10072022 NEWS AND SPORT

NEW MOODY’S DOWNGRADE

Action taken over financing access fears

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas was last night urged to “move more urgently to rev the engine” after Moody’s again down graded the country’s sovereign creditworthiness over fears its access to bor rowing is being squeezed.

The credit rating agency, in slashing The Baha mas’ long-term issuer and senior unsecured ratings

to ‘B1’ from ‘Ba3’, cited the “higher degree of gov ernment liquidity risk” as the main justification for its actions. This, Moody’s explained, stems directly from the elevated borrow ing (interest) costs that The Bahamas would have to pay to access bond financing on the international capital markets given the perceive greater risk in lending to this nation.

BPL CEO: RELIABILITY OF GRID ‘IS PRETTY HIGH’

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Power and Light’s CEO Shevonn Cam bridge insisted yesterday that the reliability of the grid is “pretty high” amid concerns about BPL’s abil ity to provide consistent service as the fuel surcharge is set to increase next month.

According to Mr Cambridge, while many consumers have con cerns about recent outages,

in most instances bad weather has been to blame.

While explaining the fac tors that have caused power disruptions, the CEO revealed that an aggressive push was underway to com plete a 60-megawatt solar grid for New Providence.

However, he could not say whether the project would be done within 12 months. Once complete, he said, BPL would be able to save $23m each year in fuel costs.

CURTAIN CALL FOR SHORT TALES 2022

GOVT SIGNS HEADS OF AGREEMENT FOR $250M LONG ISLAND DEVELOPMENT

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Davis adminis tration signed a heads of agreement yesterday with Azul Destinations Ltd and Calypso Cove Destinations Ltd for the development of an upscale resort and cruise port for South Long Island, estimated to cost some $250m.

Speaking during a signing ceremony at the Office of the Prime Minister yester day, Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper said the multimillion-dollar project will consist of a 200-bed room hotel, mega yacht marina facilities, interior pools, casinos, a cruise port, cruise pier and 18-hole golf course, among other amenities.

Mr Cooper also expressed optimism that

‘VICTIMISED’ PUBLIC SERVANTS URGED ‘COME FORWARD’

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

PRESS Secretary Clint Watson has urged public servants who claim victimi sation to come forward and seek recourse through the proper channels.

He made the comments yesterday after The Tribune published the anonymous accounts of a senior civil servant and an island administrator who claimed unfair treatment despite

not being politically affili ated or facing reprimand at any time in their careers.

Ahead of this, former Public Service Minister Brensil Rolle called on the

Davis administration to treat all in the civil

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

In

“As

DIANE PHILLIPS: ARCHITECTURE THAT HELPED SHAPE THE BEAUTY OF

THE SHAKESPEARE in Paradise family caps off its celebration of the return of live theatre to the Dundas with tomorrow night’s final performance of its “Short Tales” 2022. Over the last two and a half weeks, the theatre troupe has been staging nine new plays from seven Bahamian playwrights. A scene from one of the plays is pictured above. See Weekend section for more.

CHINESE EMBASSY DONATES

FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

disabilities,” said the Chi nese ambassador.

THE Chinese Embassy donated more than 10 tablets to the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development for persons with disabilities yesterday.

Shortly after 3pm yes terday some 10 persons with the National Com mission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), including students, the elderly and a toddler gath ered at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China on Shirley Street to receive over 10 tablets to assist them with everyday tasks and building skills for themselves.

Chinese Ambassador to the Bahamas Dai Qingli said though this is the first time they are hosting people from the disabled community at the Chinese Embassy, it will not be the last time.

“Not long ago, I had an informative and produc tive meeting about the progress and challenges with people with disabili ties in The Bahamas. I really feel the past few years of the pandemic have brought extra chal lenges for all those persons with disabilities in The Bahamas and their fami lies,” she said.

“We really sympathise with them. And so today we are doing a simple hand over of a humble gift, just a number of tablets for the visually challenged. It is just a very small ges ture to show we do care and we want to show our friendship. We do hope these devices will go just a small way to helping you get the necessary train ing for having a promising career in the future.

“I do hope today’s handover is just the begin ning of a productive long term partnership between China and The Bahamas in terms of people with

After signing to receive the donated tablets, Nalini Bethel, NCPD chair, expressed her gratitude to the Chinese Embassy for its generosity and offer of continued partnership and support.

“We had a very infor mal meeting and out of that has come a spirit of cooperation between us and the Chinese Embassy. And she (Chinese Ambas sador Dai Qingli) has been instrumental in actually putting us in touch with the China Foundation for Persons with Disabilities, who are also extending their generosity towards The Bahamas and have said that they will cooper ate with us and they will try to help us in any way they can,” Ms Bethel said.

“The things that per sons with disabilities need are particularly things like augmentative and assisted devices of whatever nature. This is an ongo ing cooperation and we are extremely grateful and appreciative, your excel lency, for your generosity,” she said.

In June, executives of the NCPD urged the public to help eliminate discrimination on the basis of disabilities.

The NCPD was actively ensuring that there were accessible public buildings throughout the country that are steadily moving forward, but remain a “work in progress.”

Townsley Roberts, deputy executive sec retary of NCPD, said there has been a notice able improvement in terms of how people offer assistance to those with disabilities in the last ten years.

As well as it being Breast Cancer Aware ness Month, October is also Blindness Awareness Month.

Funeral

of Browning Court, Golden Gates #2 will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 8th, 2022 at Church of God Of Prophecy, East Street Tabernacle. Officiating will be Bishop Franklin M. Ferguson D. Min. JP, National Bishop, Commonwealth of The Bahamas, assisted by Bishop Hulan A. Hanna QPM JP., Senior Pastor & Bishop Dr. Woodley C. Thompson PhD, JP., Associate Pastor. Interment will follow at Lakeview Memorial Gardens & Mausoleum., John F. Kennedy Drive & Gladstone Road.

Left to cherish his precious memories are his devoted wife of 66 years: “Queen Mother”, Elizabeth Mae Deleveaux; daughters: Pastor Jennie L. Deleveaux, Mrs. Eltha F. Naughton; sons: Origen W. Deleveaux Sr., William F. Naughton; daughters-in-law: Pastor Lillian Deleveaux, Tamika Deleveaux; grandchildren: Minister Porcia Pratt, Marvin Smith-Deleveaux, Calpurnia McPhee-Deleveaux, Dr. Origen Jr., Heather, Reuben II, Shantell, Shanell, Tiara, Celeste, Xavier & Leslie, Kiara Thompson, Zachery Naughton, Clay (Neda) Naughton; great grandchildren: Dwayne Jr., Dwenique, Destin, Danah & Devin Pratt, Tannison, Larenzo, Aaron, Alisha, Reuben III, Sierra, Talia, Tamia, Theon, Trinity & Victoria Deleveaux, Cleophus Burrows Jr., Osborne Williams; great great grandchildreb: Dion Deleveaux, Amair Williams, Serenity Curtis & Genesis Edgecombe; adopted children: Pastor Clara (Pastor Donald) Dorsette, Andrea (Robert) Pinder, Dr. Indira Jones, Michael Swann, Kenvin (Margaret) Jones, Pastor Terrance (Terral) Forbes; sister: Deloris Deleveaux; sisters-in-law: Lydia Taylor, Loretta Jones, Vera Deal; brothers-in-law: Wilfred Taylor, Miami, Fl, Solomon Taylor & Ken Jones Grand Bahama; grand daughter-in-law: Latoya Deleveaux; grandson-inlaw: Dwayne Pratt; nieces & nephews: Deaconess Rosemary (Rev. Bernal) Bullard, Rev Derek (Patrice) Munroe, Sharon (Rev. Eugene) Bastian, Minister Brenda Deleveaux, Maxine (Cedric) Moss, Gloria (Patrick) Smith, Christine (Colin) Francis of Atlanta Georgia, Rosemary Gaitor, Ju De Deleveaux, Lorenzo Johnson’s Family, Allen Ferguson’s Family, Deacon Nevis (Catherine) Ferguson & Family, Anthony (Pamela) Deleveaux of Port St. Lucie Florida & Family, Princess Deleveaux, Danial (Cynthia) Deleveaux of Atlanta, Georgia, Roy, Vincent, Alexander, Jason & Franklyn Deleveaux, Norman & Wendell Munroe, Diannne Taylor & Family, Jillien (Henry) Mcdonald & Family, Shawn Taylor, Barbara (Howard) Bethel, Mario (Monique Lightbourn & Family, Emmeritta Munroe & Family, Ricardo(Euneska) Lightbourn, Oralee Smith & Family, Dedriane Brown & Family, Patrice Sargent. Alarise (Duke) Wilson, Elise Higgs, Tashina &

Dwayne Jones, Johnny (Elenor) Deal, David Deal; other relatives & friend: Captain Dave (Shenique) Dorsette & Family, Keva (Dwight) Major & Family, Darrell (Racquel) Dorsett & Family, Donnell (Kito) Bess &Family, Donnava Dorsette, Sybil Toote & Family, Clarington Johnson & Family of Miramar Florida, Aramenta Winters & Family, Joyce Wells of Hollywood Florida, Jamiko (Jessica) Deleveaux of Mississippi, Raphael Deleveaux & Family, Beatrice Henfield & Family, Bishop Dr. Lockwood Deleveaux & Family, Inspector Makelle Pinder, Robert Pinder Jr., Randolph Deleveaux & Family, Rev. Jeffery Deleveaux & Family, Princess Taylor & Family, Cynthia (Richard) Gibbs, Brenda (Basil) Dean, Leonard Ferguson, Thelma Murphy, LaDonna Williams, Cinderella Edwards’ Family, Irena Deleveaux & Family, Alvin Deleveaux & Family, Charles Ferguson’s Family, E. John Deleveaux & Family, Yvette (Edward) Lockhart & Family, Hermia Brown & Family, Shirley Pratt & Family, Carolyn Robins, the Beneby Family, the Johnson Family, Faye Lewis, Chef Edwin (Altima) Johnson & Family, Valentina Nairn & Family, Christine Penn & Family, Elose Rollins & Family, the Edward Family, the McClain Family, Pastor Keshangen Adderley & the ZNS Family, Patricia Deleveaux, Edison (Esmae) Deleveax, Endric (La Verne) Deleveaux, Kinson (Marcia) Deleveaux, Geoffrey (Darilyn) Deleveaux, Rionda (Dion) Godet, George Henfield & Family, (Dion) Deleveaux, Dr. Gia Deleveaux, Bobby Pinder Jr., Inspector Makelle Pinder, Allison (Emma) Hanna, Bishop Franklyn (Dr. Rovena) Ferguson, National Bishop, Bishop Hulan (Valerie) Hanna Senior Pastor, Bishop Dr. Woodley (Verneque) Thompson & Church of God of Prophecy Family, Bishop Ross Davis, Bishop Lindo Wallace, Bishop Moses (Cynthia) Johnson & Family, Honorable Vaughn P. Miller, Member of Parliament, Minister. Sherece Ferguson & Family, Min. Dianna Mackey, Jermaine Wright, Barbie Rolle & Comfort Suites Paradise Island Family, Joanne Pyfrom & Family, Charmaine Burrow’s & Family, Llewellyn Astwood Jr. & Demeritte’s Funeral Home Family, Minister Marina Walker & Family, Sister Doras Sawyer, Bishop Lindo Wallace & Family, Pastor Reginald & Pastor Sandra Saunders & Family, Elvis Reckley & The Reckley Family, Major’s Cay Crooked Island & Morant Bay Acklins Communities, Deleveaux’s Descendants Family Reunion Association and and host of other relatives & friends too numerous to mention.

“Behold my witness is in heaven and my records are on high” May his Soul Rest in Peace!

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Church of God of Prophecy National Social Outreach Ministry. Please contact the National Office.

Friends may pay their last respects at Church of God of Prophecy, East Street Tabernacle on (TODAY) Friday, October 7th, 2022 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and at the church on Saturday, October 8th, 2022 from 12:30 p.m. until service time.

CHINESE Ambassador to the Bahamas Dai Qingli speak ing yesterday as the tablets were donated.

PHOTOS: Moise Amisial

AFTER

BILLS HIKE

stakeholders.

In an interview with

The Tribune yester day, Dr Kent Bazard, spokesperson for the Bahamas Gym Owners and Personal Trainers Association (BGOPTA), suggested that business will not be as usual for many proprietors once the new policy takes effect.

He was referring to Prime Minister Phil lip “Brave” Davis’ announcement of upcom ing increases in Bahamas Power and Light electric ity bills.

Customers with a current monthly bill of $182 or less would see an increase to about $20 per month or two cents per kilowatt hour of electric ity used.

While those with higher bills will pay almost double that amount at 4.3 cents per kilowatt hour.

“With this price increase, it’s really going to increase our cost of operation and we’re going to have to make adjustments and every other gym owner will have to decide what kind of adjustment that will be but we’re going to have to obviously make an adjustment,” the Empire Fitness owner said.

Dr Bazard also expressed concern about the timing of the increase given that the industry, which was among the hardest hit businesses during the pandemic, has still not fully recovered.

Added to these concerns is the high like lihood of the country’s national minimum wage being increased.

As a result, the gym operator said difficult decisions may have to be made in the days ahead.

“I can’t speak for every owner because we’re not going to make the same decision but some may be able to absorb the cost, but I can surely see how some may have to increase fees so there’s quite a likelihood that many of the gym owners will consider increasing fees and this is some thing we avoided even after opening up after COVID, some of them being in six figure debt,” he added.

“We still didn’t have to raise prices and some of us continued to pay our employees over the lockdown period.

“We still paid National Insurance so it’s unclear on the real reason why BPL is increasing the fees, but it’s definitely most likely that some owners will have to look at increasing their fees.”

Charles Johnson, pro prietor of Out Da Box Fitness, shared similar sentiments when con tacted by this newspaper yesterday, saying the hike in electricity bills will no doubt affect the industry.

“It’s an operational cost so businesses, in all honestly, businesses will not absorb that cost and they will pass it on to the consumer because eve ryone is in the business to make a profit,” Mr Johnson said.

In terms of the way forward, Dr Bazard said operators would be open to having discussions with government officials to help minimise the impact of rising prices.

He said potential relief packages that would help operators could include some sort of tax exemp tions or debt forgiveness.

“There are some owners who had to take a loan from the government so if there could be some level of forgiveness with those I think that would assist as well because that’s again another monthly expense so it was a guar antee loan I think it was that we took from the government during the lockdown,” the operator also said.

Gym membership fees can range between $80 to $100 or more per month

1,400 CONSUMERS DISCONNECTED FROM POWER GRID

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Power and Light CEO Shevonn Cambridge has revealed that slightly more than 1,400 consumers have been disconnected from the power grid.

