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Volume: 121 No.20, December 18, 2023

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: PRICE–$1

JUDGE ASKED TO JAIL FORMER MP Application to commit Lockhart to prison for ‘failure’ to refund $3m

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net A FORMER member of parliament and Supreme Court judge is facing an application to send him to prison after he allegedly failed to refund more than $3m his client gave his firm to hold in escrow.

Court documents said Dr Paul Fuchs sent the

BAHAMASAIR APOLOGISES FOR WEEKEND CANCELLATIONS

firm of former Exuma MP Elliot Lockhart, KC, $3,033,453.80 to hold in escrow for proposed real estate transactions and ancillary applications –– but the money was not returned when the proposed deals were cancelled and abandoned.

Mr Lockhart and Patricia Bullard, the interim

BAHAMASAIR apologised over the weekend for flight delays and cancellations, which managing director Tracy Cooper attributed to the inclement weather.

Bahamasair said “adverse” weather in the north-west Bahamas and South Florida, along with equipment and infrastructure challenges, contributed to challenges in their operation.

“We understand the frustration these disruptions have caused and deeply regret any inconvenience experienced by our passengers,” the airline said in a statement.

“The safety and comfort of our passengers remain our top priority and we assure the public that every effort is being made to enhance our

SEE PAGE THREE

Over 50 percent Of Out island’s WATER SUPPLY LOST TO LEAKS

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net MORE than half the Water & Sewerage Corporation’s supply to Family Island customers never reaches the end-user, it has been revealed, resulting in a negative 306 percent operating loss margin.

An Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) document, obtained by Tribune Business, disclosed that the state-owned utility’s nonrevenue water (NRW) losses in the Family Islands were equal to 55 percent of the water piped through its infrastructure.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

SEE PAGE SEVEN FORMER Exuma MP Elliot Lockhart, KC, is facing an application to send him to prison after he allegedly failed to refund more than $3m his client gave his firm to hold in escrow.

INSIGHT

SHIVER REQUESTS CHANGES TO HER BAIL CONDITIONS

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net AN American woman accused of plotting to kill her husband is once again seeking the court’s permission to change her address.

Lindsay Shiver, 36, sought to vary the terms of her bail conditions during a hearing before Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson on Friday.

LINDSAY Shiver.

Photo: Leandra Rolle This

latest

comes two months after Justice Grant-Thompson granted her request to change her residency from Abaco to New Providence after a reported break in at her condo.

Mrs Shiver’s lawyer, Owen Wells, told the court Friday that the new location where his client wants to reside was disclosed in an affidavit filed on her behalf.

PENSIONS SAFE?

BY JOHN MARQUIS

SEE PAGE SEVEN

PAGE EIGHT

application

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

PAGE 2, Monday, December 18, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

BahaMar, Grand Hyatt Nassau, Bahamas (242) 788-8816

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, December 18, 2023, PAGE 3

Judge asked to jail former MP

from page one administration director of Lockhart & Co, are defendants.

Supreme Court Justice Denise Lewis-Johnson froze various accounts connected to them in September and ordered them to produce evidence of their worldwide assets exceeding $3m and their efforts to return their clients’ money.

Dr Fuchs’ lawyers applied to commit Mr Lockhart and Ms Bullard to prison in October, arguing they did not comply with Justice Lewis-Johnson’s September 13 order.

Dr Fuchs, a foreign national who owns a home in Exuma, claimed in his statement of claim that he hired Mr Lockhart’s firm for legal services around

May 11, 2022, wiring money to that firm’s FirstCaribbean International Bank account.

When the real estate transactions didn’t materialise, he wrote to the defendants on April 27, 2023, to request a refund “and followed up this request with numerous emails, telephone calls and further requests”.

He said eventually, the defendants responded by letter on August 20, 2023, saying they believed the funds had been repaid in two separate transactions.

“It is averred that the defendants have refused to return the funds to the claimants and are unwilling or unable to do so,” Dr Fuchs’ statement said.

The defendants allegedly made two

meaningful attempts to return the money, according to the statement. One, they reportedly sent a test wire around July 25, 2023, for $300 to the claimant’s account.

Second, they allegedly sent a cheque to them with the wrong date, which was ultimately not honoured.

Dr Fuchs accused the defendants of negligence, breaching their fiduciary duty and breaching a contract.

Mr Lockhart, who could not be reached for comment up to press time, filed an affidavit on September 21 outlining his alleged efforts to refund the client.

He claimed he sent the claimant’s money on June 2, 2023, but the attempt was “truncated by the

instruction of the client”.

He said a subsequent attempt was not processed and was eventually marked as a failure.

He said a cheque was drafted and sent to the claimant. He acknowledged the incorrect date on the cheque. “On receipt of the said cheque, the claimant, instead of requesting a new cheque, the claimant altered the date by ink, making the cheque appear tampered with,” he said. “That cheque was returned to the bank and a stop payment was placed on it.”

FirstCaribbean, in response to a court order, said they had “no record of any attempts by Lockhart & Co and/or Elliot B Lockhart KC to return the said amount”.

FORMER EXUMA MP ELLIOT LOCKHART

Higgs says PHa will investigate sandilands woman’s deatH before ministry follow-uP

By LETRE SWEETING Tribune Staff Reporter lsweeting@tribunemedia.net AN INVESTIGATION into the death of a woman in Princess Margaret Hospital after being transferred from Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre will be carried out by the Public Hospitals Authority before the Ministry of Health and Wellness has any involvement.

The ministry’s permanent secretary, Colin Higgs, spoke on Friday about recent claims from a family member that Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre failed to tell them about their loved one’s deteriorating health and admittance to PMH, where Charlotte Wilson, 45, died on December 5 without the comfort or

awareness of her relatives.

Mr Higgs said the PHA would be investigating the matter, before the ministry gets involved.

“They have to deal with that,” he said. “We have to find out what the issues are, so we can follow up from the ministry’s perspective. But basically, the managing director, I think, in the release, said that she would investigate and she would reach out to the family as well.”

On Thursday, Public Hospitals Authority managing director Aubynette Rolle said she would liaise with PMH and Sandilands to understand what happened before the woman died and “engage personally with the next of kin” if required.

Mr Higgs’ comments on Friday

came following the Bahamas National Drug Council’s SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) Pinning Ceremony.

“In terms of the SADD mission, it is for healthy lifestyles and healthy decisions on your lifestyle. There’s no better person to do that among the peers than the students themselves, because they have greater influence on the student population than maybe some adult from outside.

“So, we’re very happy to see them committed, and to see them enthusiastic about the SADD programme. We’re also pleased to welcome the advisors that assist to ensure that the programmes are established and they operate within the mission of the SADD protocols.”

MINISTRY of Health and Wellness Permanent Secretary Colin Higgs and RM Bailey student Alyssa Adderley during a pinning ceremony for the Bahamas chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) at the Ministry of Health and Wellness on Friday.

Photo: Dante Carrer

RECREATIONAL USE OF MARIJUANA NOT INCLUDED IN DRAFT LEGISLATION, SAYS PS

By LETRE SWEETING Tribune Staff Reporter lsweeting@tribunemedia.net A TOP health official has reiterated recreational marijuana use is not covered under current cannabis legislation.

Colin Higgs, the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ permanent secretary, said on Friday: “The current cannabis legislation is not for recreational use. I mean, that may be considered somewhere down the line.

But the current legislation

refers to medical marijuana, medical cannabis, requiring a prescription and religious purposes,” Colin Higgs, the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ permanent secretary, said on Friday.

Draft legislation was released in August.

FOUR SHOOTING INCIDENTS OVER WEEKEND LEAVE ONE DEAD AND FIVE HOSPITALISED Four shooting incidents over the weekend left one man dead and five hospitalised.

The most recent incident occurred in Fox Hill shortly after 9pm on Saturday.

The victim reportedly responded when he heard his name called, opened the door, and met a masked man armed with a handgun.

The culprit opened fire at the victim before escaping the scene. The victim sustained gunshot wounds to his upper torso. He remains in stable condition.

Earlier that day, around 5.30am in Kemp Road, three adult men were hospitalised following a shooting incident.

The driver of a black coloured American-model vehicle reportedly intentionally hit the victims and opened fire in their direction.

The first victim, aged 20, sustained a gunshot wound to his right leg and suffered injuries from the collision.

The second victim, aged 20, sustained gunshot wounds to his face and neck.

The third victim, aged 18, suffered injuries from the collision.

Around 2am on Saturday, a 24-year-old man was shot dead at a bar on Village Road.

The victim was in an argument with another

man. The argument started in the bar and then escalated outside, where he was shot multiple times.

The victim was taken to hospital, but died of his injuries.

In an incident on Friday, a man was shot near Lazaretto Road off Carmichael Road.

At about 6.40pm, police said the 22-year-old victim was standing outside a bar when a white coloured vehicle pulled up, a man got out and opened fire, shooting the victim in the leg and thigh.

The victim was taken to the hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition.

MAN HOSPITALISED WITH MULTIPLE INJURIES AFTER HE FALLS FROM TANKER AT GRAND BAHAMA SHIPYARD A 23-YEAR-OLD man is in hospital with multiple injuries after falling from a tanker at the Grand Bahama Shipyard on Saturday.

Initial police reports

indicate that around 9.25am, the man, who The Tribune understands is Graham Pinder, was cleaning an Oregon Finger Pier tanker when he fell off it from a “significant height”.

Police said the man suffered injuries to his face, neck, back, and right lower extremities.

The man was conscious at last report. He was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

CORRECTION IN AN article published on Friday, December 15, 2023, we incorrectly reported that the contract for an upcoming $98m roadworks was awarded to Bahamas Hot Mix. In fact, Bahamix has received the contract, which will involve work on more than 50 miles of road in the first of several phases. We apologise for this error.

Several licences could be obtained under the proposed legislation: a cultivation licence to permit the growing, harvesting and packaging of cannabis; a retail licence to sell cannabis and cannabis accessories for medical, scientific research and religious purposes; an analytical testing licence; a manufacturing licence for the manufacturing and packaging of cannabis and

cannabis accessories; a research licence; a transport licence to deliver cannabis within the country and a religious use licence.

According to the legislation, Rastafarian organisations could get a religious use licence to distribute cannabis to members as a sacrament, but the substance could only be used on the premises for which the licence or exempt event permit is

issued.

Last month, Attorney General Ryan Pinder expressed hopes of the marijuana legislation being tabled in the House of Assembly in January. He had previously said the legislation would be debated in Parliament before the end of the year.

However, he also said officials want to hold another public consultation.

PAGE 4, Monday, December 18, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

65-year-old woman with early stage dementia missing in Grand Bahama

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FAMILY of a 65-yearold missing woman is concerned for their loved one’s safety and is asking the public’s assistance in

locating her.

Tameka Joseph said her mother, Fredricka Vernita Bethel, suffers from early stages of dementia and was last seen on Saturday, December 9, around 10am at the Post Office bus stop, downtown, Freeport.

She was wearing black pants, white and black shirt with sequins, and a babyblue coloured Old Navy slipper.

Ms Joseph is urging anyone with information concerning her mother’s whereabouts to contact the

FREDRICKA VERNITA BETHEL police or members of the family.

She said that Bethel is known to frequent the downtown area, but would always return home before nightfall. The family is worried about her well-being especially since weather conditions have been cold and rainy over the past few days.

Ms Joseph last saw her mother around 8am at their home on Shackleton Drive and was later seen by

her brother, Kevin Bethel, around 10am at the bus stop at the Post Office.

She said her mother does not accept rides from strangers. Bethel is also sometimes seen at the bus stop near Kentucky or the one downtown.

Joseph is not satisfied that the police are doing enough to locate their mother.

Although Bethel has been reported missing to police since Sunday, December 10, no official

missing person flyer has been released by the police.

The family has had to create and distribute their flyers on their own and have posted them on social media to alert the public.

“I just want my mother to come home safely, stressed Joseph. If anybody has her we would like for them to bring her back home.

“This Saturday will make a week since she has been missing. I don’t think enough is being done by the police to find her, she said.

Anyone with information concerning Bethel’s whereabouts is asked to contact Elmetta Ward at 524-7421 or 524-3227; Kevin Bethel at 559-6979; Tameka Joseph at 804-0319, and Rickell Bethel at 829-1462.

Superintendent of Police Stephen Rolle confirmed that an official complaint concerning the missing woman was made to the police.

He told The Tribune that investigations are underway and police have contacted Ms Joseph, and have been out about conducting inquiries into the matter.

Supt Rolle stated that the Criminal Investigation Department was expected to issue an official missing person’s flyer on Friday, December 15.

