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Volume: 121 No.59, February 15, 2024

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COOPER: WE’LL FIGHT BACK ON CRIME FEAR Two campaigns are launched to counter More love, international reports more life

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net TOURISM Minister Chester Cooper yesterday announced the launch of two campaigns geared towards re-shaping the narrative about The Bahamas following negative global reports about crime in the country.

Mr Cooper said the campaigns, “Tourism is Everybody’s Business” and “I Love The Bahamas”, were launched yesterday and will run until June.

He said the launch underscores the government’s commitment to protecting the country’s reputation and represents a comprehensive SEE PAGE THREE

GOVT ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP FOR DOWNTOWN WIFI COVERAGE A WiFi zone that runs from Arawak Cay to the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge is on the way through a partnership between Aliv, the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the Ministry of Tourism, officials announced yesterday.

The groups signed a three-year agreement to launch a “smart cruise port.”

Officials said the installation process began yesterday and is expected to be completed in the second quarter of this year.

“The plan is to establish a WiFi zone at the Nassau Cruise Port and the environs outside of the port as far west as Arawak Cay and as far east as the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge,” SEE PAGE THREE

SENIOR Phlebotomist Ms Nottage tends to Phylicia Romer during the Second Annual Kenise Symonette Darville Foundation Blood Drive at the University of The Bahamas yesterday.

See PAGE FIVE for more.

Photo: Dante Carrer

Mother of Harold Brown claims in inquest, ‘doctors left my son to die’

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net THE mother of Harold Brown, one of two men police killed in a chase on Tonique Williams-Darling Highway in 2017, claimed doctors left her son to die

in hospital after the shooting as the Coroner’s Court inquest into the matter continued yesterday.

Richard “Buddy” Bastian and Harold “Kevin” Brown were killed on Tonique William Darling Highway around 1am on December 2, 2017.

While Bastian was pronounced dead at the scene, Brown later died in hospital.

Melanie McPhee Thompson, Brown’s mother, testified that she was not feeling well on the night

HOUSING and Urban Renewal Minister Keith Bell said of the New Providence homeowners who sought help with repairs from the government, more than 300 homes are in “dire” need of repairs.

To qualify for home

KEITH BELL repairs,

applicants

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

have proof of property ownership and proof of citizenship and must fall within the economic status requirements of the programme.

Mr Bell conducted a walkabout yesterday through the Carmichael constituency, assessing homes as part of the Small Homes

A 26-YEAR-OLD man was remanded yesterday for allegedly killing Davinique Gray, a 16-year-old murdered while charging her phone at home in Nassau Village last month.

Gray was the eighth murder victim of the year.

Her, Shinika Johnson, 41, was charged last month with harbouring a criminal in connection with her death.

Magistrate Algernon Allen Jr charged Keiron Major with murder.

SEE PAGE FOUR

SEE PAGE SEVEN

SEE PAGE FIVE

300 HOMES TO GET REPAIR ASSISTANCE FROM GOVT

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER OF DAVINIQUE

must

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

PAGE 2, Thursday, February 15, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

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Thursday, February 15, 2024, PAGE 3

Cooper: We’ll fight back on crime fear from page one approach to changing the current narrative about The Bahamas.

The move comes after the United States and Canada issued travel advisories for The Bahamas in response to the high murder rate.

Yesterday, Mr Cooper said the negative international reports represented only eight per cent of the online coverage about the country and are losing momentum.

“One interesting data finding is that the coverage and discussion of the advisory in The Bahamas was in many instances intertwined with coverage of the US Travel Warning about Jamaica,” he added.

“The level of engagement online and through news outlets globally for Jamaica surpassed that of The Bahamas by 43 per cent. As I said earlier, most tourist destinations carry at least a level two US advisory, as we do, which indicates that the US government advises visitors to take precautions, but Jamaica is at level 3, which means that the US

State Department advises its citizens to reconsider travel to the destination.”

He said the government knows that concerns about a regional neighbour can cause a domino effect and is working to educate its international partners and travel audiences.

Meanwhile, efforts to increase travel appetite to The Bahamas and push the message that the country is a safe place are continuing, he added.

“Through strategic partnerships, targeted placements, and captivating content, we aim to not only mitigate the impact of crime-related concerns but also position The Bahamas to continue growing,” he said.

“We are determined to turn a negative into a positive, and we are determined that everyone in tourismrelated businesses is part of the turnaround. There has been anecdotal data about a drop-off in visitors participating in local activities and some softening in booking trends. We must and will arrest and reverse that.”

Mr Cooper said his

ministry’s hard work is already bearing fruit, with early data showing promising numbers.

He said officials have already seen an uptick in occupancy projections at the country’s largest resorts for the first three months this year when compared to 2023.

Tourism arrivals at the Lynden Pindling International Airport are also up by double digits, he said.

“Let me make it clear that we acknowledge that some pockets of stakeholders reporting a fall-off in activity and softening of bookings and were working with them hand and hand to improve what they are experiencing,” he added.

“We want to reassure the public that we are working diligently to re-stimulate interest and redirect traffic with our tourism ambassadors and the tourism development corporation, and while the recent travel advisory has undoubtedly posed challenges, it is incumbent upon us to navigate these turbulent waters with grace, resilience, and sobriety.”

Govt announces partnership for downtown wifi coverage from page one the Ministry of Tourism said in a statement. “The overall aim of this innovative project is to enable The Bahamas to more efficiently capitalise on the untapped economic potential of cruise tourism.”

The Davis administration has pledged to expand internet access.

Through the Governor General’s Speech from The Throne in October, the administration vowed to provide low-income communities with free internet access to, among other things, ensure students can access the internet.

The government had

previously pledged to install free WiFi in at least two parks in every constituency in the country.

The WiFi provided Downtown will not be free.

Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation Chester Cooper said the smart zone is a “timely, futuristic project” that aims to harness the power of technology in service to our number one industry in the heart of our capital city where our cruise port welcomes on average 12,000 10 15,000 cruise visitors on a daily basis.”

“The tripartite collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation, Aliv/

Cable Bahamas and the Department of Information and Communications Technology brings about the installation of the most up-to-date internet infrastructure in our city centre,” he said. “This technology will facilitate seamless connectivity that will allow us to collect key data on the thousands of cruise guests to our city, so that we can more efficiently enhance their experience of our city.”

The ministry said installing “smart city” infrastructure at Nassau Cruise Port and in the downtown area “will enable the collection of data on the likes and desires of visitors, in

DEPUTY Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investment and Aviation, Chester Cooper, speaks during a press conference to announce a partnership between the Ministry of Tourism, Investment and Aviation (MOTIA) and Aliv at the Tourism’s head office yesterday.

Photo: Dante Carrer real-time, to optimise marketing efforts for greater economic impact and content development.”

“The instant access to connectivity in the city will encourage greater numbers of cruise passengers to disembark and do more online sharing of their Bahamas experience.”

Minister of Energy questioned over BPL by the opposition during rare Q&A in the House

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard pressed Transport and Energy Minister JoBeth Coleby Davis about Bahamas Power & Light matters during a rare question and answer period in the House of Assembly yesterday.

The questions concerned BPL arrears and loans and contracts awarded for software at the port department.

When asked to give a breakdown of monies owed

by BPL, Mrs Coleby-Davis said she was confused by

the question.

“I’m uncertain whether the question pertains to monies owed by Bahamas Power and Light or to monies that are due to BPL,” she said.

Mr Pintard said the government had publicly spoken about BPL’s bills and pledged to provide her with the information needed to answer in the future.

He also asked about the cause of a fire that damaged a BPL power station in North Andros last year and prevention measures.

“Investigations into the fire incident at the North Andros power plan is an ongoing matter with police

authorities,” the minister responded. “Based on the preliminary findings, it appears that fire was initiated by a catastrophic failure of one of the power plant units.

“This failure led to the emission of high-temperature degrees which subsequently ignited a nearby source of highly inflammable fuel, causing the fire to rapidly spread throughout the facility.”

She said established protocols for risk mitigation have been applied at BPL operations and are reviewed annually.

When asked about the terms of a $110m loan granted to BPL, the

minister said the government granted the loan to address the under-recovery of fuel costs incurred during the pandemic.

“The specifics of this loan, including the terms and interest rates, are in the process of being finalised,” she said. “During the pandemic, to alleviate financial strain on our customers, BPL charged a reduced rate for fuel costs, absorbing the difference and deferring essential capital projects.”

“Subsequently, through a glide pass through recovery strategy, we have been able to recover a significant portion of the unrecovered SEE PAGE FOUR

PAGE 4, Thursday, February 15, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

300 homes to get repair assistance from govt from page one Repairs Programme.

Senior citizen Cynthia Monroe told him her roof was repaired in November, only for a fire to damage the back of her home just before Christmas.

She had been in the home for about 30 years.

She has been moving from house to house since, staying with her children.

The minister anticipated repairs on her home would start within two weeks and cost somewhere near $30,000.

He said the woman lacked insurance, adding that Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis has spoken about creating “some form of insurance for these types of cases.”

Another resident, Cypriana McDonald, said she is dealing with a termite infestation in her home.

She said the problem began seven years ago in the home she has lived in for 50 years.

Mr Bell emphasised the importance of the home assessments.

“The idea is to look and assess these homes and give a comprehensive, thorough inspection, and then we go from there,” he said. “Now, this particular house, as you would have seen, the roof is infested with termites. The idea is to ensure that when we go in, that we deal with all of the problems; in this particular case, with the issues of termites, to treat those to ensure that when we do repair the roof, we don’t have the reoccurrence of the problem and we minimize that.”

HOUSING AND URBAN RENEWAL MINISTER KEITH BELL

of Energy questioned Pinder: ‘Abaco housing shortage Minister over BPL by the opposition not going to be solved overnight’ during rare Q&A in the House

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net AMID concerns about whether enough housing is available for shanty town residents facing eviction in Abaco, Central and South Abaco MP John Pinder said yesterday that the island’s housing shortage won’t be solved overnight.

His comments came after the Ministry of Works issued over 400 eviction notices across three shanty towns in Abaco earlier this month.

“There is still a housing shortage from Dorian, but with our growing economy, this is not going to come to a resolution anytime soon.

More businesses are opening, more tourist attractions are happening, and we need more and more,” he said.

“The housing shortage is not going to be solved overnight. It’s not going to

be resolved within a couple of years. And it’s it’s going to be an ongoing problem, but that’s why I encourage all the entrepreneurs out there, anybody that wants to make an investment, Abaco is the place to do it.”

Mr Pinder said that Abaco residents eagerly anticipate the demolition of shanty towns across the island. He also urged employers to find housing accommodations for their foreign employees on working permits.

“We’re looking forward to this administration cleaning up what the problem is in Abaco, these growing shantytowns,” he said.

“We have more popping up every day.

