms set for his conditional discharge.
of so many subsequent storms through the years. People have gone through massive housing depletions and the intent is to lift hearts and bring hope to people in distress that are hurting and left broken and
abandoned,” she said. Ms Moxey said the Cities Forward Initiative, which is in partnership with the US State Department and the City of Coral Springs, will commence an urban revitalisation project at Garden
Villas. “There is so much work that needs to be done in that area and with UR we will transform this area into a model community. We will make it a smart community with Wi-Fi
for the lighting and playground. There also will be a resilience centre in partnership with the Ministry of National Security and Social Services because it is considered a hot spot in Grand Bahama,” she said.
Minister of Housing and urban renewal KeitH bell
governor general, Dame Cynthia ‘Mother’ Pratt (seated centre) received the 2024 scholarship winner, Miss Aaliyah Rolle, and Bahamas Committee members of the United World College Scholarship programme during a courtesy call, July 16, 2024 at the Office of the Governor General.
Photo: Patrick Hanna/BIS
MONDAY, JULY 22, 2024
How will marijuana law work, and who will actually benefit?
By MalcolM Strachan
THIS week’s column
could take a look at no end of subjects – it has been quite a week, but it is the issue of marijuana legislation that we shall focus on.
That said, let us visit some of those other issues first. There has been the spate of murders that, at the time of writing has reached 70 for the year – and it is terrible to have to write that while feeling the number could rise again by the time you are reading this.
In the House of Assembly, there has been the absolutely unforgiveable sight of a state minister refusing to tell people who the developer is behind a project over on Athol Island. There are strong whispers that there is a high level political connection. When that
is revealed – as it surely will be – Leon Lundy’s reticence will look even worse than it does now, I am sure. As Parliament takes its recess, there was a batch of bills related to intellectual property protection – which hopefully will be a good thing as long as it is enforced properly, giving Bahamians the chance to properly make the most of their creative endeavours. This legislation looks like a positive – so praise where it is deserved. I do hope the value being placed on Bahamians’ work spreads to the organisers of the national song contest that happens for Independence, and that performers are appropriately rewarded in such events. And then there is the Prime Minister. Philip Davis has been suffering from sciatica, it seems, and has flown to the US for
well. I did note a number of people wondering why he did not get treatment here, and recalling his trip to the US for COVID treatment as well. I’ll confess, I do not put much truck in that. A person can choose the treatment they need, and I wish him a safe recovery. A word of praise too for Glenys Hanna-Martin, for standing up in Parliament and calling out the plans by the cruise port for a water park. She deserves kudos for trying to ensure that the port does not carve out too big a piece of the pie for itself, giving visitors no reason to step beyond the fence to see – and spend in – Downtown and beyond.
And so I come to the marijuana legislation –which apart from a late salvo from the Christian Council seems to have overcome the majority of objections in its passage.
have mixed feelings – not so much about the legislation but about what I hope does not happen next. Let me go back to the webshop legislation. It always sat uncomfortably with me that the entities that run the webshops today are, by and large, the same ones as ran the operations before the legislation – or becoming regularised, as the phrase was at the time.
It felt to me like a reward for being unregulated for so long – and I could not help but wonder if you or I or most others were in such a position, would we be accorded the same privilege? Take a look at the recent heavy-handed tactics with armed officers accompanying tax teams to get your answer. So who will be the ones to run marijuana operations in the wake of this legislation?
I don’t want those who ance of the law now to be rewarded. Serious drug dealers should not suddenly be able to put on a veneer of respectability when they have been happy to break
That said, perhaps there is room for those with minor charges to have those expunged, leaving them with the ability to enter the Recreational use will still be illegal – and I hope that is made very clear, and those who ingly supplying poses are dealt with as they
A lot
small-time offenders have been getting into that business to make a bit of money to survive. They will still need to earn money – is this their opportunity to do so legally?
Or will some big-time players in our society –those already established in a number of other industries – swoop in and corner this market too? Where will those small players go to make money, what will they do, if this avenue is not an option either?
This is my predicament – I am well aware of that. I do not want criminals rewarded, nor do I want the market cornered by those who frankly do not need even more money. I would love to see this as a pathway for people to find their way out of poverty, to offer a new path for entrepreneurs. This could create a whole new sector that could enable Bahamians to lift themselves up – but I am doubtful that will be the case. In truth, I would honestly legalise recreational use too. This halfway house does not quite get us to where we should go, I think. I know some readers
will say I am only saying this because I want to partake – but I’ll stick with my rum, thank you. It’s not for me.
Given the late intervention by the Christian Council, I can see that the government has done what it feels it can do for now. The council was quick to seize on former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ suggestion of legalising recreational use as a sign that this was the secret agenda all along, so I can only imagine how some of the consultation went. This legislation is a significant change in our society – and I do hope that it can be used as an opportunity for significant change for some of the members of our society.
I would love to see more avenues opened up that would keep our young people out of jail. Out of crime. Out of a pathway to far worse, including those murders that continue to soar in numbers. But I am uncomfortable about how this will work, and who will be the ones to benefit. It’s a fine line – and what comes next will bear watching closely.
Shrinking workforces and ageing populations pose new challenges for the Caribbean
Mia Mottley, the Prime Minister of Barbados, recently informed her country’s House of assembly that their nation “is in a crisis with respect to an ageing and declining population”. By making this statement, the Prime Minister highlighted a pressing issue that affects not only Barbados but many other countries in the Caribbean.
The populations of many Caribbean countries are ageing, while the number of working individuals who contribute to taxes, fees, and levies necessary for funding pensions and maintaining health and education sectors is declining. if this trend continues, Barbados and other Caribbean countries will struggle to sustain the payment of pensions and healthcare, particularly for the elderly who are the primary users, as well as education. Ms Mottley emphasised that “these services do not come cheap” and rely heavily on tax revenue, which is under threat due to the population decline. She also noted that the country’s social care services are “integral to the health and wellness of Barbadians”, as they are to all Caribbean nations. if these services shrink or collapse, there will be an increased outflow of skilled and semiskilled persons from the region, exacerbating the already troubling situation. as one potential solution, the Prime Minister proposed opening Barbados to immigrants to enlarge the working population and increase productivity. She highlighted the benefits of CaRiCOM nationals contributing to sectors such as construction and agriculture, stating, “if you did not have those persons living here helping to control the price of work labourers in
World
View
By SIR RONALD SANDERS
agriculture and construction, the level of inflation and cost of living would have gone through the roof at a much earlier point”.
Caribbean countries are at various stages of population ageing. By 2030, the share of persons aged 60 years and over in the total population will be higher than 20 percent for most countries.
Years ago, antigua and Barbuda recognised the correlation between a larger population, economic growth, and the provision of social services, particularly for its aging population. This recognition has contributed to its position as the second fastest-growing Caribbean economy, behind only Guyana with its vibrant oil and gas industry.
