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AYTON’S TEAM ON THE WAY THE Phoenix Suns - the team of Bahamian Deandre Ayton - last night won the first game of the NBA finals. Ayton scored 22 points and had 19 rebounds in a 118-195 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. FULL STORY - SEE SPORTS
New warnings as vaccine hesitancy fills hospital beds By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net AN uptick in COVID-19 cases has left Princess Margaret Hospital operating at full capacity, according to PMH administrator Mary Walker. The vast majority of patients there and those receiving care at the South Beach Health Centre are not vaccinated, Mrs Walker said yesterday, as she encouraged vaccination among Bahamians. She stressed people who receive the vaccine and
contract the disease in most cases will not need to be hospitalised. “Our clinical teams are actually indicating that the vast majority of the persons that we are seeing currently at Princess Margaret Hospital and South Beach Health Centre, they are not vaccinated,” Mrs Walker said. She spoke at a virtual press conference for the signing of a contract for capital works at PMH and the Rand Memorial Hospital. SEE PAGE THREE
‘MOTHER’ PRATT RUSHED TO DOCTOR’S WITH COVID By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia “Mother” Pratt was admitted to hospital yesterday following a positive COVID-19 diagnosis more than a week ago. Dr Lynwood Brown, Mrs Pratt’s doctor, confirmed she was brought into hospital by ambulance
early yesterday “out of an abundance of caution” for overnight monitoring. “She is in stable condition and is in good spirits,” Dr Brown said when contacted yesterday. “She is coherent and alert in every aspect. This also means that she is able to walk on her own. She is a very strong woman, man.” SEE PAGE FOUR
JASON ALLEN, left, and Lavan Paul, who both died in Monday’s plane crash in Abaco.
DOOMED FLIGHT’S LAST MOMENTS By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
THE airplane involved in Monday’s fatal crash in Abaco “appeared to struggle to get off the ground” at the runway in Treasure Cay before
the incident, according to crash investigators. Yesterday, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority revealed the issues the plane appeared to experience moments before the fiery crash. “According to reports, the aircraft after start-up took quite a while
before it started its take off roll to the runway for take off,” the AAIA said. “Eyewitnesses stated the aircraft appeared to not be making enough power as it appeared to struggle to get off the ground.”
$90M DEAL TO EXPAND PMH SITE By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
A $90M CONTRACT was signed yesterday to expand and upgrade infrastructure at Princess Margaret Hospital and the Rand Memorial in Grand Bahama. The agreement struck between the BECK Group, along with the Public Hospitals Authority and the Ministry of Health
PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL enables construction of a new maternal and child health tower at the east of PMH’s Critical Care Block.
This 96,288 square foot facility is estimated to cost $55m inclusive of furniture, fixtures and architecturally significant equipment among other things. As for the Rand, a new four level tower on the site of the demolished administration and OB/GYN wings will be built. This part of the project is valued at $30.6m. The elevated structure addresses concerns about SEE PAGE THREE
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
SEE PAGE TWO
JUDGES REJECT ARCHER APPEAL By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
THE Court of Appeal yesterday rejected Omar Archer’s appeal against a Supreme Court judge’s decision to dismiss his motion for constitutional relief concerning a criminal libel charge brought against him six years ago. SEE PAGE SEVEN
PAGE 2, Wednesday, July 7, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
SCENES from the crash in Abaco that led to the deaths of two pilots.
DOOMED FLIGHT’S LAST MOMENTS from page one
“The aircraft used the entire runway and ended in bushes approximately 2,000 feet beyond the end of the usable runway after hitting several trees along the debris path. Weather at the time of take off was described as ‘not bad, but just some light sprinkles’.” The agency said the weather shortly after the crash became intense which, along with the fire, hampered rescue attempts. When an investigative team arrived on the island yesterday morning, the fire in some areas was still smouldering. The aircraft was damaged due to the impact sequence and post impact fire, investigators said. The remains of both pilots were removed from the aircraft yesterday and will be flown to Nassau for autopsy. “Investigations will continue to determine why the aircraft would not gain altitude which contributed to
the accident,” the AAIA, which is conducting the investigation, said. Although authorities have not identified the two deceased men, sources told The Tribune they are pilots Jason Allen and Lavan Paul. Both are said to be former Royal Bahamas Defence Force marines. Tributes have been posted to social media by loved ones in the wake of the tragedy. “Jason Allen, you cut me deep, I’m trying to be strong for mommy, but brother you know I was so protective of you... You know if you needed to talk to me about anything I’m all ears,” the woman wrote. “But now I need you here and I can’t get you. Last night, I (sat) in your room alone, telling myself that you just away, Canada or something, I’m not trying to face reality. “Watching you rush out of here Saturday and you told me you coming right back and you haven’t returned yet playing with my mind. Jason, I know
God has us, I know you couldn’t do anything at that moment but pray. You lived a full-on life, everything you wanted to do, you did.” Police said they received a report of the Treasure Cay, Abaco, plane crash shortly after 3.30pm Monday. “Upon arrival, officers discovered an airplane in bushes some distance away from the Treasure Cay Airport fully engulfed,” police said. “Initial enquiries revealed that the airplane was observed taxing and a short time later smoke and flames were seen coming from the airplane. Additionally, two pilots were onboard the airplane when it crashed. Further checks were made and there were no signs of life onboard.” Minister of Tourism and Aviation Dionisio D’Aguilar explained the plane, an IAI 1124 Westwind N790JR, left the Dominican Republic on Friday for Treasury Cay the plane was scheduled to fly to New Providence on Monday.
‘MASK REBELLION’ DELAYS AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT FOR A DAY AN American Airlines flight headed from Charlotte, North Carolina to Nassau was cancelled and rescheduled a day later — along with more than a few vacations — when most of the teens in a group of about 30 high school students from Boston caused a disturbance over their refusal to wear masks. On an already-delayed flight,
the group of teenagers “decided to stage a mask rebellion that lasted for hours,” according to Charlotte’s WSOC-TV. American Airlines confirmed today that flight 893, which had already been delayed once on Monday for mechanical issues, was cancelled overnight and not rescheduled until yesterday morning. According to witnesses, a group
of 17 and 18-year-old students were aboard the flight as part of a graduation trip. Their actions resulted in the day-long delay of their own trip as well as that of at least one frontline COVID worker. “All they had to do was follow the rules, put the mask on, sit there,” said passenger Christina Randolph speaking to WSOC. “And they couldn’t do it.”
Randolph lost a full day on her trip, which is a difficult blow, she points out, because as a nurse, “it’s really, really hard to get time off work. So when you finally get time off, you really want to be somewhere you want to be.” “It was bad. First, they were yelling. They were cursing. They were being very obnoxious,” passenger Malik Banks told WSOC.