He explained to The Tribune that while the system does not allow officials to determine the reason for disconnection, he would imagine that the majority are shut off from service due to non-payment.

“When they checked the system, it showed that out of the - I think it’s like 100,000 — we used to have 120 (thousand) and then after the

storms in Abaco and the lights dropped — so they tell me it is about 102,000 or thereabouts.

“And so, out of the 100,000 plus, they only had 1,400 people who were disconnected yesterday when they checked,” he said on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis announced that BPL will be increasing its monthly fuel charge in response to rising fuel costs, with the rate increase set to be reflected in consumers’ electricity bills begin ning November.

However, he gave an assurance that the bill increases will only be temporary and are expected to

come down over the next 12 to 18 months.

Asked if he fears more custom ers will be unable to pay their bills due to the increase, Mr Cambridge said: “Not really, because like I said the increases for most people, it’s less than $20 a month. I mean, it’s literally two cents or thereabout, so if you’re under 800 kilowatt hours per kilowatt an hour and the major ity of people around that 800 or less kilowatt hour.”

The announcement has ignited outrage by the public as they com plain of battling with inflation. However, Mr Cambridge pointed to the efforts the company has

made to ensure customers are not too heavily burdened.

“We’re making it at a rate that we think the public could absorb or digest. So to speak, soften the blow,” he said.

Public Works Minister Alfred Sears had previously said BPL is on the precipice of financial fallout if it does not act immediately to align the fuel charge with current global prices, ensure reliable sources of clean, reliable and sustainable energy and move to reduce the reli ance on fossil fuels as promised by the Davis administration’s Blue print for Change.

BPL CEO: RELIABILITY OF GRID ‘IS PRETTY HIGH’

“In terms of the reliabil ity of the grid, it’s actually pretty high at the moment, believe it or not,” Mr Cam bridge said during an Office of the Prime Minister press briefing yesterday.

“It’s just that, and I know a lot of people are con cerned about some of the outages that we’ve had in recent times, but those were primarily due to inclement weather.

“We’re a flat island. We’re prone to lightning strikes and as luck would have it as lightning is trying to find its easiest path to ground, the thing that’s sticking up out there is our 100-foot poles and so it’s the thing that attracts the lightning.

“We have protective mechanisms in place that protect against that such as the lightning rods and light ning arrestors and we have grounds on our infrastruc ture that are supposed to reroute the lightning to the ground.

“We continue to have the nuisance of people stealing the grounds off our poles.

“It increases the risk of lightning strikes and the severity of those strikes.”

Mr Cambridge also reminded the public that the company does not do live wire work, so mainte nance has to be done where certain portions of the system have to be isolated.

“So, if you can imagine we are a 24/7, 365 days per year organisation and we do maintenance daily.

“So, everyday some where on this island there is an area that’s probably going to experience a li‘l outage here and there, but

not every outage is a relia bility or availability issue.”

He also said there were issues like poles being knocked down that affected power supply.

Regarding plans for the solar grid in New Provi dence, Mr Cambridge said:

“Realistically whether it will be in place in 12 months I won’t stand here and say no, but it is doable, but it’s going to require a lot of things falling in place at the right time and that’s the best answer I can give right now.

“Our preliminary calcu lations, the solar grid that is being discussed or planned at the moment is about 60 megawatts to be introduced into New Providence.

“Our preliminary cal culations are showing that it is going to save us $23m

per year in fuel costs,” Mr Cambridge said.

Also yesterday, Public Works Minister Alfred Sears said that no rolling hedge request had come to him since he assumed the post of minister.

BPL worker describes attack by angry customer during disconnection

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Chief Reporter

BAHAMAS Power and Light employee Gabriel Gordon said after he could no longer hold off an angry BPL customer who became physical with him, he had no choice but to wrestle the man to the ground and hold him until police arrived.

A foreigner, Stephen Acres, 58, has been fined and ordered to leave the country at his own expense after he pleaded guilty to causing harm after punching Mr Gordon in the face for trying to carry out a disconnection.

Mr Gordon, who deals with metre inspections, disconnections and reconnections, recalled to reporters yesterday how the inci dent unfolded.

On October 3, Mr Gordon went to a Paradise Island residence on a routine work order.

Once there he was met by a man and his wife. The woman, he said, was requesting to know informa tion that he could not give her, resulting in her becoming visibly upset.

Mr Gordon said when he again attempted to carry out his duties, the situation got physical.

“I immediately just continued to do my work when I was attacked

by Mr Acres and I avoided contact with him for as long as I could for about 50 feet and when I could not I just simply wrestled him to the ground and I held him for about seven minutes until the police came,” the 11-year BPL employee said.

“I really honestly was taken aback by it,” he said. “I was really truly surprised.

“I’ve been in BPL since 2011 and, of course, you’ll get in contact with persons who may have a lot going on in life, but to be physically attacked by someone is something that has never happened to me out there in the field and so it really surprised me.

“However, I am just glad that the situation basically happened the way it did and that police were able to come quickly and ascertain and get everything sorted out.”

Mr Gordon, who has martial arts training and is a personal trainer, said he advises his colleagues to avoid conflict for as long as possible.

“If you have martial arts train ing (and) you’re working out where you can be able to at least defend yourself to a certain extent and once you can do that just to move out of the situation, out of harm’s way or get to the police.

“That’s the best thing to do,” Mr Gordon said.

BAHAMAS Power and Light CEO Shevonn Cambridge.

spoke to you and he was enraged that we made such suggestions, but we had proof as well,” Mr Watson said during an Office of the Prime Minister’s press briefing yesterday. “So, it’s so amazing that he comes back now so self-righteous.

“But I always say this, if you’re an advocate for people and fight for people, don’t fight for political points.

“If you know somebody who is coming to you who said they have been dealt a blow in their relationships from past ministers to present ministers you pick up the phone and call the minister to say ‘so-and-so is not being treated fairly, can you assist?’“Be the advocate for people rather than politi cal points.”

In earlier comments on the issue, Mr Watson said he hoped the Davis administra tion was not treating people poorly.

“I think what we need to put into perspective is what are we calling victimisation?

“I believe it does exist. It has for years. I certainly have told my story over and repeat edly of being a product of that and so to stand up here and say this is not happening it would be foolish.

“Now in this administra tion because we are based on being a people’s administra tion, I certainly would hope that that’s not what we’re doing.

“I can’t speak for every individual who works in the government system, but I do know that there are positions that are political appointments where the administration would appoint somebody to the position and when the administration changes that person can be transferred or removed in political appoint ments. That’s clear.

“Now for people who may have individual stories of saying ‘I was personally victimised,’ I encourage them to come forward.

“There is a recourse. There is a way to have that addressed if people feel they’ve been dealt a disser vice. I invite them to come forward to the minister responsible for the Public Service, the honourable Pia Glover-Rolle who has very much an open ear to listen to people and their concerns or complaints and to have them addressed.

“I can’t say ‘oh yea we know about so-and-so’ because I don’t.

“But I do know there is recourse and I do believe firmly that no one should have to face that and if there are people who are facing that I do encourage people to come forward and have the matters addressed.

“I do hope that we can solve those issues where people have been dealt with unfairly and separate those from the political talks and rhetoric that make the papers on a regular basis.”

Govt signs heads of agreement for $250m Long Island development

the project will attract more investments to the island, serving as a major economic boost.

“We are pleased to say that the project will employ thousands of Bahamians and independent Bahamian firms so this is good for employment, but also good for entrepreneurship and the empow erment of Bahamians,” he added.

Carlos Torres de Navarra, principle of Azul Destinations, explained how officials brain stormed the development which they waited for eight months to be approved.

“We all had an idea for a des tination within a very close proximity of what is the cruise capital of the world, and that’s the state of Florida and when we saw this property, we did our assess ment, we noticed that from an environmental perspective, which was the most important thing to us that there was no roadblocks and we started the process of vali dating the site,” he said.

However, Mr Navarra said it wasn’t the site of development he fell in love with but rather the island itself and its people.

“I think I speak for all of us from the developer standpoint, we believe that we will have an amazing opportunity for Long Islanders in terms of employment, in terms of economic develop ment for the entire island as well as neighbouring islands,” he said.

“And more importantly, The Bahamas product will be something that will be I think accentuated and I think that from

our perspective, our focus will be to sell and to promote a Baha mian product.”

Some 300 people are set to be employed during the project’s construction phase which will take place over a two-year period.

Officials are also hoping to break ground by the end of next year.

In the meantime, Mr Cooper said his ministry will continue to work on plans for the expansion of the Long Island airport which

he said will be a key requirement for the development.

“Later this year or early next year, we will have the request for proposals in relation to the air port. Suffice to say, we have many investors who are interested in participating in this process,” he said.

“It is essential for the devel opment of Long Island. The government is committed that it happens in the shortest time frame.”

Since assuming office last year, the Davis administration has already approved some $5bn in investment projects for The Bahamas.

“There’s more to come,” the tourism, investments and aviation minister said. “There’s no stop ping, no slowing down. We see a consistent demand for new devel opments and new investments in The Bahamas and I am very excited that this is happening for Long Island.”

Govt ‘should focus more on introducing a liveable wage’

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A FORMER labour official believes govern ment should focus more on introducing a liveable wage as opposed to just increasing the national minimum wage given inflation coupled with an already high cost of living.

John Pinder, the former labour director, said stud ies conducted on the issue when he was in office and even before then deter mined that $350 a week was a livable wage for Bahamians.

However, he also noted that in those days, prices were not as high as they

are now and some taxes like VAT had not even been introduced yet.

“We looked at a live able wage, based on the basic necessities that human beings need to sur vive. We’re talking about shelter, water, food, cloth ing and way back then we looked at $350,” Mr Pinder told The Tribune yesterday.

“Okay, so I believe that it’s time for the govern ment to make a move on that but let me add, when we’re exploring this whole thing about the natural resources thing and being able to give Bahamians money back, this was one of the ways in which we said we could address the liveable wage. For exam ple, if you’re making $200 a week, we thought the livable wage should have been $350.

“Through the natural resources, you will have been able to receive a cheque to make a differ ence and not that you sit home and don’t work at all so education would have been free. Energy should have been free. Health care systems have been free.”

His comments came days after Prime Minis ter Philip “Brave” Davis announced upcoming increases in consumers’ electricity bills.

The rate hikes are set to be reflected in consumers’ electricity bills beginning next month.

The announcement has prompted calls for the government to do more to assist Bahamians strug gling with the high cost of living, among them increasing the country’s minimum wage.

Currently, the national minimum wage is $210 per week; however, the Progressive Liberal Party committed to increas ing it to $250 per week during last year’s election campaign, as well as to examine the creation of a liveable wage.

Labour Minister Keith Bell said earlier this week that the Davis adminis tration will soon make an announcement on the minimum wage increase.

However, for Mr Pinder, it’s something that should have been imple mented long ago.

“Let me say the timing is bad right now,” he added, “because once the electricity bill increases, and I have to support some statements being made by Cassius Stuart. I have to support that because under the last FNM administration, I had a conversation with a company that could have reduced the electricity bill in the Bahamas by at least 40 percent in the first 18 months and could have gone as low as 50 percent cut it in half within three years.

“That proposal is just sitting around somewhere in the government agen cies, and I don’t (know if) anybody ever reviewed it.

“But I’m sure it’s there and you can tell that we don’t care about reduc ing electricity bills in this country.”

He also predicted that the government would receive pushback from the private sector if it were to raise the national mini mum wage.

“I can guarantee there will be some retaliation from the private sector via the Chamber of Com merce and the hotel sector, because it’s already those sectors that’s crying about electricity bills now. So, I believe it’s time for us to use a new source of energy and the gov ernment has proposals. Before this government came in, I gave a proposal and there’s another pro posal on the board now, that can reduce the energy costs and if we could con trol the cost of energy in the country and we can do it,” Mr Pinder also said.

FORMER labour director John Pinder.

DEPUTY Prime Minister Chester Cooper. (File photo)

Family seeking answers after man is seriously injured in traffic incident

By JADE RUSSELL

THE family of 37-year-old Devaldo Greene are seek ing answers about a traffic incident that left him in a vegetative state, saying they do not think police have been actively investigating the case.

Yesterday, his mother Florie Greene told The Trib une her family was scheduled to officially “pull the plug” on the victim. She said doctors told her there was nothing else they could do to better her son’s deteriorating state.

On September 23, Ms Greene said her son was on his scooter when he got into a traffic accident in the area of West Bay Street.

Ms Greene claimed that police told them that Mr Greene had run into a wall the night of the incident, however, when he was admit ted to hospital, she said they were told his severe injuries resembled signs of a “hit and run”.

Police were not able to pro vide comments before press time.

A loved one, who wished not to be named, said she was supposed to meet up with Mr Greene on the night of the incident after he had fin ished hanging out with his friends.

But when he never showed up to meet her, she became worried and went looking for him.

As she drove around, she discovered the victim’s scooter in the middle of the road and medics lifting his body into the ambulance.

She said police offic ers did not arrive until Mr Greene was being placed in the ambulance, then she quickly contacted the victim’s mother.

Ms Greene said she could not have prepared herself for the physical damage in which she found her son when she arrived at the hospital.

She continued: “His face was swelled right up. They had a brace on his neck, and on his mouth. He had head injuries that were on the left side of his head. His skull was fractured and his mouth fractured.”

The day after the inci dent she said she went to the police station on East West Highway for answers about what happened.

“They said they were still investigating and every time we go there, they investigat ing. But we aren’t hearing nothing,” Ms Greene said.

The family said they gave up hope on the police as no one was able to tell them where the victim’s scooter was, who called the ambu lance, and if there was any footage of what actually happened.

Ms Greene said she asked the Criminal Investigations Department (CDU) about the scooter, but had no luck.

Eventually her family found her son’s scooter at a local wrecker establishment, which resulted in them having to pay to get the scooter back.

The family wants answers on what exactly happened on the night of the incident, as Ms Greene noted her son’s life changed drastically that night.

“For a week and seven days he was unconscious; he couldn’t even open his eyes. Couldn’t even say well mummy I love you,” Ms Greene said.

During the interview, Ms Greene explained that her

family was scheduled to go to the hospital to “pull the plug” on the victim yesterday evening.

She said: “We have to go back to the hospital this after noon (Thursday) for them to pull the plug and to see his face for the last (time). They had a meeting with us to tell us – they couldn’t do nothing else with Mr Greene, they tried everything.”

Mr Greene had one son and would have celebrated his 38th birthday next month.

He also was a Graduate of Edward Waters University.

Thelma Gibson Primary School ‘is fully functional’

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

EDUCATION Minis ter Glenys Hanna Martin informed parents of stu dents attending Thelma Gibson Primary School that measures have been put in place to assure con tinuous supervision and instruction of the students in those classrooms.

