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The Tribune Established 1903
Volume:117 No.104, APRIL 24TH, 2020
Weekend
THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1 art books film fashion music
Friday, April 24, 2020
food puzzles animals entert ainment
Weekend
A COMIC’S VIEW: I’D CALL THAT PREFERENTIAL, MARVIN
HOME CHEFS Pages 8 - 9
Goddess reborn
Bodine celebrates womanh ood
and heritage pages 16 - 17
TWO PATIENTS DIE: 200 MEDICS QUARANTINED • All hospital visits are now cancelled • Officials want to extend curfew • 15 medical staff are confirmed cases • Sandilands move exposed spread risk By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas reported two more COVID19 deaths yesterday as health officials revealed they have recommended to Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis that his drastic curfews extend into May and there be no further relaxation of the lockdown measures. Health Minister Dr Duane Sands also revealed that more than 200 healthcare workers are in quarantine after exposure to a patient on Princess Margaret Hospital’s medical surgical ward over the weekend, though he expects that number to dramatically decrease after officials perform risk assessments. He said 15 healthcare
workers have been confirmed COVID-19 cases to date and in the next few days, officials expect to complete testing of all exposed healthcare workers. Among the healthcare workers in quarantine are 96 doctors and 62 nurses, he said. COVID-19 had a mortality rate of about 15 percent in the country up to press time, with 11 confirmed deaths and 72 confirmed cases. Two New Providence men ages 53 and 51 are the latest COVID-19 deaths. They had no history of travel. The two new confirmed cases include New Providence women, ages 53 and 29, who are in home isolation. Fourteen people have SEE PAGE THREE
THE WORKERS in Super Value were showing people how to stay safe yesterday. Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune
CHURCHES PRESS FOR SERVICES TO RESUME By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT ts-cartwright @tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Christian Council wants churches to reopen next month under strict guidelines to keep congregants safe from contracting the deadly coronavirus. “We have a letter
we would have written to the Prime Minister about our phased approach to opening and so we just await the date,” said Bishop Delton Fernander, president, Bahamas Christian Council. “It’s a letter on what we would do in terms of seating, sanitising stations, no gathering, or welcoming
or touching. Once we get a start date, we will then start our denominational training for churches.” Bishop Fernander said the letter was sent to the Prime Minister on Monday, but the Council has not yet received a reply. “We know he is considering opening the churches and when he
decides on the date he is planning opening then he will communicate that to us. All that is depending on the numbers (of COVID-19 cases) and how the country is going. We need to determine if it’s community spread or it’s institutionally spread. SEE PAGE THREE
NYGARD INSISTS: I’M THE VICTIM By TRIBUNE REPORTER CANADIAN fashion tycoon Peter Nygard has issued a strong denial to the latest rape allegations laid against him in a New York court. The Tribune reported this week Nygard now faces 36 additional allegations of sexually assaulting women in addition to ten accusations made by other purported victims. The latest raft of
ACCUSED: Peter Nygard accusers - as before include underage girls from The Bahamas invited to
Nygard’s infamous pyjama parties at his Lyford Cay home. In a statement after the latest claims were filed in a New York court a spokesman for Nygard repeated the tycoon’s denials and insisted he was the victim of a conspiracy engineered by his Lyford Cay neighbour, Louis Bacon. His spokesman said:” (The) filing in the Jane Doe case marks
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
SEE PAGE SEVEN
DIANE PHILLIPS
WE’RE DISCOVERING WE REALLY CAN DO THINGS OURSELVES SEE PAGE EIGHT
PAGE 2, Friday, April 24, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
Bimini residents fear increase in virus cases By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net SOME people in Bimini fear there could be more cases of COVID-19 on the island after a husband and wife tested positive for the virus. So far there have been three confirmed cases on
the small island, including deceased Kim JohnsonRolle, pictured, the sister of Immigration Minister Elsworth Johnson. She was Bimini’s first case and the nation’s first COVID-19 fatality. The newest cases are
the father and step-mother of former consul general to Atlanta, Randy Rolle. On Tuesday, Mr Rolle told The Tribune that Mrs Johnson-Rolle attended the same church as his father and the pair were last in the same vicinity at a March
27 funeral. Samika Culmer, a local government council member, said while some residents are in denial, others are afraid more people are infected. “We still have those conspiracy theorists,” Ms Culmer told The Tribune yesterday. “They don’t believe it’s on the island. With Mrs Rolle being the
first case many people think it was negligence with her not getting off the island in time, but basically what we have seen here and all around the world you can’t deny that it’s here. “We are following the laws of the land just getting out if we have to go to the grocery store or to get water but that’s about it. We don’t have much traffic on the island. “…But in terms of transparency I think the people want to hear more from the administrator on the island, because I am a local council member and we are not hearing anything on the ground from local leaders.” Asked if there were residents who feared the island could have more than just three cases, she said: “There is, but to my understanding there are a few tests at the government clinic right now and they are testing people. People went down there this morning.” Overall Ms Culmer said she thought the government was doing its best from a health perspective but Bimini residents want more communication. Meanwhile, in a statement released yesterday West Grand Bahama and Bimini MP Pakesia Parker-Edgecombe said the country is now in a critical stage of the fight against the virus. Up to press time, she had five cases in her constituency - three in Bimini; one in nearby Cat Cay and the other in Eight Mile Rock, Grand Bahama. “As a community, we have lost two persons out of the five known cases to the virus and we cannot afford to lose another,” she
said. “We are at a critical stage in our fight against the pandemic and while the number of cases throughout the country has increased in recent days, panic is not an option for us. “As a community we must remain vigilant in our efforts to ensure that our lives and loved ones are protected by following safety guidelines given by medical experts, while also adhering to law enforcement officers, all of whom continue to put their lives on the line for our wellbeing daily. “I cannot over emphasise the importance of individuals engaging in social distancing at this crucial time. I hereby appeal for all of you to remain in doors as best as possible during the periods identified and if and when going outdoors, ensure complete protection with necessary gear, including, but not limited to face masks.” This is exactly what 86-year-old Malcolm Pinder of Bailey Town said he’s been doing. “I feel safe doing what they say to do,” Mr Pinder said. “What we have to do is stay inside in order to be safe. “I heard about the two additional (Bimini) cases today so I just doing what they said to do. I stay inside or I’ll go out on the porch and get lil’ bit of sun and a little fresh air but that’s it. My boy that does be upstairs there he does have his friend come, but I be inside my room. “I cook for myself, but my two daughters they go to the grocery store and get the things I need,” Mr Pinder said.
POLICE TO INVESTIGATE FAKE NEWS ON BANKING CHANGES By EARYEL BOWLEG ebowleg@tribunemedia.net THE Ministry of Finance has blasted “categorically false” allegations spread on WhatsApp which claimed the government plans to stop bank withdrawals and stated the matter was turned over to the police for investigation. In a statement on its Facebook page, the ministry noted: “There is a WhatsApp voice note being circulated that makes a number of false allegations regarding the Government’s access to borrowing, an alleged plan for the Government to stop
bank withdrawals, and an imminent prospect of currency devaluation, among other things. “The Ministry of Finance advises the public that all of the allegations are all categorically false. None of them have any merit whatsoever. “Persons are reminded to use reliable sources of information and should be suspicious about the validity of anonymously shared information via social media. It is also recommended not to forward information that you have not verified, or that does not come from a reliable news or government source.”
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, April 24, 2020, PAGE 3
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
CHURCHES PRESS FOR SERVICES TO RESUME AGAIN from page one
Both of them have different connotations and I don’t want to put that out there, but those two parameters will determine whether we can open sometime in May.” The Council’s letter to the Prime Minister made it clear its members were aware of the importance
of preventative measures. “… We propose the phased re-opening of our churches for corporate worship during the month of May, 2020. We are not ignorant to the fact that we all will have to coexist with the virus for the foreseeable future and therefore a new operational normal has to be established. The normal must incorporate the introduction and
enforcement of new sanitation procedures as well as adherence to physical distancing protocols,” the letter notes. The council’s proposed operational guidelines for churches are: operating with a maximum occupancy of 30 percent of a church’s normal seating capacity to allow for social distancing; provide markings along the pews so that there is
clear delineation of the required spacing between individuals; worship spaces with chairs will be required to arrange seating so that physical distance standards are maintained; sanitisation stations placed at every entrance to the facility and congregants will be asked to wear masks when entering churches. The Council says it believes with the
introduction of these new operational standards, churches will be able to maintain their civic mandate as the “moral standard bearers” for The Bahamas while fulfilling its divine mandate as “heaven’s representatives” on the earth. On March 18, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced churches had agreed to temporarily suspend services in an
effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. At the time, religious leaders encouraged the public to continue to worship at home and to follow online worship services in the short-term. Churches were expected to reopen in early April, but that changed due to rising COVID-19 infections.
Sandilands were identified for risk exposure assessment,” he said. Dr Sands also said the South Beach Clinic will be further re-fitted to accommodate an additional ten beds for a total of 20. This should bring the total number of beds for COVID-19 patients in New
Providence to 40, he said, adding that by today six beds will be available in Grand Bahama and within a week or so there will be 22 beds on that island. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Delon Brennen said ensuring young people are immunised during this crisis has
been a challenge officials are trying to address. He conceded some children are behind on immunisations because of parents’ fear of going into the community or because of inability to access healthcare sites. He said: “It is a challenge being able to get our young children, especially infants to get their immunisation so there is some delay that is currently happening, some just out of fear, some out of closure of offices and so what we are currently doing is putting together a strategy to make sure we are redesigning parts of our immunisation programme to make it more community accessible and even thinking about doing delivering immunisation in people’s home as opposed to waiting for them to come to us.” During the press conference, Dr Dahl-Regis revealed clusters for cases. While most confirmed cases had a chain of cases that included no more than one person, one case had a chain that involved 19 people, including two who have since died.
Editorial View - Page 6
Two dead - and 200 medics in quarantine from page one recovered from the virus to date. Among the recovered is a resident of Cat Cay. Health officials said contact tracing for that resident is complete and all residents on the cay have tested negative for the virus. Bimini, which now has three confirmed cases, is expected to be a site of expanded testing, with some 40 or 50 people on that island to be tested by today, according to the health minister. Dr Merceline DahlRegis, consultant to the Office of the Prime Minister, said they hope to say when the COVID-19 epidemic will peak in the country this week. “We’re following it very closely but I’m not able to say because each week based on the findings we have to look at the various models and see what fits the data, the data which comes in from the cases, it’s not only the number of cases, it’s the data, the onset of illnesses, when symptoms begin, the time of the lab testing, there are many variables that are considered with the models,” she said. “Given the situation that we were in a week ago, and where we are now, then in a week’s time we would have a better idea.” In view of the number of healthcare workers taken out of the system because of their exposure to a COVID-19 case, Dr Sands was asked if it is time to invite help from healthcare workers like those from Cuba. “I don’t believe that this is an issue of not being able to handle it,” he said. “The index patient had symptoms
that were inconsistent with the typical, usual or even extended definition of COVID-19,” he said. “The healthcare teams, many of them experienced, competent clinicians did not make the call. The patient subsequently spiked a temperature and at that point was tested. We are doing an external review to look at the management of this patient and all of the patients from the time that the patient arrived at the hospital up to present. When that investigation is done, we’re happy to share those results to the public.” The staff crisis developed after a patient from the Robert Smith Unit of Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre was referred to PMH for further medical management on the April 5, 2020. Dr Sands said the patient
received treatment at PMH and was discharged on April 15, 2020 to Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre. “Days later,” he said, “the Medical Surgical Ward II of PMH was declared compromised on discovery of a confirmed positive COVID-19 case on the ward” and was subsequently closed while the patient of the Robert Smith Unit was returned to PMH on April 19 to be tested for COVID-19. The next day it was confirmed that he had contracted the virus and patient is now receiving care at the Doctor’s Hospital West facility. Dr Sands said the remaining 39 patients at the Robert Smith Unit “were immediately placed in an isolation cohort and the unit was sanitized. Forty-six staff members at
SUPER Value cashiers were equipped with face shields and Plexiglas yesterday.
Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff
Editorial View - Page 6
PMH SUSPENDS VISITING HOURS AT ALL ITS WARDS
By EARYEL BOWLEG ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
PRINCESS Margaret Hospital has suspended visiting hours at all public and private wards to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The notice came days after PMH’s Medical Surgical Ward II was closed after a surgical ward patient became a confirmed COVID-19 case on Sunday. Since then, at least three other patients on that ward had been confirmed
to have coronavirus. Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) Managing Director Catherine Weech said the suspension is a preventative measure to control people coming in and out of the hospital, particularly the items people bring into the facility. PHA said in a statement yesterday: “Updates regarding patients will be made to the identified and/or nearest relative and/or guardian by the assigned physician via telephone. Meals and beverages delivered for
patients will not be accepted during this restricted period. “If a patient requires a personal item, the hospital will contact the identified and/or nearest relative regarding the request; in this case, the delivery must be pre-arranged with ward management. Efforts are being made to provide videoconferencing for our patients on the Children’s Ward, so that they can interact daily with a parent or guardian.” Ms Weech later told The
Tribune that the notice went out as PMH identified these issues as a concern for the hospital. She explained: “The reason why we’ve taken this new position is because we’ve had an overflow of persons coming in and bringing food items and other items for visitors and because we’ve restricted the number we’ve found that we’re not able to manage and support the…..transfer of those items throughout the hospital. So we’ve limited now to no visitors…”
PINTARD: WE’RE AWARE OF FISHERMEN’S CONCERNS By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net MINISTER of Marine Resources and Agriculture Michael Pintard says the government is aware of the concerns of fishermen in Grand Bahama regarding the reopening of fish
markets. However, he indicated that proper advise is needed from the medical task force concerning safety protocols and practices that can implemented during COVID-19 before that can happen. “I support the fishermen and I understand their concern,” said Mr Pintard who believes the
testing of fishermen could be an option. Mr Pintard noted commercial fishing may resume and subsistence fishing can continue, with two people on a vessel from the same household. But both activities should pause during the 24-hour lockdowns. “We want to work with the fishing
community to work out protocols to ensure safety to the point of fish caught, cleaned, packaged and delivered. We need the assistance of the medical task force that advises the government on safe practices so they set up fish markets and sell to groups just beyond the processing houses,” he said.
The PHA managing director revealed that most of the patients have cell phones and there is now a programme where the children in hospital will be provided with phones to have regular face-to-face contact with their parents. Earlier this month, PHA announced PMH visitor restrictions and visiting hours being suspended, however there were certain exceptions allowed at the time.
PAGE 4, Friday, April 24, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
Digital wallets can be used for benefits By EARYEL BOWLEG ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
GREEN FINGERS WITH people mostly confined to their homes, a visit to the garden centre proved a popular choice yesterday. Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff
PEOPLE collecting unemployment payments at SunCash can use a “digital wallet” to pay bills as an alternative to redeeming cash in person, according to National Insurance Board (NIB) Director Dr Nicola Virgill-Rolle. On Tuesday, scores of people queued in a long line under a tent outside SunCash, prompting criticism that they were not practising social distancing. However, Dr Virgill-Rolle explained SunCash informed her that those lines do not only represent NIB customers as the company only has about 500 clients at the moment. She told The Tribune: “...They only have a small number of clients who come, you know, no more than every two weeks... They don’t have to come to get cash there. They can use their digital wallet, and so I think SunCash business has other services they’re doing now... which can also be part of the reason why people are on lines there, but they only service a small number of persons for the government unemployment assistance.” She added NIB partnered with SunCash to use digital wallets and people who do not have bank accounts generally have allowed the funds to be placed in the wallets. “The money is placed on their phone in a digital wallet and they can take that phone and go to
grocery stores or pay utility bills or anything like that and they do not have to go to redeem it for cash. Some people are choosing to go and redeem for cash and it’s their choice to do so,” she explained. “We looked at this as another method to pay in a safe manner and so we’re continuing the education with SunCash in order to let people know that they do not have to go into the office.” There were also complaints of unemployment payments not being sent to bank accounts, but the NIB director revealed that about 95-99 percent have no problem with money being sent as they have provided correct information while a small number of people have not. Giving the wrong detail leads to the payment being rejected by the bank when it is processed. “...It would take about one to three days for the bank to inform NIB that it rejects the payment and so in some cases we’re able to locate and contact the customer to update the information but remember we are processing new claims,” she said. “...So for every claim we have to correct that’s time spent not on a new claim and so in some cases where we can’t correct easily we change it in our system and update for the next payment run but you know it takes some time away from processing new claims if the customer has not done his part and provided correct information.”
DISABLED MOTHER COOKING UP A TREAT By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A YOUNG disabled mother, who wants to help those in need amid the COVID-19 crisis, will be providing 300 hot meals every Friday for people in the community. Jasmine Frazer, 36, said the initiative, “Ma’s Meals” which launches today, was inspired by the recent death of her grandmother, but mostly by the events surrounding the COVID-19 virus. After seeing a great need within local communities due to the pandemic, Ms Frazer said she knew she had to help in whatever way possible. She told The Tribune yesterday: “After the pandemic happened, I was inspired to do this because I noticed that the conversation in WhatsApp groups spoke about persons not practicing social distancing and too many people are at the store and too many
JASMINE Frazer is launching Ma’s Meals people are on lines trying to get assistance. “And so, I tried to get people to understand that some people are doing what they need to do to survive. …There are so many people that go to bed hungry on a daily basis and so I challenged all of my friends and family to at least help one person, help one person with a disability and help one elderly person or help one person in need.”
She said her call for action started out small and she was able to help three families at first. The initiative has grown, meaning she can help more people. Ms Frazer, who was in a car accident about three years ago, said she is a part of several organisations for disabled people, which has allowed her to reach out to those in need of assistance. As a special needs’ person, she said it’s not easy having to adjust to the
new realities brought on by COVID-19. The virus, she said, has also caused panic among those in the disabled community, some of whom are now reluctant to leave their homes due to fear. “It makes you more reluctant to seek healthcare or medical attention if something is wrong because you’re just thinking of actually having to make contact with anyone else that may already have the disease. “So, you’re extra reluctant to leave the house.” This, she added, is one of the reasons why volunteers will be delivering the meals to individuals instead of distributing them on-site. She said St Agnes Parish has allowed her to use its industrial kitchen to prepare the meals. Ms Frazer said volunteers will also be distributing care packages over the coming weeks, which will include nonperishable food items and toiletries.
GRAND BAHAMA PORT AUTHORITY DONATES TWO X-RAY MACHINES By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net IN SUPPORT of the fight against COVID-19, the Grand Bahama Port Authority has donated two new medical x-ray machines to the Grand Bahama Health Services. The “critical diagnostic” equipment was delivered to the Cancer Association of Grand Bahama facility, which has been made available as a standby medical facility for the treatment of coronavirus cases.
GBPA President Ian Rolle made the donation through their charitable organization, the Grand Bahama Disaster Relief Foundation, which augments essential medical tools needed to deliver vital healthcare services here on Grand Bahama. He said: “X-ray technology is critical to diagnosing and treating a myriad of illnesses and conditions, including COVID-19. Residents will benefit from the addition of these two X-ray machines throughout the current pandemic and well
beyond, as these machines will remain here on island for future service.” The company noted that as the pandemic continues to impact individuals, families and communities across the country, all residents of Grand Bahama are urged to adhere to the government’s Emergency Order. Sarah St George, acting chairman of the GBPA, said they continue to support the efforts of the GBHS. She said the addition of the two X-ray machines will assist with frontline triage.
“We know that this is a challenging and uncertain time here at home and the world over. “The GBPA reminds residents to stay informed through the Government’s COVID-19 website, as well as its own website and social media pages. “We must continue to do our part to slow the spread of the virus through physical distancing, handwashing and by following all protocols. By working together and staying apart, we will get through this,” Ms St. George said.
THE Ministry of Health thanked Dr Kevin Bethel for a generous donation of hard-to-source swabs for COVID19 testing
MP Adrian Gibson yesterday treated all of the essential workers on Long Island to a surprise lunch. Mr Gibson, with the assistance of a team led by Ms. Joann Knowles and Mrs Stevette Adderley and the Forest Restaurant, had lunch delivered to the workplace of each and every essential worker to thank them for their efforts during the COVID-19 crisis.. Lunch deliveries were made to doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals; the Administrator’s Office; the police; WSC; BPL; BTC (who can collect today given yesterday’s closure); Customs; Social Service and Sanitation workers.
THE Petty Family - owners of Sandlewood Studio’s, Prochem Bahamas and Carib Generators - have donate $25,000 worth of brand new commercial grade, heavy duty, mobile dehumidifiers to the Bahamas government and Public Hospitals Authority. These dehumidifiers will play a significant role in helping in the war against the COVID-19 virus in clinics, hospitals and health facilities throughout the country by assisting with the control of temperature, and bacterial growth.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, April 24, 2020, PAGE 5
CORONAVIRUS CRISIS
UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES RULES FOR UPCOMING ADMISSION LP leader Philip Davis yesterday leading the P PLP’s food distribution drive to families in both New Providence and the Family Islands
PLP calls for more COVID-19 testing By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE Progressive Liberal Party’s COVID-19 task force wants the government to test up to 10 percent of the population for the deadly respiratory disease, insisting this is necessary to see the nation’s economy open in the near future. In its newly released strategic recommendations to begin restarting the economy, the task force noted there has been a steady rise of COVID-19 cases and evidence that more people under 40 are contracting the virus. Based on the details from local health officials, the group said it was equally “troubling” that a large number of healthcare workers have been affected. Given the situation, the PLP task force said there is
a need for greater coordination between ministries as it suggested the current Ministry of Health team is too small to manage the magnitude of the country’s required response to COVID-19. The task force said: “We must increase manpower and financial resources allocated for both molecular PCR and serological testing. In order to truly understand the epidemiology of this highly contagious respiratory virus, the initial goal should be to immediately sample one per cent of the population or roughly 4,000 people gradually increasing the numbers tested to at least 40,000 persons - 10 percent of the population. “This may seem ambitious but is necessary if we wish to position ourselves to open the economy in the near future.
“Training in sample collection is paramount for all healthcare professionals who would be involved in testing to prevent false negatives and the overall accuracy of the entire exercise.” The PLP’s task force proposes healthcare workers and government employees on the front line be tested first with nursing homes tested next. The Minnis administration has already expanded COVID-19 testing, with ramped up testing of medical professionals taking place last weekend. Officials have also said they plan to test the elderly when this phase is complete. Meanwhile, the PLP task force said there needed to be an increase in testing capacity in New Providence and the addition of one lab in Grand Bahama.
“If there is a shortage of quality molecular PCR or serological test kits then we should contact the manufacturer directly and buy them even if we take a page out of the Cayman Islands’ book and hire an aircraft to go to the supplier and get them ourselves. “There is a need to increase the country’s testing capacity in New Providence and to add at least one COVID19 lab facility in Grand Bahama. The private sector should be involved in order to decentralize COVID19 lab testing facilities. “We must enhance our contact tracing capacity and this team at the Department of Public Health must be beefed up to at least 250 persons in New Providence, 50 in Grand Bahama and 10 allocated for Bimini, Eleuthera, Abaco and Exuma.”
Finally, the group said extensive periods of lockdown and the loss of jobs have had a significant impact on the welfare of citizens. A swift and organised response from the Department of Social Services is therefore essential to aid in reducing the hardship faced by many families who are now without financial resources, the recommendations also outline. “The government must also find a way to provide a coordinated approach in disseminating information to the general public to prevent confusion and reduce unnecessary anxiety. To do this, the government must once again work hand in hand with business owners and local cellular networks to find more effective ways to deliver essential and supportive services,” the report recommended.
