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Volume: 121 No.43, January 24, 2024

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‘I WAS FIRED FOR FOLLOWING RULES’ Adrian Gibson trial hears claim of WSC manager termination

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net AS Adrian Gibson’s criminal trial resumed yesterday, a Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) manager claimed she was “terminated” after refusing to pay companies awarded landscaping contracts because she lacked

necessary documentation.

Mynez Cargill-Sherman, who is on secondment to the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, told jurors she was “terminated” twice between 2018 and 2021 when Adrian Gibson was WSC’s executive chairman.

The WSC employee, the SEE PAGE THREE

Gathered to DiD ‘common sense go out remember the winDow’, asks lawyer and to pray

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

ROMONA Farquharson-Seymour, a lawyer representing the estate of three men police killed at a mansion in Blair in 2019, asked an investigator during a Coroner’s Court inquest yesterday if “common sense goes out the window

if officers are involved in a shooting investigation”.

Her comment came after the initial investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Desmond Rolle, admitted that the hands of one of the slain men were not swabbed for forensic analysis even though police allege that he had a gun in his hand and SEE PAGE SEVEN

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net THE soaring murder rate is triggering grief-stricken relatives of people killed over the years by gun violence, dozens of whom gathered yesterday to mark Families of Murder Victims Day with prayer, songs and tears.

After Prime Minister Philip

“Brave” Davis proclaimed January 23 as Families of Murder Victims Day, a special prayer service at New Covenant Baptist Church provided a safe space yesterday for families struggling to cope without their relatives.

The gathering came against the backdrop of one of the deadliest opening months in the country’s history, with SEE PAGE TWO

shootings in gB anD nassau hospitalise two A 64-YEAR-OLD Freeport man is in hospital and two men are in custody following a shooting incident in Freeport on Tuesday evening - while another man was taken to hospital after a shooting in New Providence.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Stephen Rolle said police received a report at about 7.20pm of a shooting at Oleander Street.

GB police on the scene of a shooting in Freeport.

Photo: Vandyke Hepburn On arrival at the scene, officers found an adult male

WIFE of The Prime Minister Ann Marie Davis and the mother of Rinardo Brown and Carlson Taylor, who were killed on June 15, 2014 and June 16, 2011, pose for a photo during a church service to mark Family’s Of All Murdered Victims’ Day at New Covenant Baptist Church yesterday.

Photo: Dante Carrer

Businesses are frustrateD By govt tax portal ‘growing pains’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to his left shoulder.

Mr Rolle said the victim told police that he and a male suspect known to him were involved in an altercation and he was shot in the shoulder.

Emergency Medical Services personnel transported the man to the Rand

BUSINESSES endured “an absolute frenzy” to meet Monday’s VAT payment deadline due to continued “growing pains” with the Department of Inland Revenue’s tax portal because it was not accepting electronic payments via the likes of credit and debit cards.

SEE PAGE THREE

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

PAGE 2, Wednesday, January 24, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

Gathered to remember and to pray from page one

17 killed so far.

“When is it going to stop?

We need to do something with these people. I don’t care what you do, I don’t think you should kill somebody,” said Kahealeen Minnis, the mother of Edron Knowles, the 66th murder victim of 2023.

Mr Knowles was gunned down in front of his home on August 19, 2023, and left behind three children. His mother cried during the interview with reporters yesterday, adding that she struggles to grapple with the harsh reality of his demise.

Ms Minnis called her son’s untimely death a “big miss”.

“Friday makes five months, and it’s like it just happens again,” said Ms Minnis, a mother of eight.

“It is still fresh and I still have sleepless nights, still crying. I mean, I just keep asking God for strength because this is not easy. This pill is still here, it has not gone down yet.”

Although justice has not been served for the family, Ms Minnis said she has forgiven those responsible for killing her son.

During the ceremony yesterday, Ann Marie Davis, Bishop Simeon Hall, and Bishop Walter Hanchell spoke.

An inconsolable Laurette Lockhart held a portrait of her son, Lazzaro Ferguson, who was killed on May 28, 2023.

“It’s hard, I cry every day for my son,” she said.

Ms Lockhart said her son was a father of six, some of whom he was unable to meet before he died.

At a loss for words, she said: “I don’t even know what to say, every day is a shooting. The only thing I could say to mothers is trust in God, that’s the only hope and option.”

Khandi Gibson, president of Families of All Murder Victims, who spearheaded the event, encouraged relatives while advocating for the children of murder victims. She said the demand for assistance from FOAM is high given the current crime trends.

Keeshan Fowler, meanwhile, became a single mother on July 10, 2021, after the father of her son, Toran Taylor, was killed.

“No one plans on being a single mother or a single parent,” she said.

“It’s an unfortunate situation. However, through God, through the support of community and family, I am raising my son. He is doing exceptional, and I only thank God through this process.”

She said grief is never-ending, but urged families to keep memories alive.

FOAM president Khandi Gibson speaks to reporters during a church service to mark Family’s Of All Murdered Victims’ Day at New Covenant Baptist Church yesterday.

Photos: Dante Carrer

LAURETTE Lockhart speaks to reporters during the FOAM service yesterday.

WIFE of The Prime Minister Ann Marie Davis comforts the mother of Shakuar Oliver and Tyrone Oliver Jr who were killed on April 22, 2023.

BACSWN ALONG WITH ATMOSPHERIC SCIENTIST PAY COURTESY CALL ON DPM

DR. Roelof Bruintjes (second from left), Atmospheric Scientist of US National Center for Atmospheric Research; Lyrone Burrows (third from left), CEO/Bahamas Aviation, Climate & Severe Weather Network Ltd. (BACSWN); and Adam Darville (left), VP, Infrastructure/BACSWN paid a courtesy call on Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation the Hon. Chester Cooper. Deputy Director General/MOTIA and Director of Aviation Dr. Kenneth Romer was also in attendance, Thursday at the Ministry’s Offices.

Photos: Kemuel Stubbs/AP

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, January 24, 2024, PAGE 3

‘I was fired for following rules’ from page one corporation’s human resources manager at the time, claimed she was removed from her post in 2018 and reassigned elsewhere after refusing to follow the instructions of the boss and former WSC manager, Elwood Donaldson, Jr. Mr Donaldson is one of six people on trial in the case.

Mrs Cargill-Sherman said Mr Donaldson presented her with an email in July 2018 from thenexecutive chairman Mr Gibson, who directed the corporation to end existing landscaping contracts with vendors.

Mrs Cargill-Sherman said Mr Gibson requested to have the contracts awarded to companies named in the email, including Elite Maintenance, Adams Landscaping and Spectacular.

She said Mr Donaldson allegedly told her to triple the first payment of each contract and to reflect the amendments on the corporation’s payment spreadsheet.

Acting Director of Public Prosecutions and Crown prosecutor Cordell Frazier asked her if she was given a reason why the payments had to be tripled. She said she was not.

Nonetheless, Mrs CargillSherman testified that she “reluctantly” followed Mr Donaldson’s instructions.

She told the court that annual payments to Elite Maintenance jumped from $14k to $60.9k.

Concerning Adams Landscaping, she said the annual costing was initially $10,950, but jumped to $27,600 after three adjustments.

She also recalled when Mr Donaldson asked her to pay the vendors immediately back in November 2018. Mrs Cargill-Sherman said she didn’t have the documentation to prove the work was done and informed Mr Donaldson of her concerns.

She said normally, one would get an invoice from the contractor and an inspector to confirm the

work was satisfactorily done.

She said she refused to pay without getting the documents.

She said she was relieved from overseeing landscaping contracts shortly afterwards.

She said she remained at the corporation, but was reassigned.

She said her second reassignment happened in late January 2021 when Mr Gibson told her he wanted her to leave WSC’s safety department, where she served as safety manager.

She said no one explained the change.

Discussing events that led to that event, she recalled receiving an email from Mr Donaldson who allegedly directed that the contract awarded to Elite Maintenance be terminated and transferred to Baha Maintenance.

She said she contacted contractors to sign the necessary documents and to go on a tour as per WSC’s policy.

However, she claimed Mr Donaldson said this was unnecessary “because it was the same employees”.

Under cross-examination, Gibson’s attorney, Damian Gomez, KC, admonished the witness for saying she was terminated, which he called “dramatic” since she was still employed at the corporation.

Mrs Cargill-Sherman will return for continued cross-examination at a later hearing.

Mr Gibson is charged with Mr Donaldson, Jr, Ms Peaches Farquharson, Rashae Gibson, Joan Knowles and Jerome Missick.

Together, the group face 98 charges, including conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, fraud, receiving and money laundering.

They have denied all of the allegations.

Mr Gomez, KC, Murrio Ducille, KC, Bryan Bastian, Mr Raphael Moxey, Christina Galanos, Ian Cargill and Donald Saunders represent the defendants.

Meanwhile, Ms Frazier, Cashena Thompson and Karine MacVean are the Crown’s prosecutors.

ADRIAN Gibon arriving at court on Monday.

Photo: Dante Carrer

RBDF Commodore pleased with how many women moved up in rank at recent promotions

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net SOME 400 people were promoted in the Royal Bahamas Defence Force earlier this month, and Commodore Raymond King is especially pleased with how many women are moving up the ranks.

He said the promotional exercise was the third in four years.

“I’m pleased to say 28 per cent of the persons

promoted were women,” he told reporters. “You have a female population of some 18.5 per cent, 28 per cent were promoted, and now we have two of our most senior women in the service, Captains Sonia and Natasha Miller, as a part of the executive and command leadership.

“Women represent some 23 per cent of the executive team.

“Amongst the senior enlisted, there’s a 25 per cent person elevated to

lead from a warrant officer and senior rates perspective, and so we’ve been deliberate and showing gender equity females given due consideration in the organisation.”

Commodore King said the RBDF continues to plan to help Haitian authorities stem the violence gripping that country.

He also said officers have been helping the Turks and Caicos Islands, where he estimated there

SHOOTINGS IN GB AND NASSAU HOSPITALISE TWO from page one Memorial Hospital, where he is listed in serious, but stable condition.

ASP Rolle said police have two people in custody who are assisting with investigations

into the matter.

Meanwhile, in New Providence, police reported a man had been shot at East Street South and Bamboo Boulevard.

As The Tribune went to press, few further details had emerged, but police said the victim had been taken to hospital.

have been two joint migrant arrests this year.

“We continue to work, continue to support them,” he said. “We continue to defend our borders in the southern Bahamas.”

“We’re being effective in dissuading and stemming the tide coming into this

country significantly over the last four years, but we’re watching the intel and the movement of those vessels because the first movement this year, we’ve seen a number of vessels left, and they disperse in different directions.”

He added the force

looks forward to enlisting some 150 young recruits next month.

In December, 721 Royal Bahamas Police Force officers were promoted to corporal, sergeant, inspector, assistant superintendent, superintendent and chief superintendent.

PAGE 4, Wednesday, January 24, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

UK stands ready to support Bahamas when disaster strikes

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net BRITISH High Commissioner Tom Hartley said the United Kingdom is ready to support the Bahamas in any way it can in response to hurricane disasters.

“I think Dorian shocked everybody about just how bad climate-fueled hurricanes can be,” he said, assuring that the UK’s partnership with the Bahamas is for the long run.

The Royal Navy was the first on the ground in the Bahamas as a lifeline to many in the first couple of days after Hurricane Dorian.

