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VOLUME:115 No.130, MAY 30TH, 2018

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‘GIVE US ANSWERS’

Witness says Evans was NOT robber in raid which led to police shooting

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net HUNDREDS turned out in Masons Addition last night to call for answers in the death of Deangelo Evans, the 20-year-old killed by police over the weekend.

Former Prime Minister Perry Christie was among those who made a brief appearance to comfort the Evans’ family.

The crowd of about 300 lit candles, sang hymns and marched through the Masons Addition, East Street and McCullough Corner areas.

They stopped briefly in front of the headquarters of the Shell Saxons

A MAN was found dead in a car with a gunshot wound to his head in the Carmichael Road area yesterday afternoon.

The deceased, believed to be in his early 30s, was unresponsive when he was discovered shortly after 1pm at Montgomery Avenue.

SEE PAGE FIVE

Superstars where Evans’ mother punched the walls and broke down in tears.

“Lil D,” as they called Evans, was a hardworking and avid junkanooer who died after obeying his grandmother’s request to buy items from a nearby store, they said.

While an increase in police-involved killings has gradually pushed the issue into the spotlight over the last few months, Evans’ death has especially drawn attention because so many residents in the densely populated neighbourhood have insisted he did nothing wrong.

Police said Sunday they were responding to an SEE PAGE THREE

TEENAGER CHARGED WITH SEX ASSAULTS

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

A 15-YEAR-OLD boy was arraigned in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday over allegations he sexually assaulted three girls in the capital, one as young as six-years-old.

The teenager, who cannot be named as he is a minor, stood before Magistrate Coschina Marshall to face three counts of unlawful sexual intercourse stemming from his actions on April 28, May 14 and last week Friday.

The 15-year-old native of Davis Street was lead SEE PAGE TWO

‘NO COVER-UP WHEN OFFICERS OPEN FIRE’

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

- Mr Dames dismissed calls for an investigation and report into the incident.

He said “like it NATIONAL or not” nothing will Security Minister be done outside of Marvin Dames yesthe norm regardterday downplayed ing Sunday’s Sandy the occurrence of Lane shooting. police-involved Fatal police shootshootings as the ings are sent to the number of incidents coroner for investifor the year has gation in what is in sparked growing most instances a proconcern from many tracted procedure. in the community.

Mr Dames MARVIN Dames Days after advised media out20-year-old Deanside Cabinet the police plan gelo Evans, was purportedly to fully implement the use shot 18 times by police of body cams within the - marking the eighth police- next fiscal year. involved shooting this year SEE PAGE THREE

BUSINESS DEMANDS ‘HANDS OFF VAT RATE’ TEARS during last night’s candlelight vigil on Father Marshall Cooper Park for De’Angelo “Dee” Evans, who was shot and killed by police on Sunday. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune staff

NEMA – RAGGED ISLAND STILL UNINHABITABLE

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net

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GUNMAN SHOOTS VICTIM IN HIS CAR

NATIONAL Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Director Captain Stephen Russell told the Tribune yesterday the agency has never lifted its “uninhabitable” declaration on Ragged Island.

With Hurricane Season 2018 less than two days away, there are some 60 residents on the island.

NEMA has predicted an

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HOW The Tribune reported on conditions on Ragged Island in 2017.

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

active season with approximately seven hurricanes, three of these are expected to be Category Three or higher.

Yesterday, Captain Russell said people would have to be evacuated from Ragged Island in the event of another serious storm.

“If, God forbid, something happens during the course of this year… those persons will again have to be removed from the

PRIVATE sector leaders yesterday warned the government against taking “the easy road” of a VAT rate increase and seeking a budget “bail out” from consumers and businesses.

Michael Maura, the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce’s chairman, told Tribune Business he was “very concerned” that the 2018-2019 budget will unveil VAT and other tax increases when it is presented to the House of Assembly this morning.

SEE PAGE 10

SEE BUSINESS SECTION

be abandoned.

it must as Hurridevastated d on the island has Island is so who remaine week. “Every home The warns Ragged with those d. homes last Hubert Minnis discussion been destroye Minister Dr battered their ricken Ragfacility has e has been on storm-stPrime Min- cane Irma d. The healthThe teachers’ residencis no water. conditions d. ate, been destroye and safety light. There smell the e to deterior he urged the 18 school has been destroye HEALT H There is no as destroyed. walk about, you can will only continu . The yesterday e in the afterged Island Minnis said dead animals de“As we to evacuat carcasses, als will ister Dr Hubert s on the island reduced stench of dead ns of the individu get them has resident RT which REPO we remaining and SPECI AL ne Irma, health conditioit’s essential that Russell, piles of rubble math of Hurrica Words: Khrisna W Carey es there to teriorate and Dr Minnis said. the only most structurisland unlivable. Dr Minnis Pictures: Terrel off this island,” reluctant to leave for the d here,” concern rendere stay understandably expressing saw for the “They cannot delegation Many were ever known as home, es, he and a left by Irma and daysripped through said after place they’ve of their residenc damage hurricane l belongings. about the safety We will have first time the y Five monster smell persona are concerned may have left behind. the Defence after the Categor n island.

“They ated by the esand they n, exacerb of all r materials dispatch a vessel here and at the same the small souther destruction those still whateve physical conditio s and the The island’s Defence Forcecommence the cleanup said. urge to strongly animal carcasse ity can the ,” Dr Minnis PAGE THREE try to of rotting Force will that there is security SEE , led Dr Minnis the small commun ensure sential services time to leave until Island been on Ragged .

Island has and s; Ragged be restored to the resident g a walk through “I’ve spoken Minnis said followin Dr devastated,”

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PAGE 2, Wednesday, May 30, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

TEENAGER CHARGED WITH SEX ASSAULTS FROM PAGE ONE

TWO teenagers were charged in court yesterday. One in connection with sexual assaults on three girls in the capital and the other over an alleged gunpoint robbery on a boat at Arawak Cay. See stories right and below right. Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune staff

Calling All High

SCHOOL STUDENTS

by police from the Nassau Street Police Station in handcuffs and his head covered to protect his identity.

As he was being escorted, a few spectators heckled him relentlessly, telling him he would only end up going to jail to have the same thing he allegedly did to the three young girls happen to him, but by men.

Once inside the Magistrate’s Court complex, he was lead to Court No. 2 to face his charges.

The Tribune understands the accused’s brother and grandmother were present during the arraignment, as well as his attorney Nathan Smith.

It is alleged that on April 28, while at New Providence, he had unlawful sexual intercourse with a six-year-old girl.

Then on May 14, he allegedly had sex with a ten-year-old girl.

Finally, on Friday of last week, he had sex with an 11-year-old girl.

According to reports, last Friday’s incident took place near the Big Pond Park, next to the National Insurance Board off Baillou Hill Road. The girl was accosted by a male who sexually assaulted her before running away.

The first victim, a six-year-old girl, was assaulted off Baillou Hill Road on April 28.

The ten-year-old girl was attacked shortly after 3pm on May 14.

The teenager was not required to enter a plea to the charge and the matter was adjourned to August 28 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment.

He was remanded to the Simpson Penn Centre for Boys in the interim.

TWO MEN AND TEENAGER CHARGED WITH ARAWAK CAY BOAT ROBBERY

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net TWO men and a 16-yearold were arraigned in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday over allegations they robbed a man at gunpoint on a boat at Arawak Cay on Friday.

Cecil Martin, 24, Davante Fisher, 22, and the teenager stood before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt charged with one count of armed robbery stemming from the May 25 incident.

It is alleged on the day in question, the three robbed Carlderon Lamm of $200 in cash.

According to reports, shortly after 1am, a man was on a boa was moored at Arawak Cay when three men, one armed with a firearm boarded the vessel and robbed him of cash As they were searching the

vessel, police officers arrived.

Two of the suspects jumped into the sea and made good their escape, while the third male was captured and taken into custody.

The three were not required to enter a plea to the charge and the matter was adjourned to July 6 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment.

They were remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services in the interim.

They have the right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.

Another man, 24-year-old Bianco Smith, was arraigned before the chief magistrate over allegations he broke into a man’s house earlier this month and subsequently robbed him at gunpoint of over $4,000 worth of property.

It is alleged sometime

between 11:45pm on May 8 and 3:10am on May 9, Smith, being concerned with another, broke into and entered the dwelling house of Stephan Miller at Hampton Street with the intent to commit a felony.

It is also alleged that between those same times on the same date, Smith, armed with a handgun, robbed Miller of his 2006 silver Toyota Pass worth $3,500; a 32 inch LG Smart TV worth $400; a Samsung Galaxy J2 cellphone worth $200; one Playstation 3 console worth $250 and three pairs of jeans.

Smith was not required to enter a plea to the charges and the matter was adjourned to July 6 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment.

He too was remanded to the BDCS in the interim.

He has the right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.

TOWN HALL MEETING ON TRANSPARENCY, CORRUPTION, FREEDOM OF INFORMATION MOVED

By FARRAH JOHNSON

Every year in August THE TRIBUNE publishes a popular Back to School supplement as a guide to the following academic year.