“It wasn’t all of them. I would say 75 to 80 percent of them were being terrible kids, saying smart stuff.” For the students, those consequences were that they were stuck in the airport overnight. But they were rebooked to The Bahamas along with the rest of the passengers on Tuesday. That flight departed without incident.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, July 7, 2021, PAGE 3
No-jab patients leave PMH full
from page one
“These are the persons that are in hospital right now currently receiving care. “There are a minority, I would say about two percent that would have had just one immunisation, but the vast majority of the persons that we are dealing with at the Princess Margaret Hospital and the South Beach Health centre have not had any vaccination. “Over the last five to seven days we are at capacity at Princess Margaret Hospital and the more severe persons are actually being taken care of for ventilated purposes at Doctors Hospital West and South
Beach as well had two ventilated persons over the last 72 hours. “So, indeed it is very critical that we ensure that persons can protect themselves. Vaccinate, you will be protecting yourself and your loved ones. “We cannot emphasise it more than that. You will not get the severe form of the disease requiring hospitalisation if you are immunised, please be immunised.” Health Minister Renward Wells had similar views about vaccinations when he was asked ahead of Mrs Walker’s comments about whether further restrictions are needed due to a rise in new infections. There have been more than 150 new cases so far
for the month and last month Bimini was placed on a two-week curfew because of a surge in cases there. He said: “I continue to say to the Bahamian people, we the Cabinet of The Bahamas, the competent authority, we follow the recommendations of our health team in the Ministry of Health. “There are constant meetings during the week as to our circumstance, our existing situation in regards to COVID in the country and those updates are forwarded on to the Cabinet of the Bahamas via this minister. “They are taken under consideration and based on what we perceive as
best in our national interest from the standpoint of protecting the health and the livelihood of the Bahamian people economically, as well decisions are made as to how we will proceed in regards to emergency orders and health protocols. “I would simply say this as I have continued to say to the Bahamian people. We have the solution for what ails us in this country. We did not have it during the first wave. We did not have it during the second wave. We have it during this third wave.
“It is called vaccination and so I am going to continue to say to the Bahamian people the evidence is out there. “There are about 7.4 billion people on this planet and at least 3.5 billion of them have taken a vaccine and for those who would have taken the vaccine the evidence is clear. “If you do contract COVID having taken a vaccine, your likelihood of having been hospitalised is dramatically reduced and your chances of dying from this disease is almost nil. “So, I am saying to the Bahamian people as we
have been saying since March when the government of The Bahamas secured vaccines: go get vaccinated, please. I got mine, you get yours. Get vaccinated.” As of July 2, 2021, 95,992 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been administered locally. Fifty-nine thousand seven hundred and thirty-one people have received at least one dose of the vaccine. A total of 36,261 people have been fully vaccinated with two doses of the vaccine. On New Providence, a total of 69,642 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, and on Grand Bahama, 13,737 doses.
$90M DEAL TO EXPAND PMH SITE from page one
flooding, which particularly came to the forefront following Hurricane Dorian’s devastation in Grand Bahama. Included in the cost is also a percentage allocated for investments and improvements throughout PMH. A large investment of about $5m is also earmarked for the infectious diseases unit, which came about as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is also an investment allocated for wards throughout PMH and three wards at the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre. Officials said the estimated completion time frame is 24 to 30 months and 90 percent of all the money spent for the project will be spent locally. Health Minister Renward Wells said the government is confident in the track record of the BECK Group. “The BECK Group has a solid track record of performance in partnership with the PHA when redeveloping our public hospitals here in The Bahamas,” Mr Wells said at the contract signing ceremony at the Cabinet Office. “The design, construction and commissioning of the Critical Care Block at Princess Margaret Hospital remains one of the
most outstanding advances in healthcare development for our nation. This project was completed as a result of the fine efforts and professionalism exhibited by the BECK Group in tandem with the PHA, local architects and contractors. “The BEC Group, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and PHA has provided crucial inputs for the improvement of health facilities, including the production of a 2015 masterplan for the strategic redevelopment of our public hospitals.” He added: “…The BECK Group will utilise the top Bahamian talent available for the architectural and engineering component of these projects. Local contractors in New Providence and Grand Bahama who meet requirements will be elected through a fair, transparent and fully accountable process and at the end of the day, the Bahamian people will see the results for themselves.” Fred Perpall, BECK Group principal, said the contract signing felt good as it was the right step towards national development. “At BECK we’ve been in business for 110 years and we have the fortune to build buildings all across the United States and Latin America and while I’ve taken pride in being the
CEO for the last nine years, there is no project that feels like this, no project that feels more important than helping to rebuild the hospital where I was born, where my wife was born, where my mother was born and where the people I love most come for service. “So, today is a particular point of pride for me and for all my colleagues at BECK. I want you to know as a nation and an administration that we intend to ensure that these projects get all that we have to offer and then more.” While the expansions of both facilities are welcomed, a stigma about the quality of care at PMH and the Rand has loomed for decades. Asked about this, Hospital Administrator Mary Walker said there was ongoing training of staff. “The Princess Margaret Hospital and indeed the Public Hospitals Authority is committed to the improvement of our human resource persons employed,” Mrs Walker said in response to a question from The Tribune. “As a part of the urgent care project and the critical care project over the years we have enhanced the performance of our employees through training and continual training. All the training that we carry
out is focused primarily with the project that we are doing. So, with critical care we focused on the training for critical needs of persons like in intensive care, the neonatal intensive care and all the support services that are provided within that block. “In the Accident and Emergency redevelopment that is ongoing at this present time those staff would have started their training processes approximately six months ago to coincide with when the project will be completed. As we now move to progress into the planning for this new block once again our human resources will be enhanced through continual training.” In a statement released last night, the PHA said as a result of reaching maximum admission capacity, PMH was forced to reallocate clinic personnel to strengthen hospital operations. As of today, the Agape Clinic 4th Terrace Centreville will now operate between the hours of 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. Limited Walk-in patients will be accommodated. Additionally, the public is advised that the Emergency Department is only accepting emergency cases. In the event of a medical emergency, please call National Emergency
Medical Services dispatchers at 919 or contact the
PMH Emergency Department at 326-7014.
PAGE 4, Wednesday, July 7, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
‘Mother’ Pratt rushed to Doctor’s with COVID from page one
“Truthfully, it was me that wanted her to be admitted out of an abundance of caution for monitoring, hopefully for just overnight.” Following her admission for observation, Progressive Liberal Party leader Philip “Brave” Davis issued a brief statement. The statement read in part: “My thoughts and prayers are with her and the Pratt family during this delicate and trying period. I ask that Bahamians respect her privacy and to pray for her full recovery.” Last Thursday, Mrs Pratt, 75, told The Tribune she suspected having the virus after experiencing nausea and fatigue the previous week. Mrs Pratt followed up with a COVID-19 test, which confirmed her suspicions. “This started about a week now, but I feel a lot stronger,” she said last week in a telephone interview from her home. “This started last week Wednesday, and it started with nausea. I have been careful. I didn’t go out in crowds. I always wore double masks and things. I have always been careful. “When I started this nausea, I thought maybe it was something I ate that upset my stomach. So, I got some Dica and I took that and it gave me some relief just over a short period of time and then it came back. “I then started to feel very weak and I was fighting to put one foot before the next one. I said ‘Lord, something isn’t right here’. I am a woman with energy. I could go like the Energiser bunny, and I was walking from the kitchen to the
CYNTHIA “Mother” Pratt, who is in hospital having contracted COVID-19. living room and every two minutes I had to sit down. “So, I decided to call my daughter. I told her I am going to get checked again because I have had five tests for different things, and they were all negative, but I never had any tiredness like this. I knew something didn’t connect. My daughter took me to get the test and mine came
back positive and hers was negative and that’s been a week now.” The former St Cecilia MP has also experienced loss of taste and smell, tell-tale signs of a coronavirus infection in many cases. “I noticed I couldn’t smell the food I’m cooking and then I couldn’t taste the food. I had no fever, I had no vomiting, but the
diarrhea came later,” she said last week. “So, all of the signs weren’t really there at first and then, of course, I didn’t have a cold. . . but then I was bringing up a lot of cold, but I always have a problem with sinus on and off so I didn’t pay that much mind. “The next thing I know I was diagnosed with
COVID-19.” She said under the advice of Progressive Liberal Party Senator Dr Michael Darville— who contracted COVID-19 several months ago— and another health professional, she was recommended certain vitamins and medications and was doing well at the time. Last week, Mrs Pratt urged Bahamians to take
the proper precautions to avoid the disease. “I want to say you could never be too careful and as much as you try, you don’t know who has it. This thing has no eyes, so some people look healthy, and they don’t even know they have it themselves. “Do what you are supposed to do to avoid it,” she said.