UNIVERSITY of the Bahamas has announced new guidelines for admission in upcoming semesters as a result of the COVID19 pandemic. In a statement released yesterday, UB officials noted that an amendment recently approved by the Academic Senate will allow high school students graduating this year “who do not meet current admissions criteria” for upcoming semesters to be considered based on new criteria. This comes amid uncertainty surrounding the dates for the country’s national examinations due to the COVID-19 crisis, which UB says “has implications for students wishing to be admitted to University of the Bahamas for Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 on the basis of their BGCSE results.” In light of this, UB says high school students with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above “for grades 10, 11 and the first term of grade 12 will be admitted into a UB degree programme provided they sit the university’s placement exam in mathematics and English” and place at both Math-140 and Eng-119 levels; or either Math-140 or Eng-119. If students with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above do not meet the benchmarks in the placement exam, they will then be admitted into UB’s Academic Enhancement/ College Preparatory Programme. Students with a GPA of 2.00 – 2.49 for grades 10 and 11 and the first term of grade 12 who wish to be considered for admission into a UB degree programme must also sit the university’s placement exam and must place at both MATH 140-Basic College Mathematics and ENGL 119-Writing and Rhetoric I. Students who fall below this threshold will be considered for admission into UB’s Academic Enhancement/College Preparatory Programme. For further information and more details, contact UB’s Office of Recruitment and Admissions at admissions@ub.edu.bs or 302-4499.
FRIENDS FOUND GUILTY OF BREAKING LOCKDOWN RULES By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A GROUP of friends who claimed they were outside their homes during curfew because they were trying to get something to eat from Wendy’s were fined yesterday. They were among several people who were charged with curfew or lockdown infractions. Many of those charged claimed they only violated the COVID-19 emergency orders because they were trying to get food, water or medication. Kendranique Pearce, 20; Jeffrenique Bowleg, 23; Dorne Albury, 20; and Stephen Ferguson, 21, appeared before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle-Davis after police found them on Thompson Boulevard around 9.20am Wednesday. All of the defendants pleaded guilty to the charge. Pearce was fined $500 or 10 days at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS), while Bowleg was fined $300 or 15 days in prison. Ferguson and Albury on the other hand, were each fined $250 or 10 days in prison. According to the prosecution, on the day in question, officers on mobile patrol observed a small four
door vehicle with four occupants inside and asked them to stop. Officers said they smelled marijuana coming from the car, but did not find anything during their search. When questioned, the driver identified herself as Jeffrenique Bowleg. All of the occupants also told police they were aware of the 24-hour curfew, but were trying to get something to eat. Meanwhile, Ashton Thompson, 20; Alex Thompson, 19; and Vanhouston Woods were
charged after officers found them on Alexandria Boulevard, Nassau Village around 6.45pm on April 19. They pleaded guilty to the charge and were each fined $500 or 20 days in prison. During the hearing, the Thompsons told Magistrate Rolle-Davis that they left their home to get water so that their diabetic grandfather could take his medication. The boys also said they had no running water in their house because their current had gone off and they got their
water from an electric pump. Woods on the other hand, claimed he had left his house to get medication for his uncle who was complaining about back pain. In another matter, officers found Samatha Ramesy, 44; Fedline Jean, 32; Shamekia Pedican, 44; and Dominic Johnson on Mackey Street around 10.25pm on April 13. All of the defendants pleaded guilty to the charge and were each fined $300 or 15 days at the BDCS, except for Johnson who
was fined $350 or 20 days in prison. Several people also appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney for lockdown violations. Oral Murphy, 37, was charged after officers found him on Blue Hill Road South around 3am on April 18. He also pleaded guilty and was fined $400 or four months at the BDCS. Jonathan Kelly, 39, was also charged after he was found by the Pinewood roundabout on Bamboo Boulevard around 2.10am
TEENAGER SEES HIS CURFEW CHARGES DISMISSED By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A TEENAGER was charged in Magistrate’s Court yesterday, accused of selling alcohol in breach of the COVID-19 emergency orders. Sheedenson Altidor, 18, appeared before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle-Davis charged with operating a non-essential business on April 21. He pleaded guilty to the charge but had his case dismissed after it was discovered he worked as a cashier at My Desire Foodstore, which was allowed to operate during the curfew as an essential service. Prosecutor Kendrick Bauld told the court on Tuesday around 2.20pm, officers on mobile patrol in the area of Wulff Road observed a group of males in front of a yellow building
and asked them to disperse. It was then the officers noticed that one of the males who was in front of the building had alcohol in his hand. When questioned, the man told police he had gotten it from the foodstore inside the building. Officers then entered the foodstore and approached a man who identified himself as Sheedenson Altidor. When questioned, Altidor told the police he worked for the store. As a result, he was taken to the station and interviewed but declined to comment. Sgt Bauld said officers also attempted to contact the store’s owner several times, but were unsuccessful. During the arraignment, Altidor was represented by attorney Lennox Colby. He told the judge a man named Jimmy Mitchell was the owner of the foodstore and
explained that Mr Mitchell was currently in Haiti and could not return to the country due to the current travel restrictions. Mr Colby also showed the magistrate the beverage that prompted the police’s original investigation. Noting that it was a tiny bottle containing only 40 percent of alcohol, he argued his client was a teenager who was placed in a difficult situation by adults and was only trying to do his job. Insisting Altidor did not waste the court’s time by pleading guilty at his first opportunity, Mr Colby asked Magistrate Rolle-Davis not to impose a custodial sentence or a hefty fine. In response, Magistrate Rolle-Davis said Altidor should not have been arrested since he was working as an essential employee for a foodstore. The case was subsequently dismissed.
on April 18. He pleaded guilty and was fined $400 or four months in prison. When given an opportunity to speak, he told Magistrate McKinnney that his two-and-a-half-year old daughter was very ill and he left his house to pick her up and take her to the hospital. Still, when Magistrate McKinney asked the prosecutor to read the facts, it was revealed that Kelly did not mention anything about taking his sick daughter to the hospital. He was subsequently fined. Owen Rolle, 26, was charged after officers found him on Alexandria Boulevard, Nassau Village around 12.40am on April 20. He pleaded guilty and was fined $400 or four months in prison. During the hearing, he told Magistrate McKinney that he was the only breadwinner for his family and his boss asked him to come to work on Monday. Rolle said he accepted the job because he needed the extra money but didn’t have a ride to get to work. He said he only left his house to ask his neighbour right across the street if he would be able to catch a ride with her. He insisted while he knew it was late, he was trying to do what he needed to do to make sure he could get to work.
PAGE 6, Friday, April 24, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
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Healthcare system straining at the seams YESTERDAY was a tragic day in the battle against COVID-19. Two more deaths brought the total for the country so far to 11, while there were other worrying signs from the Ministry of Health briefing. The headline might have been the latest deaths, but the biggest ongoing concern might be the capacity in the healthcare system to deal with further cases. Readers will be well aware by now that each day a daily dashboard comes out with the latest information on new cases. Some new cases are listed as being in isolation at home, some are listed as being hospitalised. Yesterday’s two new cases, for example, are both said to be in isolation at home. But for those who need to be hospitalised, capacity is a worry. In yesterday’s briefing, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands detailed the expansion of capacity for coronavirus patients at the South Beach clinic. Between that and Doctors Hospital West, that will mean New Providence will have a total of 40 beds for COVID19 treatment. Grand Bahama is on the verge of having six, with a total of 22 within a week. But with 72 confirmed cases so far – and more expected, that’s already more cases than beds. Thankfully, many of those cases can be treated in isolation at home, but if the numbers keep going up, and more people need hospital treatment, what then? Dr Sands talked of how construction was going on non-stop to upgrade the South Beach clinic with those extra ten beds to bring the number to 40, but will that be enough? If not, what is our next move? Add to that more than 200 healthcare workers being in quarantine in the wake of exposure from a patient at Princess
Margaret Hospital and you can see the jeopardy our healthcare system is in. This is the point, of course, of social distancing. The idea is to reduce the number of cases so they don’t overwhelm the capacity of our medical system. But the signs of strain on that system are clear to see. In the middle of this, to see the Bahamas Christian Council start to talk about reopening churches in May is to see the height of folly. Of course, it is important to reopen churches when the time is right, but this is a time to ensure the health of the body as well as the soul. Healthcare workers do not need extra pressure right now, and reopening churches could do just that. But there is also hope. Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis, consultant to the Prime Minister’s office, said they hope to say when the epidemic will peak in the country this week. She is very cautious, and cagey about the different models of prediction, but getting an idea of when the peak has passed will let us look forward more practically to a time of reopening the country. There is very much a sense of living on a knife edge right now. The unspoken sentiment behind the hard work to expand the South Beach clinic is that more capacity is needed. Running out of that capacity would be deadly for the patients squeezed out. If there is comfort, it is that the experts seem well aware of the urgency involved. As members of the public, everything we can do to stop increasing that pressure is vital. So do as they say. Stay home. Stay safe. And for the Christian Council, we suggest they stop seeking a date for when they will reopen churches and instead pray that the peak will soon pass.
Cruise ships? Forget it AFTER ex-Chamber of Commerce chairman Gowon Bowe said The Bahamas “won’t see any rebound in the economy for six months” at least, readers posted their reactions on tribune242.com. Well_mudda_take_sic said: “A sensible cautionary note.” Clamshell posted this: “I think he is being overly optimistic. Many people will be unwilling to fly, unless they have to, until there is a vaccine. That likely will be more than a year. Cruise ships? Forget it. Thanksgiving? I don’t think so. Next Easter? Well . . . maybe.” K4C had a similar view: “Overly optimistic, cruise ships alone may be a year in dry docks, in addition, this pandemic has hardly been subdued.” Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest said the government is facing “a real conundrum” in devising an effective rental assistance initiative because it would require the banks to “freeze” landlord loans. That prompted this comment from RealTalk: “If the rental plan was flawed, PM Minnis should have never mentioned rental assistance. Some landlords were depending on that especially if that’s their only source of income.” Hrysippus said: “This is refreshing, to see government ministers not pretending to have all the answers. We had more
than enough waffling and obscurification with the last administration.” There was this from Professionalbahamian: “Maybe this mess will bottom out when nations work together and decide to move forward with opening society completely for all but the very vulnerable, everyone wearing face masks, etc, supply protection and disinfecting services/supplement primarily. What recovery numbers are you looking to meet – are you looking for an 18 month closure? “Decide and coordinate as a group of nations that by say, July 15th or August 15th, that all countries agree by signature to be 80% open. (Cruise ships won’t be part of the group reopening by then). Countries should agree to a proportional adjustment on loan amounts owed to each other without condition and write off the interest (NOT deferred) for the next two years that may get everyone through. “If fear is not overcome and economies not opened collectively relatively soon, people will likely meet their demise otherwise from a lot more than COVID 19. (By the way, all retail and
wholesale stores need to be open right away, regular hours - just institute curb side pickup with a phone number posted outside, numbered parking spaces awaiting pickup and a bank card payment. People know or will arrange with friends with cards and ways to pay electronically).” And JanT said: “It seems to me that since the government doesn’t have the money to help that they need to allow Bahamians to make their own money in order to meet their financial obligations. The way to do this is to allow them to go back to work safely. Think about it. The biggest problem we have with the virus is in Nassau. Most outer islands have no cases, Grand Bahama is down to two active cases with no new cases in over two weeks. I appreciate that Nassau can’t open as quickly but allow the rest to open. The more people who are working are more people who won’t require so much government assistance. “Keep the 9pm curfew for now, require masks and social distancing measures, open all businesses with safe practices in mind. Allow the beaches to open so that people can go out in the fresh air rather than going to the grocery store because they’re bored and just want to get out of the house.” Don’t miss your chance to join the conversation on tribune242.com.
