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VOLUME:117 No.32, JANUARY 8TH, 2020

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

ALICIA WALLACE: GREAT TO BE BACK TO SEE JUNKANOO

Don’t blame us for bad officers

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

POLICE Commissioner Anthony Ferguson connected police brutality to poor parenting and dishonesty from civilians interviewed by investigators conducting background checks into prospective officers.

“We only could give you what you give us,” he told reporters, “and we only could hope that the

little training that we give them, along with what you should’ve done while the person was a child, that they would be able to behave themselves.”

He was responding to a question about police brutality during his annual meet the press event at police headquarters.

The issue resurfaced when viral videos depicted police beating SEE PAGE THREE

... AS OVERALL CRIME SHOWS 7% DECLINE

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net CRIME declined by seven percent in 2019 despite a four percent uptick in murders and a 12 percent increase in armed robberies, according to police statistics. Police Commissioner Anthony

Ferguson, as he released the statistics, cited Hurricane Dorian for the murder increase from 91 in 2018 to 95 in 2019, saying law enforcement will learn from having its resources stretched to respond to a natural disaster.

SEE PAGE THREE

COMMISSIONER Anthony Ferguson yesterday.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

ABACO REBUILD MAY BPL-SHELL DEAL - HAS CREATE 10,000 JOBS IT BEEN ABANDONED?

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

AN ex-Bahamian Contractors Association president yesterday predicted a rebuilt Abaco will “totally eclipse” its pre-Dorian look with up to 10,000 jobs created by the government’s 400 homes plan alone.

Leonard Sands said he was “extremely confident” the island hardest hit by the category five storm will be “redefined for the better” during its reconstruction, adding that the Minnis administration was “moving aggressively” to develop two 200-lot subdivisions better able to withstand natural disasters and the effects of climate change.

He added that these developments, to be located near Marsh Harbour and Wilson City, will signal to skilled Abaco construction

labour that fled in Dorian’s wake that now is the time to return and move the rebuilding effort into high gear.

The former BCA chief said the total workforce required to construct these two subdivisions in accordance with the government’s plans would number between 7,500 to 10,000, with work likely to take place against an “aggressive timeline” due to the need to “get heads in beds before December 2020” after Dorian damaged virtually all buildings in central Abaco.

While demand for construction services around Marsh Harbour has been “marginal” to-date, Mr Sands said wealthy second home owners have begun to “mobilise” Nassau-based contractors to price - and begin work on - the restoration of their properties.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A CABINET minister yesterday raised fresh doubts over whether Shell North America will be involved in financing, constructing and owning New Providence’s proposed multi-fuel power plant.

Desmond Bannister, Minister of Works, told reporters outside the Cabinet Office yesterday that Bahamas Power & Light will “aggressively” seek to create an opportunity for Bahamian ownership in the energy sector once its upcoming $650m bond refinancing is placed.

He implied that this would start with the new plant at Clifton Pier that Shell is supposed to develop, having been selected as the preferred bidder for the project

by the government and subsequently signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for it in December 2018.

“I don’t know that we are going to have a Shell power plant,” Mr Bannister said. “You know, in the FNM’s manifesto we spoke about creating an entity that Bahamians can invest in. Now that we are able to have this bond in place, BPL is aggressively looking to create opportunities that Bahamians are going to be able to benefit from and invest in.

“So you may see some time this year there may be a wonderful opportunity for all of you, and for other Bahamians, to have a stake in a power plant in this country, as Shell and other entities may also have an opportunity.”

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

CROWN SEEKS KILLER’S EXECUTION HURRICANE

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE Crown is seeking the death penalty for a 24-year-old Rastafarian man who killed a teenager in his Woods Alley neighbourhood as part of gang warfare three years ago.

Prosecutor Racquel Whymms revealed that the Crown is seeking to have Jahmaro “Bingy” Edgecombe put to death

JAHMARO EDGECOMBE for murdering 19-year-old Kenyari Lightbourne in July 2016. Edgecombe’s

DEATH TOLL

attorney, David Cash, meanwhile, is seeking to have a 30-year sentence imposed on his client, which represents the lower end of the 30 to 60-year sentencing range for murder offences.

Their submissions came after a probation officer’s report revealed that Edgecombe, also known as “Dr Google”, was “actively involved and affiliated” with the Dirty South Order

HEALTH Minister Dr. Duane Sands has taken issue with the headline in Tuesday’s Tribune that said: “Time to admit at least 200 died.”

In the article Dr Sands was giving an update on the unidentified victims left after Hurricane Dorian.

The Tribune headline, he

SEE PAGE FIVE

SEE PAGE TWO

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

PAGE 2, Wednesday, January 8, 2020

By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net EDUCATION Minister Jeff Lloyd said yesterday the government is still determining whether it wants to rebuild Patrick J Bethel High School in Abaco as costs to repair the storm-ravaged school are nearly $5m.

“So, the question to consider is whether we should rebuild that school, knock it down and put up a new school or would it be in our best interests in all things considered to repair it.

Major construction, nevertheless, it would be,” he told reporters ahead Cabinet. “…(But), we are still determining whether we would be rebuilding Patrick Bethel, that’s almost a $5m repair job.”

As it relates to those schools in East Grand Bahama impacted by Dorian, Mr Lloyd said: “You

THE TRIBUNE

$5m Abaco school repair bill may prove too much know we are now in the process of completing Holmes Rock. The eastern portion of Grand Bahama is not scheduled for rebuild, serious repairs, but not rebuild.”

In December, the education minister estimated the cost to repair the schools in Abaco and Grand Bahama following Hurricane Dorian to be around $20m to $25m.

Speaking about the funding of the repairs, Mr Lloyd noted the money will come from the government’s consolidated fund and donors.

“It appears as if there will be some funding from the consolidated fund, but

a good much of this will be coming from donors, non-governmental organisations, foreign, as well as locals, who have offered to assist in repair,” he said.

“We are just in the final stages of a supplemental budget preparation as you know the deputy prime minister… (will be) borrowing in…2020 to fund a huge deficit part of which is as a result of Dorian. We have prepared a budget of about $20m, $25m for the repairs in Abaco and Grand Bahama.”

In the meantime, education officials will be working

vigorously to prepare students for the upcoming BJC and BGCSE examinations.

Speaking about the concerns regarding the upcoming examinations last week, Mr Lloyd told reporters that his ministry has no plans to make adjustments to the set dates for national examinations.

“It’s too problematic to make adjustments in the exam schedules – especially the BGCSE,” he said on the sidelines of the New Year’s Day Junkanoo Parade.

“You have to remember there might be the ability to make some adjustments

MINISTER Jeff Lloyd with regard to the BJC, but we can’t certainly do it with the BGCSE because in order for us to do that we would have to then push back scholarship decisions (and) admissions to

universities both here in New Providence as well as in the United States – too many complications.”

As a result of this, Mr Lloyd said the ministry has implemented other measures to ensure students displaced by the deadly storm are prepared to sit the national examinations.

“What we are doing and have done is to assist those students in getting ready.

They have additional classes on Saturdays, Sundays and on holidays, classes (in the) afternoon (and) more tutorials have been provided so that they could be ready.”

TWO GUNMEN ROB HOUSE

DOCTORS HOST FREE EYE TESTS FOR STORM VICTIMS

GUNMEN forced two people inside a home in western New Providence yesterday morning before robbing them of cash, guns and a car, police said.

Shortly after 10am Tuesday, a man and a female relative were standing outside a home located at Perpall Tract, off West Bay Street when they were approached by three men, two of whom were armed with guns. The assailants forced the two victims inside the home and robbed them and a second woman, who was already in the residence, of cash, two shotguns and a black Honda Fit (licence plate #1912). The men then fled the scene.

Police are asking anyone with information that can help the investigation to contact them at 502-9991/2, Crime Stoppers at 328TIPS or the nearest police station.

HURRICANE DEATH TOLL

from page one

MRS CURRY, an evacuee from Abaco Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net THE Ash Eye Institute held a free eye screening yesterday for people affected by Hurricane Dorian at the Holy Trinity Church in Stapledon Gardens.

The initiative was a collaboration between the institute, the Christian Ophthalmology Society and Vision Outreach International; a nonprofit organisation that travels the world to empower vulnerable populations through sight restoration.

“After Hurricane Dorian I’ve been led by the spirit

to provide eye care and all the needs that persons may have who were directly impacted by Dorian,” Dr Duranda Ash told The Tribune. “Whether or not they had preexisting conditions or not, we wanted to provide screening, glasses and any further treatment they may need.”

Dr Ash said that the eye screening was the second phase of the institute’s outreach initiative. “We’ve been in the shelters for months,” she said. “I’ve had my colleagues come down and provide care, screening and any follow up care that would have been needed for those

persons who were there, so this is an opportunity now to reach persons who weren’t in the shelter.”

Audrey Lightbourn, coordinator of the institute’s outreach and patient services, also said the free eye examinations encompassed visual acuity tests.