7. Name of college hey will be attending (if attending) Plus a suitable photograph in .jpeg format (graduation or any other image).

In the supplement we feature the profiles of high school students How to submit profiles across the Bahamas and Family Islands.

Email to back2school@tribunemedia.net with ‘Back To School’ in We want profiles from as many the subject field and photos in .jpeg schools and students as possible to format. make this guide essential and informative.

By post to Back To School, The tribune, Shirley Street & Derveaux Profiles must include Streets, PO Box N-3207, Nassau.

By Hand to The Tribune office 1. Name 2. Age The deadline for the profiles is June 3. School 30, 2018 and there is no cost in4. Grade volved. For any questions please 5. Parent name or names contact Tribune Features at kherig@ 6. Goals and aspirations, prizes tribunemedia.net. won and honors awarded

A town hall meeting to educate the public on advocacy concerning the topics of transparency, corruption and freedom of information has been moved to the Bahamas Historical Society.

The event, spearheaded by the environmental group Coalition to Save Clifton (CSC) will feature Matt Aubry, executive director of the Organization for Responsible Governance (ORG), as well as Fred Smith, the QC of Rights Bahamas.

It will start at 6pm in the Bahamas Historical Society Hall between Shirley Street and Elizabeth Avenue.

Drive Mr Aubry yesterday said many activist groups like his organization and Save the Bays have been “fighting” for freedom of information “for a long time” and still possess the drive to move forward.

“The goal is (to address) how do we increase transparency and how do we further engage the citizenry in the governance of the country as a way of improving it, making it more representational and creating greater access to information,” he said.

“We’ve recently got new information from the government as to steps toward enactment and we thought it was really important that we expanded the dialogue and the understanding

from the public around what this issue is where it is, what needs to happen and what we need to go forward,” he continued.

Mr Aubry admitted even if enactment takes place, it could take a while for the government to respond and implement change.

Law Still, he insisted that occurrences “around the world” proved that a law is “only as good as its citizen’s ability to understand and use it.”

Mr Smith will address individual human rights, the Interception of Communications bill, as well as Right Bahamas’ immigration work. Lemarque Campbell, chairman of Citizens for a Better Bahamas (CBB), will give a special presentation on the recent Bahamas Corruption Barometer Survey results.

Mr Aubry note the recent Corruption Perception Index released by CBB and Transparency International, which revealed that “almost as high as one in every ten Bahamians experienced a bribe or reported (a bribe)”.

“It’s an important topic to really engage The Bahamas on in how do we change this culture not only in the practice, but also in terms of our understanding our perception related to corruption... I think we see it as the beginning of a public dialogue.

“The hope is that there will be more that will come forward,” he said.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, May 30, 2018, PAGE 3

‘GIVE US ANSWERS’

FROM PAGE ONE

SCENES from last night’s candlelight vigil on Father Marshall Cooper Park for De’Angelo “Dee” Evans, who was shot and killed by police last Sunday.

Carlos Reid of Youth Against Violence Bahamas is pictured above.

armed robbery of a store on East Street and Bethel Ground Corner when Evans, one of the people they believed matched the description of the suspects, was shot.

The store that was allegedly robbed is known by residents as the “John Taylor” shop.

Bradford Wallace, 69, who claimed he was in the store to buy water when the alleged robbery took place, insisted Evans was not the robber.

He said the robber was dressed in all-black and wore a hoodie.

“I met the robber inside,” he said. “I was in back of him on the line. He told Taylor (the man managing the store) go that way and don’t look back, then he ran straight across the road.

“When the police came through the corner, I told the police this fella was dressed in black on black with a hoodie and he ran straight through the corner so I don’t know how they got through the other area to shoot that boy and that boy had on red and white.”

Mr Wallace said the real robber was quite a bit taller than Evans.

Asked if he gave his statements to police, Mr Wallace said: “I ain’ going to the police, they got to come to me.”

The Coroner’s Court will ascertain the facts of the case

PHOTOS: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

‘NO COVER-UP WHEN OFFICERS OPEN FIRE’

FROM PAGE ONE

On Monday Centreville MP Reece Chipman called for the creation of a statutory framework to investigate and examine police shootings.

The MP insisted the rise in police-involved shooting deaths across the country mandated the establishment of a state-run organisation focused on evaluating the circumstances of serious crimes involving police.

For the year there have been eight police-involved shootings compared with 11 incidents for the whole of 2017.

Procedure “We do currently have a process, procedure in place and we intend to adhere to that procedure. I mean we can’t go outside of that to look at this matter. So I mean it’s as simple as that,” Mr Dames said in direct response to Mr Chipman’s remarks.

He added: “What we are faced with in this country is the fact that a vast majority of the crimes that occur on the streets of New Providence involve persons brandishing firearms.

Well over 80 percent of the armed robberies and homicides are arms related.

“I am not speaking to the incident that would have occurred a few days ago. That is currently under investigation.

“The officer or officers involved in that will have their day of accounting and if they did something

MINISTER of National Security Marvin Dames. outside of their scope of responsibility then they will have to account before the Coroner’s Court on that particular matter, right. If they acted in good faith, right, in the execution of their duty, then they will be vindicated.”

“This happens all over the world. This is nothing new,” Mr Dames continued.

“We are in a gun culture. Are there things that we need to do better?

Absolutely.

“There are absolutely things that we need to do to improve. No one likes the fact when someone loses their lives. No matter who it is. A life is a precious gift and we have to always be cognisant of that and so every time an officer pulls a trigger he or she has to account for their actions and

there will be no cover-ups, but we have to allow the process to run its course.”

“Is there room for improvement, absolutely?

You always have to look at these incidents and see how can we improve. How can we get better? That’s what we’ve been doing since we came into power. That’s why we introduced the manpower audit. That’s why we are introducing new training tools for police officers, defence force officers, prison officers, customs and immigration officers and so we are restructuring these agencies as we move on. It’s only been a year.”

Asked if Mr Chipman’s comments were misplaced, the minister said: “If you are looking for me to go on the attack with the MP that’s not what I am going to do.

Improve “What I am saying, however, is that we currently have a process in place whether we like it or not, that’s what it is today.

Whether we need to make improvements and I would say that yeah, you always have to look at where you’re at and see what do you need to do to improve because at the end of the day what we want is transparency.

“We don’t want to see police officers taking laws into their own hands, we never want to see that and wherever that happens there are consequences.

“We don’t want to take officers and crucify them before there is an

opportunity for the law to run its course and we have to be cognisant of that as well.”

In the wake of Sunday’s incident that sparked tensions between some Centerville residents and police, Press Secretary Anthony Newbold said Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis is “generally happy” with the performance of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF).

However, Mr Newbold added Dr Minnis “probably did” talk to the family of the deceased after Sunday’s killing.

“Again that’s Masons Addition, that’s Saxon’s Way and the prime minister is a Saxon so that’s probably where all of that stems from, not that he wouldn’t have reached out anyway,” he said.

Mr Newbold was asked for Dr Minnis’ general reaction to the uptick in police-involved killings in the last year.

He said: “The Prime Minister has said and this has not changed, he’s happy with the way the police force has performed.

“Are they perfect, no they’re not, and none of us wish we have to report or hear about another shooting by anyone. But, as a general statement he’s been happy with the way the police force has performed but we all wish that whatever we do, we can arrest this situation of crime and situations that caused what happened between the police officer and that young man to stop.”

but Evans’ family said they are eager to rehabilitate his image.

“We want it out there that he is not that person they are trying to make him out to be,” Tetrea Rolle, one of Evans’ cousins said last night.

“They’ve demoralized his character and we are trying to fight back.”

Speakers at last night’s vigil were nonetheless careful not to incite tensions with antipolice rhetoric.

Stories “I don’t know the circumstances that surround this incident, I don’t know what took place because I was not there,” activist Carlos Reid said, “but I’m hearing a lot of stories and to be honest, as a father, I really don’t like it.

“I want to call for those in authorities to really investigate this because the cries on the street are really getting to a point where I’m afraid that if we don’t do the right thing something gon’ break out in this country. For this year we’ve already had a number of young men that have died at the hands of the police and, again I don’t know the circumstances that surround this, but nobody is above the law.”

There have been eight police-involved killings so far this year. Last year there were 11.

PAGE 4, Wednesday, May 30, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

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North Korea sees US handouts as threat TOKYO (AP) — The U.S.-North Korea summit appears to be back on track, but Pyongyang is showing increased impatience at comments coming out of Washington that what leader Kim Jong Un really wants, even more than his nuclear security blanket, is American-style prosperity.

It’s a core issue for Kim and a message President Donald Trump shouldn’t ignore as they work to nail down their summit next month in Singapore.

Kim is as enthusiastic as Trump to see the summit happen as soon as possible, but the claim that his sudden switch to diplomacy over the past several months shows he is aching for U.S. economic aid and private-sector know-how presents a major problem for the North Korean leader, who can’t be seen as going into the summit with his hat in his hand.

The claim is also quite possibly off target.