Her comments come after tensions between teachers at the school and the school’s principal con tinued, with a number of workers allegedly calling in sick or refusing to show up to work.

On Tuesday, a group of angered teachers from the school, led by Belinda Wilson, demon strated outside the Office of the Prime Minister in response to ongoing workplace concerns with the school’s principal.

On Wednesday, the Bahamas Union of Teach ers protested outside of Parliament.

Ms Hanna Martin spoke on the “industrial

action by teachers” in a press statement yesterday.

“Over the last several days, a group of teach ers at Thelma Gibson Primary School have engaged in action lead ing to the withdrawal of their services from their classrooms. The Depart ment of Labour has previously intervened in this dispute and despite this the stated conduct is

continuing,” according to the statement.

“I wish to inform all parents of students attending Thelma Gibson Primary School that I have confirmed that measures have been put in place to assure con tinuous supervision and instruction of the students in those classrooms.

“Our fundamental responsibility is the edu cation of our children. Parents can rest assured that Thelma Gibson Primary School is fully functional and students are attending classes under the supervision of teachers.”

The Tribune contacted Mrs Wilson, but she declined to comment on the press statement.

Last month, teach ers at the school walked out of classes in anger after an alleged argu ment between the school’s principal and a teacher a day earlier. Mrs Wilson said the teacher has made a police report and the majority of the teachers at the school support her.

Inmate found dead in his cellblock

By JADE RUSSELL jrussell@tribunemedia.net

POLICE are investigating the sudden death of a 43-year-old male inmate who died at the Bahamas Department of Cor rectional Services yesterday.

According to a police report, the inmate, who was on remand at BDCS accused of causing damage, was found unresponsive in his cellblock around 12.20 am yesterday.

“He was examined by a (BDCS) phy sician who confirmed no signs of life. At present foul play is not suspected; however,

an autopsy will be completed to determine the exact cause of death,” police said.

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe also confirmed the death of the inmate.

Mr Munroe said the inmate was in maxi mum security.

Last November, an inmate died at BDCS as a result of alleged blunt force trauma, officials said.

The man, Mikhail Miller, 29, was found dead at BDCS on Monday, November 1, 2021.

A man has since been charged in connec tion with that case.

2,000LB OF TRASH COLLECTED IN GB COASTAL CLEANUP

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE trash collected from Grand Bahama beaches as part of the 37th International Coastal Cleanup initiative totaled over 2,000 pounds.

Aulenna Robinson, of the Ministry of Tour ism’s Sustainable Tourism Department, reported that volunteers removed 2,483 pounds of litter from 10 local beaches.

The initiative was held on September 24 and October 1, with the help of some 416 volunteers.

Ms Robinson reported that the top three most common items found lit tered on the beaches were glass bottles, plastic bot tles, and beverage cans.

The areas targeted were Taino Beach, Smith’s

Point Beach, Gold Rock Beach, Lucaya Beach, Lover’s Beach, Bootle Bay Beach, Williams Town Beach, Barbary Beach, Fortune Beach, and Xanadu Beach.

The most trash collected was at Fortune Beach, where some 970 pounds of litter was recorded.

This year nine schools and 21 civic groups participated.

“The BMTIA Sustain able Tourism Department on Grand Bahama Island would like to formally thank the schools, organi sations participation in this year’s ICC,” Ms Rob inson said.

Last year, some 800 pounds of litter was col lected on Grand Bahama beaches.

BMTIA has been host ing the event for many years, in partnership with ICC, an international

initiative launched by Ocean Conservancy more than 35 years ago.

International Coastal Cleanup Day (ICC) is observed on September 17 to raise awareness about the growing pollution on various beaches of the world.

In partnership with vol unteer organisations and individuals around the globe, the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) engages people to remove trash from the world’s beaches and waterways.

Thanks to volunteers around the world, the ICC has become a beacon of hope, leading and inspir ing action in support of the ocean. Since its begin ning, more than 17 million volunteers have collected more than 348 million pounds of trash.

DEVALDO Greene

DEVALDO Greene’s scooter.

EDUCATION Minister Glenys Hanna Martin.

THELMA Gibson teachers protest outside Parliament this week.

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Do multimillion-dollar dinosaur auctions erode trust in science?

(THE CONVERSATION) Dinosaurs are in the news these days, but it’s not just for groundbreaking discoveries.

More and more paleontologists are ring ing alarm bells about high-profile auctions in which dinosaur fossils sell for outra geous sums. The most recent example involves a 77 million-year-old Gorgosaurus skeleton that Sotheby’s sold for over US$6 million in August 2022.

But that’s not even close to the most anyone ever paid for a dinosaur. In May 2022, Christie’s sold a Deinonychus skel eton for $12.4 million. And a couple of months before that, Abu Dhabi’s Depart ment of Culture and Tourism paid an eye-popping $31.8 million for Stan, a remarkably complete T. rex from South Dakota’s Hell Creek Formation that’s going to be the centrepiece of the Persian Gulf city’s new natural history museum.

Some scientists are so dismayed they are speaking out. University of Edinburgh paleontologist Steve Brusatte told the Daily Mail that auction houses turn valu able specimens into “little more than toys for the rich.” Thomas Carr from Carthage College in Wisconsin was even more forth right, saying, “Greed for money is what drives these auctions.”

He also complained that wealthy elites – including actors Nicholas Cage and Leonardo DiCaprio – are competing to acquire the best specimens in a game of juvenile one-upmanship, describing them as “thieves of time.”

Most commenters trace the booming market for dinosaurs back to Sue, the larg est and most complete T. rex ever found. After the FBI confiscated it from the same group of fossil hunters who found Stan, the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago acquired it – with financial back ing from Disney and McDonald’s – for over $8 million in 1997.

But as I document in my recent book, “Assembling the Dinosaur,” the commer cial specimen trade is as old as the science of paleontology itself. And its history shows the debate over whether dinosaurs ought to be bought and sold involves much deeper questions about the long-standing but hotly contested relationship between science and capitalism.

TWO SIDES OF THE DEBATE

Paleontologists have good reason to oppose the commercial sale of valuable fossils.

Science is fundamentally a community enterprise, and if specimens aren’t availa ble for public examination, paleontologists have no way to assess whether new find ings are true.

What if a particularly outlandish theory is based on a fraudulent specimen?

This happens more often than you’d think. In the late 1990s a private collector purchased what appeared to be a feath ered dinosaur at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. National Geographic sub sequently reported on it to great fanfare, claiming it was a “missing link” between dinosaurs and modern birds. When sci entists grew suspicious, they found that the so-called “Archaeoraptor” fossil com bined pieces of several distinct specimens to make a chimerical creature that never existed.

But commercial fossil hunters make a compelling point, too. Most fossils first come to light through the natural process of erosion. Eventually, however, erosion also destroys the specimen itself – and there simply aren’t enough scientists to find every fossil before it is lost. Hence, the argument goes, commercial collectors should be celebrated for saving specimens by digging them up.

WEALTHY PHILANTHROPISTS

DISTANCE THEMSELVES

Both sides of the argument make a compelling point. But as the fiasco around “Archaeoraptor” reveals, it’s worth asking whether financial incentives erode trust.

Dinosaurs first came to the attention of geologists during the 19th century. In fact, these gigantic lizards did not acquire their name until the comparative anatomist Richard Owen invented the biological cat egory “Dinosauria” in 1842.

At that time, scientists did not treat dinosaurs any differently from other valuables that could be dug out of the ground, such as gold, silver and coal. Museums purchased most of their fossils from commercial collectors, often using funds donated by wealthy industrialists like Andrew Carnegie, who even had a dinosaur named after him: Diplodocus

carnegii.

That started to change at the very end of the 19th century, when there was a con certed effort to decommodify dinosaur bones, and museums began to distance themselves from the commercial specimen trade.

One impetus came from museums’ wealthy benefactors, who sought to demarcate their charitable activities from the unsavory world of commerce. Philan thropists like Carnegie and J.P. Morgan gave money to cultural institutions because they wanted to signal their refined taste, their appreciation for learning and their republican virtues – not to enter into a business transaction.

Moreover, the first Gilded Age resem bled the present in that it, too, saw a sharp increase in economic inequality. This led to widespread class conflict, which could be remarkably violent and bloody. Afraid that incendiary labour leaders would bring the industrial economy to its knees, wealthy elites began using public displays of conspicuous generosity to demonstrate that American capitalism could yield public goods in addition to profits.

For all these reasons, it was essential for their philanthropic activities to be seen as selfless acts of genuine altruism, utterly divorced from the cutthroat competition of the marketplace.

SCIENTISTS TAKE CONTROL

At the same time, paleontologists embraced the language of “pure science” to claim they produced knowledge for its own sake – not financial gain.

By arguing that their work was free from the corrupting influence of money, scien tists made themselves more trustworthy.

Ironically, scientists found they could attract more funds by claiming to be com pletely uninterested in money, fashioning themselves into ideal recipients for the philanthropic largesse of wealthy elites.

But that further necessitated a clear demarcation between the the culture of capitalism and the practice of science, which entailed a reluctance to acquire specimens via purchase.

As scientists began shunning the com mercial specimen trade, museums set about using the generous donations of wealthy philanthropists to mount increas ingly ambitious expeditions that allowed scientists to collect fossils themselves.

DINOSAURS IN THE NEW GILDED AGE

But their ability to control the private market for dinosaur bones did not last for ever. With the United States in the middle of what some call a New Gilded Age, it has come roaring back.

Today, the most spectacular dinosaur fossils often hail from the Jehol formation of northeastern China. And more often than not, they are purchased from local farmers who supplement their incomes by hunting for fossils on the side.

As a result, the question of whether commercial incentives erode trust is back with a vengeance. Li Chun, a profes sor at Beijing’s prestigious Institute for Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthro pology, estimates that more than 80% of all marine reptiles on display in Chinese museums have been deceptively altered to some degree, often to increase their value.

The age-old worry about whether the profit motive threatens to undermine the values of science is real. But it is hardly unique to paleontology.

The spectacular implosion of Theranos, a tech startup that secured more than $700 million in venture capital based on false promises of having developed a better way to conduct blood tests, is just just a particu larly high-profile example of commercial deceit paired with scientific misconduct. So much scientific research is now being paid for by people who have a commercial stake in the knowledge produced – and you can see the ramifications in everything from Exxon’s decision to hide its early research on climate change to Moderna’s recent move to begin enforcing its patent on the mRNA technology behind the most effective COVID-19 vaccines.

Is it any wonder that so many people have lost trust in science?

(This article is by Lukas Rieppel of Brown University for theconversation. com. The Conversation is an inde pendent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Do as I say, not as I do

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Recently, the European Union has ratified the blacklisting of the Bahamas for the failure of main taining tax compliance for the regulatory bodies in Europe. However, the Bahamas has been largely compliant for decades and the EU still decides to blacklist the country during the recent United Nations general assembly.

Originally, the agree ments between the Bahamas and the EU were to ensure fair financial regulations and to prevent terrorists and drug traf ficking organisations from using offshore banks as a means of laundering money for illegal activities. On paper, this would be an excellent idea to root out bad actors from the bank ing sector and to further grow our relationship with Europe. In reality, it’s the total opposite.

The Bahamas has been completely compliant with everything the European Union has asked us to do and yet they continuously change the goalposts every

LETTERS

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few years. Worse, coun tries like Switzerland and Luxembourg and certain German banks have been operating with lax finan cial compliance for years and yet they’re not black listed while the Bahamian financial sector is getting decimated by nonsensi cal regulations, which are dangerously close to being racially discriminatory as it can get while maintaining a supposedly fair image.

Apparently, all of our KYC (Know your Cus tomer) changes and progress on financial regu lations we’ve made over the last decade has been effec tively nullified by the recent blacklist. This cannot stand, because the Bahamas has lost its position in the inter national financial service industry due to the constant “regulations” made by the EU for countries like the Bahamas.

Now it would be a good time for Prime

Minister Davis and his administration to seek out answers from Ursula von der Leyen and the rest of the EU.

If the organisation is to maintain any good stand ing with the Bahamas and the Caribbean, then it must enforce fair conduct with all of its member states and other nations who are active participants in the financial services.

If they persist in nonsen sical regulations designed to hurt the Bahamas and other Caribbean nations, show favoritism with cer tain nations over others and use blacklists as economic weapons, then the Baha mas will have to refuse any further compliance from European financial institutions and render the agreements null and void.

As much as we want to remain on the good side of our allies, if protecting our secondary industry requires to go to extreme measures, then so be it.

AMMAKA RUSSELL

Nassau, October 6, 2022.

THOUGHTS ON HURRICANE DEVASTATION IN FLORIDA

EDITOR, The Tribune

Looking at the devastation dealt Florida by hurricane Ian, I shudder to think where we here in the Bahamas would have been if it had come our way.

I remember many years ago when faced with a similar fate — although we thought it the end of the world then, it was rela tively nothing by comparison to the near miss that we have just had with Ian – and to think that the hurricane season is not yet over, in fact it is just getting into its stride and so many prayers will have to be said before the season ends in the hope that the tiny Bahamas will be spared.

But looking at the present photographs of the many destroyed buildings in Florida takes me back many years when a hur ricane hit the Bahamas and then moved on to Florida, leaving much damage in its wake in both areas. There was much discus sion at the time comparing the damage in both the Bahamas and Florida. Although the same ferocity of winds, it was being said that the Bahamas fared better because gen erally Bahamian homes were more sturdily built than those in Florida.

Photographs taken at the time seemed to prove them right, but I cannot say if it were true, except it greatly influenced a decision that my husband I were about to make for our future home. It was a marvelous way of building that was all the rage at the time in the U.S. and to which we were very much attracted until the hurricane brought us to our senses.

A U.S. company had arrived in Nassau with a new idea on the market of a home that had to be removed from its packag ing and put together like a child’s Lego

set. No carpenters, cement mixers - build ers of any sort - a ready-made home that just had to be taken out of its packaging and put together like a child’s toy - a true life-size Lego set and what a beauty it was! We had never seen anything so spectacular. We were much attracted to what was going on in the market and seriously considered signing up for the ready-made home.

And then came the hurricane - and it was that hurricane that made the decision for us. Photos of the damaged homes sug gested that they might have been of the same construction as those about to be introduced to the Bahamian market.

After that hurricane - all we heard was that there was more damage to the homes in Florida than those in the Bahamas, which, it was claimed, seemed better built than those in Florida and thus better able to withstand the devastating hurricane winds. Needles to say that hurricane made the decision for us as to what type of home we would build and we never heard any more about the magnificent lego set that presumably was about to go on the market in Nassau.

