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Volume: 123 No. 183, Tuesday, August 18, 2026

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: PRICE–$1

PM BLASTS OVERTIME AMID GRID OVERHAUL $20M overtime ‘abuse’ blamed on ‘breakdown in management, controls and oversight’

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis last night conceded he could not promise Bahamians an immediate end to the power cuts that have battered New Providence and parts of the Family Islands this summer, but pledged that generation capacity will return over the coming months as his administration replaces failed equipment and pushes ahead with a sweeping overhaul of the electricity system.

“I am not going to stand here and tell you that every light will stay on tomorrow,” Mr Davis said during a national address delivered against the backdrop of weeks of outages, including an island-wide blackout on July 30 and five consecutive days of disruptions in parts of western New Providence.

He also directly confronted the overtime controversy engulfing Bahamas Power and Light, calling a system that allowed three employees to collect more than $600,000 DAVIS - SEE PAGE FOUR

PRIME Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis during his address to the nation last night.

FOAM severs ties with GB leader over viral voice notes

$52K reward to help find missing Eleuthera mom

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

REWARDS totalling up to $52,500 are being offered for information that could help find missing Eleuthera mother and entrepreneur Katrina Kelly as police intensify the search for the missing 34-year-old.

Ms Kelly’s family has offered $2,500 for

FAMILY of All Murdered Victims (FOAM) has severed ties with the head of its Grand Bahama division after she publicly defended a man allegedly at the centre of

a rape investigation that intensified after disturbing voice notes describing a sexual encounter with an apparently incapacitated woman went viral.

Police confirmed yesterday that the recordings are under investigation and that a person is in custody assisting with the probe.

The case concerns an 18-year-old woman who told police she was sexually assaulted after losing consciousness while travelling with a male driver and two other passengers shortly after 4am on Friday.

Police said the driver NOTES- SEE PAGE THREE

KATRINA KELLY

information that could lead to her safe return, while the Fox Foundation has offered up to $50,000 for information leading to her whereabouts.

Ms Kelly, a mother of two, was last seen and REWARD - SEE PAGE FIVE

Bahamian dad seeks answers after teen son drowns in US

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

KADEN Dean Smith pictured with his father, Audley Dean.

A 16-YEAR-OLD Bahamian-American boy described as a strong, active swimmer drowned in a Michigan lake last week, leaving his family struggling to understand how a teenager so comfortable in the water got into trouble.

Kaden Dean Smith disappeared

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

beneath the water while swimming during a family gathering at Gun Lake in Orangeville Township on August 12.

His body was recovered two days later.

His father, Grand Bahama resident Audley Dean, said he has still not received a clear account of what happened and was DROWNING - SEE PAGE THREE

PAGE 2, Tuesday, August 18, 2026

THE TRIBUNE

Pintard: Govt is blaming BPL workers for overtime

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net FREE National Movement Leader Michael Pintard has accused the Davis administration of attempting to shift blame for Bahamas Power and Light's $20m annual overtime bill onto workers, arguing that the government cannot distance itself from overtime practices at a utility it manages and oversees.

Mr Pintard's comments came after the Davis administration confirmed that BPL spends about $20m annually on overtime and described the level of expenditure as "unacceptable" and "unsustainable" following a review that identified unusual patterns and anomalies.

The disclosure followed The Tribune's report that three employees in BPL's fuel and performance department collectively received more than $600,000 in overtime between May 2025 and April 2026, with monthly overtime payments ranging from about $20,000 to $25,000.

During a press conference yesterday, Mr Pintard declined to speak directly at length about the overtime controversy, but briefly acknowledged the issue while questioning the government's broader handling of BPL. "A failing government

on the energy reform. They are talking about what is appropriate for BPL and not appropriate, as if they are not the managers of BPL. They are the managers. They are responsible.

They are responsible for the overtime," Mr Pintard said yesterday.

He argued that while the government has highlighted employee overtime earnings, it has not adequately explained who approved the payments or how such costs were allowed to accumulate.

The Davis administration has said any suspected wrongdoing, negligence or failure of oversight will be investigated and that action will be taken if warranted. It has also said its reforms are designed to ensure overtime is necessary, properly authorised, fairly allocated and documented, while reducing excessive working hours and fatigue-related risks.

The overtime changes have drawn opposition from the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union, which has filed a trade dispute and instructed members to work only their normal hours. The Bahamas Electrical Utility Managerial Union has also argued that employees should not be blamed for overtime that was authorised and approved through established management processes.

Mr Pintard described the controversy as a "sideshow", arguing that the

government's focus should instead be on addressing the electricity challenges facing the country. He said the administration must explain why significant outages continue despite previous claims that repairs and upgrades to the system were 95 percent complete.

“Our biggest concern is that the Minister with responsibility for Energy, the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, must give us the assurance with very specific details on how they are going to stop the reputational damage being caused to the tourism industry in the Bahamas because the lights are going off,” he said yesterday.

“People who own accommodations throughout the Family Islands are screaming about cancellations. In his own constituency, Club Med guests and employers were screaming about the outages, and further sending messages. There were persons sending messages to others to cancel coming to the Bahamas. So whether it's the healthcare system, our concern is not the side shows. In the fullness of time, we can address that.

It is the main issue, which is for the Minister of Energy and the Prime Minister to address this issue.”

The overtime dispute comes amid wider questions about BPL’s management and staffing. The Bahamas PINTARD - SEE PAGE FIVE

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 18, 2026, PAGE 3

Police probe viral voice notes of alleged rape NOTES from page one dropped off the other two passengers and that the woman lost consciousness at one of the stops. She told investigators she regained consciousness sometime after 6am and was told by the driver that she was home.

After leaving the vehicle, police said, she realised she had been sexually assaulted and reported the matter.

The investigation attracted widespread attention after a recording circulated online in which a man appeared to describe the encounter in graphic terms in a Facebook Messenger voice note sent to a female friend.

In the recording, the man said he had gone riding with the woman and noticed that she appeared to have

blacked out. He said he drove her to Montagu Beach, where she asked to be taken home, before later driving her to a school parking lot off Bernard Road.

He then described the alleged sexual encounter.

The controversy widened after Wendy Fox, who headed FOAM’s Grand Bahama division, went online defending the man.

FOAM initially acknowledged the allegations and said it would leave the matter to police, but later announced that it was cutting ties with Ms Fox with immediate effect.

The organisation said she was no longer authorised to conduct business, organise activities or collect donations on its behalf.

Ms Fox responded to the decision and criticism of her defence of the man in several Facebook posts, some

of which have since been deleted.

The case has prompted renewed public debate over rape, consent and the treatment of intoxicated or unconscious women, with advocates and politicians warning against attitudes they say contribute to sexual violence.