“We want to see this as a serious part of our partnership and how we support the Bahamas and Bahamians respond to climate change as a key factor to our relationship,” Mr Hartley said.

On Tuesday, he met with the Disaster Reconstruction Authority chairman and managing director Alex Storr and was pleased with the new legislation

that merges the DRA and NEMA. Mr Hartley said that the UK can provide access to expertise and support on the insurance that can benefit the Bahamas.

“What the UK has been doing across the Caribbean is Disaster Risk Insurance,” he said.

He stated that the Bahamas government could take out insurance on Water Sewerage works at triple-A prices that are much cheaper, and also insurance for tidal surges.

“That is one of the things we are doing regionally, and we would like The Bahamas to have access to that,” said the British diplomat.

Mr Hartley said there are lots of expertise in the UK, including experts in civil engineering, flooding, or project management that could help the DRA “The UK does not have hurricanes, but we do have a lot of flooding, and we have a lot of experience to mitigate that and plan for it,” he stated.

“There are lots of different ways we can connect and deepen these relationships, and I think

insurance expertise is something that is on the table right now, ready to go,” he stated.

Mr Hartley stressed that geospatial mapping and building regulations are also necessary when it comes to hurricane preparedness.

“In the UK, we make the mistake of thinking that it is the wind speed that can kill people, but I think Dorian reminded us that it is a tidal surge that did a lot of the damage to communities and families,” he stated.

Mr Hartley had the opportunity to travel to Abaco just before Christmas to see the hurricane shelter that is being built there to withstand a Category 5 Hurricane and 20ft of tidal surge.

He was impressed and said that it is a good idea that the facility can serve as a multipurpose building for community events.

“There is an awful lot of thinking going on. And it is a real sense of partnership of what it is that the Royal Navy can do, what other agencies can do, and what is it that we can do to work out where the gaps are,” he said.

BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER THOMAS HARTLEY

BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION BUILDING AND DONATING AN E-CLASS SLOOP IN SUPPORT OF SAILING AS the 2024 year begins, the government has already announced plans for cocurricular sailing in schools, for a new National Sailing Academy, and for new oversight bodies for sloop sailing. As a fellow island nation, the UK has been pleased to support sailing in The Bahamas since it was announced to be the new national sport, and, this week the British High Commission has announced it is building and donating an E-class sloop. This will be first used by the Bahamas National Sailing School, and eventually donated to the National Sailing Academy to provide facilities for young sailors and help develop the national sport.

The British High Commissioner Tom Hartley said: “Sailing is a fantastic sport and there is no better place in the world to learn than The Bahamas. The Bahamas has a great pedigree in international sailing and also great heritage in traditional sloop sailing, just like the UK which also has both.

The E-class is a great boat for learning to sail, and we hope it will give all young sailors a chance to sample the speed and skill of sloop

sailing. 2024 is going to be great year for sailing!”

The E-class sloop is being built by legendary boat builder Mark Knowles, from Long Island. Mr Knowles uses traditional boat-building methods and utilises cork trees from his home island for the sloop’s rips, and Bahamian pine for the keel, and he believes he makes the fastest boats in the country! The sloop is being built at the Nassau Yacht Club, East Bay Street, and visitors can come and see it under construction Monday-Friday. It will be finished in time for the National Family Island Regatta, in Exuma. The boat’s name and crew are yet to be announced.

In his video for the 50th anniversary of Independence in July 2023, HM The King, King Charles, also celebrated Bahamian sailors, saying: “I hope to be able to celebrate with you as soon as possible, and to meet some of the many Bahamians who are already shaping the next fifty years, such as young sailors like Craig Ferguson aspiring to the Olympic legacy of Durward Knowles… ” In 2023, the British High

Commission provided scholarships for dozens of young sailors from government schools to learn to sail at the Bahamas National Sailing School’s summer programme, and senior executives from British Sailing visited the National Family Island Regatta and offered support and offers of ‘twinning’ to any Bahamian sailing clubs who wanted to partner and train with British sailing clubs.

Looking ahead to 2024, the British High Commission is also exploring scholarships for young Bahamian sailors to study in British boarding schools specialising in sailing. The UK has the most successful Olympic sailing team of any country and other Caribbean nations have long sent their best young sailors to study and train in the UK alongside other outstanding sailors. It is hoped that new scholarships provided by the British High Commission will allow young Bahamians to study in the UK and perfect their sport before applying to College without having to worry about funding. More news will be announced later in 2024.

BRITISH High Commissioner Thomas Hartley, legendary boat-builder Mark Knowles, and Jimmie Lowe from the Bahamas National Sailing School, with the still-unnamed sloop under construction at Nassau Yacht Club near Montagu Bay. Photo: British High Commission

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, January 24, 2024, PAGE 5

Teens behind ‘Get Dem Reggie’ video using platform to speak against violence and gangs

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net TWO Bahamian teenagers who became a viral sensation for their captivating “Get Dem Reggie” video are now using their platform to reduce school violence, saying they want students to know that “violence and gangs don’t get you nowhere in life”.

The two CI Gibson Senior High School students, Reginald “Reggie” McPhee, 18, and Taimir “Mare” Paul, 15, were just two close friends joking around when their TikTok video, released in October 2023, boosted their profile tremendously.

The video, which has garnered over one million views on social media, shows Mare saying his famous phrase, “Get dem Reggie to show them what we do”, while Reggie dances in the background.

The video was created when Reggie was repairing a car’s speakers and Mare caught him dancing to the music from the speaker. At first, Mare hesitated to post the video because Reggie was ill-kempt from working on the car. However, Reggie grabbed Mare’s phone and posted the video.

The “Get Dem Reggie” duo has since taken the country by storm through various endorsement deals and travelling event appearances. But now the duo

said they have taken on one of their biggest task yet, partnering with the Royal Bahamas Police Force to improve school safety in the country.

“In schools, there is a lot of cyberbullying and bullying to be exact, and violence,” said Mare.

He said the police believe they can recommend good ideas for reducing school violence because of their platform.

“I just see that violence on gangs don’t get you nowhere in life,” said Mare, a grade 11 student. “Our generation knows that making money is a goal, and if you are locked up, you can’t make no money.”

Reggie, a grade 12 student, said while growing up, some called him a “goon” because he avoided conflict.

“I know gang violence my whole entire life,” he said. “I’ve been around people who were in gangs, doing gang violence stuff, but I never was like, affiliated.”

The duo said they understand many youths look up to them, and they want to be positive role models by explaining what’s right and wrong to them.

Reggie wants to major in music in college after high school and Mare hopes to be a business owner.

Asked what they would tell their supporters, Mare said: “Stay positive and confident and tell them to wake up in the morning and get dem, early in the afternoon get dem, and at night get dem.”

$10B LAWSUIT BY MEXICO TO HOLD GUN MAKERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR WEAPON TRAFFICKING REVIVED

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net A US appeals court on Monday revived a $10 billion lawsuit by Mexico seeking to hold American gun manufacturers responsible for facilitating the trafficking of weapons to drug cartels across the USMexico border, according to Reuters.

The matter has local significance because The Bahamas signed on to support Mexico as a friend of the court last year.

The defendants in the $10bn suit include seven major gun manufacturers and one gun wholesaler and distributor.

The case was dismissed in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts in September 2022, with a finding that the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act barred such lawsuits.

However, the Mexican government, in its appeal, insisted that the arms industry should be accountable for how their products are distributed and sold.

The New York Times reported on Monday that the decision by a federal appeals panel in Boston to let the lawsuit proceed was a significant setback for gunmakers.

The Times reported: “About 70 to 90 per cent of guns trafficked in Mexico originated in the United States, according to Everytown Law, the legal arm

of the gun control group founded by the former mayor of New York, Michael R. Bloomberg.”

Last year, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said it would be difficult for Mexico to win its case, but The Bahamas needed to support the action to send a strong message to US lawmakers.

“We are sending a strong message that we will not tolerate the unchecked flow of illegal firearms into our nations and that we expect the international community, including gun manufacturers, to respect and support our efforts to protect our citizens,” Mr Davis said.

Gun rights are a divisive issue in US politics. Mr Davis was careful to say The Bahamas is not expressing a view on the right of US residents to bear arms.

“This is not an action against the United States,” he said. “Of course, I would have said directly to the US authorities on any number of occasions, we are not concerned about their interpretation of the right to bear arms, which is their constitutional right, and we’re not interfering or in any way joining in that discussion or debate about what that means. But what we are (urging) in our view is that the right to bear arms cannot mean a right to traffic in arms to the extent that it has the consequences that it is having in our jurisdictions.”

TAIMIR “Mare” Paul (left) and Reginald “Reggie” McPhee (right), the teenagers who became a viral sensation for their captivating “Get Dem Reggie” video are now using their platform to reduce school violence, saying they want students to know that “violence and gangs don’t get you nowhere in life”.

PAGE 6, Wednesday, January 24, 2024

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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

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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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Be grateful for international support, but mind the red tape THERE is a saying – often said to be an African proverb but whose exact origin is unclear – that comes to mind after today’s story in The Tribune about support being pledged by the United Kingdom in case of future hurricanes.

British High Commissioner said the UK stands ready to support The Bahamas in any way it can in response to hurricanes, saying that Hurricane Dorian “shocked everybody”.

He met the Disaster Reconstruction Authority chairman and managing director, Alex Storr, yesterday to show the UK’s support.

Mr Hartley is standing on strong shoulders. His predecessor, Sarah Dickson, was right there in the thick of it when support was needed after the storm hit, helping to direct UK resources to where they were needed.

The saying that comes to mind is a simple one: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

We are blessed in The Bahamas with international partners who want to help. Who want to go together with us.

Also in today’s Tribune, you can read about the UK offering support to develop sailing, our still-new national sport.

The UK is not the only partner who has been of assistance in recent times.

The United States Embassy recently donated four vessels to the Royal Bahamas Police Force to help protect The Bahamas, with the boats to be assigned to New Providence, Abaco, Bimini and Grand Bahama.

Those boats were worth $1.6m, while further donations included 45 ballistic vests and six jaws of life to help rescue people from crashed vehicles.

That donation follows support from

the US Embassy to help restore the Elbow Reef Lighthouse in Abaco.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy has pledged support with the renovation of the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium – as well as a number of other projects, including donating medical supplies and signing an agreement to provide greenhouses to Bahamian farmers.

Mr Hartley spoke of another way that the UK can help after hurricanes yesterday, saying that it can help with disaster risk insurance, reducing the cost of insurance for tidal surges and for Water and Sewerage works. The risk is spread regionally, and he said “we would like The Bahamas to have access to that”.

He added: “There is an awful lot of thinking going on. And it is a real sense of partnership of what it is that the Royal Navy can do, what other agencies can do, and what is it that we can do to work out where the gaps are.”

As we say, we are blessed that we have people – nations – who want to help. We should be thankful – and we should definitely do an “awful lot of thinking” to find ways to make that process easier and to make the most of opportunities for countries to work with us.

Sometimes, we are aware that there are occasions when red tape and protocols get in the way of advancing a scheme. Finding ways to cut through that red tape might give us more days such as the opening of the Elbow Reef lighthouse. More days when we can admire a refurbished stadium.

And in the case of working together on hurricane issues, more lives saved.

We should be thankful to our international partners, and open to what will come tomorrow.