“We must have order.

These groups of people are coming there because Abaco is a vibrant, growing economy. Money is flowing, but we have to make sure the money goes into

from page three

CENTRAL and South Abaco MP John Pinder Bahamians’ hands first.

Although we do need some work permit holders, the employers need to come up with accommodations.”

Although Abaco residents say the island lacks housing even for public teachers after Hurricane Dorian, Social Services Minister Myles Laroda said he’s confident his ministry would provide the necessary help.

amount, allowing us to resume and fund critical infrastructure project.”

In response, Mr Pintard asked if it was customary for the government to give a loan to BPL without working out the loan terms. Mrs Coleby-Davis deferred, saying she would answer later.

Mr Pintard asked if the minister would “acknowledge that the loan provided to BPL must be accounted for within the approved budgetary appropriations authorised

by Parliament as required by the Public Debt Management Act and their constitution”.

The minister replied that matters related to the accounting and budgetary appropriations of the loan fall under the Ministry of Finance.

Mr Pintard then directed the question to Prime Minister Philip

“Brave” Davis, who has ministerial responsibility for the finance ministry.

However, House Speaker Patricia Deveaux said the question would have to be placed on the table for future notice.

Mr Pinatrd also asked about contracts worth millions awarded to DigieSoft for software development at the Port Department and to the Adolpha Maritime Group for the maintenance of navigational aid.

This comes after a senior civil servant alleged that the maritime contracts were executed “negligently, unlawfully and maliciously” in contravention of public service rules.

Mrs Coleby-Davis said information on the contracts was discussed in detail during the budget debate and subjected to a transparent public tender process.

“I assure you,

honourable member, that there has been no intention to withhold information on these contracts from the Bahamian people,” she said.

She also said DigieSoft Ltd was chosen after a competitive two-round bidding process as recommended by the board.

“As the minister of energy and transport, my role did not involve participation in the Tenders Board. Hence, my comments are based on the process’s integrity and fairness,” she said.

When asked about its capabilities, she also defended the company’s work, saying the team comprised highly skilled developers.

“They’ve worked on several similar projects, and the company’s consistent positive feedback from clients served as a testament to their capability and reliability for this project,” she said.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, February 15, 2024, PAGE 5

Mother of Harold Brown claims in inquest, ‘doctors left my son to die’ from page one of her son’s death. She recalled that sometime around 10pm that night, her son asked her how she felt. The two talked. She lay down, and heard when he left the house.

She said around 1am that morning, she felt compelled to wake up and noticed she had countless missed calls from her son’s ex-girlfriend.

She said a relative who is a police officer called her in tears before a call from her niece cut him off. It was then she was told “Buddy” was dead and that her son was in the hospital.

She said she saw no doctor or nurse helping her son when she arrived at the hospital. She said her son appeared unresponsive with his eyes closed.

“My son was left to die,” she said, claiming people in police-involved shootings rarely receive attention in hospital.

In describing how Brown looked on the hospital bed, she said her son had a bandage on his head from where he was reportedly shot. She also said his thigh and hands had bandages and he was wearing a diaper at the time.

Ms Thompson said an hour after she arrived at the hospital, her son passed away.

When she went to identify his body on December

4, 2017, she said a police officer at the morgue tried to discredit him by claiming that he had trouble at work.

She rejected that, saying several customers and coworkers from Super Value on East Street and Robinson Road, where Brown worked as a manager, called him an exemplary employee.

She said her son was not

excellent father to his now eight-year-old daughter.

Ms Thompson appeared calm and collected throughout her testimony.

She said police never came to explain the events that led to her son’s death.

She said on the night he died, Brown picked “Buddy” up from Pressure Point bar near Tonique Williams-Darling Highway just before the shooting.

“My son was left to die,” she said, claiming people in policeinvolved shootings rarely receive attention in hospital.” involved in criminal behaviour and was a responsible man.

She recalled that her son bought the shotgun found in his car for his protection while working late nights.

She also said her son went the legal route to license the gun and kept the registration with him in his car.

She described her son as affectionate and an

She described the two as best friends since they met in at AF Adderley Junior High School.

Ms Thompson said she learned her son suffered seven bullet wounds. She also claimed that Brown’s silver Honda Civic had 47 bullet holes in it after the family retrieved it from police custody.

When asked by David

Cash, the attorney for the estates, how she felt about her son’s death, she said she felt “angry”. She disputed allegations that her son fired at police, claiming that her son would never do that.

Angelo Whitfield, who marshalled the evidence, moved to allow footage Ms Thompson had of the incident to be entered into evidence after it was verified.

Patricia Bastian, Richard Bastian’s mother, testified that her son told her he was going to attend his brother’s birthday celebrations at Yellow Elder Park on the night of his death.

She recalled knocking at her door later that night after two of Bastian’s friends showed up, with one telling her: “Ms Bastian, Ms Bastian, police just headshot Buddy.”

Although she was in disbelief, she said she immediately got dressed and went to the scene, driving through police tape.

She said she saw her son’s body on the sidewalk at the crash site near Ron’s Auto on Tonique Williams-Darling Highway.

She said when a female officer tried to question her, she told her: “You don’t have anything to ask me. Y’all just killed my son.”

She said after a police

relative told her to leave the scene, saying authorities would contact her, she went but never received a call.

In describing how she last saw her son alive, Ms Bastian said he appeared fine and was happy from just getting paid for construction work at Fusion Superplex.

She also said that her son would always “clown” on people and was a confidant for younger relatives. She said her son and Brown were “inseparable.”

She appeared stoic in court as she identified her son in a morgue photo with his eyes open.

She said while Bastian had two prior gun charges, he had been acquitted and found not guilty for both.

When K Melvin Munroe, the attorney representing the seven officers in the inquest, asked if she was aware of a third criminal charge against her son, she said no.

Sgt Nikita Pickstock, a CSI digital investigator, played three sets of security footage from Pressure Point Bar. In the first black and white footage, a crowd of around seven to ten people are gather outside the bar’s parking lot when a Honda Civic pulled alongside the service road.

This car is seen reversing and picking up a passenger, later identified as Bastian,

before speeding away from the bar as a police officer runs towards it and fires his gun. This same officer runs off-screen back to his police car.

During the incident, the crowd scurries into the front of the bar for cover before a larger crowd exits in the aftermath of a shooting around the time stamp of 1.07am.

Colour security footage from another vantage point showed several officers pursuing the fleeing vehicle on foot before people ran in the opposite direction.

By the 1.09am time stamp, police car lights flash past the bar.

A third blurry footage was shown, but nothing was visible in the frame.

None of the footage clearly identified either the driver or passenger of the Honda.

When questioned by Mr Munroe, Sgt Pickstock said he could not see in the footage why the officers shot at the suspects.

He also confirmed to Mr Cash that he did not see a muzzle flash from the vehicle of the men.

When shown the same security footage, Ms Thompson said she did not see the officers identify themselves. She also claimed they did not appear fearful as they ran towards the suspects’ vehicle.

BETHESDA MEDICAL MISSION PARTNERS WITH PHA TO PROVIDE FREE DENTAL SERVICES IN GB THE Public Hospitals Authority announced that Bethesda Medical Mission Inc will provide free medical and dental services in Grand Bahama from February 19 to 26.

The initiative is a partnership between the Public Hospitals Authority, the Ministry for Grand Bahama, and the BMM, a Christian humanitarian organisation based in Connecticut.

A team of medical professionals and volunteers from BMM will provide medical services at the Rand Memorial Hospital and local clinics in Freeport.

Various services will be offered, including teeth cleaning, fillings,

extractions, oral cancer screenings, and distribution of oral care items.

Additionally, there will be pediatric, adult, obstetric, and gynaecological care, as well as the provision of prescription drugs and vitamins.

The initiative was led by Pastor T Basil Sturrup, a Bahamian clergyman currently residing in Ellington, Connecticut. Dr Roy Kellerman, one of the founders of BMM, expressed his excitement about the opportunity.

Bethesda Medical Mission Inc. provides humanitarian aid worldwide, making a difference in the lives of many in countries like Haiti and Puerto

Rico and across the United States.

Jessica Cartwright, the hospital administrator at Grand Bahama Health Services (GBHS), has expressed excitement about collaborating with BMM to enhance access to healthcare on the island.

“We know that for some members of our Grand Bahama community, there are some real challenges in accessing health services. I hope that through this initiative, persons who require care will access that care and improve their health and quality of life,” she said.

Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey expects the initiative will

positively impact the community.

“We are delighted to join forces with Bethesda Medical Mission Inc. and the Public Hospital Authority, as this initiative aligns with our mission to advance health, wellness, and healthcare accessibility for the people of Grand Bahama,” she said.

The initiative will culminate with a Health and Wellness Fair that will be held on February 24, from 10 am to 5 pm at the Freeport Seventh-day Adventist Church. The event will offer health screenings, physician consultations, health lectures, and community engagement activities for residents.

Kenise Foundation’s More Love, More LiFe vaLentine’s day bLood drive

THE KENISE Symonette-Darville Foundation teamed up with the University of the Bahamas yesterday to host its second “More Love, More Life” Valentine’s Day Blood Drive. Mrs Symonette-Darville died at Princess Margaret Hospital on January 19, 2023, just days after complaining about PMH services in a viral video. Desperate for blood, she made an appeal for blood on her WhatsApp status.

Photos: Dante Carrer

PAGE 6, Thursday, February 15, 2024

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So, is crime affecting bookings, or not?

TOURISM Minister Chester Cooper was on the offensive yesterday – and given the recent spat over media coverage of murders made for interesting listening.

Mr Cooper was announcing the launch of two publicity campaigns, and the talk was of changing the narrative about The Bahamas.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis had previously managed to open his mouth and put his foot in it when he talked of possibly moving coverage of murders off the front pages of the newspapers and into the inside pages instead. Quickly, of course, it was pointed out that in 2012, when in opposition, Mr Davis had defended the erection of billboards that loudly declared the number of murders in the country.

Mr Davis this week urged the press to be “sensitive”, saying: “I think they should see their role as trying to help the country. I’m not saying not to report, but where you report, it may make a difference.”

Notably, this week Mr Davis said: “Right now, the hotels are seeing some fall off…”

By contrast, yesterday Mr Cooper said that projections on occupancy were up at the country’s largest resorts for the first three months of this year compared to 2023.

Tourism arrivals at Lynden Pindling International Airport are also up – by double digits, according to Mr Cooper.

So which is it? Is Mr Davis right when he says hotels have a fall off, or are bookings on the way up?

And, considering that the murder “spurt”, as National Security Minister Wayne Munroe dubbed it, began in January, one imagines many of those bookings will have been made before any widely noted increase, and likely before the travel advisories issued by the US and Canada.

Mr Cooper also suggested that analysis of supposedly negative international reports only consisted of eight percent of online coverage of the country – and that “in many instances” coverage was “intertwine” with coverage of a US travel warning about Jamaica.