Bahamas Women’s Health Initiative hosts luncheon for adolescent mothers

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas Women’s Health Initiative hosted its fifth annual Christmas luncheon on Friday, feeding over 40 young mothers enrolled in the Adolescent Health Clinic and PACE School.

The non-profit organisation, consisting of medical students from the University of the West Indies School of Clinical Medicine and Research, set out to spread Christmas joy to adolescent mothers by providing baby necessities, toiletries, and prizes.

“I hope that within this they can feel the Christmas spirit and they feel that members within the community care about them,”

THE Bahamas Women’s Health Initiative hosted its fifth annual Christmas luncheon on Friday, feeding over 40 young mothers enrolled in the Adolescent Health Clinic and PACE School and providing baby necessities, toiletries, and prizes. said Kache Hanna, UWI Bahamas Women’s Health Initiative President.

“Even if they don’t personally know them, people out there want the best for them and want to help and reach out to them,” she said.

The non-profit organisation has a set mission to bridge the gap between the medical community and the local through education, outreach and research, according to Ms Hanna.

“In accordance with our outreach objectives, every year we spread joy to adolescent mothers from underprivileged socioeconomic backgrounds by hosting a charitable event.

In this initiative, we provide baby necessities, toiletries, personal care items for

the mothers, special giveaways, lunch and an invited speaker comes to provide an educational talk.”

Keenyah Darling, 18, who attended the event and is a recent graduate of PACE School said the initiative made her feel welcomed.

As a mother of a twomonth-old daughter, she urged other young mothers to stay motivated.

“Their road is going to be rocky at times,” she said.

“Just be humble, lift your head up and always say this is my child and I can do this and I have to do this for my child.”

She said she is still adjusting to motherhood, but is grateful for the assistance she has received along the way.

BAHAMAS Women’s Health Initiative members.

Minnis’ book details early life struggles and his determination THE TRIBUNE

Monday, December 18, 2023, PAGE 5

A YOUNG HUBERT MINNIS

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net DR HUBERT Minnis’ rags to riches story is familiar to anyone who paid attention to politics when he was leader of the opposition and prime minister.

His experience growing up poor in Bain Town was a frequent part of his stump speech, one he said influenced his policies, like the Economic Empowerment Zones that eliminated some taxes for people in Overthe-Hill communities.

Still, his new book, “The Power of Determination,” will cause some to reflect on how high a ladder he had to climb.

He grew up using slop buckets as a toilet at night because his family didn’t have a bathroom.

“The old newspapers served their purpose,” he writes in his book, released last month.

He had no electricity as

a child. He worked at his father’s service station, sold newspapers in the mornings and evenings and shined shoes on Sundays to pay tuition at St Augustine’s College.

He couldn’t afford to go to prom and considered dropping out of school to avoid the embarrassment of being sent home for late payment. As a student at the University of Minnesota, his food budget was $1 per week during summers when other roommates returned home.

“I always accepted another student’s invitation for dinner or lunch. It allowed me to stretch the $1 even further,” he writes.

Amid reflections about poverty, the theme of community persists throughout the book, and he maintains an optimistic tone.

Dr Minnis said his second book, which he is currently writing, will examine his career as a doctor. His third book will reflect on his

political career and will be based on contemporaneous notes he made in a diary.

He said he wants the first book to encourage people to stay determined to achieve their goals.

“The moral is never give up and never let anyone say to you that you can’t do it and that you would fail,” he said yesterday.

“The most important thing is we try to teach young people that they will run into obstacles in their life and those challenges are placed there to make them better leaders and individuals. The happiest moment in my life is when I see young people succeed. That’s always been my number one goal and objective. And I want people to know, no matter how little they make, always save. Try to save 10, 20 percent of what you make because, at some point, opportunities will come, and you will need to be prepared.”

DR Hubert Minnis’ book - The Power of Determination.

PAGE 6, Monday, December 18, 2023

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THE TRIBUNE

PICTURE OF THE DAY

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

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,

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

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991

RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,

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

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NIB pension issues - isolated or prevalent?

A FAMILIAR face makes a reappearance in today’s Insight section.

Former Tribune managing editor John Marquis has been having difficulty with NIB when it comes to his pension.

Back and forth have gone the complaints. Back and forth have gone the required pieces of paperwork. Still no joy from NIB. Mr Marquis has rightly pointed out the flaws in this process – but is more concerned with others, not his own situation.

After all, if he has been affected by this, who else has?

That is a question that always needs to be asked when problems are encountered in administrations.

Over at NIB, how many other people are having problems with their pensions but do not know where to begin to get it resolved?

Or how about in the case reported

by The Tribune last week, of a Sandilands patient who became ill and was reportedly moved to Princess Margaret Hospital and passed away without her family knowing, how many other patients are moved around without their family members knowing?

The presumption that something is only happening to one person too often keeps people quiet, when in truth any single case is often a symptom of a larger problem still.

For the patient whose family grieve not having been able to spend time with a loved one in their final hours, could

that have been avoided if other cases had raised an alert?

For those left short at Christmas because of a lack of a payment from NIB, can the alarm being rung by Mr Marquis stop future problems?

It can be difficult to speak up – but those able to do so can help more than just themselves by doing so.

Don’t forget the struggles of charities With just a few shopping days left to Christmas, no doubt traders will have been ruing the downpour of rain that will have left many people huddling at home rather than hitting the stores this weekend.

For those who are venturing out through the week, do remember that charities have already said they are struggling this Christmas – and a little helping hand can go a long way.

So when you hear that bell ringing outside the stores, when you pass that charity shop, when you see the lines outside a church handing out food, see if there’s a way you can help out. A few spare dollars here or there to a group that can make them go to help those most in need can make all the difference.

Enjoy your Christmas countdown – and if you can help others to have a better Christmas too, all the better.

TOURISTS deal with a wet and windy weekend in Downtown, Nassau.

Photo: Moise Amisial

In 50 years New ideas to buy power curb shark has regressed attacks EDITOR, The Tribune.

EDITOR, The Tribune.

MANY years ago when the Bahamas was awakening to the issues of Nature and in particular our National Bird the White Crowned Pigeon, a great deal of effort was put into understanding these creatures, their movements and particularly their breeding habits. I think it was arranged through the Bahamas National Trust, and we were fortunate enough to get experts to come and help us from the Audubon Society in the USA. These visits went on for many years and banding trips were made to put

serially numbered bands on the baby pigeons’ leg so that they could be traced from birth to death in the event that they were shot.

One of the things that we learned however and which I don’t think has been considered with the sharks, was that if pigeon hunting was banned the pigeon population would become so large that they would eventually become diseased through overpopulation and many more would die than would ever be shot.

Until something is done, however, to curtail the incidents of shark attacks, particularly with tourists,

might be to have sharkguards using drones to monitor the swimming areas around hotels and beach and reef excursions, with alert systems of flags to let people know they need to get to shore or not go in the water for a bit.

Judging by the many videos circulating of shark sightings, sharks are not difficult to see in our normally crystal clear water and maybe, when it’s not so clear, the best thing to do is swim in the pool.

BRUCE G. RAINE Nassau, December 17, 2023

THE Bahamas has just celebrated 50 years independence.

In 50 years, we claim to have advanced greatly, if we strip away the technology, we would see we have regressed in many areas or we are at a standstill and marking time.

Let’s start out today by observing the money illusion.

What is money illusion?

When people look at the value of their money and think it still holds the same purchasing power because the dollar value still remains strong, but the purchasing power has decimated due to inflation.

Now let us look at what is the cost of this purchasing power being destroyed and the cost of inflation.

The people in the 1960s and 70s all could take 25 cents to school for lunch and buy breakfast and lunch in those days.

What has changed from then to now? Governments have changed, they’re responsible for this money illusion imported inflation (that we sit and do nothing about to offset it) and the home-grown inflation that has been crippling our economy.

There is multiple ways to create inflation, but the two main ways inflation is created is, too much money chasing too few goods which causes push cost

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net inflation.

This creates an atmosphere for short supply and great demands.

This produces an auction type atmosphere for customers and in their absence, the entrepreneurs can allow the price to remain the same or increase it depending on the demand for the product, which is demand pull inflation.

The next way is built in inflation, this caused when the price of goods and wages are inflated because of government interference.

When the government says we will force more money out of the pockets of the people through taxation the entrepreneurs pass this tax onto the consumer of their products.

Wage increases are only used to try and pass the responsibility onto entrepreneurs while getting more taxes from salaries and then saying they (government) did a good job with tax collections.

Governments have little to no regard when spending others money (the public purse) but become very conservative with their own money.

They would promote nepotism (benefiting relative, associates and friends at our expense).

They promote lobbyism (private establishments and people from using money or something of leverage to assist aspiring politicians or already sitting politicians to receive special interest favors in return).

Cronyism (the appointment of special people who are close to them to do work in areas they’re not certified or qualified for).

All of this is at the expense of the public purse.

They then penalise entrepreneurs by saying the workers need a raise because the cost of living went up.

When the role of a government should be one to put infrastructure in place to allow the private sector to thrive independent of government interference and bring the cost of living down to accommodate the current wages that are being paid out.

Because after all the government past and present is the problem.

This is why inflation is the way it is today thanks to governments past and present.

This what has weakened your purchasing power and what you once got in the stores for fifty cent is now five dollars plus, the buying power has been destroyed, say thank you to the governments past and present.

THE BAHAMIAN TYCOON December 17, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, December 18, 2023, PAGE 7

Shiver requests changes to her bail conditions from page one Cashena Thompson, who represents the Crown, did not object to the application.

However, she reminded them that Shiver must not come within 100 feet of her husband as part of her bail conditions.

Mr Wells requested that his client’s passport, which remains in the custody of the US Embassy, be present at the next court proceedings in the event the judge accedes to their request.

Justice Grant-Thompson is expected to deliver her ruling on the matter next week.

In the meantime, she asked the Crown to obtain more details on upcoming US court hearings for which Mrs Shiver was asked to be present pertaining to the custody of her children.

Mrs Shiver was released on $100,000 cash bail in August after being accused of conspiring in July with two Bahamian men to murder her husband.

The American and her co-accused have denied the allegations. Meanwhile, the trial has been set for a March hearing.

LINDSAY SHIVER, an American woman accused of plotting to kill her husband is once again seeking the court’s permission during a hearing before Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson on Friday to change her address. Mrs Shiver is picture here arriving at court with her lawyer Owen Wells.

Photo: Leandra Rolle

Bahamasair apologises for weekend delays and cancellations from page one operations.”

Bahamasair made flight adjustments to accommodate passengers. The airline also announced the addition of new cargo to enhance the capacity surge in travel.

“As we approach the holiday travel season, we are prepared and fully committed to serving our customers efficiently and reliably,” the airline said.

“In our commitment to meeting the increased demand during this festive period, Bahamasair has taken proactive measures to bolster our fleet.

“We are proud to announce the addition of a refurbished Boeing 737, enhancing our capacity to accommodate the surge in travel.

“Additionally, we have engaged in strategic wet leases to augment our resources and ensure operations during this high-demand period.

“We stand firm in our dedication to upholding the highest safety standards while striving to provide exceptional service to every traveller.”

Delays began on Thursday, with the airline announcing flight alterations to flight schedules between Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Nassau, Bahamas.

“Bahamasair’s flight from Providenciales to Nassau and the return has been cancelled.

Bahamasair has made alternative travel arrangements on British Airways departing to and from Providenciales.”

IMAGES showing some rough weather experienced in Grand Bahama over the weekend.

Photos: Vandyke Hepburn

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, December 18, 2023, PAGE 7

Shiver requests changes to her bail conditions from page one Cashena Thompson, who represents the Crown, did not object to the application.

However, she reminded them that Shiver must not come within 100 feet of her husband as part of her bail conditions.

Mr Wells requested that his client’s passport, which remains in the custody of the US Embassy, be present at the next court proceedings in the event the judge accedes to their request.

Justice Grant-Thompson is expected to deliver her ruling on the matter next week.

In the meantime, she asked the Crown to obtain more details on upcoming US court hearings for which Mrs Shiver was asked to be present pertaining to the custody of her children.

Mrs Shiver was released on $100,000 cash bail in August after being accused of conspiring in July with two Bahamian men to murder her husband.

The American and her co-accused have denied the allegations. Meanwhile, the trial has been set for a March hearing.

LINDSAY SHIVER, an American woman accused of plotting to kill her husband is once again seeking the court’s permission during a hearing before Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson on Friday to change her address. Mrs. Shiver is picture here arriving at court with her lawyer Owen Wells.