‘VACCINATION RULES UP TO THE SCHOOLS - AND PERHAPS COURTS’ By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
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EDUCATION Minister Jeff Lloyd said any decision to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for students enrolled in private schools will be “entirely up” to the institution itself but warned that such decisions “may be tested in court”. Mr Lloyd made the statement to reporters when asked if private schools are allowed to require students to be fully vaccinated against the virus as part of their enrolment policy for the upcoming fall semester. This comes as hundreds of colleges in the United States and elsewhere are mandating students to be vaccinated for the upcoming term. Several Bahamian businesses have also implemented similar policies for their staff in recent weeks. Yesterday, Mr Lloyd reiterated the government’s stance on vaccinations, saying no one in the country will be forced to take the vaccine if they do not want to do so. This, he added, also applies to public school students and staff. However, for those
private institutions considering such policies, Mr Lloyd said they must be guided by health officials and the law. “They will have to be like everyone else, guided by the health authorities and what is the law. If there is an arrangement between them and their client base, meaning parents and students, that that kind of imposition can be made then that is a determination between them and that client base,” he said. “As far as we are concerned, the government has reiterated that there is nothing mandatory about vaccinations in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. What private circumstances decide to do, it’s entirely up to them and I’m sure as you would’ve heard, some of those decisions may be tested in court.” He added: “We have said at the Ministry of Education, the government, we are guided by the scientists; those officials and scientists at the Ministry of Health. Whatever they permit, whatever they direct, everything we do, all the decisions we’ve made are guided undergirded by what is the best scientific interest in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.”
Schools across the country closed in March 2020 as a result of the COVID19 pandemic but were later reopened in a phased approach after the summer break last October. In May, officials announced that public schools would return to virtual learning once again after cases started to climb in the country. Mr Lloyd told reporters last month that education officials remained optimistic schools will resume normal operations come September. Asked yesterday if school repairs will be ready for the new academic year, he replied: “Every year, they are ready and whenever they are not ready, it’s because of circumstances beyond our control or it’s because the nature of the work necessitates a much longer period of time. “Do please remember that because of the COVID, we have had to extend the repairs from last year into this year and some of that work is just now being completed so we do not expect that there will be so much work as there would’ve been in previous years so we’re looking forward to an easy and trouble free-start to the school year.”
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, July 7, 2021, PAGE 5
Ambassador hopes China links will grow By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net CHINESE Ambassador to The Bahamas Dai Qingli yesterday celebrated the July 1 centennial anniversary of the Communist Party of China to give an insight into her country’s position in the world, its aims and relations with The Bahamas. She noted that 70,000 people visited Tiananmen square on July 1 to participate in the anniversary celebration. “Without CPC there would be no new China and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation would be beyond reach,” she said. Ms Qingli said some people around the world have a mistaken impression of China’s ambitions and goals. “As you can see from President Xi’s speech, none of the points in this speech refer to China’s readiness to take over the world,” she said. “I think what keeps Chinese leaders awake at night is not how to achieve hegemony in the world but rather how to deliver better living standards for our people. But some people say there is a law in international relations that whichever country comes up to around two thirds of the US’s GDP, then the US will see that country as an enemy. Well last year China’s economy was 70 percent of the US so probably there is some kind of irritability in their seeing China as
a competition and that’s truly unfortunate.” Ms Qingli told reporters she hopes tourism from China to The Bahamas expands in the years to come. “The number of Chinese visitors coming to The Bahamas each year before the pandemic is not very encouraging,” she said. “It is only a fraction of the number of Chinese people who regularly visit overseas every year and also that’s a small fraction of the number of visitors The Bahamas receives, so we have a lot to work on in the tourism sector. But we do hope we can turn China into a growth market for Bahamas tourism because there are around 145 million Chinese people making these visits to foreign countries every year and we have 300,000 Chinese students in the US and 100,000 students in Canada too so these people can potentially be visitors to The Bahamas. “We do need to overcome some, maybe more challenging aspects. The challenging aspect is you have to get Chinese visas in order to come to The Bahamas, either from Europe or the US and airlift is also a challenging aspect. It took me like, 25 hours to reach here, not counting the wait time. “We need to try to tap the potential and focus on the positive aspects. We need more positive dialogue between the two governments in terms of how to develop the tourism
sector in The Bahamas and we also need more direct dialogue between airlines and tourist operators and we need better promotion strategies for The Bahamas in China because now the biggest attractions for Chinese tourists in The Bahamas are the swimming pigs and the pink sands. “They like that very much but they only have a very superficial understanding of The Bahamas. We have to have people actually traveling to support the flights. So without these numbers of people, airline companies wouldn’t want to operate these flights, it might be loss-making for them.” Ms Qingli also said she hopes to improve political relations between China and The Bahamas. “Politically, I hope to have better political relations between the countries, particularly more exchange of high-level visits and contacts which were disrupted by the pandemic and in economic and trade relations,” she said. “Certainly and equally importantly I would like to see more people-to-people exchanges and a stronger cross-cultural understanding between the two countries. For example, I want to see more students coming to China to study and we want to see mutual visits between our young people, our women, people with disabilities and also media exchanges are very important.” China has donated five batches of medical supplies
CHINESE Ambassador Dai Qingli. to The Bahamas during the fight against COVID-19, with another batch on its way to the country. “We have every intention to provide more help to The Bahamas,” said the
Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
ambassador. “We have so far provided five batches of medical supplies to this country and we are in the process of purchasing and shipping another batch of medical
supplies. Due to some transport problems this is not as fast as we hoped but in any case, we will make sure that these shipments arrive safely and as early as possible in your country.”
DAMES REVEALS NEW PRISON HOPE PLP: LOCAL
ENTERTAINERS SHOULD NOT BE LEFT OUT
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames yesterday said his ministry wants to construct a new modern medium security prison able to accommodate up to 500 inmates in an effort to bring about reform to the prison system. Mr Dames made the revelation to reporters yesterday ahead of cabinet, outlining various projects now in the pipeline to improve conditions at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. He said no other government has been able to do what this current administration has done for the prison over the last several years, pointing to several infrastructure projects carried out at the correctional facility. “We came into office and met an administration building that was deplorable. The roof was leaking, we corrected that. (At the) maximum security facility, we know the conditions that were beyond substandard and we have been able through the leadership of the Commissioner and his team to modernise a number of the wings within maximum security and continue to do so. “There are upgrades going on throughout that prison. You should see it. More upgrades would’ve taken place from the prison under this administration than any other previous administration. In addition to that, we’re also looking at ways to ensure officers’ safety.” He added: “We’re with the United States and the partnership, bringing in new state of the art x-ray machines to ensure that persons are not trafficking into the prison illegal contraband and weapons and cell phones and the like and body armour and protective gears for the officers. We’re improving the exchange that will allow persons coming to visit loved ones and relatives in a nice
THE BAHAMAS Department of Correctional Services. environment in which to communicate so the work is ongoing.” Mr Dames said since being elected to office, there has also been a significant reduction in the number of inmates being held at the prison. “When we came in, I think there was close to 1,700 inmates being housed at Her Majesty’s Prison,” he added. “I think the numbers are now down to 1,200, just a little over 1,200 and so that’s an indication that we’re doing the best we can to ensure that only those who are supposed to be there are there.” Mr Dames said even now, the various rehabilitative committees continue to work and review applications for those wanting to have their records wiped clean. “The Prerogative of Mercy Committee, we had a meeting last week,” the minister continued. “We’re now reviewing in excess of 200 submissions and I think there’s a follow up meeting this
coming Thursday and the rehabilitation committee continues to meet and we continue to expunge records of those persons who are deserving.” In May, officials from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Committee revealed over 100 Bahamians had applied to the group to have their criminal records expunged of which 19 have been successful so far. As for the ministry’s plans to further improve the nation’s rehabilitative system, Mr Dames said officials want to build a new medium security facility that will be “conducive to rehabilitation and parole”. He also said a committee has been formed to assist with those plans, which he said will be presented to Cabinet at a later date. He said: “We have established a committee and I would’ve met with that committee last week and so we’re looking at the possibility at presenting to Cabinet at some point a public private partnership arrangement
that would see construction of a new modern facility that will be able to accommodate somewhere between 300 to 500 inmates because the objective here is we cannot talk about rehabilitation, we cannot talk about parole, modernisation without first looking at the welfare of officers and inmates alike. “You cannot tell a guy we want to rehabilitate you and then at the end of the day you put him in a cell with about five or six others and the environment is not conducive for it and that’s the reason why we’re working in tandem to ensure that we meet the overall needs of the prison officers as well as the inmates. “This is going to be a modernised probably a medium security facility that will be conducive for rehabilitation and parole and things of that nature and… when we’re at the stage where we think we could move forward, (we will) make a presentation to Cabinet to consider but we’re not there yet.”