Seeing all the lumber strewn around in the hurricane damaged Florida area reminded us of what we had almost pur chased many years go - the lumber floating around in Florida’s flooding reminded us of that beautiful Lego set home that we heard no more of after the hurricane of that year many years ago. I now wonder how many homes that went down in this hurricane were of that vintage.

MALAYSIA’S Wai Ching Soh, centre, screams victorious after taking a win over the second place finisher, Japan’s Ryoii Watanabe Ryoji, left, who lies on the ground exhausted, in the 44th Annual Empire State Building Run-Up, Thursday, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER OVER SHOOTING DEATH

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey @ tribunemedia.net

A MAN was remanded in Magistrate’s Court yesterday in connection with a shooting that left another man, who was on bail for attempted murder, dead last month.

Dwayne Clarke, 25, repre sented by attorney Alphonso Lewis, faced Chief Magis trate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt on a charge of murder.

Clarke, along with others, is accused of shooting Daquan Lundy at High Point Road off JFK Drive on Sep tember 29. According to police reports at around 9pm emergency medical services pronounced Lundy dead at the scene.

Authorities later dis covered a dark-coloured Japanese vehicle a short dis tance away, which is believed to have been involved in the incident.

The 27-year-old victim was facing an attempted murder charge against Eduardo Deveaux before his death. Lundy was on bail for this

charge at the time.

Clarke was not required to enter a plea. He was informed that his matter would be fast tracked to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

The magistrate told the accused that as she lacked the jurisdiction to grant him bail he would have to apply for it through the higher court.

Until bail is granted, Clarke will be sent to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

Clarke then told the chief magistrate that he was the alleged victim of police bru tality while in custody at the CDU. He further claimed that this beating resulted in scars and bruises about his body, which the magistrate officially noted. Clarke also said that he was denied access to an attorney during his ini tial detainment at CDU.

Before being taken into remand Clarke was allowed a brief moment individu ally with a group of family members.

The accused’s VBI is to be served on January 23, 2023.

FINE FOR BREACHING CURFEW WHILE ON BAIL

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was fined in Mag istrate’s Court yesterday for breaching his curfew while on Supreme Court bail for armed robbery.

Joshua Dorsett, 19, stood before Senior Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans on two counts of violation of bail conditions.

On September 25 at 12.30am and September 27 at 11.51pm Dorsett was

found outside his residence, failing to comply with his daily curfew. These bail con ditions were imposed by the Supreme Court as the accused awaits trial on two armed robbery charges.

In court Dorsett pleaded guilty to the charges.

The magistrate fined the accused $1,000 for each count of bail breach. Should the accuse default on these payments he would face a six-month sentence at the Bahamas Department of Cor rectional Services.

18 MONTHS FOR POSSESSION OF UNLICENSED FIREARM

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was sentenced to 18 months in prison Wednesday for possession of an unlicensed firearm.

Dominique Rolle, 26, and two other men stood before Magistrate Samuel McKinney for decision on their firearm and ammuni tion trial.

On December 21, 2020 when stopped by officers on mobile patrol on Bal four Avenue the trio were found in possession of a black Glock 43 pistol with the serial number erased.

At the same time eight unfired rounds of .9mm ammunition were also found.

In his summary of their case Magistrate McKinney stated that officers recov ered the firearm from a hidden compartment near the rear-view mirror of the vehicle, of which Rolle was the driver.

In prior testimony it was stated that the two other men were only passen gers at the time who both denied ownership of the vehicle during questioning.

During Rolle’s official police interview he gave a no comment response to the question of the vehicle’s ownership. He later claimed that he had

only come into posses sion of the vehicle a week before his arrest, saying that he only got it from an unnamed man in Fox Hill.

After restat ing these points, the magistrate said that he did not accept Rolle’s explanation of events and ruled that he was the owner of the firearm and ammunition. While the remaining defendants were discharged for the matter, Rolle was found guilty on both counts.

The court heard that Rolle has a previous con viction for stealing and a pending murder charge.

As part of his plea of mitigation, his attorney Ian Cargill stated that his client is a father of two and gainfully employed as a mechanic. In view of this he asked that the court be lenient in its sentencing.

Given the fact that Rolle has no convictions of a similar nature the magis trate sentenced him to 18 months for the gun and one year for the ammuni tion. These sentences are to be served concurrently at the Bahamas Depart ment of Correctional Services.

Rolle faced a $7,500 fine for the gun; in default he risks an additional six months in custody.

MAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was sent to prison Wednesday after being accused in Magis trate’s Court of a failed murder bid.

Montre David, 24, rep resented by attorney Bjorn Ferguson, stood before Magistrate Samuel McKinney on a charge of attempted murder.

According to police reports on the night of September 8 in Dignity Gardens, David is alleged to have shot Billy Cejour, who while being hit multi ple times about the body survived his injuries.

Due to the severity of the offence, the defendant was not required to enter a plea in court. As such he was informed that his matter would be fast tracked to the Supreme Court by way of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

David was further informed that as the magis trate lacked the jurisdiction to grant him bail he would have to apply for it through the higher court.

Until such time that bail is granted to him the accused will be remanded to the Bahamas Depart ment of Correctional Services.

Service of David’s VBI is slated for December 12.

Testimony given in trial of man accused of sexually abusing daughter

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MEDICAL official and a police officer gave testimony in the Supreme Court yesterday in the case of a man accused of sexu ally abusing his daughter.

A 47-year-old man, whose name is being with held to protect his accuser’s identity, was in court before Justice Guillimina ArcherMinns for the continuation of his incest trial.

It is alleged by the prosecution that the accused molested his now adult daughter twice in 2015 and 2016 when she was 15 and 16 years old.

In a previous court appearance, a record ing was played where the accused is said to have been heard begging his daughter not to tell anyone what he did as he could go to jail.

The accused also claimed he was also the victim of molestation as a child by his own uncle.

While he allegedly said that what happened then did not justify what he did to his own daughter, he promised to admit to what he did if the complainant attended counselling with him.

After taking a recording of this telephone conver sation with her phone, the now 22-year-old offi cially lodged sexual abuse charges against her father in 2017.

During her testimony in court a doctor detailed her involvement in the case. At around 11.30am on Febru ary 7, 2017 she performed an examination on the complainant in relation to her accusations.

While she could not recall the exact details of the day in question, she referred directly to the sexual assault hospital form she filled out then with her signature attached. This document was shown to the justice and officially logged into evidence.

In reading the docu ment in court she said that it appeared the defendant had no abrasions, lacera tions, contusions, bruising, bite marks or tenderness apparent in her examina tion.

While she also noted the absence of blood, semen or foreign material present, the complainant’s hymen was not intact.

Although the medical examiner reiterated that she does not remember exact details of that day’s events she remembered that her patient was with drawn and in a school uniform.

During his cross-exami nation Murrio Ducille, KC, asked if there was any way for a hymen to be damaged beyond sex. In response the doctor said that the hymen could be affected through a variety of physical activi ties, including ballet, sports or use of sex toys.

When asked if she

performed a DNA test during her examination the doctor said that she could not recall if she had, but that she did take blood and urine samples.

Afterwards the witness agreed to the prosecutor for the Crown’s assertion that DNA evidence would not have been present in the following months after the incident and her examination.

In the police officer’s tes timony, she said that she issued the complainant a sexual assault hospital form after she reported the inci dent in the latter half of January 2017. The officer further indicated that while an appointment was made to seek medical attention, the complainant was not escorted to the hospital by police or were they present at the examination.

The timing of the alleged sexual abuse was beyond the 72-hour time frame when officers would pursue such actions and as such no sexual assault kit was used either.

In the Crown’s crossexamination, the officer expanded on the point that if the complainant had come within 72 hours of the sexual assault then doc tors would have been able to collect DNA and semen samples. Since the exami nation took place beyond that period, medical profes sionals say that any DNA evidence collected would be insignificant.

When asked if authorities would find any DNA evi dence of significant value after a period of months. “No” was the officer’s reply.

With the prosecution having closed its case, the defence elected to address the jury and give testi mony. The defendant also informed the justice of his intent to bring two to three witnesses to speak on his behalf.

In Mr Ducille’s address he acknowledged that the case against his client was of a sexual nature.

He further said that such accusations are easy to make, but difficult to dis place. The attorney called into question the timing between the alleged inci dent and the accusations being made.

During his testimony the defendant denied both the allegations and that it was him in the previously mentioned audio record ing. While he brought up his own copy of a screenshotted WhatsApp conversation between him and his daughter in court, his counsel’s move to have it entered as evidence was rejected.

Justice Archer-Minns stated that the defence’s counsel had failed to lay the necessary groundwork for the documents first, as there was no official signa ture, date or seal on them.

The hearing of this case will continue today.

THE Bahamas National Breastfeeding Association (BNBA) is urging the govern ment to ratify United Nations Convention 183, which would ensure the rights of breastfeeding mothers while on the job.

During a one-day seminar held on Wednesday, the association laid out some key points supporting the move. The event was held under the United Nations theme: ‘Step Up for Breastfeeding, Edu cation and Support.’ In attendance and delivering remarks were the Director of Labour Robert Farquharson, who spoke on behalf of the Minister of Labour and Immigration Keith Bell, and Ann Marie Davis of the Office of the Spouse of the Prime Minister.

Mr Farquharson said that although the convention has yet to be ratified by the government, steps are being actively taken to include it in the Employment Act.

“We are recommending that statute law be amended to ensure that buildings have a special room so that nursing mothers have a place to breastfeed or pump for up to 12 months after the delivery of a child,” said Mr Farquharson. “We want to ensure that not only is it enacted by law but also reflected in the policy and procedures in government ministries. After additional consultations with partners and other stakeholders, we want to make some recommendations to the government to see how quickly the convention can be adopted in The Bahamas.”

Spouse of the Prime Minister, Mrs Davis said that she fully supports the move and encouraged efforts to move for ward with getting the convention adopted by the government. She also encouraged women to breastfeed their infant children. Describing lactating mothers as “meals in heels,” Mrs Davis said that this is one of the best gifts a mother could give to her child.

“Breastfeeding is a vital source of nutri tion and according to the United Nations, it contributes to over $3.2 billion of the world’s gross domestic product,” said Mrs Davis: “It fosters higher IQ levels, attaches to sustainability issues, and has minimal ecological footprint.”

She also said that more effort should be made to raise the number of breastfeeding mothers.

“We are in a battle to raise breastfeed mothers from 18 percent to 50 percent. It must be done collaboratively and coop eratively,” said Mrs Davis. “If we need a healthy nation, we need to go upward and forward, and we need sufficient support to be able to meet this objective.”

Chairperson of the National Tripartite Council, Cheryl Martin, also delivered brief remarks. She said that steps must be aggressively taken to pass laws to support breastfeeding in the workplace.

“Women face so many issues after returning from maternity leave: they have nowhere to express their milk, or have to resort to unsanitary conditions to do so. They need a safe place to store the milk once expressed, nurseries must be baby friendly, maternity leave should be extended to 20 weeks. We also need pater nity leave for fathers and ongoing training and compensation for lactation manag ers,” said Ms Martin.

She also said that Convention 183 was passed by the International Labour Organisation since 2000 but, to date, has not been ratified by The Bahamas.

PETER ROKER’S

BUSINESSMAN, fuel retailer and philanthropist

Peter Roker, known as a pio neer in the Carmichael Road West community, is engaging in one of the biggest philan thropic challenges of his life this National Heroes Day. He will attempt to walk 248,160ft, or 47 miles around the entire island of New Providence in an effort to raise funds for three charities.

This 80 year-old commu nity leader plans to start his marathon on Monday, Octo ber 10 at 7am from the site of his newest gas station at

HEROES DAY CHARITY

the Milo Butler highway roundabout. Peter Roker’s Esso Gas Station is set to open in November, continu ing his legacy of giving more to his customers and giving back to the community. He will walk from the gas sta tion, head west to Carmichael Road, down to Adelaide, on to Clifton Pier, then Lyford Cay areas, on to Cable Beach, then follow the northern coast of New Providence all the way to the Eastern Road. He will attempt to continue the walk on to Prince Charles, then Soldier Road, back on to

Carmichael Road, then Fire Trail Road back to the gas station site.

This is Mr. Roker’s “Just Because - Penny Per Foot” challenge and as a result, he is asking the general public, including organisations, companies and government agencies to sponsor each step that he takes on this journey to make a difference in the lives of his fellow Bahamians.

The main purpose of this “Just Because” event will be to assist three local chari ties chosen, in hopes to raise enough funds to aid those

in need. They are: the Ran furly Homes for Children, Bahamas Children’s Emer gency Hostel, and Abilities Unlimited. Challenge him by donat ing one penny for each foot he actually walks. Donations will go directly to these insti tutions. To make a donation, visit Peter Roker’s -”Just Because” on Facebook to find the pledge sheet with banking information for each charity. You can also find Peter Roker Just Because on Instagram and Tok Tok, or call him at 424-0749.

PETER Roker overlooking the site of his gas station, set to open next month.

THIS map shows the route that 80-year-old Peter Roker will walk for charity based on the donations received.

We

are all guilty of it, we look at a city or a neighbourhood and see the big picture without stopping to think how it got that way - tall buildings or low level, peaked roofs or flat, classic or contemporary style, sprawling properties or narrow frontage. Rarely do we stop to wonder whose hand helped shape that built environment, or if there was a singular hand that left its mark on what stands today.

This week, with the arrival on island of a long-antici pated book, we got a look at the life and work of an archi tect who helped shape the beauty of The Bahamas.

His name is Henry Melich and the book, Island Fol lies, (Rizzoli) is the result of a 20-year labour of love by his daughter, Tanya Melich Crone, along with author and architectural historian Alastair Gordon and the design and production team headed by Barbara DeVries.

Chris Blackwell, the man credited with discover ing Bob Marley, wrote the foreword. A lifelong fan of Melich’s work, Blackwell refused to allow anyone else to design anything for him from his home in Jamaica to his residence in The Baha mas or his Compass Point studios where music greats gathered and recorded, and later Compass Point resort, now closed.

Melich, a partner in the firm of Robjohns and Melich, was a force of nature, a romantic personality whose good looks, intellectual curi osity and love of life were mirrored in the buildings he designed. There were more than 150 of them, including the home of Sir Lynden Pin dling, Lakeview in Skyline Heights, though Pindling caught heat for a policy of Bahamianization and choos ing a foreign-born architect to design his own home. No one ever accused the country’s first black Prime Minister of poor taste. He wanted the best and he defended his choice of the Czech-born, British-trained

architect who had worked on St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminister Abbey in London and arrived in The Bahamas in 1954 and had, years earlier, been granted residency with right to work.