Women United president Lisa Bostwick-Dean described the allegations as deeply troubling and said the case should force a wider discussion about consent.

“We believe that when a person is so intoxicated or under the influence of any substance that they pass out,” Mrs Bostwick-Dean said, “that they cannot legally consent.”

“In these circumstances,” she said, “it is incumbent upon the other party not to proceed with sexual

intercourse.”

Mrs Bostwick-Dean said the case should serve as a broader lesson regardless of its eventual outcome.

“We need to move away from being a rape culture and a ‘slip goes’ culture,” she said, “to one in which we respect individuals.”

Rape crisis and certified child sexual abuse prevention advocate Cindy Godet said the voice notes were triggering for her as a survivor and said her heart went out to the young woman.

She argued that the incident reflected what she believes is a worsening rape culture in The Bahamas, pointing to crime statistics and reported rape cases.

Ms Godet called for greater public education and more willingness to challenge people who protect alleged sexual predators.

“We are not just overrun by sexual predators,” she said. “We are overrun by people who protect them and they are just fueling this culture that just keeps on getting bigger and bigger and worse and worse.”

She also urged more men to speak publicly against sexual violence and to hold perpetrators accountable.

The controversy also drew responses from politicians.

Culture Minister Leslia Miller-Brice said sexual violence could not be normalised or met with silence.

“We cannot normalise sexual violence,” Mrs Miller-Brice said. “We cannot be silent. I am outraged.

I am heartbroken and I stand with all those who have suffered.”

Killarney MP Michela Barnett-Ellis also condemned the recordings,

saying sexual violence should never be treated as a joke, conquest or source of bragging rights.

Mrs Barnett-Ellis said women should not be taken advantage of while intoxicated and urged friends to protect one another.

“If the recordings are authentic,” she said, “every lawful step must be taken to investigate urgently, preserve the evidence and where the evidence supports it, bring the alleged perpetrator to justice.”

Senator Keno Wong called on more men to speak out against sexual violence.

“We must stand with survivors, protect our young people, teach our sons respect and accountability,” Mr Wong said, “and make it clear that sexual assault will never tolerated.”

Father baffled by teen son’s drowning in US DROWNING from page one particularly shaken because of his son’s swimming ability.

“I wasn’t there,” Mr Dean said. “His mother was very distraught at the time. So she didn’t give me a clear story of what happened.”

He said Kaden had been swimming with friends during the gathering when something went wrong as he was making his way back.

“They tried to get to him in time,” he said.

Michigan State Police in Barry County reported that crews recovered the body of the missing teenage swimmer from Gun Lake on Friday, August 14. Initial reports said the teenager was last seen swimming on Wednesday night.

For Mr Dean, the circumstances are difficult to reconcile with the teenager he knew.

Kaden loved the water and was an experienced swimmer, his father said.

He was also familiar with the lake, where Mr Dean said they usually swam.

Kaden was born in the United States to an American mother and Bahamian father, but Mr Dean said his son was Bahamian and maintained a connection with

Audley Dean with his son Kaden Dean Smith him and Grand Bahama.

That connection had deepened during a visit last July, when Kaden spent the summer with his father on the island.

“It was awesome,” Mr

Dean said as he showed photographs of them together.

He had hoped the trip would become a tradition, with his youngest son returning to Grand

Bahama every year or every other year.

Much of their time together revolved around the water.

Mr Dean, who previously worked in the dive

industry, said the two went to the beach during Kaden’s visit and that he had no concerns about his son’s abilities.

“He loved the water,” Mr Dean said. “He loved the ocean and swimming.

He was very active in the water.”

Mr Dean said his own experience around the sea made him confident about Kaden’s swimming skills.

“He was very active in the water and a very good swimmer,” he said.

“I myself used to work in the dive industry, so I was very satisfied with his

water skills.”

That confidence has made the teenager’s death all the more difficult for his father to comprehend.

“It’s just one of those freaky things,” Mr Dean said. “The ocean and water in general just don’t respect anybody, I can tell you that.”

He said he had seen how quickly people could get into difficulty in the water despite appearances.

“I mean, I’ve watched people drown in shallow water,” Mr Dean said.

“It’s tough.”

GB mom overcomes stage two breast cancer

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net A 30-YEAR-OLD Grand Bahama mother is celebrating a second chance at life after overcoming breast cancer less than a year after losing her own mother to the disease.

Desire Sands was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in April 2025, seven months after her mother died from the same disease.

Her life changed drastically, from being able to spend time playing with her young son to travelling to New Providence every few weeks for chemotherapy at Princess Margaret Hospital’s Oncology Clinic.

Ms Sands recalled that on August 10, a friend accompanied her to an appointment with her oncologist in Grand Bahama. Little did she know she would receive the life-changing news she had been waiting for.

DESIRE Sands with her son.

“He went over my pathology results as well as blood test results and let me know the good news.

My initial reaction was emotional because that’s something I’ve been waiting to hear,” Ms Sands said.

“I’m still processing it honestly and I was excited to give the good news to the same persons I gave the bad news to when I first got diagnosed.”

Ms Sands said being cancer-free feels like a second chance to live life even more fully than she did before, adding she always tried to live to the fullest.

Her oncologist encouraged her to go back to school, learn a new skill and reminded her that it was “time to start living life.”

However, Ms Sands’ journey to becoming cancer-free was not smooth.

During her final four rounds of chemotherapy, her body struggled to adapt to the treatment.

Ms Sands, who has sickle cell disease, said the new medication caused joint pain, making it difficult to determine whether the pain was from a sickle cell crisis or the chemotherapy.

She was hospitalised twice and required three blood transfusions at one

point.

Asked if she ever feared she would not survive, Ms Sands said no.

“I never allowed negative thoughts to overwhelm me. Anytime something happened I just took it as “I’m not going to rush my process” even though I wanted to be done quickly.”

One of the most difficult parts of her journey was trying to remain strong for her three-year-old son.

Ms Sands noted her son would sometimes notice when she was fatigued or unwell and would often ask how she was feeling.

She said she tried to explain her condition to him in the best way she could.

“He began to have an understanding of my situation. After treatments he would kiss my port or just ask if I was okay. And I know I needed to keep going for him because he saw me at my lows and I wanted him to see the good too,” she said.

Ms Sands added her experience with cancer has given her a new appreciation for life and credited her faith in God as a major factor in her journey.

Her family has long been affected by cancer, and she was diagnosed only months after burying her mother.

Despite still grieving her mother, Ms Sands said her mother remained in her heart throughout her battle and described her as an inspiration.

Now beginning what she considers a new chapter in her life, Ms Sands urged other women going through cancer to remain positive and believe they can overcome the disease.