Evidence of the positive impact of immigration is found in a background study for the World Development Report 2023, “Migrants, Refugees, and Societies.” The study examined the 14 independent CaRiCOM countries and the Dominican Republic, finding that in six of the countries, immigrants represent more than ten percent of the population. in antigua and Barbuda, immigrants make up as much as 30 percent of the population, directly contributing to the country’s ability to maintain its health and education services and pension payments. Meeting these obligations is particularly challenging
for antigua and Barbuda because it has no personal income tax, but the situation would have been much worse without the immigrant working population. in 2020, the countries with the highest number of immigrants as a percentage of the population were: antigua and Barbuda (30 percent), The Bahamas (16.2 percent), Belize (15.6 percent), and Barbados (12.1 percent). The two CaRiCOM countries with the lowest number of immigrants were Haiti and Jamaica, whose nationals comprise nearly 75 percent of the outflow of people from the region. it should be noted that immigrants to Caribbean countries are not only other Caribbean nationals but also come from the US, Canada, the UK, and parts of Europe. in The Bahamas, for instance, where immigration from the Caribbean is tightly controlled, the numbers of non-Caribbean nationals are higher. Similarly, Belize, due to its location in Central america, has a far higher inflow of immigrants from neighbouring states than from the Caribbean. Proximity to the Leeward and Windward islands, and obligations for the movement of labour under the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), have caused antigua and Barbuda to become the main destination country for OECS migrants. This movement has eased strains
on other OECS countries and helped grow antigua and Barbuda’s economy by providing a greater critical mass for production and sustaining social welfare. The importance of migration has recently been emphasized for australia – a country which, for decades, kept out immigrants and even paid other countries to take them. a recent report by the Migration Council of australia promoted a policy to accept immigrants in australia’s interest, projecting that the economy will be 40 percent larger as a result of migration by 2050. Migration will contribute $1.6 trillion to the australian economy, underscoring its significance for australia’s future prosperity. also, the american immigration Council reports that “almost one in every seven people in the US is an immigrant. They are paying taxes, starting businesses, and making significant contributions across vital industries, including upkeep of health and education services”.
For some time,
CaRiCOM countries have been working on rolling out elements of a Single Market and Economy, including the freedom of movement of labour. Currently, 12 specific skill categories are covered under the mobility agreement, including university graduates, artists, musicians, media workers, athletes, teachers, nurses, agricultural workers, and security guards. While some level of immigration is allowed within CaRiCOM to enlarge working populations, much more needs to be done. For example, large oil and gas production in Guyana has brought significant demands. The international Labour Organization says that Guyana needs at least 160,000 additional workers, representing 20 percent of its population. The pull to developed countries, such as the US, Canada, and Britain, will also continue. all this will create competition for appropriate immigrants. However, as Prime Minister Mottley has stated, and as the experience of
antigua and Barbuda has shown, immigration will only be acceptable and embraced by local populations if three conditions are met: it must be planned and orderly, with immigrants corresponding to needed skills over at least a 10-year period; the backgrounds of immigrants must be thoroughly checked for security reasons; and the culture, traditions, and values of the national society must be respected.
CaRiCOM leaders in government and the private sector should treat this issue with the urgent planning it deserves. a high-level group drawn from both sectors, advised by research from the University of the West indies, should plan for the orderly migration and absorption of skilled and semi-skilled persons who are clearly needed.
• The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the US and the OAS. The views expressed are entirely his own. Responses and previous commentaries: www. sirronaldsanders.com.
Changing mindset on climate change necessary for The Bahamas’ future
By JERVON SANDS
CLiMaTE change has a degree of responsibility for many of the current challenges our nation is facing. We can no longer deny that extreme heat, more intense hurricanes, frequent flooding and other serious impacts have become a part of the reality for Bahamians within the 21st century. Yet, climate change – the cause of these issues – remains a niche topic in the minds of our citizens. if we want our islands to have a future, that must change. Fortunately, the Climate Change Youth ambassadors of the Bahamas along with other Bahamian professionals are working to bring not only climate change but also climate justice and climate action to the forefront of the minds of Bahamian youth and the wider populace. We aim to achieve this by continuing the conversations started at the BYCC.
Climate action is one of the directives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Goal 13 urges member states to, “take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts”. This means that countries around the world have a duty to address the climate crisis. also, Bahamians have our own roles to play. it is important to rewrite our nation’s current
narrative on climate change because although more Bahamians are recognising that climate change is impacting our islands, they remain uncertain about how we as Bahamians can take action.
The first step to eliminating that uncertainty is to promote a national understanding that climate action is not only the work of our nation’s leaders, climate scientists and researchers, or global organizations. all Bahamians have the ability to get involved with climate action within our own workplaces, churches, schools, communities and homes. However, if we are not properly informed about how to engage with or create these opportunities then we will never feel empowered to act.
Climate justice is about recognising the disproportionate impacts of climate change on the people and
places least responsible for the problem such as citizens of Small island Developing States like the Bahamas. it is widely known that small islanders contribute the least to the climate crisis, yet we experience the earliest and most severe impacts. These impacts have cascading affects on public health, small island economies, and cultural heritage. They are also responsible for the social unrest that develops within populations struggling to cope with the realities of climate change. it is our hope that by continuing these conversations we can catalyze climate action throughout our nation, secure climate justice for all Bahamians and ensure a safe, prosperous future for the commonwealth of the Bahamas.
To accomplish this, we will explore the intersections between climate change and topics important to Bahamian life and culture such as health, food, education, finance, tourism, local industries, history, religion, art, and more. We will also continue to encourage all Bahamians to join the conversation.
Please stay tuned for upcoming articles on the topics mentioned above. You can also get updates on more of our work by following us @bccya.242, @ cceaubahamas, & @sdgunit242 on instagram.
Jervon SandS
Biden drops out of 2024 race after disastrous debate inflamed age concerns, endorses VP Harris
WASHINGTON Associated Press
President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House on sunday, ending his bid for reelection after a disastrous debate with donald trump that raised doubts about the incumbent’s fitness for office with the election just four months away. it was a late-season campaign thunderstrike without parallel in the country’s political history.
the president — intent on serving out the remainder of his term in office — quickly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take on trump and encouraged his party to unite behind her, making her the party’s instant favorite for the nomination at its August convention in Chicago.
the announcement is the latest jolt to a campaign for the White House that both political parties see as the most consequential election in generations, coming a week after the attempted assassination of trump at a Pennsylvania rally.
A party’s presumptive presidential nominee has never stepped out of the race so close to the election. President Lyndon Johnson, besieged by the Vietnam War, announced in March 1968 that he would not seek another term after just a single state’s primary. Biden’s July decision comes after more than 14 million democrats cast votes supporting him through the primary process.
Harris, in a statement, praised Biden’s “selfless and patriotic act” and said she intends to “earn and win” her party’s nomination.
i will do everything in my power to unite the democratic Party — and unite our nation — to defeat donald trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda,” she said.
Biden’s decision to bow out came after escalating pressure from his democratic allies to step aside following the June 27 debate, in which the 81-year-old president trailed off, often gave nonsensical answers and failed to call out the former president’s many falsehoods.
“it has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, i believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden wrote in a letter posted sunday to his X account.
nearly 30 minutes after he delivered the news that he was folding his campaign, Biden threw his support behind Harris.
“today i want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” he said in another post on X. “democrats — it’s time to come together and beat trump.” there were early signs that the party was moving to coalesce around Harris, who scored the endorsements of the Congressional Black Caucus and former President Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton even before she had commented on Biden’s decision to quit the race. But notably, former President Barack Obama held off, pledging support behind the eventual party nominee.
“We are honored to join the President in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever we can to support her,” former President Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton said in a statement.
But Obama, who had privately shared doubts about Biden’s reelection chances, stopped short of endorsing Harris even as he praised Biden for his decision to leave the race.
“i have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges,” he said in a statement.
Biden’s decision came as he has been isolating at his delaware beach house after being diagnosed with COVid-19 last week, huddling with a shrinking circle of close confidants and family members about his political future. Biden said he would address the nation later this week to provide “detail” about his decision.
senior campaign and White House staff were notified just minutes before the letter went out, according to people familiar with the matter. Biden had been reflecting on his future for the past couple days and the decision was closely held. now, democrats have to urgently try to bring coherence to the nominating process in a matter of weeks and convince voters in a stunningly short amount of time that their nominee can handle the job and beat trump. And for his part, trump must shift his focus to a new opponent after years of training his attention on Biden.
the decision marks a swift and stunning end to Biden’s 52 years in electoral politics, as donors, lawmakers and even aides expressed to him their doubts that he could convince voters that he could plausibly handle the job for another four years.