THE Progressive Liberal Party said the government must involve local entertainers in independence celebrations amid complaints about the apparent exclusion of secular artists from the upcoming events. In a statement, PLP leader Philip Davis said “this yearly national celebration of independence should have two purposes: the inclusion of young people with their new traditions and ideas. There should also be a celebration of the legacy issues with our culture, tradition and identity. As such, in the latter sense, the participation of our local entertainers is especially expected. This event is also an income earner for them.” He had the following suggestions: “Given that the independence celebrations are marked by a number of events throughout the month that express and put on display various aspects of our cultural identity, the government still has an opportunity to involve the entertainment community in this year’s celebrations. “Hosting of a live or recorded variety cultural show featuring music,
acting, dancing and storytelling from several Family Islands – chronicling our heritage is a recommendation and practical solution the Progressive Liberal Party commends to the Bahamas government. “There are several weeks left in the month of July after Independence Day on the 10th so this is entirely possible and practical to organise and execute.” On Monday, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Iram Lewis said he plans to meet with local artists to address their issues about the Independence Day events. Mr Lewis spoke after a number of Bahamian performers wrote to the chairman of the Independence Secretariat, Mark Humes, voicing their concerns with this year’s celebration. The group is upset that event organisers allegedly left out a mixture of top local secular acts in favour of a more Christian theme, among other things. The artists noted while they support the overall theme, they also feel the event could be inclusive of secular artists as well.
65 HAITIANS REPATRIATED SIXTY-FIVE Haitian migrants were repatriated yesterday. In a statement, the Department of Immigration said working in accordance with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) guidelines, it repatriated the group to Port-au-Prince, Haiti
onboard a Bahamasair flight. This group consisted of 47 males, 16 females and two minors. The escort was carried out by a joint team of immigration and Royal Bahamas Defence Force officers. All Ministry of Health safety protocols were strictly enforced, the department said.
PAGE 6, Wednesday, July 7, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
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Hesitation may be your last regret OUR country’s hesitation to get vaccinated is coming home to roost – with Princess Margaret Hospital now at full capacity. Hospital administrator Mary Walker added her voice to the recent calls for Bahamians to get vaccinated. How stark is the difference between being vaccinated and not getting your jabs? We’ll leave that to Mrs Walker to make clear. She said: “There are a minority, I would say about two percent that would have had just one immunisations, but the vast majority of the persons that we are dealing with at the Princess Margaret Hospital and the South Beach Health Centre have not had any vaccination.” Consider that difference. About two percent against about 98 percent. The difference between getting a jab or not can be the difference between staying out of hospital or ending up on a ward – or worse. That tracks with experiences around the world, with more than 99% of recent deaths in the US from COVID-19 being among those who are unvaccinated. Look at a chart of COVID deaths in the US since the start of the year and you’ll see the result clearly – a steady drop in deaths in the country as the amount of vaccinations go up. This isn’t just a matter for people with COVID, either. There is a knock-on effect for patients in need of treatment for other matters. If a bed is full for a COVID patient, it isn’t available for a patient in need for something else. Work it out – if the patients in there are mostly unvaccinated, if they had all had vaccinations they wouldn’t be there either, leaving beds free for other patients in need. The government has to do its part and secure more doses, but we haven’t run out yet, so if people wanted to get the
jab, they have had plenty of opportunity now to do so. Health Minister Renward Wells reinforced the need. “If you do contract COVID having taken a vaccine, your likelihood of having been hospitalised is dramatically reduced and your chances of dying from this disease is almost nil.” Almost nil. Skip the vaccination, and you’re gambling with your life.
Hospital deal
It has been a long time coming, but yesterday a $90m deal was signed to upgrade Princess Margaret Hospital and the Rand Memorial in Grand Bahama. The choice will have been a tough one, with strong bids put forward – even one involving the world-renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital, which would have brought with it considerable international expertise. In the end, the BECK Group’s bid won through, with Health Minister Renward Wells noting the group’s “solid track record of performance in partnership with the PHA when redeveloping our public hospitals here in The Bahamas”. He also noted that the group will “utilise the top Bahamian talent available for the architectural and engineering component of these projects”, and pointed out opportunities for local contractors. Now that the decision has been made, we hope the very best outcome. We hope that BECK will deliver the world class facilities that Bahamians deserve. They have won the bid against strong competition, so now’s the time to live up to that challenge. If the result is better medical facilities for all Bahamians, that’s a win for everyone.
Readers’ views on Independence READERS of www.tribune242.com have been giving their views on issues in the news. Amid a row over secular entertainers being left out of Independence celebrations in favour of a Christian theme, Mandela said: “The Bahamas is nothing but a confused country, at one point they’re allowing the RAINBOW flag to fly freely then the following month they’re talking about our Independence celebrations being about a Christian message and eluding to the fact that we are a Christian nation, talk about being CONFUSED.” Stislez replied: “Yall still on dis white man bible and belief system? All dat damn offering and tithes yall been giving over the years.....did the church assist bahamians throughout the pandemic? Is the church helping keep people lights on, is the church helping the people in abaco recover? What about all the people who was living in they car an ting, is the church helping to find a place for them? WTF is the church doing? Yall insane!” M0J0 added: “This Gov. ceases to amaze me. I wont be surprise if they aint paying for some international Christian artist.” Talrussel said: “You shall judge them on general election day for their many sins! Tis late in the mandate a scorching flammable sinful act, by all and sundry, who has freely chosen to remain servants red party’s governance to conveniently put on facial paint makeup as a Sunday morning Christian, yes?” Dontassume added: “All of these politicians are incessant idiots, who once elected demonstrate their distasteful disdain for anything Bahamian (investments, entrepreneurship, and culture). Bahamian progress has never been valued, by politicians unless they’re expecting under-the-table payouts, or they’re trying to securing votes. Mark Humes has been a disgrace, and with this BS continues to be...this Independence
(like all) should be highlighting any semblance of Bahamian resiliency. “Christian Nation”, please! That label has been tarnished for as long as I’ve been alive, and means absolutely nothing to observant individuals.” Ondrap4 referred to a previous change of mind in government, saying: “Whatever is done, it should involve ; Bahamian artists. I am sure they can choose local gospel artists. They toppled Lanisha’s Christmas tree. Complain till they stop it. Start with talk shows.” Millennial242 concluded: “Unpopular opinion - secular Bahamian artists are not ENTITLED to be selected by the government for independence celebrations. Yes, it would be nice, but let’s be clear, the government doesn’t owe these artists that. We’re not talking about constitutional rights here. In this case, I think this is a ‘Read The Room’ type situation. After the year we have had with COVID-19 and being on the brink of financial ruin; I would be a little salty if I see the government using money to have a grand vivacious celebration as if the sky isn’t close to falling. Just my opinion.” • Don’t miss out on the conversation visit www.tribune242.com and have your say on the issues in the news.