Photo: Leandra Rolle

Bahamasair apologises for weekend delays and cancellations from page one operations.”

Bahamasair made flight adjustments to accommodate passengers. The airline also announced the addition of new cargo to enhance the capacity surge in travel.

“As we approach the holiday travel season, we are prepared and fully committed to serving our customers efficiently and reliably,” the airline said.

“In our commitment to meeting the increased demand during this festive period, Bahamasair has taken proactive measures to bolster our fleet.

“We are proud to announce the addition of a refurbished Boeing 737, enhancing our capacity to accommodate the surge in travel.

“Additionally, we have engaged in strategic wet leases to augment our resources and ensure operations during this high-demand period.

“We stand firm in our dedication to upholding the highest safety standards while striving to provide exceptional service to every traveller.”

Delays began on Thursday, with the airline announcing flight alterations to flight schedules between Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Nassau, Bahamas.

“Bahamasair’s flight from Providenciales to Nassau and the return has been cancelled.

Bahamasair has made alternative travel arrangements on British Airways departing to and from Providenciales.”

IMAGES showing some rough weather experienced in Grand Bahama over the weekend.

Photos: Vandyke Hepburn

MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2023

THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

So how safe is your pension?

FORMER Tribune managing editor JOHN MARQUIS had his Bahamas pension blocked “without warning and for no good reason”. As he battles for its reinstatement, he asks what the implications might be for Bahamian pensioners and those expats who devoted their working lives to The Bahamas.

MY experiences with the Bahamas National Insurance Board over recent weeks do not bode well for the nation’s pensioners.

If the NIB can arbitrarily block my pension for no good cause, there’s no reason why it it can’t happen to anyone.

Luckily for me, my Bahamas pension is only a fraction of my income.

For hundreds, probably thousands, of Bahamians and long-term expatriates, it is essential for survival.

Those who sacrifice a percentage of their income during their working lives to fund a pension pot are entitled to a return when they retire.

To have a pension cut off without good reason is not only inexcusable and indefensible, it also undermines people’s trust and the NIB’s integrity.

If a person can’t rely on his/her retirement lifeline in their later years, then what is the purpose of the NIB? It is a question Bahamians and expat residents ought to be asking themselves right now.

During my ten-plus years as managing editor of The Tribune, a percentage of my income was hived off every month to go into the national pension fund. Once I had reached a time threshold - I think it was five years - I was entitled to a retirement pension based on my contributions.

When I retired in 2009, the NIB calculated my monthly entitlements, and arranged monthly payments into my Nassau account at the Royal Bank of Canada.

For 14 years, the system worked perfectly. The money went into my account, and I drew on it via ATMs in the UK, where I am happily and contentedly retired.

It was only when my debit card showed “insufficient funds” that I became aware of the shortfall.

I had not been notified by the NIB. Nor had I been given a reason for the suspension of funds.

When I contacted an NIB official, I was told that I had failed to submit my verification documents since 2019.

This, as I said at the time, was “utter nonsense”, as I have religiously submitted my forms - stamped and signed by my solicitor every April and October since I retired. Only last April, the NIB acknowledged receipt of my verification.

The NIB never raised any alarm about non-compliance, nor did I suspect that anything was amiss.

If it were true that my forms failed to appear after 2019, one wonders

JOHN MARQUIS why it took NIB officials FOUR YEARS to point it out.

It just so happens that the NIB went through a period of staff turmoil in that year. Was there a failure in internal systems?

Did my forms find their way into the trash can?

I don’t know, but I can assure all Tribune readers that there was no failing on my part.

After several weeks of e-mailing, and getting no satisfactory response from the NIB, I decided to tell my story in The Tribune.

Reaction came overnight. I was given a verification form, and it was duly submitted, again with my solicitor’s stamp and signature.

Since then, I have been told three times that my form, submitted as a PDF, was illegible, even though it was perfectly readable at my end. I have since submitted the form twice more, the second time in an enhanced format to overcome any eyesight problems among NIB staff. I have again been told that it is not legible.

I have now asked an NIB official if the board’s computers are faulty - or if their staff need eye checks. I have also asked more than once when my pension would be reinstated, so far without reply.

If I were a trusting old

soul in Grants Town, and entirely dependent on my Bahamas pension, I would be dreading a bleak, unhappy Christmas.

If I were an expatriate worker who had dedicated their entire working life to The Bahamas, I would be reading this story with more than a little trepidation. Unless I had substantial private pension back-up, I would be facing a potentially calamitous financial meltdown.

The whole point of the NIB is that it will always be there when you need it. My experiences in recent weeks suggest that some board officials are at best cavalier, and at worst bloody-minded, in dealing with legitimate complaints.

There has been speculation in recent months about the NIB’s viability, and whether its funds will be depleted by the end of the decade. I’m almost tempted to believe - but not quite - that the board’s management are looking for opportunities to make economies by targeting ageing expatriates like me. I hope sincerely that this is not the case because there will be many less comfortably off than me who will be feeling genuinely apprehensive about the future.

In spite of my travails, I

like to think that my experiences with the NIB are more about red tape than anything more sinister.

There was a time when work permits, business licences, building contracts and other factors were used as political weapons. Victimisation was a big part of the Lynden Pindling legacy.

I like to think that my beloved Bahamas, a thrusting young nation with much potential, has matured way beyond those days of corruption and political pettiness.

It was no secret that my “reign” as The Tribune’s managing editor was controversial and often confrontational.

Many people disliked me, but they were usually among the intellectually challenged. Those with brains saw me as a force for good.

With every sinew in my ageing body, I am resisting the temptation to believe that my pension woes are the product of an underhanded political vendetta.

But if suspension of my pension, which in any other context would be regarded as theft, continues for much longer, then I shall begin to fear the worst. It would not look good if a country heavily dependent on banking and financial services, was

seen to be using its pension service as a tool for revenge.

In fact, my cat-andmouse engagement with the NIB is just a little farcical. The only purpose of the wretched verification form is to establish that I am still alive.

As I have been in contact with them over a period of weeks, you would think the officials involved would have concluded that, not only am I still alive, but that all my faculties are on track.

Though I’m a contemporary of Joe Biden - I turned 80 in October - I do not totter around like a disorientated emu, nor do I shake hands with fresh air, walk into flags, stumble up (and down) stairways, or think I’m in Colorado when I’m actually in Cornwall.

I write books, paint pictures, run a thrice-weekly blog (followed, incidentally, by some seriously bright people), travel the world, joke around with my grandkids, enjoy a tot of whisky and go for long walks five times a week through my beloved Falmouth.

Though I survived two massive health scares eleven years ago, I’m fitter and flightier than the average thirty-yearold, can exchange banter with the best of them, and am still being asked to take part in major television documentaries by some of Britain’s most respected producers.

Far from being a dead man walking, I’m already planning a books and prints retrospective exhibition in 2030, a full seven years from now.

Sitting here in my lovely Cornish home, gazing out of my study window across one of the world’s great harbours, I can take comfort from the fact that destitution does not lie round the corner. Though I was brought up at the bottom of the British economic pile, the youngest child of a working class family living on a Midlands council estate, I did well in my career, lived in a succession of beautiful homes, and now reside in what is quite simply the best place in Britain.

But there is a major principle at stake here.

Even though I can live without my Bahamas pension money, it still belongs to me. The NIB should not be in the business of arbitrarily overturning people’s legitimate rights, and withholding money that is theirs.

But if it can happen to me, it can happen to those who are much more reliant on their NIB pension.

When my story appeared in The Tribune some days ago, Nassau friends expressed concern about their own position.

One said: “I have always taken my Bahamas pension for granted. Now I’m not so sure.”

Another said: “My NIB pension is only part of my income and I don’t check it thoroughly every month. But I’m certainly going to check it from now on.”

I have been associated with The Bahamas in

one form or another for nearly sixty years, since I was a political reporter in my 20s working for both the Nassau Guardian and The Tribune. My 14 years actually living in the country marked some of the highlights of a colourful and fascinating journalism career lasting half a century. In fact, I still regard The Bahamas as my second home.

I know for a fact that there are a lot of political scores to settle in Nassau and the islands. I dread to think that the national pension scheme might become embroiled in such matters, and that cutting off a needy person’s pension might become a weapon of an ongoing political war.

During Pindling’s premiership, the late Sir Randol Fawkes petitioned unsuccessfully for a pension for years, even though he was a key figure in hoisting Sir Lynden to power in 1967.

He fell foul of the Pindling government and paid the price.

As things stand, I feel strongly that certain NIB officials, presumably without management approval, are going out of their way to be obstructive. By any reasonable consideration, deliberately withholding a pensioner’s money is tantamount to stealing. The money being withheld by the NIB is MY money, and I have met all criteria for getting my hands on it.

With those sombre considerations in mind, I await restoration of my pension and a reassurance that my troubles have in no way been motivated by malice.

Meanwhile, NIB pensioners among you would do well to ponder the words of the poet John Donne.

“Ask not for whom the bell tolls…it tolls for thee.” * JOHN MARQUIS was The Tribune’s managing editor from 1999 to 2009. As a young political reporter, he worked for both the Nassau Guardian and The Tribune between 1966-69. On returning to the UK, he worked in London for Reuters and the Thomson Organisation, where he won a British National Press Award - the Oscars of British journalism - for investigative reporting.

He was later Thomson’s London sports editor and chief boxing writer before being appointed editor and publisher of a West Country newspaper and magazine group. He has also published several books, including the Amazon bestseller Blood and Fire, which was listed in the top five books in its genre by The Wall Street Journal. He and his wife Joan, a fine art graduate and former teacher, have eight children and nineteen grandchildren.

HAVE YOU ALSO HAD TROUBLE WITH NIB PENSION PAYOUTS? PLEASE MESSAGE US AT: newsroom@tribunemedia.net

PAGE December 18, 2023 PAGE10, 10 Monday, MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2023

INSIGHT

THE TRIBUNE EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net

Five things to know about US aid to Ukraine

By JESSICA TRISKO Darden Virginia Commonwealth University FROM the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the US government has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine’s war effort. The Biden administration has repeatedly produced emergency spending packages to support the Ukrainian government and military. That funding has so far amounted to US $113 billion.

But public opinion polls suggest that Americans’ support for Ukraine was waning even before Hamas’ Oct 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel and the ensuing Israel-Hamas war drew international attention away from Ukraine.

Political scientist Jessica Trisko Darden, author of “Aiding and Abetting: US Foreign Assistance and State Violence,” explains how recent efforts by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to hold up aid to Ukraine reflects the perception that the US is spending too much money on Ukraine at the expense of other domestic priorities, such as increased security at the US southern border.

1. How much aid has the US provided to Ukraine so far?

So far, the US has approved about $113 billion in aid to Ukraine through four supplemental emergency appropriations, which are a way of requesting funds outside of the normal budgetary process. The majority of this aid has been for military purposes.

The more than $62.3 billion provided in military assistance includes at least $23.5 billion worth of US weapons from the

Department of Defense. In contrast, about $3 billion has been for humanitarian assistance.

Advocates for increased US aid have pointed out that much of the military assistance to Ukraine actually supports the US defence industry. Those advocates also argue that the war in Ukraine is devastating Russia’s military assets, and the current approach is much cheaper than facing an expansionist Russia.

But critics argue that the unprecedented amounts of US military aid to Ukraine are draining US military stockpiles and potentially degrading military readiness.

Others have called for additional oversight for aid to Ukraine, given the country’s history of government corruption.

2. What aid is the Biden administration currently requesting for Ukraine?

The current request before the House includes $105 billion in security assistance for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and the US southern border, with more than $61 billion of the package for Ukraine.

In comparison, $6.4 billion is being requested for US border operations.

This aid package is separate from the defence appropriations bill passed by the Senate on Dec 13 and the House on Dec 14, which includes $600m in military aid for Ukraine and funding for the creation of a special inspector general to oversee aid to Ukraine. That bill awaits President Joe Biden’s signature.

Voting on the special funding request was initially delayed by the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. But current Speaker Mike Johnson has done little to advance a

PRESIDENT Joe Biden reaches out to shake hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as they meet in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, in Washington. The White House says funding for Ukraine has run out and it has been increasing pressure on Congress to pass stalled legislation to support the war against Russia. On Tuesday, however, Biden touted a new military aid package worth $200 million for Ukraine. That may seem contradictory, but it’s due to the complex programs used to send aid to Ukraine.

Photo: Evan Vucci/AP vote, despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s December 2023 meetings in Washington, DC, with Biden and members of Congress to plead for more assistance.