Biden won the vast majority of delegates and every nominating contest but one, which would have made his nomination a formality. now that he has dropped out, those delegates will be free to support another candidate.
Harris, 59, appeared to be the natural successor, in large part because she is the only candidate who can directly tap into the Biden campaign’s war chest, according to federal campaign finance rules.
Biden’s backing helps clear the way for Harris, but a smooth transition is by no means assured. the democratic national Convention is scheduled to be held Aug. 19-22 in Chicago, but the party had announced it would hold a virtual roll call to formally nominate Biden before inperson proceedings begin. it remained to be seen whether other candidates would challenge Harris for the nomination. the democratic national Committee’s chair, Jaime Harrison, said in a statement that the party would “undertake a transparent and orderly process” to select “a candidate who can defeat donald trump in november.”
trump reacted to the news in a post on his truth social site, in which he said Biden “was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve.”
“We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly,” he added. “MAKe AMeriCA GreAt AGAin!”
While trump and his team had made their preference for facing Biden clear, his campaign had nonetheless ramped up its attacks on Harris as pressure on Biden to step down intensified. democratic officials, including many who were behind the effort to push Biden from the race, quickly released statements praising Biden’s decision.
“His decision of course was not easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first,” said senate Majority Leader Chuck schumer, d-n.Y. “Joe, today shows you are a true patriot and great American.”
House democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of new York praised Biden as “one of the most accomplished and consequential leaders in American history.”
republican House speaker Mike Johnson said Biden should immediately resign if he is not fit enough to run for office. in a statement, Johnson said, november 5 cannot arrive soon enough.” in addition to his planned address to the country, Biden still intends to host israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
netanyahu at the White House this week, according to a person familiar with the president’s schedule who was not authorized to comment publicly. the exact timing of the meeting is still not set in stone as Biden continues to recover from COVid netanyahu is scheduled Wednesday to deliver an address to Congress and he is also expected to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris while in Washington.
in 2020, Biden pitched himself as a transitional figure who wanted to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders. But once he secured the job he spent decades struggling to attain, he was reluctant to part with it.
Biden was once asked whether any other democrats could beat trump.
“Probably 50 of them,” Biden replied. “no, i’m not the only one who can defeat him, but i will defeat him.”
Biden is already the country’s oldest president and had insisted repeatedly that
he was up for the challenge of another campaign and another term, telling voters all they had to was “watch me.”
And watch him they did. His poor debate performance prompted a cascade of anxiety from democrats and donors who said publicly what some had said privately for months, that they did not think he was up to the job for four more years.
Concerns over Biden’s age have dogged him since he announced he was running for reelection, though trump is just three years younger at 78. Most Americans view the president as too old for a second term, according to an August 2023 poll from the Associated Press-nOrC Center for Public Affairs research. A majority also doubt his mental capability to be president, though that is also a weakness for trump.
Biden often remarked that he was not as young as he used to be, doesn’t walk as easily or speak as smoothly, but that he had wisdom and
decades of experience, which were worth a whole lot.
i give you my word as a Biden. i would not be running again if i didn’t believe with all my heart and soul i can do this job,” he told supporters at a rally in north Carolina a day after the debate. “Because, quite frankly, the stakes are too high.”
But voters had other problems with him, too — he has been deeply unpopular as a leader even as his administration steered the nation through recovery from a global pandemic, presided over a booming economy and passed major pieces of bipartisan legislation that will impact the nation for years to come. A majority of Americans disapprove of the way he’s handling his job, and he’s faced persistently low approval ratings on key issues including the economy and immigration.
Biden’s motivation for running was deeply intertwined with trump. He had retired from public service
following eight years serving as vice president under Obama and the death of his son Beau but decided to run after trump’s comments following a “Unite the right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, when white supremacists descended on the city to protest the removal of its Confederate memorials.
trump said: “You had some very bad people in the group, but you also had people that were very fine people on both sides. On both sides.” Biden’s wife, first lady Jill Biden, responded to the president’s announcement by reposting Biden’s letter announcing his decision and adding red heart emojis.
Granddaughter naomi Biden neal said on social media, “i’m nothing but proud of my Pop.” she said he has served the country “with every bit of his soul and with unmatched distinction” and “our world is better today in so many ways thanks to him.”
Miss Universe says it’s
In the vibrant wake of our nation’s independence celebrations, Miss Universe Sheynnis Palacios arrived at Lynden Pindling Airport on July 11, accompanied by her delegation from the Miss Universe Organization. the local franchisee, Miss Bahamas Universe Organization committee warmly welcomed her to our picturesque shores following her visit from Central America. the queen’s weekend visit was a highlight of the global tour by the Miss Universe Organization, designed to celebrate the diverse cultures of countries within the Miss Universe family. With over 50 countries visited in less than six months, pageant fans were ecstatic to experience the excitement of Miss Universe right here in nassau. the visit featured a public meet and greet, photo opportunities, a send-off party, and a delightful immersion into Bahamian culture, cuisine, and sunshine. Our renowned weather was the perfect backdrop, earning glowing reviews on the Miss Universe social media channels, reflecting the
positive experiences and heartfelt hospitality she enjoyed here.
Miss Universe Sheynnis Palacios expressed her deep appreciation for our island and the relaxation she felt upon arrival. “It’s Better in the Bahamas,” she playfully declared in a video at Sand Beach Resort, shortly after her enchanting encounter with the famous swimming pigs.
‘It was an honour to host Miss Universe in Nassau. The expectations were incredibly high, and I am proud that our team exceeded them.’
Anthony Smith, National Director for the Miss Bahamas Universe Organization.
the Miss Bahamas Universe Organization meticulously curated an impactful itinerary, including a visit with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for tourism and Aviation Chester Cooper, alongside Director General Latia Duncombe and their team. Following these official formalities, fans were treated to an unforgettable meet and greet, while a private reception was held for sponsors, partners, and organisation members. the British Colonial hotel in downtown nassau was the host of many of the spectacular activities, events and the send-off reception, delivering impeccable service. In between schedule activities,
Miss Universe Sheyniss Palacios with Miss Bahamas Universe Selvinique Wright.
better in The Bahamas
the delegation explored local treasures like the fish fry, Paradise Island, and the downtown market, seeking a truly authentic Bahamian experience.
“It was an honour to host Miss Universe in Nassau,” stated Anthony Smith, National Director for the Miss Bahamas Universe Organization. “The expectations were incredibly high, and I am proud that our team exceeded them, especially given the swift pace of the global tour and the limited three-month planning window following our local pageant. We are also immensely proud of Miss Universe Bahamas, Selvinique Wright, who shone as a gracious host throughout the visit. Her exceptional hospitality skills were evident, and she balanced this while
preparing for her competition in Mexico this fall and focusing on her platform, “Women’s Health, Us First”. This campaign is dedicated to raising awareness about fibroids, a significant health issue affecting women worldwide. The timing of this visit coincides with Fibroids Awareness Month, amplifying the importance of education and advocacy on this topic. Miss Universe stands as the largest celebration of women globally, connecting partners to over 90 aspirational delegates and influential figures who drive pop culture and champion women with purpose. It remains the most-watched women’s event worldwide, boasting an active and growing passionate fan base of over 27 million social media followers,
including 5.7 million on Insta gram, 13 million on Facebook, 2.3 million on TikTok, 1.1 million on YouTube, and 1.2 million on Twitter.
This memorable visit was made possible through the generous contributions of MoneyMax, The British Colonial Hotel, The Duchess and Café Channing Noelle, Lamont Nixon Taxi and Tour Services, Dr Marissa Mason-Smith, Jeremy Eastmond Photography, KIROS Images, Think Tank Production, Designer David Rolle, Julio Tatis, Exposure Photography, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
For more highlights and details about the visit, follow the organisation on instagram @missuniversebahamasofficial.