Given that was not the case with media houses here in The Bahamas, one wonders quite why the Prime Minister is turning his voice against local journalists at all.

The travel campaigns are welcome – anything to encourage more income to our shores is a good thing – but if the figures presented by Mr Cooper are correct, there seems to be no slowdown in tourism, rather it continues to speed up.

Once tourists get here, there have been concerns about whether they are putting money into the economy – taxi fares, excursions, store purchases and so on – or staying in the perceived greater safety of the hotel.

But is this it? The big concern over media coverage is some international coverage that report on warnings in the region, while the hotel bookings keep going up?

It seems to have been an ill-advised assault on media freedoms.

Credit then to the Bahamas Press Club for also standing up to add a voice to the discussion.

The club’s president, Anthony Capron, wrote in a note last night: “Freedom of the press in any country is a signal that the democratic principals are functioning in the best interest of its citizens. This is a thought Prime Minister the Hon Philip Davis should keep in mind when seeking to instruct the Bahamian media on the placement of murder stories in the newspapers.”

He added: “Already, there is no automatic access to Freedom of Information, and the excuse being used to relegate crime news to the inside pages is, it will be damaging to the tourism economy.

“Mr Prime Minister, this directive will not fly. The media will not sit idly and be told what it can and cannot do.”

Mr Capron is right, and we salute him for saying so. We would also add that relegating what matters to Bahamians who live and work here to the interests of visiting tourists is tantamount to saying that locals are not as important as outsiders.

The solution to all of this, of course, lies not in the pages of the newspapers or the placement of stories – but in stemming the bloodshed on the streets in the first place.

We are quite sure when that happens, the government will not be giving credit to the media for it – and rightly so – nor should it blame the media when the killings happen. The problem is far more complex than that, but blaming the messenger is a sure sign of a shortage of solutions.

Unfettered press is key to democracy EDITOR, The Tribune.

ONE of the surest hallmarks of democracy is a free and unfettered press.

Dictatorships emerge when the press is suppressed and the civil liberties of the general public are curtailed through intimidation, and worse.

Freedom of the press in any country is a signal that the democratic principals

are functioning in the best interest of its citizens. This is a thought Prime Minister the Hon Philip Davis should keep in mind when seeking to instruct the Bahamian media on the placement of murder stories in the newspapers.

Already, there is no automatic access to Freedom of Information, and the excuse being used to relegate crime

news to the inside pages is, it will be damaging to the tourism economy.

Mr Prime Minister, this directive will not fly. The media will not sit idly and be told what it can and cannot do.

ANTHONY CAPRON President The Bahamas Press Club February 14, 2024

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

LINDA KALAYCI, right, kisses her husband of 57 years, Tanzer Kalayci, after they renewed their vows during a Valentine’s Day ceremony yesterday.

Photo: Rebecca Blackwell/AP

Weakened media helps ‘Brave’ EDITOR, The Tribune.

PERCHANCE it was divine providence that led Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis to lecture the Bahamian media fraternity about not placing murder stories on the front pages of the newspapers. Human beings are drawn to such stories. The media understands this. Davis’ strategy is to protect the Bahamian brand. In the Internet age, muzzling the traditional media will not stop the gruesome stories of murder, rape, incest and armed robberies from leaking out of the country due to the presence of social media platforms.

In addition to protecting the Bahamian brand before the international community, Davis might also be looking to protect his party from the scrutiny previous Free National Movement and Progressive Liberal Party governments have undergone by the media. Looking at the current journalistic landscape, I am not too sure Davis has any legitimate reason to be wary of the press for the reasons I will list below. I believe that the Davis PLP government is benefitting from a weakened media.

This is the worst state the media has been in since the advent of the first Hubert Ingraham FNM

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net government in August 1992.

The first two Ingraham administrations opened up the airwaves, which would in turn strengthen the Bahamian democracy. The Ingraham government’s progressive policy of freedom of the press would ultimately be its undoing, as private media outlets that surfaced after 1992 would grill the FNM in the months leading up to the 2002 general election.

The FNM and PLP governments had to contend with columnists Nicki Kelly of The Tribune and The Punch and Oswald Brown.

In her Punch column titled Between the Lines, Kelly would rake the last Ingraham government over the coals. The PLP government between 2002 and 2007 and 2012 and 2017 was also heavily criticized by Ms Kelly. Additionally, the Christie administration was taken to task by columnist Sharon Turner, who wrote a column titled According to Me for The Tribune in 2013.

Turnquest was also highly critical of then Opposition Leader Dr Hubert Minnis.

The Christie administration was also heavily scrutinised by Tribune Editor

Eileen Carron and former columnist John Marquis.

Marquis was a thorn in the side of the first Christie administration.

About a month into the Davis government’s term, The Punch Editor Ivan Johnson passed away suddenly. About a week after his death, The Punch was shut down. Unlike the previous FNM and PLP governments, this current PLP government has the fortune of not having to deal with The Punch which enjoyed wide circulation throughout New Providence and Grand Bahama.

Davis does not have to worry about Carron, Turner, Marquis or Kelly. I cannot point to any columnist today who is as gifted and conversant as Kelly and Turner. I cannot point to any journalist today who is as bold, controversial and daring as Ivan Johnson. It would appear that Kelly, Carron and Marquis are all retired. Turner seems to have moved on to other endeavors, much to the relief of the current administration. Their departures have weakened the media.

Again, I cannot stress how fortunate Davis is in light of a weakened media.

KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama February 14, 2024.

A reminder of our mortality EDITOR, The Tribune.

TODAY is Ash Wednesday. Anyone who knows me knows that this is my second favorite day of the year, as it marks the start of Lent, my favorite liturgical season in the life of the Church. As the Lenten season, and consequently Easter, dawns upon us once more, I cannot help but find myself reflecting on the profound moral significance of this solemn day.

Ash Wednesday serves as a poignant reminder of our mortality and the need for repentance. It is a time when the Church encourages us to not only resist the many temptations of the modern world, but to cultivate a genuine relationship with God, rooted in authenticity and devotion.

For those who are unaware, today, the faithful will descend upon their local churches to have ashes imposed on their foreheads, in the shape of a cross, to the words: “Remember, man,

that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return.”

While this might seem like a meaningless tradition to some, this ritual actually has a very deep spiritual meaning. The ashes placed on our forehead are to remind us of our impending death and dependence on God. They symbolise the sinfulness that is inherent in human nature, and serve as a visual reminder of our need for repentance and spiritual renewal.

Yet, amidst this solemn recognition of our imperfections, the shape of the cross stands there as a symbol of hope. It signifies the ultimate sacrifice made for our redemption, reminding us that despite our flaws, we are eternally loved and forgiven by a merciful Savior, Jesus Christ.

As I receive my ashes today at St Francis Xavier Cathedral, my parish, I am reminded of my own imperfections and the boundless

grace offered to me through the sacrifice of Our Lord.

While it is a deeply humbling experience, I cannot help but be overwhelmed with hope and gratitude for the second chance at life I am afforded, when I simply put my faith and trust in Him. In this same spirit of penitential joy, I encourage all Bahamians, whether practicing Christians or not, to embrace this season of reflection and repentance with open hearts and receptive minds. May we allow it to be a time of personal transformation, and renewed commitment to living out the teachings of Christ humbly acknowledging the failings of our humanity, and vigorously celebrating the unwavering grace and mercy that God, in his lovingkindness, continues to bestow upon us. Faithfully Yours in Christ, Cooper.

PERRELL COOPER Nassau, February 14, 2024.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, February 15, 2024, PAGE 7

‘Do whatever it takes to fix confidence in Man charged with murder of Davinique country’s health institutions’, says Minnis

from page one Alphonso Lewis represented the accused.

Ms Johnson allegedly allowed Gamaliel Gray to stay at her residence on Samson Street and Lawton Avenue in early

January, knowing he was a fugitive for murder.

Gray allegedly killed Gerrard Coakley on January 2.

Major allegedly shot up Gray’s residence while she was inside on January 6, though police

believe Gamaliel was the intended target.

Major was told that his matter would be moved to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

His VBI is set for service on May 14.

MAN ACCUSED OF MURDER SENTENCED TO FOUR years’ prison for possession of a loaded gun

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MAN awaiting trial for murder was sentenced to four years in prison after he was found guilty of having a loaded gun yesterday.

Magistrate Lennox Coleby concluded the trial of Keno Stubbs, 23, for charges of possession of an unlicenced firearm and possession of ammunition.

Ian Jupp represented the defendant.

Stubbs was on bail for his alleged involvement in the shooting death of Timothy Saunders at Rubis Service Station on Mackey and Madeira Streets on May 2, 2022.

After reviewing the evidence against Stubbs in his firearm trial, Magistrate Coleby found him guilty.

Stubbs was sentenced to four years at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services and was informed of his right to appeal sentencing within seven days.

Another man was sentenced to 18 months in prison after admitting to having over 100 rounds of ammunition and quantities of dangerous drugs in his Dignity Gardens home last weekend.

Magistrate Algernon Allen Jr charged Leroy Hield, 35, with two counts of possession of

ammunition with intent to supply and two counts of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply.

Mark Penn represented the accused.

Police reportedly found Hield with 25 rounds of .380 ammunition and 102 rounds of 9mm ammunition in his residence around 5.30pm on February 10. Hield was also found with a quantity of cocaine, marijuana and ecstasy pills.

After pleading guilty, the accused was sentenced to 18 months in prison for the ammunition charges and 12 months in prison for the drug charges.

Both sentences are to run concurrently.

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

A TILE fell on the head of a nurse in the paediatric ward of Princess Margaret Hospital, former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday as he urged the government to do whatever it takes to prevent declining confidence in health institutions.

“Minister, the most important thing is we must not allow the confidence level in the institution to fall,” he said in the House of Assembly. “Because once that occurs, individuals will not go to the hospital; they will stay home, their disease prognosis will further deteriorate, and when they arrive at the hospital, they will arrive at a stage just before death. So, I ask you to kindly reverse that as much as possible.”

Dr Minnis expressed confidence in the staff of Princess Margaret Hospital, saying

their care is on par with international institutions.

Princess Margaret Hospital’s conditions have drawn public ire for decades.

The facility is in the second phase of renovations.

Health Minister Dr Michael Darville called issues at PMH “age-old problems”. He insisted that his ministry is committed to improving the infrastructure, adding that 70 per cent of the accident and emergency section is under renovation.

“The residents of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas must understand that the Princess Margaret Hospital is an institution that is more than 70 years old, and much of the infrastructure is crumbling, and we are doing all in our power to ensure that we keep the institution functioning,” he said.