“They look at the entire eye and they basically provide any need that the patients have,” she explained. “Some persons just need basic readers and others need prescription glasses. There are also some that have been suspected to have glaucoma and so we provide them with medication and diagnostic testing

to confirm whether they have it or not.

“So there are some persons that would return for a follow up where they would have a more intense assessment, and based on the findings, they would receive glasses or surgery if they require it. Everything is provided free of charge.”

Roger Cabe, executive director of Vision Outreach International, told this newspaper he was inspired by storm victims who took advantage of the free testing. “This is my first time in The Bahamas and a lot of times I go to places where they don’t speak my

language so I’m not sure exactly what they’re saying to me. But it’s been great to be here to hear the stories of all the people going through the challenges of Hurricane Dorian.

“I just tell them that they are my heroes. They don’t think they’re heroes but they survived and they keep going and that’s what it is. None of us really have a guarantee in life we just have to take one more day so we just want to give them hope and encouragement.”

The Ash Eye Institute will bring its free eye screening to Grand Bahama on Thursday and Friday.

said, misstates the position of the Ministry of Health and the Government of The Bahamas and incorrectly suggests that the facts have been misrepresented.

“While the article addresses the complexity of the process and confirms that the official count remains at 70, there has never been any material misstatement of the number of persons confirmed dead,” Dr. Sands added. “There are a number of missing persons; however, declaring those individuals as dead is a legal and administrative matter. The suggestion that an admission is warranted is misleading.”

In the end the official decision of the death count will have to be a multiministerial decision of the Cabinet.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, January 8, 2020, PAGE 3

TEN MURDERS ON GRAND BAHAMA AS CRIME FALLS BY 10%

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

CRIME is down 10 percent in Grand Bahama, Police Commissioner Anthony Ferguson reported yesterday. Of the 95 murders police recorded in 2019, Commissioner Ferguson said 10 occurred in Grand Bahama; two each in Abaco and Bimini, and one in Eleuthera.

He noted that murders were high in the month of September through October with a total of 15 murders – 13 in New Providence and two in Grand Bahama.

Commissioner Ferguson also spoke about deaths and missing people due to Hurricane Dorian. He said following the

storm’s wrath in Abaco, there were 60 deaths and 32 reported missing persons. While in Grand Bahama, there were 11 deaths and 22 missing persons. This would bring the official death toll to 71.

He stated that of the 11 bodies recovered in Grand Bahama, nine were properly identified and two are pending DNA results to confirm identification.

Commissioner Ferguson stated that the figures released by police of the Dorian death toll are what have been reported to the RBPF. “While there may be questions regarding the death toll in Abaco, be reminded that the RBPF can only release what was reported to us. We recognise, however, that the best plan one has could not

have mitigated against the act of God,” he said.

“With Hurricane Dorian, we saw the devastation, the humanitarian needs, and the coming together of Bahamians in support of each other,” he added.

The police chief indicated that the need for adjustment to their policing strategies was realised early, and officers from New Providence were immediately dispatched to Abaco to police the island.

Since Hurricane Dorian, he noted that over 400 officers were deployed to Abaco on rotation and that officers who were stationed there before the storm impacted had to be relieved.

During that time, he reported that persons from all sectors

travelled to Abaco, including some “criminal elements.”

“This impacted the relief effort and as a result, eight persons were arrested for possession of illegal firearm and ammunition,” said Commissioner Ferguson, who reported that a total of 16 firearms and over 6,000 rounds of ammunition were found.

“Since Hurricane Dorian, over 400 officers were deployed to Abaco on rotation between Abaco and New Providence, and we were stretched. We had to move persons in the actual storm out of Abaco while rotating persons on a weekly basis and taking persons out daily by air and sea.

“The island has been manned by officers in New Providence on a monthly rotation. This, of

course, changed the entire landscape of what we thought was a well-planned strategy for 2019,” Commissioner Ferguson said.

Prior to the storm, he noted that there were 49 officers stationed in Abaco, and today there are now 75.

He noted: “While attention was focused on Abaco and the surrounding cays, a handful of criminals wreaked havoc in New Providence. In September and October, we experienced in September and October, 13 murders in New Providence and two in Grand Bahama.”

The police force in Grand Bahama was also severely impacted by Dorian, having lost its entire fleet of 60-plus vehicles to flooding.

Don’t blame us Ferguson connects police brutality to poor parenting from page one people with batons at the New Year’s Junkanoo Parade, leaving one man bloody and several livid over the physical attacks.

Commissioner Ferguson suggested he is dissatisfied with the conduct of some officers on the force. “(Police brutality is) always a concern for an organisation like the police because you’re working hand in hand with members of the public and you continue to do training with respect to these, how to behave and all those things,” he said. “I recruited some 200 officers over the last two years.

“Members of the police investigation team, to employ officers, went to every location where we had an application from someone who wanted to join this force. We asked questions of mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, cousins, neighbours and persons in the community: ‘is this person fit? Very nice person’ (they responded), ‘you couldn’t find a better person than this individual.’

“So, we took your word and we hire people, your sons, your daughters, your brothers, your family members and we hired them because they are Bahamians and rightfully we would think that all Bahamians would know how to behave themselves, all, not just police officers. The Bible tells you train up your child in the way they should go. By the time you reach the police force you ain’ no child, hey? When you reach the police force you accountable. So what do you expect to get? You only could get what you give us but a lot of time people believe the police force is responsible for bringing up your children.

We will train them in how

to maintain law and order, how to behave themselves in carrying out their duty, but training up the child, the mind of the child, that is the responsibility of the parents.”

When asked about timelines for addressing complaints against police, the police chief did not say how long people who make complaints could expect a determination to be made by the RBPF’s Complaints and Corruption Unit.

Some residents complain that years go by with no answers or resolution to their concerns.

According to police statistics for 2019, there were 151 complaints made against police, a 38 percent decrease from 2018; of those matters, 81 have been completed.

Details on the findings of the investigations were not provided. Unlike his predecessor, Ellison Greenslade, Commissioner Ferguson has not periodically disclosed how many officers have been discharged each year because of misconduct.

“If you make a report then you have an obligation to go and find out that the man in charge of complaint give you an update on your complaint,” he said. “These things are not done in isolation. If you make a report I expect the man in charge of complaints would sit you down and tell you what is the status of your complaint and if that is not happening then you need to talk to the deputy commissioner, he is responsible for discipline. All of these issues where you see people are complaining about police officers, that is the deputy commissioner’s job and he is quite able to talk to you and give you a status report when you find that it is not forthcoming when it is from the unit. I want to encourage people, don’t just talk things, take action.”

OVERALL CRIME SHOWS 7% DECLINE from page one

Compared to 2018, murders declined in the first, second and fourth quarters of 2019 by 27, seven and 31 percent respectively. However, murders increased in the third quarter by 18 percent.

“Having to police between Abaco and New Providence using resources from Nassau in Abaco, we were stretched,” Commissioner Ferguson said.

“We had to remove the persons who were in the actual storm from out of Abaco which meant rotating persons weekly and taking persons out daily by flights and boat. Before the storm, there were 49 officers stationed on Abaco and today there are 75. While our attention was focused on Abaco and surrounding cays, a handful of criminals wreaked havoc in New Providence.”

Police implemented a 24-hour operational strategy to respond to the crime bump in the third quarter, Commissioner Ferguson said, resulting

in the confiscation of 23 weapons, 263 rounds of ammunition and the arrest of 1,290 people, twelve of whom were arrested for murder, five for attempted murder and 44 for armed robbery.

Seventy-one people were arrested for drug related matters during this period and 22 for unlicensed firearms, the commissioner said.

Nonetheless, the police chief said shootings remain unacceptably high and have not declined year-toyear. The released police statistics do not show how many non-fatal shootings occurred.

Seventeen, sixteen, fourteen, thirteen and eleven percent of murders happened in south central, southeastern, central, southwestern and eastern New Providence respectively, the only areas to record double digit percentages of murders.

Forty-nine percent of the killings happened between 4pm and midnight, 35 percent from 12am to 8am and 16 percent from 8am to 4pm.

Fifty-six of the murders happened on the streets and 24 percent at residences.

Six percent happened at bars or clubs, four percent in yards, two at businesses, two at restaurants, one on a beach and one in a government building.

Police believe conflict was the source of 38 percent of the killings; 22 percent occurred as retaliation; 13 percent because of drugs and eight percent because of gangs. A firearm was used in 79 of the murders. More than half of the victims were between 18 and 45.

Ten of the 95 murders happened in Grand Bahama, a 67 percent increase over 2018; there were five murders in the Family Islands.

In 2019, there were 37 reports of rape, down from 55 in 2018; there were seven reports of attempted rape and 97 reports of unlawful sexual intercourse, down respectively from 11 and 113 in 2018.

There were 531 armed robbery reports compared to 474 in 2018.