Christian Independence is right thing for celebration EDITOR, The Tribune. I AM not sure why secular musicians and irreligious Bahamians are all riled up over the Independence Day Committee’s decision to feature a Christ-centered motif for our upcoming Independence Day celebrations. The Preamble of the Bahamian Constitution mentions our “abiding respect for Christian values.” Moreover, many religious Progressive Liberal Party supporters in the months leading up to January 10, 1967, and immediately following that historic day saw biblical similarities between Majority Rule Day, the Passover and the Exodus in the Old Testament. That is why Bahamian historians had nicknamed Sir Lynden Pindling the Black Moses. The Bahamas, at least from a cultural standpoint, is a Christian country. The Minnis administration’s spiritual approach to the 48th anniversary of Independence reminds this writer of the Assyrian monarch in the Old Testament book of Jonah, who led his nation in repentance before Yahweh. God always holds the governmental and ecclesiastical authorities responsible for the spiritual condition of the nation. This is also evident in the
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net Old Testament book of Joel. Bahamian evangelicals should applaud the Minnis administration for recognising God’s sovereignty in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and the catastrophic Hurricane Dorian. I think both Dorian and COVID-19 represents the two greatest challenges The Bahamas has faced since 1973. Indeed, both could’ve easily sunk this small developing country into oblivion; and for awhile, it was looking like that would be the case. Yet some 15 months after the first emergency proclamation was issued, tourism is rebounding with a vengeance. Both Atlantis Paradise Island and Baha Mar are buzzing with activity, with the latter recently opening its $200m theme park. Royal Caribbean International and Carnival Cruise Lines are now sailing and Crystal Cruises is wooing thousands of American vacationers to our country. The Bahamas now seems poised to head into a period of unprecedented economic prosperity, owing to the fact that so many millions of North Americans and Europeans are anxious to
travel, after enduring over a year of lockdowns and travel restrictions. Indeed, Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar claimed that approximately 400,000 tourists have visited our jurisdiction in 2021. I believe this ongoing turnaround can be directly attributed to God, Who has extended His mercy to this nation. Many Bahamian prayer warriors had been interceding on behalf of this country and its political leaders, especially throughout 2020. The Minnis administration and its Independence Day Committee are spot on to acknowledge God during our upcoming July 10th celebrations. Independence Day 2021 should be a time of thanksgiving, praise and adoration to the God of The Bahamas for steering us through a tumultuous two-year period. It should also be a time of national repentance. If nothing else Bahamians should’ve learned from Dorian and COVID-19, it is how utterly vulnerable we are in the hands of an omnipotent God. COVID19 had brought the United States and other developed countries to their knees. I hope that committee members don’t capitulate to the secular musicians. KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama. July 5, 2021.
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THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, July 7, 2021, PAGE 7
Judges reject Archer appeal from page one
OMAR ARCHER
Archer was charged in 2015 with intentionally and unlawfully publishing defamatory material about a local reporter in April of that year. Prosecutors said he uploaded a post on his Facebook page claiming the journalist had tested positive for a sexually transmitted disease in an attempt to defame her character. Archer was initially arraigned in September 2015, but was re-arraigned in November 2016 at which time he pleaded not guilty. The trial began on November 28, 2016, and after the close of the prosecution’s case, a no-case submission was made and rejected by the magistrate. According to court documents, when it was time for the defence to present
its case, Archer’s new legal team, headed by Fred Smith, QC, “raised the constitutionality of the criminal libel law and requested a reference of the matter to the Supreme Court”. After the magistrate agreed to the request, Archer filed a motion to seek relief inclusive of a declaration from the court stating, “the laying of the charge, prosecution, trial and liability of Archer to conviction and sentence to a fine and/or imprisonment for up to two years for the offence of intentional libel were void, illegal and of no effect,” as they breached his constitutional right to freedom of expression. However, Justice Loren Klein dismissed Archer’s application after ruling that Section 315(2) of the Penal Code, “though admittedly a prima facie interference with Article 23(1) rights,”
could not be considered unconstitutional as it was a “saved law within the meaning of Article 30(1)”. Archer appealed the judge’s decision. However, after reserving their decision in May, Justices Sir Michael Barnett, Roy Jones and Carolita Bethell yesterday dismissed Archer’s appeal with costs to the respondent to be taxed if not agreed. In their judgement, delivered by Sir Michael, the panel said they did not find that Section 315(2) of the Penal Code was unconstitutional or a breach of a person’s rights to freedom of expression. “The issue the court must decide is whether the offence of intentional libel could withstand a constitutional challenge, having regard to the right to freedom of expression guaranteed by Article 23
of the Constitution,” Sir Michael said. “This issue was decided by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in a case arising from Grenada whose relevant constitutional and statutory provisions are identical to those in The Bahamas. The Privy Council accepted that the offence of intentional libel is a restriction on the right to freedom of expression but found that the objective of the offence was ‘sufficiently important to justify limiting the right to freedom of expression.’ This court is bound by that decision. “For these reasons, we dismiss this appeal. The appellant having sought orders for costs in this court had he succeeded in his appeal, having failed in this appeal is ordered to pay the respondent’s costs of this appeal, to be taxed if not agreed.”
TEENAGER ACCUSED OF RAPE ATTACK By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
A 19-YEAR-OLD resident of Grand Bahama was charged with rape, burglary and causing harm in Freeport yesterday. Akeem Elisha Stuart, of Rose Avenue, Holmes Rock, appeared before Magistrate Simone Brown on three counts of rape, and one count of burglary and causing harm. He was represented by Osman Johnson. It is alleged that on Thursday, July 1, the accused had sexual intercourse with a 26-year-old woman without her consent. It is also alleged that at the same date, place, and time, he had sexual intercourse two other times with the virtual complainant without her consent. He was not required to enter a plea to
the rape charges, which are indictable offences. On the burglary charge, it is alleged that on July 1, at about 12.50am the accused broke and entered the house of the virtual complainant at Holmes Rock. It is also alleged that on the same date and place, Stuart caused unlawful harm to the virtual complainant. He pleaded not guilty to both charges. Prosecutor Sergeant Garth McIntosh said because counts one, two, and three are indictable offences the Magistrate’s Court did not have jurisdiction to grant bail on the rape charges. He objected to bail on the burglary and causing harm charges. Prosecutor McIntosh told the court that the prosecution was concerned the accused would tamper with the witnesses as he knew where the virtual
complainant resides. Mr Johnson informed the court that he would make an application for bail in the Supreme Court concerning counts one, two, and three. With regards to counts four and five, he argued there was no evidence to support why his client would interfere with witnesses, or that he was a risk to the public and witnesses. He noted that his client has not been convicted of any crime. On the burglary and causing harm charges, Magistrate Brown granted Stuart $6,000 signed bail, and $2,500 signed bail respectively, with one or two suretors. She also ordered the accused not to have contact with any of the witnesses and to report to the police station every Monday and Friday before 6pm. The case was adjourned to September 16.