BPSU, treat members better EDITOR, The Tribune.

I WRITE regarding the poor operations of The Bahamas Public Service Union. Where are the premiums and dues going? Why does one have to wait for eight months for a medical claim and more than three months for a death benefit?

It is very disheartening and inhumane that an organisation would accept hard working people’s monies, retired and elderly person’s monies for premium and dues, but when these very persons are sick or even dead, their families are unable to settle their debts. My mom in her 90s would look forward to a voucher for ham or turkey – for the past two years she was told – Your name is Not On The List. Disappointing for her, I purchased those the same day to ease her disappointment.

My mother gave me a pamphlet indicating the benefits of the BPSU plan.

After her passing, I submitted bills for funeral costs – I was told that the death benefit does not cover funeral booklets. The membership should know this! There is no indication what will or will not be covered in this death benefit - just the amount.

My mother passed away the end of August 2023. I submitted paperwork to the BPSU the next week or so – I asked when the cheque would be ready and was told emphatically – there’s no time frame, but that won’t be ready right now. That I understood at the time. It has now been almost five (5) months.

Mom’s previous medical claim from June 2023 has not been paid – the clinic is now calling about that bill.

I called today again – response: Oh, that’s not ready! I responded that I would call again next week and was told: No! it won’t be ready then either, but

when it is ready, I would get a call. I told the lady that I would be calling every week until it is ready. In the midst of grieving for my mother, this is what I must deal with. I pray for the others in the same dilemma.

Mr BPSU President, Mr Kimsley Ferguson, I will be calling your medical plan office every week until my mother’s bills are satisfied. You have a list of your membership! When it was election time, I received a call asking for my mom and her support in the election; I had to sadly tell the gentleman calling she had passed on a few days ago.

Your people need to call around just like that and find out how the membership feels about the service of this union. This is 2024 – Do Better For The Membership of The BPSU. PORTIA SMITH-COERBELL Nassau, January 4, 2024.

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A FISH poses for a picture at Atlantis Resort.

Photo: Sean Cotton

Boundaries for countries a necessity EDITOR, The Tribune.

AS insidious as that Berlin Conference was, the establishment of clear and well defined boundaries then cannot be dismissed as simply an atrocity of history. Boundaries, in their physical or virtual state, are essential for good peace and order related to everything, from international affairs to personal interactions. To ignore or simply dismiss this fact - because some artificial boundaries separated peoples/cultures, which ought to have stayed together - would be equivalent to throwing the proverbial baby out with the dirty bath water.

In The Bahamas today, as elsewhere, boundaries are becoming more and more important. In fact, the lack of clear boundaries can be cited as the roots of the chaos and calamities which beset the victims of all manner of injustices here. Even when there are laws (local and international) which ought to be upheld related to clear and firm boundaries, we find repeated, reckless disregard for such boundaries. What then becomes the point of having, say, fences which are trampled upon with impunity?

Do you recall the incident when “the world’s fastest human”, Usain Bolt, was disqualified in 2011 for a false start in the 100 meters race? That might not be the best case for boundaries violation, but it does illustrate that “the rules are the rules”... for everyone. Perhaps, had he accidentally stepped out of this lane, only a few paces

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net from the finish line, it would be a more graphic example of boundaries violation.

But, even so, some might have said “he was gonna win, anyway!” No matter, all boundaries ought to be respected at all times.

Can you imagine foreign fishing or military vessels wandering into the territorial waters of the US? Can you imagine such vessels wandering into the territorial waters of The Bahamas? Well, in that latter case, you don’t have to wonder about such wanderings. Any number of our fishermen can attest to that continual vexing problem. But, apart from the disregard and disrespect by some for our clear boundaries, on those vast expanses of water, wanton violations can be seen all over these 700 islands, rocks and cays.

To me, the common notion seems to be “if you can get away with it, just do it!”

Setting boundaries is one thing. Seriously enforcing them is quite another thing. Any honest, objective Bahamian would agree that we have plenty of good laws. Some of us may even argue that we need even more laws, or should straighten out the bends in a few existing laws.

Whatever. What seems abundantly clear - from all the craziness going on around here today - is that those boundaries which are in place for the order and safety of The Bahamas are presently not effective.

Some years ago, some youngsters with whom I was engaged in discussion taught me a lesson about effective boundaries. These pre-teens and teenagers were all clearly in agreement about the “for instance” I presented.

If one driveway to a parking area had “DO NOT ENTER”, for instance, and another driveway had a “ENTER” sign, would some drivers still enter the wrong place? Their answers were unanimous. “Yes, of course!” When it was stipulated that sharp, metal spikes were placed on the ground (pointing outward at the exit path), and similar ones (pointing inward at the entrance), all agreed that no driver would use the wrong driveway.

To know better and to do better are not always aligned. Operating in our own best interest tends to be more readily complied with, when it comes to boundaries. Artificial, good or bad, societal, cultural, and even personal boundaries are very important to keep things in their proper place. We may agree or disagree about what exactly is a proper place, but that would be an argument for another day. Today, however, we should all be able to agree that the rigorous upholding of established boundaries in The Bahamas would go a long way in rescuing us from the pit of destruction we seem to be falling deeper and deeper into, with each disturbing “news” report these days.

MB New Providence January 21, 2024

Cocaine plane goes unnoticed EDITOR, The Tribune.

AROUND about 15th January this month, a video began circulating on Social Media about an aeroplane landing at Ohio State University airport with nearly 300 lbs of cocaine on board.

Nearly 300 pounds of cocaine found in plane that landed at Ohio University

(nbc4i.com) What was passing strange was that the report said that the plane had come from the Bahamas and was on the way to Canada.

Somehow this story did not seem to make the local newscasts or newspapers.

Wondering where in the Bahamas it left from, and

unless it picked up the Cocaine here, who cleared it after landing.

I appreciate that we have been preoccupied with daily murders, but this story didn’t even rate the back page bottom on any paper as far as I know.

MONKEEDOO Nassau, January 23, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, January 24, 2024, PAGE 7

Did ‘common sense go out the window’, asks lawyer from page one engaged them in a gunfight before they killed him.

Sgt Rolle, who was sometimes visibly frustrated with Mrs Farquharson Seymour’s questions, defended his investigation, saying “common sense was there”.

When the lawyer asked if he made inquiries based on the last messages from phones collected at the scene, he said he did not and reiterated that he was only the initial investigating officer. He said he turned the matter over to a superior.

He could not confirm if investigators collected weapons from officers involved in the incident but told jurors that 14 or 15 officers discharged their weapons, at least three of whom were from the Defence Force.

Tony Jamal “Foolish” Penn Smith, Valentino “T-Boy” Pratt and Trevor “Coopz” Cooper were killed on Commonwealth Avenue in the early morning of May 17, 2019, one of the deadliest single cases of a police-involved shooting.

Sgt Rolle said he visited the pink and white two-storey mansion on Commonwealth Avenue around 3am after the shooting.

He said he saw spent firearm casings near the front gate and others scattered across the yard up to the front door and garage.

He said he saw the dead bodies of three men, one in a Nissan Note in the garage, another in a room attached to the garage and the last in the doorway of an upstairs bedroom.

He said all three bodies were near a firearm, with the man in the room attached to the garage still holding a gun in his hand after his death. He said spent firearm casings were near the bodies, along with bullet holes in the walls and extensive gunshot damage to the car.

He said several men, women and children were safely escorted from the scene, and 22lb of drugs were seized from the premises.

He said several officers told him they responded to calls of gunfire in the area, and when they arrived at the residence, the slain men opened fire on them from the garage, resulting in a gun battle.

Another officer, Sgt Patrice Rolle, said none of the three dead men were licensed to own a firearm. She said there were no records of any of their names attached to the five guns recovered from the mansion.

Acting Coroner Kara TurnquestDeveaux is presiding over the inquest.

Angelo Whitfield is marshalling the evidence.

K Melvin Munroe represents the 15 officers. In addition to Mrs Farquharson-Seymour, Ryzard Humes and Ciji Smith-Curry represent the estates of the deceased men.

POLICE remove one of the bodies from the scene on May 17, 2019 after officers shot three men at a home in Blair Estates.

A VEHICULAR ACCIDENT RESPONSIBLE FOR DISRUPTION OF SERVICES IN EASTERN NEW PROVIDENCE, SAYS BTC A TRAFFIC accident on Monday damaged BTC’s equipment, disrupting services to eastern communities in New Providence.

“A vehicular accident damaged one of our main fiber lines, which resulted in an outage affecting customers in the Soldier Road, Village Road, Marathon Road communities and adjacent areas,” said Drexel Woods, BTC’s director of technical operations, in a statement yesterday. “Our

technicians have worked around the clock, and we anticipate that services will be completely restored to all customers (Tuesday) evening. Our team is also examining mitigation efforts to lessen the risk of further outages. We apologise for the inconvenience to our residential and business customers, and we appreciate your patience as our teams work diligently to have this matter resolved.”

BTC crews working to restore service in New Providence.

Mr Woods also noted a fibre break on Andros, which affected customers on North Andros, Stafford Creek, Nicholls Town, Mastic Point, Red Bays, and at BARC (The Bahamas Agricultural Research Centre).

“We have deployed additional resources to Andros today to fast-track repairs and we expect that service to these areas should also be restored by Wednesday,” Mr Woods said.

Join in the call for global strike and ceasefire for Palestine PAGE 8, Wednesday, January 24, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

By Alicia Wallace

THIS week, I am participating in the strike for Palestine, and I invite you to join for the remainder of the week if you are not already participating.

This global strike week is about disrupting business as usual. Those who are able are withdrawing their labour from formal markets through January 28. Many have committed to not spending money this week, and in some cases this is with the exception of purchasing e-SIMs for people in Palestine to enable internet connectivity.

This week is a time, for those new to it, to build the habit of boycotting so that it becomes a lifestyle rather than a one-time event. On social media, most participants are only sharing content related to Palestine and the call for a ceasefire.

The global strike week is also a time for educating ourselves and one another, mobilising, protesting, and donating to pro-Palestine causes.

Since October 7, 2023, more than 24,000 people have been killed in Gaza.

While Israel’s aggression against Palestine has been referred to as “war”, it is genocide.

This month, South Africa took Israel to the International Court of Justice and, in its application, noted “the acts and omissions by Israel[…] are intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group, that being the part of the Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip”.

I have followed dozens of Palestinian reporters, activists, academics, authors, and educators on social media, viewing their posts, captions, and the comments.

Like many others, when I realise more than the usual amount of time between posts has elapsed, I try not to think the worst, knowing that it is completely possible, in this reality that should be impossible.

Palestinian people struggle to find internet to share the ongoing reality on the ground. They show us how they are grinding animal fodder to make food for themselves and their families. They tell us about their daily routines. They show us the mixing of soil into a muddy paste, mixing It with hay, and layering it to build an oven. They show us the shaking bodies of children who have seen and lived through what no human being should experience.

They show us people digging in the rubble, searching for the bodies of their loved ones. They show us the darkness they sit in as they hear the sounds of airstrikes throughout the night. They show us lighter moments of song and dance, reminding us that even the smallest feelings and acts of joy can be resistance.

One of the people I follow is Bisan Owda, a Palestinian journalist and filmmaker. In a recent post, she said: “I am not scared of death, but of being displaced, scared of losing my family or friends, scared of being wounded and can’t have my treatment because the health system

DISPLACED Palestinians at a makeshift tent camp in Rafah.