She continued: “Cancer isn’t a death sentence. We don’t celebrate the ones that fight to end and won as much so people automatically think negative when diagnosed. But once you lean on God’s strength and do as your doctor says your journey will be a good one.”

PAGE 4, Tuesday, August 18, 2026

THE TRIBUNE

PM Davis promises major BPL infrastructure overhaul DAVIS from page one in overtime in a year an abuse and declaring it not credible that an employee could safely work 24 hours straight for three consecutive days.

“New engines, cables, transformers, solar and battery equipment alone will not save a company that is not run properly,” Mr Davis said. “And I will not stand here and ask you for patience while ignoring what needs fixing on the inside.”

The Prime Minister said BPL spent approximately $20m on overtime last year and singled out records first reported by The Tribune showing one employee claiming 18 hours on Christmas Day followed by 24 hours on each of the next three days — 90 hours over four consecutive days.

The Tribune revealed last week that three employees in BPL’s Fuel and Performance Department received a combined $601,295.16 in overtime between May 2025 and April 2026. Two received more than $200,000 each, with some monthly payments exceeding $20,000.

“It is not credible that a person works twenty-four hours straight, three days running, and does safe work,” Mr Davis said. “It is not fair to the ratepayer, who funds every dollar. And it is not fair to the honest worker, whose profession is tarnished by it.”

He blamed a breakdown in management, controls and oversight that he said stretched across administrations, rather than the wider BPL workforce.

“The overwhelming majority of BPL’s workers are decent, skilled Bahamians who keep our lights on and go out in storms when the rest of us are told to stay inside,” Mr Davis said.

“They have my respect and my thanks. This is not about them.

“This is about a system that permitted this type of abuse.”

New rules have triggered a confrontation with the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union, which has filed a trade dispute and instructed members to work only their normal hours until further notice. Union president Kyle Wilson has accused the Davis administration of using the overtime controversy to distract from failures in the electricity system.

The overtime fight has erupted during one of the most difficult periods for the electricity sector in recent years.

New Providence suffered an island-wide blackout on July 30 after an underground cable fault caused a transformer failure at Blue Hills.

In the days that followed, repeated outages left some residents sleeping in cars, throwing out spoiled food and spending hundreds of dollars on generator fuel.

Power problems persisted over the weekend, with outages reported in New Providence and parts of Abaco. Grand Cay residents faced another extended interruption after a seven-day outage the previous week, while Guana Cay suffered cable faults.

Against that backdrop, Mr Davis laid out a timetable for equipment that he said should strengthen generation and the electricity network.

Blue Hills GT2, which has been out since the spring, is returning to service, he said, along with the battery storage system used to reduce pressure during the evening peak.

Two engines at Clifton Pier are scheduled to return before the end of September, while a Blue Hills turbine undergoing a major inspection is expected back during the first quarter of next year.

The Prime Minister said the administration plans to begin phasing out 40 megawatts of rented generation in January, but only as permanent replacement capacity becomes available.

BPL has relied heavily on rental generation as its ageing fleet has struggled to meet demand.

Mr Davis said the transition away from rental units would occur only when permanent capacity has been tested and is ready.

He also said substation equipment, switchgear and high-voltage assets that failed this summer are being replaced rather than patched.

Remote monitoring is expected to go live at Clifton Pier this year, followed by Blue Hills, allowing faults to be diagnosed using data.

The first phase of liquefied natural gas is also expected to come online this year, eventually scaling to 190 megawatts of gas-fired capacity by late 2027. New pipelines are expected to replace one that is more than 40 years old, while

combined-cycle plants at Blue Hills are scheduled to be commissioned during 2027 and 2028.

Mr Davis said the changes would eventually allow power to be produced at a fraction of today’s fuel cost.

But he repeatedly acknowledged that those projects will not eliminate the immediate risk of failures.

“There will be setbacks,” he said. “There will be equipment failures.”

He said temporary disruptions could also occur as old infrastructure is removed and new systems connected.

The Prime Minister devoted substantial attention to the distinction between electricity generation and the transmission and distribution network, arguing that adding generating capacity alone cannot guarantee reliable service.

Bahamas Grid Company has responsibility for New Providence’s transmission and distribution network, while BPL remains responsible for generation.

Mr Davis pointed to the July 30 island-wide blackout as an example, saying it was caused not by a shortage of generation but by an underground cable fault that led to the failure of a critical transformer.

The outage began in the early hours and lasted seven hours or longer in some communities, driving some residents from hot homes into cars, beaches and gas stations.

“It is not an excuse,” Mr Davis said of his explanation of the failure. “It is an explanation, because you are entitled to know why although it does not ease the misery we all felt.”

He said underground faults are more difficult to locate than overhead problems because crews may have to trace them section by section and sometimes excavate to identify them.

Mr Davis also blamed record demand, extreme heat and ageing infrastructure for placing additional pressure on the system, saying electricity demand had broken the previous peak twice this season.

He said much of the country’s electrical infrastructure was built for a smaller population and economy, with some equipment and cables dating to before Independence.

The Prime Minister said

Govt to introduce vocational and technical school diplomas

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net EDUCATION Minister Chester Cooper said the government plans to introduce vocational, technical and special education diplomas by the 2027 graduation year, marking a major shift away from a system centred almost exclusively on academic qualifications.

Mr Cooper said the new pathways are intended to recognise students whose strengths lie outside traditional academics and give them credible routes to graduation and careers.

“We must move beyond the idea that there is only one respectable route through education,” Mr Cooper said. “Yes, academic excellence matters, but so do technical competence.”

He made the announcement yesterday during the 2026 Public Schools Administrators’ Conclave at Baha Mar, where he urged administrators to help lead what he described as a transformation of the education system.

The ministry is aiming to increase the Bahamas High School Diploma graduation rate to 85 percent by 2030, and Mr Cooper said the introduction of additional

diploma options would form part of a broader effort to create more pathways for students.

“We were talking generally about the various pathways to success of national diploma,” Mr Cooper told reporters. “We have long focused on an academic diploma only.”

He said every child learns differently and confirmed that students would be able to pursue vocational and technical diplomas, along with a special education diploma.

“It's really an acknowledgement that technical and vocational education really is the currency for tomorrow,” Mr Cooper said. “We must continue to support and encourage our students who are good with their hands to serve and develop careers with dignity.”

He said students should not be made to feel inferior because their strengths do not lie in academics.

The announcement comes as the Ministry of Education continues to confront staffing shortages ahead of the new school year.

Last month, the ministry launched a drive to recruit as many as 100 Bahamians as the Government seeks to address a shortage of about 300 teachers before schools

reopen in September.

Officials are also strengthening the ministry’s Human Resources Department.