There were 113 reports

of burglary, 684 of housebreaking, 495 of shop breaking and 283 reports of stolen vehicle, all down from 2018.

Police arrested 1,720 people for drugs in 2019, including 28 juveniles.

Forty-one marijuana plants were confiscated in New Providence, 6,836 in Grand Bahama and 98,747 in Family Islands.

Arrests were made in connection with 53 marijuana cookies, one marijuana cake, seven marijuana cupcakes, 20 marijuana brownies and two marijuana gummy bears police found.

Thirty-six pounds of cocaine were found and police found 5882.19 pounds of marijuana.

Illegal drugs confiscated included 2,506 ecstasy tablets and 5,968 aprazolam tablets.

Police also reported charging 163 people for financial crimes in 2019, including 96 for fraud, 29 for stealing by way of employment, 16 for stealing by way of service and 32 for forged documents.

DAMES’ COMMENTS WERE ‘INAPPROPRIATE’, SAYS PLP’S DAVIS

By SYANN THOMPSON Tribune Staff Reporter sthompson@tribunemedia.net OPPOSITION leader Philip “Brave” Davis called the national security minister’s comments on Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson’s future “inappropriate”.

During the RBPF’s annual church service on Sunday, Security Minister Marvin Dames said Commissioner Ferguson as well as his executive team should “know by name” the next generation of leaders, adding his focus should be on preparing the “next crop of leaders” ahead of his inevitable departure.

Mr Dames told reporters that when that time comes, the police chief, who has served as commissioner for more than two years, should ideally be “ready and excited to move on,” because he, like many others in the RBPF are “all just passing through”.

Yesterday Mr Davis said the minister was out of line saying those comments publicly.

“He is not fit to have the post of minister of national security. I’ve called for him to be fired over a year now and again his inappropriate comments in dealing with a person of that level just demonstrates his unfitness,” said Mr Davis, pictured right.

Mr Davis also hit out at recent comments from Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest, who recently accused previous administrations of “taking advantage of the Bahamian people” by entering into contracts “nobody in a commercial sense” would agree to.

Declining to speak to particular examples, Mr Turnquest told this newspaper earlier this week: “It’s unfortunate that we have not used more discretion, more responsibility, in terms of entering into contracts where there’s

absolutely no need for them, in some instances, and the commercial terms – or terms – are not ones you would usually see in a commercial lease.

“It’s not just about the government. It’s about taking advantage of the Bahamian people and backing them into a circumstance that’s clearly not in the best interest of the Bahamian people long-term.”

In response, Mr Davis said: “It was he who dismantled the Revenue Enhancement Unit and cancelled agreements with contractors to collect outstanding tax revenue in the hundreds of millions of dollars. That was a bad policy decision. The decline in revenue resulted in a 60 percent hike in VAT which took advantage of the Bahamian people.”

The Cat Island MP outlined what he called bad decisions by the current administration, including

the purchase of the Grand Lucayan hotel and cancelling the contract for the post office at the former Independence Shopping Centre.

“The $65 million capital outlay to flip the Grand Lucayan hotel in six months was another bad deal,” Mr Davis said. “The flip has not occurred. The hotel was valued at less than $65 million before it sustained hurricane damage and the government said that scores of potential buyers were lined up to purchase the property. Where are the potential buyers today or again…was this another lie? The price tag to the Bahamian taxpayers to date is well in excess of $100 million with no economic benefit to Grand Bahama.”

He added, “Cancelling the initial contract for the post office at the former Independence Shopping

Centre will cost the Bahamian taxpayers conservatively $20 million.

Tampering with the lease at the Summer Winds Plaza could cause the Bahamian people as much as $66 million ….Other contracts tampered with will cost the government in excess of another $100 million dollars.”

Public Works Minister Desmond Bannister told The Tribune recently that

"Start up challenges on these cooler mornings? Visit Bay Street Garage service department to have your starter checked or stop by to see us for advice on the proper grade of motor oil for your vehicle."

$40 million is needed to get through the year as infrastructure has been left in a deplorable state.

In responding, Mr Davis said it was an admission by the minister that “the government was starving infrastructure and refusing to put money on the ground, pay contractors and civil servants.” In doing this, Mr Davis claimed the government is attempting to achieve a deficit target at the expense of national development.

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The mental health crisis on campus and how to fix it WHEN college students seek help for a mental health issue on campus – something they are doing more often – the place they usually go is the college counseling center. But while the stigma of seeking mental health support has gone down, it has created a new problem: College counseling centers are now struggling to meet the increased demand.

As a researcher who examines problems faced by college students in distress, I see a way to better support students’ mental health. In addition to offering individual counseling, colleges should also focus on what we in the mental health field refer to as population health and prevention.

Student mental health distress has escalated to high levels nationally. The American College Health Association found in 2019 that over the past year, 87% of college students felt overwhelmed by all they had to do, 66% felt overwhelming anxiety, 56% felt things were hopeless and 13% seriously considered suicide. Contributing factors include distressing and traumatic circumstances during college, such as assaults, in addition to academic performance demands.

The college experience is not the only factor, however. Students are also coming to college with preexisting mental health challenges. For instance, over 80% of students who think about suicide during college had first thought about suicide before college.

Some college campuses may add counseling staff to try to meet the increased demand for counseling centers, but not all campuses can afford to do this. Even if they do, it still might not be enough. Students need alternate ways beyond college counseling centers to address their mental health needs.

By being more proactive and equipping students to deal with mental health issues before they become too large to manage, fewer students will need crisis services – and those that need them will be able to get them sooner – because more students will have the tools to work through their problems earlier on their own.

To improve the overall health of their population of students, here are four areas where I think colleges should focus.

1. Empower students Colleges must help students assess their strengths and overall resilience.

By empowering students with increased self-knowledge, they can more adeptly identify problems early and access supportive resources. Campuses could help motivate and encourage students to monitor their progress through creating

an online portal where students can access tools, such as those promoting skill development in the areas of mindfulness, time management and career reflection. There’s such an online portal – known as the Student Resilience Project – at the university where I teach, and results are promising.

2.

Provide stress-management resources Colleges and universities should create processes and tools for students to improve their ability to manage stress. For example, the campus could create a decision tree that helps students identify when and where to reach out to get help with their specific concerns.

A web-based portal can tell students where to locate campus-based support services, such as coaches, advisers and counselors, or peer-to-peer education and support and skill-building groups.

For an example of a program designed to increase social support in high schools and one that could work for colleges, see the Sources of Strength program.

3. Take preventive measures Research shows that helping many people lower their risk improves the benefit for the larger population more than focusing on those at the highest risk.

This suggests that colleges should look at the factors that are contributing to stress – such as substance use, discrimination, assaults and the pressure around figuring out one’s major and career – and then work to reduce their influence. Promoting resources for early intervention in these areas can help students cope with stress and build time management skills.

4. Launch wellness campaigns Colleges should create a wellness campaign. Students, faculty and staff should be trained in how to work together to improve the mental health of everyone on campus, including identifying others in distress, intervening with them and referring them to help. The campus should advertise their vision and initiatives to get the message out to all members of the community. These wellness campaigns are aspirational at the moment, but I am currently working with several colleges to make these campaigns a reality.

When colleges shift their focus to population health and prevention, in my view it should lead to an improvement in the health and well-being of students and free up counseling centers to treat the students most in need of mental health support.

By Marty Swanbrow Becker of Florida State University. This article first appeared on The Conversation

When Germany is weak, so is Europe EDITOR, The Tribune THE world is safer with a European Union but there is a small possibility it could unwind. The two world wars were European centred and caused war.

World war 2 is responsible for the most death in human conflict. Estimates range from 60 million to over 118 million. Besides all the European religious and political conflicts were responsible for the deaths of millions. We in the Caribbean had the colonisation of the Americas which has an estimated death toll of 8.4 million to 138 million – one of the bloodiest human conflicts in history.

The European Union

(EU) was created with the aim to end the bloody and frequent conflict between European neighbours.

This trend culminated with World War 2. It was established in 1993 by treaty and has since expanded to 28 members. The United Kingdom is leaving the EU and this will cause a small disruption within the union.

Germany, Europe largest economy, has become unstable due to political and economic uncertainty.

Election is due in 2021 and the governing coalition of Angela Merkel, who is leaving politics after two decades of dominance, has been bickering. The German economy barely missed a recession in 2019

and is in a downward trajectory.

Once Germany is weak, Europe is weak. The economic problems of Italy, Spain and Greece are significant. France’s political challenge between the people and the government will likely remain indefinitely, even if episodic.

It is easy to be friends in good times, but European economies have started to decline because of debt, demographics and other vicissitudes.

It is wise to pay attention to Europe because historically (modern history) they have influenced the world.

BRIAN E PLUMMER Nassau December 30, 2019.

Some baloney talk from Mr Pintard EDITOR, The Tribune A GOOD New Year resolution for Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis would be to enforce the discipline so necessary for the proper functioning of cabinet government in our parliamentary system.