Roadrunners make impression
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor
THE Roadrunners Track and Field Club produced its best showing at the recent AAU National Club Championship in Jacksonville, Florida, finishing 16th out of a total of 300 clubs and over 4,000 athletes.
At the July 7-16 event, the 42-member team along with two nurses Monique Forbes and Stacy Hanna, and some 14 parents, collected a total of 60 medals, both individually and from their relay teams.
The competition also featured some other clubs from the Bahamas, including Swift, Red-Line Athletics, Samson Colebrook Athletic team, T-Bird Flyers and two teams from Grand Bahama.
The Roadrunners produced some outstanding performances as their 8-and-under girls 4 x 100m team clinched the gold, their boys 14-and-under 4 x 400m team and their 14-and-under boys 4x100m team got the silver.
Their boys 4 x 100m team was third; their 14-andunder girls were top right in the 4 x 400m; 15-andunder boys 4x400m was top eight; 12-and-under boys and 12-and-under girls were also top eight in the 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m and their 15-and-under girls
were top eight in the 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relays.
Melody Thompson struck gold in the 8-and-under girls 1,500m and finished in the top eight in the 800m.
Azalia Henderson also got gold in the 80m hurdles, while Jasmine Thompson was top eight in the 400m 400m hurdles.
Shawne Ferguson was top eight in the 200m hurdles and 200m; Ethan Stuart was top eight in the 200m; Chaynne Hepburn was top eight in the 200m hurdles; T’von Armbrister was top eight and Nario Williams top eight in 80m hurdles and javelin.
Head coach Dexter Bodie said many of their athletes produced personal best performances.
And their coaching staff of Krysten Black, Shawn Lockhart and Edvania Missick couldn’t ask for anything better.
He noted that the Roadrunners are looking forward to 2025 when they hope to improve on their performances and challenge for the top spot overall.
“This year was the best year for us going to the AAU Youth Championships,” Bodie said.
“I was impressed with my team’s overall performances.
“The athletes performed extremely well, despite the fact that it was extremely
hot. The athletes withstood the heat and they went out there and performed. I give them an A-plus overall.”
Bodie said next year, they hope to surpass this year’s accomplishment.
He said their aim is to get into the top two and, if they are successful, they will go for number one.
Some of the athletes were delighted to be able to participate in the meet.
“The first I had was the 800m and I was in third place, but on the second lap, I slowed down at the end and a few girls passed
me,” said Melody Thompson, a seven-year-old student of Garvin Tynes Primary School. But on the second day, I had the 1,500m and this time, I had the lead going on the last lap. I had a little girl behind me, but I wasn’t going to let anybody beat me. I jumped over the line to win.”
Trent Ford, a 17-year-old preparing for grade 12 at St Augustine’s College, said he was only able to run in the 4 x 100m relay because of an injury, but he was pleased with the way the
team performed. “It was hot. We had to drink plenty of water, but we went out there and got the job done in the heat,” he said.
“Next year, I’m going to work on trying to get some college offers and make my second CARIFTA team.”
Shawne Ferguson, a 13-year-old student of Queen’s College, said he had a better performance at the meet last year, but he was still thrilled to perform the way he did this year.
“I feel like I could do better. When I get on the track and get in the blocks, mentally you have to be ready, although you put in the work,” he said. “I think our team went out there and performed very well.”
Azalia Henderson, who just started competing in the hurdles just before the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools’ sports in March, said she was pleased to see how well she progressed in the event.
“I didn’t expect to come this far in such a short time,” said Hepburn, a 13-year-old student of Queen’s College. “I am really glad that I was able to get this gold medal in this big meet.
“It was a really good meet. Everybody did very well. Just about everybody got a medal, so it was a really good meet for us as a team aswell.”
And Jasmine Thompson, a 14-year-old student of Temple Christian, said she was thankful for her performance.
“It wasn’t what I expected, but I’m still grateful that I got some medals in the 400m and 400m hurdles as well as on the relay teams,” she said.
“I felt that as a team, we performed very well to finish 16th overall. I think next season, I want to better my performances and I know that the team will also perform better than we did this year.”
Joyce McKenzie, the mother of Trent Ford, said she was glad to travel as one of the parents to cheer on the team.
“This team did an awesome job in Jacksonville this year,” McKenzie said.
“They had a lot of PBs (personal bests) and a lot of the relays did exceptionally well as well.
“Overall we placed 26th out of 300 teams, which was phenomenal, coming from the Bahamas.
“These kids ran their hearts out. So we are very proud of them.”
The team had a celebration at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium to close out the track season and to get a well-deserved break before they start preparing for next season.
TADEJ POGACAR CELEBRATES HIS 3RD TOUR DE FRANCE VICTORY IN STYLE WITH ANOTHER AUDACIOUS STAGE WIN
By JEROME PUGMIRE AP Sports Writer
TADEJ Pogacar had no need to attack on the final stage of the Tour de France. Defending a lead of more than five minutes in yesterday’s time trial, he was set to comfortably win the race for the third time and first time in three years, anyway.
But defence has not been in his vocabulary during this race and he simply could not resist another attack.
With his main rival Jonas Vingegaard unable to challenge him, Pogacar celebrated his Tour victory in style with a dominant win in the time trial ending in Nice for the 17th stage win of his already illustrious Tour career.
The 25-year-old Slovenian rider also became the first cyclist to secure the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in the same year since the late Marco Pantani in 1998.
“To win both together is another level above,” said Pogacar, who rides for UAE Team Emirates. “I think this is the first Grand Tour where I was totally confident every day. Even at the Giro I remember I had one bad day. This year, the Tour was just amazing. I was enjoying it from day one.”
The two-time defending champion Vingegaard of
Denmark was second overall. He also finished the 21st and final stage in second place.
Pogacar won the 34-kilometre (21-mile) time trial on the French Riviera’s roads from Monaco to Nice in 45 minutes, 24 seconds. Vingegaard was 1 minute, 3 seconds behind him and Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel 1:14 back in third spot. In the overall standings, Vingegaard finished 6:17 behind Pogacar and Evenepoel was third overall, 9:18 behind Pogacar — whose other Tour wins came in 2020 and 2021.
“I’m super happy. I cannot describe how happy I am after two hard years in the Tour de France,” Pogacar said. “This year everything (was) perfection.”
The race did not finish in Paris as it usually does because of the Olympic Games. Nice mayor Christian Estrosi called the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the southern French Alps “perfect cycling territory.”
From early Sunday morning, fans camped along the popular Promenade des Anglais in Nice to guard a spot that would offer the best glimpse of cyclists.
Some fans chanted “Remco, Remco” as the race-against-the-clock
specialist zoomed past them. They may have been surprised to see Pogacar going flat out.
After his explosive attack on Friday, Pogacar said he would not try to win Saturday’s stage. Yet he still won it to become the second man to clinch five mountain stages in one Tour after Italian rider Gino Bartali in 1948. Pogacar led Vingegaard overnight by 5 minutes, 14
seconds. But the lure of another stage win proved too strong and he flew down the winding roads past picturesque Èze and Villefranche-sur-Mer on the approach to Nice, where the route flattened out again.
Pogacar held out three fingers as the finish line and a sixth stage win approached on this year’s Tour — the same number of stages he won when
dominating the Giro d’Italia. It was Pogacar’s biggest winning margin of his three Tour wins — beating the 5:20 gap on Vingegaard three years ago, but below the 7:29 victory margin Vingegaard enjoyed over Pogacar last year.
The battle with Vingegaard was not as close as it might have been in different circumstances.