‘I GREW MARIJUANA BY ACCIDENT’ By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A 32-YEAR-OLD man who was found with several marijuana plants claimed they accidentally sprouted when he threw the seeds out after smoking. Police arrested Craig Cash after they found nine Indian hemp plants around his residence on July 3. He pleaded guilty to cultivation of dangerous drugs when he appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney. He must pay $800 to avoid spending two months behind bars. The court was told that officers went to Cash’s
Golden Gates residence. Upon their arrival, they showed the accused their warrant and began their investigation. During their search, officers found seven marijuana plants in a flowerpot. The court was told a further search led to the discovery of two additional marijuana plants. When officers questioned Cash, he told them when he smoked the marijuana and threw the seeds out, they would germinate due to the rainy season. He claimed the plants would “catch and grow fast”. He was subsequently arrested and taken to a nearby station. During his interview there, he maintained his original
explanation. The prosecution said the plants ranged in height from three inches to one foot. During the hearing, Cash’s attorney told the magistrate he accepted responsibility for his actions because he did not want to waste the court’s time. He also said Cash was a father of two and was the sole breadwinner of his family. In response, Magistrate McKinney said the cultivation of drugs was not a misdemeanour but rather one of the more serious offences under the law. As a result, he fined Cash $800 or two months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.
$1,000 FINE FOR RUNNING BAR AFTER CURFEW By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A BUSINESSMAN who was caught running a bar after curfew hours earlier this year was yesterday fined $1,000. Brian Knowles appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney after officers caught him working at a Village Road bar around 8.42pm on January 14. He admitted operating a prohibited business during his arraignment. The court was told that Knowles was initially
ticketed for breaching the emergency orders earlier this year. However, he failed to pay the fine and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Yesterday, Knowles told the magistrate when he first got the ticket, his employer promised him he would pay the fixed fine. However, he said the man died before he got around to doing it. The accused said he was stopped during a routine traffic check and was taken into custody after being informed that he had a warrant out for his arrest. After listening to his
explanation, Magistrate McKinney accepted Knowles’ guilty plea and fined him $1,000. Meanwhile, Tamika Duncombe was charged after officers caught her patronising a bar in breach of the emergency orders on January 14. When she appeared before Magistrate McKinney she pleaded guilty and was fined $200. When asked why she failed to appear when she was first summoned to court, she said that she had forgotten the court date on her ticket.
AKEEM Elisha Stuart outside court yesterday.
Photo: Vandyke Hepburn
PAGE 8, Wednesday, July 7, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
Why are we wasting this chance to showcase our talents to the world? INDEPENDENCE Day is approaching and the planned celebration is going to be different again this year. Due to the COVID-19 safety protocols, it will be an entirely virtual event. Over the past few days, a group of Bahamian performing artists has been making it clear it is not happy with the music lineup. In particular, the group is frustrated by the lack of inclusion, not only of Bahamian artists, but Bahamian music. It is important to add they should not only be included in the programme, but in the planning process from the very beginning. There has been talk about a choir that will sing gospel music. Some people were quick to point out the choir is comprised of Bahamians. While that is true, it does not detract from the point being made by the performing artists. The music the choir will be singing is not Bahamian music. The artists who spoke with Mark Humes said he asked them, “What is Bahamian music?” This question comes up quite often, and most people admit Bahamian music is more than a genre. In the case of the Independence celebration, Bahamian music is also more than Bahamian people singing. The choir will,
By Alicia Wallace
apparently, be singing music by American gospel sensations such as Kirk Franklin. The performing artists are not wrong to feel slighted or to point out Bahamian music is being disrespected because there are many Bahamian gospel songs, choirs and performers. When an artist’s music is performed, royalties must be paid. This means the Government of The Bahamas made the decision to select American music to be performed by Bahamian vocalists, committing to pay royalties to the original (American) artists (or steal from them by withholding payment) instead of paying Bahamians to perform their own (or each other’s) music. It doesn’t make cultural or financial sense. On a radio talk show yesterday, some of the performing artists shared some of the challenges they have been facing, particularly over the past year. It has been difficult to find work due to the restrictions in response to the COVID-19
pandemic. Even now that many restaurants have reopened, artists are facing financial challenges because the establishments booking them are not paying them their set rates. Due to the economic situation, they have had to shift with the economic conditions, performing for much lower rates and under subpar conditions, without, for example, bands and having to haul speakers and other equipment to play their tracks. It is harder work for less money. This is no secret. The Government of The Bahamas knows that performing artists have been affected by the pandemic. It knows the Independence celebration is an opportunity to reach a wider audience and make money. This year in particular, those participating in the celebration will benefit from exposure to an audience all over the world because it is being livestreamed. Why would it not use this as an opportunity
‘When you see us on stage, I know the Bahamian people feel it. We sing from our hearts because we love you. We sing from our hearts because [we’re] talking about our Bahamian ting!’
to put Bahamian artists in the spotlight, performing their own music with their own bands and back-up dancers, sharing stories and the culture of The Bahamas with the world? Singer of “I Did It on My Own” Shine said on an earlier radio show: “No Junkanoo, no rake and scrape, not even Bahamian rap. Nothing’s going on Bahamian, apparently, for this Independence celebration.” It is clear the issue is with the type of music being performed and, specifically, that it is not Bahamian. It is not about greed or jealousy. Of course, the artists want to be on stage, presenting their talent to The Bahamas and the world, but they are talking about a more important principle. He added: “You don’t have to call me. You don’t have to call the DMac or the Lady E, but there’s nothing cultural being represented for [Independence].” In a Facebook live video posted by Sweet Emily, outside the Churchill building, Lady E talked about the blood, sweat and tears, performing artists have poured into their work. She said: “When you see us on stage, I know the Bahamian people feel it. We sing from our hearts because we love you. We sing from our
hearts because [we’re] talking about our Bahamian ting!” When the question about the definition of Bahamian music comes up, we Bahamian ting is what comes to mind for me. It could be rap, a ballad, rake and scrape, or pop. Bahamian music is about us. Even when the theme is universal, we know our experience of it is rooted in something we share. We stopped whatever we were doing to watch Sweet Emily and Veronica Bishop’s For the Culture live show. Whenever there is a big news story, we wait for Solo to give us a new song. When our cars drop into holes, it is almost automatic to sing “the road em dig up,” from Geno D’s song of the same name. We get excited and display unbridled pride when anyone hits a big stage like Bahamen. We are quick to claim the big names like Lenny Kravitz. We know the power of music. We are entertained by music. Why not give respect, opportunities, and appropriate compensation to the people who produce it? They should not have to go down Ronnie Butler’s Burma Road to get what they deserve. There is no issue with newcomers and
lesser-known people taking the stage. There is no issue with a choir performing. We are all accustomed to the ecumenical service that completely ignores people who are not Christians (and, to be clear, have the right to religious freedom in a country that is not a theocracy or a “Christian nation”). Still, we expect to see and hear our some of our favourite entertainers. To respond to the challenge brought by these artists with comments about one choir and your support of new people is reductive. The challenge is not about that, and the performing artists have made it clear this is not about competing with other Bahamians for the spotlight. It is about respecting Bahamian music, acknowledging the contribution that artists have made and continue to make to Bahamian culture, producing a celebration that educates and entertains the public, highlights talent and puts money in the pockets of Bahamian performing artists, especially those who have had a particularly difficult year after giving so much to us. They should not have to do this, but I hope Bahamian performing artists get together to organise a virtual celebration of Bahamian music. I hope members of the public support them and show it with their dollars. I hope they livestream a show that gets everyone talking, all at once, at home, at work and on social media. I hope they make enough money to compensate for the time they have spent over the past week, defending Bahamian culture and affirming that it exists and is both expressed and expanded through music. I hope they bring new artists to their show, sing each other’s songs, teach a few new dances, crack a lot of jokes and show the Government of The Bahamas exactly what it looks like when artists are centre stage, having fun with each other and the Bahamian people at the centre of their work. It looks like a lot of people around us still don’t get it, so I hope they produce another piece of evidence of the importance of the orange economy, not only as a source of employment and income, but a source of joy.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, July 7, 2021, PAGE 9
TECHTALK
3D PRINTED HOUSE SHOWS POTENTIAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING SOLUTION By MARY ALICE RUSSELL, Richmond Times-Dispatch RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A revolutionary way to build homes is coming to Virginia that could be a potential solution to constructing more affordable houses. You might have heard of a 3D printer making small, plastic items for doll furniture and models, but 3D printers can also make life-size projects, including a 1,550-square-foot home planned for South Richmond. The three-bedroom, twobath home at 217 Carnation St., just off Midlothian Turnpike, will be the first house in Virginia partially constructed using a 3D printer rather than lumber. Work began this week and is slated to be completed in the fall. Building exterior walls of the home using a giant printer is different than traditional construction, but it is easier to understand than you might think, said
Andrew McCoy, director of the Virginia Center of Housing Research at Virginia Tech, one of the partners in the project to build the home. “It’s really like we’re building a layer cake,” McCoy said of the process to construct the walls using a 3D printing system that places concrete atop of one another.