Though best-known for the glamour he brought to Lyford Cay, where he designed at least 30 homes, many with extraordinary stonework, statues, gardens flanked by gates with pools whose lines looked like art, Melich’s influence shaped historic Nassau. It was his hand that created one of the most beautiful build ings in the city centre, the Fendi shop at the corner of Charlotte and Bay Streets, now undergoing renova tion to become a Starbuck’s. (May the second storey arched window be preserved forever.)

He designed Coin of the Realm and the courtyard between it and what was the Scottish shop and Brass & Leather. He designed Norfolk House on Freder ick Street with its inspiring interior patio that feels like such a luxury in prime downtown real estate. The Town Court Apartments were his, as was Harbour Mews and several build ings on West Hill Street, including one of the most architecturally profound, The Melich design flair lives on from east to west in New Providence – the cottages of West ern Shores, Carefree, The Islands Club, Delaporte – the latter now one of the hottest Airbnb or short-term rental properties in the country.

Most of all, Henry Melich will be remembered for the imprint he left on Rawson Square. He moulded down town historic Nassau with structures like the Churchill Building where Cabinet met for decades, until lack of maintenance and elements of nature turned it into a teardown this year. At one time, its hundreds of wooden shut ters that protected it against hurricanes were a landmark. But like so many historic structures, its integrity was sacrificed to neglect.

Meantime, the Melich touch lives on in Harbour Island, the Windermere Club and Lyford Cay where even the names of homes he designed have a whimsical flair – Xanadu, Pavilion, The Castle, Tivoli, and even in the heartbeat of the nation, the capital of Nassau where among other structures remain the intact buildings created by his design and his civil engineering knowledge.

There is the old Nassau Shop, now John Bull, and Sunley Square across from Rawson Square, a 30,000 square foot structure built on reclaimed

land and supported by 265 pylons driven down 40 feet into bedrock.

High fashion Gucci shoes and bags now adorn the northern shopfront win dows of the building that stretches from Bay Street and Bank Lane south almost to the city police station.

One architect’s engi neering, and his dedication to creating what a client wanted, even to the extreme as in The Castle, left a foot print and legacy that helped shape the beauty we know as historic Nassau and the glam our still revered by the rich and famous who live behind the gates of Lyford Cay.

Had it not been for his

daughter’s dedication and determination to find the photos and hire photogra phers for three years to trace the details of the amazing

path that led to the produc tion of Island Follies, we may never have appreciated the magic of one man, Henry Melich.

Want to rescue Bay Street? All historic Nassau needs is a single decision

Icould

write ad nau seum about what’s wrong with downtown Nassau, but what’s the point?

You can see it with your own eyes. I’d much rather focus on the potential.

Cast those same eyes that see an unplanted planter on

the amazing architecture, on the good bones of so many buildings, the A-line pointed rooflines lined up like a board game or a movie set made for a stuntman to jump from one to the next. Look at the lines and the leaded glass of the majestic Masonic Temple or the inviting open doorways

flanked by mahogany of John Bull. Look past the present and see the future. Take note of the dirt, the broken tiles, the yet to be replanted planters, the tacky hand written signs taped to store windows on a side street, the cluttered sandwich board signs that crowd the already

overcrowded sidewalks, the garish too-large, out of pro portion signs and say what is wrong with this picture. There is history here.

Why is it not being told? There are thousands walking past these structures and set tling for tee-shirts.

What Nassau lacks, what

Nassau needs is a mayor or manager, not a political appointee but someone who loves Nassau like a treasure you want to protect and pre serve forever. I’ve said it a million times – so often that you are tired of hearing it and I wonder why I keep repeat ing it but here is the truth.

You don’t open a mom-andpop shop over the hill without a manager in place yet we open the City of Nassau every day, the gateway to our coun try, the first place that the masses of the seven million visitors a year we receive, with no management in place.

What ARE we thinking?

ABOVE: Sunley Building on Bay Street.

BELOW: The Fendi building.

ROBJOHNS & Melich - Ad in FL Architect, November, 1965.

HENRY Melich meets the Queen.

UN proposing ‘humanitarian corridor’ in Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE,

Haiti (AP) — The United Nations is proposing a “humanitarian corridor” in Haiti’s capital to help people get gasoline and aid amid a mounting crisis as gangs keep blockading roads and access to some areas, includ ing to one key fuel terminal in Port-au-Prince.

The U.N. office in Haiti said in a press release that the blockades, in particu lar the one accessing the Varreux fuel terminal, undermine efforts to resolve problems in the Caribbean country, in particular the resurgence of cholera after three years without reported cases.

The U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordina tor Office in Haiti made the proposal on Wednesday.

Late Wednesday, Prime Minister Ariel Henry also called for help from the international community to address his country’s crisis, worsened last month when he announced that fuel sub sidies would be eliminated, causing prices to double and people, including gang members, to protest in the streets.

Haiti’s most powerful gang even decided to block access to the largest fuel ter minal, warning its members will stay there until Henry resigns and prices for fuel are reduced.

Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, violence has soared in Haiti as gangs battle over territory, and the government has struggled to crack down.

The U.N. said that the blockade on the fuel termi nal “has led to the closure of health centres over the last weeks now, and caused the interruption of water treat ment services,” posing a problem to prevent cholera.

“The crisis that Haiti is going through affects the population throughout the territory and the most vul nerable people are the first to suffer from the block age,” it added on its press release.

The fuel depot blocked by gangs has been inoper able since Sept. 12, cutting off about 10 million gallons of diesel and gasoline and more than 800,000 gallons of kerosene stored on site.

Many gas stations are closed, and others are quickly running out of supplies.

DEMONSTRATORS fill the streets during a protest to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, in the Petion-Ville area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

A PROTESTER prays outside St Peter’s Church as he holds a pot and a spoon in his hands during a protest to demand the resignation of the prime minister Ariel Henry in the Petion-Ville area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

CENTRE, KILLS

By TASSANEE VEJPONGSA and DAVID RISING Associated Press

UTHAI SAWAN, Thailand (AP) — A former police officer facing a drug charge burst into a day care centre Thursday in Thailand, killing dozens of preschoolers and teachers and then shooting more people as he fled. At least 36 people were slain in the deadliest rampage in the nation’s history.

The assailant, who was fired earlier this year, took his own life after killing his wife and child at home.

Photos taken by first responders showed the school’s floor littered with the tiny bodies of children still on their blankets, where they had been taking an afternoon nap. The images showed slashes to their faces and gunshots to their heads and pools of blood.

A teacher told public broadcaster Thai PBS that the assailant got out of a car and immediately shot a man eating lunch outside, then fired more shots. When the attacker paused to reload, the teacher had an opportunity to run inside.

“I ran to the back, the children were asleep,” said the young woman, who did not give her name, chok ing back her words. “The children were two or three years old.”

The attack took place in the rural town of Uthai Sawan in Thailand’s northeastern province of Nongbua Lamphu, one of the country’s poorest regions.

Another witness said staff at the day care centre had locked the door, but the suspect shot his way in.

“The teacher who died, she had a child in her arms,” the witness, whose name wasn’t given, told Thailand’s Kom Chad Luek television. “I didn’t think he would kill children, but he shot at the door and shot right through it.”

At least 10 people were wounded, including six critically, police spokesman Archayon Kraithong said.

A video taken by a first responder arriv ing at the scene showed rescuers rushing into the single-story building past a shattered glass front door, with drops of blood visible on the ground in the entryway.

In footage posted online after the attack, frantic family members could be heard weeping outside the building. One image showed the floor smeared with blood where sleeping mats were scattered around the room. Pictures of the alphabet and other colour ful decorations adorned the walls.

Police identified the suspect as 34-year-old former police officer Panya Kamrap. Police Maj. Gen. Paisal Luesomboon told PPTV in an interview that he was fired from the force earlier this year because of the drug charge.

In a Facebook posting, Thai police chief Gen. Dumrongsak Kittiprapas said the man, who had been a sergeant, was due in court Friday for a hear ing in the case involving methamphetamine, and speculated that he may have chosen the day care centre because it was close to his home.

Earlier, Dumrongsak told reporters that the main weapon used was a 9mm pistol that the man had purchased himself. Paisal said he also had a shotgun and a knife.

Thailand Prime Minis ter Prayuth Chan-ocha, who planned to travel to the scene on Friday, told reporters that initial reports were that the former officer was having personal problems.

“This shouldn’t happen,” he said. “I feel deep sad ness toward the victims and their relatives.”

Police have not given a full breakdown of the death toll, but they have said at least 22 children and two adults were killed at the day care. At least two more children were killed elsewhere.

After Ian, coastal residents return to pick up the pieces

By STEPHEN SMITH and BOBBY CAINA CALVAN Associated Press

SANIBEL ISLAND, Fla. (AP) — Rotting fish and garbage lie scattered in Sanibel Island’s streets.

On the mainland, debris from washed-away homes is heaped in a canal like matchsticks. Huge shrimp boats sit perched amid the remains of a mobile home park.

“Think of a snow globe. Pick it up and shake it — that’s what happened,” said Fred Szott.

For the past three days, he and his wife Joyce have been making trips to their damaged mobile home in Fort Myers to begin clean ing up after Hurricane Ian slammed into Florida’s Gulf Coast.

As for the emotional turbulence, he says: “You either hold on, or you lose it.”

Just offshore, residents of Florida’s devastated barrier islands are also returning to assess the damage to homes and businesses, despite lim ited access to some areas.

The broken causeway to Sanibel Island might not be passable until the end of the month. In the meantime, residents like Pamela Bris lin arrived by boat to see what they could salvage.

Brislin stayed through the storm, but is haunted by what happened after ward. When she checked on a neighbour, she found the woman crying. Her hus band had passed away, his body laid out on a picnic table until help could arrive. Another neighbor’s house caught fire. The flames were so large that they forced Breslin to do what the hur ricane could not — flee with her husband and a neigh bour’s dog.

Ian, a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 150 miles per hour (240 kilometres per hour), unleashed torrents of rain and caused extensive flood ing and damage. The deluge turned streets into gushing rivers. Backyard waterways overflowed into neigh bourhoods, sometimes by more than a dozen feet (3.5 metres), tossing boats onto yards and roadways. Beaches disappeared, as ocean surges pushed shore lines far inland.

Sanibel Island had ordered a complete curfew after the storm passed, allowing search and rescue teams to do their work. That meant residents who evacuated the island were technically blocked from returning.

But the city of about 7,000 started allowing resi dents back from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday. City manager Dana Souza told residents in a Face book Live stream that he wished the municipality

had resources to provide transportation but that, for now, residents would have to arrange visits by private boat.

Pine Island is closer to the mainland than Sanibel, but it too was hit hard by the storm.

Cindy Bickford’s house was still standing. Much of the damage was from the flooding, which left a thick layer of rancid muck on her floors.

“It’s not our stuff we’re worried about. It’s our community. Pine Island is extremely close-knit,” said Bickford, who arrived Thursday for the first time.

She was hopeful that much could be salvaged.

“We’ll tear the home apart so we can live in it,” said Bickford, who wore a

T-shirt that said “Relax,” “Refresh” and “Renew.”

The storm caused bil lions of dollars in damage and killed dozens of people, the majority of victims in Florida. Even a week after it passed through, officials warn that more dead could still be found as they contin ued to inspect the damage.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSan tis, at a news conference Thursday in the Sarasota County town of Nokomis, trumpeted the widespread restoration of running water through the storm-hit zone and the work toward restoring power.

Some 185,000 customers remain without electricity, down from highs above 2.6 mil lion across the state.

He said rescue workers have conducted around

2,500 missions, particu larly on barrier islands on the Gulf coast as well as in inland areas that have seen intense flooding. More than 90,000 structures have been inspected and checked for survivors, he said.

He said residents areas devastated by the hurricane had been showing great resilience over the past week.

President Joe Biden toured some of Florida’s hurricane-hit areas on Wednesday, surveying damage by helicopter and then walking on foot along side DeSantis.

The Democratic presi dent and Republican governor pledged to put political rivalries aside to help rebuild homes, busi nesses and lives. Biden

In hardest-hit Lee County, Florida, the vast majority of people killed by the hurricane were over age 50.

Five people were also killed in North Carolina, three in Cuba and one in Virginia since Ian made landfall on the Caribbean island Sept. 27, a day before it reached Florida.

After roaring northeast across Florida and into the Atlantic, the hurricane made another landfall in South Carolina before pushing into the mid-Atlan tic states.

emphasised at a briefing with local officials that the effort could take years.

At least 98 storm-related deaths have been reported, 89 of them in Florida.

BRUCE HICKEY, 70, walks along the waterfront littered with debris, including shrimp boats, in the mobile home park where he and his wife Kathy have a winter home, a trailer originally purchased by Kathy’s mother in 1979, on San Carlos Island, Fort Myers Beach, Fla., Wednesday, one week after the passage of Hurricane Ian. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

A RESIDENT navigates a canoe to his flooded home on Whitecomb Drive along the shore of Lake Harney in Geneva, Fla., Thursday.

Despite the lake leveling off at a crested 8-feet above normal level, floodwaters from the St. Johns River have put his neighbourhood underwater and continue to inundate other areas of Geneva and Sanford following historic levels of rainfall from Hurricane Ian last week. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)

CARS and debris from washed away homes line a canal in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., Wednesday, one week after the passage of Hur ricane Ian. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Mackey Jr joins Levarity on LYONSO roster

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

FRENCH Nationale Masculine

1 League club CTC LYONSO Basket Territoire will now have two Bahamians on their roster for the 2022 campaign.

The club announced the signing of Willis Mackey Jr as a medi cal transfer for the next three months. He joins Aaron Levar ity, who signed with LYONSO in August.

“His arrival will compensate for the prolonged absence of

our American interior Michael Craion,” the club said of Mackey’s signing. “It is therefore a high quality reinforcement that joins Team LYONSO for the next few months.”

Mackey spent last season with another NM1 club, Mulhouse Basket Agglomeration.

In 33 games, the fourth year 6’7” forward averaged 11.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game on 62 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent from three-point range. Mackey spent the previ ous season with JSA Bordeaux Métropole Basket as the team

WILLIS Mackey Jr

struggled to a 7-19 record, 13th place in Group A. In 16 games he averaged 13.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

Levarity will enter the third season of his professional career. He spent his last two seasons with the Svendborg Rabbits of the Basketligaen, the highest level of basketball in Denmark.

Last season he averaged 14.9 points and 11 rebounds per game in 36 contests. He also averaged 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game. In his first season with the Rab bits, Levarity averaged 12 points

Tahnaj Thomas back on the mound in AFL

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Fresh off helping Great Britain baseball make history at the World Baseball Classic Qualifiers, Tahnaj Thomas was back on the mound continuing his season in the Arizona Fall League.

The Pittsburgh Pirates prospect has made a pair of relief appearances for the Surprise Saguaros as the club opened the season 3-1.