“We commit to the Bahamian people to construct a new state-of-the-art facility in New Providence, and that is the way forward. But

while we are in the process of structuring a new facility, we must keep the Princess Margaret Hospital functioning to make sure that the infrastructural challenges that we are currently facing with an ageing institution are maintained.

“I am convinced that even though we have severe challenges, the Bahamian people can rest assured that we have very qualified individuals at our institutions, and these individuals are doing the best that we possibly can in these circumstances.

“What we do not want to do is to allow negativity to creep in, that shadow or foreshadow incompetence as it relates to our health care professionals. I stand on their shoulders to say, healthcare professionals who work in our public care institutions, both tertiary and primary healthcare, are doing the best that they can with the challenges that we currently face.”

Men’s March Movement

Woman Who allegedly abandoned her three underage children Was granted $9,000 bail

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MOTHER was granted $9,000 bail after she allegedly abandoned her three underaged children at home earlier this month.

Magistrate Kendra Kelly charged the 33-year-old defendant, whose name is

being withheld to protect the identity of the children, with three counts of cruelty to children.

The young mother allegedly left her 11 and two-year-old daughters and her seven-year-old son home alone on February 5, causing them unnecessary suffering.

The defendant allegedly

has a history of abandoning children.

After the woman pleaded not guilty to the charge, the prosecution raised no objections to her getting bail.

The woman must sign in at the East Street South Police Station every Wednesday by 6pm.

Her trial begins on May 1.

constitutional concerns over nationality act

A GROUP “patriotic” Bahamians being represented by Halson Mountie spoke to the press yesterday at the House of assembly about concerns over the constitutionality of citizenships awarded under The Bahamas Nationality Act. Photo: Jade Russell

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net FORMER Speaker of the House of Assembly Halson Moultrie is representing a group of Bahamians who reject the constitutionality of citizenships awarded under The Bahamas Nationality Act.

Mr Moultrie and group members spoke to reporters outside the House of Assembly yesterday.

They claimed that certain sections of the Bahamas Nationality Act are unlawful and filed a claim in the Supreme Court concerning this.

The application seeks a declaration that all

certificates of citizenship and certificates of naturalisation issued after July 10 1974, under sections five, six and nine, are of “no legal effect”.

The claimants include Sean Gardiner, Stephen Arthur McKinney, Sidney Thompson, Richard Cartwright, Phillippa Russell, Ricardo Thurston and Marvin Roy Johnson.

TEMPLE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

ENTRANCE EXAMINATION 2024-2025 On Saturday, February 17, 2024, Temple Christian School will hold its Entrance Examination for students entering grades 7,8,9 and 10.

TIME: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

LOCATION: High School Campus, Shirley Street Application forms are available at the High School Office and should be completed and returned to the school

by Friday, February 16, 2024.

The application fee is twenty-five dollars ($25).

For further information, please call telephone number: 394-4481/394-4484.

A PRESS conference was held at Bahamas Harvest Church yesterday to launch the Men’s March Movement, a project to foster solidarity, awareness, influence, engagement and change among men. Pastor Mario Moxey chairs the project. Directors include Golden Isles MP Vaughn Miller and St Barnabas MP Shanendon Cartwright, among others.

Photo: Moise Amisial

PAGE 8, Thursday, February 15, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

Signs of failure and dysfunction still plague us Many have become inured, indifferent and numb to the reality that this dysfunction of society and state is grossly abnormal.

LAST year there were 103 homicides in Greater London, with a population of approximately 8.9 million. The Bahamas, with approximately 400,000 people, had 110 murders, the majority of them on New Providence, with a population of approximately 300,000. Stabbing accounted for 65.05 percent of the homicides in London. The greater majority of homicides in The Bahamas are caused by guns.

Persistently high levels of social and government dysfunction are at the root of our high levels of crime and murder. Tragically, such dysfunction seems normal to many Bahamians and many in the political elite.

Many have become inured, indifferent and numb to the reality that this dysfunction of society and state is grossly abnormal.

This includes problems within the criminal justice system, often suffering from the same slackness, incompetence and inefficiency that marks both the public and private sectors.

Dame Anita Allen recently described some of the basic and myriad functional deficiencies and other problems in the system.

An example of how we have so normalised the mayhem is the messaging from tourism officials to visitors, the international media and tourism stakeholders: Yes, there is danger in various parts of New Providence. But if you stay in tourist areas you will be safe. It is a disturbing message to both Bahamians and tourists Does this mean that accommodation rental properties, retail stores, restaurants, and heritage and tour sites in non-tourist areas are unsafe for visitors

and that those Bahamians who make a living from tourists in these areas should find a new line of work?

Are the safe areas of New Providence now confined to the major resorts, Junkanoo Beach, parts of Bay and Shirley Streets, and a few other areas on our small island? Moreover, the simplistic mantra of some Bahamians that the killing is happening over there, but we will be safe over here, is nonsensical and insipid.

An even more telling example of dysfunction is our number of murders per 100,000. Like various other countries in the Caribbean, including, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines, the number of murders per 100,000 is in the double digits, among the highest in the world.

According to the World Population Review website, that number in 2022 for The Bahamas, was 31.22.

According to InSight Crime it was 32.00.

For that year, we were worse per 100,000 than two countries in the Americas

known for illicit drug production and trafficking namely, Mexico, at 25.5, according to the Mexican Statistical Agency, and Columbia, at 26.1, according to InSight Crime.

We keep aiming for first world status, yet our murder rate demonstrates that we are paralysed in significant ways in a third world mentality and status.

What will be the number of murders per thousand by the end of 2024?

Our number of murders per 100,000 is significantly higher than Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Indonesia, Norway, Oman, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, China, and a host of jurisdictions in the first world and global south.

What makes matters even more alarming is that our murders are overwhelmingly a problem on New Providence with a small population of only approximately 300,000. For a country the size of The Bahamas, the number of murders should be in the twenties. We have been five to seven times higher than that depending on the year.

A culture of violence has taken root. Many of us believe that disputes can be solved through violence and killing. We have difficulty interrupting the patterns that fuel violence in our major urban centre.

Blaming media coverage for the failures of the state and society is a sign of how lost many in the political directorate are in understanding and addressing crime. Public relations is never a substitute for public policy.

In a story entitled, “Year in Review: A drop in crime”, NationNews reported: “In 2023, Barbados experienced a

notable decrease in crime rates, particularly in homicides, which dropped from 43 in 2022 to 21 the subsequent year.

“This marked the lowest murder rate for the island nation in the past decade.

Police Commissioner Richard Boyce underscored the significant reduction, highlighting that the murder rate per capita for 2023 stood at 7 per 100 000, a considerable improvement from the 15 per 100,000 recorded in 2022.”

Note: Barbados brought its murder rate to the single digits in terms of per 100,000, while The Bahamas remains in the double digits. Barbados has a population of approximately 280,000.

NationNews noted: “A pivotal turning point in crime reduction was attributed to a truce brokered between two prominent gangs in February 2023.

“Over 200 individuals from different blocks and communities, facilitated by the government’s intervention, gathered in Chapman Lane, The City, to pledge an end to the longstanding conflict. Winston “Iston Bull” Branch, a respected figure in Chapman Lane, played a role in mediating the truce.”

The site also noted the introduction of various social intervention measures, which many have pleaded with and begged successive Bahamas governments to implement.

“Following the truce, Lane’s Ministry, under the Attorney General’s Office, attempted to further address the crime situation through social interventions. In April, the National Peace Programme was launched, focusing on helping at-risk youth get on track and steering them

away from a life of crime and violence.

“Another highly-touted social intervention programme by the police commissioner was The Prince’s Trust International Team Programme. This 12-week development initiative targeted at-risk young persons between the ages of 16 and 25, teaching life skills and how to build resilience, while introducing them to tools enabling responsible societal membership.

“Boyce said the success of the programme and turned the lives around of many at- risk youth.” Why will no Bahamas prime minister take targeted social interventions on crime and violence more seriously!?

Many are exasperated that successive governments have failed to introduce a comprehensive social intervention infrastructure, a number of components of which have been referenced in numerous columns and commentary by this writer and others.

Our Today in Jamaica reported on January, 16: “Statistics from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) indicate that as of January 13, there have been 33 murders recorded in 2024.

“According to the JCF, the same number of murders were recorded during the same period last year, which means that murders have neither increased nor decreased for the period.

Caribbean National Weekly (CNW) reported last week that Prime Minister Andrew Holness “said serious crime was down by 11 percent last year, murders down by 8 percent, rapes down 15 percent.

Across the board, he said, crime was at a 22-year low.”

The Sand Pedro Sun in Belize reported on January 5th: “…The total murder count for the year [2023] was 85, the lowest for Belize since 2005, dropping Belize’s murder rate per 100,000 residents to 19.1.

The reduction in violent crime is considered very

positive for the country’s public safety efforts, as the murder rate in recent years has been over 100 per year.

“The Commissioner of Police (ComPol), Chester Williams, said that from the time he took the post as head of the Belize Police Department (BPD), his goal has been to reduce the number of murders to under 100. “‘While we came very close in terms of going a bit north of the 100, we were never able to keep the figures south of 100. But for the first time in my five-year tenure as commissioner and the first time since 2013, we are seeing the figures south of 100.’”

For the year so far, with a population of approximately 400,000, Belize has had approximately 13 to 15 murders.

Last week, The Nassau Guardian reported comments by former Prime Minister Perry Christie on crime: “So, clearly, it’s a question of governance and effective governance and putting that in place and making sure that you are responding to the needs of the people.

He emphasised: “We know that a holistic approach is necessary.” The journal also noted: “The highest recorded murder toll in Bahamian history was in 2015, when “Christie was prime minister. That year, 146 murders were recorded.”

Does Mr Christie realise the mind-numbing irony of his comments concerning the failure of governance by him and other leaders on crime over these many years? What he and others failed to do has helped to bring us to this terrible place.

A gnawing and disturbing question is how has our failure to act in various areas of public policy, social intervention, and criminal justice helped fuel and exacerbate the abnormal, dysfunctional state in which we find ourselves?

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Biden should be wary of underestimating Trump PAGE 10, Thursday, February 15, 2024

“WOW. What a weekend.

Too many more like this one and we’re finished.”

The speaker was a liberal friend, a Democratic loyalist and a Joe Biden apologist. These things often go together nowadays. And it was indeed a rough several days for the Dems and their embattled old president. But there’s hope. It was provided as usual by his opponent.

The biggest anxietyproducing development came with the release of an investigation of Biden’s possible mishandling of classified documents during his lengthy government service. The investigation was led by a little-known lawyer named Robert Hur. Hur, 51, is a graduate of Harvard, Cambridge and Stanford Universities, has been a partner in the Washington offices of two national US law firms and clerked for former Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist. He was born in New York city to parents from South Korea. Now he’s a headline-maker all over the country.