Asked whether the restructuring of the department would help with teacher and administrator recruitment, Mr Cooper said the well-being of staff had to be a priority.

The ministry is also dealing with unresolved industrial negotiations with the Bahamas Union of Teachers.

BUT president Belinda Wilson told members in a voice note last week that negotiations had resumed, but said the union had rejected the Government’s salary counter-proposal because it was the same package that 90 percent of members had previously voted against.

Mrs Wilson said negotiations were at an impasse and that 90 percent of members had voted in favour of industrial action.

She said the Government had only a few days to submit a revised salary package acceptable to teachers.

Mr Cooper, however, said the ministry was “on the same page” with all of its unions, although he declined to give further details about negotiations with the BUT.

more than 60 percent of generation equipment in New Providence needed replacement when his administration confronted the problem, rising to 80 percent in the Family Islands.

He said BPL was carrying more than $500m in debt and another $100m in unfunded pension obligations, while engineers estimated $500m in critical upgrades were needed to avert the risk of widespread infrastructure failure.

BPL was also renting engines at a cost exceeding $40m annually, he said.

Mr Davis used much of the address to defend his administration’s energy strategy, arguing that decades of temporary fixes had left the country with an antiquated system that now requires wholesale reconstruction.

He said Bahamas Grid Company has undertaken a $130m upgrade involving steel poles, larger conductors, protection devices, fibre communications, a looped transmission system and three new high-voltage substations.

Those substations reached mechanical completion in July and entered final testing and commissioning, he said.

Mr Davis said foundational work undertaken in 2025 was associated with a 45 percent reduction in outage frequency and a 35 percent reduction in outage duration compared with historical averages.

He acknowledged, however, that those gains are at odds with the experience of

PRIME MINISTER PHILIP ‘BRAVE’ DAVIS residents enduring repeated disruptions this summer.

“Those gains are real,” he said. “But the outages Bahamians are experiencing now are also real.”

Mr Davis said the lesson was not that the earlier work had failed, but that upgrades remain incomplete and improvements in reliability have not reached every community evenly.

The Prime Minister also announced plans to revisit the rules governing residential solar systems.

In consultation with the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority, BPL, consumer groups and Bahamian solar installers, he said the administration will examine simpler application procedures, predictable approval times, wider access to bi-directional meters and the treatment of excess electricity generated by homes and supplied to the grid.

He said the administration will also accelerate the introduction of advanced electricity meters intended to help detect outages and give consumers more information about their electricity consumption.

Mr Davis said the electricity system the administration inherited was effectively “on life support”, but accepted responsibility for addressing it.

“The responsibility to act is ours,” he said.

He rejected continuing the traditional cycle of renting additional engines and patching failed equipment simply to survive another summer.

“We are not here to manage decline,” Mr Davis said. “We are not here to defend the status quo.”

He later returned to the scale of the challenge confronting the administration.

“This is the hardest infrastructure challenge our country has faced in fifty years of independence,” Mr Davis said.

And, after a summer in which thousands of Bahamians have again found themselves planning their lives around electricity cuts, the Prime Minister offered no quick promise that the disruption was over.

“You have waited long enough,” he said. “What we inherited is not what we will leave behind.”

PLP chairman blasts Bar head over court power cut complaints

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party chairman Fred Mitchell has accused Bahamas Bar Association president Khalil Parker of adopting “FNM talking points” over power cuts at the courts, suggesting he was more interested in generating headlines than first taking the issue to the Chief Justice.

Mr Mitchell also turned the question of delayed justice back on the legal profession, accusing lawyers of routinely stalling and deferring cases as a legal tactic and questioning why the Bar president was not speaking as forcefully about those delays.

His comments follow public commentary over persistent electricity disruptions at the Supreme Court, with the Bar Association calling for a clear, credible and time-bound plan to address them and Attorney General Wayne Munroe insisting the Court Services Council must mitigate outages just as hospitals, prisons and businesses do.

The Bar subsequently said Mr Munroe’s response failed to explain what was being done to resolve the problem in the medium and long term.

Mr Mitchell said Mr Parker’s intervention produced “predictable headlines of doom and gloom” about justice being denied because of the outages.

“Mr Parker is another in a long list of those who’ve adopted what I call FNM talking points to deal with the issue of power cuts,” Mr Mitchell said, “and so far none of the condemnations has moved the needle to solve the problem of power cuts.”

“The professionals have to do that,” he said, “but the braying at the moon continues.”

Mr Mitchell said lawyers should act rationally and on evidence, but claimed “rationality in this case has gone out of the window”.

He also questioned whether Mr Parker had adequately considered the administrative structure governing the courts before

publicly criticising the Davis administration.

Mr Mitchell said it appeared the Bar president did not know the courts are an autonomous body responsible for “its own capex”, and argued that his first approach should have been to the Chief Justice rather than the media.

“That means to most studied observers the first port of call for any president of the Bar Council is not The Tribune, The Nassau Guardian or Eyewitness News,” Mr Mitchell said, “but rather a call to the chair of that entity that governs and manages the courts, the Chief Justice, and ask, ‘What’s going on here, and can we help in any way?’”

He then suggested publicity and politics had influenced Mr Parker’s approach.

“Presumably, he has the Chief Justice's contact number,” Mr Mitchell said, “but you know, a headline and a picture in the newspaper is better for one's profile, and it helps when you add to the FNM's talking points to pile it on that will help them win the next general election.”

Mr Mitchell also defended Mr Munroe, saying the Attorney General “does not suffer fools gladly and is quick to dispatch nonsense”.

“Of course, the bar president has met his match in Wayne Munroe, the new Attorney General,” Mr Mitchell said, “who does not suffer fools gladly and is quick to dispatch nonsense.”

Mr Mitchell acknowledged that power cuts had disrupted court proceedings and said that was bad, but argued they were not the only source of delay in the justice system.

“Let us be clear: the issue of justice delayed, the power cuts may well have inconvenienced the parties, and that's bad,” he said.

“We agree it's not good, but in the scheme of things, what about the countless cases in the system where lawyers practice routinely stall, delay, and defer as a legal tactic?”

“Justice is denied there,” Mr Mitchell said. “What

is the president of the bar council to say about that?”

He nevertheless said resources must be provided promptly to ensure the courts operate effectively.

“Let us also be clear: the resources must be provided on a timely basis to ensure that the courts run effectively,” Mr Mitchell said, “and it is sometimes sad to see foreign states having to devote or donate equipment and monies to public bodies that we can easily get ourselves.”

Mr Mitchell said lawyers, particularly the Bar president, occupy a special position in society and should use it to advocate for justice rather than pursue what he described as political “gotcha moments”.