3. What is the reason for the current congressional holdup?

The House Republican leadership has refused to pass the Biden administration’s emergency aid bill without additional commitments for increased security at the southern border of the US. Some lawmakers remain opposed to an additional emergency spending bill and would rather see this Ukraine aid integrated into the regular

budgetary process in 2024.

Regardless of the reasoning, with Congress’ holiday recess fast approaching, it is unlikely that the current impasse will be resolved before 2024.

4. What will Ukraine do if it doesn’t get US aid?

One option is for Ukraine to seek increased contributions from other supportive nations.

So far, 46 countries have provided some form of military aid to Ukraine. Those countries include the UK, France and Germany, as well as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Bulgaria.

Japan has contributed more than $7 billion in economic assistance during the

war. In all, the European Union has provided the lion’s share of financial assistance at almost $80 billion.

But no other country has the military resources at its disposal to even come close to matching the level of military assistance that Congress is currently considering.

Further delay in US military assistance, or a radical decrease in the amount proposed, will have significant impacts on Ukraine’s ability to fight the war.

5. Where do the presidential candidates stand on Ukraine aid?

While Biden, of course, is a strong supporter of Ukraine, Republican presidential candidates have been

airing a wide range of views on additional aid to Ukraine.

Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley is a strong supporter of US aid to Ukraine, for example, while former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov Ron DeSantis are against it.

Even if the RussiaUkraine war ends in 2024, congressional debates over assistance to Ukraine will continue, no matter who is elected president. That’s because the US is likely to be one of the primary donors helping to rebuild Ukraine, which already has suffered an estimated $150 billion in war-related damage.

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INSIGHT

Monday, December 18, PAGE 11 11 MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2023, 2023 PAGE

MAJOR roadworks on Prince Charles Drive in 2012 led to traffic diversions and frustrated businesses.

Road repairs necessary but will the work go smoothly and without cost overruns?

By MALCOM STRACHAN RESIDENTS in New Providence may be thinking it’s déjà vu – with the announcement of a near$100m road project.

Minister of Public Works Clay Sweeting made the announcement last week, with $98,210,000 to be spent over the next two and a half years – those checking the timing will see that leads up towards the next election.

It will also bring back memories of the extensive road project carried out by the Hubert Ingraham administration – which received plenty of criticism at the time.

That original project ran long – both in time and costs.

Many of the criticisms centred around delays, with calls for reparations for businesses adversely affected.

The truth is the project was needed – few would disagree with Mr Ingraham that our public infrastructure at the time was outdated and in dire need of help. That didn’t stop it coming under plenty of political fire at the time.

Fast forward to last week and here we go again – but this one will be different, we’re told.

Senior civil engineer Francis Clarke said it would be different from the New Providence Road Improvement Project – which took three years and saw its $60m budget double – as he detailed the project which starts out at two and a half years and will not actually involve any road reconstruction.

He said: “The NPRIP was total reconstruction of a road that included infrastructure, underground utilities and sidewalks.

What we are doing in this programme is resurfacing and repaving, taking off the old asphalt and milling it.”

Mr Clarke says the new project will not be as disruptive.

The first phase of the project will cover 55 miles of roads in New Providence and the Family Islands, with $3m budgeted for sidewalks, $4m for drainage – with $2m budgeted for dealing with flooding in Dowdeswell Street and Bay Street.

How much faith do you have that there will be no delays and no overruns?

Well, let’s take a look at a couple of substantial road projects that the current administration has worked on so far.

Village Road was the site of the first major roadworks project this time around – and hit a major bump when after work had started, there was a redesign of the project, adding a roundabout.

Deadline after deadline went flying by without the roadworks being completed. The roundabout was intended to ease congestion – try telling that to drivers backed up at school pick-up and drop-off time at Queen’s College.

you would change the plans after construction had begun to add a feature as substantial as a roundabout – why would that not be in your original blueprint if it was so important? And why would you announce a plan for Gladstone Road

THE VILLAGE Road repair programme which involved reconstruction of the road, not just repairs.

Eventually it was declared complete in March of this year … although there was still striping to do, signs to put up, sidewalks to build, traffic signals to get working, curbs to repair, and more things that would require further weeks that seemed to turn into months.

Next up was the $29m Gladstone Road Improvement Project, which we were told would see work beginning by the end of last year.

As you may have noticed, it is now the end of 2023, and still nothing.

At the same briefing last week, Mr Clarke highlighted some of the reasons for the delays, with again the addition of roundabouts proving an issue.

He said that caused problems because the road will have to be widened – and that means the government has to acquire the land that it will be widened onto from private hands.

He said: “What’s happening at the moment is that we’ve identified areas that will be going through a land acquisition process, because we are expanding major intersections, we have several roundabouts that are going to be installed.”

He also pointed the finger at utility companies, saying that the Ministry of Works was “in discussions” with BPL to have some utilities relocated.

He did not inform us if those talks had taken the full year that the project is late already.

So two projects in, two projects late. Third time lucky?

I will freely admit I am not a contractor, but it strikes me as odd that for the Village Road project,

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

for which you didn’t own the land needed to complete it? How was there a hope of getting that in motion a full year ago if the land ownership was not resolved?

During the NPRIP, businesses were frustrated and there were calls for reparations – and businesses in Village Road called for just the same after continual disruption.

But sure, this new project will be different. It will go smoothly, with no delays, and frustration will be at a minimum.

The NPRIP became quite the talking point politically as parties leveraged that frustration to try to win votes – so the ministry has a lot riding on making sure this new project does not attract the same kind of criticism.

The same truth still applies now as it did for Mr Ingraham – road improvements are needed.

Anyone rattling their bones over the potholefilled roads will agree with that. Whether they still agree when a major road is down to one lane and getting to work for 9am means leaving at 7am is another matter.

PAGE 12, Monday, December 18, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

Owners of both electric vehicles and solar rooftops finding mutual attraction

SOLAR panels are installed on the roof of a home in Frankfort, Ky., Monday, July 17, 2023. Residential solar is gaining traction in the US, with about 4.5 million homes now with solar rooftops.

The share of electric vehicles in the US is also growing. Many people with EVs become interested in charging them on solar energy, if they own their own roofs.

Photo: Michael Conroy/AP Associated Press WHEN Jim Selgo moved to his home in Goodyear, Arizona in 2019, he quickly had rooftop solar installed, having had a positive experience with solar at his previous home.

Less than a year later, motivated to take more action to address climate change, he said, Selgo bought his first electric vehicle, a Nissan Leaf. He hasn’t paid for electricity or gasoline since.

With solar, “You take advantage of what you’re producing at your own house,” he said. “Adding an EV just increases your savings and adds to the value of the whole project.”

Selgo, a retired public school principal who now drives an electric Volkswagen ID.4 SUV, is just one of many people using solar energy to power their EVs on clean electricity, effectively, on sunshine. And it also goes the other way.

“It’s probably more common today that you have someone who has a solar energy system who is looking at an EV, just because solar has been around longer,” said Becca Jones-Albertus, acting deputy assistant secretary for renewable energy at the U.S. Energy Department.

“But we know that many EV owners are looking to install solar so that it helps with their increased electricity use and can support more economical charging at home.”

Of 131 million U.S. households, about 4.5 million have added rooftop solar, as its benefits become more known, according to the DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office. And 2023 set a record with more than 1 million EVs sold in the U.S. EVs have to plug in to charge up and run, but electricity from the grid often still comes from burning fossil fuels, negating some of the environmental benefit of going electric.

Solar can fix that. It’s an important point because electricity production and transportation are

the largest two sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and therefore climate change, in the U.S., according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Residential solar electric, or photovoltaic systems, convert the sun’s rays into electricity when they hit a solar panel. If an owner chooses to buy a set of batteries to pair with the panels, they can have an ongoing “bank” of energy to pull from. Nearly a fifth of new household solar systems in California, which dominates the rooftop solar market in the U.S., were installed with batteries in 2022.

Automakers are seeing this crossover interest and getting into the business several years after Tesla bought solar company SolarCity in 2016 and launched a solar roof division.

Several legacy car companies are launching efforts to connect customers with energy services, including solar installation contractors. General Motors’ energy unit, GM Energy, is one example.

The automaker wants to offer a one-stop-shop for customers looking for athome charging, solar, and other energy management tech.

“That’s where we see everything working together,” said Derek Sequeira, GM Energy’s director of EV ecosystem.

Hyundai Home helps the company’s EV customers select home charging and solar solutions. Ford, too, is dabbling in this business.

But access to rooftop solar is not equal, so the combination is not an option for all EV owners.

About half of households in the U.S. either don’t have control over their roof, or find that it’s not adequate because of location, space or orientation, according to the DOE solar office.

There is a push to address that. Community solar projects allow renters or condo owners or other communities to have a share in a small solar array. This form of solar is

growing and has contributed to the overall record growth in U.S. solar capacity this year, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

Some utilities may also not want customers to produce more solar electricity than they need, because it would mean they have to pay them back for the surplus in the form of credits.

Installation costs can also be prohibitive. A standard system could run a consumer $10,000 to $15,000 or more, according to the Center for Sustainable Energy, a nonprofit in San Diego, California.

But the cost has been coming down. In 2010, a residential rooftop installation could cost $8.70 per watt. That fell to $3.16 per watt by 2022, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Federal incentives are making residential solar systems more affordable — at the same time incentives are also aiding EV affordability. The Inflation Reduction Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law in August 2022, allows consumers to claim 30% of what they put into their system as a credit on their next federal tax bill.

Different states also offer varying rebates and incentives. Selgo said his system cost $19,500, but after receiving the 30% federal tax rebate and $1,000 from the state of Arizona at the time, he ultimately paid out around $12,500.

Jerry Schotz bought two EVs in 2021. He was interested in renewable energy and wanted to go electric for all of his household needs — including an electric lawnmower — he said, so “Solar just makes sense.” He had it installed at his home in Champaign, Illinois, last year.

“A lot of folks use solar just to power their home, but we’re powering our home and our cars with the same solar systems,” Schotz said. “When you think about the climate, we’re no longer using fossil fuels to drive on the road.”

A CHILD eats while waiting for the distribution of food, flip-flops and shirts from the Brazilian soccer team Flamengo, as part of Christmas donations from the SOMOS social movement, a non-governmental organization that works to combat hunger, at the Jardim Gramacho favela, in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, Saturday.

Photo: Bruna Prado/AP

SPORTS PAGE 14

MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2023

NFL, Page 17

Devaughn Robinson dominates, wins title

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

D

espite the inclement weather, the Bahamas Professional Golfers Association’s National Golf Championships at the Ocean Club on Paradise Island over the weekend turned out to be the Devaughn Robinson show.

As predicted in his pre-tournament interview, Robinson came in from Houston, Texas and dominated the field with a four-day total of 298, 10 strokes better than his arch-rival Cameron Riley, who had 308. David Harris was third with 315.

Not only did Robinson clinch the overall title, but he was awarded the Donald ‘Nine’ Rolle

SEE PAGE 16

NATIONAL champion Devaughn Robinson (second from right) receives his awards from BPGA president Glen Pratt, BGF president Lynford Miller and tournament director Vernon Lockhart.

Photo: Moise Amisial

HOOPFEST IN PARADISE TURNS OUT TO BE A REAL TREAT

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net EXCEPT for the constant interruption to wipe the moisture off the floor inside the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium, the second Hoopfest in Paradise turned out to be a real treat for both local and high school basketball players from the United States of America.

Not only did organiser Glenn Smith bring in six boys’ teams to go along with an all-star team from both the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association and the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools, who competed for the first time, there were four girls’ teams that made the trip here from the USA to compete in the initial segment for girls.

“The event went very well over the two days, but unfortunately the weather

SEE PAGE 15

Edgecombe Jr, 18, has impressive showing at home

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net HOMECOMINGS are usually quite memorable, but for Valdez ‘VJ’ Edgecombe Jr, his return home to the Bahamas as one of the top ranked high school boys’ basketball players in the United States was extra special.

Before a large crowd of supporters from Bimini, led by his mother Bendra Rolle, Edgecombe Jr rocked the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium in leading the Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School Crusaders out of Brookville, New York, to a pair of victories at the second Hoopfest in Paradise Tournament.

On Friday night, the 18-year-old Edgecombe Jr exploded for 30 points as LUHI pulled off a 81-68 win over Mater Del out of California. The 6-foot, 4-inch guard came back on

Saturday night, he put on a shooting clinic, connecting on seven three-pointers for 25 points in their 83-50 rout over Riviera Prep out of Florida.

It was indeed a memorable trip home for Edgecombe Jr, whose Crusaders team featured Kiyan Anthony, the son of former NBA star Carmelo Anthony, who, along with his ex-wife La La Anthony, the former MTV Veejay, were present in the stands watching the games this weekend.