ISRAELI soldiers overlook the Gaza Strip from a tank, as seen from southern Israel, on Friday.

It is easy to ignore what is collapsed in Gaza, and to attention in this way. These die in pain! I am not scared crises are all deeply rooted is taking place in other of the destruction… I lost in colonialism. The devasta- parts of world. It is easy to my work place… my home tion of communities, killing think of ourselves and our and my family work place of people, and degradation geographic locations as and source of income, I of environments are all con- separate. We are not, howam terrified of being killed nected to the extraction of ever, immune to the effects by an occupier, and to be resources and the exploita- of global events. Our rights, forgotten, one oppressed tion and dehumanisation of our economics, our social Bisan of a whole occupied people. These are struggles attitudes and behaviors are that are not unknown to all connected in both simple people.”

Bisan has called for a us, except for the ways that and complicated ways. Our global strike and a call for they are manifesting them- actions impact more than ceasefire. “Strike, protest, selves and, perhaps, their the people directly receivtimelines. We, too, have ing them and the places stop the economic movebeen and continue to be ments and make pressure impacted by colonization. they occur. The unnecessaron your countries to stand Look at our laws and judi- ily frequent replacement of smartphones, for example, against this and stop it[…]” cial system, look at taxation In the midst of this, and spending on public drive demand up and conthere are protests against goods and services, look at tributes to the continued crimes against humanity in the most common religious, exploitation of children Sudan. People are calling look at the uniforms and made to work in mines in attention to human rights all that is considered pro- the Democratic Republic of violations and exploitation fessional, and investigate the Congo with devastating in Democratic Republic their origins. It does not consequences for their lives of the Congo. All of these take long to trace it all back and the environment.

Many may think these are crises are taking place to colonisation, and it cernot our issues to consider, now, having escalated in tainly should not take very much less act on. Many recent months, and started long to see how these do are afraid of feeling powlong before they got our not serve as as they should. erless, so refuse to activate the power they do have for whatever small affect it may have, ignoring that all of our efforts, however small, add up, especially when we take action together.

The Boycott Divest Sanction (BDS) movement calls on us to end international support for the genocide of Palestinian people by pressuring Israel to comply with international law. Inspired by the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, it RELATIVES and supporters of Israeli hostages held in Gaza by Hamas. is a form of non-violent

Photo: Maya Alleruzzo/AP pressure organised by 170 Palestinian organisations and members of civil society in 2005. The BDS website, bdsmovement.net, details which organizations we are called on to boycott, divest from, or sanction and why these actions are important and impactful.

Some of the companies on the boycott list do have products available in The Bahamas and alternative options are available.

Participating in the global strike week is easy. We do not have to do everything.

It is important that we do something. It is critical that we are consistent, that we talk to others about the genocides taking place, and that we pressure people in positions of power to take action and to support those, like South Africa, who are leading.

“It is easy to feel discouraged and simply let go…

On the other hand, if we take a step back, reflecting on what is happening all over the world and the history of struggle, the history of solidarity movements, it becomes clear, sometimes even obvious, that seemingly indestructible forced can be, thanks to people’s willpower, sacrifices, and actions, easily broken.”

- Angela Davis UÊ / Ê i>À Ê ÀiÊ >L ÕÌÊ what is happening in Palestine, visit thepalestineacademy.com/resources.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, January 24, 2024, PAGE 9

SAMSUNG VIES TO MAKE A.I. MORE MAINSTREAM

BY BAKING MORE OF THE TECHNOLOGY INTO ITS GALAXY PHONES

TECHTALK

MICROSOFT AND OTHERS ARE MAKING NEW TOOLS TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES CAPITALIZE ON A.I.

By MAE ANDERSON AP Business Writer

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology Writer SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Smartphones could get much smarter this year as the next wave of artificial intelligence seeps into the devices that accompany people almost everywhere they go.

Samsung, the biggest rival to Apple and its iPhone, provided a glimpse of how smartphones are evolving during an unveiling last week of the next generation of its flagship Galaxy models.

The sales pitch for the Galaxy S24 lineup revolves around an array of new features powered by AI. “We will reshape the technology landscape, we will open a new chapter without barriers to unleash your potential,” TM Roh, the president of Samsung’s mobile experience division, vowed to a crowd gathered in a San Jose, California, arena usually used for hockey games and concerts.

Besides featuring some of Samsung’s own work in AI, the Galaxy S24 lineup will be packed with some of the latest advances coming out of Google.

The technological improvements will also usher in a higher price for Samsung’s top-of-the-line phone, the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which will be priced at $1,300 — a $100, or 8% increase, from last year’s comparable model. The increase mirrors what Apple did with its fanciest model, the iPhone 15 Pro Max, released in September.

Samsung is holding steady on the prices for the Galaxy S24 Plus, which will sell for $1,000, and the basic Galaxy S24, which will start at $800.

All the new Galaxy phones, due in stores Jan. 31, will be packed with far more AI than before, including a feature that will provide live translation during phone calls in 13 languages and 17 dialects. The Galaxy S24 lineup will also introduce Google’s “Circle To Search” that involves using a digital stylus or a finger to circle snippets of text, parts of photos or videos to get instant search results about whatever has been highlighted.

The new Galaxy phones will also enable quick and easy ways to manipulate the appearance and placement of specific parts of pictures taken on the devices’ camera.

It’s a feature that could help people refine their photos, while also making it easier to create misleading images.

Google started a push last fall to infuse its latest Pixel phones with more AI, including the ability to alter the appearance of photos — an effort that the company accelerated at the end of last year with the initial rollout of project Gemini, its next technological leap. Google is also pushing out the Circle To Search tool to its latest

phones, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, with plans to expand it to other devices running on its Android software later this year.

Besides introducing Circle To Search, Google also is drawing upon AI to enable users of its mobile app for iPhones as well as Android to point a camera at an object for a summary about what is being captured by the lens. Although Google believes Circle To Search and the Lens option will make its results even more useful, executives have also acknowledged they both may be prone to inaccuracies.

Like virtually all phone manufacturers other than Apple, Samsung relies on Google’s Android operating system, so the two companies’ interests have been aligned even though they compete against each other in the sale of mobile devices.

Apple is expected to put more AI into its next generation of iPhones in September, but now Samsung has a head start toward gaining the upper hand in making the technology more ubiquitous, Forrester Research analyst Thomas Husson said. It’s a

THE NEW line-up of Samsung Galaxy S24 phones on display at a preview event in San Jose, California last week. The sales pitch for the Galaxy S24 phones revolves around an array of new features powered by artificial intelligence, or AI, in contrast to Samsung’s usual strategy highlighting mostly incremental improvements to the device’s camera and battery life. (AP Photo/Haven Daley) competitive edge that Samsung could use, having ceded its longstanding mantle as the world’s largest seller of smartphones to Apple last year, according to the market research firm International Data Corp.

“Samsung’s marketing challenge is precisely to make the technology transparent to impress consumers with magic and invisible experiences,” Husson said.

The increasing use of AI in smartphones comes after the Microsoft-backed startup, OpenAI, thrust the technology into the mainstream last year with its ChatGPT bot capable of quickly creating stories, memos, videos and drawings upon request.

As AI becomes a more integral piece of smartphones, the technology will likely have broad implications on productivity, creativity and privacy, predicted Todd Lohr, U.S.

technology consulting leader for KPMG. “Intelligence is actually coming to your smartphone, which really haven’t been that smart,” Lohr said. “You may eventually see use cases where you could have your smartphone listen to you all day and have it provide a summary of your day at the end of it.

“That could create a challenge in the social construct because if everyone’s device is listening to everyone, whose data is it?”

AI isn’t quite that advanced yet, but Samsung already is trying to address privacy worries likely to be raised by the amount of new technology rolling out in the Galaxy S24 lineup. Samsung executives are emphasising that the AI features can be kept on the device, although some applications may need to connect to data centres in the virtual cloud.

DRONE THE SIZE OF BREAD SLICE MAY ALLOW JAPAN CLOSER LOOK INSIDE DAMAGED NUCLEAR PLANT

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press NARAHA, Japan (AP) — A drone almost the size of a slice of bread is Japan’s newest hope to get clearer footage of one of the reactors inside the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant where hundreds of tons of damaged fuel remain almost 13 years after the disaster.

A magnitude 9.0 quake and tsunami in March 2011 destroyed the plant’s power supply and cooling systems, causing three reactors to melt down. Massive amounts of fatally radioactive melted nuclear fuel remain inside to this day.

The plant’s operating company, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, unveiled Tuesday small drones they want to use to gather more data from parts of one of the reactors previously inaccessible.

TEPCO has previously tried sending robots inside each of the three reactors but got hindered by debris, high radiation and inability to navigate them through the rubble, though they were able to gather some data in recent years.

A DRONE designed to probe at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, while in demonstration in Naraha town, northeast of Japan, Tuesday.

(Daisuke Kojima/Kyodo News via AP)

During Tuesday’s demonstration at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency’s mockup facility in Naraha, a drone weighing only 185 grammes (6.5 ounces) circled around, showcasing its maneuvering ability, carefully avoiding obstacles and mock-up remains that included an abandoned robot from a 2015 internal probe. It also continuously sent a black-and-white live feed using its installed camera to an operation room.

Shoichi Shinzawa, the probe project manager, said the demonstration was the result of the training that started in July. He also said four drones were ready to be sent inside the No. 1 reactor for five-minute intervals, partly due to short battery life.

He said utility officials hope to use the new data to develop technology and robots for future probes as well as for the plan to remove the melted fuel from the reactor. He added that the data will be used in the investigation of how exactly the 2011 meltdown occurred.

In February, the company intends to send the drones inside the primary containment vessel of the No. 1 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant. Two drones will first inspect the area around the exterior of the main structural support in the vessel, called the pedestal, before deciding if they can dispatch the other two inside, the area previous probes could not reach.

The pedestal is directly under the reactor’s core. Officials are hopeful to be able to check out

and film the core’s bottom to find out how overheated fuel dripped there in 2011.

About 900 tons of highly radioactive melted nuclear fuel remain inside the three damaged reactors.

Critics say the 30-40-year cleanup target set by the government and TEPCO for Fukushima Daiichi is overly optimistic. The damage in each reactor is different and plans need to be formed to accommodate their conditions.

TEPCO said it will do a test trial to remove a small amount of melted debris in the No. 2 reactor possibly by the end of March after a nearly two-year delay.

Spent fuel removal from Unit 1 reactor’s cooling pool is set to start in 2027, after a 10-year delay.

Once all the spent fuel is removed, melted debris will be taken out in 2031.

Japan began releasing the plant’s treated and diluted radioactive wastewater into the sea and will continue to do so for decades.

The wastewater discharges have been strongly opposed by fishing groups and neighbouring countries including China and South Korea.

NEW YORK (AP) — The influx of generative artificial intelligence software is transforming small businesses.

Small business owners are using A.I. tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Bard and others to check grammar in emails, punch up marketing copy and research business plans.

What’s more, bigger companies are developing tools specifically to help small businesses integrate A.I. into their operations in more advanced ways.

Microsoft’s Copilot lets users ask software to perform tasks like summarise an email or a Teams meeting, come up with key themes in a document, or draft emails in a conversational tone in Outlook.