He conceded that Mr Parker may not have intended his remarks to be political, but said that in the country’s polarised political environment “it is arguably a distinction without a difference”.

The Bar Association has maintained that asking the Court Services Council to lessen the effects of outages does not address the underlying problem.

“What remains in question,” the association said, “is what the relevant authorities and utility providers, those actually responsible for delivering a stable and consistent supply of electricity, intend to do, and by when.”

The Bar said the public already knew about the country’s electricity problems and wanted solutions rather than further descriptions of them.

“We are looking for clearly articulated and credible solutions,” it said.

The association said Mr Munroe had an opportunity to explain what engagement was taking place among the responsible authorities, utility providers and the Judiciary and what concrete measures were being considered to prevent the disruptions from continuing.

Mr Munroe, however, defended his position and questioned what more the Court Services Council could reasonably be expected to do beyond mitigating the effects of power failures.

Police intensify search for 34-year-old mother

THE TRIBUNE

REWARD from page one

heard from by relatives last Tuesday.

Her 11-year-old daughter reportedly saw her getting into a vehicle outside their Bluff residence between 9pm and 10pm that night.

Her family suspects foul play may be involved and has appealed to the public for information as the search enters another day.

The Tribune understands that a special team of investigators arrived in Eleuthera yesterday along with police canines to assist with efforts to locate Ms Kelly.

In announcing its reward, the Fox Foundation said it was standing with the family and wider Eleuthera community.

“The Fox Foundation believes that community means standing together, looking out for one another and taking action when our neighbours need

Tuesday, August 18, 2026, PAGE 5

us most,” the foundation said. “We remain hopeful for answers and continue to stand with Ms Kelly’s family and the Eleuthera community as efforts to locate her continue.”

Ms Kelly owns a rental car business, and relatives said she posted on social media days before her disappearance about problems with customers failing to pay for rental vehicles.

A white Nissan Cube linked to her business is also reportedly missing.

Loretta Cash-Pierre, Ms Kelly’s cousin, previously expressed fears about the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

“I’m afraid right now,” Mrs Pierre said.

“Eleuthera is supposed to be a safe place where you let your hair down.

These kind of things don’t happen in Eleuthera.”

Police in Eleuthera were continuing their search for Ms Kelly last night.

KATRINA KELLY

FNM leader questions legality of Pintard: BPL overtime $700 million govt fund transfer dispute a distraction

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net THE Free National Movement is demanding answers from the Davis administration over the whereabouts and use of approximately $700 million in excess borrowing, after the government said the funds were transferred to the National Investment Fund (NIF).

FNM Leader Michael Pintard questioned the legal authority for the transfer during a press conference yesterday, while also challenging the government to provide a detailed accounting of the funds, including where they are being held, who authorised their movement, and how much was actually transferred into the NIF. “Where is the $700 million stashed away?” Mr Pintard asked yesterday.

He argued that while Parliament may have approved the government’s borrowing, such approval did not automatically authorise the administration to transfer the borrowed funds from the Consolidated Fund to the NIF without further parliamentary approval.

“If you first put it in the consolidated fund, you've borrowed the money.

You need parliamentary approval to take the money out of the consolidated fund and put it in the national investment fund,” Mr Pintard said.

The FNM’s concerns come amid its separate efforts to obtain an accounting of approximately $265 million that was previously reflected in government fiscal reports as being held by the NIF. Those reports showed the fund’s balance falling from approximately $265.3 million in December 2025 to about $200,000 by the end of March 2026.

The opposition previously wrote to Minister of Finance Michael Halkitis demanding a full public accounting within 14 days of every dollar transferred into, out of, invested by or spent from the NIF. Mr Pintard said the party has not received a response and is now seeking legal advice on what action can be taken to compel the government to provide the information.

The party’s letter to the government contains 20 questions about the establishment and governance of the fund, including whether a board of governors and investment committee

were appointed, whether a custody bank was selected, whether investment and policy mandates were issued and what authority governs withdrawals from the fund.

It is also seeking a complete transaction record showing the amount, date, recipient, approving authority, statutory authority and purpose of transactions that resulted in the reduction of the NIF’s balance.

The issue gained further attention after Director of Communications in the Office of the Prime Minister Senator Latrae Rahming recently said in a statement that he had been advised by the Ministry of Finance that the money was used “primarily” to support the government’s airport infrastructure programme.

Mr Pintard, however, questioned why NIF funds would have been required for airport projects when such developments were already addressed through the government’s capital budget and other financing arrangements.

He said the government had previously indicated that airport developments could be financed through public-private partnerships or through allocations in the capital budget.

“If the government is going to, as they're in the process of doing, refurbishing airports or building airports, they can do so through public-private partnership,” Mr Pintard said.

“Somebody else brings the money to the table.

The money is allocated.

The government is just responsible for paying back over time, or the government can enter into an arrangement where it is also responsible for putting up funds and paying it out of the capital budget, and then that is communicated in the budget communication, as well as it's communicated by the Minister of Works or the Minister of Transport.”

Mr Pintard said the government’s budget documents do not clearly identify an allocation from the NIF for airport development and called for the government to identify precisely how the money was spent.

He also questioned why the government had not provided the details directly through Prime Minister Philip Davis or Halkitis, arguing that the issue is too serious to

be addressed primarily through the Office of the Prime Minister’s Communications Director.

Mr Pintard stressed that the FNM’s concerns were not simply political, but centred on the management and accountability of public funds, while also questioning whether any of the borrowed money was used for purposes other than those disclosed by the government, including whether any of the funds were used to finance the administration’s election voucher programme.

The FNM leader said

Bahamians should not have to wait for a future report to understand how the funds are being managed, particularly as the country continues to face infrastructure challenges.

He pointed to ongoing problems, including prolonged power outages in Grand Cay and other areas, and questioned how much money is available to address such issues.

He maintained that the government has a responsibility to explain how money borrowed on behalf of Bahamians is being held, transferred and spent.

PINTARD from page two

Electrical Utility Managerial Union has argued that BPL operates around the clock and that overtime can be unavoidable because of emergencies, system failures, restoration efforts, maintenance and staffing shortages.

The union has also maintained that where departments are understaffed and employees have worked excessive overtime for extended periods, management should assess staffing and workload

requirements rather than blame individual workers.

The electricity sector has also undergone structural changes, with Bahamas Grid Company responsible for New Providence’s transmission and distribution network while BPL remains responsible for generation. However, BEWU president Kyle Wilson has said BPL employees continue to assist with transmission and distribution work and that a significant amount of overtime is owed to workers who have been assisting BGC.

PAGE 6, Tuesday, August 18, 2026

THE TRIBUNE

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Stop nomalisation of sexual violence A DISTURBING series of allegations emerged over the weekend after voice notes circulated on social media.