Hur was also the Trumpappointed US Attorney for Maryland. He took over when Rod Rosenstein moved to the US Department of Justice under Trump’s first attorney general Jeff Sessions.

Remember him?

He was the former Alabama senator who recused himself from the investigation of Trump’s Russian influence scandal instead of killing it on behalf of Trump, as the president preferred. For this offence, he was relentlessly emasculated by Trump, then ultimately fired.

Trump also sabotaged Sessions’ subsequent bid to return to the Senate, favoring instead former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville, a man with no prior policy or political experience who was of course elected. Alabama really loves Trump.

THE TRIBUNE

STATESIDE with Charlie Harper Tuberville is the same senator who became a household word by holding up promotions affecting 450 senior US military officers and their families for nine months in protest of a Pentagon abortion policy, which remained nonetheless unchanged when he finally gave up his holds in December.

Anyhow, Hur has been known as a moderate Republican in Washington.

So it was a bit of a surprise when he concluded his investigation of Biden with the conclusion that the president should face no charges because “we have also considered that, at trial, Mr Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory”.

Ouch. That conclusion echoes the most reliable attack line Trump and his associates have been able to develop against Biden.

Using dogged persistence that has previously proven successful, the GOP has long picked at the president’s gaffes and verbal missteps and hesitations as evidence of senescence and unsuitability for reelection.

Hur, appointed by attorney general Merrick Garland, reinforced exactly that line of criticism. Hur’s report provoked a wave of reaction from all over the political spectrum.

“Because of his public appearances and interviews and speeches, people already have the sense that he is what he seems to be — he’s an old man and he’s struggling,” said

Scott Jennings, a Republican strategist speaking with reporters. “When you already have that sense, and then an official government investigator comes along and says, ‘Let me just confirm everything you thought,’ it’s devastating.”

An ABC News poll last month found that 28 percent of Americans said Biden has the mental acuity necessary to serve effectively as president, while 47 percent said Trump does.

Another poll taken late last year in Wisconsin found that 57 percent of registered voters said the phrase “too old to be president” describes Biden very well, while 23 percent said the same for Trump.

So this problem for Biden intensifies. Even his staunchest media supporters are worried. The editorial board of the Washington Post, always mindful of trying to be fair, said “voter concerns about Mr. Biden’s age and mental acuity are not only widespread but also perfectly legitimate. Those concerns will keep dogging his candidacy. It’s up to the president to convince the people that he is still up to the job.”

The Post has, however, not forgotten Biden’s greatest asset – his opponent.

“It’s also up to everyone to consider Mr Biden’s flaws not in the abstract, but relative to those of his opponent. The Hur report did not change that basic reality, either.”

The editorial board of the New York Times flayed Biden for his hesitant, reclusive public posture.

“As it stands, Biden has had

less substantive, unscripted interaction with the public and the press than any other president in recent memory. In the 100 years since Calvin Coolidge took office, only Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan held as few news conferences each year as the current occupant of the Oval Office.

“As of late January, Biden had also given fewer interviews than the last six presidents - only 86.

Mr. Trump gave 300, and Barack Obama gave 422.”

The current uproar has reminded pundits that the 2020 presidential election campaign, conducted while the country faced the active threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, perfectly enabled Biden to appear only infrequently in public. Trump and the Republicans bashed him for “running from his basement in Delaware”. They weren’t altogether wrong, even though Biden did ultimately defeat Trump by a pretty healthy margin overall.

Now, though, the pandemic has passed. It certainly looks like in order to win in November, Biden will need to start campaigning with voters and subject himself to many more unrehearsed interactions. Town halls and more press conferences and interviews are also prescribed to revive his campaign.

Back in 2016, Hillary Clinton essentially bet that Trump was such an outrageous, undisciplined buffoon that simply the fact of not being him would suffice to ensure her election.

We know how that turned out. She forgot that during the course of eight years in her husband’s White House and subsequent service in the Senate, she had generated widespread voter dislike.

In 2020, Trump ran as a president who lived both up and down to his campaign promises, demeanor and behaviour. In response, Biden made the same bet as Hillary – that since he was not Trump, he would prevail. Four years ago, that bet paid off.

Now, Democrats and their allies all over the country are pressing Biden not to repeat Hillary’s mistake. Trump has defiantly

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN continued being Trump, so deployed serving our counthere seems to be ample try, something you know conventional evidence to nothing about.” She added: support Biden in his belief. “Someone (like Trump) But still, the polls do sug- who continually disrespects gest that the incumbent will the sacrifices of military have to do more than just families has no business his job to ensure reelection. being commander in chief.”

Biden and GOP primary Haley’s army reservcontender Nikki Haley ist husband Michael is have been sharpening their deployed overseas in Djicriticisms of the much- bouti, in the Horn of Africa, indicted and now at least as a member of South Carothrice-convicted Trump. lina’s national guard.

Both Biden and Haley are But Trump’s outrageouspicking away at Trump’s ness is not news. Nor is his fragile vanity, at least partly admiration for Russian in the hope of provok- president Vladimir Putin. ing him into increasingly Still, he managed to elicit damaging and “unhinged” new outrage with his latest responses. witless comments about It seems that one of the Russia and NATO. most effective insults to use Trump said Saturday he in this context is a simple would encourage Russia one: Both of Trump’s rivals to “do whatever the hell are starting to call him a they want” if it attacked a “loser”. While the naturally NATO country that didn’t refined and genteel Haley is allot as much for defense slower to hurl insults, that and overall military prepais changing. Trump has suc- ration and preparedness as ceeded in inciting her. the US does.

Campaigning in the GOP His comments drew primary in Haley’s home fierce backlash from some state of South Carolina over Republicans, the White the weekend, Trump asked House and leading West“where’s Haley’s husband? ern officials, with the head Oh, he’s away, he’s away. of NATO even suggesting What happened to her hus- they could put the lives band? What happened to of American and Euroher husband? Where is he? pean soldiers at greater He’s gone.” risk. Such outspokenness Addressing an angry in European public stateresponse to Trump, Haley ments about American said on Twitter that politics is highly unusual.

“Michael (her husband) is But so is Trump.

SPORTS PAGE 15

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024

Rattlers, Stingrays GSSSA champions

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

T

he CV Bethel Stingrays and CI Gibson Rattlers both won their game threes in convincing fashion to take the senior girls and boys titles yesterday in the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA) basketball championships.

The Stingrays completed the task first, blowing out the CR Walker Knights 67-45 at the Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium. The Rattlers earned the senior boys’ trophy for the second straight year against the Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves, defeating them 58-47.

Senior Girls The Stingrays were left with a bitter taste in their mouths following a narrow game two loss to the Knights on Tuesday.

However, a 22-point drubbing was the final blow the team needed to put away the pesky Knights once and for all.

Shantelle Rolle, head coach of CV Bethel, was relieved to finally be able to celebrate after a disappointing loss on Tuesday night.

“It’s a great feeling, last night was very disappointing. We went over our game from yesterday. We watched it on the screen and I came out tonight and made some adjustments.

Instead of pressing full court we pulled back on 3-2 and slowed the game down a little bit so they could play at our pace,” the coach said.

The new defensive scheme paid dividends for the Stingrays who held the Knights to single digits in three straight quarters to start the game. They went into the second quarter only leading 7-6 but a strong offensive showing in the following period propelled them to a 28-15 lead at the half.

Trinity Bodie, who came away as the MVP of the series, scored seven of her 17 points in the first half.

CI Gibson senior boys and CV Bethel senior girls win titles

TIME TO CELEBRATE: The CV Bethel Stingrays (top) and CI Gibson Rattlers proudly display the senior girls and boys trophies for the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA) basketball championships last night.

Photos: Tenajh Sweeting/Tribune Staff Coach Rolle said the came out tremendously, but this time without their After only being down by one in the opening quarter, support was tremendous the band, the students and assistant coach - the late Craig “Rambo” Smith the teachers,” she said. the Knights trailed the rest for the team.

The team is hoping to on the bench. The team “First of all it starts with of the game and got outscored 39-30 in the second my principal. I have A1 celebrate the champion- went down 0-1 to start the half. The CV Bethel stu- support from my principal ship win with a motorcade. series but with the name Senior Boys “Rambo” stitched onto dent body showed up and as long as the captain It was an emotional vic- their jerseys, they pulled in droves for their team has support the other crew during the best-of-three will follow. I really want to tory for the Rattlers who thank our CV cast. They won back-to-back titles SEE PAGE 17 championship series.

SPORTS CALENDAR RUGBY MATCH DAY THE Bahamas Rugby Union is inviting the public to come out and watch its match day on Sunday when the Bahamas Renegades are set to take on the visiting James River Rugby Football Club at noon at the Winton rugby field.

Food and drinks will be on sale.

TRACK FINAL WALK WITH ‘HAWK’ THE general public is being asked to take a final walk with ‘Hawk’ as family and friends pay a special tribute to the late Alpheus ‘Hawk’ Finlayson.

The public is invited to join a special celebration of the life and legacy of Finlayson on Thursday, February 29 from 7-10pm at the Crypto Isle (formerly Luciano’s) on East Bay Street.

For more information, persons are asked to contact Stanley Mitchell at 8166619 or Quinton Curry at 565-1178.

Feb. 2024

FAST TRACK INVITATIONAL FAST Track Athletics announced that its third annual Spring Invitational will take place over the weekend of May 10 and May 11 at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex. The entry fee will be $10 for adults and $5 for children. For more information, persons are asked to contact 242-727-6826 or fasttrackmanagamentoo@gmail.com BAHAMAS BAPTIST SPORTS FEDERATION RUN/WALK IN their relaunch of the Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation, formerly the Bahamas Sports Council, a Family Fun Run/Walk will be held on Saturday, February 17 at the William Thompson Auditorium on Jean Street.

The event, to be held in honour of the Rev Dr Philip McPhee - the 11th president of the Bahamas Baptist Missionary and Educational Conventional - is scheduled to begin at 6am.

DEVYNNE CHARLTON TO RECEIVE $10,000 FOR WORLD RECORD FEAT

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net HIGH praises have continued to rain down on Devynne Charlton, the newest 60 metres hurdles world indoor record holder.

She has not only garnered the attention of those within the track and field community but also the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, which will award her $10,000 for her remarkable feat as announced yesterday

by Minister Mario Bowleg in the House of Assembly.

Clocking 7.67 at the Millrose Games over the weekend, Charlton broke the 16-year-old record of 7.68 seconds that was set by Susanna Kallur in Germany in 2008.

The World Indoor silver medallist not only etched her name in the history books but also took down her previous national record of 7.75 seconds previously set in January.

For Minister Bowleg, this major accomplishment could not go unnoticed.

“In recognition of her outstanding accomplishment it is my honour to announce that my ministry will be presenting Ms Devynne Charlton with a $10,000 token of appreciation. Madam Speaker, this is just a small gesture compared to the magnitude of her achievement but it symbolises our unwavering support and admiration for her remarkable talent and dedication,” the minister said.