Edgecombe Jr admitted that he hopes to create many more as he looks ahead to one day representing the Bahamas on the men’s national basketball team like his father Valdez Sr once did.

“I’m excited because I recognise that the Bahamas has supported me and so I just want to show my support in turn,” said Edgecombe Jr, who added

SPORTS CALENDAR BASKETBALL HENFIELD WINTER BASKETBALL CAMP THE Marvin Henfield Winter Basketball four-day training camp is scheduled to begin today and continue through Thursday with three different sessions being held daily.

Participants from ages 6-10 will be trained from 9am to noon, 11-15 from 1-4pm and 16-years and older from 4:15-7:15pm.

Returning players will be charged $100 or $35 per day, while new players will be charged $150 or $50 per day.

Interested persons can register online at www.marvinhenfield.com or WhatsApp 242-828-2353 or 242-424-2353 for more information.

Henfield, however, noted that the Saturday Basketball and After-School Basketball is now closed for 2023.

VALDEZ ‘VJ’ Edgecombe Jr led the Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School Crusaders out of Brookville, New York, to a pair of victories in the second Hoopfest in Paradise Basketball Tournament at Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium Friday night.

Photo: Moise Amisial that he’s been getting a lot with the Indiana Pacers. through and he’s taking it of guidance from Grand While he’s looking to step by step as he prepares Bahama sharp shooter eventually make it to the for the collegiate ranks, Chavano “Buddy” Hield, NBA, Edgecombe Jr said although he’s not sat down who is playing in the NBA it’s a process he has to go with his family to discuss

Dec 2023

MACEDONIA BAPTIST CHURCH FAMILY FUN WALK THE Men’s Department of Macedonia Baptist Church is scheduled to hold a Family Fun Walk Race to kick off the new year and the beginning of its Men’s Anniversary at 6am on Saturday, January 6.

The event will honour the late Minister Charles Albury, who passed away this year. It starts at the church on Bernard Road, Fox Hill, and heads west on Bernard Road to the Village Road round-a-bout and returns on Bernard Road to the church.

Awards will be presented to the first three finishers in each category for men and women. Registration fee is $20 per person. Interested persons are urged to contact Brent Stubbs at 426-7265 or stubbobs@gmail.com for further information.

the many athletic scholarship offers available to him.

For now, he just wants to bask in the success of his trip home. “I feel good. For me to be able to play in the Bahamas for the first time in years is a great feeling,” he pointed out. “Coming home was very special for me because I knew my family and friends would be here watching. I didn’t want to let them down.”

For his mother, Bendra, it was like an early Christmas present.

“He’s an awesome player.

Every time he plays, he shocks me,” said Rolle, who also played basketball, but only in high school.

“Watching him out here was like getting that Christmas present early.”

She added that she couldn’t ask for a better son. “He’s a very humble, focused and determined young man,” said Rolle of

SEE PAGE 15

CI GIBSON RATTLERS OFF TO TOURNAMENT IN LAS VEGAS

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net IT’S Christmas time and the CI Gibson Rattlers are off on their usual trip to the United States to get some international exposure as they compete in another tournament in Las Vegas.

The Rattlers, coached

by Kevin ‘KJ’ Johnson, left town on Sunday and will begin competition in the Tarkanian Holiday Classic that starts today.

Team members travelling are Gerrad Rolle, Charles Maynard, D’Neo Smith, Tashon Butler, Mario Rolle, Darius Hanna, Dwayne Findley, Sergio Bain, Candae Smith, Joshua Fynes, Osee Oibrice, Zavian Lloyd and Stevachko Jacques.

“The young men are always excited to go and

compete,” Johnson said.

“We always get the opportunity to be seen by the college coaches and that is one of the reasons why we go.

“We have a very good team this year, so hopefully we can go and play the right way and give ourselves a chance to win.”

In their first game, the Rattlers will face Chino out of California at the Faith Lutheran High School. The outcome of their game will determine whether they play out of the winners towards the championship or the loser bracket in the consolation round.

“Last year we lost by one point, to go to the divisional championship, to a very good team in the Diplomat Prep,” Johnson recalled. “Hopefully, we come back this year and compete again and give

ourselves a chance to get to the championship.”

The Rattlers are expected to be the only team from the Bahamas participating, so Johnson said it’s important that they put on a good show to represent the country.

“It’s a huge opportunity,” he pointed out. “The guys are looking forward to it. They understand the importance of the moment. We are playing in the Athletic Division and so we are looking forward to it.”

The Rattlers are expected back home on December 23, just in time for Christmas, hopefully with some hardware.

Once they eat some ham and turkey and unwrap their gifts, the Rattlers will be back at it competing in the 22nd Providence

SEE PAGE 15

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, December 18, 2023, PAGE 15

EDGECOMBE FROM PAGE 14

THE CI Gibson Rattlers are off on their usual trip to the United States to get some international exposure as they compete in another tournament in Las Vegas. The Rattlers, coached by Kevin ‘KJ’ Johnson, left town yesterday and will begin competition in the Tarkanian Holiday Classic today.

RATTLERS FROM PAGE 14

Providence Basketball Classic, scheduled for December 27-30 at the CI Gibson Gymnasium.

The tournament is designed for both junior and senior high school boys’ teams as well as senior high girls’ teams.

Teams from New Providence and Grand Bahama will be participating. Johnson said they have also

invited some of the Family Islands to compete.

According to Johnson, the tournament is being held to provide an opportunity for players to be viewed by visiting college scouts, get the teams ready for the second

half of their regular season basketball competition in January.

In addition, to expose the players to a higher level of competition and to provide an activity for the fans to enjoy during the Christmas season.

KIYAN ANTHONY, son of former NBA star Carmelo Anthony is shown in action for the Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School Crusaders at the Hoopfest in Paradise Basketball Tournament for high school teams at the Kendal Isacs Gymnasium over the weekend.

Photos: Moise Amisial

HOOPFEST FROM PAGE 14

wasn’t the way we wanted it and it created some problems inside the gym because of the rain,” Smith said.

“But we still had some real high level basketball competition over the two days.

So I am really happy with the top tier competition that we brought down.

I felt they played very well, despite the odds they had to deal with.”

While the games were completed as scheduled on Friday, the games on Saturday had to be delayed as the crew of volunteers had to wipe the floor from the leaky roof that made it difficult at times to play.

Smith lamented that they wanted to provide another dimension to the tournament and they accomplished that goal with the introduction of the girls’ games that featured one of ESPN’s 5-star players in the United States in 6-foot, 1-inch wing Kennedy Smith from Etiwanda.

Smith poured in 19 points as Etiwanda won their opener 75-65 over Lake Highland Prep out of Florida.

In the other game on Friday, Lutheran out of New York won 70-46 over Desoto out of Texas.

On Saturday, Desoto won 90-61 over Lake Highland and Lutheran held off Etiwanda 55-52, despite Smith’s 22 points.

“I really enjoyed the girls’ games,” he said. “I actually think some of the girls’ games were better than some of the boys’ games because they were high level. They didn’t have the dunks and stuff, but their skill level was just as high as the boys.”

As for the icing on the cake, Smith said he was impressed with Valdez ‘VJ’ Edgecombe Jr, who led the Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School Crusaders out of Brookville, New York to an 81-68 win over Mater Del out of California on Friday and an 83-50 win over Riviera Prep out of Florida.

“It was good to have him here at home,” Smith said.

“He was excited about playing at home because he never got the chance to play as one of the top ranked players in the United States.”

Edgecombe Jr’s coach John Buck, who is in his 15th year as the Crusaders’ coach, said despite the rain, they are just grateful to Smith for affording their team to showcase Edgecombe Jr and his team-mates to some high level competition.

“We saw some really good teams down here.

They provided us with so much resistance,” Buck said. “When you are trying to shoot for excellence, you get into the mindset of all the things you need to do better.

“But some things you need to step back and say I think we played hard, we competed and although we have some technical things to improve upon, I think overall, we had some really good games.”

FORMER NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony (centre) is seen watching the Hoopfest in Paradise Basketball Tournament for high school boys’ and girls’ teams at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium over the weekend. Anthony’s son Kiyan played for the Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School Crusaders in the tournament.

The Crusaders also featured Kiyan Anthony, the son of former NBA star Carmelo Anthony and his ex-wife La La Anthony, the former MTV veejay, who were both in attendance at the games.

The tournament drew the attention of another former NBA player in Jermaine O’Neil, who played 18 seasons before he ventured into coaching the Dynamic Prep out of Irving, Texas.

O’Neil, back in town 18 years after he came here for his wedding to his wife, Mesha, in 2005, said it was a good experience.

“The Bahamas is definitely one of the best destinations in the world. I got married down here, so I always enjoy coming down here and to see the development of sports here, so it was an amazing opportunity for us,” he said.

After losing their first game on Friday by two points to Link Academy 71-69, O’Neil’s Dynamic Prep came back on

Saturday and took it out on the BAISS All-Stars with an 81-31 massacre.

“We let one go after being up eight. It was a good learning experience, playing against one of the better teams in the United States,” O’Neil said.

“They responded today (Saturday) and had a big win. But it’s a learning experience, taking it one day at a time.”

As for playing against the Bahamas, O’Neil said it was good to see the level of talent here.

“I think that is what makes this game so special.

The game is international and we’ve seen the Bahamian players playing in high school, college and in the NBA, so with the history you have, it was good to see the level of talent here. It was a good experience.”

Dario Burrows, who coached the BAISS AllStars, said it was more about execution for his players after they were blown away by 40 by

Dynamic Prep in their second game played in the tournament on Saturday.

“When you look at the team from the United States, they were more fundamentally sound. Our kids here play more of a running game. They only have one speed,” he said. “So to get them to cruise, they don’t know how to balance the floor.

“But that is something that we as coaches have to work on. At the end of the tournament, the players told me ‘coach, it’s this easy?’ I said yes. It’s just a matter of putting the structure in place to get it to work.”

Kevin ‘KJ’ Johnson, who coached the GSSSA AllStars to a 61-52 win over the BAISS All-Stars on Friday, came back and lost 72-39 to Link Academy.

Johnson, however, joined Burrows in calling it a great opportunity for the local players to get the exposure.

Edgecombe Jr, who has three sisters and four brothers. “He’s willing to do whatever he can to make his team and his family proud. We are very proud of him.”

As the Crusaders completed the tournament with a perfect 2-0 record, Edgecombe Jr said he simply didn’t want to ruin the trip.

“Winning was very important for me,” he said. “I had my family and friends here watching, so I had to put on a show.

Having people here to support me was very special.

It’s so important when you can get this type of support from home.”

It was the first time that he had such a crowd of spectators in the stands, but Edgecombe Jr felt that his team also gave him the support he needed to be able to perform the way he did.

“This is great. We have the size to match up against any line-up,” he pointed out.

His coach John Buck, making his first appearance here in his 15-year career with the Crusaders, said except for the rain, they had a really good time competing against some good teams out of the United States.

He noted that they rode the back of Edgecombe Jr, whom he summed up as a “special player.”

“I coached a lot of real special players, but he’s been the best of them,” Buck said. “His versatility, his competitiveness and athleticism, mixed with his skills is amazing,” Buck said.

Buck was even more thrilled as he watched Edgecombe Jr shoot consecutive three-pointers in the second half with a string of back-to-back three-pointers in the third quarter and three straight in the fourth on Saturday.

Edgecombe Jr added his 15 points to the eight he got on a pair of three-pointers in the first quarter and two points in the second to end the first half with 10.

On Friday, Edgecombe Jr took the ball inside more, duplicating six points in both the first and second quarters for 12 points.

In the second half, he came up with 10 in the third and eight in the fourth, connecting on two consecutive three-pointers in the fourth.

“He’s just special,” was how Buck summed up Edgecombe Jr’s performance for LUHI. “It shows us the level that we are at and what we need to do to build our country,” he said. “I think we have the ability to compete against these teams. We just have to put in the work.

“This team we played was much bigger than we were and they controlled the boards. I think if we could have knocked down more of our shots, we would have been in the game. But hats off to my guys. They played extremely well. We were just out-matched by a much bigger and better team.”

As he looks ahead to the third year in 2024, Smith said they intend to fine tune a few things and there’s the possibility of increasing the number of teams coming in.

But if they do or don’t, he said the fans can definitely look forward to watching some highlevel competition again, hopefully without the interruption from cleaning up the moisture off the court.

PAGE 16, Monday, December 18, 2023

THE TRIBUNE

ROBINSON FROM PAGE 14

trophy for winning the men’s regular division as well as earning the two exempt spots for the Bahamas for the Korn Ferry golf tournaments in Exuma and Abaco in January.