Layer “It’s layer upon layer and, just like a layer cake, you have to worry about the consistency of each level,” he said. “You have to worry about how you are going to finish it. “You have to worry about making sure that there’s all the ingredients, but baking is the critical part.” Using 3D printing technology in home construction is faster, cheaper and more sustainable than traditional construction, and it is more energy-efficient after the house is built, experts say. And because of those
factors, using the technology could provide a potential solution to the affordable housing issues plaguing the state, said Susan Dewey, CEO of Virginia Housing, the not-for-profit housing finance agency that provided grant money for the 3D printing project. “One of the things that we are finding is a big barrier right now is inventory,” said Dewey, noting a growing need for more affordable housing in the state. “It’s homeownership, it’s rental, and we’ve got to be thinking differently about housing.” The 3D construction should be able to provide a more affordable way to build homes while lowering costs at least $10 per square foot compared to a traditionally built home using lumber, according to Virginia Housing. “The hope is that we can produce the home between $180,000 and $190,000, and we can sell them for $210,000 to $220,000,” McCoy said. Having a sale price in that
range “is very affordable for this area, especially since you have seen an escalation in prices around the Richmond market,” said Chris Thompson, director of strategic housing for Virginia Housing.
Price The median sales price — with half the houses selling for more and half for less — in the Richmond area during the first three months of 2021 was $310,000, up 16% from a year ago, according to the Richmond Association of Realtors. Selling more homes at a more affordable price is important in the Richmond region, where 66% of residents earn less than 30% of the area’s median income, which was $86,400 for a family of four in 2019; yet, those residents paid more than 50% of their income on housing in 2019, according to the Partnership for Housing Affordability. Greta Harris, president
and CEO of the Better Housing Coalition, a Richmond-based nonprofit affordable housing developer, said the Carnation Street house probably will be sold to someone who makes between 75% and 80% of the region’s median household income. The Better Housing Coalition, which is part of the partnership for the 3D home project, is raising money to help the buyer with down payment assistance, she said. The organization along with project:HOMES, a housing nonprofit based in Richmond, will work together to identify a homeowner to buy the 3D house as well as to help coordinate local permitting, zoning and insurance for the project. To help reduce the housing gap, Dewey hopes more 3D houses will be printed in the Richmond area in the future, but no plans have been made yet. However, several homes elsewhere in Virginia are planned to be constructed using the technology.
TESLA DELIVERS MORE THAN 200,000 ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN SECOND QUARTER DETROIT (AP) — Tesla says it delivered 201,250 electric vehicles in the second quarter as it overcame a global computer chip shortage that has hit nearly every automaker. The sales figures fell a bit short of Wall Street estimates of 207,000 vehicles, according to data provider FactSet. But it was better than firstquarter sales of 185,000 and put the company on a path to double last year’s annual deliveries of just under 500,000. The Palo Alto, California, company says it only counts a car as delivered if it is transferred to the customer and all paperwork is correct. Final numbers could vary by up to 0.5% or more. Sales from April through June more than doubled the same period last year, when the start of the coronavirus pandemic forced Tesla and other automakers to close factories for much of the
VEHICLES at a Tesla location in Littleton, Colo. in May. Tesla delivered 201,250 vehicles in the second quarter, an improvement over first-quarter figures but below the expectations of Wall Street analysts. Tesla and other automakers have been hampered by a global shortage of computer chips. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) quarter. The Model 3/Y led the way with 199,360 in second-quarter
deliveries, followed by the Model S/X at 1,890. Tesla produced 206,421 vehicles for the quarter,
including 2,340 of the Model S/X. Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives wrote in a note to investors that 200,000 deliveries was the bull case scenario for Tesla in the second quarter. He wrote that 195,000 Model 3 and Y deliveries could give Tesla the potential to hit 900,000 in annual sales this year. Also during the quarter, Tesla had to deal with safety and quality issues in China, where it has built a huge factory to serve the world’s largest auto market. In June Tesla Inc. had to recall about 285,000 vehicles in China because of a problem with the cruise control. Chinese authorities said it can activate accidentally and cause cars to suddenly speed up, creating a safety hazard. Chinese authorities and the company said Tesla plans to upgrade cruise-control software remotely so the owners don’t have to take their cars to a company store.
• BEIJING (AP) — Two astronauts on Sunday made the first spacewalk outside China’s new orbital station to set up cameras and other equipment using a 15-metre-long (50-foot-long) robotic arm. Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo were shown by state TV climbing out of the airlock as Earth rolled past below them. The third crew member, commander Nie Haisheng, stayed inside. Liu and Tang spent nearly seven hours outside the station, the Chinese space agency said. The astronauts arrived June 17 for a three-month mission aboard China’s third orbital station, part of an ambitious space programme that landed a robot rover on Mars in May. Their mission comes as the ruling Communist Party celebrates the 100th anniversary of its founding. The station’s first module, Tianhe, or Heavenly Harmony, was launched April 29. That was followed by an automated spacecraft with food and fuel. Liu, Nie and Tang arrived June 17 aboard a Shenzhou capsule. On Sunday, Liu attached his feet to a platform at the end of a remote-controlled arm that held him in place while he used an electric drill and other tools to install equipment. China’s space agency plans a total of 11 launches through the end of next year to add two more modules to the 70-ton station. Liu is a veteran of the Shenzhou 7 mission in 2008, during which Zhai Zhigang made China’s first space walk. Nie is on his third trip into space while Tang is making his first. All are military pilots. • LONDON (AP) — Japanese carmaker Nissan and its partners plan to invest 1 billion ($1.4 billion) pounds to expand production of electric vehicles and batteries in northeast England, a major victory for the U.K. government’s efforts to attract jobs and investment following the country’s departure from the European Union. Nissan said last week it will build a new all-electric crossover sport utility vehicle at the company’s plant in Sunderland, creating more than 6,200 jobs at the factory and its suppliers. As part of the project, Envision AESC will build the U.K.’s first “gigafactory” to supply next generation batteries for the cars. The announcement marks a turnaround for Nissan, which last year warned its U.K. operations would be “unsustainable” if Britain failed to secure a post-Brexit free-trade agreement with the EU. The government reached a deal with Brussels in December and, freed from EU competition rules, is now able to offer financial incentives to attract investment. “Nissan’s announcement … is a major vote of confidence in the U.K. and our highly skilled workers in the Northeast,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng suggested the government would help finance the plant, but he declined to provide specifics because talks are continuing with other electric carmakers amid the shift away from fossil fuels.