Minister Bowleg added that Charlton’s latest achievement is truly a testament that sports can change lives. “Devynne joined the scores of other Bahamians who continue to make us all proud. This triumph is not just for Devynne but for every Bahamian as her success fills us with immense pride and inspiration that we are on our way up.

“Devynne’s remarkable victory is a showing of her dedication and resilience.

With her recent achievements, she has set a new standard of excellence and demonstrated to the world the limitless potential of Bahamian athletes,” he said.

After her record-setting performance in New York,

SEE PAGE 19

AFTER ALMOST 15 YEARS, NATIONAL SURFING TEAM GETTING READY TO RIDE WAVES IN PUERTO RICO IT HAS been almost 15 years since a Bahamian national surfing team last existed and Abaconians Chris Albury, Joey Gale and Luke Prosa will end that streak in potentially spectacular fashion on February 23 over the notorious reef breaks of Arecibo, Puerto Rico.

The city hosts the International Surfing Association’s World Surfing Games where up to seven men’s spots in this summer’s Olympic Games are up for grabs.

“Our waves are similar enough to Puerto Rico so that gives [us] an edge over more distant locales,” said former national team surfer Tim Albury.

Albury competed in the 1988 World Surfing Championships in Rincon, Puerto Rico, and was part of a golden age in Bahamian competitive surfing

BAHAMAS ISA World Surfing Games team members Chris Albury (2nd from left), Joey Gale (far right) and Luke Prosa. which included Jeff Gale at Arecibo a year ago as he (Joey’s dad), Scott Patter- streamed the ISA El Salson and other Elbow Cay vador event. natives.

“I’ve always liked surfThe boomerang-shaped ing. I’ve been doing it my cay remains a driving force whole life. I just want to in Bahamian surfing with represent my country, all three surfers bound for it’s always been a goal of Puerto Rico hailing from mine,” he said. the eight-mile-long island.

Chris Albury, 26, took aim SEE PAGE 17

PAGE 16, Thursday, February 15, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

CHAMPIONS CROWNED IN GBTA BAHAMA PURE TENNIS TOURNAMENT THE Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) congratulates the winners of the GBTA Bahama Pure Water and Ice tournament in beautiful Grand Bahama.

The winners and runnersup are as follows : U12 Girls Winner - Marina Bostwick Runner-Up - Danielle Saunders U12 Boys Winner - Da’Shan Gardiner Runner-Up - Kingston Rees 14U Girls Winner - Kaylah Fox Runner-Up - Briana Houlgrave U14 Boys Winner - Synaj Watkins Runner-Up - Ayai Bethel U16 Girls Winner- Kaylah Fox Runner-Up- Sarai Clarke (MVP) U16 Boys Winner- Alec Hooper (MVP) Runner-Up- Cohen Knowles U18 Girls Winner- Jalisa Clarke Runner-Up -Sarai Clarke U18 Boys Winner- Alec Hooper Runner-Up- Miguel Smith Sportsmanship Awards Girl- Ellie Nash Boy- Dylan Skyes Special mention to the tournament’s double crown winners Kaylah Fox (U14 and U16) and Alec Hooper (U16 and U18).

Greg Laroda, president of the GBTA, was on hand, along with executives, to present the winners of the first Grand Bahama tournament of 2024.

We look forward to the next junior calendar event in Nassau, Bahamas, “Spring Classic” March 22-26, which will be held at the National Tennis Centre.

Continue to shine tennis juniors!

TIGER WOODS WEARING MANY HATS AT RIVIERA. HE JUST DOESN’T HAVE MANY ANSWERS

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tiger Woods is wearing a lot of hats at the Genesis Invitational — one of them featuring a new logo — without a lot of clarity on the state of his game or the future of the PGA Tour.

Woods joined the PGA Tour board last summer and has been involved in negotiations that led to Strategic Sports Group becoming a minority investor in a deal worth as much as $3 billion. Still unclear is where that leaves the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, the financial backer of LIV Golf. “Ultimately we would like to have PIF be a part of our tour and a part of our product,” Woods said yesterday at Riviera. “Financially, we don’t right now. And the monies that they have come to the table with, and what we initially had agreed to in the framework agreement, those are all the same numbers. Anything beyond this is going to be obviously over and above.”

As for his game, Woods said his speed is not the

same with a 48-year-old body that includes a fused lower spine and a fused right ankle.

“I built this golf swing the last few years ... based on my hands and what that feels like,” he said. “What that looks like, sometimes it doesn’t look pretty, but I can still hit the ball flush.”

That hasn’t translated at Riviera, the course he has played the most times as a pro (12) without winning.

The short answer on why is that he’s never putted well here.

But he was clear when it came to launching his new “Sun Day Red” brand with TaylorMade Golf after 27 years with Nike. Asked what would become of his “TW” logo from Nike that he often wore on the front of his cap and back of his shirt, Woods said he doesn’t get that back.

“I don’t want it back. I’ve moved on,” he said. “This is a transition in my life. I’ve moved on to ‘Sun Day Red’ and we’re looking forward to building a brand that elicits excitement.”

The other hat — host of the Genesis Invitational — requires little commentary.

TIGER Woods hold his putter on the eighth green during the Genesis Invitational pro-am golf event at Riviera Country Club yesterday.

(AP Photo/Ryan Kang) Riviera has been one of the premier stops on the PGA Tour for 60 years, and now it is a signature event that offers a $20 million purse.

The player-hosted events — Riviera, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Memorial — award $4 million to the winner (compared with $3.6 million for other signature events), though it also comes with a 36-hole cut to the top 50 and ties, and anyone within 10 shots of the lead.

The field is as strong as any this side of a major.

The course has held up

remarkably well despite two “atmospheric rivers” that dumped heavy rain on Los Angeles.

The course, a rectangular piece of property between the tony Brentwood neighbourhood and Sunset Boulevard, is a haven for pure iron players and Woods has long been among the best.

But he has only three top 10s at Riviera, and only one serious chance at winning, finishing two shots behind Ernie Els in 1999. Most telling about Woods and Riviera was the end of 1999 and early 2000. Woods had 10 out of 11 starts on the PGA Tour when he either won or finished second. The exception was Riviera. He tied for 18th.

“I have traditionally not putted well here,” he said.

“I’ve driven it well here.

There are small greens and traditionally throughout my entire career my iron game has been pretty good, but I have never really gotten hot with the putter at this course.”

His health is good enough that he hopes to play at least once a month through the majors. The Genesis

Invitational is his first PGA Tour-sanctioned event since the Masters.

Woods was walking fine (the shoes are prototype TaylorMade, but he abandoned the Nike swoosh after his February 2021 car crash in Los Angeles).

He began his pro-am with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Los Angeles Angels outfielder Aaron Hicks by holing a 12-foot eagle putt on the first hole.

He talks about a “W” being nice, but that’s always the case. Since his last PGA Tour victory in Japan at the end of 2019, only once has Woods finished closer than 15 shots of the winner.

That was at Torrey Pines in 2020, when he was six shots behind.

“In talking to him over the offseason, he was as enthusiastic as I’ve ever heard him,” Notah Begay III said from the PGA Tour Champions event in Florida. “He understands what his limitations are.

Ten years ago, 15 years ago, there were no limitations on Tiger Woods. Now he understands, and that’s fine.

He’s not the longest ... but he’s way above average. So

it’s just kind of like, can he piece it together at the right time? We’ll see.”

Woods still attracts a big crowd, and that’s expected when the tournament starts today.

“I’m just happy to see the man not limping as much,” Max Homa said. “It’s pretty amazing what he brings to an event with his presence on the golf course. ... You have less people watching you play golf, but there are more people watching golf, which is cool.”

He still rules golf to the point this is one week the chatter about all the top players being divided among the PGA Tour and LIV Golf gets overshadowed.

Woods said the deal with SSG and ongoing negotiations with the PIF include “different models for pathways back” — a reference to the potential of LIV players rejoining the PGA Tour.

“What that looks like, what the impact is for the players who have stayed and how we make our product better going forward, there is no answer to that right now,” he said.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, February 15, 2024, PAGE 17

Top swimmers represent The Bahamas in mixed 4x100m medley relay

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net THE World Aquatics Championships saw all of Team Bahamas’ swimmers in action yesterday in the mixed 4x100m Medley Relay.

Marvin Johnson also competed in the men’s 100m freestyle in Doha, Qatar. The 18-year-old hit the waters in heat eight out of 12 for the event.

Swimming out of lane six, he had the third fastest time in the heat with 51.01 seconds. He split times of 24.78 and 26.23 to culminate the race at 51.01 seconds. Out of the 12 heats, Johnson ended ranked 42nd out of 108 competitors. The event’s finals are scheduled for today.

The quartet of Lamar Taylor (backstroke), Rhanishka Gibbs (breaststroke), Johnson (butterfly) and Victoria Russell (freestyle) concluded the 4x100m mixed relay event ranked 24th out of 32 competitors.

Taylor got things started for The Bahamas with times of 27.36 seconds and 29.46 seconds. Gibbs took over and totalled times of 33.06 seconds and 39.36

FOR YOU ‘RAMBO’: It was an emotional victory for the CI Gibson Rattlers senior boys last night. With the name “Rambo” on their jerseys - in memory and honour of their assistant coach Craig “Rambo” Smith - they earned the trophy for the second straight year, defeating the Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves 58-47.

GSSSA CHAMPIONS FROM PAGE 15

TEAM Bahamas continues competition at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar. BahamIan swimmers Victoria Russell, Rhaniskha Gibbs, Lamar Taylor and Marvin Johnson (above) with their coach Camron Bruney. seconds. Johnson split times of 25.66 seconds and 31.28 seconds and Russell clocked 28.28 seconds and finally 32.45 seconds to complete the relay at 4:06.91.

Team Bahamas will resume competing on Friday. Taylor, who won bronze at the Pan Am Games, is set to swim in the men’s 50m freestyle and men’s 50m backstroke

on Friday and Saturday respectively. Johnson and Russell will also take the waters on Friday.

The Commonwealth Youth Games silver medallist will swim in the men’s 100m butterfly.

Meanwhile, Russell will join competitors in the women’s 50m butterfly.

Her final event will be the women’s 50m breaststroke on Saturday. Gibbs will

wrap up the World Aquatics Championships in the women’s 50m freestyle.

The four-member team got their stint at the World Championships which started on Sunday.

Taylor finished 40th overall in the men’s 50m butterfly with a time of 24.85 seconds. The 17-yearold Gibbs ranked 38th in the women’s 100m breaststroke. She clocked 1:12.27.

Russell is the lone competitor waiting to swim in an individual event.

The World Aquatics Championships serves as a qualifier for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

Team Bahamas is coached

by Camron Bruney and Gena Culmer-Taylor serves as the team manager. The swimming segment of the championships concludes on February 18.