North Korea is far more interested in improving trade with China, its economic lifeline, and with South Korea, which it sees as a potential gold mine for tourism and large-scale joint projects. Getting the U.S. to back off sanctions so he can pursue those goals, along with the boost to his legitimacy and whatever security guarantees he can take home, is more likely foremost on Kim’s mind.

Even so, the North’s perceived thirst for U.S. economic aid has consistently been the message coming from Trump and his senior officials. All Kim needs to do, they suggest, is commit to denuclearisation and American entrepreneurs will be ready to unleash their miracles on the country’s sad-sack economy.

“I truly believe North Korea has brilliant potential and will be a great economic and financial nation one day,” Trump tweeted Sunday. “Kim Jong Un agrees with me on this.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has laid Washington’s road map out in more detail.

“We can create conditions for real economic prosperity for the North Korean people that will rival that of the South,” he said earlier this month in a televised interview. “It won’t be U.S. taxpayers. It will be American know-how, knowledge, entrepreneurs and risk-takers working alongside the North Korean people to create a robust economy for their people.”

Pompeo suggested that Americans help build out the North’s energy grid, develop its infrastructure and deliver the finest agricultural equipment and technology “so they can eat meat and have healthy lives.”

Kim has emphatically not agreed to any of that.

Under Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy, international sanctions

on North Korea are stronger than ever. Sanctions relief would open the door for more trade with China, South Korea and possibly Russia — partners North Korea trusts more than it trusts Washington — and potentially unlock access to global financial institutions.

The last thing Kim wants is to give up his nuclear weapons only to have his country overrun with American businessmen and entrepreneurs.

To Pyongyang’s ears, that scenario is less an offer than a threat.

Despite its very real need for foreign investment, Kim’s regime has good reason to be wary of economic aid in general. Opening up to aid inevitably involves some degree of increased contact with potentially disruptive outsiders, calls for change, loosening of controls and restrictions — all of which could be seen as a threat to Kim’s near absolute authority.

North Korea’s message on that has been clear.

Almost as soon as Pompeo started talking about his plan to rebuild North Korea’s economy, Kim Kye Gwan, the North’s first vice foreign minister, shot back that Pyongyang has no interest in that kind of help, saying, “We have never had any expectation of U.S. support in carrying out our economic construction and will not at all make such a deal in future, too.”

State media unleashed another attack on the idea Sunday, calling Fox News, CBS and CNN “hack media on the payroll of power” for airing programmes that featured U.S. officials talking about how large-scale, nongovernmental economic aid awaits North Korea if it moves toward verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation.

The North’s media have been careful not to criticise Trump directly.

But the issue is sensitive enough that the North has also stepped up its response in ideological terms, stressing the superiority of the socialist system and the value of independence, while warning against the underhanded scheming of the “imperialists,” which in North Korea speak is interchangeable with “Americans.”

“It is the calculation of the imperialists that they can attain their aims without firing a single shot if they make the people degenerate and disintegrate ideologically and foment social disorder,” said an editorial Sunday in the ruling party’s newspaper.

The commentary went on to call the capitalist way of life “ideological and cultural poisoning” and concluded, “Unless such poisoning is prevented, it would be impossible to defend independence and socialism and achieve the independent development of each country and nation.”

(This article is by ERIC TALMADGE of the Associated Press)

Time for foreign police consultants EDITOR, The Tribune.

I was shocked to learn of the absolute travesty made of our police force by Ellison Greenslade and the former PLP government. Hundreds of possibly undeserved promotions that add no value to the force and destroy morale, on the eve of election?

That should be against the law.

Mind you, it is not surprising. The RBPF has been used repeatedly as a political toy, and “promotions for votes” is a common trade in the public service. I remember several years ago, a news story about unqualified individuals, some of whom didn’t graduate high school and some who even had criminal records, hired as junior police.

Public safety is a serious matter, not a subject for games.

With crime still unacceptably high, we absolutely must do something to ensure that our police force is as effective, efficient, professional and transparent as possible.

Drastic action is needed.

The Bahamas government should hire senior police officers from a country that is

serious about law and order, and put them in charge of the force for a set period of time, say five years.

They should have a mandate to transform the RBPF into a modern and professional operation that is: headed by intelligent and experienced officers; have transparent and merit-based promotion systems; and is legally immune to the kind of political manipulation that so blatantly took place under the last government.

These officers or former officers could advise Parliament on what kind of laws need to be passed to make such foolishness illegal, institute more effective training methods, and balance the top heavy force so that it can be more effective.

Our lives and safety literally depend upon a well run police force. Something simply has to be done. Please, Minister Dames, take meaningful action. Don’t give us more of the same.

ANITA JOHNSON Nassau, May 17, 2018.

Drilling for oil in our waters is not smart EDITOR, The Tribune.

A FEW months ago, a letter was signed by more than 16,000 supporting scientists around the world.

Essentially, the letter says that if there is not a groundswell of public pressure to change human behaviour, the planet will sustain “substantial and irreversible harm”.

The urgent necessity for action by the human species has never been greater.

Never before in history have humans danced so close to the brink of wiping out most of life on earth.

It is not just an event. It is a series of events, which have already begun. Some of our brightest say there is still time. Still time to save life on earth. These are sobering thoughts.

Foremost, what is required is a radical change in our thinking. What could be more difficult? How we achieve this I cannot say.

This issue should be front and centre for every newspaper on earth.

The science supports what those paying attention have witnessed for the past 50 years.

That the life support systems of our earth are collapsing.

The number and size of “dead zones” in our oceans are increasing.

The sea surface temperatures of the oceans are increasing, beyond the ability of organisms to adapt, especially coral reefs.

Sea level is rising, perhaps faster than previously predicted.

Ocean acidification is also occurring more rapidly than most organisms can adapt to.

Shells cannot form with an elevated acidity.

We have fished 90% of the big fish from our oceans.

We are moving further down the food chain, essentially vacuuming up every living creature in the sea.

On land, things are as bad, or worse. Gone are the intact forests, along with an array of our fellow species.

The bees are dying. Fresh water is being depleted and

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net polluted.

The air is polluted.

We in The Bahamas are not special.

We are in this together with the rest of the world.

That is why it is incumbent upon us to seize the day and begin to think like smart people.

Drilling for oil in our pristine waters is not smart.

Building an oil refinery in Freeport is not smart.

The people of The Bahamas need to speak out on these stupid ideas.

The money men and the daft politicians say our struggling nation needs these projects to bring jobs and prosperity to our shores.

These are lies. Do your homework.

We need to be realistic and see these snake oil salesmen for who they are and to help try and educate our politicians to the real wealth this country holds.

The wealth that is being risked by these oil ventures.

The Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of the Environment, the Bahamas National Trust, all need to loudly speak out against these proposed projects. Why the silence?

I am asking for all rightminded Bahamians to come together, to offer suggestions and strategies on how to stop this madness.

Drilling for oil in Bahamian waters and building a refinery on Bahamian soil are two of the most stupid things conceivable.

And yet, a bunch of guys in suits are telling us this is good for The Bahamas.

For God’s sake, wake up and smell the coffee.

Do we remain mired in stupid thinking, or do we do the right thing and move our country into a prosperous future for our children, and their children?

I am asking Bahamians to take 5 minutes to write or call, voicing their opposition

to these ill-fated projects.

Where are our “leaders” and concerned citizens?

NORMAN TRABULSY Jr Nassau, May 6, 2018.

THE PM AND IMMIGRATION EDITOR, The Tribune.

IN less than one year the Prime Minister has made two appearances before Haitian congregations to address immigration issues he sees as important to them. The most recent meeting concerned shanty town residents, the vast majority of whom we are told, have legal residence status.

This leads me to believe that we do not have the problems with illegal immigrants in shantytowns and quite possibly in this country as we had previously thought.

One can only guess that if we do in fact have an illegal immigration problem as the PM himself previously stated we do, then they must be living in communities where they do not have illegal power hookups and are not toting water. Maybe they are hiding in gated communities, or quite possibly, all of those illegals left the country before his December 31st, 2017 deadline.

Whatever the case, it would be nice if the PM would consider having at least one such meeting with Bahamians about how he perceives immigration issues affect them.

Being relatively fluent in Bahamian he should not need to speak through an interpreter.

JB Nassau, May 28, 2018.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, May 30, 2018, PAGE 5

LEFT: Haitian migrants waiting at the Defence Force Base to be taken to the Detention Centre. They were apprehended near the Exuma Cays. RIGHT: One of the Haitian migrants being searched by a Defence Force Marine.

80 HAITIAN MIGRANTS INTERCEPTED NEAR EXUMA CHAIN

A VESSEL containing 80 Haitian migrants was intercepted near the Exuma Chain on Monday evening.

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) reported the sailing sloop was apprehended after acting on information they had received earlier that day.

RBDF Patrol Craft P-44, steered by Chief Petty Officer Theodore Thompson, stopped the 40ft sailing vessel six nautical miles west of Beacon Cay near the top of the Exuma chain of Islands shortly after 6pm.