PAGE 10, Wednesday, July 7, 2021
THE TRIBUNE
ELSA GAINS STRENGTH AS IT NEARS FLORIDA ST PETERSBURG, Florida Associated Press THE National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Elsa is strengthening and could became a hurricane before making landfall along Florida’s northern Gulf coast. In addition to damaging winds and heavy rains, the Miami-based US National Hurricane Center warned of life-threatening storm surges, flooding and isolated tornadoes. A hurricane warning has been issued for a long stretch of coastline, from Egmont Key at the mouth of Tampa Bay to the Steinhatchee River in Florida’s Big Bend area. The Tampa area is highly vulnerable to storm surge because the offshore waters and Tampa Bay are quite shallow, experts say. But on the barrier island beach towns along the Gulf Coast, it was largely business as usual with few shutters or plywood boards going up. Free sandbags were being handed out at several locations, and a limited number of storm shelters opened Tuesday morning in at least four counties around the Tampa Bay area, although no evacuations have been ordered. Nancy Brindley, 85, who lives in a seaside house built in 1923, said she has experienced 34 previous tropical cyclones and is not having shutters put on her windows. Her main concern is what will happen to sand on the adjacent beach and the dunes that protect her house and others. She’s staying through the storm. “The main concern here is, if it doesn’t speed up and decides to stall, there will be enormous erosion,” she said.
RESCUE workers move a stretcher containing recovered remains at the site of the collapsed Champlain Towers South condo building on Monday. Photo: Lynne Sladky/AP
Searchers at collapse ‘not seeing anything positive’ SURFSIDE, Florida Associated Press OFFICIALS overseeing the search at the site of the Florida condominium collapse sounded increasingly sombre yesterday about the prospects for finding anyone alive, saying they have detected no new signs of life in the rubble as the death toll climbed to 36. Crews in yellow helmets and blue jumpsuits searched the debris for a 13th day while wind and rain from the outer bands of Tropical Storm Elsa complicated their efforts. Video released by
the Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue Department showed workers lugging pickaxes and power saws through piles of concrete rubble barbed with snapped steel rebar. Other searchers could be seen digging with gloved hands through pulverized concrete and dumping shovels of debris into large buckets. Search-and-rescue workers continued to look for open spaces where people might be found alive nearly two weeks after the disaster struck at the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside. “We’re actively searching
as aggressively as we can,” Miami-Dade County Fire Chief Alan Cominsky said at a news conference. But he added: “Unfortunately, we are not seeing anything positive. The key things — void spaces, living spaces — we’re not seeing anything like that.” While officials still call the efforts a search-and-rescue operation, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said families of those still missing are preparing for news of “tragic loss”. “I think everybody will be ready when it’s time to move to the next phase,” said Levine Cava, who stressed that crews would use the same care as they go through the rubble even after their focus shifts from searching for survivors to recovering the dead. “Really, you will not see a difference,” she said. “We will carefully search for bodies and belongings, and to catalog and respectfully
deal with any remains that we find.” No one has been rescued alive since the first hours after the collapse, which struck early on June 24, when many of the building’s residents were asleep. Officials announced that teams had recovered eight additional bodies — the highest one-day total since the collapse. More than 100 people remain unaccounted for. Severe weather from Elsa threatened to hinder search efforts. Lightning forced rescuers to pause their work for two hours early Tuesday, Miami-Dade Assistant Fire Chief Raide Jadallah said. And stiff winds of 20 mph (32 kph), with stronger gusts, hampered efforts to move heavy debris with cranes, officials said. However, the storm’s heaviest winds and rain were expected to bypass Surfside and neighboring Miami as Elsa strengthened
before making landfall somewhere between Tampa Bay and Florida’s Big Bend on a path across northern Florida. “Active search and rescue continued throughout the night, and these teams continue through extremely adverse and challenging conditions,” Levine Cava said. “Through the rain and through the wind, they have continued searching.” Crews have removed 124 tons of debris from the site, Cominsky said. Workers have been freed to search a broader area since the unstable remaining portion of the condo building was demolished Sunday amid fears that the structure could fall. Officials said the demolition gave rescuers access to spaces that were previously closed off, including bedrooms where people were believed to be sleeping at the time of the disaster.
MYANMAR MILITARY, POLICE DECLARE WAR ON MEDICS JAKARTA, Indonesia Associated Press
THE clandestine clinic was under fire, and the medics inside were in tears. Hidden away in a Myanmar monastery, this safe haven had sprung up for those injured while protesting the military’s overthrow of the government. But now security forces had discovered its location. A bullet struck a young man in the throat as he defended the door, and the medical staff tried frantically to stop the hemorrhaging. The floor was slick with blood. In Myanmar, the military has declared war on health care — and on doctors themselves, who were early and fierce opponents of the takeover in February. Security forces are arresting, attacking and killing medical workers, dubbing them enemies of the state. With medics driven underground amid a global pandemic, the country’s already fragile healthcare system is crumbling. “The junta is purposely targeting the whole healthcare system as a weapon of war,” says one Yangon
doctor on the run for months, whose colleagues at an underground clinic were arrested during a raid. “We believe that treating patients, doing our humanitarian job, is a moral job….I didn’t think that it would be accused as a crime.” Inside the clinic that day, the young man shot in the throat was fading. His sister wailed. A minute later, he was dead. One of the clinic’s medical students, whose name like those of several other medics has been withheld to protect her from retaliation, began to sweat and cry. She had never seen anyone shot. Now she too was at risk. Two protesters smashed the glass out of a window so the medics could escape. “We are so sorry,” the nurses told their patients. One doctor stayed behind to finish suturing the patients’ wounds. The others jumped through the window and hid in a nearby apartment complex for hours. Some were so terrified that they never returned home. “I cry every day from that day,” the medical student says. “I cannot sleep. I
cannot eat well.” “That was a terrible day.” The suffering caused by the military’s takeover of this nation of 54 million has been relentless. Security forces have killed at least 890 people, including a sixyear-old girl they shot in the stomach, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which monitors arrests and deaths in Myanmar. Around 5,100 people are in detention and thousands have been forcibly disappeared. The military, known as the Tatmadaw, and police have returned mutilated corpses to families as tools of terror. Amid all the atrocities, the military’s attacks on medics, one of the most revered professions in Myanmar, have sparked particular outrage. Myanmar is now one of the most dangerous places on earth for healthcare workers, with 240 attacks this year -- nearly half of the 508 globally tracked by the World Health Organization. That’s by far the highest of any country. The military has issued arrest warrants for 400 doctors and 180 nurses, with photos of their faces.
28 FEARED DEAD IN RUSSIA PLANE CRASH A PLANE carrying 28 people crashed yesterday, apparently as it came in for a landing in bad weather in Russia’s Far East, and everyone aboard was feared dead. Wreckage from the An-26 was found on a coastal cliffside and in the
sea near the airport in the town of Palana, according to officials. The plane was on approach for a landing in fog and clouds when it missed a scheduled communication and disappeared from radar, officials from the Kamchatka region said.
The plane “practically crashed into a sea cliff,” which wasn’t supposed to be in its landing trajectory, according to Sergei Gorb, deputy director of the company that owns the aircraft, Kamchatka Aviation Enterprise.