A NIGHT OF FIRSTS AT THE WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS IN DOHA DOHA, Qatar (AP) — It was a night of firsts at the World Aquatics Championships.

Siobhán Haughey of Hong Kong captured her first long-course world title in the women’s 200-metre freestyle yesterday. Ditto for Japan’s Tomoru Honda, who claimed the biggest victory of his career in the 200 butterfly.

That’s not all.

Daniel Wiffen used a strong finishing kick to capture the men’s 800 freestyle — Ireland’s first medal ever at the world championships.

And Sam Williamson gave powerhouse Australia its first swimming gold of the competition in the 50 breaststroke.

For British star Adam Peaty, it was another disappointment at the Aspire Dome after a long layoff to deal with mental health issues. The world-record holder finished fourth in the 50 breast, just missing the podium after a thirdplace showing in the 100 breast.

Haughey, a three-time champion at the shortcourse worlds, finally touched first in the big pool after years of close calls.

She was the Olympic silver medallist in both the 100 and 200 free at the Tokyo Games, in addition to a runner-up finish in the 100 free at last summer’s world championships in Fukuoka.

Also, Haughey finished fourth in the 200 free — just off the podium — at both the 2019 and 2023 worlds.

“This really means a lot to me,” she said. “It’s nice to finally see the No. 1 next to my name.”

Haughey added to a bronze medal she won a day earlier in the 100 breaststroke, a surprising result in an event she swam “just for fun.”

She will face a much stiffer challenge at the Paris Olympics, where the 200 free will include Australian stars Mollie O’Callaghan and Ariarne Titmus, who were among the many noshows for Doha.

“I feel like I can do a lot better,” Haughey said.

“Paris is the main target, so hopefully tweak and fine-tune some things the next few months and I can have an even better swim in Paris.”

The first swimmer from Hong Kong to capture an Olympic medal was under world-record pace through 150 metres and held on at the end to win in one minute, 54.89 seconds. She finished well off O’Callaghan’s mark of 1:52.85 set at last year’s worlds. The silver went to New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather at 1:55.77, giving her another medal after a victory in the 400 free.

Australia’s Brianna Throssell took the bronze at 1:56.00.

SURFING

Association and collecting donations.

“It sparked a lot of people, and we got ideas,” said Chris, who partnered with friend Ben Patterson, part of the Bahamas’ World Surfing Games support squad, to knock on some 40 doors.

“It became clear early on it’s very expensive to get to the required events needed to participate in for the chance to get the [Olympic] slots as they are spread all over the world,” added Tim Albury.

With surfing now an officially recognised Olympic sport, most people interviewed hoped that funding would be more available to this generation of Bahamian surfers.

Current BSA vice president Attila Feszt has bridged the gap between

FROM PAGE 15

Working with Joey Gale, 22, and in between work schedules, the two surfers have organised local contests in preparation for Puerto Rico and to generate interest once more in a Bahamian surf team.

“We’ve been trying to get it going for a while,” Joey said. “Now is the right time to do it.”

With strong community support, the island is famous for its ‘Hope Town Strong’ slogan. After all, the two surfers have helped raise funds for the cost of the entire trip through contest cookouts, a GoFundMe campaign and even went door-to-door in Hope Town one day, spreading word of the reborn Bahamas Surf

ARKADIOS ASPOUGALIS, of Greece, prepares to compete in the mixed 4x100m medley heat at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) Honda, who was the silver medallist in the 200 fly at the Tokyo Olympics and bronze medallist in the event at the last two worlds, was first this time in 1:53.88.

“I’m so happy,” Honda said.

Italy’s Alberto Razzetti claimed the silver in 1:54.65, with the bronze going to Austria’s Martin Espernberger at 1:55.16.

Wiffen used a strong finishing kick in the gruelling 800 free to capture the historic gold for Ireland in 7:40.94.

“I really wanted to win this one,” said Wiffen, the short-course world record holder in the 800 free.

Elijah Winnington of Australia claimed the silver at 7:42.95, while Italy’s

Gregorio Paltrinieri — the 2019 world champion in the event — faded at the end to settle for bronze in 7:42.98.

Australia, which sent a small team to Doha that didn’t include most of its top stars, finally reached the top of the medal podium with Williamson’s victory in the 50 breast.

He touched first at 26.32 in the furious dash from one end of the pool to the other, followed by Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi (26.39) and American Nic Fink (26.49).

“I’m really at a loss for words,” Williamson said.

“Just getting a chance to race these guys, they’re my heroes. It’s pretty special.”

Peaty was a bit further back at 26.77.

GARBONZO’s Masters 2024 High Wave Score Chris Albury (left) and overall winner Scooter show off the BSA colours on Elbow Cay, Abaco, February 10. the Bahamas’ last foray into the surf world we are still international competition here,” he said.

Feszt, 47, relocated to – 2009 in Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica - to the present Hope Town from New day where he’s bent the ear Providence in 2005 and has of the busy ISA, assem- taken the BSA inter island bled a functioning board with Eleuthera and New and persevered to get the Providence now developBSA official recognition ing surfers with one eye on once more. “I’m excited future travel teams.

“Initially I didn’t want about bringing our island nation back into the global to get involved,” said Tom surf arena and to remind Glucksmann, who runs a

Fink returned for the final event of the night, helping the U.S. to a dominating victory in the mixed 4x100 medley relay.

Fink, Hunter Armstrong, Claire Curzan and Kate Douglass posted a time of 3:40.22, nearly three seconds ahead of silver medallist Australia at 3:43.12. Britain took the bronze in 3:45.09.

At the halfway point of eight days of swimming in Doha, the Americans lead the table with five golds and 10 medals overall.

HIGH DIVING Rhiannan Iffland of Australia won her fourth straight world title in women’s high diving. The 32-year-old Iffland finished with 342.00 points off the 20-metre tower at Doha Old Port.

Canada took the next two spots on the podium in the non-Olympic event, with Molly Carlson claiming silver at 320.70 and Jessica Macauley grabbing bronze at 320.35. American Kaylea Arnett finished fourth.

The men’s final, from the 27-metre tower, is today.

France’s Gary Hunt led after the first two rounds.

WATER POLO The United States and Hungary advanced to the Friday final in women’s water polo.

In the semifinals, the Americans knocked off Spain 11-9 and Hungary defeated Greece 13-11.

surf school on Eleuthera, “But I thought at this stage of my life maybe it could be fun, and we’ve got junior surfers and more interest here too.”

Glucksmann, 51, also of New Providence, is travelling to Puerto Rico as part of the squad’s support team which includes Feszt, Patterson and Chloe Sweeting. “[It’s] definitely gonna be crazy to be there with our guys representing,” said Sweeting, a gold medallist sailor in last year’s Bahamas Games, and a behind-the-scenes force for the surf team.

Luke Prosa, 17, is the youngest team member and has been putting in recent big wave training sessions at the famous Garbonzo’s surf break on Elbow Cay. “I’ve never visited Puerto Rico, never surfed there,”

off consecutive hardfought wins to down the Timberwolves 2-1.

Kevin “KJ” Johnson, Rattlers head coach, became overwhelmed by a rush of emotions as he talked about why this championship was so important to the team.

“First of all I want to thank God for the opportunity to coach these young men. Our assistant coach Rambo, we lost him earlier to a heart attack but we dedicate this season to him and the boys fought hard. Anatol Rodgers is a very good team [with] tough guys. They never gave up and shot the ball extremely well but we did it for Rambo,” coach Johnson said.

Similar to game two, it was a low-scoring affair between both teams in the first quarter. However, Anatol managed to create a three-point margin (10-7) on the scoreboard. The Rattlers then locked in and ran ahead 33-23 with 1:11 remaining in the second quarter. During this period, the team had their biggest scoring output of the game with 29 points compared to 16 from the Timberwolves.

Just when it looked like the Rattlers were firmly in charge of the ball game, the Timberwolves mounted what appeared to be a comeback. After trailing by 13 (41-28), they erased the deficit to just eight points going into the final period.

“We knew they were gonna make a run but at the end of the day we wanted to play the type of defence we are capable of playing and we did that,” Johnson said.

The Timberwolves were reinvigorated to start the fourth quarter. They kept attacking the Rattlers defence and came within six (51-45) with 1:59 left to go.

Despite a last minute surge, the champions scored back-to-back layups to shut down the Timberwolves for another year.

Tashan Butler was electric on offence. He dropped a game-high 27 points with 12 scored in the second quarter. He was named the MVP of the series.

The GSSSA basketball champions are the CH Reeves Raptors (junior girls), DW Davis Royals (junior boys), Stingrays (senior girls) and Rattlers (senior boys).

Next up for the GSSSA will be the track and field meet scheduled for February 28 to March 1.

he said. “I’m gonna go out and have fun, represent my country, hopefully catch some good waves, you know, if I can.”

Prosa was eliminated before the final of Saturday’s Garbonzo’s Masters contest where Joey finished second and Chris fourth in bumpy five to six-foot waves. Once in Arecibo, the squad may have to wait over a week as contest organisers have a 10-day window and will hope for a big winter swell to create conditions similar to Teahupo’o, Tahiti where surfing, making just its second appearance as an Olympic sport, will be staged as part of the Olympics.

“Focused,” Chris said about his current mindset.

“It’s been a lot of fundraising, and now it’s surfing.”

PAGE 18, Thursday, February 15, 2024

THE TRIBUNE

76ers’ Hield posts double double - 22 points, 10 assists - in 109-104 loss to Heat

By ANTHONY SANFILIPPO Associated Press PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bam Adebayo had 23 points and 14 rebounds to help the Miami Heat beat the Philadelphia 76ers 109104 last night in the final game for both teams before the NBA All-Star break.

Adbebayo’s thundering dunk capped off a 10-2 run in the fourth quarter that gave Miami a lead it never relinquished.

Tyler Herro also had 23 points, and Duncan Robinson added 20 in the Heat’s fourth victory in five games.

Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points for Philadelphia.

Chavano “Buddy” Hield had 22 points, 10 assists, three rebounds and two steals.

And Paul Reed, filling in for the injured Joel Embiid (left knee meniscus procedure), added 18 points and 12 rebounds.

With Miami down a point, Haywood Highsmith hit a 3-pointer, Herro made

a running layup, Robinson hit another 3-pointer and Adebayo had the dunk on four straight possessions for Miami.

Maxey briefly left the court hobbled after Reed stepped on his ankle, and the Heat took a one-point lead after three quarters. Maxey returned for the fourth quarter, but Philadelphia missed six of seven shots and had two turnovers.

Kyle Lowry, who signed with Philadelphia on Tuesday and played for the Heat earlier this season, was unavailable.