The service, which costs $30-a-month per employee, was recently expanded from companies with at least 300 employees to all companies, so smaller businesses — even “solopreneurs” with no employees — can use Copilot for Microsoft 365.

Meanwhile, MasterCard is piloting a product called MasterCard Small Business A.I., aimed at helping small business owners analyse data and offer other resources to help grow their business.

It uses information from MasterCard’s content library as well as information licensed from media companies focused on inclusivity, including digital media company Blavity Media Group and Spanishlanguage media company TelevisaUnivision, to answer small business owners’ queries.

Mastercard plans to pilot the tool in the U.S. later this year, with international markets to follow.

TOP PAID iPHONE APPS (US):

1. Minecraft, Mojang 2. Geometry Dash, RobTop Games AB 3. Heads Up!, Warner Bros.

4. Shadowrocket, Shadow Launch Technology Limited 5. Papa’s Freezeria To Go!, Flipline Studios 6. HotSchedules, HotSchedules 7. MONOPOLY, Marmalade Game Studio 8. Bloons TD 6, Ninja Kiwi 9. The Wonder Weeks, Domus Technica 10. Plague Inc., Ndemic Creations

PAGE 10, Wednesday, January 24, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

Anthony ‘Huck’ Williams Junior MAN ACCUSED OF MOLESTING 11-YEAR-OLD Junkanoo Parade will see 19 GB GIRL IN ELEUTHERA GRANTED $5,000 BAIL schools and BTVI participate

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 20-YEAR-OLD man was granted $5,000 bail yesterday after he allegedly molested an 11-year-old girl in Eleuthera last week.

Senior Magistrate Shaka Serville charged Ricardo

Johnson with indecent assault.

Mark Penn represented the accused.

Johnson allegedly inappropriately touched the underaged girl’s privates on Queen’s Highway in James Cistern, Eleuthera, on January 14.

Following the defendant’s

not-guilty plea, Johnson was informed that he would be fitted with a monitoring device under the terms of his bail. He must also sign in at the East Street South Police Station every 14 and 28 days of the month before 7pm.

Johnson’s trial begins on June 4.

TEEN ON BAIL FOR MURDER ORDERED TO PAY $1,000 FINE FOR CURFEW BREACH

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

THE MINISTRY of Youth, Sports, and Culture announced that 19 schools will participate in the Anthony “Huck” Williams Junior Junkanoo Parade, starting at 5 pm on Saturday, January 27, in Downtown Freeport. Ministry of Youth, Sports, Culture official Monique Leary said Minister Mario Bowleg felt it fitting to name this year’s parade in honour of Mr Williams, the late founder of the Swingers, who will be laid to rest on Saturday morning at the Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church. The Royal Bahamas Police Force announced that there will be road closures and police visibility throughout the parade route. The Bahamas Technical and Vocation Institute (BTVI) will be participating for the first time as a Fun Group.

Photo: Vandyke Hepburn

ELEVEN RBDF OFFICERS QUARANTINED WITH COVID-19 at the fOrCe’s Inagua base ELEVEN RBDF officers have tested positive for COVID-19 at the force’s base in Inagua and have been isolated.

The news was announced by the Ministry of Health and Wellness last night after the officers took rapid antigen tests.

The ministry said: “The isolation measure was undertaken after one of the officers who had recently travelled with the group of 22 persons and presented with symptoms of COVID-19 and tested positive using the Rapid Antigen Test (RAT); the remaining eleven persons in the group are asymptomatic or showing no symptoms were also tested and had negative

results via RAT. Only one of the 11 officers that tested positive is unvaccinated.”

The ministry added: “The public is advised that the Ministry of Health & Wellness contacted the Defense Force to gain insight as to the rationale behind their actions and have been advised that the protocols taken were peculiar to the situation at the base in Inagua. The public is advised that the decision to institute the measures undertaken at the base in Inagua by the Royal Bahamas Defense Force were precautionary on their part and not consistent with, nor taken in consultation with, nor at the direction

of the Ministry of Health & Wellness.

“The steps taken by the Royal Bahamas Defense Force are not in keeping with the Ministry’s recommendations for the general public as it pertains to the management of COVID-19.

“However, the Ministry is working with the Royal Bahamas Defence Force to assist it with revising its protocols and lending additional support.

The public is further advised that there is no lockdown in place or planned by the Ministry of Health & Wellness in Inagua or anywhere else in The Bahamas.

“Further, the Ministry of Health & Wellness does not recommend screening for

A 19-YEAR-OLD boy was fined $1,000 after admitting to breaching his curfew while on release on a murder charge.

Magistrate Algernon

Allen, Jr, charged the teenage defendant, whose name is being withheld because he was a minor at the time of the initial offence, with violation of bail conditions.

While on release, the defendant breached his nightly residential curfew

on January 1.

After pleading guilty to the charge and apologising for his actions, the defendant was fined $1,000 or risk a six-month prison term.

The accused must pay half his fine before his release, with the balance to be paid off on February 12.

AMERICAN MAN SENTENCED TO 30 MONTHS IN PRISON ON POSSESSION OF $75K WORTH OF HEMP AN American male was sentenced to two and half years in prison yesterday after admitting to having over $75,000 worth of marijuana in his airport luggage last Sunday.

Magistrate Samuel McKinney charged Tyrell Alsup, 34, of Baltimore,

Maryland, with importation of dangerous drugs, conspiracy to import dangerous drugs and possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply.

Alsup, while travelling with others at LPIA, was arrested by police after they found 75.4lb of marijuana in his luggage on January 21.

The drugs seized in this incident have an estimated street value of $75,400.

After pleading guilty to the offence, the defendant was ordered to serve two and half years at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

He must also pay a fine of $20,000 or risk an additional six months in custody.

Before being taken into remand, the defendant was informed of his right to appeal sentencing within seven days.

COVID-19 in asymptomatic individuals. COVID-19 testing is only recommended for persons who are symptomatic for COVID19. Symptomatic persons who test positive using the rapid antigen test and are unvaccinated should be isolated. Symptomatic persons who test positive for COVID-19 using the rapid antigen test and are vaccinated should have a confirmatory

PCR test performed for diagnostic purposes.

“Any person exposed to a positive case of COVID-19 should wear a mask and use additional preventative precautions. If vaccinated, no quarantine is recommended. If unvaccinated, consider practicing quarantine measures with the wearing of a mask and using additional preventative precautions for three days.”

This year, the total

number of new reported COVID-19 cases for the year is 66 as compared to 237 cases for the month of January 2023. Hospitalizations are down to six from 14 a week ago with five patients receiving care at the Rand Memorial Hospital and one at the Princess Margaret Hospital. The total Deaths Under Investigation (DUI) for the period December 2023 to date is six.

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, January 24, 2024, PAGE 11

Brazil changes official term for poor communities that conveyed a stigma RIO DE JANEIRO Associated Press AFTER decades of delay and pressure, Brazil announced Tuesday that it will henceforth use “favelas and urban communities” to categorize thousands of poor, urban neighbourhoods, instead of the previous term “subnormal agglomerates” that was widely viewed as stigmatizing.

Starting in the 1990s, the national statistics and geography institute, known by its Portuguese acronym IBGE, began using “subnormal agglomerates” to describe places with irregular occupation and deficient public services.

The umbrella term included not just favelas — most commonly associated with dense, hillside neighbourhoods in Rio de Janeiro — but also a slew of other terms employed across Brazil, like grottoes, lowlands, stilted houses and more, where millions reside.

The name change announced in a statement follows a process of reflection that began in the 2000s, and IBGE held more than 20 internal meetings and then several more with a consultation group of outside experts, according to its geography coordinator, Cayo Franco.

The concept of “subnormality” referred to people’s living conditions, but “many times it was understood as the condition of the people themselves,” Franco told The Associated Press in a video call. It was also too vague to represent reality.

YOUTHS play soccer as they wait for a street soccer training program run by the Street Child United Brazil non-governmental organization, at the Complexo da Penha favela, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 29, 2023. After decades of delay and pressure, Brazil announced yesterday that it will henceforth use “favelas and urban communities” to categorize thousands of poor, urban neighborhoods, instead of the previous term “subnormal agglomerates” that was widely viewed as stigmatizing.

Photo: Bruna Prado/AP Further, “agglomeration” transmitted an image of people piled atop one another, said Theresa Williamson, executive director of a favela advocacy group, Catalytic Communities. Many of these neighbourhoods aren’t recent; rather, they are consolidated, having been built up over generations with individual or collective investment, and in spite of chronic state negligence in providing sanitation, infrastructure, education and other services.

“When you have a term that’s pejorative, labelling such a huge portion

of the country, it can only be counterproductive,” said Williamson.

“You need terms that are more nuanced when you’re talking about such large sectors of society, especially that you need to be able to embrace and engage in constructive ways so that you (the government) can improve them, rather than sort of deny them any value.”

Rio state lawmaker Renata Souza, who was born and raised in the bayside Mare favela, one of the city’s most populous, said her doctorate in communications and culture taught her the

importance of words, and she celebrated IBGE’s move.

“The word ‘subnormal’ is something that has always really affected me, because it gives the idea of an aberration, of a non-place,” she told the AP on the phone.

“Nomenclature is used to consolidate prejudices, discriminations.”

Souza volunteered to survey Mare residents for the IBGE’s census in 2000.

“Having to work with that word was horrible for me,” she said.

In the process of conducting its next census,

a decade later, expanding deficient mapping of the historically neglected areas took priority over considering a change to the problematic name, IBGE’s Franco said.

“So that was left for later. But I think a moment of institutional and societal maturity has been reached, in which there is sizeable representation of those territories, residents’ associations and groups that even conduct research and produce statistics,” he said.

He noted the recent creation of a secretariat for peripheries in lefist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s cities ministry.

According to the institute’s preliminary data from the 2022 census that the AP reviewed early last year, the number of people living in neighbourhoods at the time called “subnormal agglomerates” jumped 40% since the 2010 census to 16 million people.

Franco said that the institute has identified more such areas with the help of city authorities and civil society groups; their total population will be incorporated into 2022 census data and released in the second half of this year.

The change in name won’t affect historic census data and, as before, the IBGE will cease to consider areas “favelas and urban communities” once most residents gain legal title to properties or all essential services are available.

The term “favela” draws its origins from the 19th century, when soldiers and former slaves

who had fought in the Canudos War in northeast Brazil occupied a hillside in Rio, the capital at the time, to pressure the government to fulfill its promise to provide housing. The veterans named the informal settlement Favela Hill after a highly resilient flowering plant found in the northeast.

Today, the downtown neighbourhood is known as Providencia.

Souza, the lawmaker, said the term underscores residents’ struggle and resilience.

“It’s a plant that grows in the middle of the Brazilian savannah, and survives without water and with very high sun exposure,” she said. “It is very important that we take back this word.”

“Favela” is used widely in Rio, but not elsewhere in Brazil, so IBGE sought to append another catchall term for the category.

At a meeting last September with civil society groups in the capital, Brasilia, the institute proposed adoption of “favelas and popular settlements” and, following discussions, that was discarded in favour of “favelas and popular territories” or “favelas and urban communities.”

IBGE ultimately opted for the latter.

“We have had some back and forth, but it was positive. It will be positive for IBGE and for Brazilian society that we have made this change,” Franco said. “It better represents what we want to map and better represents what people should understand from the data.”