An egregious example of a minister breaking the code of collective responsibility occurred in a debate towards the end of last year when Marco City MP Michael Pintard, opened fire on his own cabinet colleagues.

Pintard, the Minister of Agriculture, was surely trying to burnish his bona fides with someone or some group. Question is: to whom was he genuflecting?

Perhaps he was trying to prove to his cultural community posse that play-writer Michael Clifton Pintard bows to no-one, except, maybe, of course, them.

He could not possibly have been serious with his attack on the whip process used not just in the Westminster parliamentary system, but in most disciplined political enclaves – perhaps because it is so effective.

A party appoints a whip or whips whose job it is to help organize debates and ensure that the members stay united when it comes voting time, save and except for those votes in parliament where the party leaders expressly communicate that a particular vote will not be whipped. On those occasions members can vote as they want. The so-called free vote.

Usually these would be

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net either conscience votes (such as on the death penalty) or other votes that have no direct bearing on policy or the government’s legislative agenda.

Pintard needs to understand that the whip doesn’t fall under the purview of the House itself. Whipping votes is exclusively a matter for political parties.

Whipping is a tool that enables the governing party to maintain discipline, to pass and amend laws, or conversely – for the opposition party – to stop the passage of laws or amendments.

When Pintard accepted his party’s nomination to run in Marco City he implicitly signed a contract to follow the whip. In exchange he got to call himself an FNM candidate and to campaign as such. He may not like it, but that is our system and he ought to have known about it before he donned his red shirt.

There were two things particularly egregious about Pintard’s diatribe. On the one hand he is a member of the Cabinet, which triggers the whole business of collective responsibility.

If Cabinet Ministers can’t vote and speak in unison inside and outside of parliament, then why bother faking any attempt at being a government?

The second is his verbal non sequitur that because he is a black man (and supposedly because whipping

votes was created by a white man in the UK parliament), then any reference to him being under a whip, connotes imagery of slavery and the inhumanity of that abhorrence.

Give us a break, Michael.

Save your faux outrage for your next short story.

The creator of the parliamentary whip was observing how blood hounds were kept in pursuit of a hapless fox by a whipper-in. That cruel blood sport has lately been outlawed in England but whipping in parliament has been going on since at least 1769, a full 40 years after our parliament first sat.

The African slave trade had its roots back in the 15th century thanks to the Portuguese, although the transatlantic slave trade did peak around the same time that the parliamentary whip was first being used.

But only in Pintard’s fertile imagination can you conflate the two and turn a useful political tool into a supposed affront to his ethnic consciousness.

If his soul is so offended at being under the party whip, shouldn’t we be expecting the trifecta of letters of resignation – from cabinet, from parliament and from his political party?

The next time he wants to vent about nonsense, perhaps he should invite some of his thespian friends round for a session of Brer Bookie and Brer Rabbi stories and a meal of baloney sandwiches.

THE GRADUATE Nassau January 7, 2020

Does Junkanoo attract tourists?

EDITOR, The Tribune SEEMINGLY the new Port folks thought that by having a junkanoo scrap gang to welcome the cruise ship passengers, New Year’s would be a great promotional concept…video on-line is very interesting forget the Junkanoo watch the majority of the cruise passengers walk right past the group performing totally oblivious to them – totally disinterested.

Marketing Junkanoo?

Does junkanoo attract visitors? Been debatable for years the hotels are full

over Boxing Day and New Years…not because of the parades. Yes, you are slowly seeing visitors on the bleachers but there is an issue…Boxing Day usually sold out locally throw in 1,000 visitors where will the local junkanoo followers sit to view the parade?

Whilst on marketing… post Dorian when the world thought Nassau had been flattened Tourism was asleep and did not counter the media who had to come to Nassau to get to Abaco…why didn’t Tourism take the TV Network camera crews throughout Atlantis - Bah Mar

- Albany - Sandals and a quick trip to Exuma and show The Bahamas was not down to the count we were open more than 85% of our Tourism infrastructure was open? Tourism might eventually have done something but the damage was done.

Our US Washington based Ambassador should have been on the Network Morning Shows telling the US…As should have been our High Commissioner in Canada and London…

That’s their job surely?

ABRAHAM MOSS Nassau January 6, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, January 8, 2020, PAGE 5

TWO SCHOOLBOYS IN HOSPITAL AFTER STABBINGS TWO students were injured and are in hospital after a stabbing incident at C V Bethel Senior High School yesterday.

Police did not name the school, but said a group of male students were involved in a fight at the East Street South school at

around 11am. One of the males produced a sharp object, stabbing one 14-year-old student and another 16-year-old student.

Both boys were taken to hospital. Police said the older of the two is listed in stable condition while the younger boy is in

serious but stable condition. A 15-year-old boy is assisting police with their investigation.

C V Bethel School has previously been the site of violence.

Last January, a teacher suffered injuries after he was involved in an altercation with students on

the campus. The incident left teachers traumatised and raised safety concerns at the campus.

Meanwhile, police are looking for the person responsible for shooting a man on Tuesday morning.

Shortly after 11am, police

said a man was standing outside a vehicle on Pine Yard Road, off Fox Hill Road, when he was approached by man, armed with a firearm who shot him.

The injured man was able to jump into the vehicle where he was transported to hospital.

Crown wants gang killer to be executed

from page one

(DSO) gang according to police, while the deceased was affiliated with the Mad Ass gang up to his death.

During trial, it was revealed that Edgecombe admitted to killing Lightbourne because of his gang affiliation when initially interviewed by then-Detective Constable Raphael Miller just three weeks after the incident in question.

In fact, Edgecombe said he was after Lightbourne and several other affiliates of the Mad Ass gang, namely “Spider”, “Eyes”, and “Kadi”, with the promise that he could be paid $8,000 for killing any of them. Lightbourne ended up being the one he shot and killed that day.

According to the probation officer’s report, however, Edgecombe has since referred to the deceased as his “friend”.

When Edgecombe’s mother probed him about whether he actually committed the offence sometime after the incident, Edgecombe was said to have replied: “Why would I kill my friend?” However, Edgecombe’s mother could not say whether the two shared any form of friendship.

The revelations were made during the sentencing phase of Edgecombe’s court matter before Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson concerning Lightbourne’s death on June 21, 2016.

On that date, Lightbourne was shot multiple times as he walked through his neighbourhood off Market Street. He died at the scene.

Edgecombe said on the morning of June 21, 2016, he was “looking for affiliates” of Lightbourne and the Mad Ass street gang and that he was in the area to “take out a hit”. When asked to specify what he meant by taking out a hit, Edgecombe replied: “To commit a murder that I would be paid for.”

He said on that morning, he saw both Lightbourne and “Eyes”; the latter was near an abandoned building while Lightbourne was on Market Street walking through Woods Alley.

Edgecombe agreed with assertions from D/C Miller that when he saw both men, he was hiding through a shortcut.

Edgecombe said when he saw Lightbourne, he did not call out his name to get his attention. Instead, Edgecombe said he simply approached Lightbourne and shot him three times with a chrome 40-calibre handgun. Afterwards, he said, he ran onto Baillou Hill Road and caught a bus into the Pinewood area so he could “get paid”.

The gun he used was on his waist during his entire

THE CROWN is seeking to have Jahmaro “Bingy” Edgecombe, pictured above at an earlier court hearing, put to death for murdering Kenyari Lightbourne in July 2016 commute from the Woods Alley area to Pinewood, Edgecombe admitted. He said he ultimately sold it to a guy from the Chippingham area who goes by the name of “Mob”.

And after killing Lightbourne and cashing in on his reward, Edgecombe told police he “paid off some bills” with the $6,000 in blood money he was paid for the crime and distributed the rest to family members.

During the sentencing proceedings, Ms Whymms called for the death penalty to be imposed on Edgecombe, as she submitted that his actions were “heinous and depraved” and were committed “for no other reason than to make money”.

The prosecutor also submitted that in committing the act, Edgecombe displayed how “cold” and “heartless” he really was. She said Edgecombe merely “saw a way to make some quick money” and capitalised. And in doing so, the prosecutor said Edgecombe not only displayed a wanton disregard of the law, but also the sanctity of life itself.

Ms Whymms referred to the probation officer’s report to substantiate her assertions in reference to Edgecombe’s character, which revealed that the young man showed violent tendencies from his childhood days.

The probation officer’s report revealed that Edgecombe was considered an “uncontrollable child” while enrolled at the H O

Nash Junior High School, which he dropped out of in the ninth grade with a grade point average of 0.80.

While in school, Edgecombe was said to have stabbed a female student in the head with a pen, causing an immediate suspension. Additionally, for the last three years of his academic life, he was cited for infractions such as unacceptable behaviour; disruptive behaviour in class; using obscene language; being unprepared for class; failure to work in class; skipping class; fighting, and being disrespectful to authority.