He pitched 1.2 innings in the Saguaros 11-6 open ing day win over the Salt Water River Rafters where he recorded a strikeout, but struggled through a pair of walks and giving up a three run home run.

In last night’s 8-6 win over the Rafters, Thomas pitched 1.1 inning but again allowed a solo home-run in his appearance.

The Saguaros roster includes prospects from the Pirates, Philadelphia Phil lies, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, and Houston Astros. The Solar Sox includes Cubs, Miami Mar lins, Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays, and New York Yankees prospects.

Thomas spent his regular season with the Altoona Curve at the AA level.

In 37 games this year, he finished with a 5-4 record and three saves. He pitched 50.2 innings, with a 3.02 ERA and 52 strikeouts.

The 22-year-old 6’5” right hand pitcher, is cur rently ranked no.29 in

the Pirates organisation according to MLB Pipeline, has delivered a series of impressive performances.

Thomas was named to the MLB Pipeline Prospect Team of the Week for July 4 to July 10.

Chicago Cubs prospect BJ Murray is also an AFL participant with the Mesa Solar Sox.

The 22-year-old infielder has made a successful tran sition to High-A baseball and his progression within the Chicago Cubs organisa tion. Murray and his South Bend Cubs claimed the Midwest League Cham pionship series in High A baseball. He hit .545 for the series

In 56 games with South Bend, Murray hit .273, slugging .406, with a .794 OPS, with 51 hits, 22 runs scored, eight doubles, five home runs, 28 RBI and eight stolen bases.

The league attracts many of the top prospects in the minor leagues. Late in the minor league seasons, MLB clubs hold a posi tion draft to determine the players who will participate in the AFL.

Most are Double-A and Triple-A players. The league is designed for these prospects to refine their skills and perform in game settings in front of major and minor league baseball scouts and team executives, who are in attendance at almost every game.

Several Bahamians have advanced to the AFL in recent history, including Champ Stuart in 2016,

and 5.5 rebounds per game with the club. “LYONSO is happy to announce the arrival of Aaron Levarity within the club. This powerful and scoring 4-5 position comes from Svendborg Rabbits, a Danish first division club, and reinforces Maxence Broyer’s squad,” the organisation said in a press release.

“The whole Team LYONSO welcomes Aaron and can’t wait to see him in action on the Canopée floor.”

LYONSO will face Mackey’s former club, Mulhouse, tonight as they look to improve to 2-1.

BRAZIL WILL BE THE TOPRANKED TEAM AT WORLD CUP IN QATAR

ZURICH (AP) — Brazil will go to this year’s World Cup as the top-rated team after extending its lead over second-place Belgium in the latest FIFA rankings released yesterday.

Brazil won its two warmup games in Septem ber — against Ghana and Tunisia — while Belgium lost to the Netherlands in one of its two Nations League games.

Argentina stayed at No. 3 and 2018 World Cup cham pion France is still at No. 4.

The World Cup in Qatar starts on November 20.

Host Qatar will be the 50th-ranked team, just ahead of No. 51 Saudi Arabia. Ghana will be the lowest ranked team at No. 61.

Group B at the World Cup is the strongest by rankings with all four teams in the top 20 — No. 5 Eng land, No. 16 United States, No. 19 Wales and No. 20 Iran.

Italy rose one place to No. 6 and is the highestranked team that failed to qualify for the World Cup, missing back-to-back edi tions. Spain fell one place to No. 7, with Netherlands, Portugal and Denmark unchanged to complete the top 10.

Germany, the 2014 cham pion, is No. 11, just ahead of 2018 finalist Croatia.

Also, Russia rose two places to No. 33 despite not playing a recognised game in 2022 because the national team was suspended follow ing the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

MLB’s postseason is here: A guide to the 12-team playoffs

By DAVID BRANDT AP Sports Writer

MAJOR League Base ball’s postseason has a little more heft this season.

The playoffs are here, with the first games played today.

The postseason begins with a field of 12 teams — up from last year’s 10 — and includes a best-of-three format for the opening wild-card round.

The expanded postseason has produced some spicy early postseason matchups.

San Diego’s newly acquired slugger Juan Soto against the 101-win New York Mets?

Ageless star Albert Pujols and the Cardinals against Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and the Phillies?

Buckle up, they’re hap pening this weekend.

MLB’s new wild-card format is similar to the one currently used in college baseball for the NCAA Super Regional round: The three games will be sched uled on three consecutive days from Friday to Sunday

at the higher seed’s field.

The first team that gets two wins advances.

After that, the playoffs will be business as usual.

The division series will be best-of-five, while the league championship series

and World Series will be best-of-seven.

• Here’s a little more information about base ball’s bulked-up postseason: WHAT’S NEW IN BASEBALL’S WILDCARD ROUND?

The best-of-three wild card format is a change from the sudden death onegame format that’s been in place since 2012.

Six teams each from the American League and National League quali fied for the postseason, including the three division winners in each league. The three wild-card teams in each league are the teams with the best record that didn’t win their division.

The top two teams with the best records in each league get a bye and don’t

Anfernee Seymour in 2017, Jazz Chisholm Jr and Lucius Fox in 2018 and Chavez Fernander in 2021.

Approximately 60 per cent of all AFL participants have reached the major leagues. The league has

produced 278 All-Stars, 17 Most Valuable Players, six Cy Young Award winners and 29 Rookies of the Year.

ASTROS starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) throws to a Balti more Orioles batter during the fifth inning on September 22.

Photo/Tommy Gilligan)

TAHNAJ THOMAS

Colts grind out 12-9 win over Broncos in injury-filled game

By ARNIE STAPLETON

DENVER (AP) — Ste phon Gilmore batted away Russell Wilson’s pass to Courtland Sutton in the end zone on fourth-and-1 from the 5 to give the Indianapolis Colts a 12-9 overtime victory over the Denver Broncos last night.

Gilmore also intercepted Wilson’s pass in the fourth quarter to help set up Chase McLauglin’s tying field goal.

McLauglin connected from 47 yards 4:10 into overtime to give the Colts (2-2-1) the lead in the first game in NFL history that pitted quarterbacks with at least four Pro Bowl appear ances each, but it featured zero touchdowns.

The Broncos (2-3) decided against a tying chip-shot field goal by Brandon McManus, and Wilson lined up in the shotgun next to running back Melvin Gordon, then threw incomplete over the middle.

Matt Ryan grinded out the victory despite throw ing two interceptions into the hands of safety Caden Sterns, fumbling for the 10th time this season and getting sacked six times, giving him 21 so far.

McLaughlin sent it to overtime with a 31-yarder with 5 seconds left in regulation after Gilmore intercepted Wilson’s pass to Jerry Jeudy in the end zone on third-and-4 from the 13.

That kick capped the Colts’ longest drive of the night, 68 yards in 10 plays.

The Colts won the over time coin toss and Ryan drove them into field-goal range again.

Many fans were won dering if this game would be one of revenge — Phil lip Lindsay returning to his hometown to beat the Broncos — or redemption — Gordon atoning for his big fumble Sunday that

was returned 68 yards for a touchdown by the Raiders. It turned out to be neither.

Lindsay ran for 40 yards on 11 carries ad Gordon had 54 yards on 15 carries, but he was flipped by safety Rodney McLoyd Jr at the 6 on his way to the end zone when it appeared he had an open path to the winning touchdown.

Sterns picked off two of Ryan’s passes, the second one leading to a 45-yard field goal and a 9-6 lead with 3:19 left in the third quarter. But the boobirds were out again at Empower Field after Andrew Beck dropped a touchdown pass two plays after Sterns’ second interception.

The prime-time game was a streaming snoozefest pitting veteran quarterbacks struggling with their new teams, both of whom were missing their best running back and sev eral key defenders.

It looked like neither team practiced much during the week because neither team did as they worked in new running backs and replaced key defenders on a short work week.

And as is common on Thursday nights, there was a rash of injuries with the most serious to Indy’s Kwity Payne (leg) and Denver’s Garett Bolles (right knee), both of whom were carted off.

The only scoring before

halftime came on field goals of 33 and 44 yards by McManus and a 52-yarder by McLaughlin with 12 sec onds left before the break.

McLaughlin’s 51-yarder tied it in the third quarter, and Grover Stewart pre served the tie by blocking McManus’ attempt from 34 yards after Courtland Sutton’s 51-yard catch in which he wrested the ball from teammate Montrell Washington.

With reigning NFL champion Jonathan Taylor (ankle, toe) out for Indy and the Broncos lamenting the loss of Javonte Williams to a shredded right knee, the grind-it-out nature of the game was entirely expected. The Colts came in averaging 14.3 points a

game, the lowest in Ryan’s 16-year career, and the Broncos entered the night averaging 16.5 points, the worst in Wilson’s 11-year career.

Nyheim Hines got the start for Indy, but he went out with a head injury after his third snap when D.J. Jones knocked him down and Hines’ helmet bounced on the ground. He wobbled as he tried to leave the field on his own and had to be guided to the sideline, where he was evaluated for a concussion.

UP NEXT The Colts host the Jack sonville Jaguars on Sunday, October 16, and the Bron cos visit the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night, October 17.

Jets take on Dolphins, look to end 12-game skid vs. AFC East

By DENNIS WASZAK JR AP Pro Football Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Robert Saleh had a clear message for his team when the New York Jets gathered for offseason workouts in April.

To become a winning franchise, he told them, they need to first start win ning their games in the AFC East.

That’s no small task for the Jets, who have dropped 12 straight in their divi sion — with the last victory coming in Week 17 against Buffalo to cap the 2019 season.

“The quickest way to the playoffs is to win your division, right?” Saleh said this week. “And that’s the one thing you have control over: beating your divi sion opponents and all that stuff. It’s on our boards: ‘Own the East,’ so if you are trying to become that playoff team, you’ve got to be great in the division, and this organisation and this team hasn’t won in a while within the division.”

New York has four con secutive losses each to Miami, Buffalo and New England during that span.

The Jets (2-2) will get a chance to change that trend — and narrative — Sunday at MetLife Stadium when they take on the Dolphins (3-1).

“This is obviously our first opponent, first divi sion opponent, and we’re in a heck of a division with New England, Miami, and Buffalo — three freak ing really good football teams,” Saleh said. “We’re looking forward to the opportunity to play Miami.

“They’ve got weapons all over the place, they’ve got a hell of a head coach

and it’s going to be a fun game.”

They usually are between these division rivals, with the Dolphins holding a slight edge — 57-55-1, including playoffs — after having beat the Jets four straight times and eight of the last nine meetings.

“I do understand the history of this rivalry just being a football fan,” said Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who is starting in place of the injured Tua Tagovailoa, who suffered a concussion against Cincinnati. “We have an opportunity to get to 3-0 in the division. That would be huge for us. That’s one thing that we emphasize right now.

“We know that we’re playing against a very good Jets team. It’s a young team with some young talent, but those guys are playing some good football. We know that they’re going to give us their best.”

The Dolphins, who could earn the franchise’s 500th victory, including playoffs, are coming off their first loss of the season, a 27-15 defeat against Cincinnati. A win against New York would give Miami its first 4-1 start since 2003.

Meanwhile, the New York Jets are trying to get to 3-2 for the first time since 2017 after a fourthquarter comeback last week in a win at Pittsburgh — led by quarterback Zach Wilson in his first start of the season.

HELLO, OLD FRIEND Miami coach Mike McDaniel knows Saleh very well. Former assis tants under 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, the two have a history that spans more than a decade.

The two were also assis tants in 2006 on Gary Kubiak’s staff with the Texans.

“And then we both ended up being let go in Houston at some point,” McDaniel said, “and scratching and clawing to stay in the league.”

The two remain close, and Saleh impressed McDaniel back then with his smarts.

“He would always blow my mind because we’d have a problem with our printer,” McDaniel said, “we’re trying to print Visio or Excel or something, and he wouldn’t call IT.

“He would just open up this manual and figure out how to figure this stuff out.”

McDaniel and Saleh will meet for the first time as head coaches Sunday.

“To just watch him from afar, watch some of his press conferences, talking to some of the guys who are on staff,” Saleh said, “you always knew when he got his opportunity, he was going to seize the moment and take absolute charge and show how, not necessarily strong of a per sonality, but how convicted he is in his beliefs and his philosophy.”

THIS CLOSE

Tyreek Hill nearly became a member of the Jets in the offseason. There was one big thing that kept it from happening.

“Those state taxes, man,” Hill said. “I realised

I had to make a grown-up decision, and here I am in a great city in Miami.”

Hill, acquired by Miami from Kansas City in March, has fit in just fine with his new team.

He leads the league in yards receiving (477) and is tied for second with Buf falo’s Stefon Diggs with 31 receptions.

ZACH’S BACK Wilson completed just eight of his first 24 passes for 124 yards through three quarters last week, but he went 10 of 12 for 128 yards while leading two touch down drives in the final period.

The second-year quar terback’s resilience and confidence in crunch time drew raves from team mates and coaches.

“It was great to have Zach back,” safety Lamar cus Joyner said. “After missing the first three (games), he did well coming back. He was com posed and mobile and made some really good throws and decisions.”

THE RUN GAME

The Dolphins are 29th in rushing offence through four weeks. They haven’t had a 100-yard rusher and are averaging 3.5 yards per carry.

McDaniel said Miami needed better commitment from him, starting with the plays that are called, and better execution from eve ryone on the team.

“It’s not unfounded to have a four-game block where you’re down in a phase and that becomes a strength of yours as the season progresses,” McDaniel said.

“As a coaching staff and as a team, that’s our plan, for it to progress and become a strength of ours.”

PATRIOTS PLACE HOYER ON INJURED RESERVE WITH A CONCUSSION

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The Patriots placed quarter back Brian Hoyer on injured reserve yesterday because of a concussion, the latest blow to New England’s depth.

The veteran was knocked out in the second quarter of the Patriots’ 27-24 overtime loss to Green Bay last week following a blind side hit by Rashan Gary.

Hoyer was making his first start since 2020, fill ing in for Mac Jones, who has an injured left ankle. Jones has been a limited participant in practices this week. If he isn’t ready to go, rookie Bailey Zappe is expected to make his first NFL start Sunday when New England hosts Detroit.

The team signed Garrett Gilbert to the practice squad Wednesday.

SOUTH AFRICA WINS FIRST ODI AGAINST INDIA BY 9 RUNS

LUCKNOW, India (AP) — South Africa earned cru cial Super League points as it beat India by nine runs in a rain-hit first ODI yesterday.