“I expected the sweep.

I put in a lot of work over the last few months in anticipation of this week,” Robinson said. “I knew I had to come with a lot of games because Cameron is a strong player and we had a few other strong players in the field. I knew I couldn’t come out here with my B game. I had to come here with a lot of grit to win it.”

Playing in what he felt was by far the worst conditions he ever experienced “with gusts up to 40 miles per hour and sustained winds of 30 and you add rain to it and competition as well, it was fun, but I enjoyed it.”

With his caddie, veteran golfer Jimmy Delancy helping him out, Robinson said he will take the next month to work on his game so that he will be ready for the Korn Ferry tournaments next month.

“I don’t drink nor do I smoke, so I will take the time to have a nice dinner with my family to celebrate,” Robinson said. “But there’s not much time to celebrate because I have to get ready for the two tournaments in January. “ Riley, who came in from his base in Orlando, Florida, admitted that he was disappointed that he didn’t win or get any of the two exempt spots like he did last year when he qualified for Abaco, while Robinson got Exuma.

“I stuck in there and gave it my best shot. I didn’t win, but it was a lot of fun,” said Riley, who felt like they played in a tropical depression. “It was rough and rainy for the whole time. Once you make it to the PGA Tour, you have to grind it out.

“I have to congratulate Devaughn. He played extremely well. I know he will make the country proud in the two tournaments. I’m

WOMEN’s champion Georgette Rolle-Harris (second from left) receives her trophy from BPGA president Glen Pratt, runner-up and BPGA secretary Racquel Riley and tournament director Vernon Lockhart.

Photos: Moise Amisial

SENIOR men’s champion Greg Maycock gets his trophy from tournament director Vernon Lockhart.

HONOUREE Vernon Lockhart receives his award from BPGA president Glen Pratt.

disappointed that I didn’t get one because I felt my game was right where it should be.

“But I will be back next year.”

Three other scores turned in saw Marcus Pratt finish in fourth with 319 with K Stuart fifth with 326 and Bahamas Golf Federation president Lynford Miller sixth with 333.

In the senior men’s division, Grand Bahamian Greg Maycock played like he did as a regular player, carting off the Jim Duncombe’s trophy with a total of 306.

His nearest rival was fellow Grand Bahamian Chris Lewis with 336.

Association president Glen Pratt rounded out the top three with 340.

As for the two-woman field, Georgette RolleHarris emerged as the champion of the Francis Dunn Cup with her total

Riley, who came in from Exuma, said it felt like “tropical storm weather” that they played in, although she would have preferred to see more women playing on the pro circuit like herself and Rolle-Harris..

“It was fun being out there in the weather. Ocean Club is always a great course to play on, but it was very challenging with the weather,” she pointed out.

“Knowing that everybody had the same conditions to play in, it made it understandable. It was a good experience.”

In winning the senior division, Maycock said it’s a transition and he’s enjoying it, although he felt it was a “dogfight” playing against Robinson and Riley for the overall title.

“I have to play out of the senior division, but I’m enjoying it. I had my time and now it’s time for

of 319 ahead of association secretary Racquel Riley, who posted 346.

Taking into consideration the weather they played in, Rolle-Harris said it was a good weekend outside of the office for her because with her job as the director of golf at Baha Mar, she rarely gets to play in any tournaments.

“I was happy that I really got to perform like I did,” she stated. “I didn’t really hit a lot of good shots. I did a lot of chipping and putting, so it was kind of a mixed bag out there.

But I was happy to take a few days off and play golf before I got back to the office.

This would have made about 10 rounds of golf that Rolle-Harris said she would have played for the year, but she was delighted to get out there and to see where her game was against her local rival in Riley.

players like Devaughn. I’m watching him every day,” Maycock said. “I’m going to be on my part of the world enjoying this.”

Given the conditions that the tournament was played under, tournament director Vernon Lockhart said it went very well as all of the pro golfers persevered as they dealt with the wind and the rain.

“At the end of the day, the best man that came out on top was Devaughn Robinson,” Lockhart said.

“But hats off to him. He and Cameron Riley are out there playing on the international circuit, so we have to support them. We have to wish them well.”

During the presentation of awards, Lockhart was honoured by Glen Pratt for his contribution to golf.

“It’s always good to be recognised for the achievements that you make and for the contributions that

you make,” said Lockhart, who served as the captain for the two Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships titles won by the Bahamas in 1978 and 1980.

“I’ve had my run. We’ve now passed on the baton to the younger guys, but it’s always good to be recognised by the association.”

Pratt said he’s happy that the tournament is over for more reasons than one.

“I’m happy that we have the coming together of our association and the BGF, the professionals and the amateurs with a good understanding that we have to work together for the younger generation of golfers coming up,” he said.

“I’m also happy because these young guys came home and they proved that they are working on our behalf and they hope to one day represent us as Devaughn will do at both of the Korn Ferry events in January.”

Pratt also congratulated Maycock, whom he considered to be the “best golfer in the history of the Bahamas” to win the first senior title and they have finally gotten Vernon Lockhart back in golf.

“He (Lockhart) was punished. I’ve been punished. We’ve been out of the industry that we love because of the wheeling and dealing of how they have been giving out these golf contracts,” Pratt said.

“We’ve been shoved out of the mainstream golf and so I feel his pain. I know mine. But I’m happy that we are back and we are going to make this work for the next generation of golfers.

“We just want to lay a platform for the next generation and make sure that we provide them with the opportunities that we have been denied as golf pros.

Pratt also commended Insurance Management, through Anton Sealey, who sponsored all of the trophies for the tournament and Ocean Club for the efforts they made over the four days to ensure that the course on the field was playable despite the inclement weather.

Man United frustrates Liverpool as Arsenal moves back on top of Premier League

By JAMES ROBSON AP Soccer Writer LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Erik ten Hag needed this.

A 0-0 draw at Liverpool in the Premier League yesterday won’t win any beauty pageants, but a stubborn and battling performance at Anfield suggests Manchester United’s players are up for the fight.

On too many occasions this season, the opposite has looked to be the case.

“You have to fight always for the badge,” United manager Ten Hag said.

“The way we defended it was almost perfect. When we made a mistake there was always a teammate to sort it out. I think that is the big win from today. We have to keep this and bring this every game.”

United had folded at the home of its fiercest rival when routed 7-0 on its last visit in March.

With Ten Hag facing speculation over his position and his team eliminated from the Champions League at the earliest stage, he upset the odds to end Liverpool’s 100% 11-game winning run at Anfield this season and also put a dent in Jurgen Klopp’s bid to win the Premier League title.

A draw saw Liverpool knocked off the top of the table and into second place

by Arsenal, which beat Brighton 2-0 and travels to Anfield on Saturday.

Ten Hag will be more concerned about United’s fortunes and, while a gutsy display will not totally shut out talk of a crisis at Old Trafford, it gives the Dutch coach something to build on.

“We play in very high highs and also sometimes in very low lows,” he said.

“If you want to achieve

MANCHESTER United’s goalkeeper Andre Onana, centre top, clears the ball as Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch, centre, challenges during their English Premier League soccer match at the Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Jon Super) something in a season you can’t be below certain limits so we have to get the consistency,” It was a frustrating day for Liverpool, which dominated the possession and chances, though Rasmus Hojlund’s second-half effort from close range for United was arguably the best opening created by either team.

“The main thing I don’t like is the result, we should have won the game,” Klopp said. “I can’t remember this kind of dominance against Manchester United as we did today. It was special, the atmosphere was special.”

It was United’s first draw in the league this season, having won nine and lost

seven of its 16 games going into the match.

The result leaves Ten Hag’s team six points off fourth-place Manchester City. Second-place Liverpool is one point behind Arsenal and above thirdplace Aston Villa on goal difference.

ARSENAL ON TOP After leading the Premier League for 248 days last season without going on to win the title, Arsenal looks like a serious challenger again.

Mikel Arteta’s team moved back to the top of the table yesterday after a 2-0 win against Brighton and Liverpool’s draw.

Arsenal had made the most of defending champion Manchester City’s surprise draw against Crystal Palace on Saturday — and the weekend got even better for Arteta as Liverpool dropped points as well.

Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz both scored in the second half at Emirates Stadium to extend Arsenal’s advantage over fourthplace City to five points.

VILLA COMEBACK Third-place Aston Villa may well be a surprise challenger if it can continue its outstanding early season form after moving level on points with second-place

Liverpool and one behind Arsenal.

Trailing 1-0 at Brentford after Keane Lewis-Potter’s first-half goal, Unai Emery’s team came back to win 2-1, with Ben Mee’s red card in the 71st a turning point.

Alex Moreno evened the score at GTech Community Stadium six minutes later and Ollie Watkins found the winner in the 85th.

Villa had Boubacar Kamara sent off in the seventh minute of stoppage time, but Villa held on to make it five wins out of its last six games in the league.

Later Villa asked for an investigation after Watkins said he had been abused by a Brentford fan.

“Aston Villa FC wants to express its support for Ollie Watkins and, with the utmost respect for the big majority of Brentford fans and for the club, we ask the authorities to investigate this incident to find this individual,” it posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Zero tolerance to abuse in football.”

Watkins referred to the incident after his winning goal.

“It was a feisty game and it spurred from my celebrations after I scored,” he said. “That’s not down to the lack of respect to the Brentford fans, but there was one individual who was abusing me all game so I felt like it was only right to celebrate in front of him.

“It was directed to him and that caused a reaction in the last 15 minutes.”

KUDUS DOUBLE Mohammed Kudus is looking like one of the buys of the season after West Ham signed him from Ajax for around $48 million in August.

He struck twice as David Moyes’ team beat Wolves 3-0 at London Stadium.

The attacker had also scored in Thursday’s Europa League win against Freiburg and his double on Sunday made it four goals in his last five games. He has eight goals in all competitions for West Ham. Jarrod Bowen was also on the scoresheet for his 10th of the season.

TOM LOCKYER Luton captain Tom Lockyer was undergoing tests and scans following his cardiac arrest on Saturday, Luton said.

The defender collapsed on the field during his team’s game against Bournemouth, which was abandoned.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, December 18, 2023, PAGE 17

Ravens beat mistake-prone Jaguars EAGLES LOOKING 23-7 for 4th consecutive victory TO SPARK SUDDENLY and clinch AFC playoff spot SLUMPING JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Lamar Jackson threw a touchdown pass and made the play of night when he avoided a sack and threw to Isaiah Likely near the goal line, and the Baltimore Ravens clinched a postseason berth with a 23-7 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars last night.

Gus Edwards ran for a touchdown for the Ravens (11-3), who won their fourth in a row and moved a step closer to securing the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

The Jaguars (8-6) lost their third straight — all against AFC North teams

— and fell into a tie with Houston and Indianapolis atop the AFC South. Selfinflicted mistakes were a common thread in Jacksonville’s skid.

Trevor Lawrence fumbled twice in the latest letdown, including one in the fourth quarter that essentially sealed Baltimore’s eighth victory in its last nine games. This one may have been costly for the Ravens. Promising rookie running back Keaton Mitchell injured his left knee early in the fourth quarter and was quickly ruled out. Replays showed his knee bend awkwardly during a run. He flashed a

thumbs-up sign as he left the sideline on a cart.

The Ravens also lost starting left tackle Ronnie Staley (concussion) and free safety Marcus Williams (groin).

Jackson, Edwards, Likely and an elite defence did enough to overcome to the injuries.

Jackson threw for 171 yards — 70 of those to Likely — and ran for 97 more. Edwards added 58 on the ground, and Mitchell had 73 before his injury.

Lawrence threw for 264 yards, including a 65-yard touchdown to Jamal Agnew that gave the Jaguars life after a scoreless

first half. But the Ravens answered with an unlikely play. Jackson avoided Dawuane Smoot’s sack, rolled right and threw a pass up for grabs near the goal line. Likely outmanoeuvred cornerback Darious Williams and safety Andrew Wingard for the reception. Edwards scored two plays later.

The Jaguars had four scoring chances in the first half but failed to cash in on any of them. They managed 181 yards, which was the most by a team in an opening half this season that did not score.

Brandon McManus missed two field goals from

beyond 50 yards, and Lawrence inexplicably fumbled at the Baltimore 18-yard line.

Lawrence simply lost the ball while scrambling on a third-and-17 play. He wasn’t going to pick up the first down, but Jacksonville surely was in makeable range for McManus.

UP NEXT Baltimore: Plays at San Francisco on Christmas, another prime-time matchup between division leaders on the opposite coast.