Time to ride the bucking bronco, PM EDITOR, The Tribune IN THE wake of the COVID-19 lockdown and economic collapse, Bahamian business owners have been obliged to make the painful and heartwrenching decision to lay off employees. Instead of working with Bahamian business owners and proposing a viable plan to rebuild The Bahamas, Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis criticises them and questions their humanity, heart, compassion and soul. Prime Minister Minnis says: “Yet after all the sacrifices these Bahamians did, those who have attained wealth have laid off such Bahamians. I ask you, are you humane? Where is your heart? Where is your compassion? Do you have a soul? … as soon as things get tough you want to retain and hold on to all you’ve got and continue to take advantage of individuals.” Well, Mr. Prime Minister, please look in the mirror, practise what you preach and examine how the Bahamian government has failed Bahamian businesses and the Bahamian people. 1. A lack of government preparation in all areas and all departments has left The Bahamas unable to handle the current crisis. 2. For decades one government after the next has failed to fulfil its promise to stamp out corruption and work for the people. Meanwhile some government representatives and their accomplices appear to benefit by selling our country piece by piece to the highest bidders; destroying Bahamian companies; and short changing the Bahamian people. 3. Business owners and workers are required to faithfully pay the National Insurance Board. But when the money is desperately needed for the people in a crisis, Minnis’ comments seem to indicate dat
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net gov’ment ain’t git e-nuf money. 4. Value added tax (VAT) and other exorbitant taxes have been imposed on Bahamian businesses, workers, residents and visitors by the government in order to raise money for that rainy day. But where is the money? 5. Bahamian business owners are saddled with massive overhead costs and onerous taxes which makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to operate an honest business in The Bahamas. Overhead costs, taxes, salaries and many other expenses are still due even though companies are closed; they are not making money; the length of the shutdown is unknown; we do not know what restrictions the Prime Minister is going to impose from one day to the next; and the government lacks a viable plan to rebuild the economy. 6. Bahamian business owners are threatened and harassed by government representatives who refuse to honour legally binding contracts that government has made with Bahamian businesses. Despite countless appeals it seems the Prime Minister has failed to rectify the situation. I cry shame for insulting Bahamian businessmen and businesswomen who have come from humble beginnings; worked every day from the crack of dawn until the wee hours of the next morning; and poured their hearts and souls into The Bahamas so that their family, employees and fellow Bahamians can have a bright future. We do not need another leader to insult and destroy honourable Bahamian business owners whose families have been fighting for this
country for generations. We need a leader with a clear vision and courage; and we need it now. Prime Minister Minnis, in order to move forward: 1. Propose a realistic plan to rebuild The Bahamas with transparency, with Bahamian talent and without corruption. 2. Provide accurate data regarding money collected, invested and spent, as well as money owed to and by the government. 3. Expose, convict and fine government representatives and their accomplices if found to have facilitated or participated in questionable activities. 4. Pay National Insurance and other benefits in a timely manner. 5. Provide assistance to reputable Bahamian business owners during this crisis so workers have a job to return to. 6. Reduce taxes so the public can stop shouldering the burden of exorbitant taxes created by and for the benefit of those less deserving. 7. Reduce salaries of government officials until the Bahamian economy is stable. 8. Improve the educational system so we can produce great Bahamian leaders. 9. Stop selling our country to questionable individuals, organisations and foreign interests. 10. Honour legally binding contracts that government has made with Bahamian businesses so they have a chance to pull through this economic crisis; a crisis which is primarily due to government ineptitude. If you can’t saddle up and ride the bucking bronco, then get off and hand the reins over to someone who can. FORWARD, UPWARD, ONWARD, TOGETHER. Nassau, April 22, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, April 24, 2020, PAGE 7
‘PAPER BOY’ MICHAEL DIES AFTER CAR ACCIDENT By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT ts-cartwright @tribunemedia.net
ONCE a staple figure at the juncture of Mackey Street and Paradise Island Bridge, 53-year-old Michael “Paper Boy” Johnson died this week due to injuries sustained in an accident. “Paper Boy” Johnson died at Princess Margaret Hospital on Monday, April 20, after being hit by a car. His daughter, Michaelette Johnson recalled the incident. “He was going to the Guardian to get papers,” she said. “As he was walking he had a seizure. A car was trying to avoid him. Somehow the car ended up rolling over him. “I was at work when it happened, but my mom told me that he lost a whole lot of blood. He didn’t die right there. He was in the hospital for a month and then he died on Monday.” Mr Johnson was born in Nassau on May 17, 1966. He earned the nickname “Paper Boy” as he was selling Tribune newspapers from the early age of 13.
He was married to Justina Johnson on April 17, 1995 and they have two children, Michaelette and Michael Jr. “I am feeling his death the most,” his daughter, who admitted to being a “daddy’s girl”, said. “I’ve been crying every day. My mom is trying to hold up as best she can, but I feel she is going to break down when we have the service for him. My little brother cried, but I don’t think he has completely expressed himself.” Mr Johnson was a member of the Anglican Church Men (ACM) and the usher board at St Margaret’s Anglican Church on Kemp Road. He also frequented St Matthews Anglican Church. He loved playing dominoes and solitaire as well. “My fondest memory of my dad is very clear in my mind,” his daughter said. “One night he was walking me home from work. No matter how late I would get off, my dad was always there to walk me home from work. I turned to him and said, ‘Daddy suppose
we get robbed?’ He had his bicycle with him and said, ‘Don’t worry I will protect you. I will roll over the robber with my bicycle.’ So I said, ‘Daddy that’s against the law, isn’t it?’ He said, ‘No girl! You call that selfdefence!’ We both laughed. I always felt safe with my dad.” She said her dad was always there for her to give advice. When she was much younger he always told her not to have children out of wedlock and planned to give her a big wedding. He also always told his daughter he was sure he would have a big funeral when he died. However, Ms Johnson said because of the COVID-19 emergency orders - which forbids more than 10 n immediate family members to gather at a funeral - the family has decided to cremate her father, have a small service and bury his ashes. Butler’s Funeral Home and Crematorium is handling the arrangements and a bigger service at St Matthew’s Church is planned when “things are back to normal,” she said.
MICHAEL “Paper Boy” Johnson died this week due to injuries sustained in an accident.
I’m the victim, insists Nygard as he denies rape allegations from page one the latest chapter in Louis Bacon’s conspiracy to destroy Peter Nygård and the Nygård Companies. The amended complaint adds additional unnamed plaintiffs who, like the earlier unnamed plaintiffs, claim to have been exposed to wrongdoing. These claims, however, are the product of a well-funded and welldocumented scheme by Louis Bacon to pay women to fabricate stories about him [Nygård]. In a transparent effort to silence and destroy the reputations of those who are close to him, the amended complaint further unscrupulously attacks innocent individuals who have worked for the Nygård Companies for many years. Mr. Nygård vehemently denies these baseless allegations and looks forward to clearing his name and the names of others who have been so recklessly and falsely accused. “The initial complaint in the matter — which reportedly was backed by a Louis Bacon-funded charity — included the assertions of several Bahamian women who claimed to have been harmed. In the weeks following the filing, The New York Times reported that two Bahamian women had been paid to invent stories about Nygård by a third woman, Richette Ross, who has since identified herself as one of the Jane Does. These two women admitted to The New York Times that they had never met Mr. Nygård, but rather were paid and convincingly coached by Ms. Ross to lie. Ms. Ross was reported to have received extensive benefits — a monthly stipend, a $5,000-per-month
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residence and more for doing the bidding of Louis Bacon’s agents. This conspiracy mirrors one Louis Bacon helmed 10 years ago, when he had agents find and pay women to make up stories about sex involving Mr. Nygård.” The statement continued, “Shortly, Peter Nygård will be requesting leave to file an amended complaint in a related racketeering
36 MORE WOMEN ACCUSE NYGARD Victims from Bahamas, Canada, US, Britain and Germany file rape case By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net THIRTY-SIX women have joined a US class action lawsuit accusing Peter Nygard of rape. The lawsuit initially featured nine Bahamians and one American plaintiff but now includes 12 Bahamians, 14 Americans, 18 Canadians, one British and one German female plaintiff. Twenty-four of the alleged incidents took place in The Bahamas while Mr Nygard’s residences in Marina Del Rey, California,
THREE Grand Bahama men are wanted by police for questioning in connection with investigations into housebreaking, stealing and shopbreaking. Lavarr Laroda, 22, of Amberjack Street is wanted for housebreaking and stealing. He is six feet tall,
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
wanted for shopbreaking and stealing. He is 5’7” tall, weighs 150 pounds of slim build and has dark brown complexion. Anyone with information concerning the whereabout TECHNOLOGY of these men is asked to‘I’LL callMAKE SURE MY DAD’S LEGACY LIVES ON’ police at 373-1112, the Central Division at 350-3138, and Central Detective Unit SELF-DRIVE CARS at 350-3106 through 12, LINKED UP TO 911/919, or call the nearest TRAFFIC LIGHTS police station. SEE PAGE NINE ABOUT 100 healthcare workers are in self-isolation after they were exposed to a patient with COVID19 on Princess Margaret Hospital’s surgical ward, prompting Health Minister Dr Duane Sands to say yesterday the country won’t be ready to lift the lockdown and movement restrictions anytime soon.
ONE man is dead and another is in hospital in critical condition following two separate shooting incidents in Grand Bahama on Monday. Police are actively investigating a suspected gang-related murder believed to be linked to a shooting in the Hawksbill
PETER NYGARD at an earlier court hearing
Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
STAFFORD Coakley was remembered yesterday as strong willed and stoic - qualities he remained true to until he took his last breath on April 3 after struggling with complications brought on by COVID-19. While his close-knit family wants to hold a funeral fit for the
STAFFORD COAKLEY
79-year-old civic leader, his son Rhawli Coakley told The Tribune the virus
had complicated those plans. Due to the impact of COVID-19, immediate relatives are divided by travel restrictions and Rhawli’s mother and sister have had to fight through their own health issues after they too contracted the virus. The elder Coakley was classified as case #22 by health officials and had no history of travel. It has given credence to the
ABACO MAN DENIES INDECENT EXPOSURE By FARRAH JOHNSON fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
AN Abaco man yesterday denied allegations of exposing himself to two underaged girls. Levardo Cornish, 30, appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney charged
SEE PAGE EIGHT Louis Bacon through his vast wealth and illegal acts HELP FOR has orchestrated various RENTERS machinations against Mr. Nygård, including yester‘A PUZZLE’ day’s amended filing by among other things paying witnesses to lie, coaching the witnesses on how to present their lies to attorneys and the authorities,
ONE DEAD IN GB ATTACKS, 2ND CRITICAL
SEE PAGE SEVEN
A surgical ward patient on Sunday became a confirmed COVID-19 case, prompting the closure of PMH’s Medical Surgical Ward II. At least three patients on that ward have since been confirmed to have the virus. “This has made a serious dent, a massive blow to the provision of healthcare services,” Dr Sands said before a Cabinet meeting yesterday. SEE PAGE TWO
has brought against
IN FUTURE, LET’SBacon. This amended Louis MAKE SURE WE complaint asserts that DO THINGS BETTER
THE government is facing “a real conundrum” in devising an effective rental assistance initiative because it would require the banks to “freeze” landlord loans, Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest has admitted, saying the involvement of three different parties in the tenancy chain represented “a huge challenge” in coming up with a relief programme that works.
WARD INFECTION ‘MASSIVE BLOW’ TO HEALTH TEAMS
weighs 190 pounds of slim build and has light brown complexion. The second suspect is 24-year-old Andreo Smith, of No 81 Gambier Drive, who is wanted for housebreaking and stealing. He is 5’9” tall, weighs 190 pounds of slim build and medium brown complexion. The third suspect is 40-year-old Steve Charles, of Lewis Yard, who is
ALICIA WALLACE case he
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
New York City and Winnipeg, Canada were alleged sites of the other assaults. Twelve of the plaintiffs were between 14 and 17 when they were allegedly raped. Lawyers for the women want a New York court to award punitive or exemplary damages to their clients. Mr Nygard and his companies are listed as defendants. “Using interstate and foreign commerce” they allegedly “conspired to and did recruit, lure and entice young, impressionable,
POLICE HUNT THREE IN STEALING PROBE By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
NYGARD Cay where the alleged attack is said to have taken place and, inset, how The Tribune covered the story earlier this week.
with two counts of indecent exposure. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and theNassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper matter was adjourned to July 2. It is alleged Cornish exposed himself to a 13-yearold girl and a 12-year-old girl on April 19. After denying the allegations, Cornish was released on $500 bail ahead of his trial.
SEE PAGE THREE
SEE PAGE SEVEN
and arranging for the media to report on those lies. Peter Nygård looks forward to exposing the details of the billionaire-backed conspiracy Louis Bacon has orchestrated for years, which sadly now counts as its victims the more than 1,400 people who worked for the Nygård Companies and relied upon those jobs to support themselves and their families.”