Petty Officer Brian Anderson assisted with transporting the

migrants to the capital in patrol craft P-129 at which point they were turned over to Immigration officials for further processing.

Over the weekend, nine Cuban migrants were brought to Grand Bahama after they were intercepted by the US Coast Guard in Bahamian waters.

According to Immigration official Napthali Cooper, the migrants – eight males and one female – were discovered onboard a rustic vessel and taken into the custody

by Coast Guards.

They had left Cuba on May 17 and were trying to reach Florida. They were brought to

Grand Bahama on Saturday and turned over to Immigration, he said.

Mr Cooper said the nine migrants were examined by personnel of the Disease Surveillance Unit and flown to the New Providence this week to await repatriation.

GUNMAN SHOOTS VICTIM IN HIS CAR FROM PAGE ONE Paramedics attempted to revive him but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The victim is the 36th homicide for the year, according to Tribune

records.

Police are actively investigating this matter and are appealing to members of the public for any information that can assist in identifying and locating the suspects.

THE SCENE of the latest murder in the Carmichael Road area.

PHOTO: Terrel W Carey/Tribune staff

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‘SHOTS FIRED’ DURING AN ATTEMPTED ROBBERY OF KFC A CUSTOMER was left traumatized after shots reportedly rang out during an attempted armed robbery at the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant on Pioneer’s Way on Monday evening.

The man shared his frightening ordeal on social media yesterday, telling how a gunman pulled out a gun and demanded money from the employee at the drive through window.

ASP Terecita Pinder confirmed there was an attempted armed robbery at a business establishment of Pioneer’s Way, but did not identify the business.

“No one was injured, the culprit was unsuccessful and the investigation is ongoing,” Ms Pinder said.

Meanwhile, in a voice recording circulating on Whatsapp, the customer reported he was on the drive through line at KFC waiting for his food when a man slipped in alongside his vehicle.

“I was… at the window where you pick up the food, a gentleman slide in there

and yuck this f----g gun out right on the side of me and tell the girl ‘give me the money’.”

“I sped off and he fired couple shots; I don’t know if he fired at me or in the building.

“But he fired I think four (shots). I don’t think he understand how it work, you go to the window where you pay, not the window where you go for the food.”

The man said that he was not harmed, but very shaken up and warns the public to be cautious.

“I am going to have to go to therapy,” he said. “I think I will take the rest of the week off to get myself together, but I am okay. So y’all be careful.

“Right now, crime is just escalated at the point where I don’t know what to say; y’all be careful out there.”

Police are investigating the incident.

Anyone with information that can assist the police are asked to contact the nearest police station.

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PAGE 6, Wednesday, May 30, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

MITCHELL: HENFIELD SHOULD RESIGN IF HE VOTES AGAINST INTERCEPTION OF COMMUNICATION BILL

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

IF Senator Ranard Henfield does vote against the government’s proposed Interception of Communication Bill, he should resigned immediately or be terminated, Senator Fred Mitchell insisted yesterday.

Over the weekend, Mr Henfield indicated on social media his intention to vote against the controversial Bill as “a matter of conscience” when it is debated in the Senate.

Twitter A post on Twitter said: “It should be clear where one stands today on an issue that one vehemently fought yesterday. For the record, I have no intention to abstain or vote in favour of this Bill. ‘Those who are opposed, will say nay’…”NAY.” A matter of conscience.”

Addressing the comments yesterday, Mr Mitchell accused the selfproclaimed “independent Senator” of merely striving to “have his cake and eat it too”.

Mr Mitchell said the ‘We March’ activist, in his post as government whip in the Senate is responsible for

keenly presenting the government stance on matters up for debate.

In this case, Mr Mitchell said Henfield was taking up a position that not only opposed the government’s views, but would delay a critical piece of government legislation.

“The party whip is bound by the same col-

“If he goes ahead and votes against the bill which is a major piece of the government’s legislative agenda, then he should resign upon taking that vote or the Prime Minister is entitled to fire him.”

Senator Fred Mitchell lective responsibility as the Cabinet. So I raised before this question in the Senate: how can the whip openly disagree with government policy?” Mr Mitchell told The Tribune.

He continued: “I said the Opposition could no longer rely on the government to put its position because the government would be speaking with

* In Tuesday’s print edition of The Tribune, it was incorrectly reported that Senator Ranard Henfield’s tweet over the weekend indicating he will vote against the Interception of Communication Bill in the Senate, was delated. The tweet has not been deleted. The Tribune apologizes for the error.

forked tongue.

“If he goes ahead and votes against the bill which is a major piece of the government’s legislative agenda, then he should resign upon taking that vote or the Prime Minister is entitled to fire him.”

Referring to the Bill itself, Mr Mitchell furthered: “The PLP worked to have most of the objectionable bits taken out.

So why he thinks it’s a matter of conscience is a mystery.”

“I am not shocked,” Mr Mitchell added.

However, in a separate interview with The Tribune this week, a senior Cabinet minister explained Mr Henfield’s post as government whip doesn’t prevent him from voting his conscience in any circumstance, because the post doesn’t really exist.

That Cabinet Minister said: ‘There really is no office of whip in the Senate.”

Whip “He is called that simply because he prepares our list of speakers. There is no true whip in the Senate because unlike the House, Senators are appointed not elected. The elected must be whipped into line. The appointed get dis-appointed.”

The Interception of Communications Bill was passed by Parliament last week without input of

SENATORS Fred Mitchell and Ranard Henfield.

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis who once opposed the bill, and in the face of strong push-back by members of the Official

Opposition.

The FNM’s advancement of the Bill comes a little more than a year after the party used the

Christie administration’s draft Bill to castigate the Progressive Liberal Party in their general election campaign.

NO CONFIRMATION ON THE PM’S QUARTERLY PRESS CONFERENCES

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net MORE than a year after the general election, Press Secretary Anthony Newbold could not confirm if or when Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis will ever hold quarterly press conferences.

On May 30, 2017, during his inaugural press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr Newbold said Dr Minnis will address the nation bi-annually and meet with the press on a quarterly basis.

This would have signalled a shift in the culture of press engagement with the nation’s leader.

However, almost exactly a year later, Mr

Newbold clarified these remarks at yesterday’s press briefing.

When asked by reporters about these quarterly press conferences, Mr Newbold said the idea was actually his.

“I wanted to do that because everybody was expressing concern that they wouldn’t get to talk to the prime minister. I made the suggestion, actually,” Mr Newbold said.

“But he (the prime minister) is talking to you all the time.”

He added: “That does not mean he will never have a quarterly press briefing or a press conference. But the idea was to make sure he was accessible to all of you.”

“And I think for the most part he is. At which point he will decide to have that press conference, he will decide that.”

GOVT’S ‘VERBIAGE’ ‘MAY HAVE BEEN INACCURATE’ ON FORENSIC AUDITS

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

ALTHOUGH the Minnis administration announced days after the 2017 general election that forensic audits will be conducted into certain institutions, Press Secretary Anthony Newbold admitted yesterday the administration’s “verbiage” may have been off.

Cabinet announced last May that “forensic audits” will be conducted into the Urban Renewal programme, the Bank of the Bahamas and the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI).

During yesterday’s press briefing Mr Newbold said: “I don’t know if they will be forensic but there certainly will be audits. All of the departments are still being audited until the government is comfortable with what it has.”

Mr Newbold conceded the administration’s previous “verbiage” on the matter may have been inaccurate.

Todate a forensic audit has been conducted and completed into Bahamas Power & Light and the Water & Sewerage Corporation (WSC). BAMSI is to be forensically audited by Pannell, Kerr & Forester International.

The Ministry of Finance is also expected to be forensically audited by a United States-based firm, FTI Consulting Global.

Last year, former Gaming Board Secretary Verdant Scott said a forensic audit

“I don’t know if they will be forensic but there certainly will be audits. All of the departments are still being audited until the government is comfortable with what it has.”

Press Secretary Anthony Newbold was to be conducted into that institution as well, noting requests for proposals were to be issued.

Some accountants have scoffed at the way the administration has talked about conducting forensic audits into government institutions.

Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA) President, Gowon Bowe, said in a recent interview the service has been abused.

“My greatest concern with the government, both the previous administration and this one,” he said, “is when you go into a forensic audit you’re usually doing it for one or two things. One, you believe there has been fraudulent practices and you are seeking to recover those funds and want the documentary evidence to commence legal proceedings against those you felt absconded with the funds inappropriately.

“Or secondly you believe there is a continual hole in ship and you’re

trying to identify that hole and plug that hole and more importantly sure up the rest of the ship. For the most part a forensic audit is not necessary if you’re talking primarily about highlighting inappropriate practices or areas you want to change simply for the sake of doing so.”

Mr Bowe added: “You have the auditor general who would be able to speak about controls and areas that need improving and would certainly be less costly. The use of the term forensic audit has been over-emphasised and the interpretation of what a typical forensic exercise is aimed to do has certainly been missed.