The 27-year-old Vingegaard was hospitalised for nearly two weeks in April following a highspeed crash in the Tour of the Basque Country. He resumed competitive racing only on this Tour.
“Under normal circumstances, I would be disappointed with my Tour de France. But,
after everything I’ve gone through, I can’t be disappointed,” Vingegaard said.
“I would have loved to go a bit further, but it is what it is. I would like to come back to the Tour de France and win it again ... I believe the yellow jersey is the most beautiful jersey in road cycling.”
Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz won the best climber’s polka dot jersey while Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay won the top sprinter’s green jersey and the 24-year-old Evenepoel capped a fine debut Tour with the white jersey for best young rider.
“I feel like I’m floating through the sky. It’s super nice,” Girmay said. “I just want to say for the young kids, keep working hard and everything is possible.”
ROADRUNNERS head coach Dexter Bodie.
JOYCE McKenzie
BLAZER ELITE SPORTS ACADEMY MEMBERS ENJOY THEIR INTERNATIONAL JOURNEY
THE Blazer Elite Sports Academy team embarked on their international journey on June 27, 2024. The travelling party included head Coach Dr. Ray Evans, team mother Nicole Evans, parent presidents Seandra and Gervergo Delancy, along with supporting crew members Deborah Mills and Chantal Sylvester. The team members were Isais Sejour, Hinrich Monuma, T’Kai Delancy, and Carlens Louis (from the Turks and Caicos Island), and Kevin Pierre, Mauricio Davis, Lance Simmons, and Ethan Gilkes. Coach Kenneth Grant and Kevin Harvey supported the team on the ground. The team arrived in Portugal on June 28 and began playing in the Portugal Festival on June 29. They competed in the 19U division with a roster comprising of 15 and 16-year-old players. The team showcased remarkable talent, grit and resilience, finishing the tournament with a 2-3 record and securing an impressive 5th place out of 12 teams.
tournament in the Top 15 in Scoring:
Top Scorers: Isais Sejour: #3
Mauricio Davis: #7
Hinrich Monuma: #15
They had two (2) players completing the tournament in the Top Ten for Rebounds:
Top Rebounders:
T’Kai Delancy: #3
Isais Sejour: #13
Top in Steals:
Mauricio Davis: #4
T’Kai Delancy: #5
Isais Sejour: #13
Portugal Festival Highlights and Results: They had three (3) players completing the
Following their visit to Portugal, the team travelled to Spain to compete in the EPIT Tournament
in the 18U Division, which started on July 1. Elite Blazer Elite Sports Team executed, excelled and won the championship with a spectacular 4-1 record.
EPIT Spain Tournament Highlights: They completed the tournament with three players in the Top 15 in Scoring:
Top Scorers: Hinrich Monuma: #2 (23.5 oPPG)
Isais Sejour: #4 (20.5 PPG)
T’Kai Delancy: #7 (17.5 PPG)
Two players in the Top 10 in Rebounds:
Top Rebounders:
T’Kai Delancy: #3 (11.5 Rebound PG)
Isais Sejour: #4 (11 RPG)
Two players in the Top 10 in Top 10 in Assist:
Top in Assists: T’Kai Delancy: #4 (7.5 APG) Isais Sejour: #7 (6 APG)
Two players in the Top 10 in Top 10 in Assist: Top in Assists: T’Kai Delancy: #4 (7.5 APG) Isais Sejour: #7 (6 APG)
Four players in the Top 15 in Steals:-
Top in Steals: Mauricio Davis: #2 (4.5 SPG)
Kevin Pierre: #5 (3.5 SPG)
Isais Sejour: #7 (3 SPG)
T’Kai Delancy: #11 (2.5 SPG)
Two players with remarkable number of blocks:
Blocks: Carlens Louis: # 5 blocks Lance Simmons: # 5 blocks
The team continued their European tour with exhibition games in Paris and London before returning home on July 18.
XANDER SCHAUFFELE WINS BRITISH OPEN FOR HIS 2ND MAJOR THIS YEAR
By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer
TROON, Scotland (AP)
— Xander Schauffele went from the most nerve-wracking putt of his career to the coolest walk toward an 18th green he ever imagined.
He won a nail-biter at the PGA Championship in May. He delivered a masterpiece yesterday in the British Open. Two different finishes, two different feelings.
One major conclusion.
Schauffele has more than enough game and all the confidence in the world to win the biggest championships. Questioned at the start of the season whether he could win a major, he now has two of them.
Schauffele closed with a 6-under 65 with a final round that ranks among the most memorable in British Open history, particularly the 31 on the back nine. It matched the best score of the week at Royal Troon with nothing less than the claret jug riding on the outcome.
He played bogey-free in a daunting wind and turned a two-shot deficit into a twoshot victory for his second major of the year.
It also gave the Americans a sweep of the four majors for the first time since 1982.
“It’s a dream come true to win two majors in one year,” Schauffele said. “It took me forever just to win one, and to have two now is something else.”
He won the PGA Championship at Valhalla in May by making a 6-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 65. In a final round set up for high drama at Royal Troon — six players one shot behind, nine players separated by three shots — Schauffele made a tense Sunday look like a nice walk along the Irish Sea.
“I think winning the first one helped me a lot today on the back nine,” he said.
“I had some feeling of calmness come through. It was very helpful on what has been one of the hardest back nines I’ve ever played in a tournament.”
It sure didn’t show. Standing on the 18th tee, Schauffele said he turned to caddie and longtime friend Austin Kaiser and told him that he had felt calm down the decisive back nine.
“He said he was about to puke,” Schauffele said.
In the 90-year history of four majors, Schauffele became the first player to win two majors in one season with a final-round 65. Jack Nicklaus is the only other player to do that in his career.
And he never looked more calm, oozing that cool California vibe even as the wind presented so much trouble at Royal Troon.
Schauffele pulled away with three birdies in a fourhole stretch early on the back nine to go from two shots behind to leading by as many as three.
He won by two shots over American Billy Horschel and Justin Rose, the 43-year-old from England who had to go through 36-hole qualifying just to get into the field. They were among four players who
had at least a share of the lead at one point Sunday. They just couldn’t keep up with Schauffele. No one could.
“He has a lot of horsepower,” Rose said. “He’s good with a wedge, he’s great with a putter, he hits the ball a long way, obviously his iron play is strong. So he’s got a lot of weapons out there. I think probably one of his most unappreciated ones is his mentality. He’s such a calm guy out there.
“I don’t know what he’s feeling, but he certainly makes it look very easy.”
Even with so many players in contention early, the engraver was able to get to work early on those 16 letters across the base of the silver claret jug.
Schauffele kept staring at golf’s oldest trophy in his press conference, looking forward to gazing at it in private, wondering what kind of drink to pour from it.
He said he’d leave that up to his father, Stefan, who missed his son’s first major title and was blubbering on the phone with him.
As to where that final round ranks -- Henrik Stenson shot 63 when he won his duel with Phil Mickelson at Royal Troon in 2016 -- Schauffele left no doubt where it stood in his own career. “At the very
tip-top,” Schauffele said. “Best round I’ve played.”
Playing in the third-tolast group, he matched the round of the championship with a score that was just over eight shots better than the field average.
The final birdie was a pitch over a pot bunker to 4 feet on the par-5 16th. The grandstands at The Open are among the largest, lining both sides of the fairway as Schauffele walked through and soaked up the cheers.
“I got chills,” he said.
The 30-year-old from San Diego became the first player since Jordan Spieth in 2015 to win his first two majors in the same season. And he extended American dominance on this Scottish links as the seventh Open champion in the last eight visits to Royal Troon.
It was the 11th straight year for a first-time British Open champion, tying a tournament record.
Rose started one shot behind and closed with a 67. That was only good for second place. He had a chance to set a record by going the longest time between majors after his 2013 U.S. Open win.