Heinrich Klaasen (74 not out) and David Miller (75 not out) scored attack ing half-centuries to propel South Africa to 249-4. In reply, India struggled to get going and managed 240-8 despite Sanju Sam son’s half-century as South Africa took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

The match was reduced to 40 overs a side after morning rains delayed the start by nearly three hours. Put in to bat, Janneman Malan (22) and Quinton de Kock (48) put on 49 runs for the first wicket but South Africa was reduced to 110-4 in 22.2 overs thereafter. Shardul Thakur picked 2-35, while wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav (1-39) applied the brakes.

Klaasen and Miller then put on 139 runs in 17.4 overs to set up a challeng ing chase for India. The duo hit 11 fours and five sixes, scoring 85 runs off the last 60 deliveries.

In reply, India got off to a poor start and was reduced to 51-4 after open ers Shikhar Dhawan (4) and Shubman Gill (3) fell cheaply.

Ruturaj Gaikwad could manage only 19 runs on his ODI debut while Ishan Kishan (20) also failed to get going.

It brought Samson and Shreyas Iyer together and the duo played a rescuing hand with a 67-run partner ship for the fifth wicket.

Iyer was out for 50 off 37 balls, including eight fours but Samson then took over and put on 93 runs off 65 balls with Shardul Thakur (33).

The second ODI will be played in Ranchi on Sunday.

MIAMI Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) sets up to pass during practice at Baptist Health Training Complex in Hard Rock Stadium on Wednesday, October

2022 in Miami Gar dens, Florida.

Santiago

Herald via AP)

NEW England Patriots quar terback Brian Hoyer warms up before an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers on October 2.

Photo/Matt Ludtke

INDIANAPOLIS

football game against

(AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

2-GAME LAS VEGAS EXHIBITION STAY ENDS WITH WIN

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

HENDERSON, Nev.

(AP) — Victor Wem banyama blocked a shot yesterday afternoon, ran to the other end of the court, went airborne from just inside the foul line, corralled an alley-oop pass with one hand and slammed home a dunk.

The entire sequence lasted eight seconds.

It may have been the signature moment — and there were a lot of candidates — from Wem banyama’s two-game trip to the US, which ended yesterday with the French phenom’s Metropolitans 92 team rallying from 16 points down to top the G League Ignite 112-106. He led the way, of course, with 36 points and 11 rebounds.

“As a first impression of the American game, that was really great,” Wemban yama said.

So was he.

His final numbers from two exhibitions: 73 points on 22-for-44 shooting, nine 3-pointers, 15 rebounds and nine blocked shots. He flies back to France on Satur day, and the next time he plays in the US there likely will be an NBA logo on his jersey, presumably after he becomes the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

“It’s very, very special for France,” Metropolitans 92 coach Vincent Collet said. “Not only for France. He has huge potential. He’s a huge talent.”

The reviews are in from this two-game Vegas resi dency for Wembanyama, who stands 7-foot-3 in bare feet, and they were of the raving variety. The best of

the bunch may have come from Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, who suggested that calling Wembanyama a unicorn might not fully indicate how unique he is.

Instead, James went with an out-of-this-world comparison.

“Everybody’s been a unicorn over the last few years, but he’s more like an alien,” James said. “No one has ever seen anyone as tall as he is but as fluid and as graceful as he is out on the floor ... He’s, for sure, a generational talent.”

Added Golden State guard Stephen Curry: “He’s like the (NBA) 2K createa-player, every point guard that wants to be 7-foot. Cheat-code type vibes, man. He’s a solid talent. It’s great to watch.”

Sure enough, when Wem banyama’s around, a viral moment can happen at any time. It might be a dunk. It might be a block. It might be a fadeaway 3-pointer from the corner while his momentum has him drift ing toward the baseline. It might be a 28-foot 3-pointer from the wing. It might be him kicking a ball into a monitor and narrowly miss ing fellow French centre Rudy Gobert.

Yes, all those things happened.

The scene: Gobert and fellow Minnesota Timber wolves standout D’Angelo Russell, in town to play the Lakers in a presea son game later Thursday, decided to postpone their afternoon nap — a staple of the NBA gameday routine — and make the 20-minute ride from Las Vegas to watch the game, arriving at halftime.

Gobert made a quick appearance on the game’s televised broadcast. Wem banyama, standing nearby, stuck one of his massive feet into the path of a pass by Ignite centre Eric Mika. The ball ricocheted into the monitor near Gobert’s seat, knocking it over.

Gobert laughed. Wem banyama raised his hand to apologise. “Hey, he played soccer too,” Gobert said.

Gobert raves about Wembanyama, who almost certainly will be the first top-five draft pick from France. And he doesn’t think there’s any real comparison: Gobert said Wembanyama’s defensive instincts remind him of himself, while his ballhand ling and shooting remind him of Kevin Durant.

“What strikes me the most about him is his maturity,” Gobert said. “Obviously, he’s a very unique talent and he has a very unique physique. But his maturity and his confi dence ... he’s very unique.”

Yesterday’s game had a bit of a scare, and the other top NBA draft headliner in this showcase got the worst of that moment.

Scoot Henderson, the guard whose 28 points led

the Ignite to a 122-115 vic tory on Tuesday night in the exhibition opener, left Thursday’s game after less than five minutes. The reason: He banged knees with Wembanyama.

Henderson switched onto Wembanyama, who was dribbling on the wing. Wembanyama made a move, collided into Hen derson and tumbled to the court, looking initially like he got the worst of that exchange. But Henderson, who was called for a foul on the play, wound up limp ing off for evaluation and the Ignite quickly said he wouldn’t be returning.

“Scoot’s fine,” G League coach Jason Hart said. “It was precautionary.”

There are 31 games left on Metropolitans’ 34-game schedule in the French league, and the plan — as of now — is for Wembanyama to finish his season, which is slated to go through midMay. The NBA Draft is June 22.

Bouna Ndiaye, one of Wembanyama’s agents, said some NBA teams might not understand why he’s playing. The reason, he says, is because nobody can get Wembanyama out of the gym.

“He wants to live on the court,” Ndiaye said.

What these two games showed, in many ways, was just that the tapes of Wem banyama that have been coming out of Europe over the last few years weren’t lying. He needs to get stronger. There’s much he can still polish. He is, by all accounts, exceptional already.

“Just before we came in last Saturday, we had a meeting with our doctor and we are going to pre pare to plan the next two months to increase what he is doing, besides the court, to strengthen the body,” Collet said.

“We’re always careful also with how much time he is practicing, not to go too far. ... We plan so that we limit the risk.”

When Thursday was over, when the comeback was complete, Wembany ama briefly lifted his arms skyward in celebration, then shook a lot of hands, partook in a lot of hugs and posed for a lot of pictures.

With that, the draft hype continued on.

“I’m still excited and so happy about it,” Wembany ama said. “I know I’m so lucky to have this chance.”

FRANCE HOPING EMBIID WILL JOIN TEAM FOR PARIS OLYMPICS

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Joel Embiid has two choices: the red, white and blue of the US, or the blue, white and red of France.

An Olympic medal might hinge on his decision.

France is still hopeful that Embiid — the reign ing NBA scoring champion — will choose to wear its colours for the 2024 Paris Olympics even though he recently became an Ameri can citizen, national team coach Vincent Collet said yesterday.

Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers star, may choose to play internationally for the US or France, but not both. It was widely presumed that he would play for France at the Paris Games and possibly even next year’s Basketball World Cup in the Philippines, until Embiid revealed last week that he now has American citizenship as well.

Embiid told AP last week that it’s too early to think about a decision. By rule, he will eventually have to declare a choice to FIBA, the sport’s interna tional governing body, if he decides that he wants to play at the Olympics or World Cup. France is the reigning Olympic silver medallist and is planning to have a team featuring Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum — and, quite likely, top NBA draft prospect Victor Wembany ama — at the Paris Games. France’s plan is to essen tially take what will be its Olympic roster to the World Cup next year.

NBA G League Ignite’s Scoot Henderson attempts to shoot around Boulogne-Levallois Metropoli tans 92’s Victor Wembanyama during the second half of an exhibition basketball game October 4. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Lashann Higgs off to winning start in Spain

By RENALDO DORSETT

LASHANN Higgs’ third pro basketball season in Spain got off to a winning start in the Liga Femenina Endesa.

Higgs scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds in her debut with Hozono Global Jairis in their 64-51 win over Cadi La Seu in the season opener.

Jairis returns to the court on October 12 against Gran Canaria.

Jairis head coach, Lucas Fernández, said he has lofty expectations for the impact Higgs will have on the club for the 2022-23 campaign.

“Lashann Higgs is a player who, within her humility and effort, has a great capacity to generate advantages from her one on one skills, with the ability to finish, to assist, and with great physical abilities in defence,” he said.

“She is a player who from the beginning has shown us great enthusiasm for joining our team and who I am sure will work hard to offer us her best version.”

Jairis finished last season 24-6, second in the stand ings and looks for Higgs to be one a key factor in improving to the league’s top record. “We have no doubt that she will bring

all of her quality, effective ness, and experience to this exciting season ahead,” Fernandez said.

Higgs concluded last season in the Liga Femenina Endesa with Lointek Gernika Bizkaia.

WARRIORS’ DRAYMOND GREEN APOLOGISES FOR FIGHT WITH TEAMMATE

By JANIE MCCAULEY AP Sports Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)

— Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green apol ogised to the team a day after fighting with team mate Jordan Poole during practice, general manager Bob Myers said.

Poole practiced Thurs day while Green didn’t, and Myers said any potential discipline would be handled internally. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Green will be away from the team again today and expects him to return Saturday.

NBA Finals MVP Ste phen Curry said he didn’t know what triggered the issue between Green and Poole and noted “it is pos sible to get through things like this,” and called it his job not to let it break the team.

Kerr praised Poole’s approach during camp.

“Jordan has been fan tastic throughout camp,” Kerr said. “Someone put out there that Jordan had an attitude in camp, noth ing can be further from the truth. He’s been fantastic.

Disappointing to see mis information out there but I wanted to make sure I set the record straight on that. Everything else we will handle internally and go from there.”

Myers said he doesn’t anticipate Green missing any games for Wednesday’s altercation.

“Everybody’s fine,” Myers said, saying the team is lucky nobody got hurt. “Look, it’s the NBA, professional sports, these things happen. Nobody likes it. We don’t condone it, but it happened.

“Draymond apologised to the team this morning, Jordan was there in the room, I was there in the room with the team, the coaches, the players and we heard that.”

The Athletic first reported the scuffle, saying Green struck Poole. Myers said “space is good” regard ing Green not practicing and going home after he addressed the team.

Curry said “JP’s been great and there’s nothing that warranted the situation yesterday.”

Curry added one of Green’s “superpowers is bringing his fire, com petitiveness and voice.”

Regarding the apology, “it’s necessary but you’d have to ask every guy individu ally how they received it, JP especially,” Curry said.

“The vibe today in prac tice was great, trying to take advantage of this week and make it about basketball and our preparation for the season,” Curry said.

WHY ARE THE PLAYOFFS STARTING LATE?

In 25 games she averaged 9.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

Prior to Spain, she had a brief stint with Rutronik Stars Keltern DamenBasketball-Bundesliga (DBBL), the premier

women’s basketball league in Germany.

Higgs spent her rookie season of pro basketball with Bembibre PDM in the Liga Femenina Endesa. She finished as the third leading scorer in the league at 15.8

points per game on 54 per cent shooting from the field.

She also shot 33 percent from three-point range, 76 percent from the free throw line and was third on the team at 4.2 rebounds per game.

ESPN ‘NBA COUNTDOWN’ SHOWS

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Malika Andrews and the crew from “NBA Today” will have a bigger profile this season.

Andrews will host the “NBA Count down” studio show that airs during Wednesday games. Andrews will be joined by analysts Rich ard Jefferson, Chiney Ogwumike and Kend rick Perkins and senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.

The coverage will mainly take place from ESPN’s Los Angeles studio, which across the street from Crypto.com Arena — the home of the Lakers and Clippers.

Andrews filled in for Mike Greenberg last season at times, and said she felt nervous during the first couple. She said there might be less anxi ety this time since it is a familiar cast.

“It’s kind of the same feel, vibe and chemistry with the same people who I get to work along side every day. Just in a different time slot,” Andrews said.

The move also increases Andrews’ role. Besides taking over on “NBA Today” last year and continuing her role as a sideline reporter, she hosted the network’s coverage of the NBA draft and the NBA draft lottery.

Andrews rose to prominence two years ago when she reported from inside the Orlando bubble, and was the side line reporter during the 2021 NBA Finals after Rachel Nichols was taken off coverage.

Nichols did not work the finals and a couple months later saw her time at ESPN end after reports surfaced that Nichols, who was acci dentally recorded in the bubble, suggested col league Maria Taylor’s promotion to host the 2020 NBA Finals was related to diversity.

have to play in the wildcard round. Those four teams get a few days of rest. That’s the Astros and Yankees in the American League and the Dodgers and Braves in the National League.

The wild-card round will feature four series over the upcoming weekend: Rays-Guardians, Blue JaysMariners, Padres-Mets and Cardinals-Phillies.

October’s postseason festivities will bleed into November before a cham pion is crowned.

That’s mostly because of the sport’s labor strife that resulted in a work stoppage over the winter. It delayed the beginning of spring training and pushed the regular season back about a week.

Baseball players and owners salvaged the usual 162-game season, but to do that, they had to move

“It’s obviously an unfortu nate situation getting asked about it and a situation that could have been avoided but there’s a lot of trust in the fabric of our team, who we are, who we know those two guys to be and how we’ll get through it and try to continue to make it about playing great basketball.

The personal dynamics and stuff will work themselves out. That’s part of the cul ture that we’ve built here.

I like how we responded today, we had a great prac tice, good energy. Try to keep that as the focus as we move forward.”

The fiery Green, a fourtime NBA champion and four-time All-Star, has long been considered the emotional leader of the Warriors. He’s been will ing to get into it with his teammates when he feels it’s appropriate. There is a “tough love” element to every team, Myers said, noting “Draymond is

opening day from March 31 to April 7.

Some of the games origi nally scheduled for the first week of the season were moved to the end, meaning a season that was originally scheduled to end on Oct. 2 instead ended on Oct. 5.

Hence, a late start to the playoffs.

WHO ARE THE FAVOURITES?

Great question.

The Dodgers have been dominant all season with a lineup that includes Mookie Betts, Trea Turner,

absolutely a leader on this team.”

Green regularly pushes the league limit for techni cal fouls. He was suspended one game without pay in November 2018 for conduct detrimental to the team fol lowing an altercation with Kevin Durant. Green also sat out Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals for an accumu lation of flagrant fouls.

“It’s unfortunate, I’m not going to deny it,” Myers said about the latest incident.

“It’ll take some time to move through, but we’ll move through it and move forward and I’m confident that we will. We’ve got a good team, we’ve got good leadership, we’ve got some guys that have been here a long time.”