Philadelphia also played without Nico Batum (left hamstring strain), Robert Covington (left knee bone bruise), Tobias Harris (left hip impingement) and De’Anthony Melton (back; lumbar spine stress response).

Miami was without Jimmy Butler (personal reasons), Josh Richardson (right shoulder dislocation), Terry Rozier (right knee sprain) and Dru Smith (right knee surgery).

MIAMI Heat’s Duncan Robinson (55) goes up for a shot against Philadelphia 76ers’ Chavano “Buddy” Hield (17) as Haywood Highsmith looks on during the first half of an NBA basketball game last night in Philadelphia.

(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

TRAIL BLAZERS’ AYTON HAS DOUBLE DOUBLE - 22 POINTS AND 16 REBOUNDS - IN 121-109 LOSS TO TIMBERWOLVES

By ANNE M PETERSON AP Sports Writer PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Anthony Edwards didn’t think he could play against the Trail Blazers. Then he scored 41 points.

Edwards shook off the right knee soreness that he felt going into Tuesday night’s game at Portland and helped lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 121-109 victory.

“At the last second I was like, ‘I’m going to try it out,’ because I wasn’t going to go tonight,” Edwards said. “But like I said, at the last second I was ‘I’m gonna try it out, see how I feel,’ and it felt good.”

Rudy Gobert added 16 points and 15 rebounds for his sixth straight double-double. Karl-Anthony Towns, who had foul trouble early, finished with 13 points for the Western Conference-leading Timberwolves.

Deandre Ayton had 22 points and 16 rebounds for the Blazers, who lost their fifth straight. Portland hosts Minnesota again tonight.

The Timberwolves built a 14-point first-half lead, but the Blazers whittled away at it, coming within 62-60 in the third quarter

before Edwards’ 3-pointer capped a 10-2 run that stretched Minnesota’s lead to 72-62.

Jerami Grant’s 3-pointer tied it at 73 but Minnesota led 84-83 going into the final period. Portland briefly took a narrow lead early in the fourth on free throws when Scoot Henderson was fouled on a 3-point attempt, but Minnesota reestablished control.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s 3-pointer, his fourth of the quarter, stretched the Timberwolves’ lead to 102-90 with 6:42 to go.

Minnesota went on to lead by as many as 20 points. Alexander-Walker finished with 18 points off the bench.

“I thought we played well for the most part. First quarter, just had too many turnovers,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “I thought that hurt us early.

But for the most part we did what we wanted to try to do in the game and made it a game most of the way, and then it got away from us in the fourth quarter, obviously.”

The Timberwolves were playing the second of a back-to-back after a 121100 victory at the Clippers on Monday night.

MINNESOTA Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, right, drives to the basket against Portland Trail Blazers centre Deandre Ayton during the second half on Tuesday night.

(AP Photo/Steve Dykes) The Blazers, who are knee tendinitis. But MalIt was Edwards’ 20th rebuilding following the colm Brogdon remained game this season with at offseason departure of sidelined by right elbow least 30 points. It was his Damian Lillard, have tendinitis. second game with 40 or struggled with minor Edwards had 18 points more. injuries. Starting guard in the first quarter alone His season high is 44.

Anfernee Simons returned as Minnesota built a 37-25 “Once he gets hot, against the Timberwolves lead. But Towns picked up there’ s no getting him off after missing a game with a his third foul with 1:43 left the floor, really,” Timberleft ankle sprain. in the quarter and went to wolves coach Chris Finch Henderson also was the bench. said. available after missing Simons’ 3-pointer closed UP NEXT two games with a left the gap to 46-40 midway The Trail Blazers host foot injury. Duop Reath through the second quarter the Timberwolves again was back after a two- but Minnesota held a 59-51 tonight, wrapping up a fivegame absence with right lead at the half. game Minnesota road trip.

DAILY PRIZES TO BE DISHED OUT AT NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND

By MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The signs are all around downtown Indianapolis now: NBA All-Star weekend finally has arrived.

Yes, nearly seven years after Larry Bird drove a blue-and-gold IndyCar down New York’s Fifth Avenue to hand-deliver the city’s bid, and three years after Indianapolis’ game was moved to Atlanta amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Circle City is about to host another big basketball bash.

And it could be even better than organizers initially thought.

“We could have done it in 2021 like Atlanta with 1,500 people, but we wanted to do it in Indy style,” Indiana Pacers COO and president Rick Fuson said Tuesday.

“We said, ‘Hey, we’re going to do this thing bigger and better.’”

Much has changed since Indianapolis last hosted the league’s midseason classic in 1985, when a then-record crowd of 43,146 braved a driving snowstorm to watch Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Ralph Sampson lead the West past an East squad featuring Bird, Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas at the Hoosier Dome.

Back then, the city was nicknamed Indiana-no-place.

Today, Indy has grown into a staging ground for some of the world’s biggest events — the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, men’s and women’s Final Fours, the CFP title game, Olympics trials and the Indianapolis 500 — largely because of its reputation for creating hospitable, fan-centric environments in a town where everyone embraces the parties.

Out-of-towners will find more of the same this weekend.

Images promoting the game and its events can be found seemingly everywhere from city skywalks to crowd barricades.

Posters of the All-Star players cover Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts and host to All-Star Saturday Night, and Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Pacers and WNBA’s Indiana Fever and site of Sunday’s AllStar Game. There’s even a larger-than-life graphic of Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton on the towering 33-story glass facade at the JW Marriott hotel.

The recently opened Bicentennial Plaza features local art and organisers will have three IndyCars on the city’s streets, and even Bird could be back in his home state.

CELTICS ROUT NETS 136-86 FOR MAZZULLA’S 100TH WIN BOSTON (AP) — Payton Pritchard scored 28 points and the NBA-leading Boston Celtics routed the Brooklyn Nets 136-86 last night to give Joe Mazzulla his 100th victory as head coach.

Derrick White finished with 27 points. Jayson Tatum added 20 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the Celtics, who beat the Nets on back-to-back nights and for the fourth time this season in both teams’ final game before the All-Star break.

Boston is 43-12. The Celtics went 57-25 in Mazzulla’s first season as coach.

Wednesday marked the fifth 50-point win in team history.

Trendon Watford had 15 points for the Nets, losers of five of their last six. They trailed by as many as 56 points in the fourth quarter.

CAVALIERS 108, BULLS 105 CLEVELAND (AP) — All-Star Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, including the go-ahead free throw with 44 seconds left,

and Cleveland overcame a 17-point deficit to beat Chicago.

Coby White had a chance to force overtime as time expired, but his 3-pointer from the top of the key rimmed out.

Isaac Okoro scored 16 points and Jarrett Allen had 13 points and 10 rebounds for Cleveland, which has won 18 of its last 20 and is an NBA-best 23-5 since December 16.

White scored 23 of his 32 points in the second half.

DeMar DeRozan added 24 points for Chicago.

MAGIC 118, KNICKS 100 ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Paolo Banchero scored 36 points, Franz Wagner added 21 and Orlando beat injury-riddled New York.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 33 points and six assists. Precious Achiuwa added 23 points and 14 rebounds, and Alec Burks had 13 points in his first start since coming back to the Knicks in a deadline trade last week. Brunson scored 20 points in the first

BOSTON Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla calls to his players during the second half yesterday.

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa) quarter, and the Knicks led 39-27 when Burks opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer. But with Brunson on the bench, the Magic ran off 17 straight points — 12 of them by Franz and Moritz Wagner — and moved ahead for the rest of the game.

The Knicks played their final game before the AllStar break without six players, including All-Star forward Julius Randle,

who missed a ninth game with a shoulder injury.

Donte DiVincenzo (sore hamstring), Bojan Bogdanovic (sore calf) and Isaiah Hartenstein (Achilles tendon) were all ruled out just before the game.

MAVERICKS 116, SPURS 93 DALLAS (AP) — Kyrie Irving scored 34 points, Luka Doncic had 27 before leaving early in the fourth period and Dallas overcame

an early 15-point deficit to beat San Antonio.

Doncic left three minutes into the fourth quarter holding his neck. He also had nine rebounds and eight assists in 31 minutes.

The game was the last for both teams before the NBA All-Star break, with the Mavericks winning a season-best sixth straight and Spurs falling for the eighth time in nine contests.

Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama had 26 points — 20 in the first half — and nine rebounds in his belated Dallas debut.

PACERS 127, RAPTORS 125 TORONTO (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton had 21 points and 12 assists, Pascal Siakam scored 23 against his former team and Indiana beat Toronto.

Isaiah Jackson added 15 points and 11 rebounds, Obi Toppin had 15 and Andrew Nembhard 14 to help Indiana rebound from a loss at Charlotte on Monday night. Scottie Barnes had 29 points and 12 rebounds for Toronto.

HORNETS 122, HAWKS 99 CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Brandon Miller scored 26 points, Tre Mann added 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists and Charlotte beat Atlanta for its first three-game winning streak of the season.

Charlotte is 3-0 since adding Mann, Grant Williams, Vasilije Macic, Seth Curry and Davis Bertans at the trade deadline.

De’Andre Hunter had 21 points for Atlanta.

GRIZZLIES 121, ROCKETS 113 MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — GG Jackson scored 20 points, Jaren Jackson Jr. had 18 and Memphis beat Houston to end a ninegame losing streak.

Luke Kennard finished with 17 points, including a pair of free throws in the closing minuteLamar Stevens finished with 14 points.

Dillon Brooks, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Aaron Holiday each scored 19 points in Houston’s fifth loss in six contests.

THE TRIBUNE

DEVYNNE FROM PAGE 15

Charlton joins a short list of Bahamians who set world records, including Danny Smith, Shaunae MillerUibo, Steven Gardiner and Thomas Robinson.

The Tribune Sports Female Athlete of the Month (January) has been on a tear since the start of her indoor season. She opened the season with a world-leading time of 7.88 seconds in the 60mH at the Rod McCravy Memorial Track and Field Meet in Louisville, Kentucky. The 28-year-old then followed

Thursday, February 15, 2024, PAGE 19 up this performance by lowering her previous national record of 7.81 seconds achieved in 2022 at the World Championship in Belgrade, Serbia.

However, none of those showings could compare to the latest feat claimed

by Charlton. With brilliant showings at her last few events, hopes are high for the hurdler ahead of the Paris Olympic Games.

“As we stand on the brink of the 2024 Olympics, Devynne’s victory serves as a testament of hope and motivation for our entire nation.

We are more than confident that she will continue to soar to greater heights,

representing The Bahamas with grace and distinction on the world stage.

“On behalf of the entire nation, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you.

May your success inspire generations to come and may you continue to make us proud as you embark on your journey to the Olympic Games and beyond,” Minister Bowleg said.

Ahead of the Paris Olympic Games will be the World Athletics Indoor Championships March 1-3 at the Commonwealth Arena in Glasgow, United Kingdom.

Expectations are high for the newest world indoor record holder.