Those allegations – involving a possible rape – are being investigated by police. A woman, Wendy Fox, took to social media to come to his defence, saying he was innocent.

However, her words prompted a reaction of their own online – and raised questions over her involvement with the organisation Families Of All Murder Victims (FOAM).

Fox has been the head of the Grand Bahama wing of FOAM for some time. FOAM has done a lot of good in our nation. Khandi Gibson, the founder, has been a long-time campaigner for justice, for support for victims, and for change in our society in ways that would mean there were fewer victims.

The comments of Ms. Fox put her at odds with FOAM’s mission of helping victims, seemingly. FOAM initially said it was a private matter in which they were not involved, before later issuing a statement that Fox was not involved in any capacity with the organisation.

We are sure that it was a difficult process for FOAM to go through, but given the nature of the allegations, it was the right choice to make.

The comments on the voice notes were outrageous, and showed a casual indifference to rape.

That in itself points to a broader problem in our society – the lack of concern we have over sexual violence.

That is violence that can exist in relationships, it can be attacks on strangers, it can even exist within families, with incest a crime that is not spoken about enough or efforts made to deal with it.

Too often, there are people who are complicit in such attacks by excusing the attacker rather than believing and supporting the victim.

In some communities – particularly some of the smaller Family Islands – to dare to speak up means you can be ostracised. Rather than being the victim, some will claim you are the aggressor for making such claims – even if they are true.

All too often, those are not the only claims against a person. Many times, The Tribune has heard allegations of rape in which others have said that the attacker did it to them too, but that they dare not come forward and make the allegation publicly.

Sometimes that threat is because of peer pressure from those around the victim, sometimes it can be a threat of death.

Too often again, we hear the defence against a rape allegation that the victim has made it up.

A victim who takes her case to the police is not doing so on a whim. The questioning that they go through from police alone is intimidating enough. The cross-examination they face from defence lawyers can be even more frightening. There are the physical examinations, there is the whole process from beginning to end that can take years. That is not something to be done lightly.

We agree with Seabreeze MP Leslia Miller-Brice who has spoken up, saying sexual violence cannot be normalised or treated as a joke.

Yet we see such violence being normalised all the time.

This is a matter of failed parenthood, failed society. There should never be any circumstance in which sexual assault or rape is simply accepted as being part of daily banter.

We should not need the law to stop that from happening. We should not need the church to be stepping up. We should simply call that out the moment we see or hear it.

It should not be necessary, but perhaps we need a refresher. No means no. Consent is something that must be given. To continue when you have been told no makes you a rapist. It makes you a coward, someone who brutalises someone weaker than them. It puts you on the lowest rung of society. You should not be able to look someone in the eye and make comments about raping someone – because they should shame you for doing so and make clear there is no place for that in our society.

We call ourselves a Christian society – well, there is no place for rape, incest or sexual assault in that kind of society.

In the specific case that has come to light, that is for the police to deal with – to determine what crime has taken place and the guilt or innocence of anyone involved.

But the nature of society that allows boasting about rapes or sexual crimes? That is on the rest of us to make sure that no one thinks that is acceptable.

Any time such discussion is seen to have a place in our society is doing exactly what Mrs Miller-Brice says we should not be doing, normalising it. The more people who think that is normal, the more someone might follow through with it and commit the crime itself.

No matter how close the friend might be. No matter how long you may have seen them as an ally. When they cross that line, it should be clear they have gone too far.

We cannot make society safer for women if we continue to fail to value them in our conversations, in our relationships and in our homes.

This one is on us – we must do better as a society.

Think before we let Bahama Rock have land EDITOR, The Tribune.

THE debate over Bahama Rock Limited’s proposed expansion should not be framed as a choice between aggregate extraction and economic stagnation.

The real question is whether permanently excavating approximately 269.39 acres of strategically located land beside Freeport Harbor represents the highest and best long-term use of that property, or merely the first development proposal presented to the public.

The developer’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) describes an extraction and harbor-expansion program that could continue for 15 to 20 years. It would involve demolition, land clearing, blasting, dredging, and aggregate removal before the excavated area ultimately becomes additional harbor turning space and deep-water berth capacity.

The EIA presents economic benefits, including retaining approximately 82 to 84 Bahamian employees, maintaining aggregate supply, and potentially supporting future harbor-related commerce.

While these benefits should be acknowledged and fairly evaluated, acknowledgment does not equate to automatic approval.

The EIA also recognises potential adverse effects on the pine land and coppice habitat, coral reefs, groundwater, noise levels, dust, and surrounding communities.

More importantly, the decision would be significantly irreversible. Once the land and geological material are removed, no future government, investor, planner, or generation could reconsider the property under identical terms.

This permanence creates an obligation to explore credible alternatives before the option value of the land is destroyed.

One alternative now being proposed is the creation of a “Grand Bahama Harbor-Edge Innovation District”, developed as: ‘O2 | Opportunity & Ownership | Innovation, Incubation, & Accelerator Hub’ The foundational pillars of this concept could be summarized as: AI. Business.

Technology. Finance.

O2 is not being presented as a completed feasibility study, an approved development, a financing commitment, or a final master plan. It is a working concept intended to establish an essential fact: Grand Bahama has choices.

The concept would retain the land and explore its development as a mixed-use district for entrepreneurship, technology, education, research, tourism, housing, creative industries, clean energy, maritime applications, and Bahamian ownership. Instead of relying primarily on the one-time removal and sale of materials beneath the property, O2 would seek to create ongoing value through businesses, rents, services, exports, intellectual property, investments,

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net visitor spending, and workforce development.

This distinction is crucial.

Rock can be excavated and sold once, while a functioning innovation district can repeatedly generate enterprises, knowledge, skills, services, and investments across generations.

The O2 district could open opportunities for individuals, entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, and established businesses in various sectors, such as the Digital Economy, Conceptual Economy, Knowledge Economy, AquaMarine Economy, Platform Economy, Passion Economy, Carbon Economy, Green Economy, Blue Economy, Ocean Economy, Orange Economy, Internet Economy, Knowledge-Based Economy, Data Economy, Shared Economy, Silver Economy, Circular Economy, Climate Economy, Crypto Economy, AI Economy, Technology Economy, Infrastructure Economy, Gig Economy, Blockchain Economy, Energy Economy, and Tokenisation Economy.

It could also provide a physical ecosystem for companies and professionals in FinTech, RegTech, SupTech, PropTech, HealthTech, Blockchain, EdTech, MedTech, Biotech, GovTech, InsurTech, LegalTech, traditional finance, ProcureTech, DataTech, TravelTech, AgriTech, and PayTech.