“For the most part up to this point in time there hasn’t been any indication of any legal proceedings or pursuit of funds that may have been fraudulently obtained. It’s been more a case of identifying control deficiencies which would have really been uncovered through a normal audit.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, May 30, 2018, PAGE 7

GOVT TAKES LEGAL POSSESSION OF SITE FOR GENERAL POST OFFICE

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

THE government has now taken legal possession of the old Phil’s Food Service building on Gladstone Road where work will “shortly” begin to ready it for the General Post Office’s relocation, Transport and Local Government Minister Frankie Campbell announced yesterday.

Mr Campbell explained yesterday officials have received the notice of possession for the building, which was compulsorily acquired.

He did not reveal when the work would begin or give a timeline by which Bahamians could expect to send or receive mail and carry out other tasks at the new facility.

It has been nearly two months since Press Secretary Anthony Newbold first announced the decision to relocate the post office.

“I’m pleased to inform that we are finally in possession of the notice of possession for the building that we compulsorily acquired on Gladstone Road, which will house the General Post Office,” Mr Campbell said before heading into yesterday morning’s Cabinet meeting.

“So the next step is to actually physically take the building and that should happen in short order.

“All the relevant agencies are coming together to coordinate that and I’m satisfied that shortly thereafter work will begin. I know that the people at the General Post Office, our dedicated staff, have been long suffering and I want to say to

them that the light on the horizon is getting brighter and brighter everyday.”

This comes as the GPO earlier this month was forced to operate on half-days from 8.30am to noon, due to an electricity supply problem.

At the time a press release said: “The public is advised that the General Post Office Bldg. on E Hill St is currently experiencing some challenges to its power supply that will further impact office hours, over the next few days.”

“As a result, operating hours at the GPO, will be conducted from 8:30am to 12noon, until further notice.”

It added: “The department apologises for the inconvenience caused, and extends sincerest thanks for the public’s continued patience during this period.”

The government plans to demolish the

aged East Hill Street complex as part of efforts to modernise the downtown area.

The Minnis administration last year halted plans left by the previous government to convert the Independence Drive Shopping Centre off Tonique Williams Darling Highway as a temporary location while the East Hill location was restored.

Minister of Works Desmond Bannister said the project received the green light without approved plans or a building permit for construction, adding environmental and social assessments like traffic impact were also not conducted.

The government has been in the process of acquiring the Phil’s building on Gladstone Road; however, it is not clear how much it will cost to renovate the new post office location or how long the work would take to finish.

THE OLD Phil’s Food Services building where the General Post Office will be located. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

DION FOULKES, Minister of Labour, will head a cabinet subcommittee reviewing the Oban project.

PHOTO: Lionel Smith

KEY OBAN DOCUMENTS WILL BE RELEASED AFTER SUB-COMMITTEE REVIEW

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

KEY Oban Energies documents will be released to the public after a cabinet sub-committee reviewing the project has completed its task, Press Secretary Anthony Newbold said yesterday.

The committee is headed by Labour Minister Dion Foulkes and is responsible for “monitoring” the project.

Although the Minnis administration has released the project’s Heads of Agreement, it has not released documents indicating where the plant will be built on East Grand Bahama.

Developer In fact, it was Oban Energies president Satpal Dhunna, not the government, who revealed to the public that 690 acres of crown land has been granted to the developer.

“When that sub-committee is comfortable with where they are, all those documents will be released,” Mr Newbold said during a press briefing yesterday.

Last week Free National Movement (FNM) parliamentarians blocked the opposition’s attempt to establish a select committee to investigate matters relating to the $5.5 billion oil refinery and storage project.

At one point, Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin expressed concerns about the government’s lack of transparency on the matter.

She said: “The government has yet to formally disclose the said ‘hereditaments’ or the land involved in this deal which

are generally described in the agreement as “Crown land” and “sea bed”; the sea lands were required by the very agreement to be specifically identified by exhibit or plan attached to the Heads of Agreement but to date has yet to be done and the agreement was laid in this Parliament without having complied with article component.”

Mrs Hanna-Martin continued: “It was left for the Bahamian people to learn from Oban executive Satpal Dhunna, assuming his information is correct, that the site of the refinery and storage facility will be ‘two miles east of Statoil, which is in East Grand Bahama’. He is reported in the Nassau Guardian as stating that: ‘The land is a narrow corridor running from the beach to the main road and slightly above it. The Crown land is a nice piece of 690 acres of land. The narrow corridor is really just for the pipe corridor to move product in and out. The actual terminal refinery will be at the rear end, away from the seas.’

“This is the first specific description as to the location of the Crown land,” she said, “which is being divested in this deal for a period of up to 90 years by Crown Lease. This lack of proper disclosure and failure to be transparent on the part of the Bahamas government is a grave dereliction and is inexcusable.

This is a source of serious complaint by Bahamians in general and everywhere but also to the Bahamas National Trust which has management responsibility for national parks and in particular which opined that they were only able to gather some kind of guidance of the land’s general location by referring to Oban’s website.”

PAGE 8, Wednesday, May 30, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

MOTTLEY CRUISES TO ELECTORAL WIPEOUT

By Alicia O

n May 24, 2018, Barbados elected its first female prime minister. Mia Amor Mottley led the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) to victory, winning over 74 percent of the votes. This election brought an end to ten years of governance by the Democratic Labour Party (DPL) led by Freundel Stuart since 2010. The BLP won all 30 seats in the House of Assembly— a first in the country’s history. Political parties in The Bahamas should look at the BLP’s campaign and collateral as there is a great deal that can be learned and practiced.

Mia Mottley, now the eighth prime minister of Barbados, has served as Leader of the Opposition in the House of Assembly twice and as Attorney General.

Her political career has been impressive since her entry in 1991 at the age of 26.

She has held ministerial portfolios including Education, Youth Affairs and Culture, Economic Affairs and Development and worked on a National Youth Development programme. Mottley also served as Deputy Prime Minister from 2003 to 2008.

She has now joined the ranks of other first female prime ministers in the English-speaking Caribbean—Dame Eugenia Charles of Dominica, Janet Jagan of Guyana, Portia Simpson Miller of Jamaica, and Kamla Persad Bissessar of Trinidad and Tobago.

THE CAMPAIGN The Barbados Labour Party ran a campaign focused on the main issues of concern with significant emphasis on the economy. In the leadup to election day, the party reminded voters of its values and commitments. The DLP, on the other hand, resorted to cheap tactics, including a speech from former Minister of Environment and Drainage Denis Lowe stating “the Barbados Labour Party is led by a self-proclaimed wicker.” (“Wicker” is a Barbadian pejorative for “lesbian.”)

THE FIRST female Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley

Wallace

He claimed she “doesn’t have any liking for men, except those men who don’t have balls,” and the men in the BLP have been neutered. The DLP put its

“The BLP win and Mottley’s win feel good. They feel like progress. They seem like a change with a promise to never go back. Still, there are unknowns and there are harsh truths that must be faced.” energy in the wrong place, expecting fear and hatred to rule the ballot.

The BLP has worked to be transparent and involve citizens in the governance of Barbados.

In January, the party shared its draft Integrity Commission Bill, calling on the public to offer comments which would be considered.

It noted enactment of the bill would be a matter of priority if elected. In her statement on the occasion of Barbados’ 51st Independence, Mottley committed to a journey of “certainty, consultation and a common goal that brings everyone on board.”

The messaging from the BLP was consistent, calling for everyone to work together to bring a collective vision to fruition.

THE MANIFESTO The BLP manifesto, while short on detail, is easy to read and digest.

The two-part document separates long-term goals from the more immediate agenda to be carried out in the first six months. The

latter includes rebuilding foreign reserves, dealing with debt, tax relief, improving sewerage systems, putting buses back on the road and preparing for natural disasters. The list includes action points for each of the 17 items which give an idea of what road the BLP intends to take.

The transfor-

mational agenda for the five-year term is divided into pillars— Better Society, Strong Economy, Good Governance, Repair and Renewal (of infrastructure), Blue and Green Economies, and Engaging the World.

The party’s website allowed people to view sections based on their

identities such as youth, senior citizen and middle class, and had an audio version which made the manifesto more accessible.

politics in Barbados and throughout the region. Party loyalty is almost non-existent. Citizens are not interested in petty back and forth arguments on rally stages.

People are begin-

FOCUS ON YOUTH Recognizing one of the largest voting blocks, the BLP made a youth-specific manifesto available on its website, making it easy for young people to see its intentions. In this blueprint, the six-month rescue plan is set out in three steps—fix the economy, fix infrastructure and create opportunity.

These are later divided into more specific steps like lowering the cost of living through measures including the abolition of road tax and repeal on the municipal solid waste tax and returning free UWI tuition to Barbadian students.

The second phase of the plan goes beyond the first six months with sections called live (including health and the justice system), learn (including prioritization of STEAM), create (including a talent showcase), do business (including procurement), play (including entertainment), work (including the development of new industries), and dream (including the creation of citizen wealth). At the end, it offers information for first-time voters.

The success of the Barbados Labour Party and its campaign and collateral are indicative in a necessary shift in the culture of

“People are beginning to understand the importance of civic participation that goes beyond the casting of ballots. Good governance has been a requirement and political parties are being called to exercise it within their internal systems.” ning to understand the importance of civic participation that goes beyond the casting of ballots.