A PASTOR AND A SMALL OHIO CITY TUSSLE OVER THE LEGALITY OF HIS 24/7 HOMELESS MINISTRY COLUMBUS Associated Press A CHRISTIAN church in Ohio filed a federal lawsuit this week after its pastor was charged with violating city ordinances when he opened up the sanctuary around the clock for homeless people and others to find shelter.

Police this month filed 18 criminal charges against Dad’s Place church Pastor Chris Avell over allegations the rented church building — located next to a separate homeless shelter along Main Street in Bryan, a city of about 8,600 in northwestern Ohio — was violating the zoning ordinance, lacked proper kitchen and laundry facilities, and had unsafe exits and inadequate ventilation.

An attorney for Avell and the church, Jeremy Dys, said he thinks city leaders don’t want the ministry in the middle of town, describing it as a “not in my backyard” issue and accusing officials of inventing problems.

“Nothing satisfies the city,” Dys said Monday, hours after the lawsuit was filed. “And worse — they go on a smear campaign of innuendo and half-truths.”

During an initial meeting with the federal judge and lawyers for Bryan on Tuesday morning, both sides agreed to maintain the status quo, Dys said. As a result, he said, the church will remain open to those who seek its religious services until at least March 4, when the judge will consider its request for an injunction against the city.

Avell, who pleaded not guilty in municipal court Jan. 11, said his church wants to welcome anyone, regardless of the time of day.

“I truly believe that everyone who walks through the door of Dad’s Place walks out a better citizen,” Avell said in an interview Tuesday, adding that closing down the around-the-clock ministry “would lose what is

actually a beacon of light downtown.”

The defendants are the city, Bryan Mayor Carrie Schlade and other Bryan officials.

“We absolutely deny any allegation that the city has treated any religious institution inappropriately,” said Bryan city attorney Marc Fishel, noting that Schlade supported the church opening in the building four years ago.

“The city has been and continues to be interested in any business, any church, any entity complying with local and state law.”

The church’s lawsuit said its leaders decided in March to remain open at all hours as a temporary, emergency shelter “for people to go who have nowhere else to go and no one to care for them.”

Eight people stay there on a typical night, they say, and a few more when weather is bad.

“It was city police officers who would bring people by,” Avell said.

“The local hospital would call and bring people by.

Other homeless shelters would call and bring people by.”

The church’s policy has been to let anyone stay overnight and doesn’t ask them to leave “unless there is a biblically valid reason for doing so or if someone at the property poses a danger to himself or others,” according to the complaint. Held from 11 pm to 8 am, the church’s “Rest and Refresh in the Lord” ministry includes Johnny Cash’s reading of the Bible piped in under dim lights, and anyone is allowed to come or go.

Two volunteers stay there and keep an eye on things, Avell said: “One is kind of a peacemaker and one is kind of a security guard.”

The city said in a news release that police calls to investigate inappropriate activity at the church began to increase in May, giving as examples criminal mischief, trespassing, theft and disturbing the peace.

Bryan’s planning and

zoning administrator gave the church 10 days to stop housing people, saying it was in a zone that does not permit residential use on the first floor. After an inspection about two weeks later, charges against Avell for code violations were sought by the local police in early December.

Since then, the lawsuit claims, “the city has repeatedly attempted to harass and intimidate the church,” while the church has tried to address the city’s complaints by making changes that include installation of a new stove hood and a decision to shut down laundry facilities.

The charges were unexpected, Avell said.

“It was humiliating. I didn’t anticipate it in any way,” he said.

Dys said that the church is not permitting criminal activity to take place and that the police calls there have been made to sound more serious than they actually were, or to seem related to church activity when they were not.

“The city is creating problems in order to gin up opposition to this church existing in the town square,” Dys said.

The church wants a federal judge to protect what it says are violations of constitutional rights to free exercise of religion and protections against government hostility to religion.

“No history or tradition justifies the city’s intrusion into the church’s inner sanctum to dictate which rooms may be used for religious purposes, how the church may go about accomplishing its religious mission, or at what hours of the day religious activities are permitted,” the lawsuit said.

The church wants a federal judge to issue a restraining order or an injunction to keep the city and top officials from “enforcing or applying the city’s ordinances to burden the plaintiff’s religious exercise.” It also seeks damages and attorneys’ fees.

THIS image taken from video provided by WTVG shows Pastor of Dad’s Place Chris Avell, right, sitting inside Bryan Municipal Court on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Bryan, Ohio. The Christian church filed a federal lawsuit Monday, Jan. 22, after being charged with violating the zoning laws in the northwestern Ohio city by opening up the church around-the-clock for homeless residents and others to find shelter.

Photo: WTVG/AP

PAGE 12, Wednesday, January 24, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

Pelicans set a franchise record for points in a 153-124 win over Jazz NEW ORLEANS (AP) — CJ McCollum hit nine 3-pointers and matched a career-high with 33 points, Zion Williamson added 17 points and a career-best 11 assists and the New Orleans Pelicans set a franchise record for points in a 153-124 victory over the Utah Jazz last night.

The Pelicans’ previous scoring high was 149 points in a victory over the Sacramento Kings in October 2018.

Herb Jones scored 22 points, Brandon Ingram had 18 and Jonas Valanciunas 17 for the Pelicans, who finished with 41 assists on 60 made field goals.

McCollum shot 11 of 17 from the floor, including 9 for 13 from long distance, and the Pelicans shot 57.1% from the field (60 of 105).

Collin Sexton had 22 points and seven assists, and Simone Fontecchio added 18 points for the Jazz, who lost their third straight game.

KNICKS 108, NETS 103 NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 30 points, Julius Randle added 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and New York extended its winning streak to four games with a win over Brooklyn.

New York trailed by nine points at the start the

fourth quarter and outscored the Nets 10-3 over the final two minutes to seal the win.

Donte DiVincenzo scored 11 points and OG Anunoby added 10 for the Knicks.

Mikal Bridges hit a career-high seven 3-pointers and scored 36 points for Brooklyn, which blew a 10-point lead in the third quarter. Cameron Johnson scored 19 points and Cam Thomas added 14 off the bench for the Nets, who had lost the last three meetings against the Knicks.

THUNDER 111, TRAIL BLAZERS 109 OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai GilgeousAlexander scored 33 points and Jalen Williams added 19 points, including the game-winner with two seconds left, to help Oklahoma City beat Portland.

Gilgeous-Alexander intercepted a lob intended for Deandre Ayton right before the buzzer sounded, sealing Oklahoma City’s seventh straight win over Portland. The Trail Blazers had lost to the Thunder by 62 points in the teams’ last game.

Scoot Henderson scored 19 points and Anfernee Simons added 17 for Portland, including a 3-pointer with 29 seconds left in the game, to give the Trail Blazers a 109-106 lead.

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer

NEW Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) steals the ball from Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) during the first half last night in New Orleans.

(AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman) A Williams make pulled Oklahoma City within 109-108 with 15.6 seconds remaining, but Portland turned it over on a doubledribble by guard Malcolm Brogdon. The call infuriated Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, who picked up two technical fouls and was ejected.

Gilgeous-Alexander made one of two free throws to tie the score before Williams connected on a mid-range jumper in traffic to win it for the Thunder.

Oklahoma City got 13 points off the bench from Aaron Wiggins and eight points and 10 rebounds from Chet Holmgren.

NUGGETS 114, PACERS 109 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Nikola Jokic scored 31 points as part of his 13th triple-double of the season to help Denver sent Indiana to its third straight loss.

Jokic’s final basket — a 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds left — sealed the win. The All-Star forward also had 13 rebounds and 10 assists

as the Nuggets won their third straight overall and beat the Pacers for the eighth consecutive time.

Jamal Murray also scored 31 points.

Myles Turner had 22 points to lead the Pacers and Pascal Siakam added 16 points and 10 rebounds in his first home game since being traded to Indiana last week. All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton again sat out with a strained left hamstring and already has been ruled out of Indiana’s next two games.

MINISTER: NATIONAL STADIUM ‘REPAIRS ARE GOING QUITE WELL’ FROM PAGE 16 Grandstand have been removed. We are going to move those support systems now and, in short order, we will be putting it up. Right now, according to the Ministry of Works and contractors, we seem to be somewhat on schedule for

the preliminary events that will take place prior to the World Relays and CARIFTA swimming,” he said.

The Bahamas hosted the World Athletics Relays, previously known as the IAAF Relays, in 2014, 2015 and 2017.

The 2024 host country won the bid against

DEVAUGHN ROBINSON FROM PAGE 16

the US-based PGA Tour and features professional golfers who have either not yet reached the PGA Tour, or who have done so but then failed to win enough FedEx Cup points to stay at that level.

The APGA, on the other hand, was formed in 2010 as a non-profit organisation with the mission to bring greater diversity to the game of golf. It prepares African Americans and other minority golfers to compete and win at the highest level of professional golf, both on tour and in the golf industry through professional tournaments, career development and mentoring sessions.

Robinson and Riley are the only two Bahamian professional golfers currently playing on the APGA. The Bahamian golfers, however, play for an exemption spot on the two Korn Ferry Tour events played in the Bahamas.

GARVIN CLARKE

FROM PAGE 16 57 points, he shot 56.8% from the field and picked up seven steals during that

Lausanne in November, 2022. The two-day event will serve as a qualifier for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

Meanwhile, Team Bahamas will be on the dive for the coveted sixth straight CARIFTA Aquatics title.

Previously, The Bahamas earned their fifth

CARIFTA victory in 2023, hauling in an historic 85 medals which included 37 gold medals, 27 silver medals and 21 bronze medals.

The host team has won seven of the last eight CARIFTA Aquatics Championships and will look to keep their legacy

going at home. As previously mentioned, the 2024 CARIFTA Swimming Championships is slated for March 28 to April 7 at the Betty Kelly-Kenning Aquatic Centre.

It will be followed by the World Athletics Relays at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium May 4-5.

NPBA Recap: Regulators and Heatwaves in win column FROM PAGE 16 the Giants. Hall charged his way to a side-high 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting on field goals.

Additionally, he drained two three-pointers on the night.

Division Two Jarad Richardson was relentless on offence for the Heatwaves to ensure they took down the Rebels D2 team on Monday night. He turned in a dominant double-double with a game-high 24 points and 10 rebounds. He shot the ball well, knocking down 7-for-17 field goals.

His teammate Johnacy Augustin also got to work against the 1-5 Rebels. Augustin posted 17 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in the win.

outstanding stretch for the Crimson Hawks last week.

“I got started on the rough side of coming into a new programme, trying to figure out what the team needed me to do,” Clarke said.

RAMPANT CHELSEA SURGES INTO ENGLISH LEAGUE CUP FINAL

The first quarter saw the Heatwaves and Rebels knotted at 11 on the scoreboard. However, the latter managed to create a twopoint separation (30-28) going into the second half following a made two-pointer by Jude Vil with 0.10 seconds left to play.

In the second half, it was all Heatwaves but the pesky Rebels stuck around.

With the game seemingly out of reach at the 0.24 seconds mark, Traveno Miller made a gutsy three-pointer, making the score 68-64.

The intentional foul game did not work in the Rebels’ favour as Richardson iced the game with two clutch free throws to knock off their opponents. Javon Vil, of the Rebels D2 squad, mailed

“But as the season progressed, I started to figure it out. My role is to be the best team-mate that I can be on and off the court and just perform at a high level.