Jacksonville: Plays at Tampa Bay on December 24, also a game featuring division leaders.

James Cook, Bills dominate on ground, end Cowboys’ five-game win streak with 31-10 victory ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — James Cook had a career-best 179 yards rushing and scored twice as Buffalo dominated on the ground, and the Bills beat Dallas 31-10 yesterday, ending the Cowboys’ fivegame winning streak.

Josh Allen threw for just 94 yards for the Bills (8-6), who won consecutive games for the first time since a three-game winning streak ended October 1. Buffalo gained ground in the AFC playoff race, moving one game ahead of Denver and Pittsburgh.

The Cowboys (10-4) clinched their third playoff berth before kickoff thanks to other results around the league. But Dallas fell a game behind NFC-best San Francisco.

The Cowboys, who are 7-0 at home, dropped to 3-4 on the road, where they’ve been outscored 156-152.

Buffalo rushed for 266 yards, held the ball for 10 minutes more than Dallas and had 28 first downs to the Cowboys’ 14.

The Cowboys were held to a season-low 195 yards of offence. Dak Prescott finished 21 of 34 for 134 yards with an interception.

BROWNS 20, BEARS 17 CLEVELAND (AP) — Joe Flacco passed for 374 yards and led Cleveland to 13 points in the fourth quarter, including Dustin Hopkins’ go-ahead 34-yard field goal with 32 seconds left, and the Browns withstood a Hail Mary on the final play to beat Chicago.

Flacco was intercepted three times but made some brilliant throws in the closing minutes to rally the Browns, including a 51-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper with 3:08 left that tied it at 17-all.

The Browns (9-5) got the ball back with 1:50 left and the 38-year-old Flacco, who was signed on November 20 and made his third start for Cleveland, completed two passes to tight end David Njoku for 65 yards to set up Hopkins’ kick.

After blowing a 17-7, fourth-quarter lead, the Bears (5-9) nearly pulled off a stunning finish.

Justin Fields lofted a pass from the 45-yard line to the end zone on the game’s last play. The ball was deflected toward Bears receiver Darnell Mooney, who was lying on his back, but it bounced off his hands and Cleveland’s D’Anthony Bell made the interception.

TEXANS 19, TITANS 16, OT NASHVILLE, Tenn.

(AP) — Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked a 54-yard field goal as time expired in overtime, and Houston rallied from a 13-point deficit without C.J. Stroud to beat Tennessee.

The Texans (8-6) entered the day one spot outside of the AFC’s seven-team playoff field. They kept pace by winning without several key players, including Stroud — their standout rookie quarterback — and top receiver Nico Collins, right tackle George Fant and a pair of defensive starters.

Case Keenum made his first start since Week 17 of the 2021 season for Cleveland. Keenum threw for 229 yards and helped Houston outgain the Titans 340-204. Devin Singletary ran for 121 yards.

Titans rookie quarterback Will Levis left with 1:49 left in overtime after being sacked for the seventh time with his left leg caught underneath him in a pile. Tennessee (5-9) clinched a second consecutive losing season.

49ERS 45, CARDINALS 29 GLENDALE, Ariz.

(AP) — San Francisco clinched its second straight NFC West title, getting three touchdowns from Christian McCaffrey to beat Arizona for its sixth straight win.

Charvarius Ward had two interceptions, including a pick-6, for the 49ers (11-3). Brock Purdy went 16 of 25 for 242 yards and tied a career high with four touchdown passes.

The Niners have won each of their past six games by at least 12 points.

They’ve also won 12 straight against NFC West opponents.

McCaffrey finished with five catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns while also running for 115 yards and a score.

Kyler Murray completed 26 of 39 passes for 211 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for the Cardinals (3-11), who fell to 2-3 since he returned from an ACL tear.

RAMS 28, COMMANDERS 20 INGLEWOOD, Calif.

(AP) — Matthew Stafford passed for 258 yards and hit Cooper Kupp and Demarcus Robinson for touchdowns, leading Los Angeles past free-falling Washington.

Kupp’s eight receptions for 111 yards were highlighted by a 62-yard TD catch right after halftime for the Rams (7-7), who have won four of five to push their way into the playoff picture.

Kyren Williams overcame the first two lost fumbles of his two-year NFL career to rush for 152 yards and a touchdown while his Rams slid into one of the three NFC wild-card playoff positions alongside New Orleans and Minnesota. The Rams’ defence largely shut down the

BUFFALO Bills running back James Cook (4) scores a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during the fourth quarter yesterday.

(AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes) Commanders (4-10) in the first three quarters before Washington backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett made things interesting.

Brissett relieved Sam Howell in the fourth quarter and immediately led two touchdown drives for the Commanders, who have lost five straight.

Curtis Samuel caught two TD passes, including a 3-yard grab with 1:46 to play.

BUCCANEERS 34, PACKERS 20 GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Baker Mayfield threw for 381 yards and four touchdowns, and Tampa Bay beat Green Bay for its third straight win.

Mayfield went 22 of 28 and threw touchdown passes to Mike Evans, Rachaad White, Ko Kieft and David Moore to help the Buccaneers (7-7) keep pace with New Orleans atop the NFC North. Mayfield’s passer rating was a perfect 158.3.

Chris Godwin had 10 catches for 155 yards for the Bucs.

The Packers (6-8) lost their second straight to deal their playoff hopes a major blow. Jordan Love was 29 of 39 for 284 yards with touchdown passes to Tucker Kraft and Jayden Reed.

SAINTS 24, GIANTS 6 NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Derek Carr passed for 218 yards and three touchdowns, and New Orleans sacked Tommy DeVito seven times in a win over New York.

Carr connected on 23 of 28 passes without a turnover in one of the more efficient outings of his first season with New Orleans (7-7).

His scoring passes went for 7 yards to Keith Kirkwood, 24 to Juwan Johnson and 1 to Jimmy Graham, who caught his third scoring pass in three games.

The Saints remained tied atop the NFC South with Tampa Bay. DeVito and the Giants (5-9) had their three-game winning streak snapped.

They are guaranteed of a losing record and have only a slight chance of making the playoffs.

DeVito was 20 of 34 for 177 yards.

DOLPHINS 30, JETS 0 MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Raheem Mostert scored two touchdowns to set Miami’s single-season record with 20, Tua Tagovailoa threw for 224 yards and a score, and the Dolphins blanked New York without star receiver Tyreek Hill.

Mostert walked into the end zone untouched on a 2-yard run that put AFC East-leading Miami (10-4) ahead 7-0. His second TD was from 1 yard out and made it 24-0 late in the second quarter. He has 18 rushing TDs and two receiving.

Tagovailoa was 21 of 24 and threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle. He was replaced

by Mike White with 8:32 remaining and the Dolphins up by 30.

Jets quarterback Zach Wilson left late in the second quarter with a concussion. New York (5-9) was shut out for the first time since losing 26-0 at Denver in Week 3 of the 2021 season.

The Jets were eliminated from playoff contention for the 13th straight season.

CHIEFS 27, PATRIOTS 17 FOXBOROUGH, Mass.

(AP) — Running back Jerick McKinnon threw for one touchdown and ran for another, and Patrick Mahomes passed for 305 yards and two scores to help Kansas City beat New England.

The Chiefs (9-5) snapped a two-game skid and

maintained control of the AFC West race. With Taylor Swift again on hand to cheer him on, Travis Kelce caught five passes for 28 yards, but also had a potential touchdown bounce off his hands.

Bailey Zappe, making his third straight start in place of the benched Mac Jones, completed 23 of 31 passes for 180 yards for the Patriots.

New England (3-11) lost for the sixth time in seven games and remains in contention for one of the top two picks in next year’s NFL draft.

In what could be the penultimate home game of coach Bill Belichick’s tenure, the six-time Super Bowl champions took a 10-7 lead before allowing 20 straight points.

PANTHERS 9, FALCONS 7 CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Eddy Pineiro kicked a 23-yard field goal as time expired, and Carolina dealt Atlanta’s playoff hopes a huge blow in a game played in a steady downpour.

The Falcons (6-8) entered the game tied with New Orleans and Tampa Bay for first place in the NFC South, but now need help to get into the postseason after the Saints and Buccaneers both won.

Bryce Young threw for 167 yards in his second NFL win and Chuba Hubbard ran for 87 yards for Carolina (2-12), which snapped a six-game skid.

The Falcons led 7-6 when Desmond Ridder threw into traffic and was intercepted at the Carolina 5 by safety Xavier Woods.

Young, who had struggled all afternoon, led the Panthers on a 17-play, 90-yard drive that took all 7:35 off the clock.

Ridder finished 12 of 22 for 152 yards with one touchdown and the one pick.

OFFENCE

By TIM BOOTH AP Sports Writer

SEATTLE (AP) — All it took was two straight losses and one game without finding the end zone for Jalen Hurts and his coaches to start feeling the heat of what’s going on in Philadelphia.

There is little doubt the Eagles will be playing in the postseason and a win tonight over Seattle will wrap up a playoff spot for Philadelphia.

But the way the past two weeks transpired have amplified concerns that the Eagles (10-3) have problems on the offensive side that need to be solved over the final quarter of the season if they are to be true contenders at making another run to the Super Bowl.

“You have to do something about it. We’re going through some adversity right now, and we welcome adversity, right? You don’t like it. It’s like the criticism a little bit.

“You don’t like it when you first hear it, but then can you use it to help you grow? There is no doubt adversity helps you grow as a team,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said.

“So, we’re (annoyed) that we haven’t played or coached to our standard and we’re ready to go do something about it.”

Whether Hurts is under centre against the Seahawks is uncertain after he was downgraded to questionable yesterday because of illness and travelled separately from the team to Seattle. If Hurts isn’t healthy enough to go, Marcus Mariota would get the start.

Seattle (6-7) has equal uncertainty about its starting quarterback in the midst of a four-game losing streak.

Geno Smith, who missed last week with a groin injury, was limited in practice and is also questionable and that could lead to a second straight start for Drew Lock.

Whether it’s Hurts or Mariota, the Eagles are going through an offensive slump with just two offensive touchdowns in the past eight quarters, both coming in the second half of their blowout loss to San Francisco two weeks ago. Over the past four games, Hurts is completing just 61% of his passes and has a passer rating of 84.3.

Last week against Dallas seemed to be the tipping point from slight worry to actual concern for the Eagles when they failed to score an offensive touchdown in the loss. But Hurts sees it as the kinds of challenges faced in every season.

“That’s usually what is supposed to happen. You don’t get anywhere without any challenges. You don’t grow,” Hurts said.

“It’s not natural to develop the right type of character and develop into a team, truly, if you don’t go through anything together.”

Part of the problems last week against the Cowboys was a lack of distribution. All 27 of Hurts’ pass attempts last week were directed at A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith or Dallas Goedert.

While the Eagles want their best players getting the ball, they also need to make sure the likes of D’Andre Swift are getting involved in the offence.

Swift has 19 total touches in the past two games.

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THE TRIBUNE

Antetokounmpo breaks Abdul- CELTICS TOP MAGIC FOR Jabbar Bucks’ career rebounding 114-97 14-0 START record in victory over Rockets AT HOME MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points and 17 rebounds, breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Milwaukee rebounding record, and Damian Lillard scored 39 points in the Bucks’ 128-119 victory over the Houston Rockets last night.

Antetokounmpo’s highest rebounding total of the season allowed him to pass Abdul-Jabbar after he had already moved past the Hall of Famer for the team scoring record.

Antetokounmpo broke Abdul-Jabbar’s record with a rebound of Tari Eason’s missed shot with 7:46 left in the fourth quarter. It was his 14th rebound of the game and gave him 17,162 in 11 seasons with Milwaukee.

Antetokounmpo also is the Bucks’ career leader in assists, joining Michael Jordan (Chicago), LeBron James (Cleveland) and Kevin Garnett (Minnesota) as the only players to lead a franchise in all three categories. The Bucks are 1907. They won their 13th straight home game and improved to 14-1 at home while snapping the Rockets’ five-game winning streak. Fred VanVleet led the Rockets with 22 points.

Dillon Brooks was ejected after picking up two technical fouls with 38.9 seconds left, and Rockets coach Ime Udoka also was whistled for two technicals after coming out on the court.

PELICANS 146, SPURS 110 SAN ANTONIO (AP) — CJ McCollum scored

By KEN POWTAK Associated Press

MILWAUKEE Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo drives to the basket against Houston Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. during the second half yesterday in Milwaukee.

(AP Photo/Aaron Gash) 29 points, Brandon Ingram ceremony. Parker was December 1, 2018, at 112-108 on Sunday night. added 26 and New Orleans inducted in August with Detroit.