“Gutted when I walked off the course and it hit me hard because I was so strong out there today,” Rose said. “Xander got it going. I hit a couple of
really good putts that didn’t fall, and then suddenly that lead stretched. I left it all out there. I’m super proud of how I competed.” Horschel, who started the final round with a one-shot lead in his bid to win his first major, dropped back around the turn and birdied his last three holes for a 68.
“I’m disappointed. I should feel disappointed. I had a chance to win a major,” Horschel said. “I just made a few too many mistakes today when I didn’t need to.”
The player Schauffele had to track down was Thriston Lawrence of South Africa, who birdied three of four holes to end the front nine with a 32.
Schauffele was two shots behind when it all changed so suddenly. Schauffele hit a wedge out of the left rough on the difficult 11th and judged it perfectly to 3 feet for birdie. He hit another wedge to 15 feet for birdie on the 13th, and capped his pivotal run with a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-3 14th.
Lawrence finally dropped a shot on the 12th and didn’t pick up any shots the rest of the day. He closed with a 68 and earned a small consolation — a trip to the Masters next April, his first time to Augusta National.
Scottie Scheffler, who got within one shot of the lead briefly on the front nine, lost his way with a threeputt from 6 feet for a double bogey on the ninth hole. Scheffler finished his round by topping a tee shot on the 18th and making another double bogey. The world’s No. 1 player closed with a 72 and tied for seventh.
He stuck around to share a hug with Schauffele, the two top players in golf. Schauffele was the only player this year to finish in the top 10 in all four majors. He finished at 9-under 275 and earned $3.1 million, pushing him over $15 million for the season.
Schauffele went from the heaviest major trophy at the PGA Championship to the smallest and oldest, the famed claret jug. “I just can’t wait to drink out of it,” he said, smiling as wide as ever.
THE Blazer Elite Sports Academy team at their awards ceremony.
XANDER SCHAUFFELE, of the United States, holds the Claret Jug
trophy aloft after winning the British Open Golf Championships at Royal Troon golf club in Troon, Scotland, yesterday. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Lorraine LaFleur 6th overall
out of 25 in Atlanta
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
ALTHOUGH the competition seemed to be getting harder and harder, Lorraine LaFleur said she was still pleased with her performance at the Atlanta Pro Show.
Competing in the event from July 12-14, LaFleur ended up sixth in the women’s physique out of a field of 25 competitors.
“This was rougher than Toronto Pro,” LaFleur said. “Everyone was on their game because we were all trying to qualify for Mr Olympia in October. But I had a great time.”
LaFleur, a personal fitness instructor at Gaines For Life, said based on her performance, she has to go back to the broadening board and work on a little of everything to get ready for her next show.
“Honestly, I will continue to work on everything,” she stated. “I am prepared to work even harder and try to get even sharper for the next show.”
The professional bodybuilder admitted that her smaller size in stature has also been a major factor for her.
“THESE WOMEN WERE TALLER THAN ME AND WE WERE ALL CONDITIONED SO TO HAVE A TALLER WOMAN WHO IS JUST AS SHARP AS YOU, I HAVE TO WORK HARDER TO EDGE HER OUT BECAUSE SHE AUTOMATICALLY LOOKS BIGGER BECAUSE OF HER HEIGHT. MAYBE I NEED TO GO TO A DOCTOR IN MIAMI AND SEE IF HE CAN SURGICALLY ADD SOME HEIGHT ON ME OR STRETCH ME.”
— Pro bodybuilder
Lorraine LaFleur
“These women were taller than me and we were all conditioned so to have a taller woman who is just as sharp as you, I have to work harder to edge her out because she automatically looks bigger because of her height,” LaFleur said. “Maybe I need to go to a doctor in Miami and see if he can surgically add some height on me or stretch me.”
PROFESSIONAL bodybuilder Lorraine LaFleur ended up sixth overall in the women’s physique out of a field of 25 competitors at the Atlanta Pro Show July 12-14.
Poitier sisters qualify for the 2024 World Teen Golf Championships
FROM PAGE 20
totally surprised when they qualified,” he said.
“They have been working on their mental aspect of the game, which is about 90 percent of their game. So we want them to have some fun before the tournament starts.” Denise Poiter, who takes care of the home-schooling and the daily commute to practice for the girls, said what they have achieved is just phenomenal.
“They don’t realise it because they are so young, but to have three sisters playing at this tournament is just a major accomplishment,” she pointed. “No one is leaving anyone behind.
“When one isn’t doing so well, they encourage each other. They practice with each other and so they know what each of them is capable of doing.”
Having watched them put into play when they have practiced, their mother’s advice is simply to “go out there and do your best. You are playing your biggest competitor, which is yourself. So just go out there and play your game.”
Rain or shine, Denise said their daughters are on the golf course practicing when they are not in school and they rarely miss participating in a tournament, which has allowed them to be able to qualify for this prestigious tournament.
“For them, they wake up early. They have an option to do some practices before or after class,” Denise said. “It’s a good benefit for them because being homeschooled, they are not as fatigued as the other players who come from the traditional schools.”
A prime example was in April when they participated in the US Kids Arkansas State Invitational in April in Arkansas where Zeden came third, Denise said while the majority of players could not take the time off, she took their school work with them and allowed them to participate while doing their school work.
“They had to play in a certain number of tournaments like they did in Arkansas in order to qualify for the World Championships,” Denise said. “They also had to score at a certain level and once they tally it up, they will let you know if you have qualified to participate or not. Our girls have proven themselves.”
In addition to going to Arknasas, the Poitier sisters played in various US Kids Girls Golf Tournaments where they have produced some outstanding performances.
The sisters admit that they feed off each other and they have the love and support of their parents, family, friends and coaches and that has been the driving force behind their success.
Zeden, who enjoys wearing the colour purple, said having played golf for the past two years has enabled her to be involved in a very sporty event as she experiences outdoor life.
“I’m feeling great about this tournament and I want to win,” she said. “I want to hit well and I want to get a good score. It’s good that my sisters will be there playing too.”
Zaire, 9, likes the colour blue and prefers to use her driver more than any of her other clubs because she can hit the ball more than 200 yards with it.
“I expect to do well. I want to try some new things,” said Zaire, who has produced a best score of 35. “It’s always a great feeling being around my sisters.”
For Zion, 8, her favourite club is the putter. She too said she’s delighted to be able to play in the tournament and wishes each of them every success.
“My expectations for the tournament is to win,” she said. “I feel good because
my sisters will be there and we can help each other.”
As a lead up to the World Championships, the sisters will participate in a fun competition at the Drive Chip and Putt Qualifier on July 30, at the Biltmore in Miami, Florida.
If they are successful, they will advance to the second round of the Drive Chips and Putt in Georgia. But the focus is to go to the World Championships at the beginning of August and make their presence felt.
SISTER POWER - Shown, from left to right, Zeden, Zion and Zaire Poitier.
TEAM BAHAMAS ‘EN ROUTE’ TO THE COCABE 12-U BASEBALL CUP
FROM PAGE 20
Liberal, Deryus Rolle, Rhameko Bethel and Xavier Thompson. The team will be managed by Avard Hart with Donovan as a coach. Sweeting said an update will be provided today.
PASTORS BEAT POLITICIANS 32-27 IN 29TH
PEACE ON DA STREET BASKETBALL TOURNEY
FROM PAGE 20
had six and DiMarco Taylor had five and Samuel Gibson, Amari Thompson and William Ingraham all helped out with four. U-20 championship IBA 29, Net Breakers 27: Bryan Rolle converted three free throws in the winding seconds to lift IBA to victory, regaining the title they previously held two years ago after missing last year’s tournament.