Good governance has been a requirement and political parties are being called to exercise it within their internal systems.

Personal attacks sully the names and characters of the people launching them. Voters are paying attention to track records, plans and the level and frequency of engagement.

GOOD FEELINGS The BLP win and Mottley’s win feel good. They feel like progress. They seem like a change with

EVERY MONDAY IN THE TRIBUNE

INSIGHT FOR THE STORIES THAT MATTER

a promise to never go back.

Still, there are unknowns and there are harsh truths that must be faced.

Barbados has its first female prime minister, but still only has six women in the House of Assembly.

In its manifesto, the section on gender equality has only four points— equal pay for equal work, paternity leave, male participation in tertiary education and female entrepreneurship. These leaves a lot to be desired.

There is, for example, no mention of women’s political participation or the introduction of a quota.

It must be noted that it could be difficult for Mottley to push a women’s rights agenda. Being a woman and the prime minister is not a panacea.

Women’s rights advocates have to continue their work and the press for progress.

Like having a female prime minister for the first time, a clean sweep feels good. It is an undeniable victory and a clear message from the nation. This has its own challenges and The Bahamas is becoming familiar with them.

There is nothing to celebrate in not having an opposition, and it is critical the people resist the inclination to relax and believe all will be well and their jobs are done. The lack of opposition makes the role of the citizen even more critical. There will likely be no one in Parliament to see and hear the questionable and make statements to the press that will inform the public.

Who is going to pay attention? The people have to pay attention. To take notes. To ask questions. To challenge ideas.

To offer commentary. The citizens have to step up.

As Mottley said in her first address after the election, “All ideas must contend. Even before a government has the right to take a decision, all ideas must contend.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, May 30, 2018, PAGE 9

Gut check: swallowed capsule could spot trouble, send alert

By CARLA K JOHNSON AP Medical Writer SCIENTISTS have developed a swallowed capsule packed with tiny electronics and millions of genetically engineered living cells that might someday be used to spot health problems from inside the gut.

The capsule was tested in pigs and correctly detected signs of bleeding, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported Thursday in the journal Science. At more than an inch long, it will have to be made smaller for testing in people. But the results suggest the capsule could eventually be used in people to find signs of ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease or even colon cancer, the researchers said.

It’s the latest advance in a growing field of sensors that can be swallowed or worn to monitor our health. Pills equipped with cameras, thermometers and acidity gauges already look for disease and track digestion. Last year, a psychiatric medication that alerts doctors when it’s taken won

THIS photo provided by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Engineering shows a capsule packed with electronics and genetically engineered living cells in Cambridge, Mass. Researchers at MIT, who tested the swallowable device in pigs, say it correctly detected signs of bleeding. The results, published online by the journal Science, suggest a smaller version of the capsule could eventually be used in humans to find signs of ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease or even colorectal cancer.

Photo: Lillie Paquette/MIT School of Engineering/AP US approval. Stick-on skin monitors for recovering stroke patients are in the works.

The MIT device is the first to use engineered cells as sensors in swallowed capsules, said Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh, who is developing a gas-sensing,

all-electronic pill at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia.

“The work is yet another step toward showing the great promises of smart, ingestible capsules,” said Kalantar-zadeh.

The researchers tested the capsules using a harmless

strain of E coli bacteria. The cells were modified with DNA from other bacteria to make them detect blood and then light up. Electronics then take over, relaying signals to a smartphone.

Shrinking the capsule to a normal pill size could be achieved by combining its

three electronic chips, said co-author Phillip Nadeau.

Data encryption will be needed to protect patient privacy. And it’s meant to be used once, so they’ll need to make it flushable, co-author Mark Mimee said.

All that, plus human testing, means a commercial product is years off.

As labs discover DNA with new sensing powers, the capsule could be customised to diagnose multiple conditions. Co-author Tim Lu speculated that future patients could swallow a capsule “once a week or once a month” to screen for early signs of cancer instead of getting a colonoscopy.

The capsule could help doctors monitor tricky-toreach parts of the small intestine for people with Crohn’s disease or to study the normal balance of microbes in the gut, said Dr Stephanie Hansel of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, who wasn’t involved in the research.

“We’re excited about it,” said Hansel, while noting that it probably won’t replace the need for procedures using flexible scopes.

From drones to phones, new tech is making gardening easier

By DEAN FOSDICK Associated Press NEW technology is easing the way we garden, store equipment, monitor watering and re-shape landscapes.

And some of those tasks can be done remotely, using phones or tablets.

The innovations extend well beyond downloading a few apps. New to the horticultural mix are 3-D modeling, GPS mapping, laser technology, drones, robotics, devices that can read the weather and moisture in the soil for precision planting and irrigation, and battery-powered and low- or no-emission equipment.

“We are seeing an uptick in landscape professionals using advanced technology to plan designs for clients,” said Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for the National Association of Landscape Professionals.

“Today, professionals are using drones to survey homeowner properties to get a birds-eye view before and during the design-creation phase,” she said. “Drones can also help landscape companies save valuable operational and manpower time that can be used elsewhere on a project.”

Three-D modeling also helps streamline landscape design. It can provide a clear picture for homeowners of

their property’s potential, Henriksen said.

Upgrades in battery technology have hastened the move toward lighter, easierto-carry garden tools.

“Cordless tools that use storage batteries offer the most flexibility and freedom to move around your yard because you don’t have to worry about cords getting in your way,” Henriksen said.

A number of companies build multi-purpose engines that are used to equip a variety of implements ranging from walk-behind and rider mowers to power washers, snowblowers and more.

At least two of these companies — Kohler and Briggs and Stratton — have introduced small engines that don’t require oil changes for the life of the engine. Simply check the dipstick and add oil as needed. No more tilting these walk-behind machines on their sides to drain the oil, spilling some around the driveway or onto your clothing in the process.

Other innovations have further simplified small engines by eliminating manual chokes and purge bulbs. Just pull the handle once to start.

Consumers want easy, and many of these innovations are boosting purchases, said Michelle Gross, a Briggs & Stratton marketing specialist.

THIS 3D computer rendering of a prospective residential property was done by Groundworks Landscaping, East Hampton, NY, in the spring of 2018. It provides a clear picture for homeowners to use for seeing their property’s potential. Landscaping and gardening are being made easier via new technology and innovation.

“Our own surveys of consumers indicate that ease of maintenance continues to be in the top ten purchase factors for walkbehind mowers,” Gross said.

“And the number one thing people say they would like to improve after owning a lawnmower is the sound level.”

Mowers equipped with Briggs & Stratton’s Quiet Power Technology make roughly 50 percent less noise, meaning homeowners can do yard work any time of the day without disturbing neighbours, Gross said.

Efficient storage for lawn

and garden equipment makes for less garage clutter and creates space for recreational items like kayaks and mountain bikes.

Another new Briggs & Stratton design allows lawnmowers to be folded in half and stored upright without causing fuel or oil leaks. It reduces their footprint by up to 70 percent, Gross said.

Scotts, meanwhile, recently introduced a series of devices for precision irrigation. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates traditional irrigation systems waste as much as 50 percent of their water

by overwatering.

“Our goal is to give homeowners simple ways to use water more resourcefully and responsibly, and to make watering and caring for your lawn easier and more efficient,” said Josh Peoples, president and general manager of Scotts.

“From using a smartphone to monitor sprinklers and the moisture in plant soil to only watering in specific areas where plants need it, we’re committed to providing effortless ways to not only conserve water, but also to inspire people to grow, indoors or out.”

• FACED with an increasing shortage of workers, Idaho dairies are investing in robotic milkers.

“The interest in robotic milking in Idaho is growing quite rapidly,” said John Paetz, regional manager of Lely North America, headquartered in Pella, Iowa. The company has robots installed in three Idaho dairies now, with two more scheduled to come online in July and two more scheduled for later in the year or early next.

In robotic milking, the cow decides when she wants to be milked and goes to the robotic milker. While she enjoys a snack such as a high-energy pellet, a lasercontrolled device finds her teats, cleans them and dries them, then attaches and milks. When she’s done, the robot detaches and the cow wanders off. All without human intervention.

“Larger dairies, where they’re employing 20 people, can see a big benefit initially,” Paetz said. “We’re not in the business of displacing labour, but you can do the same job with less labour.”

That’s a big factor, especially in the dairy-rich Magic Valley, where the unemployment rate set new low records in March, according to the Department of Labor. “Our biggest motivating factor was labour,” said Jared Myers, who with his dad are two members of Myers Dairy LLC, in New Plymouth. The dairy has 600 cows, 400 of them on six robots. “If we did any fewer, we wouldn’t have been able to save as much on labour”, while installing more robots wouldn’t have been much more efficient, he said.

Idaho has been behind the curve in implementing robotic milking, partly because Lely, one of the major vendors, has been migrating its marketing across the country after starting in western Europe and then heading to Canada and the East Coast. “We just started looking at the western region in the last five or six years,” Paetz said.