These should not be treated merely as fashionable labels; each represents industries, services, intellectual property, training requirements, export opportunities, and employment pathways that could be deliberately organised around Grand Bahama’s existing advantages.

A well-structured district could include AI laboratories, software and data-service companies, cybersecurity operations, blockchain infrastructure, digital-payment businesses, regulatory technology, property technology, marine and ocean technology, renewable-energy systems, resilient construction research, biotechnology applications, medical innovation, digital education, film and media production, tourism technology, agricultural technology, financial services, business incubators, fabrication facilities, laboratories, studios, classrooms, offices, residences, hotels, and public spaces.

This initiative could help move Bahamian entrepreneurs from ideas to prototypes, from prototypes to companies, and from companies to international markets.

The proposal aligns with previous strategic thinking about Freeport, emphasising the need for high-technology and knowledge-based export services, higher-value manufacturing, increased utilisation of Grand Bahama’s maritime and logistics assets, blue-economy growth,

digital expansion, near shoring, entrepreneurship, and economic diversification.

Additionally, the Blue Action Lab concept envisions Freeport as a location where sustainable infrastructure, ocean innovation, ecosystem restoration, food security, circular economy systems, and disaster-resilience technologies can be tested, financed, and deployed at a meaningful scale.

O2 aims to consolidate many of these ambitions into a single, interconnected economic platform at the harbor’s edge.

However, this does not imply that O2 has been proven to be the best option. Factors such as land control, environmental suitability, infrastructure capacity, anchor tenants, commercial demand, financing, governance, community benefits, and Bahamian participation must be independently evaluated.

This is why irreversible excavation should not commence before conducting a thorough comparison.

The government, the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection, the Grand Bahama Port Authority, and relevant harbor stakeholders should establish a transparent process for evaluating alternatives. O2 should be assessed alongside the Bahama Rock proposal and any other credible non-destructive or less-destructive options.

The comparison should consider factors including the number and quality of jobs, levels of Bahamian ownership, domestic value retention, export potential, public revenue, environmental impacts, climate and groundwater risks, infrastructure demand, commercial feasibility, public waterfront access, workforce development, and the long-term benefits for Grand Bahama over 20, 50, and 100 years.

The conclusion may ultimately support O2, a modified version of O2, another alternative, limited harbor works, or a combination of uses. However, this conclusion should be based on evidence rather than the assumption that extraction is the only viable model.

This stance is not against investment, employment, or harbor development. Instead, it advocates for better development decisions.

Before Grand Bahama permanently removes what is beneath this land, a careful assessment of what can be built upon it should first take place.

Protect Our Natural Heritage. Build a Sustainable Future. Preserve the Land.

Multiply the Opportunities.

Expand Ownership. Build the Future.

Protect the Living Coast.

Build the Living Lab. Eden Merry Johnson, Executive Member Preserving Paradise (Bahamas).

EDEN MERRY JOHNSON Freeport, Grand Bahama August 13, 2026.

Danger of empty buildings EDITOR, The Tribune.

NO matter where your neighborhood is located, people in the shadows will use abandoned buildings for their illegal purposes, be that a place to stay, a center for drug distribution or a place to shot up. This is global problem folks.

Cities and Towns are full of empty unoccupied buildings. Some have become habitats for squatters, drug addicts and or criminals. A recent experience showed me just how dangerous such a situation can be.

Over several ago I had to go into the back of a house and retrieve my mischievous puppy who got away from me. It happens.

I caught the little scamp but noticed something that concerned me. Behind an abandoned house was an atrium with broken windows. Inside it appeared that some people had been camping out. Laying, about were sleeping bags, trash and over a dozen syringes, some still having what I could only assume was illicit drugs. That concerned

me. During this past winter, as I walked by the house, I could see young people looking out at me through the broken glass windows.

This house had become a place to hang out and do what some young people do.

I wrote an email or two and sent it to the South Simcoe Police website describing what I had seen and waited for a response that did not come. I waited over two weeks hoping to see some action from the police force and resent the email but to others. An email to the Police Chief, the S.S. Police Board and most importantly to City Councilor Jonathan Scott.

The police board administrator emailed back saying I sent it to the wrong email and that they would send it to the appropriate contact.

Councilor Scott got back to me in two days. Several emails latter all within a week, the Councilor explained that he had contacted the police but also the City Bylaw Office.

We have been told since

9/11 “If You See Something Unsavory, dangerous or criminal” you must report it! Speak Up! There are many unoccupied buildings in our region, each offering illegal usage.

The owners of these properties are legally obligated to maintain the structures and keep them safe for any possibility. The owners of this property responded responsibly. Thank you.

Our future generations are precious to us. Children will be children, often not thinking about the consequences of their actions.

I have seen syringes in parks, play grounds and on school property. If you see a syringe, anywhere, put it in the garbage carefully or report it to the authorities.

You are morally obligated to do so.

The protection of our community is in your hands, but also in the hands of all Our Citizens.

STEVEN KASZAB Bradford, Ontario Nassau, August 14, 2026.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 18, 2026, PAGE 7

11 San Salvador families receive keys to rent-to-own homes

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net ELEVEN San Salvador families received keys to rent-to-own homes yesterday as the Davis administration completed part of a housing development that began nearly two decades ago and survived years of delays, hurricanes and changes in government.

The homes form part of the Cockburn Town Subdivision, a 24-lot development where construction was undertaken on 18 lots.

Acting Chief Housing Officer Jeffery Clarke said the project began in 2007 but was delayed after Hurricane Irene in 2011 and Hurricane Joaquin in 2015.

He said the Ministry of Housing and Land Reform

later completed infrastructure at the site and revived plans for the development in 2024, when Housing and Land Reform Minister Keith Bell visited San Salvador and 18 construction contracts were executed.

Mr Clarke said the contracts went to San Salvador contractors who had been involved with the development from its earlier stages.

Mr Bell blamed part of the prolonged delay on work stopping after the 2017 change in government, when the Minnis administration took office.

He called that decision “a mistake” that “was wrong, and it had consequences”.

“Public funds had already been spent,” Mr Bell said.

“Yet partially built homes were left standing there for years and years and years.

That should never happen in an independent Bahamas.”

He said families who had expected the chance to own homes were forced to wait, while contractors who had committed labour, resources and money also suffered losses.

Mr Bell said the government could not recover the years that were lost or undo the disappointment experienced by families and contractors, but could correct what had gone wrong.

The homes were completed by local contractors, keeping jobs and economic activity on the island.

Mr Bell said each home was valued at about $130,000 and was built with architectural shingles and impact-resistant windows.