Rolle, who only scored two points in the first quarter, finished with nine, including 5-of-8 from the charity stripe.
Cavelle Ferguson contributed seven and Rico Pierre added four points.
“It was a good game, very hard fought by both teams,” said IDA’s coach Deynecko Bowles.
“Hats off to my guys. We never gave up. We wanted it and we went out there and got the job done. It wasn’t what we expected, but we will take the win.”
The Net Breakers, who held a slim 16-15 margin at the half, got eight pints from Philip Dawkins. Vernon Stubbs had five and Seantino Clarke had four.
16-Under Championship
IBA 46, Raw Talent 36:
Ramone Woods almost singlehandedly led IBA, pouring in 24 points and both Tavari Roker and D’Najio Fowler added five in the win.
IBA led 31-15 at the half, but coach Bowles admitted that it was over from the start of the game.
“We came out and applied full court pressure and we got some easy baskets on their turnovers because they couldn’t handle the ball,” he said.
“We were hungry. We wanted it and they went out there to get the job done.”
Franklin Lighttbourne had 11 points and Lavan Aritis chipped in with seven in the loss for Raw Talent, coached by national team player Kino Burrows. Raw Talent trailed 31-15 at the half and never got into the match.
12-Under Championship Rotary East 46, Reach Out 24: Kingsley Edgecombe had a monster game with 23 points to lead the Rotary boys to victory. Edgecombe exploded for 11 in their 22-18 first half lead and he ended up with 12 in the fourth. Caz Bethel added nine, Kaden Deveaux seven and Levi Seymour had six, all in the second half. Elvado Strachan paced the Grand Bahamian Reach Out squad with nine points and Lavado Barr added six.
WNBA All-Stars earn 117-109 win over US Olympic team
By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer
PHOENIX (AP) — Arike Ogunbowale was the dominant scorer on the floor. Caitlin Clark was the best passer. Angel Reese was her usual double-double machine.
The U.S. may still have the best team at the Olympics, but at the All-Star Game, they didn’t have all the best players on Saturday night.
Ogunbowale set the AllStar scoring record with 34 points and Clark fell just short of the assist mark in her All-Star debut as the WNBA team beat the U.S. Olympic team 117-109.
It was the second consecutive win for the WNBA All-Star team over the Olympians. The All-Stars also won in 2021 led by Ogunbowale, who was MVP of both that game and this one.
“This is going to help us tremendously. We don’t get that many game opportunities,” said Breanna Stewart who had 31 points to lead the U.S. “We can go back
and watch the film and focus on how we can continue to be better. It was like a little bit of deja vu feeling but just locking in.”
The loss didn’t slow down the Americans in 2021 as they went on to winning their seventh consecutive Olympic gold medal. The U.S. hopes for the same results in Paris later this month. No team in the world could match the depth or talent that the WNBA All-Stars had.
“Is Arike playing for any of these teams we are going to play?” U.S. coach Cheryl Reeve deadpanned.
Saturday’s loss came hours after the U.S. men’s Olympic team rallied to beat South Sudan by one point in an exhibition game in London.
The U.S. women’s team will next play Germany in London for an exhibition game Tuesday before going to France for the Olympics.
The Americans are in a pool with Belgium, Japan and Germany. “We have work to do and we know that,” Reeve said. “Sometimes it’s good,
adversity, etc. I don’t think we needed a game like this to have our attention. We know how hard it is to do what we’re trying to do and we have work to do to get there.”
Ogunbowale once again was a thorn in the side of the U.S. team, scoring all of her points in the second half. The 2021 All-Star MVP took over the game in the third quarter scoring 21 points, hitting six of her 10 shots, including five 3-pointers. The U.S. team threw everything at the Dallas Wings star, but they just couldn’t stop her.
Ogunbowale said that WNBA team coach Cheryl Miller said something to her at the half about being more aggressive.
“Told me to take a deep breath and go out and play my game,” she said.
Ogunbowale has been in the U.S. national team pool for the past two Olympics, but didn’t make the roster either time. She pulled her name out of the pool of players early this time around saying the whole process was political.
By the time Ogunbowale was done in the third quarter, the WNBA All-Stars had turned a twopoint halftime deficit into an 88-79 lead. She broke Jewell Loyd’s overall AllStar scoring record of 31 set last year with a 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter. The Olympians, who have only practiced together for two days, never really threatened. A’ja Wilson added 22. There was so much hype and energy around this AllStar Game with the debuts of phenomenal rookies Clark and Reese. The pair have helped lift the WNBA to new heights this season with record attendance and viewership.
It was their first time the young stars had ever played together. One of Clark’s 10 assists came to Reese, who finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds. “We knew after our little 30 minute practice yesterday that we were going to win,” Reese said. “The tone was set.” Clark finished one assist short of Sue Bird’s Al-Star record.
TEAM Bahamas is en route to the Dominican Republic to compete in the Caribbean Baseball Confederation (COCABE)
Baseball Cup. The tournament was delayed to a Monday (today) start due to cyber issues. On Sunday, BBA secretary general Theodore Sweeting confirmed that Team Bahamas was still in New Providence due to some
issues that prevented them from travelling over the weekend.
Photos: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
Jazz Chisholm Jr’s go-ahead homer lifts Marlins to 4-2 win over Mets
MIAMI (AP) — Jazz
Chisholm Jr. hit a three-run homer, Jake Burger also went deep and the Miami Marlins beat the New York Mets 4-2 yesterday.
Vidal Bruján had his second career three-hit game for the National League-worst Marlins, who are 5-4 against the NL East rival Mets this season.
Declan Cronin (2-2) threw 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief against his hometown team. A.J. Puk and Calvin Faucher blanked the Mets for an inning apiece before Tanner Scott closed with a perfect ninth for his 16th save.
Miami’s Nick Fortes committed three throwing errors, a first by a catcher in club history.
The Mets struck out 14 times and went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position.
Chisholm Jr’s three-run drive in the fourth inning gave Miami a 3-1 lead. He sent a slider from rookie starter Christian Scott (0-3) into the Mets’ bullpen in right field for his 13th homer.
New York narrowed the gap on J.D. Martinez’s runscoring single in the fifth before Burger connected for a 412-foot solo shot off Adrian Houser in the seventh.
Marlins starter Trevor Rogers was lifted after 4 2/3 innings. The left-hander gave up two runs (one earned) and five hits. He walked two and struck out five.
Luis Torrens’ sacrifice fly in the fourth put the Mets ahead 1-0 after Pete Alonso and Mark Vientos hit oneout singles.
Fortes tried to pick off Vientos at first base, but the throw struck Vientos on the helmet, allowing Alonso to advance to third.
Vientos stayed on the ground briefly and was tended to by a Mets athletic trainer but remained in the game. Scott allowed three runs and seven hits over four innings.
The right-hander walked two and struck out four. He is winless in nine major league starts.
in action in this file photo.
Denisha, Charisma ‘fine tune’ for Paris
FROM PAGE 20
best of 52-2 1/2 (15.91m) on his third. Culmer opened with 51-2 1/4 (15.60m), fouled his second, fourth and fifth before he closed out the competition with 51-10 (15.80m),
American Russ Robinson took the title with 55-5 3/4 (16.91m) on his first, Jamaican O’Brien Wasome got second with 54-2 (16.51m) on his fourth and American Sean Dixon-Bodie was third with 54-1 1/4 (16.49m) on his third.