So “uncontrollable” was Edgecombe, that he was suspended from school on at least four occasions and referred to school psychological services on two occasions. Then, as a result of his “delinquent” behaviour, he was deemed “uncontrollable” and referred to the Simpson Penn Centre for Boys for 15 months until the age of 16.

Upon his discharge from the SPCB, Edgecombe did not finish his high school education. Instead, he eventually secured employment after his stint at Simpson Penn by working as an electrical assistant for four months. Then, he worked odd jobs in the construction field. In 2013, he worked in the Straw Market as a vendor for one year until he secured employment as a marine mammal specialist at the Atlantis resort in 2014.

However, Edgecombe’s troubles followed him all the way to his workplace, and he was cited for several

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infractions leading up to his termination from the resort.

Edgecombe’s termination, according to Ms Whymms and the evidence led during the sentencing proceedings, was due to him threatening Mr Ryan Dean, his supervisor at the time. Mr. Dean claimed that Edgecombe told him that if he ever saw him again he would shoot him.

For those threats, Edgecombe was fired and had to be escorted off the property by police officers. A picture of Edgecombe was also placed at a certain security booth at the Paradise Island resort in the event he ever returned.

Then, while incarcerated in connection with Lightbourne’s death, Edgecombe was said to have assaulted fellow inmate and murderaccused William Etienne on October 9, 2018. Edgecombe was accused of doing so along with Anthony “Peanut” Bethel, who is accused of murdering 21-year-old Georgette Rahming on May 26, 2015. Both

Edgecombe and Bethel were later discharged of the offence.

Meanwhile, Mr Cash submitted that notwithstanding the fact that the death penalty has not been carried out in the Bahamas in 20 years, Lightbourne’s murder does not inherently warrant such stiff punishment. He submitted that while Lightbourne’s death was unfortunate, there was nothing unique about the manner in which he was killed, as most murders in the country are the result of shootings.

Mr Cash said in order to be able to justifiably call for the death penalty, the Crown would have to satisfy the court that Lightbourne’s murder could be considered the “worst of the worst”, in pursuance of a 2011 amendment to the death penalty law by the former Ingraham administration to specify which murders would warrant execution. And that amendment was consequent to a 2006 ruling from the London-based Privy Council in the case of Maxo Tido.

Mr Cash argued that Edgecombe’s troubles could have been curbed had the necessary intervention taken place. He said while his client was referred to School Psychological Services on those two occasions, there is nothing on the record to show that any meaningful follow-ups were done.

Mr Cash regretted that there had not been any real intervention made in his client’s life to a satisfactory manner and the fact that the Crown is seeking the death penalty in the circumstances.

“So now, at 24 (years old), the only option is for the government to kill him?” Mr Cash questioned.

The case continues on January 29.

In 2006, the Privy Council abolished this country’s mandatory death sentence. The country’s last execution was carried out in January 2000, when David Mitchell was hanged for killing two German tourists.

PAGE 6, Wednesday, January 8, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Turnquest: We are working feverishly to restore GB power

By LEANDRA ROLLE lrolle@tribunemedia.net DEPUTY Prime Minister Peter Turnquest said yesterday the government is “working feverishly” to have power quickly restored to the eastern part of Grand Bahama, which was devastated by Hurricane Dorian early last September.

The community has not had electricity since the powerful Category Five storm made landfall on the island, flattening homes and businesses and destroying a number of power lines.

Having to power their homes using

portable generators, many residents have expressed frustration over the high costs associated with the equipment.

Meanwhile, others have noted the absence of power to be a stumbling block to their rebuilding efforts in the area.

Speaking on the matter yesterday, the East Grand Bahama MP said the government is currently talking with the Grand Bahama Power Company in hopes of bringing a speedy solutuion to the power situation on the island.

“We understand the need and urgency of getting power and water and getting the clinics up and

running and getting the schools up and running…

So, we are in discussion with the Grand Bahama Power Company about how and when we might be able to restore power to the east end island,” he told reporters ahead of Cabinet yesterday.

“There’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation where the power company is waiting for population density and the people are waiting for the power in order to begin the construction and the reconstruction. So, we’re in a bit of a holding pattern at the moment.”

Last month, Mr Turnquest admonished the power supplier over

DEPUTY Prime Minister Peter Turnquest the lack of power in the eastern Grand Bahama community, urging company officials to move faster in re-electrifying the island’s east end post Hurricane Dorian.

Speaking to reporters, he noted that residents are eager to have their power restored and their lives returned to some normalcy.

Asked when residents could expect to have power on in their respective communities, the finance minister could not give a definitive date.

However, he said the Grand Bahama-based power company is working on providing temporary

solutions to generate electricity throughout the community. “..The power company has committed to provide some temporary solutions so hopefully, very shortly we will see some temporary generators that will be spotted in these communities to power the individual communities rather than running the main transmission line from the main power plant in Freeport, which is very costly,” he added.

“Ultimately, we were looking towards making these communities solar powered and self-sustaining power grids . . .and we’re also looking at the

possibility of finding some kind of funding mechanism where we’re able to have individual solar solutions on individual roof tops, which are stand-alone units and which may be even more quicker in terms of being able to get them installed and getting people some kind of power to their properties.

“So, all of these solutions are being worked on and discussed at the moment.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the exact timeline for that at the moment . . .but we’re working feverishly towards it, as we are with respect to water and trying to get the water company up and running.”

BANNISTER TARGETS RAGGED ISLAND REPAIR WORK

By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

WORKS Minister Desmond Bannister yesterday revealed that the Ministry of Works will spearhead a number of repair projects in Ragged Island and New Providence this year.

Speaking to reporters outside of Cabinet, Mr Bannister said the ministry has plans to begin construction in Ragged Island and to renovate a number of damaged roads throughout the capital.

In 2017, Hurricane Irma devastated Ragged Island, destroying most of its

infrastructure. Yesterday, Mr Bannister confirmed that construction on the small island will begin “by the end of the year.”

“The demolition work on the school in Ragged Island will start very shortly,” he said. “The first structure that is going to be built is a school (and) there are going to be several teacher’s residences according to a really wonderful plan that our architects have put together.”

Stating that the school will also serve as a hurricane shelter, Mr Bannister also revealed that the building will be constructed to

withstand 180-mph winds.

Still, he said there are a “few challenges” that need to be addressed before construction can begin.

According to the minister, the constructors have to build residences for their workers on the island before they can start making repairs.

“When they take their workers down they have to provide cooks… and everything for their workers and then because of the situation down there, they have to be able to let their workers come up to New Providence every week or every two weeks,” he said.

“They (also) have to barge every piece of equipment into Ragged Island before they can do any building,” he added.

Despite these potential setbacks, Mr Bannister remained optimistic and insisted these factors will be a “wonderful challenge” for contractors.

He also announced that plans are underway to repair damaged roads in New Providence.

“We couldn’t do the work on Nassau Street until...

BPL had actually dug it up and run a cable to The Pointe because we had an obligation to provide power at a certain level to The Pointe,” he explained.

“That is very expensive, that was costly (and) it took a long time to do.

We are satisfied now that the power running to The Pointe is sufficient for their operations and so now that that has been done and all

MINISTER Desmond Bannister the utilities have come in… we can now pave Nassau Street.”

Still, Mr Bannister admitted that repairing the damage on Village Road won’t be as simple. “Village Road is quite a bit more complex,” he said. “Not only are we going to have to go in and do all the utilities, we don’t know what is under Village Road and so we have some consultancies

looking now and making determinations as to how best we can find out what is under it.”

Mr Bannister added the ministry is also conducting engineering studies to determine the best way to go about repairing the road.

“Over the next year... you’re going to see us going there and upgrading all the utilities so that people in those communities can have wonderful service from every utility,” he said.

“You’re going to see us at every one of those corners, you’re going to see the (road) widened, you’re going to see government acquiring land so that traffic can flow smoother and then you’re going to see it paved.”

“It’s a whole process we’re going through to ensure that these roads like Nassau Street, East Street and Village Road are able to serve this country for decades to come.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, January 8, 2020, PAGE 7

DEADLY TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS DOWN 14%

72-YEAR-OLD IN COURT ON CHARGES OF ASSAULTING GIRL, AGED 3

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

A 72-YEAR-OLD man has been charged with indecently assaulting a three-year-old girl. Thomas Deal, who will be 73 in May, pleaded not guilty to the charge when arraigned before Magistrate Samuel McKinney and his case was adjourned to January 20 for trial.

Bail was granted in the amount of $3,500.

Meanwhile, 18-year-old Robert Pennerman was charged before Coroner Jeanine Weech-Gomez yesterday with having sex with a 15-year-old girl on New Year’s Day. Due to the nature of the charge, he was not required to enter a plea and the case was adjourned to March 6 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

Bail was denied and he was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS) in the interim. He has a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.

During yesterday’s arraignment, and in response to a question by the magistrate, Pennerman suggested that none of his loved ones knew he had been arrested and charged.