“We don’t want our infantry to outrun our lines of support.” Across the US, robots are now being used in five percent or fewer of the dairies, he said. “But it’s accelerating.”

• US PRESIDENT Donald Trump is asking the government to make it easier for private companies to get to and from space.

Trump signed the space policy directive last Thursday. He was joined at the White House by Vice President Mike Pence, who heads the National Space Council.

During a meeting at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center in February, Pence and other council members recommended the government ease restrictions on private US companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin. The reforms are meant to get businesses moving faster and farther into space.

White House officials say little change is expected until next year, after the new regulations are written and reviewed.

PAGE 10, Wednesday, May 30, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

FERREIRA: OTHER ISLANDS HAVE SIMILAR ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS TO GRAND BAHAMA

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net ALTHOUGH Grand Bahama has the unique distinction of being “the industrial capital of the Bahamas” which have caused significant pollution problems, Environment Minister Romauld Ferreira said there are other islands which have similar or more environmental hazards.

At a recent town meeting with residents of Pinder’s Point/Lewis Yard affected by ongoing industrial pollution, Mr Ferreira was asked whether Grand Bahama had the most environmental hazards in the entire country.

“You have toured the Bahamas and seen environmental hazards throughout this Bahamas, is it safe to say that Grand Bahama has more environmental hazards than any of the other islands in the entire Bahamas?” asked resident Lowell Pinder.

“No,” answered the minister.

Companies Mr Pinder pointed out there are a number industrial companies in Grand Bahama, including Pharmachem, Polymer’s International, the Grand Bahama Shipyard, the container port and Buckeye.

The Buckeye Bahamas Hub is one of the largest marine crude oil storage terminal in the region with capacity to store more than 20 million barrels of petroleum products. It borders the Pinder’s Point/Lewis Yard settlements.

He asked Minister Ferreira: “Please tell me where else in the Bahamas is there more emissions outside of Grand Bahama?”

Despite the existence of some six or more major companies situated in the Freeport Industrial Park, in his reply the minister stated that some of the other islands in the country, especially the ones to the north,

are faced with similar emission problems.

“You have emissions to the ground water, to the air and ocean. In GB, the scenario is the groundwater and to the air. But we have other islands that are as

“You have emissions to the ground water, to the air and ocean.

In GB, the scenario is the groundwater and to the air. But we have other islands that are as impacted or more impacted on a continuous basis as much as GB.” Environment Minister Romauld Ferreira impacted or more impacted on a continuous basis as much as GB. “Which is why as a ministry we have prioritised making sure we have the environmental legislation in place. We recognise that there are some legislative gaps that need to be addressed and we are looking at it,” he said.

Minister Ferriera noted the Environmental Health Services Act does not speak to an award of damages to residents, but rather speaks to penalties to the entity that is doing the emission.

“For you to get an award of damages as an individual it is impossible for you to escape the responsibility you have as individuals impacted to litigate that matter. You cannot defect that or defer that or abdicate that,” he explained.

Chemical emissions have been major issue and complaint of residents for more than 30 years.

Three schools – the GB Catholic High, The Hawksbill Senior and Junior High Schools, and more

recently the Lewis Yard Primary school - have been relocated from the area.

The Grand Bahama Environmental Association and residents have been calling for relocation of families living near the industrial plants.

During an interview with The Tribune, when asked how he felt about residents and the GBEA intentions to sue the government, the minister said it is their right.

“They have a legitimate right to take legal action,” he said.

Mr Ferreira said he is aware of what the residents have been going through and has read all the studies his ministry has.

“This is why we freely make them available to the public. As a matter of fact, I said residents can have the information they need; we are not going to hide anything from them.

“Any information we have, they can have. We will do everything within our power to facilitate the necessary conversations to bring this to a resolution.

Citizens “At the end of the day everybody has to do their part. They have a role play as private citizens, we have a role to play as government, and of course there is industry, and the GB Port Authority.”

The minster said a resolution of the matter is going to require everybody to be at the table.

When asked if he had read the reports and studies and what he had gathered from them, Mr Ferreira indicated he had read them but did not wish to comment on the contents.

“Yes, I have read the reports in the ministry; all the reports I read personally. I do not want to comment on the contents because personal injury cases are always predicated on causation, and so whatever the Ministry of

ENVIRONMENT Minister Romauld Ferreira.

Environment and Housing has in its possession to assist anyone in relation to this matter in establishing that, we won’t be like the previous administration and hide the information in relation to Rubis. We will make it available to the people.”

When asked his thoughts about remarks made by former FNM cabinet minister and ambassador Maurice Moore’s call for relocation, he said: “I would imagine all options are on the table, but he also said it would cost half a billion dollars - I don’t know how he came up with that figure.

“At the end of the day the residents want resolution to the matter, relocation is a resolution of course and all options are on the table.”

Shuffel Hepburn said the government has all the information it needs about the issues that have plagued residents.

He asked the minister whether he was prepared to also present to residents a 1989 report of the Epidemiology Study conducted under former PLP Minister of Health, the late Dr Norman Gay. He said the report

recommended schools and residents be moved.

“The PLP and FNM governments have come and gone, and the study they hid, never presented to the residents who went to the Rand Memorial Hospital and gave their blood, and had their children go and give blood,” he said.

“And at end of day, the report was tucked away. Hubert Ingraham knew about it because he was in the PLP government at the time. And other ministers and prime ministers would come along had some idea about it,” he said.

Other recent studies conducted were an Environmental and Health Risk Assessment Study conducted by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2014.

A Safety Risk Assessment conducted by Antea Group and E-nose Air Quality Monitoring study conducted by Comon Invent.

The residents and GBEA have rejected the findings in all three reports.

NEMA – RAGGED ISLAND IS STILL UNINHABITABLE

DAMAGE on Ragged Island last year after Hurricane Irma.

FROM PAGE ONE island,” he said.

“The basic infrastructure is not secure. The hospitals, the police stations, the administrative office, those facilities have not yet been restored. Therefore, we cannot provide them the essential services or support they would need in that current condition.

“The island has officially been declared uninhabitable.

“That has not been lifted as yet. But persons still went back home. The government cannot render the island habitable or liveable because their infrastructure is not in place.”

“That is the current condition of that island.

Those who are there, we will have to bring them out of the island if a major storm is threatening that community.”

Earlier this month The Tribune published the concerns of frustrated Ragged Islanders, who are demanding the government prioritise critical restoration initiatives as protracted delays have handicapped local efforts to rebuild and restore normalcy to the hurricane-ravaged island.

Chief among those concerns was the scarcity of potable water and health services, which the island’s association claim have stalled attempts to rebuild.

After more than two months of waiting on approvals, Restoration Ragged Island Association told The Tribune it received permission from the Water and Sewerage Corporation to install a more robust temporary reverse osmosis plant.

Last week, Ellery Lockhart installed a water treatment plant on Ragged Island and spoke to The Tribune about the plant and concerns for the upcoming hurricane season.

He added while the plant

is still having some issues with filtration, once it is up and running it will produce about 1200 gallons of water a day. “[This] means that along with the current system the capacity will be increased to about 1700 gallons a day,” Mr Lockhart said.

“The goal is for the residents to be getting water on a daily basis using some kind of rationing system.”

Residents aren’t expected to be able to receive water “24/7”, he said.

The plant cost approximately $15,000 to purchase and another $5-7,000 to install. All monies were procured from donations to the Association. Mr Lockhart extended special thanks to Maxine Wallace for her support and also the government who waived duty and VAT.

Exemptions “On behalf of Restoration Ragged Island, we would like to thank the government for giving us all those exemptions— it allowed our money to go further,” he said.

When asked about Ragged Islanders’ biggest concern ahead of the upcoming hurricane season, Mr Lockhart said their goal is to “be dry”. Many residents are still challenged with roof repairs, which are dangerous in the face of impending storms. Mr Lockhart himself still hopes to rebuild his own home.

In regards to the plant, Mr Lockhart said: “The plant was installed…using the proper construction methods. So we have to take our chances like everybody else.

A hurricane could come and there’s nothing to say that it won’t be destroyed.

The only thing we can do is rebuild. We live in a hurricane zone. Hurricanes [are] going to come. It’s just a matter of how much damage it will do.

“The only thing we are asking for is that the government do what the government is supposed to do.

Last year’s Hurricane Irma decimated Ragged Island, and days after its passage, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said health and safety conditions rendered the island unliveable.

Dr Minnis also announced the government’s intention to “transform” it into the first fully “green” island in the region.

The prime minister explained, at the time, renewable energy and smart technology from solar energy and sustainable water purification systems will be utilized for this effort with the help of residents and descendants of the island.

However, nearly nine months later, there has been little improvement on the island.

When asked about the status of the island during yesterday’s press briefing, Press Secretary Anthony Newbold said: “The prime minister’s response is that’s why a committee went down there to see where they were and move forward with the evaluation of what needs to happen.” “[Dr Minnis has] not forgotten the promises he’s made about what he’s going to do. He still intends to do them, it takes time.”

In regards to the upcoming hurricane season, Mr Newbold said: “The government will do what it has to do to help those people.