PAGE 8, Friday, April 24, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
So you reckon there was no preferential treatment, Marvin? AS the Coronavirus pandemic continues here in the Bahamas, this week’s ‘Corona Chronicles’ showed a track meet at the courthouse, pastors securing the bag first, and the fact some of us don’t know the meaning of ‘quarantine.’ •THE RUNNING MAN WE all saw the viral video circulating on every form of social media, showing a man (Ash) at a liquor store (Made Men Sports Bar) selling alcohol and an unmarked police vehicle at the establishment. Considering Ash’s seemingly tight knit relationship with the government, being a former ‘star witness’ and all, one might wonder if the name of Ash’s sports bar, ‘Made Men’ is a reflection of how Ash really feels, or at least how this administration has made him feel. There can be the impression he is a made political crony, and is above the law, like so many political cronies before him. Ash appeared before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle-Davis on Monday, and after sprinting the 40 yards from the police station to the courthouse, in 4.1 seconds, (a time NFL scouts would be drooling over) clad in a black hoodie
and surgical mask, free of handcuffs, shackles and a police escort (which is the usual protocol for court) and was charged with violating the national curfew and operating a non-essential business on April 17. After pleading guilty to the charges, Ash, was fined $2,000 or nine months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS) for count one and $5,000 or one year at the BDCS for count two, and after paying his fines, in the blink of an eye the ‘Bahamian Flash’ was gone. (I wonder if Ash can run that fast with a pocket full of ‘shingles’ though?) Now if that wasn’t enough, I further scratched my head when I saw Minister of National Security Marvin Dames comments in this weeks Tribune, regarding the whole Ash incident and Ash’s appearance in court, without
handcuffs or shackles, and with no police escort, when asked if Ash received preferential treatment Dames called the suggestion ‘ludicrous.’ Say what now Marvin? I’m quite sure there is a line a mile long, queuing up as I type, of offenders trading stories, with the ‘cuff marks’ to prove it, who are ready to call ‘BS’ on your dismissal of the whole preferential treatment question. •PAY PAL PASTORS AFTER wishy-washy responses, or in some cases none at all, to several recent issues of national importance, I must say I’m a bit amazed that clergymen have so much to say in regards to ‘tithes’ and their continued payment by their congregations, despite social distancing protocols.
Several churches have gone completely digital in order for their worshipers to conveniently pay tithes. This week alone I’ve observed multiple ‘Pay Pal Pastors’ pop up all over social media, instructing members of their various congregations on how to pay their ‘tithes’ on line. I understand that the various churches need their ‘tithes’ to operate, however all I’m saying is, in all of your ‘religiousness’ and with the same conviction, speak out or take action against every day atrocities here in the Bahamas that go unchampioned, such as crime, guns, ‘sweetheartin’, child molestation, human trafficking and the list goes on and on. Don’t be selective, even though you want your members to be selective paying their ‘tithes’ on line with those $25, $50, $75 and $100 donations. Watch it, Sebas, now the pastors them online to!! •STAY AT HOME quarantine /kwrntin/ noun a state, period, or place of isolation in which people or animals that have arrived from elsewhere
or been exposed to infectious or contagious disease are placed. “Many animals die in quarantine” verb put (a person or animal) in quarantine. “I quarantine all new fish for one month.” In case some of you don’t know the definition or meaning, there it is courtesy of Google. So please all of you out there, and you know who you are, if you’ve been treated by a doctor and quarantined then please stay at home. Sharing isn’t caring in this case, it’s being thoughtless and selfish. We as a nation don’t need it to come down to having to identify those infected with COViD -19. That opens up too many doors for too many things down the line. So again, if you have been quarantined stay inside for the prescribed period of time. Now is not the time to be selfish or adventurous, we want our lives to return as close to normal as possible, as quickly as possible. For those of you ignoring your quarantine you aren’t helping the process and you are most certainly not being cute. Stay yinna boungies inside!
Guess what - we’re discovering we really can do things for ourselves COMPLAIN, gripe and grumble all you want about being stuck at home. The reality is that while it is killing the economy, it is saving lives. Balancing the needs for human and economic survival is a gruelling, day-by-day, hour-by-hour mental high wire act performed by those who were trained to do one or the other, never expecting to have to do both. As decisionmakers with unfamiliar mazes struggle to get it right, they are discovering the COVID-19 pandemic is doing for The Bahamas what few crises, if any, have done before. It is shining light on our successes and ripping the covers off our frailties. On the success side, it has opened official lines of communication between the Prime Minister and the public. Under ordinary circumstances, our leaders, like others around the world, rely on words of wisdom from large donors, big business, clergy and members of their inner circle to tell them what they want to hear. Bringing in
organizations like ORG (Organization for Responsible Governance) and the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation and giving them a seat at the table has helped lead to a gradual, rotating opening of some business sectors. Listening to those like Brian Jones who has been advocating increased digitalization since early 2016 is already accelerating what was a painfully slow conversion to e-commerce and e-government that will last post-COVID. Virtual learning is putting more tablets and discipline in student hands. New delivery services and apps like MobileAssist are proving their worth. Opening a portal for suggestions from the public on the OPM’s
website will likely remain a permanent online feature. We don’t realize it but we are changing, becoming small success stories ourselves. We are adjusting to a new normal and accepting it. We are finding we can get a lot done even if we don’t do it as well as those we relied on before. We can acid-wash and re-grout our kitchen tiles, groom our dogs, trim our bushes, sand and varnish our old wood floors. We are learning more about the right way to plant lettuce instead of the right way to examine produce on the shelf. We are shoring up our self-confidence by doing more ourselves. We are also becoming more sensitive to needs around us, none more so than the need to feed.
The fight against hunger has become a nationwideendorsed cause. Hands for Hunger, Lend A Hand, RBPF efforts, The Salvation Army, Great Commission Ministries are all working harder than ever to meet the demand while what started out as a network engaging a handful of churches looking for support only seven years ago has grown into the emerging star of feeding programmes in The Bahamas. The Bahamas Feeding Network (BFN) mirrors the operations of Feed America, referred to as the gold standard of feeding programmes in the U.S. This week Feed America reported it was helping a network of 220 organizations, Bahamas Feeding Network some 110. That is pretty amazing. Although BFN’s network varies from 70 to over 100 on a monthly basis, the work it does through a team of volunteers is so inspiring that it is a model of human kindness and good that should make all of us appreciate how The Bahamas can shine in a time of need.
This week, BFN, which has converted from cooking more than 5,000 hot meals a week to distributing food parcels, coupons and gift cards, was rewarded with major donations - $50,000 in two tranches of $25,000 each from the Lyford Cay Foundation and $10,000 from the Nassau Jewish Community. During normal times, Royal Caribbean provides almost all its food. An underlying part of BFN’s success is the fact every penny contributed goes directly to food with all administrative costs being borne by an anonymous donor since the day it was launched. Our willingness to embrace the need to feed is another success story energized by COVID19. And the attention to hunger and food security will mean the latter will be treated with the vigour it requires going forward. We will lessen our dependence on others for what lands in our fridge and on our table and on those thousands of tables in hotels. People are getting better at social distancing, making it easier to re-start
construction and development. If BPL is able to place crews on the road for tree trimming, getting huge limbs off power poles ahead of hurricane season, would it not be plausible to allow construction to restart its engines, still maintaining social distancing. Materials can be sanitized. An inspector could be placed on a construction site with authority to shut it down for violations. If it can be done in the Family Islands, we can only suggest, let’s give it a try in New Providence. And amid all the fussing about what’s wrong, let’s also take a minute every day to say thank you to all the frontline workers who put their lives on the line every day. Thank you, thank you and thank you. As for those frailties the crisis has shone a light on, we all know what they are. Let’s just work on making them better and stop waiting for others to do it for us. After all, if we can hold Tango and groom his overgrown furry, droopy ears, we can do just about anything.
IF EVER YOU DOUBTED THERE WAS BAHAMIAN ARTISTIC TALENT
SO MANY great Bahamian artists of every genre have left us – in fine arts Brent Malone, Amos Ferguson, Jackson Burnside, in performing arts, Ronnie Butler, King Eric, Mdeez, most recently singer songwriter Eric Minns. But if you want to find reason for hope, you don’t have to look any further than #36, The Central Bank’s 36th edition of the National Arts Competition. With both open category and high school competition, with layout compiled by relatively new Central Bank curator Ulrich Volges and photographs by the unstoppable Roland Rose and others, the coffee table catalogue is filled with artwork that could stand up to almost any world standard. Watch for more work by Christina Wong - whose work you can see on the left - who competed in the open category and St Andrew’s student Makeda Smith. And check out the catalogue online as there were only 400 printed. The competition awards ceremony took place last November under the patronage of Cornelius A Smith, Governor General, but looking at the images months later will lift your spirits at a time when a little lift is especially welcome.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, April 24, 2020, PAGE 9
MERKEL CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AGAINST VIRUS BERLIN Associated Press
GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday called for international cooperation on the development of a vaccine for the new coronavirus, saying that the pandemic transcends borders and can only be countered jointly. Speaking to parliament in a session where lawmakers sat at a careful distance from one another in line with the country’s socialdistancing regulations, Merkel said German scientists were busily researching the virus at home, but that “international cooperation
against the virus is extremely important.” “Science is never national, science serves mankind,” she said. “Thus it goes without saying that when medication or a vaccine is found, tested, released and is ready for use, it must be available all around the world and affordable for the whole world.” US President Donald Trump has announced he is halting funding for the World Health Organization to review how it has handled the outbreak, but Merkel lauded the agency’s work in the fight against the coronavirus. “For the German government,
I emphasise the WHO is an indispensable partner and we support them in their mandate,” she said. Asked whether she believed there was sufficient willingness among countries to cooperate in tackling the pandemic, Merkel told reporters that recent conversations with other world leaders — including the G-7 currently chaired by the US — had given her the impression that “we know this is an illness which has reached all of us. It’s a pandemic that nobody can avoid.” Germany this week began slowly easing restrictions after being on lockdown for weeks,
allowing small shops to start opening while keeping social distancing in place. All states are also moving ahead with regulations requiring protective masks in public transport, shops or both. In her speech to lawmakers, Merkel chastised some German states for moving too quickly to relax measures, however, saying they’re risking setting back what the country has achieved. Germany has reported more than 150,000 infections but a relatively low death toll of about 5,000, while more than 100,000 people have recovered, according to a tally compiled by Johns Hopkins
University. Merkel cautioned that, while the rate of new infections has been slowing, “we’re still walking on thin ice, one could also say the thinnest ice.” “We’re not living in the final phase of the pandemic, but still at the beginning. We will be living with this virus for a long time.” Merkel told parliament that in her time as chancellor the decision to “restrict personal freedoms” in the fight against the virus was one of hardest she has made, and urged people to proceed carefully now as steps were being taken to reduce restrictions so as not to give up hard-won gains.
LEFT: Volunteers disinfects the Badshahi Mosque ahead of Ramadan, in Lahore, Pakistan; top: Kallawaya healers flank a disinfectant chamber that sprays mists of medicinal herbs in La Paz, Bolivia; right: A person walks past a shuttered business in Philadelphia; above: Medical workers watch an orchestra outside a hospital in Athens.
Jobless figures close to Great Depression
NEW YORK Associated Press
UNEMPLOYMENT in the US is swelling to levels last seen during the Great Depression of the 1930s, with one in six American workers thrown out of a job by the coronavirus, according to new data released yesterday. In response to the deepening economic crisis, the House passed a nearly $500 billion spending package to help buckled businesses and hospitals. More than 4.4 million laid-off Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, the government reported. In all, roughly 26 million people — the population of the 10 biggest US cities combined — have now filed for jobless aid in five weeks, an epic collapse that has raised the stakes in the debate over how and when to ease the shutdowns of factories and other businesses. In the hardest-hit corner of the US, evidence emerged that perhaps
2.7 million New York state residents have been infected by the virus — 10 times the number confirmed by lab tests. A small, preliminary statewide survey of around 3,000 people found that nearly 14% had antibodies showing they had been infected, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Just in New York City, with a population of 8.6 million, Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot said as many as 1 million may have been infected. In Washington, many House lawmakers wore face masks and bandannas — and some sat in the otherwise vacant visitors gallery to stay away from others — as they debated the latest spending package. A near-unanimous vote sent it to President Donald Trump in the evening. Anchoring the bill is the administration’s $250 billion request to replenish a fund to help smalland medium-size businesses with payroll, rent and other expenses. Trump said the bill “will help small
businesses to keep millions of workers on the payroll.” Abroad, there was mixed news about the epidemic. Some countries, including Greece, Bangladesh and Malaysia, announced extensions of their lockdowns. Vietnam, New Zealand and Croatia were among those moving to end or ease such measures. In Africa, COVID-19 cases surged 43% in the past week to 26,000, according to John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The figures underscored a recent warning from the World Health Organization that the virus could kill more than 300,000 people in Africa and push 30 million into desperate poverty. Brazil’s health ministry confirmed 407 deaths due to the outbreak in the last 24 hours, a daily high for the country. Huge lines have formed at food banks from El Paso, Texas, to the Paris suburbs, and food shortages are hitting Africa hard.