“This is division one so I have to perform at a high level and so I hope that I can continue to perform that way the rest of the season.”

Clarke began the week with 27 points, 10 rebounds and three assists for a double-double at UPJ on January 17.

He followed it up with a career-high 30 points (10-15 FG), four rebounds and six assists in the victory against Edinboro on January 20.

Hitting his stride during his first season with the Crimson Hawks as a transfer from Akron, Clarke enters the week third in the PSAC in assists/game (5.1), third in assist/turnover ratio (+2.06), third in steals/game (2.29) and third in minutes/ game (36:35).

“This team is pretty good.

I love the team. Me and my team-mates are pretty close,” Clarke stated. “I feel like we are a family here. So

in a team-high 17 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals in the loss.

Next up for the NPBA will be the highly-anticipated undefeated triple header on Saturday night, starting at 7:30pm.

The Your Essential Store (YES) Giants, the reigning division two champions, face the undefeated Cyber Tech Marlins.

Additionally, the Produce Express Rockets are set to matchup against the Discount Distributors Rockets in division two as well.

The Commonwealth Bank Giants, the reigning division one champions, take on the undefeated Sand Dollar High Flyers.

Tickets are priced at $10 in advance.

GARVIN CLARKE I just feel pretty confident with myself and my team.”

IUP is set for a busy stretch over the next 10 days, set for four PSAC West matchups in that span.

The Crimson Hawks begin the week with a road trip to

Seton Hill on Wednesday, January 24 before hosting rivals Slippery Rock (January 27) and California (Pa.) (January 29) at the KCAC. “I’m just looking forward to competing at a high level and come February and March, we will continue playing the way we are playing and even better,” Clarke said.

The goal, he indicated, is to be a part of the March Madness Basketball Tournament, the biggest division one collegiate tournament in the United States.

As for his personal commitment to the team, Clarke said he needs to work a little more on his jump shot.

“I have been putting up more shots, but I’m also working on my three-ball,” said Clarke of shooting from behind the three-point arc to make him an even more lethal weapon in the backcourt.

Clarke, now in his junior year, left the Bahamas in the eighth grade at Kingsway Academy for the United States to enrol at Euclid School then

AFTER a chaotic and underwhelming 20 months in charge, Chelsea’s bigspending American ownership has a date at Wembley Stadium as the London club seeks a first trophy of the new regime.

Chelsea routed secondtier Middlesbrough 6-1 in the English League Cup semifinals yesterday to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit to an opponent that was looking to become the first team from outside the Premier League to reach the competition’s title match since 2013.

A 15th-minute own-goal tied the score on aggregate before Chelsea added more goals in the first half through Enzo Fernandez, Axel Disasi and Cole Palmer.

Strikes after the break from Palmer and Noni Madueke piled on the misery for Middlesbrough as Chelsea sealed a 6-2 aggregate victory, setting up a match against either Liverpool or Fulham in the final on February 25.

Liverpool will take a 2-1 lead into the second leg in London today.

If it is Chelsea-Liverpool, it will be a repeat of the League Cup final in 2022.

The teams also met in the FA Cup final that year, with Liverpool winning both matches on penalties.

A Todd Boehly-fronted consortium and Clearlake Capital have owned Chelsea since buying the club off Roman Abramovich in May 2022. Their spending on players has been unprecedented — more than $1 billion in the first three full transfer windows — but hit-and-miss, while the regime is onto its third permanent manager in Mauricio Pochettino.

The team is languishing in ninth place in the Premier League, having finished a dismal 12th last season.

It has taken a while but things might finally be falling into place, even if Chelsea still appears far off the top teams in England.

“When you see the team, we are young and we need to grow,” Pochettino said.

“This type of game is good experience for our young players. Step by step, we are building a good team.

“We have the talent, but we need time to put it all in place. It’s a new project.”

Even after its surprising loss at Riverside Stadium two weeks ago, Chelsea was still favoured to advance to the final and the flurry of early goals — four in the first 42 minutes — virtually ended Middlesbrough’s hopes.

Cleveland Heights. He then played for the Akron Zips where he suited up in 80 games, averaging 12.3 minutes/game and scored 200 points before he made the transfer to IUP. Last summer, he got the opportunity to play with Bahamian National Basketball Association (NBA) players Chavano “Buddy” Hield, Deandre Ayton and newcomer Eric Gordon as they won the FIBA Americas Tournament to qualify for the Olympic Games’ Qualifying Tournament in Argentina.

The Bahamas Basketball Federation is now preparing the team that will go to the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Spain from July 2-7 with the view of qualifying for the Olympics, set for July 26 to August 11 in Paris, France.

Clarke is hoping that his performances in college will enable him to be considered once again to the team selection by the coaching staff, led by Chris DeMarco, an assistant coach of the Golden State Warriors.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, January 24, 2024, PAGE 13

10-time champ Djokovic beats Fritz, will play Sinner in Australian Open semis

By JOHN PYE AP Sports Writer MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Nobody has ever been better at this end of the Australian Open than Novak Djokovic, the 10-time champion.

Every time he’s won a quarterfinal at Melbourne Park — as he did against Taylor Fritz yesterday — he’s gone on to win the title.

The odds are usually stacked against his semifinal rival. Perhaps even more so against fourthseeded Jannik Sinner, who won a quarterfinal over No. 5 Andrey Rublev that didn’t start until 10:42 p.m. and didn’t finish until 1:21 a.m. Wednesday.

Djokovic reached his record-extending 48th Grand Slam semifinal by beating Fritz 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in 3 3/4 hours.

Their match started late in the heat of the afternoon because U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff’s preceding win over Marta Kostyuk took more than three hours.

In an on-court interview with Australian player Nick Kyrgios, who has been sidelined by a longterm injury, Djokovic made a light-hearted joke about getting popcorn and watching Sinner vs. Rublev on late-night TV. Later, Djokovic said Sinner’s late finish wouldn’t be a factor in Friday’s semifinals.

“What kind of advantage will I have? We have two days. It’s not much of an advantage that I see there,” he said. “Plenty of time for whoever wins that match tonight to recover.”

The start of the night session was pushed back past 9 p.m. and could have gone very, very late if not for women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka and Sinner both winning in straight sets.

Sinner was down 5-1 in the second-set tiebreaker before winning six straight points, starting with a stunning crosscourt forehand, to turn momentum and take the match 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-3.

“I want to thank everyone for staying so long,” Sinner said in his on-court interview. “It’s always a huge pleasure to play here on this court. It doesn’t really matter the time.”

Since losing to Djokovic in last year’s Wimbledon

COCO GAUFF, of the U.S. plays a backhand return to Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championships at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, yesterday.

(AP Photos/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake) semifinals, Sinner has won two of his three matches against the 24-time major champion.

“I’m really lucky to face him again (in) one of the biggest tournaments in the world,” he said. “Happy I can play the No. 1 in the world. He won here some times!”

Sinner hasn’t dropped a set yet.

Djokovic, meanwhile, has spent more time on court through five rounds than ever at Melbourne Park — more than 15 hours — but thinks he’s still building into it. He’s on a 33-match winning streak at the Australian Open — a tournament record he shares with his childhood inspiration, Monica Seles.

The first game took 16 minutes and the first set lasted 1 hour, 24 minutes.

Fritz got the first break of serve and maintained it to win the second set.

“Credit to him for playing really well. You could see that he had a clear game plan. He was really sharp,” Djokovic said. “So it was definitely a struggle for me to play the first couple sets.

“In the third, things started to come together.

I wasn’t serving well at all first two sets, and then third and fourth, great.”

Fritz saved the first 15 breakpoints he faced, an

TAYLOR Fritz reacts during his quarterfinal match against Novak Djokovic.

impressive stat against one of the best returners ever.

“My conversion was really poor but in the end of the day, I managed to break him when it mattered,” Djokovic said.

The first game set the tone for a long, tough match. It contained 24 points, going to deuce nine times.

Then followed the longest first set of the tournament.

In the tiebreaker, Djokovic finished a 21-shot rally with a stunning backhand

crosscourt winner to get five set points. He put his finger to his ear, nodded his head and blew a kiss toward a commentary box at the rear of the court.

After two tight sets, Fritz was broken in the second game of the third when Djokovic converted his 16th chance. Djokovic broke again, at love, in the ninth game to wrap up the third.

In the fourth, there was an exchange of breaks until Djokovic served it out from 5-3 to improve to

9-0 against Fritz in career head-to-heads.

Fritz said he felt for Sinner and Rublev, and tournament scheduling had come up in the locker rooms after Daniil Medvedev’s second-round match didn’t start until after 11 p.m. and didn’t finish until almost 4 a.m. He said with physio, treatment and wrapping up, it takes hours after the match to get to sleep.

“It ... just screws up your whole clock,” Fritz said. “I pray for those guys.”

WHO IS PLAYING ON DAY 11?

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The semifinal lineup will be completed at the Australian Open today with the four remaining quarterfinals on the schedule.

Stay up-to-date with a guide that tells you everything you need to know about how to watch the year’s first Grand Slam tennis tournament, what the schedule is, what the betting odds are, and more: WHO IS PLAYING ON DAY 11?

Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev are in quarterfinal ALCARAZ action today at the Australian Open and will be bidding to set up a semifinal showdown. Wimbledon champion Alcaraz is playing Olympic gold medallist Alexander Zverev in a night match.

Third-seeded Medvedev, a two-time Australian Open runner-up, faces No. 9 Hubert Hukacz in the day session.

No. 12 Zheng Qinwen is the highest-ranked player left in the top half of the women’s draw. She’ll play Anna Kalinskaya in the quarterfinals and Dayana Yastremska takes on Linda Noskova.

BETTING FAVOURITES FanDuel Sportsbook lists Carlos Alcaraz as a favourite to beat Alexander Zverev despite losing their most recent encounter at Turin last November and having a 3-4 record in headto-head meetings. Alcaraz is on offer at minus-500, while Zverev is a plus-380 chance. Daniil Medvedev is favourite at minus-250 to beat Hubert Hurkacz.

A plus figure represents longer odds, in which case you’ll win more for your wager, while a minus figure means you’re betting on a more likely outcome — as deemed by FanDuel.

THE SINGLES SCHEDULE Melbourne’s time zone is 16 hours ahead of the East Coast of the United States, so when the quarterfinals on Day 11 begin at 12 noon local time, it’ll be 8pm ET on Tuesday. This is the first time the tournament is a 15-day event.

Here is the remaining singles schedule in Australia: —Wednesday: Quarterfinals (Women and Men) —Thursday: Women’s Semifinals —Friday: Men’s Semifinals —Saturday: Women’s Final —Sunday: Men’s Final

US Open winner Gauff to play Australian Open titleholder Sabalenka in semifinals

By SIMON CAMBERS Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Coco Gauff hopes she’s got her “bad” match out of the way at the Australian Open before meeting defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals.

It’ll be a rematch of the U.S. Open final, which the 19-year-old Gauff won in three sets for her first major title.

Gauff is on a 12-match winning roll at the majors after rallying from 5-1 down in the first set to beat Marta Kostyuk 7-6 (6), 6-7 (3), 6-2 in a quarterfinal that lasted more than three hours.