“The station didn’t allow me to call,” he said.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

THE SCENE of the accident which claimed the life of Chief Immigration Officer Bradley McDonald

Immigration chief dies in Abaco crash

By EARYEL BOWLEG ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

A TRAFFIC accident in Abaco has claimed the life of Chief Immigration Officer Bradley McDonald.

Police reported that on Monday shortly after 3pm, Officer McDonald and another man were travelling in a Jeep Wrangler, west on Earnest Dean Highway, near Sandy Point, when the driver lost control of the vehicle and overturned.

The two men had serious

injuries and were transported to Marsh Harbour’s medical facility, where Mr McDonald died from his injuries. The other man was airlifted to New Providence for further medical attention.

Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) officers from the Traffic Department will travel to Abaco to continue investigating the incident.

The Department of Immigration sent out a press release on Tuesday confirming Mr McDonald’s death and expressed condolences to his family, friends

Davis accuses Bethel over recall system backpedalling

By SYANN THOMPSON Tribune Staff Reporter sthompson@tribunemedia.net PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party leader Philip “Brave” Davis said Attorney General Carl Bethel’s backpedalling on the Free National Movement’s promise to implement a recall system for nonperforming members of Parliament is another example of the Minnis administration reneging on its plans.

Yesterday Mr Bethel was reported as saying there are no plans to implement the recall system promised by the FNM ahead of the 2017 general election and outlined in the 2017 Speech from the Throne. Mr Bethel told the local daily such a plan was not a “workable system in the parliamentary context,” nor was it on the government’s legislative agenda.

He also said he was unaware of such legislation in any Commonwealth countries.

During the opposition’s monthly press conference, Mr Davis said the UK is an example of a country which has implemented the legislation. He accused the FNM of making promises to get elected with no plans to follow through on them.

“Again, as I have said before, just like the campaign finance reform (promise) and they are saying they don’t have to

AG Carl Bethel do it now. It seems they said these things to get elected.

The electorate will now see that they are abandoning all of their promises,” said Mr Davis.

“I believe he went as far to say that he has not seen any legislation in any other Commonwealth countries.

Well, I dare say right in Britain there’s the Recall of MPs Act 2015 and from my recollection there may be other Commonwealth countries that would have the Recall Act. Having the Attorney General of the country saying that there is nowhere in the world, you would have thought before mentioning it, they would have looked around the world to see if they have such a system. They must have seen that there is such a system and placed it in their platform.”

In its May 2017 Speech from the Throne, which

outlined the Minnis administration’s five-year legislative agenda, the government noted it would seek the consent of the electorate by way of a referendum on instituting term limits for the prime minister, a recall system for non-performing members of Parliament and an independent Constituencies Commission and Electoral Commission. None of these pledges have been met as yet.

A recall system would give constituents a legal tool of recalling non-performing members of Parliament before an election is called.

In the United Kingdom, the Recall of MPs Act 2015 only triggers the recall system if the MP is imprisoned for 12 months or less, suspended from the House of Commons for more than 10 days or breaks the law by providing false or misleading expense claims.

According to the UK law, if 10 percent of constituents sign the petition, the MP is removed and a bye-election is called.

Commonwealth countries like Canada, New Zealand, Zambia and Jamaica have debated and canvassed citizens on the recall of MPs legislation, but have not implemented such laws. Commonwealth countries to date with a system of recalling MPs through legislation or the constitution are the UK and Uganda.

and the entry squad of 1986. The release said: “May there be comfort in knowing that someone so special will never be forgotten.

May he who knows your sorrow bring peace, comfort, and healing to your soul. Words seem inadequate to express the sorrow felt by your loss but know that the Department of Immigration is praying that God keeps you during this your time of bereavement. May his soul rest in peace.”

The department also revealed funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.

FATAL traffic crashes in the country declined by 14 percent in 2019, with 54 incidents reported, according to newly released Royal Bahamas Police Force statistics. In 2018, police said there were 63 crashes that resulted in deaths.

The number of victims also declined by 17 percent - with 57 in 2019 from 69 in 2018. The majority of victims were between 26-years-old and 35, the majority of them male. While there were declines on two major islands, fatal crashes by island increased on smaller Family Islands.

In New Providence, there was a 21 percent drop with 33 fatal crashes in 2019 compared with 42 in 2018.

Grand Bahama also experienced a decline with six incidents last year and 11 in 2018. This constituted a 45 percent drop.

However, police said incidents in the Family Islands shot up by 50 percent with 15 in 2019, compared with ten in 2018.

The frequency of traffic related deaths led to government making legislative changes in 2019.

In October it became illegal to use handheld devices or have an open alcoholic beverage while driving, according to new amendments to the Road Traffic Act. The amendments also require the payment of outstanding traffic offence fines before renewing a driver’s licence and motorists are also required to immediately produce a licence and insurance certificate upon the request of a police officer.

Driving instructors are further prohibited from holding electronic devices under the new law but the stipulation does not apply to those driving emergency vehicles or a vehicle that is lawfully parked and not impeding traffic. The amendments also mean motorists are able to make a cautious left turn on a red traffic light.

Amendments to the Road Traffic Act tabled in December propose prison time of up to 15 years for a new offence of vehicular manslaughter by reckless driving.

PAGE 8, Wednesday, January 8, 2020

THE TRIBUNE THE VALLEY Boys on Bay Street at the Junkanoo Boxing Day parade.

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Back in the heartbeat of Junkanoo I missed so much IT IS not a holiday season without Junkanoo. To miss the Valley, Roots, One Family and Saxons on Bay Street is to be asleep for the entire season. I spent the last two holiday seasons outside of The Bahamas, and I was thankful for the livestreams of the Junkanoo parades. Like watching on ZNS, it is not the same as being there, but at least I could see the costumes, feel the thrill that comes with the drums getting closer, become excited by the dips and spins of the choreographed dancers and hope for my favourite group to perform, perform, perform.

Being away for a couple of years must have made

The

Alicia Wallace column me forget how quickly the tickets for Rawson Square sell out. By the time I made it to the JCNP office, only Cabinet Parking was available for Boxing Day, so I took that and got a Rawson Square ticket for New Year’s Day. Most of the people in my section on Boxing Day were moderate fans of various groups, but a group of

four people behind me was determined to let everyone know which group they supported. It did not help that one of them was rather inebriated. We endured shouts of “Y’all pretty! Y’all some pretty losers!” and “Man, get off Bay Street!” as the first set of groups made their way past us. It was funny to hear them encourage others

to cheer “for the chirrens” of all groups. They shouted, “Good job!” and “You’s a smart girl! Good boy!” at children as they danced to very distant music. Being in the front is not easy but the children truly did a great job.

Is anything as unifying and as competitive as Junkanoo? We love this festival, this pageant, this revelry, this display of talent, this burst of colour, this heartbeat of Bay Street so much that we lose sleep, brave the “draft,” and laugh and argue with strangers over it. It is so fierce and its energy so overwhelming that even the onlookers compete.

Who is the loudest? Who has the most hurtful insults?

Who has the best grasp of Junkanoo history? Who knows the most people in the group passing now?

Who is most successful at getting others in the crowd to join in a chant? And these days, with sponsors sending swag teams up and down Bay Street, who will catch the most “free tings”?

On both Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, I was happy to be in the company

of Bahamians deeply in love with one of the most glorious and intentional displays of Bahamian culture.

I sat through the long gaps and did my best to appreciate the performance of dancers far ahead of the music rather than lament the missing element, obviously due to the size of the groups.

I tried to forgive the use of speakers in banners which gave dancers something to work with. I wanted to stay on the bright side. I could not help but notice, however, the large number of pieces that were not pasted. I was saddened to see the sparing use of crepe paper and the fairly new practice of decorating costumes in a manner that looks like stickers on cardboard accompanied by gems and feathers. It is not unattractive, but it is not the style I have always admired. Junkanoo has gone through many evolutions, and I wonder if this is another one that will stick. I also wonder if the introduction of Carnival has anything to do with it. I wonder what Junkanoo will look like in ten or 20 years,

and if we will still be able to distinguish it from other parades and festivals.

Whatever the materials they use, the banners and costumers are always stunning. The music continues to force us to our feet. The choreography still makes us want to do what they do. Junkanoo is doing its thing, daring us to show up and show out in the same way – a people of colour, moving to one rhythm, saving our licks for the goat skin drum. At the end of the parade, we head in various directions, still tipsy on brass and drums. Some of us stumble upon discarded Junkanoo pieces on the way to our homes, cars, or breakfast spots. We wonder how much money and how many hours of work we are walking by, whether or not anyone will pick them up and what they might do with them, and why we do not yet have a museum dedicated to these works of art.

Months and months of work are left in the downtown area every year, immediately after the parade. Surely there is a place for it all, and if not, we can create it.

RESIST THE URGE TO FIGHT ONE OF THE BEST MOVES THE BAHAMIAN GOVERNMENT HAS MADE IN YEARS WE HAVE been told to prepare for it for months and now the plastic ban has finally started. While we are generally quite resistant to change, the level of negativity in the response to the implementation of the ban was definitely unexpected.