The coronavirus has killed nearly 190,000 people worldwide, including more than 100,000 in Europe and about 47,000 in the United States, according to a tally compiled by John Hopkins University from official government figures. The true numbers are almost certainly far higher. In the US, the economic consequences of the shutdowns have sparked angry rallies in state capitals by protesters demanding that businesses reopen, and Trump has expressed impatience over the restrictions. Some governors have begun easing up despite warnings from health authorities that it may be too soon to do so without sparking a second wave of infections. In Georgia, gyms, hair salons and bowling alleys can reopen today. Texas has reopened its state parks. And few Americans count on Trump as a reliable source of information on the outbreak, according to a new survey.
REPUBLICANS PIN COVID-19 FALLOUT ON DEMOCRATS Associated Press WITH legions out of work, Republicans across the critical battleground states are trying to lay blame for the economic wreckage of the coronavirus outbreak on Democratic governors, ramping up a political strategy that is likely to shape the debate in the run-up to the presidential election. In Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania — all three swing states with Democrats in charge — state Republican lawmakers, after an initial detente, have grown fiercely critical of the stay-at-home orders or business shutdowns imposed by governors to limit the spread of the coronavirus, casting them as the work of overzealous, nanny-state Democrats.
129 DEPORTEES ARE FLOWN TO RAVAGED NURSING HOMES IN HAITI AMID VIRUS CONCERNS PLEA FOR MUCH MORE TESTING
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti Associated Press
NEW YORK Associated Press
A PLANE carrying 129 migrants who were deported from the US landed in Haiti yesterday amid concerns that the second such flight this month could strain the impoverished country’s limited resources as it fights the COVID-19 disease. Authorities whisked the group away in buses and took them to a hotel in the capital of Port-auPrince, where they joined more than 60 other recent deportees already serving a two-week quarantine. Three of the migrants who arrived in early April have tested positive for COVID-19, although so far none in the group that departed San Antonio, Texas has a temperature, said Jean Negot Bonheur Delva, director of Haiti’s migration office.
AFTER two months and more than 11,000 deaths that have made the nation’s nursing homes some of the most terrifying places to be during the coronavirus crisis, most of them still don’t have access to enough tests to help control outbreaks among their frail, elderly residents. Neither the federal government nor the leader in nursing home deaths, New York, has mandated testing for all residents and staff. An industry group says only about a third of the 15,000 nursing homes in the U.S. have ready access to tests that can help isolate the sick and stop the spread. And homes that do manage to get a hold of tests often rely on luck and contacts. “It just shows that the longer that states lapse in universal testing of all
TWO men who were deported from the United States The World Health Organization is providing Haiti with free testing kits, although the local government is paying for three meals a day and the deportees’ two-week stay at hotels including one in the north coastal town of CapHaïtien, where nearly 400 migrants are under quarantine after being expelled from Turks & Caicos. Bonheur declined to say how much the situation is costing the government as a Miami-based Haitian rights
advocacy group called on President Jovenel Moïse to stop accepting deportees and ask that US President Donald Trump place a moratorium on deportations. “These flights do not only put the deported individuals at risk, but they also threaten to spread the coronavirus in Haiti, a country as you know all too well is ill-equipped to deal with a pandemic,” wrote Marleine Bastien, executive director of the Family Action Network Movement.
residents and staff, we’re going to see these kinds of stories for a very long time,” said Brian Lee of the advocacy group Families for Better Care. “Once it’s in, there’s no stopping it and by the time you’re aware with testing, too many people have it. And bodies keep piling up.” That became clear in some of the nation’s biggest nursing home outbreaks. After a home in Brooklyn reported 55 coronavirus deaths last week, its CEO acknowledged it was based entirely on symptoms and educated guesses the dead had COVID-19 because they were unable to actually test any of the residents or staff. At a nursing home in suburban Richmond, Virginia, that has so far seen 49 deaths, the medical director said testing of all residents was delayed nearly two weeks because of a shortage
of testing supplies and bureaucratic requirements. By the time they did, the spread was out of control, with 92 residents positive. Mark Parkinson, CEO of the American Health Care Association, says “only a very small percentage” of residents and staff have been tested because the federal and state governments have not made nursing homes the top priority. “We feel like we’ve been ignored,” Parkinson said. “Certainly now that the emphasis has gone away from hospitals to where the real battle is taking place in nursing homes, we should be at a priority level one.” Two-thirds of US nursing homes still don’t have “easy access to test kits” and are struggling to obtain sufficient resources, said Chris Laxton, executive director of The Society for PostAcute and Long-Term Care Medicine.
SPORTS SECTION E
PAGE 14
FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2020
Coach Sherman Smith dies at 53 By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribune media.net
S
herman Smith was known as a no-nonsense fundamental coach who demanded the best out of the many young people whom he helped to groom in basketball, along with volleyball, soccer and track and field. The Carlton E Francis physical education teacher, who used the school as his base for a vibrant after-school and summer basketball camp, died on Wednesday night, about a week before he was to celebrate his 54th birthday on Thursday, April 30. Smith, whose forte was coaching basketball, got a chance to celebrate his final accomplishment in March when he and coach Terrance ‘Red Eye’ McSweeney combined to coach Carlton E Francis to a runner-up position in the Bahamas Scholastic Athletic Association’s basketball championships at the DW Davis Gymnasium. McSweeney said he assisted Smith, who had to undergo surgery from January but was postponed a few times, with his girls’ basketball team as they participated in the school’s basketball league regular season that started at the Hope Center and ended up with the postseason at the DW Davis Gymnasium.
COACH SHERMAN SMITH “The team was comprised of mostly grade three to five with just about three girls from grade six,” McSweeney said. “I know they are in mourning having heard the news. I know we got a few at St John’s, which I currently work out with their programme and there are some at Prince Will. The others went to government schools.” McSweeney, who got to know Smith for more than 15 years in the basketball coaching fraternity, said Smith started out with the after-school programme at Carlton E Francis. He approached the Ministry of Education about becoming a full time physical education teacher and was awarded the position. Over the years, according to McSweeney, a number of schools
benefitted from players from his primary school boys and girls basketball teams coming to their schools, although Carlton E Francis was a feeder system for SC McPherson and CV Bethel Secondary High. “Many schools, both private and public were the beneficiaries of his student-athletes because he was not just a coach, but a father figure to a lot of the boys who came from a single parent home and a lot of the girls, who also came from single parent homes. “He was a mentor, who went overboard in assisting a lot of his students with getting school stuff and even lunch when they came to school. He did a lot of stuff and even got a lot of them to travel to some of the basketball tournaments in the Family Islands when they didn’t have the funding.” McSweeney remembered Smith’s aggressiveness in pushing his players to their maximum potential, but more so for allowing him to step in and work with him without any reservations. “Coach Smith was very unique to know because a lot of coaches don’t accept you coming in and taking over their prrogramme, or even just training their team for a tournament. Everybody just wants to do it themselves,”he said. “But he never showed any reservation about me coming in and taking over his programme or the
girls would be more inclined to play for me. I think over the years, that was why he would have asked me from time to time to come in and work with his girls while he concentrated on the boys.” McSweeney and Smith never got the opportunity to coach against each other, but they developed a good working relationship together for the betterment of girls’ basketball in the country. Although he wasn’t a part of the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association, which caters to junior and senor high schools, president Varel Davis said Smith still played an integral part as a supporter in the stands. “He was an excellent basketball coach who helped to develop some of the top boys and girls in the country today,” Davis said. “He came down and supported our games in the GSSSA as much as he could. He was always in the gym at our games. “He was a very helpful person, but he was also a very excellent basketball coach. He was one of the best that they had in the primary schools in the country. I always told him I wished I had some of the players he groomed. He will be surely missed.” Smith, whose wife predeceased him in 2017, left to mourn four children and a host of studentathletes whom he helped to groom and nurture as if they were his own.
STRACHAN NAMED TO ALLSTATE CLASS 2ND TEAM By RENALDOD DORSETT Developmental Research Tribune Sports Reporter School Rattlers, 79-61. rdorsett@tribunemedia.net St John Paul II finished the season at 15-11. In his FOLLOWING a stand- final home game, Strachan out senior season, Nicholas scored 15 points on senior Strachan received his first night in a 53-51 win over postseason accolades. McKlay. The 6’6” wing was named In an active prep career, to the 2019-20 Boys Bas- the Panthers was Straketball All-State Class 2A chan’s fourth school in four Second team as selected by years since his move to the SourceHoops.com and the United States. Florida Association of BasHe began at Godby, then ketball Coaches. transferred to Chiles and In his lone season with then to Orlando Christian the St John Paull II Pan- Prep last year, before his thers in Tallahassee, final stop with the Panthers. Florida, Strachan helped In the 2019 season, he lead the team to a Dis- was on the losing side of trict Championship to the the 3A championship game FHSAA 2A quarter-finals. with OCP when they lost in He led the team in both the season finale against the scoring and rebounding, Panthers. averaging 17.1 points and As a freshman playing on 8.5 rebounds per game the varsity squad at Godby, respectively. Strachan immediately drew He recorded seven the attention of coaches and double doubles on the recruits for his performance season, highlighted by a at the Leonard Hamilton 32 points and 14 rebounds Basketball Camp. against Blake and 32 points Strachan played locally at with 16 rebounds against Kingsway Academy before Lighthouse Christian. making the transition to the In the season finale, United States. Strachan scored a game He is the son of Stinghigh 22 points and added ers Youth Basketball 12 rebounds but his No.2 association director Steseeded Panthers saw their phen Strachan and the season come to an end in brother of former Middle an upset loss to the Flor- Tennessee State University ida A and M University guard Stephen Strachan Jr.
NICHOLAS STRACHAN, of the Bahamas, has been named to the 2019-20 Boys Basketball AllState Class 2A Second team.
INECIA NAMED SCHOLARATHLETE OF YEAR By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Golf Federation national team stalwart Inecia Rolle received postseason accolades for her work off the course and in the classroom this past season. The senior for the Chowan Hawks was named a Conference Carolinas 2020 Spring Scholar-Athletes of the Year when the organisation announced its annual awards yesterday. Out of Murfreesboro, North Carolina, Chowan competes in the Conference Carolinas, a ROLLE member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II. It marked the first Scholar Athlete of the Year award in school history. To be considered, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.25 or higher. In addition, the nominees for the award must have been named all-conference in their sport and chosen academic all-conference. Rolle, a psychology major with a 3.94 GPA, also captured individual medallist honours twice on the course in her senior season. She also had seven top 10 finishes over the course of the year. Her senior season was highlighted at the Pfeiffer Invitational at Hilton Head Lakes. In a performance that was listed as one of the Hawks’ best of the year, she led the tournament from start to finish after an opening round 78 to shoot a one-over 73 on the final day to record medallist honours. Rolle also earned medallist honours at the Marlins Invitational. Prior to the season, Rolle spent the summer months locally assisting the BGF as an instructor for the junior programme. She also served an assistant coach for Team Bahamas at the Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships held at the Albany Golf Course in The Bahamas in late July. She was also an assistant coach of The Bahamas’ Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship team that competed in the Dominican Republic. The women’s team finished sixth for the George Teale Trophy.
Olympics: Organisers plan to finalise framework for way forward By RENALDOD DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE new date for the Tokyo Olympics is set for the summer of 2021 and organisers plan to finalise the framework for the way forward by the end of May. “Since the postponement of Tokyo 2020 to 2021 was agreed a few weeks ago, the strong spirit of collaboration between the IOC, the IPC, the Olympic Movement, Tokyo 2020 and the Japanese authorities has already allowed us to bring some clarity and certainty to athletes, fans and stakeholders around the world. The principles outlined today will allow us to continue in this spirit, and to answer the many questions that remain, in as efficient a manner as possible,” IOC coordination commission chair John Coates said. “We believe that the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 can stand as
a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times, and that the Olympic flame can be the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present.” The Tokyo Organising Committee and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) hosted a teleconference to discuss the project review and addressed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as organisational resources and priorities shift to the newly proposed date. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Government of Japan decided on July 23 to August 8 2021 for the Tokyo Games. A new date has also been set for the Paralympic Games, August 24 to September 5, 2021.