Sabalenka is on a 12-match streak at Melbourne Park after her 6-2, 6-3 win over No. 9-seeded Barbora Krejcikova in the first match of the night session that didn’t start until after 9 p.m.

“I love it. I love it,” Sabalenka said of the showdown with Gauff.

“After U.S. Open, I really wanted that revenge, and, I mean, that’s a great match.”

Gauff’s long three-setter had a knock-on effect that made for a long night at Melbourne Park.

It took Novak Djokovic 3 3/4 hours to hold off Taylor Fritz 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 and reach the Australian Open semifinals for the 11th time.

Sabalenka’s match started at 9:09 p.m. and the last men’s match, No. 4 Jannik Sinner against No. 5 Andrey Rublev, didn’t start until 10:42 p.m.

After winning her first major here last year, Sabalenka reached the semifinals at the French Open and Wimbledon before her run to the final in New York, finishing the year ranked No. 2.

In five rounds so far, she has dropped just 16 games and been on court for a total of 5 1/4 hours.

“I played great tennis,” Sabalenka said after beating Krejcikova, the 2021 French Open champion.

“I hope I can keep playing that way, or even better.”

Gauff hadn’t dropped a set until she faced No. 37-ranked Kostyuk, who

Gauff recovered to save a set point at 5-3 before leveling at 5-5. Kostyuk had another set point in the tiebreaker but couldn’t covert.

The mistakes continued to flow, and though she led 5-3 in the second set, Gauff could not close it out. She was two points from victory at 6-5, 40-40, but Kostyuk held and took the tiebreak 7-3 to level.

The Ukrainian player said she was pleased to have made the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time.

“Very proud of myself,” she said. “I won for myself today and it’s the most important thing. It’s just the beginning of the season.

Looking forward for what’s ahead.”

COCO GAUFF, of the U.S. plays a forehand return to Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championships at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake) ripped 39 winners but also made 56 unforced errors in a relentlessly attacking game.

“Today was definitely a C game,” Gauff said.

“Didn’t play my best tennis but really proud that

I was able to get through.

Hopefully got the bad match out of the way and I can play even better.”

Gauff had 51 unforced errors, nine double-faults and had just 17 winners in a match containing 16 service

breaks. Her forehand was particularly vulnerable and Kostyuk took full advantage, racing to 5-1 only to show her own fragility with two double-faults to hand back one of the breaks in the game.

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THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, January 24, 2024, PAGE 15

NEW PROVIDENCE PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL SPORTS ASSOCIATION CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Braving the course at Haynes Oval

Photos by Derek Smith THE New Providence Public Primary School Sports Association hosted its cross country championships on Saturday at Haynes Oval.

Here’s a look at the results posted: Under 9 Girls 1. Anaj Smith - Sadie Curtis. 2. Catelyn Riley Palmdale Primary. 3. Italy Martin - Cleveland Eneas, 4. Nelricka Major - Claridge Primary. 5. Charlecia Johnson - Claridge Primary, 6. Jamaria Pierre - Claridge Primary Under 9 Boys 1. Liam Bethel - Palmdale Primary. 2. Shaquille Thurston - Sadie Curtis. 3.

Amari Williams - Claridge Primary. 4. Carter Munnings - Cleveland Eneas, 5. Justin Alexis- Yellow Elder. 6. Shiloh Thompson Under 12 Girls 1. Omaria Clarke - Cleveland Eneas. 2. Branique Flower. 3. Nancy Francius - Gerald Cash. 4. Kaylei Binder - Claridge Primary. 5. Simon Gustave - Claridge Primary. 6. Teira Walkine - Sadie Curtis Under 12 Boys 1. Rashad Francois Gerald Cash. 2. Koen Brown - Sadie Curtis. 3.

Kenneth Neely - Cleveland Eneas. 4. Dawn Sinclair Cleveland Eneas. 5. Malik Durhan - Gerald Cash. 6.

Wesley Lully - Claridge Primary.

SPORTS PAGE 16

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2024

NBA, Page 12

Garvin Clarke named Player of Week again

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

F

or the second time this year as he makes his transition from the University of Akron to the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Garvin Clarke has been named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Athlete of the Week.

The latest honour was announced by the league on Monday afternoon, following his initial weekly honour that the point guard earned on December 11.

“First of all, I want to thank God for the opportunity he gave me to play the sport,” said Clarke, the son of Tamika and Garvin Clarke Sr. “I also want to thank the coaching staff for believing in me and also my team-mates for trusting me and giving me confidence.”

When he was awarded the first honour, Clarke

said he was surprised. But he said he expected this one because of the work he put into it with head coach Joe Lombardi and the coaching staff of the Crimson Hawks.

“It feels great to do it again. My coach and I put in the work,” Clarke said.

“It’s not that we went into it expecting to get it. It just happened. So I’m just thankful.”

Coming off an appearance on the Bahamas men’s national basketball team that advanced last year to the qualifying round of the Olympic Games, Clarke helped lead IUP to a 2-0 week in divisional action, picking up a 73-72 road win at Pitt-Johnstown before a 72-60 triumph against Edinboro.

The 22-year-old sports communications major averaged 28.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists in those two games, playing all 40 minutes in both outings. Scoring a combined

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

year, came out to serve as the caddy for Robinson, while his regular caddy, veteran pro golfer Jimmy Delancey, did the preparatory work, said he was pleased with the support he got.

“Caddy was phenomenal,” he summed up.

“Was lucky enough to have Cameron Riley to caddy and Jimmy Delancey for the prep work.”

Together, they carried the Bahamian flag at the Korn Ferry Tournament although Robinson didn’t get out of the qualifying round of either event this year. This was the second year that Robisnon qualified for Exuma.

The Korn Ferry Tour is the developmental tour for

THE Leno Regulators and Heatwaves snuck away with victories in division one and two of the New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA) on Monday night.

The Regulators reeled in a 10-point win against the TMT Giants in division one action while the Heatwaves narrowly edged out a 70-64 win against the Island Development Construction Rebels in division two.

Division One The TMT Giants kept it close but were no match for the Regulators in the featured game of Monday’s double header at the CI Gibson Gymnasium.

The victors followed the lead of Alexander Rolle who dropped a game-high 18 points to start the week.

He got busy behind the arc, canning four three-pointers in the win. The team’s leading scorer pulled down seven rebounds, stole the ball twice and dished out three dimes.

The Regulators trailed 18-11 at the end of the opening period after falling behind 16-8 at the 2:35 mark.

In the following quarter, the team showed up to play and locked the score at 24 apiece when Trevor Smith knocked down a two-point jump shot at 3:32.

The contest was a seesaw affair after that juncture of the game and the Regulators led by a mere point (31-30) going into the halftime break.

In the third period, the 3-3 (win/loss record) Regulators advanced by seven points on the scoreboard to firmly take control of the game.

The Giants were unable to recover and suffered their third loss of the NPBA season.

Daniel Hall had an efficient night in the loss for

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GARVIN Clarke has been named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Athlete of the Week - for a second time.

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Pro golfer Robinson misses the cut

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net FOR his second appearance in the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour that opened its 2024 season here in the Bahamas, Bahamian representative Devaughn Robinson missed the cut for the main draw.

On the heels of his early exit in the Great Exuma Classic at the Sandals Emerald Bay at the Emerald Reef Course last week, Robinson fell short in his first two rounds on Sunday and Monday at the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at the Abaco Club on Winding Bay. Robinson, the lone Bahamian playing in the tournament after he won the only exemption

spots during the Bahamas Golfers Professional Association’s National Championships and trials in December at the Ocean Club, said he gave it his best shot. “The tournament was one of the toughest I’ve played,” said Robinson as he looked back at his performance. “Weight of the competition, toughness of the course paired with some of the toughest conditions I’ve played in for a while.”

However, he admitted that his performance wasn’t what he anticipated.

“Disappointed? yes,” he stressed. “But I’m reminded that it was a huge accomplishment to make it to that level regardless of how I finished.”

Based on what he’s seen, Robinson said he

PROFESSIONAL Bahamian golfer Devaughn Robinson takes a swing.

SPORTS CALENDAR

Jan. 2024

just needs more consistent competitive repetitions.

“There’s no way to simulate the feels and energy in those environments, so I just have to keep competing,” he stated.

As he heads back to his residence in Houston, Texas, Robinson said he will focus on his next competition and hope to improve on what he did over the past two weeks here at home in the Bahamas. “I have a couple weeks break, then a Houston Open qualifier followed by the start of the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) Tour season,” said Robinson, who plays on the pro circuit with Grand Bahamian Cameron Riley.

Riley, who won the qualifier for Abaco last

MINISTER: NATIONAL STADIUM ‘REPAIRS ARE GOING QUITE WELL’

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

BASKETBALL TEAM RANKINGS OSSIE ‘The Sports Insider’ Simmons released his long-awaited National High School Top 10 basketball rankings for the senior boys and top five for the senior girls for 2024.

Senior girls 1. CV Bethel. 2. CI Gibson. 3. St Augustine’s College. 4. St George’s (Grand Bahama). 5. CR Walker.

Senior boys Sunland (Grand Bahama). 2. CI Gibson, 3. Tabernacle Baptist (Grand Bahama). 4. St George’s (Grand Bahama). 5. Anatol Rodgers. 6. CC Sweeting. 7. Charles W. Saunders. 8.

CR Walker. 9. CV Bethel. 10. Kingsway Academy.

WALK/RUN RACE Bain & Grants Town The Bain & Grants Town Constituency will hold its fourth annual Dr

NPBA ON THE REPLAY: REGULATORS, HEATWAVES IN THE WIN COLUMN

Bernard Nottage 5K Fun Run/Walk Race on Saturday, starting at 6am from the Southern Recreation Grounds.

The dual event is free of charge. The first three finishers in each category will get trophies and each participant to cross the finish line will get a medal.

Portia Nottage, the wife of the late Dr. Nottage, will be on hand to distribute the awards.

Competitors will travel from the Southern Recreation Grounds and head onto Cockburn Street, west onto Blue Hill Road, north to Dillet Street, west onto Meeting Street onto Nassau Street to West Bay Street, east onto Market Street and south back to the South Recreation Grounds.

Wayde Watson is the Member of Parliament for Bain & Grants Town and Sean Bastian is the race coordinator.

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CONCERNS have mounted as repairs continue at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium and Betty KellyKenning Aquatic Centre about whether the renovations of both venues will be completed in time for the 2024 CARIFTA Aquatics Championships and World Athletics Relays in March and May respectively.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg told reporters last week that the repairs are going quite well and a tour of the facilities is forthcoming to give a glimpse of their progression.

“In the next two weeks we will have a tour with the media persons to see the level we have reached

MARIO BOWLEG at since we started the repairs. The repairs are going quite well, I know all of the equipment that needed to be on the ground to ensure that the pool is ready for competition is here. In another four to six weeks, we should see the pool almost back in the

condition where we can start seeing the impressive work that has been done by the contractor,” Bowleg said.

Both the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium and Betty KellyKenning Aquatic Centre have been under renovation since November 1 of last year. The repairs of both venues are geared towards bringing them up to standard ahead of the World Athletics Relays scheduled for May 4-5 as well as the 2024 CARIFTA Aquatics Championships for March 28 to April 7.

Minister Bowleg said the repairs appear to be on schedule for both marquee sporting events to be hosted in New Providence.

“Both the roofs on the Eastern and Western

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