Kevin Durant led the Suns set a franchise record with San Antonio coach Gregg Andrew Wiggins, who with 28 points, including a 22 3-pointers in rolling past Popovich and former Spurs was recently taken out of dunk on a three-point play Victor Wembanyama and assistant Becky Hammon, the Golden State’s start- in the final minute. Jusuf San Antonio. Wembany- along with Pau Gasol, ing lineup, had 25 points Nurkic had 17 rebounds. ama had 17 points and 13 Dwyane Wade and Dirk and seven rebounds to Booker also had eight rebounds in front of former Nowitzki. help the Warriors win con- assists.

San Antonio All-Star Tony WARRIORS 118, secutive games for the first Phoenix outscored Parker, his childhood idol TRAIL BLAZERS 114 time since the end of a five- Washington 31-19 in the in France and later mentor.

PORTLAND, Ore. game winning streak in fourth to snap a two-game Wembanyama’s eighth con- (AP) — Klay Thompson early November. losing streak and stay secutive double-double scored 28 points on a night SUNS 112, above .500 at 14-12. surpassed the previous Stephen Curry’s 3-pointer WIZARDS 108 Daniel Gafford had 26 NBA record by a teen- streak ended at 268 games PHOENIX (AP) — points and 17 rebounds for ager of seven straight set and Golden State held off Devin Booker shook off the Wizards, who dropped

by Dwight Howard with Portland for its second a subpar shooting night, to 4-21 in a failed bid to Orlando in 2005. straight victory. scoring 11 of his 27 points win consecutive games for The Spurs unveiled a Curry was 0 for 7 from in the fourth quarter, and the first time this season.

Hall of Fame designa- 3-point range, 2 for 11 the Phoenix Suns overcame Washington beat Indiana tion on Parker’s retired overall and scored seven a 16-point deficit to beat on Friday night after losing jersey during a halftime points. He began the streak the Washington Wizards 15 of its previous 16 games.

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Celtics centre Kristaps Porzingis has a message for teams coming into TD Garden.

“For a visiting team to come into this building and beat us, its got to be a special night for them and we totally believe that,” he said after the Celtics beat the Orlando Magic 114-97 yesterday to improve to an NBA-best 14-0 at home.

Jaylen Brown scored 17 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter for Boston, which made 17 3-pointers.

It’s the Celtics’ secondbest start at home, behind the 1957-58 club led by Bill Russell that opened with 17 straight wins the fall after capturing the first of its 17 NBA titles. The Celtics have won five straight overall to improve to 20-5, a half-game ahead of Minnesota for the NBA lead.

“I think we’re starting to play what I would call Celtic basketball,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “From a mentality standpoint, from a toughness standpoint, from defensive standpoint and identity.”

Jayson Tatum added 23 points, Porzingis had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Jrue Holiday scored 14 points for Boston, which completed a sweep of consecutive games at TD Garden against the Magic.

Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 36 points and 10 rebounds. Jalen Suggs added 13 points for the Magic. Porzingis and Al Horford returned to Boston’s lineup after missing Friday’s 17-point victory.

Bucks send Pistons to 23rd consecutive loss MILWAUKEE (AP) — Damian Lillard scored 33 points, Bobby Portis had a season-high 31 and the Milwaukee Bucks trounced Detroit 146-114 on Saturday to hand the Pistons their 23rd consecutive loss.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists while shooting 7 of 9 in his first game since scoring a franchise-record 64 points Wednesday night against Indiana.

Detroit matched the NBA’s third-longest skid in on season. The 1995-96 Vancouver Grizzlies, 199798 Denver Nuggets and 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats also lost 23 straight.

The longest losing streak within a single season is shared by the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers, who both dropped 26 consecutive games. The 76ers also had a 28-game losing streak that started in the 2014-15 season and carried over to 2015-16.

Cade Cunningham scored 25 points for Detroit.

KINGS 125, JAZZ 104 SACRAMENTO, Calif.

(AP) — Keegan Murray made 12 3-pointers, two shy of the NBA record, and scored a career-high 47 points to lead Sacramento past Utah.

Murray scored a franchise-record 26 points in the third quarter and had Klay Thompson’s NBA record of 14 3-pointers in his sights after making 12 of his first 13 attempts. But the second-year forward missed his final two attempts from behind the arc while becoming the seventh different player to make 12 or more 3s in a game.

Domantas Sabonis added 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. The Kings shot 22 of 45 from the 3-point line, the third time this season Sacramento made at least 20.

Colin Sexton scored 28 points for Utah.

THUNDER 118, NUGGETS 117 DENVER (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit a turnaround jumper with a

MILWAUKEE Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo shoots past Detroit Pistons’ Kevin Knox II during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Saturday in Milwaukee.

(AP Photo/Morry Gash) second left and Oklahoma City rallied to beat Denver.

Jalen Williams scored 25 points and rookie Chet Holmgren had 17 points, 11 rebounds and a careerbest nine blocks for the Thunder. His previous high in blocks was seven, which came against Cleveland in his second NBA game.

Nikola Jokic had 24 points and 12 assists for Denver. Denver had its three-game winning streak snapped and lost for just the second time in 12 home games.

MAVERICKS 131, TRAIL BLAZERS 120 PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Luka Doncic had a triple-double with 40 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to help Dallas beat Portland.

Doncic scored 30 points in the first half and wrapped up the triple-double in the third quarter. He has five triple-doubles this season and 61 in his career.

Tim Hardaway Jr. added 25 points for Dallas, and Dante Exum and Derrick Jones Jr. each had 18.

Anfernee Simons had 31 points, eight rebounds

and six assists for Portland.

Jerami Grant scored 27 points in his first game back after missing the previous four games because of a concussion.

HEAT 118, BULLS 116 MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler hit a step-back jumper as time expired to lift Miami past Chicago.

Butler came up the left side of the floor, then went to the right, headed toward the lane and coolly hit the step-back over Coby White.

Butler had 28 points to help Miami split of a twogame home series with Chicago. Kevin Love added 22 and Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 18.

DeMar DeRozan led Chicago with 27 points.

CLIPPERS 144, KNICKS 122 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 36 points, Paul George added 25 and Los Angeles routed New York for its NBA-best seventh straight victory.

The Clippers used a 42-point second quarter to lead 77-66 at the break.

George was back in the lineup after missing a game

because of a sore hip. He overcame a slow start in the first half when he had six points.

New York’s Jalen Brunson followed up his career-high, 50-point effort in Phoenix on Friday night with 22 points.

Julius Randle also had 22.

76ERS 135, HORNETS 82 CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Joel Embiid had 42 points and 15 rebounds and Philadelphia handed injurydepleted Charlotte its worst loss in franchise history.

Tyrese Maxey added 21 points for the 76ers, who shot out quickly when Embiid outscored the Hornets by himself in the first quarter and built a 29-point halftime lead, Brandon Miller led Charlotte with 14 points. The Hornets’ previous largest loss was by 50 points to Milwaukee on Jan. 10, 2000.

TIMBERWOLVES 127, PACERS 109 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns scored a season-high 40 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Anthony

Edwards had 37 points and Minnesota routed Indiana.

Naz Reid added 17 points for Minnesota. The Timberwolves are 11-1 at home and tied with Boston for the NBAs best record at 19-5.

Minnesota shot a season-high 55.8% from the field, including a seasonbest 60% (18 for 30) from 3-point range. Bruce Brown and Aaron Nesmith each scored 17 points for the Pacers.

WARRIORS 124, NETS 120 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry scored 12 straight fourthquarter points on the way to 37, Klay Thompson added 24 points with backto-back timely 3-pointers in the closing minutes, and Golden State beat Brooklyn to snap a three-game losing streak.

Cam Thomas scored 41 points on 15-for-24 shooting with five 3-pointers for New Jersey. The Nets lost for the third time in four games during their five-game trip.

Golden State played its first home game and second overall since Draymond Green received an indefinite suspension from the NBA to work on his behaviour after he hit Phoenix centre Jusuf Nurkic in the face.

CAVALIERS 127, HAWKS 119 CLEVELAND (AP) — Jarrett Allen had 25 points and 14 rebounds, Donovan Mitchell added 22 points and a career-high 13 assists and Cleveland beat Atlanta.

The Cavaliers built a 23-point lead in the first half of their first game since announcing that starting power forward Evan Mobley and former AllStar point guard Darius Garland will likely be out until February.

Cleveland snapped a three-game losing streak.

Trae Young had 35 points and 10 assists for Atlanta, and Dejounte Murray scored 21 points. The Hawks have dropped six of seven.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, December 18, 2023, PAGE 19

BERNHARD LANGER AND SON WIN PNC CHAMPIONSHIP, TIGER WOODS FINISHES HOPEFUL FOR NEXT YEAR and “a hunger for the game.

And you just knew he was going to more than most, and he certainly has.”

Woods finished his year with two tournaments — 72 holes in the Bahamas, 36 holes in the PNC Championship, walking all but one round in Orlando — with no pain in his ankle, just

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer ORLANDO, Florida (AP) — Tiger Woods was an 18-year-old senior in high school when he made his first cut in a professional event at a European Tour event in Thailand. That also was the first time he played with Bernhard Langer.

Thirty years later, the ageless Langer is still going strong.

Langer capped off his memorable, record-setting year when he teamed with his son, Jason, to produce a 13-under 59 in 30 mph wind for a two-shot victory over David Duval and his son.

Langer tied the PNC Championship with his fifth title — three with Jason, two with older son Stefan — held by Raymond Floyd.

Woods and 14-year-old son Charlie shot 61 in the scramble format to tie for fifth, a day that included one shot so audacious that Woods could only laugh.

He missed the green on the nine hole at The RitzCarlton Golf Club well to the left, and the son of the 15-time major champion chipped it in for birdie.

It wasn’t just the chip-in — it was the stare, the sideways walk, the raised finger point, the fist pump and the road. Woods watched all this and couldn’t smile any wider, especially when he looked over at Steve Stricker.

“To see his reaction ... it happened right in front of me,” Woods said. “He got excited and I looked over at Stricks and he was shaking his head. It was great.”

The PNC Championship, which puts major champions with family members, is geared around moments like that. Brady Duval, who plays at Coastal Carolina, hit a 6-iron to 2 feet on the final hole for eagle to lock

CHARLIE WOODS, left, sister Sam, centre, and father Tiger stand together at 1st tee during the final round of the PNC Championship golf tournament yesterday.

(AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski) up second place and his green. Otherwise he probfather, a former world No. ably would have made them 1, couldn’t have been more all.” proud.

The difference between But the day — really, the Langer and Floyd and their year — belonged to Langer, PNC titles is longevity. Evea 66-year-old German and rything seems to be that two-time Masters champion way with Langer. He won who never seems to stop. his first PNC Championship The signature moment for in 2005, and 18 years later Langer this year was win- he again was wearing the ning twice on the PGA Willie Park Trophy, a red Tour Championship to leather champion’s belt. bring his victory total to 46, Floyd won five of the first breaking the senior record seven PNC Championships. of Hale Irwin once thought Woods knows all about to be out of reach. the German’s longevity. He The 46th win was no less recalls the Johnnie Walker than the U.S. Senior Open.

Classic in Thailand, playing Langer and his son, who in his mother’s homeland, works in investment bank- and being grouped with ing in New York, started Langer, the reigning Masthree shots behind Matt ters champion.

Kuchar and son and played “First time I’ve ever seen so well they had the lead anyone work in metres. after four holes and never That was different for me,” slowed. They didn’t make Wood said. par until the the par-3 eight “To see what he’s done and had 10 birdies through since then, and what he 11 holes. does each and every year Jason’s work doesn’t and what he’s battled with allow him to play as much, on the greens, the differbut he came to Florida ent styles he keeps fighting early for a little practice through, it just goes to show and whatever time he spent the personality, the deteron the greens paid off. He mination that he has and hardly missed. the type of person he is to “Watching him putt, it be able to stick through was unbelievable,” Langer everything,” he said. said. “The ball started on Langer remembers a line every time. If it missed, rail-thin teenager with that’s because I misread the extraordinary speed, power

other parts of his injurywracked body.

But there was hope for 2024, and he remains set on trying to play once a month.

“I’ll be able to walk and play,” he said. “We’ve been working out hard, been able to recover. We’ve been training every day, which is great.

“It’s been nice to knock off a lot of rust and some of the doubt that I’ve had because quite frankly, I haven’t hit a shot that counted in a long time.

“Having to post a score and hit shots on the right number, and hit shots with consequence, it’s been nice.”