During the last hurricane the government took most of them off that island.

“Who knows what will happen if God forbid we have another hurricane like that.

“Hopefully we won’t but that may have to happen again. But the government is mindful of what it must do with regards to the people from Ragged Island and it will do so.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, May 30, 2018, PAGE 11

GOVT ‘TRAVEL SPREADSHEETS’ WON’T BE RELEASED BEFORE YEAR’S END

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE Minnis administration’s promised ‘travel spreadsheets’ are not expected to be released before year’s end, according to Press Secretary Anthony Newbold.

Responding to reporters at his weekly press briefing yesterday, Mr Newbold said the spreadsheets - expected to layout travel dates, locations, delegation size, expenses and purpose of trip - could not be compiled and disseminated this year due to the extensive nature of the proposed documents.

ANTHONY NEWBOLD Despite the lengthy timeframe however, Mr Newbold said the government remains in line with

its travel policy for officials, insisting that anyone travelling on government business must still file a report.

“No minister travels, they may not tell you when they go away, but all Ministers, when they come back they are reporting either through a press conference, or in the House or in the Senate about what it is they did when they were away,” he said.

“Whether it is the Minister of Education or the Minister of Labour, there is some report as to why they travelled to where they travelled.”

When asked directly why the reports would take such

a long time, he added: “You are talking about travel for all the ministers and you want explanations. You don’t want to just know he went to Washington DC, this is why he went to Washington DC, these are the people he took with him, this was the objective and this is what the Bahamian people will come to expect.

“All of that needs to be, and he has promised that for all the Ministers,” he said.

While in Opposition, the Minnis-led Free National Movement criticised the Christie administration for what it termed, “wasteful expenditure” for travel allocations.

Throughout that term, the FNM slammed the PLP for both the frequency of trips and the size of the delegations.

When elected last spring, the Minnis administration promised to curtail government spending on travel and give the public a full accounting of every trip

executed.

Those accounts, as proposed, would include details of the trip’s location, duration and purpose.

To date, only trips taken by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis were recorded and reported on, as is prescribed by the policy.

PRINCE’S RETREAT IN TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS UP FOR SALE

THE 5.7-acre (23,000 sq.-metre) property property in Prince’s real estate portfolio in the Turks and Caicos Islands. A New York auction house is taking sealed bids on the property which is surrounded by water on three sides and includes several structures totaling more than 10,000 square feet (930 sq. metres). (Turks & Caicos Properties LTD/Premiere Estates via AP)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A private retreat is up for auction in the Turks and Caicos Islands that’s believed to be the only remaining property in Prince’s real estate portfolio.

A New York auction house is taking sealed bids on the 5.7-acre (23,000 sq.-metre) property which

is surrounded by water on three sides and includes several structures totaling more than 10,000 square feet (930 sq. metres).

The Star Tribune says the property includes two private beaches, a marina and a long, winding driveway painted purple.

Prince bought the property in

2011 for $13 million.

The property is expected sell for at least $15 million.

The auction ends July 12.

Prince died of an accidental fentanyl overdose on April 21, 2016.

His estate began selling his real estate holdings in late 2016.

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PAGE 12, Wednesday, May 30, 2018

BODY FOUND OF MAN WHO DISAPPEARED AMID MARYLAND FLOODING

By DAVID McFADDEN, Associated Press

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (AP) — Searchers on Tuesday scouring a river alongside an historic Maryland town ripped apart by flash flooding found the body of a man last seen being swept away by the raging waters as it gutted shops and pushed parked cars into swollen tributaries.

Volunteers and crews with trained dogs had been methodically hunting for 39-year-old Eddison Hermond. He disappeared late Sunday afternoon, following torrential rains that prompted destructive flash flooding in historic Ellicott City.

It was the second time Ellicott City’s downtown district was hit by deadly floodwaters in less than two years.

On Tuesday afternoon, Hermond’s body was located in the Patapsco River.

He was the only person reported missing in Ellicott City — established in 1772 as a mill town — where many now can’t get the roar of rushing waters out of their heads.

“To have died helping somebody else is incredible.

And I can’t even imagine the loss his family is suffering,” said Nicholas Johnson, owner of a store near the spot where Hermond vanished.

He disappeared while trying to help a woman who was escaping the flooded zone with her cat.

Hermond, of Severn, Maryland, was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and a sergeant in the Maryland Army National Guard.

He was described by those who knew him as an affable, generous man.

With waters receded, residents of the flood-prone town are facing another daunting comeback since the last terrible flood deluged their beloved downtown, smashing inventory and ripping up floors and pavement.

THE TRIBUNE

ABC cancels ‘Roseanne’ show following star’s racist tweet

By DAVID BAUDER, AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — ABC canceled its hit reboot of “Roseanne” on Tuesday following star Roseanne Barr’s racist tweet that referred to former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett as a product of the Muslim Brotherhood and the “Planet of the Apes.”

ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey said the comment “is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values.” Barr had apologised and deleted her Monday-night tweet, calling it a “bad joke,” but the damage had already been done.

Barr was also dumped by her talent agency, ICM Partners.

The revival of the comedy was a surprise smash for ABC, owned by the Walt Disney Co., and was counted on to lead the network’s fortunes next season. Its first new episode in March was seen by more than 25 million people, with delayed viewing counted in, numbers that are increasingly rare in network television. ABC expected advertisers to pay millions of dollars for the chance to be seen during commercial breaks on television’s most popular comedy after “The Big Bang Theory.”

And it was all killed in a 53-character tweet.

One of the few network shows about a workingclass family, “Roseanne” attracted considerable attention upon its return when Barr’s character supported President Donald Trump. That made the show popular with conservative viewers, and Trump himself suggested the character’s backing had a lot to do with the show’s success.

Barr herself has a history of diving into political

ROSEANNE Barr arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Roseanne’ in Burbank, California in March.

conspiracy theories on her Twitter feed, and she ended her Memorial Day weekend with a series of statements.

She criticised Democratic financier George Soros and tweeted that Chelsea Clinton was “Chelsea Soros Clinton,” implying she was married to a nephew of Soros. Clinton herself corrected Barr online. Donald Trump Jr. retweeted two of Barr’s statements about Soros, although not the remark about Jarrett.

Jarrett, who is black, was brought up in response to Twitter commentary that raised her name in relation to an Obama conspiracy theory. Barr tweeted: “muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.”

She later tweeted an apology to Jarrett. “Forgive me,” she wrote. “My joke was in bad taste.”

Jarrett, who appeared at the taping of an MSNBC

show about racism on Tuesday, said she hoped the incident could be turned into a teaching moment.

“I’m fine,” she said. “I’m worried about the people out there who don’t have a circle of friends and followers who come right to their defence.”

Remark Barr was quickly condemned. Comic Wanda Sykes, a “Roseanne” writer, tweeted that she wouldn’t be returning to the show.

Sara Gilbert, a co-star, also tweeted that the remark was abhorrent.

It was a quick decision at ABC for Dungey, who is the first African-American to serve as programming chief for one of the major broadcast networks, and her boss, network president Ben Sherwood. Disney chief executive Robert

Iger tweeted his approval: “There was only one thing to do here, and that was the right thing.”

Three weeks earlier, “Roseanne” was the toast of ABC’s annual presentation of its programming plans to advertisers. Sherwood even joked then: “If anyone came to play a drinking game based on how many times we mention ‘Roseanne,’ you’re welcome.”

“Roseanne” earned an estimated $45 million in advertising revenue for ABC through its nine episodes that started airing in March, according to Kantar Media. The firm estimates that the 13 episodes that had been ordered for next season would have brought in as much as $60 million, with more through repeat episodes.

Hulu and the Laff comedy channel said Tuesday they were pulling re-runs of

“Roseanne” from their schedules.

The cancellation has no clear precedent in television history, said David Bianculli, professor at Rowan University in New Jersey.

The closest analogy is CBS pulling the plug on the Smothers Brothers variety show due to their anti-war views in the late 1960s and the same network not renewing “Lou Grant” at its peak, which star Ed Asner always contended was due to his outspoken political beliefs.

“Roseanne Barr’s comments were appalling and reminiscent of horrific time in our history when racism was not only acceptable but promoted by Hollywood,” said Derrick Johnson, NAACP president and CEO. “We applaud ABC for taking a stand against racism by canceling ‘Roseanne.’ We commend the network and ... Dungey for placing the values of diversity, inclusion and respect for humanity above ratings.”

Barr got what she deserved, said Shonda Rhimes, creator of hit ABC shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scandal.”

“As I tell my 4-year-old, one makes a choice with one’s actions,” Rhimes tweeted.

“Roseanne made a choice.

A racist one.

“ABC made a choice. A human one.”

ICM dropped Barr within hours of the cancellation, saying in a statement that the agency was “greatly distressed by the disgraceful and unacceptable” tweet.

Bruce Helford, executive producer of “Roseanne,” said he was “personally horrified and saddened by the comments and in no way do they reflect the values of the people who worked so hard to make this the iconic show that it is.”