The Bahamian government has never been particularly successful in its public relations efforts, but we should all be happy to support the plastic ban, especially as a country still reeling from the effects of a Category Five hurricane.

We need to understand the relationship between various factors including consumption, waste, environmental degradation, dump fires, pollution, climate change and hurricanes. We need to see the connections between our individual and collective behaviours and the changing physical environment.

The elimination of single-use plastic is one step toward more environmentally sustainable living and an indication of national interest in mitigating against climate change.

The government acknowledged that retailers had a stock of single-use plastic bags that it would not have necessarily gotten rid of by December 31.

Those bags are already in the country. The government also recognised, of

course, that it would take some time for people to adjust and learn to bring their own bags to stores.

For these reasons, it has made allowances for singleuse plastic bags already in stock - already in the country - to be used at a cost to the consumer. Yes, the retailer retains that money.

Yes, it is more money from the hands of consumers. Yes, this is less than desirable - but that is the point. The fee serves as a deterrent. No one wants to pay 25 cents for singleuse plastic bags, so people will get into the practice of bringing their own bags.

Reuse bags from clothing stores. Use backpacks, totes and pillowcases. Make t-shirt bags. Take a laundry basket. Use a box. Reuse plastic bags from the stash in your cupboard. Buy

canvas bags. It is better, in the long run, to spend $12 on three or four reusable grocery bags than to keep paying 25 cents per bag and still have to buy something useful in six months.

It would be great for corporate Bahamas and government agencies to assist customers in the shift by offering reusable bags in the same way they give away calendars, lanyards, water bottles, keychains, towels and t-shirts. Member of Parliament for St. Barnabas Shanendon Cartwright has already recognised the need and is providing reusable bags to constituents.

More of this please!

This change costs us all money, unless we were collecting reusable bags already. It will take some time to adjust. While you remember, if you have a car, go put a few bags in your car now so they will be there when you need them.

It may take a few trips to the grocery store for the habit to stick, but you will get there.

People all over the world had to do the same and some are doing it with us now. This is a good move, and more information on it is readily available at plasticfree242.com. Read it, share it and resist the urge to fight one of the best moves the Bahamian government has made in years.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, January 8, 2020, PAGE 9

TECHTALK

SEBASTIAN SEUNG, executive vice president and chief research scientist of Samsung Research, talks about Ballie, an AI rolling robot during a Samsung keynote before the CES tech show, Monday in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

CES TECH SHOW: MACHINES MAKE COCKTAILS AND A ROBOTIC FRIEND

By RACHEL LERMAN and JOSEPH PISANI AP Technology Writer

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A wristband that will help you say “no” to junk food. A machine that will mix drinks for you.

These were among the gadgets showcased this week at the CES technology conference in Las Vegas.

The four-day show, which opened Tuesday, is a place for companies to unveil their products and services for the coming year, though Apple, Google and other tech giants often hold their own announcement events. Streaming services and surveillance technologies are among the hot topics this year.

Here are some highlights from the show: NUTRITIONAL DNA A London startup believes it can help you make healthier diet choices at the grocery store — using your own DNA. DnaNudge collects your DNA through a cheek swab and sends data related to nutrition to a wristband.

Have a genetic predisposition to high blood pressure? Maybe the wristband will tell you to stay away from salty snacks. You scan the barcode on a product, and the wristband turns red or green to indicate whether it may be good for you.

A few services have popped up to map DNA in the hopes of helping people make better diet choices, though some scientists say genetic makeup is just one of many factors in living a healthy lifestyle.

Currently, DnaNudge does cheek swabs only in person in London, but it’s working on a mail order service. The company says it destroys all DNA records after giving you the wristband.

BOOZY BOTS No need to shake or stir. These machines will mix cocktails for you.

They’re like Keurig coffee machines, but for booze. Drop in a pod filled with ingredients, slide

in a glass, and less than a minute later, you’ll have a martini or a Moscow mule.

In fact, one of the gizmos is made

by Keurig. Drinkworks by Keurig sells for $299 and can make cosmopolitans and fizzy drinks, such as vodka sodas. Each pod makes one cocktail and costs about $4.

Another robotic bartender, the $350 Bartesian, sells pods for $2.50

THE BARTESIAN cocktail making machine finishes up mixing a drink at the Bartesian booth during the CES tech show Tuesday in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) each, but they don’t have alcohol. Instead, you fill canisters with your own whiskey, vodka, gin and tequila.

The pods mix in juices, herbs and other flavourings. A touch screen on the Bartesian lets you choose how stiff you want your drink. There’s even an option for alcohol-free “mocktails.”

Both machines sit on a counter or table at home. The companies hope to target those who like to host parties but don’t want to stock a bar, don’t know how to make drinks or would rather push a button than spend time putting together a mojito.

“We do all that for you,” Drinkworks CEO Nathaniel Davis said.

“And then allow you to spend time with your guests.”

HERE TODAY, HACK TOMORROW Some people go to CES to glimpse the future of consumer technology. Others are looking for

the future of what’s going to get hacked.

Cybersecurity firm McAfee says it uncovered security flaws in two gadgets on display.

One is an internet-connected device for opening garage doors.

McAfee’s threat research team says the MyQ Hub made by Illinois-based Chamberlain Group could be hacked by jamming the radio frequency signals while the garage is being remotely closed.

That could lead it to open instead.

Chamberlain says it’s fixing its app to prevent this, but chances of a real-world hack occurring are “extremely low” and based on an unlikely chain of events.

McAfee says it also discovered a flaw in British startup McClear’s “smart ring,” which uses near-field communication wireless technology for unlocking doors. McAfee researchers demonstrated how hackers could easily clone the ring and gain access to a user’s home. McClear didn’t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment Tuesday.

PRIVACY BY VOICE Google is adding a privacy “undo” feature to its Assistant voice technology.

Just tell Assistant to disregard something if you happen to notice the device was listening when it wasn’t supposed to.

By saying “Hey Google, that wasn’t for you,” Assistant will delete whatever you just said.

Although Assistant is supposed to send voice commands out for processing only when it hears “Hey” or “OK, Google,” it can mishear other conversations as the trigger word. Another new feature will let you use your voice to ask Google about your own privacy settings.

The new features supplement privacy controls Google rolled out last year to let people delete their voice recording histories with voice commands. That came after pushback that Google and other companies were using human transcribers rather than just machines to listen to some audio recordings.

Assistant will also debut new tools such as household notes, which lets people leave virtual

notes with voice commands for other members in their families.

The notes will show up on Google’s smart Nest Hub displays as reminders.

A ROBOTIC FRIEND Samsung’s idea for your new robot friend is a simple ball that rolls along beside you. Its name: Ballie.

The technology within Ballie is anything but simple. The artificial intelligence companion has a camera that can record and send video. Ballie can communicate with other smart devices around the house.

In its keynote at CES, Samsung showed the bright yellow ball — about the size of a baseball — rolling behind H.S. Kim, CEO of the company’s consumer electron-

BALLIE, an AI rolling robot.

(AP Photo/John Locher) ics division. It kept its distance from Kim when asked to, and a video showed Ballie as a companion to pets at home alone.

“It’s a vision of technology as an all-around personal life companion,” Kim said.

Ballie’s unveiling was part of Samsung’s efforts to show how AI can offer conveniences, peace of mind — and in this case, companionship.

Samsung didn’t say when Ballie would go on sale or how much it would cost. Samsung’s chief research scientist, Sebastian Seung, said Ballie would come with strict privacy standards, but didn’t offer details.

• FACEBOOK says it is banning “deepfake” videos, the false but realistic clips created with artificial intelligence and sophisticated tools, as it steps up efforts to fight online manipulation.

But the policy leaves plenty of loopholes.

The social network said late Monday that it’s beefing up its policies for removing videos edited or synthesised in ways that aren’t apparent to the average person, and which could dupe someone into thinking the video’s subject said something he or she didn’t actually say.

Created by artificial intelligence or machine learning, deepfakes combine or replace content to create images that can be almost impossible to tell are not authentic.

“While these videos are still rare on the internet, they present a significant challenge for our industry and society as their use increases,” Facebook’s vice president of global policy management, Monika Bickert, said in a blog post.

However, she said the new rules won’t include parody or satire, or clips edited just to change the order of words.

The exceptions underscore the balancing act Facebook and other social media services face in their struggle to stop the spread of online misinformation and “fake news,” while also respecting free speech and fending off allegations of censorship.

• THE first batch of space-baked cookies is back on Earth, along with muscle-bound “mighty” mice and other space station experiments.

SpaceX provided the ride home Tuesday, a month after its Dragon capsule arrived at the International Space Station.

The capsule parachuted into the Pacific, returning 3,800 pounds of gear.