“Now that it has been formalised and the new dates chosen, the practicalities of moving the event can begin in earnest, in partnership with everyone involved. Outlining what needs to be done, Pierre Ducrey, Olympic Games operations director, said: “It’s a very complex jigsaw puzzle of negotiations with private and public parties and a number of stakeholders in the Olympic Movement, to ensure that we have everything that we need.” Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi said the group will attempt to resolve serveral issues including athlete well being, difficulties with training under restricted conditions, the international sporting calendar and a myriad of other factors. “We were fortunate to be working with a very good organising committee and were able to navigate through complicated discussions because everyone
was speaking with one voice: the IOC, the Organising Committee, the City of Tokyo and the government of Japan. “This alignment between all parties really helped us to make the right decision at the same time,” he said. “Clearly there is no way you can do something like this unless all stakeholders are on board. The Olympic Movement has walked in unison through this crisis, and the support we got was remarkable. It was understood by everybody that this was the best thing to do in this context. “I think it shows that the unity of the Olympic Movement is very strong. When we combine the capabilities and the commitments at the highest level, including of the IOC and the entire Olympic family, we can be confident. A postponement is never ideal, but at least we have all the conditions in place to deliver the best event possible, so we have a lot
of confidence that we are going to deliver great Games next year.” The IOC released its rewritten roadmap for qualifying for the games. The new deadline for qualifying is June 29, 2021, and entry lists are due a week later. Individual international sports federations will still be in charge of their qualifying procedures. Many sports allow athletes to qualify by compiling results over a series of events. The IOC urged the federations to find a balance “between protecting those athletes who were close to qualifying based on the previous 2020 deadlines and also ensuring the best athletes at the Olympic Games” by taking into consideration performances in 2021. World Athletics announced it was shutting down all qualifying procedures through November 30. Its new window for qualifying will run from December 1 through June 29, 2021.
PAGE 12, Friday, April 24, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
WOODS, MICKELSON TO STAGE TV MATCH WITH BRADY, MANNING UEFA POSTPONES By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer TIGER Woods and Phil Mickelson are ready for a made-for-TV rematch at a time when fans are craving live action. And this time, they’ll have company. Turner Sports says quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning will join them for a two-on-two match sometime in May. Missing from the announcement were such details as when and where the match would be played, except that tournament organizers would work with government and health officials to meet safety and health standards. Turner said all donations and fundraising from “The Match: Champions for Charity” would benefit relief efforts for the COVID-19 pandemic. The event will be televised on TNT, with social and digital content leading
up and during the event available through Bleacher Report and House of Highlights. “It’s on now,” Mickelson tweeted Wednesday afternoon responding to Bleacher Report. He added that he would be paired with Brady, saying: “After feeling the sting of defeat the first time around, Looks like @TigerWoods is bringing a ringer to The Match (#PeytonManning). I’m bringing a GOAT. @TomBrady — Ready to hit bombs?” The first match over Thanksgiving weekend in November 2018 was supposed to be pay-per-view, except that technical difficulties allowed everyone to watch. It lacked some of wild bets both players had teased, and the trash talking was forced at times. Mickelson ended up winning the $9 million winner-take-all purse in a wedge contest under the
WOMEN’S EUROS TO 2022, AVOIDS OLYMPIC CLASH
PHIL MICKELSON, left, and Tiger Woods shake hands after the first round of the Players Championship golf tournament in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, on May 10, 2018. Woods and Mickelson are ready for a made-for-TV rematch at a time when fans are craving live action. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) lights when the matched ended in a tie. Live golf was last seen on television March 12, the first round of The Players Championship as developments with the new coronavirus accelerated at such a rate that sports began shutting down. The PGA Tour first decided not to have fans at the TPC Sawgrass, then
canceled its premier event, and then began canceling or postponing all tournaments across each of its tours. Woods was not at The Players. The defending Masters champion has not played since he finished last in his Genesis Invitational at Riviera on Feb. 16. Saying his back did not feel ready, Woods chose not to
play the Mexico Championship, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship. Woods and Manning have played together in pro-ams on the PGA Tour. The Palm Beach Post has reported that Brady, who recently signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has joined fabled Seminole Golf Club in south Florida.
Spanish league wants players tested daily during training By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — The Spanish league wants all players and coaches tested daily for the coronavirus when trainings resume. The information is on a league protocol to which The Associated Press gained access after it was sent to Spanish clubs and other European leagues last week. The 23-page protocol was prepared in a partnership with the medical staff of some first division clubs and details a four-stage training plan before competitions can resume. It includes guidelines to guarantee “the safety of players and their immediate families, the coaching staff” and everyone else involved in the trainings. There is still no timetable for the resumption of practices, and the league is not expected to restart before the end of May. A vaccine
hasn’t been discovered either. The league said it will be up to Spanish health authorities to determine when clubs will be allowed to return to action. Real Sociedad tried to start individual trainings recently but was not allowed by the government because sports facilities are to remain closed as part of lockdown measures. In Spain, more than 22,000 people have died of COVID19, according to John Hopkins University. The government met with the league and the Spanish Football Federation last weekend and said they reached an agreement for the return to training without elaborating. The league’s training protocol was obtained by the AP a day after Spain’s players’ association sent a letter to government officials expressing concern about resuming competitions.
It said players want to make sure it will be OK for them to be tested while there is “a demand” for such tests “in society.” They also called for clear guidelines from health authorities to guarantee everyone’s safety. The El Mundo newspaper said yesterday the government will authorise thousands of tests to be performed on soccer players and other squad members. The league wants the tests to be daily, and conducted starting when the individual training stage begins in order to “detect the so-called false negatives” who can still pass the virus to others. It said the clubs’ medical staff also will have to be tested daily. The league’s protocol also establishes a minimum of three “obligatory” tests for “all those who are to take part in the club’s training camp.” The first tests should be undertaken two days before the start
of the individual sessions and will include a serology test to identify those who are immune. There should be two other monitoring tests before the start of the group training stage and before the competitions resume. The league’s protocol recommends a period of “around 15 days of group and/or collective training” before competitions can resume. The four stages of the protocol contemplate a preparation phase that would be followed by solo practices, smaller group sessions, and finally full squad sessions. The protocol includes detailed sections on how the clubs must operate the training facilities, including areas such as the kitchen, laundry room, dressing room, gym and physio room. Several first division players and team members have been infected with the new coronavirus. The country is in a lockdown at least until May 9.
NYON, Switzerland (AP) — The Women’s European Championship in 2021 was postponed by one year yesterday, moving out of a direct clash with the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics. UEFA’s executive committee agreed that the 16-nation tournament in England will now be played from July 6-31 in 2022. The switch was inevitable after the IOC decided last month on a one-year postponement for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to the coronavirus pandemic. Women’s soccer games begin before the Tokyo opening ceremony on July 23 next year. An Olympic title is prized more in women’s soccer than in the men’s game, and three European teams — the Netherlands, Sweden and a British team potentially with mostly England players — are in the 16-nation lineup in Japan. “With the Olympics now being confirmed for summer 2021, we firmly believe that moving to 2022 is in the best interests of the (Euro) tournament,” UEFA head of women’s soccer Nadine Kessler said in a statement. The move also avoids both of UEFA’s marquee national team championships competing for attention in the same English summer with both finals at Wembley Stadium in London. The men’s Euro 2020, including seven games at Wembley, was also postponed by UEFA last month for one year. Wembley will stage the men’s final on July 11, 2021 and the women’s final on July 31, 2022.
TOKYO OLYMPIC CEO PROMISES ‘TRANSPARENCY’ OVER COST OF DELAY By STEPHEN WADE AP Sports Writer TOKYO (AP) — The chief executive of the Tokyo Olympics yesterday promised “transparency” with the Japanese public regarding the cost of postponing the games until next year. Neither the Japanese organisers nor the International Olympic Committee has said what it will cost to delay the Tokyo Games for one year. Early estimates in Japan range between $2 billion and $6 billion. “It’s highly likely that the expense will be higher than the originally planned budget,” CEO Toshiro Muto said, speaking through an interpreter at a weekly teleconference. He said the exact amount was unclear, “but we will proceed with transparency and explain to the taxpayers about the costs.” Although officials say the added costs are unknown, one thing is certain: Japanese taxpayers will pick up most of the bills. The Tokyo city government, the local
organisers and the Japanese Olympic Committee are obligated under the “Host City Contract” signed in 2013 to cover most of the costs. The cost issue is sensitive in Japan, particularly for the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has been a fervent backer of the Olympics. Japan, like many countries, could be deep in a recession next year, brought on the by the coronavirus pandemic. Japan is officially spending $12.6 billion to organise the Olympics, but a government audit report last year said it was at least twice that much. It’s all public money except for $5.6 billion in a privately funded operating budget. The Switzerland-based IOC has contributed $1.3 billion to that private budget, but is not expected to pay much more. Its income over the latest fouryear Olympic cycle was $5.7 billion. IOC member John Coates, who oversees planning for the Tokyo
A MAN jogs past the Olympic rings in Tokyo on March 30. The chief executive of the Tokyo Olympics has promised “transparency” yesterday with the Japanese public over the cost of postponing the games until next year. Neither the Japanese Olympic organisers nor the International Olympic Committee has said what it will cost. Early estimates in Japan range between $2 billion and $6 billion. (AP Photo/Jae C Hong) Olympics, said last week the IOC would need to pay “several hundred million dollars” to keep many international sports federations and national Olympic committees afloat. He did
not indicate any of that money was going to Tokyo. Muto was asked pointblank if Japan was “prepared to pay all of the extra running costs — or should it be shared?”
He did not answer directly, referring instead to a nondescript statement put out last week by the IOC and local organisers. “The joint statement is all we have,” Muto said.
“We need to assess the impact of the postponement, and then we need to discuss how to address it.” Muto was asked repeatedly if the pandemic would allow the delayed Olympics to open on July 23, 2021. Earlier this week, a Japanese scientist and an expert in infectious disease said it was unlikely the Olympics could be held. “How this coronavirus infection situation will develop and when this will end — nobody can answer this question for sure,” Muto said. He said postponing until July 2021 gave organisers and the IOC “enough time.” He also discounted any chance of postponing until 2022. The Beijing Winter Olympics are scheduled for 2022 but are also under a cloud since it was in China where the virus was first discovered. “Prime Minster Abe said the nature of the Olympics would change if Tokyo 2020 were postponed for two years,” Muto said.
Study: Olympians should push for collective bargaining By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer A STUDY of the worldwide Olympic bureaucracy’s finances concludes there’s far more money available for athletes than what they receive, and that they would be best served by the sort of collective-bargaining arrangement that’s common in pro leagues. The study, a collaboration between the Global Athlete advocacy group and the Ryerson University Ted Rogers School of Management in Toronto, said the IOC — the largest and most integral cog in the Olympic system — averages $1.4 billion a year in revenue and spends 4.1 per cent of it on athletes. Even since the Olympics departed from the amateur-only model on which it was founded,
the majority of athletes have been largely dependent on their own sports organisations and national Olympic committees for funding. Lucrative sponsorship deals exist for only a small percentage of top-tier Olympians. At the same time, the study says, because the IOC receives most of its revenue (91 per cent) from TV and marketing and virtually nothing from donations, its model is more in sync with the NFL, NBA and other pro leagues than the family of non-profit organisations it is part of. The study says those pro leagues return between 40 per cent and 60 per cent of their revenues to the players, while the Olympic movement gives back 4.1 per cent, the bulk of which “is mostly through scholarships, grants and awards for successful
competition, numbers which athletes cannot negotiate.” “If the IOC and its affiliates are unwilling or unable to compensate its athletes, collective bargaining will change the face of the Olympic Movement,” the report concluded, while also underscoring athletes’ chance to grab a central role in reshaping the movement in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that has delayed the Tokyo Games by a year. The IOC called the claim that it spends 4.1 per cent of its revenue on athletes “just plain wrong.” “It redistributes 90 per cent of all its income generated from the Olympic Games to assist athletes and develop sport worldwide,” the IOC said. “As a result, every day the IOC distributes about $3.4 million around the world
to help athletes and sporting organisations.” As detailed in its annual report, among the areas the IOC sends money to are international sports federations, national Olympic committees and the World AntiDoping Agency. The IOC also sends about 28 per cent of its budget to local organising committees for the Olympics; in 2016 and 2018, that amounted to $1.7 billion, the study said. Without the Olympics there would be no grand stage on which the athletes could perform. That has long been an IOC argument in defending its overall model, as well as Rule 40, which limits the amount of sponsorship-related revenue athletes can generate during the games themselves. Over recent months, the IOC has allowed countries to relax
some of those restrictions, but the study argues athletes would be much better off if Rule 40 was abolished altogether and replaced by collective bargaining. The study outlined a complex web of Olympic finance and bureaucracy that it says is outdated. It describes a system in which the vast majority of money flows in from broadcasters and sponsors, then filters through hundreds of Olympic-related subsidiaries across the globe before, eventually, a small amount gets to the athletes themselves. The study estimated the average Canadian athlete in 2013-14 spent about $15,000 more than he or she made in a year. “If the IOC is truly against the commercial abuse of athletes, it will find a way to pay its athletes back,” the report concluded.