American Christian Taylor, who is on his farewell tour after he dominated the event as both the Olympic and world champion, was fifth with 52-11 1/2 (16.14m) on his sixth attempt. And Commonwealth Games champion LaQuan Nairn ended up seventh
in the men’s long jump with his best mark of 23-8 (7.21m) on his third try. He scratched the first two and the fourth and finished off with 17-5 1/4 (5.31m) and 23-3 1/2 (7.10m) on his fifth and sixth. Nairn competed against a field loaded with only Americans, led by Jeremiah Davis with the win with 26-3 3/4 (8.02m) on his second try. Will Williams was second with 22-1 1/2 (6.74m) on his fifth and Jalen Seals was third with 25-3 1/2 (7.71m) on his third as well. Back on the track, Bahamian Camille Rutherford had to settle for seventh in the women’s 100m. Nigeria’s Favour Ofili won in a photo finish in 11.07 over American Candace Hill. Trinidad & Tobago’s Leah Bertrand was third in 11.18.
MIAMI Marlins’ Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr celebrates as he crosses home plate after hitting a home run scoring Xavier Edwards and Vidal Bruján, during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets yesterday in Miami. (AP Photo/ Wilfredo Lee)
DENISHA CARTWRIGHT
Pastors beat Politicians 32-27
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
The Pastors prevailed once again over the Politicians, while the International Basketball Academy (IBA) pulled off a double dose of victory as the 29th Peace on da Street Basketball Tournament came to a close last night.
After playing the preliminary games all week at the Michael ‘Scooter’ Reid Basketball courts at the Hope Center, organiser Apostle Dr. Carlos Reid brought the championship games in the various divisions to the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium. They also hosted a number of entertainment and presented
the awards to the winners in all of the categories, including the three-point shooting competition.
Here’s a summary of the championship games played:
Featured game
Pastors 32, Politicians 27
Jeff Rolle scored a game high 12 points and Don Clarke had seven, while Tyrone Miller and DeAngelo Bowe both had four in the win for the Pastors.
“We played well tonight.
Our defence was tight,” Clarke said. “We tried to run them, but overall I think we executed very well. It was a good win for us.”
Clarke, a senior pastor, even had his own cheering section as a large crowd of his congregation from Emmanuel Prophetic & Deliverance came out in their
Charisma, Denisha
‘fine
tune’ for Paris Olympics
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
AS the 2024 Olympic Games fast approaches, Bahamian athletes are starting to fine tune for the competition in Paris, France, with two of them going head-to-head again in the women’s 100 metres hurdles. The showdown for the duo took place at the 2024 Holloway Pro Classic on Friday in Gainesville, Florida.
In the marquee event of the day, Denisha Cartwright pulled off a fourth-place finish in 12.79 with Charisma Taylor coming through in eighth in 13.08. American Grace Stark clinched the victory in 12.58 with world record holder Tobi Amusan coming in second in 12.60 and American Masai Russell getting third in 12.66. While Stark also had the fastest qualifying time in the preliminaries of the event earlier in the day of 12.42, Taylor and
Cartwright also advanced with times of 12.78 and 12.82 respectively. Missing from the lineup was Bahamian world indoor record holder Devynne Charlton, who will lead a three-woman field with Cartwright and Taylor in the event in Paris. Taylor also had double duties during the meet as she contested the women’s triple jump, finishing third with her best of 44-feet, 8 3/.4-inches or 13.63 metres on her sixth and final attempt. She also did marks of 44-5 1/4 (13.54m), 43-9 1/4 (13.34m) and 44-4 (13.51m) on her first three attempts before she scratched her fourth and fifth tries respectively. Winning the event with a leap of 46-2 1/2 (14.08m) on her third attempt was American Keturah Orji. She was followed closely by fellow American Jasmine Moore with 14-6 1/2 (14.06m) on her second try. Also on the field, Kaiwan Culmer was sixth in the men’s triple jump with his
aquamarine t-shirts to support him and the rest of the pastors.
Leoinardo Lightbourne powered his way inside for 11 points, while Quinton Lightbourne had six and Kingsley Smith contributed five.
“The Pastors gave it their all. We just came up short in the end,” said Lightbourne, the Member of Parliament for North Andros and The Berry Islands. “I will take this one because my free throw percentage was poor. I think I missed more free throws than what we lost by.”
The Pastors doubled up the Politicians 8-4 at the end of the first quarter before they pushed it to 20-10 at the half. By the end of the third, the Politicians made a run for it, cutting the
deficit to 21-19 heading into the fourth.
But the Pastors made one final push to stay in control the rest of the way and they never trailed in the game, despite giving up the height advantage to the Politicians. “It’s another devastating loss,” Lightbourne noted.
“Carlos Reid and the Pastors will be making noise again. But we’re looking for bigger and better things next year. Hopefully we can get in some more practices.”
Open Division
Rotary East 54,
Rockets 49 in OT:
Tied 42-42 at the end of regulation, Jackson Jacob scored seven and Van Hutchinson had three to seal the deal. Jacob
finished with 27 and Hutchinson had six. Abel Joseph hit three three-pointers as he connected on 12 points for the Rockets, who trailed 20-19 at the half.
Church Championship
Summit Shakers A 34, Emmanuel House 32: Davito McIntosh and Kirklyn Farrington both produced 12 points to lead the Shakers to victory. While McIntosh split his tally in the two halves, Farrington canned all of his own in the second.
K’Jay Nixon and Justin Burrows added five and four respectively.
For Emmanuel, who led 16-14 at the half, Joshua Anderson scored seven, Shavano Johnson
TEAM BAHAMAS ‘EN ROUTE’ TO COCABE BASEBALL 12-U CUP
THE Bahamas Baseball Association has announced the national team selected to represent The Bahamas at the Caribbean Baseball Confederation (COCABE) 12-and-under Baseball Cup in the Dominican Republic. Up to yesterday, BBA secretary general Theodore Sweeting confirmed that Team Bahamas was still in New Providence due to some cyber issues that prevented them from travelling over the weekend. He issued a press release which read as follows: “The tournament has been delayed to a Monday start due to cyber issues. Teams are en route to the DR (Dominican Republic), including Team Bahamas.” The tournament, which was scheduled to start on Sunday and run through July 28, was expected to feature teams from the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Curacao, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands as they aim to advance to the World Qualifier. Selected to represent the Bahamas are: Andrew Gibson, Michael Wilson, Wayden Bain, Ethan Burnside, Jayce Deveaux, Sa’van Francis, Kealan Cartwright, Louinel Manacye, Tyler Smith,Davon Gibson, Emmanual Smith, Liam Smith, Collin Bain, Jaden
POITIER SISTERS QUALIFY FOR THE WORLD TEEN GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
SINCE emerging on the local golf scene about two years ago, the Poitier sisters - Zeden, Zion and Zaire - have been making their presence felt on the local and international scene.
The trio, who have dominated the Bahamas Golf Federation’s Junior National Golf Divisional primary school national championships, have qualified to participate in the 2024 World Teen
Championships against competitors from 36 countries at the Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
While Zeden and Zion will both be competing in the girls’ 8-division, Zaire is entered in the girls’ 9-division. The home-schooled team are members of the Fourteenth Clubs Golf Academy headed by Georgette Rolle-Harris.
Their parents, Philip and Denise Poitier, said their daughters could not have reached this milestone in
their career without the village behind them, including coaches Georgette HarrisRolle, Keathen Stuart, John Hall III, Payton Haye and Stefano Kemo.
“It’s a great honour for them to be playing in this tournament. It’s very difficult to get invited,” said their father Philip, the son of the late Phil ‘Cabbage’ Poitier, one of the great Kentucky Colonels basketball players. “It shows that their dedication is beyond what we expected when they first started playing. We just
wanted them to have some extracurricular activities because they are home schooled. But we were just blown out of the water by their quantum leap over the last two years.” He noted that even when the American players came to the Bahamas to participate in the US Kids Event, their daughters were so impressed with their scores that they got invited to participate in the USA.
“We kind of expected it, but again we were still
CHARISMA Taylor waves to the crowd in this file photo.