Researchers want to inspect the handful of chocolate chip cookies baked by astronauts in a special Zero G oven just in time for Christmas. The oven launched to the space station in November, so astronauts could pop in pre-made cookie dough provided by DoubleTree. A spokesman for the hotel chain said five cookies were baked up there, one at a time. The company plans to share details of this first-of-its-kind experiment in the coming weeks.

“We made space cookies and milk for Santa this year,” NASA astronaut Christina Koch tweeted late last month from the space station, posing with one of the individually wrapped cookies.

Scientists also are getting back 40 mice that flew up in early December, including eight genetically engineered to have twice the normal muscle mass. Some of the non-mighty mice bulked up in orbit for the muscle study; others will pack it on once they’re back in the lab.

“We’re anxious to welcome the mice home! ” Dr. Se-Jin Lee of the Jackson Laboratory in Connecticut said in an email.

PAGE 10, Wednesday, January 8, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

TO PAY TRUMP ANNOUNCES: WE KILLED A MONSTER IKEA $46M FOR WASHINGTON Associated Press

PRESIDENT Donald Trump and his top advisers are under pressure to disclose more details about the intelligence that led to an American airstrike that killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

Trump said yesterday that his decision saved American lives and that members of Congress will get a briefing on the reasons for the US

attack. “We saved a lot of lives,” Trump said. “They were planning something.”

So far, Trump and top national security officials have justified the airstrike with general statements about the threat posted by Soleimani, who commanded proxy forces outside Iran and was responsible for the deaths of American troops in Iraq.

But the details have been scarce.

“He’s no longer a monster. He’s dead,” Trump said. “And that’s a

good thing for a lot of countries. He was planning a very big attack and a very bad attack for us and other people and we stopped him and I don’t think anybody can complain about it.”

Soleimani was targeted while he was at an airport in Baghdad with Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, a veteran Iraqi militant who also was killed.

Trump said they weren’t in Baghdad to discuss vacation plans or visit a “‘nice resort,” but were there to talk over “‘bad business.”’

• AT least 56 people were killed and more than 200 were injured when a stampede broke out yesterday at Soleimani’s funeral. The deadly stampede took place in Soleimani’s hometown of Kerman as his coffin was being borne through the city in southeastern Iran.

There was no information about what set off the crush and online videos showed only its aftermath: people lying apparently lifeless, their faces covered by clothing, emergency crews performing CPR.

Iran strikes back TEHRAN Associated Press

IRAN struck back at the United States early today for killing a top Revolutionary Guards commander, firing a series of ballistic missiles at two military bases in Iraq housing American troops in a major escalation between the two longtime foes.

It was Iran’s most direct assault on America since the 1979 seizing of the US Embassy in Tehran, and Iranian state TV said it was in revenge for the US killing of Qassem Soleimani, whose death last week in an American drone strike near Baghdad prompted angry calls to avenge his slaying.

US and Iraqi officials said there were no immediate reports of casualties, though buildings were still being searched.

The strikes, which came as Iran buried Soleimani, raised fears that the two longtime foes were closer to war. But there were some indications that there would not be further retaliation on either side, at least in the short term.

‘All is well!’ President Donald Trump tweeted shortly after the missile attacks, adding, ‘So far, so good’ regarding casualties.

Moments earlier, Iran’s foreign minister tweeted that Tehran had taken “& concluded proportionate measures in self-defense,” adding that Tehran did “not seek escalation” but would defend itself against further aggression.

Iran initially announced only one missile strike, but US officials confirmed both. US defence officials were at the White House, likely to discuss options with Trump, who launched the attack on Soleimani while facing an upcoming impeachment trial in the Senate, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned the US and its regional allies against retaliating over the missile attack against the Ain alAsad air base in Iraq’s western Anbar province. The Guard issued the warning via a statement carried by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency. “We are warning all American allies, who gave their bases to its terrorist army, that any territory that is the starting point of aggressive acts against Iran will be targeted,” the Guard said. It also threatened Israel.

After the strikes, a former Iranian nuclear negotiator posted a picture of the Islamic Republic’s flag on Twitter, appearing to mimic Trump who posted an American flag following the killing of Soleimani.

The Iranians fired a total of 15 missiles, two US officials said. Ten hit Ain al-Asad and one the base in Irbil. Four failed, said the officials, who were not authorised to speak publicly about a military operation.

More than a dozen ballistic missiles hit two Iraqi bases housing American troops

BOY’S DEATH

PHILADELPHIA Associated Press

IKEA has agreed to pay $46m to the parents of a two-year-old boy who died of injuries suffered when a 70-pound recalled dresser tipped over onto him. Jozef Dudek, of Buena Park, California, died in 2017 of his injuries, and his parents sued the Swedish home furnishings company in a Philadelphia court in 2018.

In the lawsuit, the Dudeks accused IKEA of knowing that its Malm dressers posed a tip-over hazard and that they had injured or killed a number of children, but that the company had failed to warn consumers that the dressers shouldn’t be used without being anchored to a wall.

The dresser was recalled in 2016, according to the suit.

VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION RETAKES SEAT CARACAS Associated Press

VENEZUELAN opposition leader Juan Guaidó pushed through rows of national guardsmen blocking congress to retake his seat yesterday and pledged to press forward in his bid to topple the country’s socialist president.

The man recognised by the US and over 50 other nations as Venezuela’s rightful president burst through the National Assembly’s wooden doors along with several dozen opposition lawmakers after navigating their way past state security officers wearing helmets and carrying shields. “We want to regain Venezuela, damn it!”

Guaidó said as he pressed through the crowd.

UKRAINIAN AIRCRAFT CRASHES IN TEHRAN A UKRAINIAN passenger plane bound for Kiev and carrying 180 passengers and crew crashed near Tehran just three minutes after takeoff, but there has been speculation it was shot down after unverified video appeared to show the aircraft in flames before it fell.

Ali Kashani, spokesman for Imam Khomeini International Airport, told Fars news agency the plane ‘crashed around Parand’, about 60 kilometres south-west of the Iranian city and said: ‘It is predicted that technical problems caused the accident.’

However, flight data shows the three-year-old

THE SCENE at the crash site earlier today Boeing 737-800 for Unverified video footUkrainian International age tweeted by the BBC’s Airlines flight PS752 Iran correspondent, Ali reached an altitude of 2.4 Hashem, appeared to km and then suddenly show the plane burning in disappeared.

All on the sky before crashing in board dead according to a huge explosion. state media.

An investigation team

was at the site of the crash in southwestern outskirts of Tehran, civil aviation spokesman Reza Jafarzadeh said.

Flight data from the airport showed a Ukrainian 737-800 flown by Ukraine International Airlines took off yesterday morning, then stopped sending data almost immediately afterward, according to website FlightRadar24.

The airline did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A photo later published

by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency showed rescue officials in a farm field, with what appeared to be pieces of the aircraft laying nearby.

WEINSTEIN REBUKED FOR USING MOBILE NEW YORK Associated Press A JUDGE yesterday threatened to lock up Harvey Weinstein for using his phone in a New York City court where a jury is being picked for his rape trial.

“Is this really the way you want to end up in jail for the rest of your life, by texting and violating a court order?” asked Judge James Burke.

The Manhattan judge instructed the former Hollywood producer, who is out on bail, not to answer the question. Mr Weinstein faces five charges and possibly life in jail if convicted.

THOUSANDS FLEE HOMES AS EARTHQUAKE HITS PUERTO RICO PUERTO RICO Associated Press

THOUSANDS of people fled their homes on Puerto Rico’s southwest coast yesterday after a 10-day string of earthquakes crescendoed in a powerful magnitude 6.4 temblor that crushed an elderly man, injured at least eight other people and sent buildings tumbling to the ground.

Hours after the predawn quake cut power to the entire US territory, a large swath of southern Puerto Rico was shaken by smaller quakes late yesterday afternoon. Seismologists said there was no way of knowing when the series of quakes would ease, prompting Puerto Ricans to stay with friends or family or even sleep outdoors far from the coast, fearful of collapsing buildings or a tsunami.

“I’m stringing up my hammock,” said Miguel Santana, a 38-year-old resident of the southwest coastal town of Guayanilla.

Alexandra Colberg, 27,

HOMES damaged after an earthquake struck Puerto Rico yesterday moved out of her deeply cracked home in the nearby town of Guánica with her husband and four children, packing their mattresses, a refrigerator, a set of curtains and their clothes into two pickup trucks.

“What do I do with this?” asked her 9-year-old son, holding a tiny pink bucket with a pet fish that survived the earthquake.

“We need to go, because if not we could end up falling down there,” Colberg said as she gestured to

the ground floor from the second story of her home.

She and her family soon left for the mountain town of Hormigueros, where Colberg’s grandmother lives.

Most of the damage occurred in Guánica, where a three-story school collapsed. Preparing to start a 12-hour shift to protect it from looters was María Mercedes Alcázar, a 63-year-old private security guard who said she didn’t fear earthquakes, but her children, aged 37 and 42, were jittery.