THE TRIBUNE
Friday, April 24, 2020, PAGE 13
‘Stay Ready’ THE Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s “Stay Ready” campaign has been widely accepted by the tennis players and today we feature some talented tennis juniors and tennis siblings - Jackson and Patrick Mactaggart, BreAnn and Cameron Ferguson and Jianna and Jordan Munroe. The juniors share their views on the importance of staying ready during the current conditions. Patrick Mactaggart “I have been missing my tennis friends during this time at home. I am really trying to stay healthy and active so I can be ready to play when this is over.” Jackson Mactaggart “While we are at home during this difficult time, we must stay fit so we can
be ready to get back on the court as soon as we are allowed to.” BreAnn Ferguson “Staying fit is very important because it keeps you ready to compete.” Cameron Ferguson “Staying fit is important because it keeps you healthy.” Twin sisters Jianna and Jordan are also staying ready as they continue to practice their drills. You can view the athletes’ exciting videos on Facebook at “Blta Tennis” or Instagram @bahamaslta. The BLTA, through its public relations committee, offered one simple message - Stay home, stay safe and stay ready. Right: Athletes exercise at home to stay in shape.
VIRUS-CAUSED UNEMPLOYMENT IN TENNIS COULD LEAD SOME TO QUIT By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer LIKE plenty of people from all walks of life, 26-year-old Mitchell Krueger wants to sign up for unemployment benefits to make up for income lost because of the coronavirus pandemic. No luck, so far: Over the past two weeks, the Dallas resident has spent hours hitting refresh on his iPad while reaching “Page unavailable” dead ends or hearing busy signals when calling the Texas Workforce Commission. Unlike most folks hoping for an assist, Krueger is a professional athlete, a tennis player good enough to be ranked 195th in the world. And unlike pros in the NBA or NHL, two leagues interrupted by the COVID19 outbreak whose players are getting most or all of their regular-season paychecks, Krueger is an independent contractor. He doesn’t receive a salary. Instead, he and hundreds of men and women like him — and their coaches — need tournaments to happen so they can earn money, but the tennis tours are suspended at least until mid-July. Roger Federer, Serena Williams
and others who’ve accumulated champion’s checks and millions more in endorsement deals are fine, of course. Krueger, though, is among those feeling the financial hit — and worrying about the long-term effects on tennis. “You’re going to have a lot of players who feel they can’t survive, not making any money. After a while, they might get into something else, for what they think will be the meantime. Then maybe they realise, ‘Hey, this is actually better.’ If this goes on for the next nine months, who’s to say that they’re even going to bother trying to come back and play again?” said Krueger, who earned $39,264 in prize money in 2020 before expenses were subtracted — and before competition came to a halt. “I would be lying if I said this whole situation hasn’t made me give a little bit of consideration to what I would do.” Tennis is as much of a worldwide enterprise, and as fractured, a sport as any, controlled by a mix of the International Tennis Federation, the ATP and WTA tours and the four Grand Slam tournaments. David Haggerty, the ITF president, told The Associated
Press in an email Tuesday that those seven groups are “collaborating on a tennis solidarity fund that will assist some lower-ranked players. Details are being worked out, to be announced later this week.” The men’s and women’s tours also declined to offer specifics, other than to say they would administer the fund, which is expected to top $6 million. Separately, WTA CEO Steve Simon said his tour “delivered over $3 million in benefits since the suspension of play began,” without saying exactly where that money came from or where it went. Novak Djokovic, the 17-time major champion from Serbia who leads the ATP player council, has talked about using donations from other players to help those ranked outside the top 200 or 250. That might not go far enough. The 125th-ranked woman, Katarzyna Kawa of Poland, has earned $22,944 in prize money in 2020; the 175th-ranked man, Carlos Taberner of Spain, $34,114. When the ATP Tour’s Twitter account asked people to reply with their favourite thing about tennis, one player, Ellen Perez — a 24-year-old from Australia
ranked 41st in doubles and 247th in singles — responded, “When you get paid.” Her prize money for the year is $42,210, and no one knows when that’ll change. “We are such a global sport, with people travelling all over from everywhere and to everywhere, so I don’t see how it’s going to be easy for us to resume,” said 111th-ranked Denis Kudla, a 27-year-old based in Arlington, Virginia, with about $45,000 in 2020 earnings. “I could be wrong. I hope I’m wrong.” Coaches often are paid per week when travelling on tour, getting bonuses based on players’ success. “There’s a trickle-down effect, right? So agents are feeling it. Coaches are feeling it,” said Sam Duvall, whose Topnotch Management represents Kudla and more than a dozen other tennis pros, including 2018 Wimbledon semifinalist John Isner and former top-10 player Caroline Garcia. “The biggest challenge is just not knowing what’s on the horizon,” Duvall said. “If we knew that, ‘Hey, September 1, we’re going to be good’ ... then I think people could plan, make the
sacrifices that are needed and get the help that is needed.” Kudla’s conversations with other pros are sobering. “Guys are panicking,” Kudla said. “They’re already worrying about how to pay rent next month.” One silver lining: Players aren’t accumulating their usual credit card charges. “You can run through $10,000 or $20,000 very quickly with the full staff you need. ... You’re paying for yourself, significant others, a coach, a physio. Separate hotel rooms. Airfare,” Kudla said. “The bill runs pretty high.” Kudla’s coach, Carlos Benatzky, who also works with No. 183 Thai Kwiatkowski, said he’d love to replace lost wages by giving private lessons. But that’s not an option, with courts shuttered during the lockdown. “The vast majority of (coaches) are experiencing struggles, like other people in other professions who are not able to go to work and might have their pay cut — or are not getting paid at all,” Benatzky said. “We’re all facing quite a significant amount of uncertainty.”
PAGE 14, Friday, April 24, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
One constant in this unique NFL virtual draft: Joe Burrow at No.1 By BARRY WILNER AP Pro Football Writer IN this most unique of drafts, filled with technological concerns and even uncertainty when real football might return, there was one constant last night: Joe Burrow. For months, the national champion quarterback from LSU was linked with the Bengals. Cincinnati began the draft by sending the name of the Heisman Trophy winner to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in the basement of his home. This digital/remote/virtual draft — take your choice — was up and running. No fireworks on the Las Vegas Strip. No bear hug between Goodell and Burrow; the commissioner said he would miss those, even if his body won’t. The most basic of selection meetings, organised in this manner due to the coronavirus pandemic, has team personnel making picks from their homes. And players learning their future employers in their homes. The NFL cancelled all draft activities in Las Vegas when the national shutdown of large
LSU quarterback Joe Burrow (9) scrambles during the first half of the team’s NCAA college football game against Auburn in Baton Rouge. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) gatherings began. The league had gone full-bore into free agency last month and, now, seven rounds of the draft through Saturday. “I do believe this draft is going to be the most memorable we have ever had,” said Goodell, noting that it is accompanied by a “Draft-A-Thon” to benefit six organizations on the front lines battling the pandemic. “I just believe that our job is to continue on and operate within whatever guidelines are
necessary to keep our personnel safe, whether it’s players or coaches or their executives or league personnel. “We need to make sure that we’re doing things safely and put public safety No. 1, but we also need to carry on. We need to move toward the future. We need to make sure that we’re prepared when we come out of this to be in a position to start our season on time and play our season. That’s our role.”
Normalcy, at least among the picks, was the order of the early evening, though. First came Burrow: In his spectacular senior season, he threw for 60 — yes, 60 — touchdowns with only six interceptions. The Tigers beat six top 10 teams on their way to the national title. “To jump up to No. 1 overall is crazy to me,” Burrow said. “But it’s a dream come true. I wasn’t very good my junior year. I worked really hard to get better, my guys worked really hard to get better, and we jelled as a team.” The second overall selection, Ohio State All-America edge rusher Chase Young, also was predictable. Washington fielded several offers for that spot, but many scouts and personnel executives felt Young was the best player in this crop. At 6-foot-5, 264 pounds, Young led the nation with 16 1/2 sacks and forced fumbles with six last season. The All-American won the prestigious Bednarik and Nagurski awards in 2019, leading the Buckeyes to the Big Ten title. He joins a Redskins team that went 3-13 and allowed 435 points.
DOLPHINS DECIDE TO GAMBLE ON QB TAGOVAILOA’S DURABILITY By STEVEN WINE AP Sports Writer MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Dolphins decided to gamble on Tua Tagovailoa’s durability and made the Alabama quarterback the fifth overall pick in the NFL draft last night. The Dolphins hope Tagovailoa can become a franchise quarterback and the centrepiece of their rebuilding effort that began a year ago. They were undeterred by his long injury history, most recently a dislocated and fractured hip that ended his 2019 season in mid-November. Last month doctors cleared Tagovailoa to run and begin football activities, and his agent has
said his client is healthy and will be ready for training camp. That would allow Tagovailoa to compete with returning starter Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is 37 and in a caretaker role. Even before Miami’s offseason began, team owner Stephen Ross said the priority was to acquire a franchise quarterback. To start a draft widely considered the Dolphins’ most consequential in many years, they took a quarterback with their first pick for only the second time since 1983. Tagovailoa threw 76 touchdown passes in 24 starts the past two seasons. He replaced Jalen Hurts in the national championship game two years ago and rallied Alabama past Georgia, and the following
ALABAMA quarterback Tua Tagovailoa watches a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis. (AP) season he was the Heisman Trophy runner-up.
NFL talent evaluators doubted Tagovailoa only because of his health. Along with the hip injury, which at one point was feared to be career-threatening, the lefthander has had surgery on both ankles and the index finger of his throwing hand. The Dolphins stockpiled picks last year while enduring a 5-11 season under first-year coach Brian Flores. They also had the 18th and 26th picks in the first round, and three selections Friday, including the seventh and 24th in the second round. That gives them five of the top 56 choices as they try to build a team around Tagovailoa. They’ve already spent $235 million to sign 10 free agents.
REDSKINS SELECT OHIO STATE’S CHASE YOUNG WITH NO. 2 PICK By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Sports Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The Redskins held onto the second overall pick last night and selected Ohio State pass-rusher Chase Young. Washington received calls from other teams interested in trading up but opted to take a Heisman Trophy finalist considered by many the top non-quarterback available in the NFL draft. The front office’s hope is Young can have the same effect as reigning defensive rookie of the year Nick Bosa made on the San Francisco 49ers as the No. 2 pick last year. Young appears to have that potential. He led the nation with 16 1/2 sacks and had 46 tackles during his junior season. Vice president of player personnel Kyle Smith said “everything” stands out about Young. New coach Ron Rivera believes a top-five pick needs to provide an immediate impact, and the Redskins went with the best player available rather than addressing a major need. They already have Ryan Kerrigan and 2019 firstrounder Montez Sweat as part of their pass rush and spent 2017 and 2018 firstround picks on defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. Young watched from his home in suburban Washington with a picture of his late grandfather, Carl H. Robinson, stationed on the coffee table. After taking a call from the Redskins and putting on his newest hat, Young tweeted: “Proud to be a part of such a historic franchise. @Redskins, let’s GOOO.”