Poole’s representatives are in discussions with Myers about a contract extension ahead of the October 17 deadline, one day before the defending

Will Smith and Freddie Freeman.

They won 111 games for one of the best seasons in franchise history.

Over in the Ameri can League, the Houston Astros topped 100 wins as well. They’ve got a loaded lineup that includes Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez, along with potential AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander.

New York’s teams should figure into the mix as well.

The Yankees were cruis ing for much of the season

NBA champions open the season at home against the Lakers.

Both Poole and Andrew Wiggins insisted on media day their unsettled contract situations were not the top thing on their mind going into the preseason.

Myers said he didn’t consider this dustup as something that was about “who’s getting paid and who isn’t.” Curry agreed.

Golden State is back in the Bay Area this week and on the practice floor in San Francisco after a pair of preseason wins in Japan against the Wizards.

Myers doesn’t expect the incident to have a lingering effect. “First, like anything you want to make sure eve rybody’s OK, that’s the No. 1 thing,” Myers said.

“After that, nobody likes these things, so how do you move forward? There’s a process to these things, there’s apologies, there’s time.”

— led by star Aaron Judge’s 62-homer campaign — but haven’t played as well since the All-Star break.

The Mets have one of the league’s deepest pitching staffs, with two aces on top in Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer.

Then there’s the defend ing World Series champion Braves, who rallied to win the NL East and still have a loaded lineup that includes Austin Riley, Dansby Swanson, Michael Harris, Matt Olson and Ronald Acuña Jr.

“NBA Today” replaced Nichols’ “The Jump” last September. Ratings for this September were up 8% compared to last year, while coverage of the NBA Summer League and free agency in July was the most watched in five years in the timeslot.

“I’m still learning to be the best host I can be. I still watch every show, taking notes and looking at how I can be better,” Andrews said.

“You can’t manufac ture chemistry in a bottle and say, ‘OK, we’re going to add one and two, and all of a sudden that spits out chemistry on the other side.’ I’ve been colleagues with Richard, Chiney and Kendrick for years, but we didn’t work together every day like we do now. I do think going into Year Two, that is going to help as well.”

Dave Roberts, ESPN’s head of NBA and studio production, praised Andrews for being poised and quickly adapting to being a studio host.

“Malika is a universally respected journalist and she continues to thrive at every assignment she’s given,” he said, adding, “She can operate as an excellent point guard, if you will, to make eve ryone else on that set better.”

LASHANN Higgs scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds in her debut with Hozono Global Jairis in their 64-51 win over Cadi La Seu in the season opener in the Liga Femenina Endesa in Spain.

GOLDEN State Warriors forward Draymond Green poses for a photograph during an NBA basketball media day in San Francisco on Sunday, September 25.

(AP Photo/Godofredo A Vásquez)

UB Mingoes blank Cavalier FC 6-0

ANOTHER game and another hat trick plus one for University of Bahamas midfielder Ronaldo Green.

Green scored a hat trick plus one to lead The Min goes to the 6-0 win over Cavalier on Wednesday night at the Roscow R.L. Davies Field.

Green took 10 minutes to find the net off a brilliant pass from Jean Tilo to put The Mingoes up 1-0 early in the match.

It took Green 18 minutes to score again to put The Mingoes up 2-0 in the 28th minute.

Nathan Wells was not about to be left out.

Three minutes later, Wells - on an assist from midfielder Marlon Barnesscored on a bending strike to slip the ball in the upper left corner of the goal to give The Mingoes a 3-0 advantage.

He celebrated in front of the big UB crowd at the sta dium by pretending to go to sleep on the pitch.

Green completed his hat trick with five minutes to go in the first half to give the Mingoes a strong 4-0 lead

into the half. In the second half, Green took a long pass deep in the box and scored his fourth goal of the night in the 60th minute as The Mingoes extended the lead to 5-0.

Morgan Wood, who had a close opportunity on the fifth goal for the Mingoes, was going to make sure he was on the scorecard.

Another long pass and Wood connected in the 62nd minute to put The Mingoes up 6-0.

The Mingoes are now sporting a 2-0 record in the league.

Head coach Dion Godet said the team members are proving they have the capacity to play good foot ball. “The coaching team has been putting a lot of time in to develop a new system and the guys are buying into the system,” he said. “That’s the message we take from this, the new system can work and pro duce really good football if we stick with the system.”

Green, who scored another hat trick plus onefour goals - said the win is a team effort as they watched

Arsenal looking to pile more pressure on Liverpool

By JAMES ROBSON AP Soccer Writer

MANCHESTER, Eng land (AP) — The match at Emirates Stadium on Sunday should prove informative about the pros pects of both Arsenal and Liverpool.

For Premier League leader Arsenal, it’s the latest test of its ability to mount a credible title chal lenge against the only team

that has managed disrupt Manchester City’s domi nance over the past five years.

For Liverpool, tenta tively finding form after such a turbulent start to the season, it’s a chance to pro vide a platform on which to build Jurgen Klopp’s recov ery plan. The stakes are much higher for the team from Merseyside — not least because City lies in wait a week later.

Further dropped points ahead of the visit of Erling Haaland and Co. to Anfield would leave Klopp on the verge of crisis in a season when the title already looks beyond Liverpool.

The German has been cautious in his commentary this week — even after the confidence-boosting win over Rangers in the Cham pions League on Tuesday. “I can’t wait for the moment when I can read newspapers

film to make some correc tions from the first match.

“We came out and exe cuted everything the coach showed us in the video ses sion and made corrections on our formation and it paid off here tonight,” he said.

Wells, who scored an outstanding goal in the first half, said the team is coming to make some noise in the league.

“We played as a team and we have some really good players on this team,” he said. “We came together to get that result and that was the win.”

The Mingoes next play Baha Juniors FC 5pm Sunday at The Roscow R.L. Davies pitch.

again because I didn’t read them for weeks,” Klopp joked. “The criticism is completely fine. We are not over the moon about our situation. But we played some really good games — it’s not like it’s 10 years ago, it’s not too long ago.”

Liverpool has only lost once in the league this season but already trails Arsenal by 11 points.

The only wins have come in the 9-0 demolition of Bournemouth and via an injury-time strike against Newcastle.

Last week’s 3-3 draw at home against Brighton typified the raggedness of a team that was on course for an unprecedented quad ruple going into the final weeks of last season. The loss of Sadio Mane, who joined Bayern Munich in the offseason, has had an impact, with replacement Darwin Nunez taking time to settle.

Injuries in midfield have left Liverpool looking light in that department, while Virgil van Dijk’s usual

authority in defence has been lacking. In five of seven games in the league, Liverpool has conceded first to underline the vul nerability at the back.

How van Dijk handles Haaland will be fascinat ing — but before that he will have to try to curtail a former City striker who is enjoying a resurgence at Arsenal.

Gabriel Jesus looked to be a bargain when signed for $50 million in the off season and he has been a key component for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta this term, scoring five times in eight appearances.

The Brazil international was on target again as Arse nal defeated Tottenham 3-1 in last week’s north London derby.

Seven wins from eight matches has confounded expectations and even left City in Arsenal’s wake.

The one loss — to Man chester United — has not derailed momentum, while victory against Tottenham answered a lot of questions

about the team’s ability to cope with the pressure at the top.

Even in the face of Liv erpool’s struggles, another win on Sunday would perhaps be even more impressive as evidence of Arsenal’s readiness to replace last year’s runnerup as the new challenge to City.

TAKING A KNEE

The Premier League will reaffirm its commitment to fighting racism and discrim ination with players taking a knee before the next two sets of matches.

All games between Octo ber 8 and October 16 will be dedicated to the “No Room For Racism” initiative.

Ahead of the start of the season, club captains collec tively agreed to stop taking a knee before every match and instead select certain points in the calendar to make a statement.

Boxing Day, the final day of the season and the FA Cup and EFL Cup finals will also see players make the gesture.

UB Mingoes men’s soccer midfielder Ronaldo Green moves the ball against Cavalier FC team members en route to scoring the fourth goal for The Mingoes.

UB Mingoes men’s soccer defender Junior Kelly moves the ball against Cavalier FC team members.

Photos courtesy of UB ATHLETICS

UB Mingoes men’s soccer midfielder Ronaldo Green moves the ball against Cavalier FC team mem bers enroute to scoring the second goal on Wednesday night at The Roscow R.L. Davies Field.

ARSENAL players celebrate after their teammate Granit Xhaka scored his side’s third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, at Emirates Stadium, in London, England, on Saturday.

(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

ST AUGUSTINE’S COLLEGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION MAKES

DONATION TO BAHAMAS GOLF FEDERATION JUNIOR DIVISION

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IN its continued efforts of giving back, the Alumni Association of St Augus tine’s College presented a donation to the Bahamas Golf Federation’s Junior Division.

The donation was made yesterday at the BGF’s Driving Range and was a part of the proceeds derived from the initial Unca Lou Charity Golf Tournament that was held at the Royal Blue Golf Course at the Baha Mar resort on June 11.

Michael Rolle, chairman of the Unca Lou charity tournament, said they were delighted to be able to make the contribution to the BGF’s Junior Division. He presented the cheque to Fred Taylor on behalf of Gina Gonzales-Rolle.

“The tournament was a success and we exceeded what we expected to do,” Rolle said. “We gave out sbout 15 prizes, so most people went home happy and next year when we host the second one, we hope that it will be bigger and better than the first one.”

Daria Adderley, the daughter of the late Leviti cus ‘Uncle Lou’ Adderley, in whose honour the tournament was named, expressed her gratitude on behalf of her mother, Florinda, and the rest of their family for the gesture by the committee and the SAC Alumni Association.

“I was quite pleased with the way the tournament and what the end product was,” said Adderley, who is now a physical education teacher and coach at SAC where she served for many years as the principal and a coach of multiple sports.

“My father was all about youth empowerment and giving back to the young people in the country. So to see this tournament come off and to have an opportunity to give back to the BGF Junior Division is something that he would be pleased about.”

Although she was unable to attend the event, Gina Gonzalez-Rolle, presi dent of the BGF’s Junior Division, said the Unca Lou Charity and the SAC Alumni Association real ised the demanding work and time that the BGF Junior Division was put ting into growing the game

of golf and so they decided since this is something that they all hold so dear to their hearts, it is something they wanted to invest in to ensure that the game con tinues to grow.

Gonzalez-Rolle said that the sport of golf will only continue to grow in the Bahamas with the help of those individuals in cor porate Bahamas, who love the game and help with its growth and development.

“The BGF Junior Divi sion has introduced golf in the school curricu lum and the kids are so excited to play,” she said.

“We have already had two inter-school cham pionships in junior golf and look forward to the 2023 Inter-School Golf Championships.

“We believe that this is just the beginning of what was considered a rich man’s sport to be a sport for all Bahamians, no matter of race, colour or status. We are looking forward to hearing when persons speak of sports, it is not to be just track and field and swimming, but also golf.”

Cherelle Cartwright, the president of the alumni association, said she’s

ecstatic to see the growth and development that they have been making over the past few years.

“I cannot stress the importance of us all coming together and giving back,” she stated. “As I say to people in the alumni association, yes, we are here to support our alma mater in whatever way we can, but also the citizens of this country.

“We live in this country and we are all inter-con nected wherever you...

Whether you are from SAC or not, it’s all about us giving back, not only to SAC, but to assist other non-profit organisations who are doing charitable work.”

While this was the BGF’s latest venture in junior development, Cartwright said under her watch, they also made a contribution to the Bahamas Diabetic Association, Pastor Law rence ‘the Signing Bishop’ Rolle’s feeding ministry and the Bahamas Great Commission.

“With the pandemic just about over and we’re now open for business, we’re looking to doing a lot more things in the future,” Cart wright said.

“At present, we are trying to source the neces sary material to complete the softball field at SAC because we have enhanced the plans for the fields.

“We hope to have the two fields completed before our next golf tour nament in March or April in 2023. We are also look ing at renovating our track and field surface with an IAAF certified track on our campus as we provide the best for our students and other schools who may decide to use our facilities.”

Geno Nairn, who is spearheading the comple tion of the fields, said they had anticipated to start the work two weeks ago, but they ran into some hiccups and they should now have them completed before the end of the year.

“We have two fields we are working on. They will be state-of-the-art fields when they are completed. One of the fields will be inter-changeable for soft ball and baseball,” Nairn said.

“So whenever they switch to playing baseball in the schools, St Augus tine’s College will be ready on their home turf.”

RAHM OFF TO A GOOD START AT SPANISH OPEN, SITS 1 SHOT BACK

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer

MADRID (AP) — Jon

Rahm overcame early jit ters from playing at home and shot a 7-under 64 in the opening round of the Spanish Open yesterday to sit one stroke behind lead ers Ashun Wu, Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Darius van Driel.

Rahm is trying to win for the third time at home and join the great Seve Balles teros for the most Spanish Open titles.

“It’s not that my heart beat was faster, but it was definitely a lot more intense on the first few shots and the first few putts just because I’m playing in front of he home crowd and I want to do good, and they want me to play well,” the sixth-ranked Rahm said.

Rahm made six bird ies, an eagle and a bogey at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid.

“It always helps when you start with a birdie, it always helps settle things down, and then getting a nice upand-down on the second hole got me going,” Rahm said. “It’s not that it’s more nerve-wracking (to play at home), but it just matters more, it’s a little bit more intense.”

Rahm finished in a tie for 17th in last year’s Span ish Open, when he said he arrived with more pressure because he was ranked No. 1 and had won the U.S. Open and played well in the Ryder Cup.

Wu, the Chinese player who finished in a tie for 79th in Spain last year, took the early lead after making eight birdies and no bogies in a round of 63. Thai land’s Aphibarnrat made five straight birdies after a bogey on No. 12 in a busy round of 63. He also made three other birdies, an eagle and another bogey. Van Driel had nine birdies and a bogey.

Also a shot back were Swede Joakim Lagergren and Frenchman Matthieu Pavon, who was 6 under par through the first six holes after picking up four bird ies and an eagle. He added another birdie in a quiet back nine.

The other top-30 player in the field, Tommy Fleet wood, had a lacklustre opening round of 70 and was tied for 47th.

Defending champion Rafa Cabrera-Bello strug gled and was tied for 107th after a 74.

Rahm arrived in Madrid with increased confidence after shooting 62 in the final round of the BMW PGA Championship at Went worth last month.

SHOWN, from left to right, are SAC Alumni member Osbourne Moxey, Daria Adderley, BGF junior development member Fred Taylor, Unca Lou Charity Golf com mittee chairman Michael Rolle, SAC Alumni Association president Cherelle Cartwright, and Geno Nairn, Unca Lou Charity Golf committee member.

Photo: Moise Amisial