“They are very well designed, and they are very

TikTok personality Elias Fritz admits to marijuana possession

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net POPULAR TikTok personality Elias Fritz was once again before the court yesterday, where he admitted to a drug charge while awaiting trial over an alleged 2025 attempted murder.

Fritz, 20, was found with 12 grams of marijuana in New Providence on August 12.

At the time of the offence, Fritz was on bail for attempted murder.

The accused, who has more than 300,000 TikTok followers and is known

online as “Jaido World”, and a 16-year-old boy are alleged to have tried to rob Theodore Fernander of his white Honda Odyssey on August 11, 2025, and to have attempted to kill him.

The pair also face charges of possession of a firearm and ammunition and the attempted murder of two police officers.

They were arrested after a police chase ended with their vehicle crashing into a utility pole on Eastern Road last year.

Fritz was also before the court in May in connection with an alleged car theft.

Prosecutors alleged Fritz and Q’Shawn Turnquest, 21, stole a red 2014 Nissan

Juke belonging to Miranda Adderley on May 11.

The vehicle is valued at $10,500.

Fritz pleaded guilty to his latest charge of possession of dangerous drugs before Deputy Chief Magistrate Shaka Serville.

He admitted that the drugs were for his personal use and asked the magistrate for leniency.

Magistrate Serville granted Fritz a conditional discharge and placed him on probation for six months.

A breach of his probation would result in a $500 fine or three months in prison.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Kendrick Bauld prosecuted the case.

well finished,” Mr Bell said.

“So they are really no lowcost houses in here.”

The 11 homes were distributed through the government’s rent-toown programme, which is intended to give people who cannot qualify for conventional mortgages another path to homeownership.

Mr Bell said rent-to-own payments would be applied towards the principal owed on the homes, with occupants able to move into conventional mortgages later if they became eligible.

He said the programme was particularly aimed at self-employed Bahamians who could show an ability to save but might struggle to satisfy traditional mortgage requirements.

Mr Bell identified taxi drivers, entrepreneurs, hair braiders and people who sell breakfast among those who could benefit.

“These persons have demonstrated a very, very keen ability,” Mr Bell said, “and they have exercised a very high degree of prudence in terms of savings.”

“So why should they be denied the opportunity to get a home?” he said.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said presenting the homes to the families was among the greatest privileges of his office.

“For me, this is one of the biggest joys of this position that I hold,” Mr Davis said. “What a privilege it is because I, like so many of you here, know the power and importance of a home.”

He said his administration had made homeownership a priority and had introduced measures intended to reduce

financial barriers for families who could maintain homes but could not save enough for down payments or qualify for mortgages.

Among the recipients was 22-year-old Ashley Poitier, who became a first-time homeowner.

“I am so grateful to be a homeowner, especially at 22 years old,” Ms Poitier said.

She said she was raised in a household where her mother worked several jobs while raising seven children and struggling to meet household expenses.

Ms Poitier also said she encountered communication difficulties during the application process and eventually travelled by plane to deal with the matter personally.

She said she hoped becoming a homeowner at her age would encourage other young people to continue pursuing their education, businesses and personal goals.

“It's just something to call your own,” Ms Poitier said, “like not living under your parents' roof, being able to come in when you like, go when you like, turn your own key, and it just starts the adulthood, starts the journey.”

Another recipient, 16-year-old Reno Kelly, described his mother receiving a home as “a good feeling” after years of waiting.

“It was a long time coming, and it didn't look like hope,” Mr Kelly said.

He said his family had begun making other plans, including renting elsewhere, before the development was revived.

Mr Kelly identified insurance, mortgage financing and difficulties dealing with the government among the obstacles encountered during the wait.

Mr Bell said more homes were planned for San Salvador and elsewhere in The Bahamas, although he did not say how many

additional houses would be built on the island or when construction would begin.

“More homes are coming nationally,” Mr Bell said, “but importantly for those here, more homes are coming here to San Salvador.”

He said the administration was targeting major Family Islands for further housing developments.

“We’re not going to leave no Family Island behind,” Mr Bell said.

He pointed to completed housing at Ocean Hole Estates in Eleuthera and Central Pines and Spring City in Abaco, where he said more homes were under construction.

Grand Bahama will also be targeted, with plans to break ground for 18 homes in the Heritage Subdivision.

Mr Bell said more than 200 additional homes were being considered for scattered sites across Grand Bahama and that the government had acquired properties in Garden Villas, where it expected to begin demolishing buildings for redevelopment.

In New Providence, he said seven subdivisions were in progress.

The government is moving into additional phases of Renaissance at Carmichael, while an opening at Adastra Gardens is expected within the next few months.

Mr Bell said homes at Vinspen Meadows had been completed, but the government was awaiting ratification of the subdivision before an opening expected within three to four weeks.

He also outlined plans for another housing development on more than 13 acres in the Fox Hill area near Bernard Road and St Augustine’s College.

Mr Bell said the government intended to move quickly to compulsorily acquire the property and develop at least 100 homes.

DAVIS ADMINISTRATION TO TARGET RENT 19-year-old remanded to prison CONTROL WHEN PARLIAMENT REOPENS for fatal restaurant shooting

By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MAN was accused of a fatal shooting at a West Bay Street restaurant that left one man dead and another seriously injured earlier this month.

Prosecutors allege Devontae Ferguson, 19, and an accomplice stormed Nesbitt’s Restaurant and shot Dexter Kerr Jr and Delano Braynen at 1pm on August 3.

The masked suspects reportedly fled the scene in a white Japanese vehicle.

Both victims were taken to hospital for treatment, but Kerr succumbed to his multiple gunshot injuries.

Braynen was treated for gunshot injuries to his left shoulder and arm.

Ferguson was not required to enter a plea to charges of murder and attempted murder before acting Chief Magistrate Ancella Evans.

The accused was informed

that the matter would proceed to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

Ferguson was also informed of his right to apply for bail through the Supreme Court.

He was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until the service of his VBI on January 28, 2027.

Corporal Moultrie prosecuted the case. Alphonso Lewis represented Ferguson.

Four men accused of theft of $4,600 from Atlantis restaurant

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net FOUR men were accused of stealing more than $4,600 collectively while working at a restaurant at Atlantis Resort this summer.

Prosecutors allege Alexidieu Sufoir, 19, stole $1,007.45 from Claudio’s Restaurant at Atlantis and falsified its accounts while working as a bartender between June 8 and July 15.

Giovanni Tucker, 35, allegedly stole $588.75

from the restaurant and falsified its accounts while working as a server between May 8 and June 10.

Tareves Eneas, 30, allegedly stole $503.25 from Claudio’s and falsified its accounts while working as a waiter between May 10 and July 6.

Remei Moore, 26, allegedly stole $2,505 from the restaurant and falsified its accounts while working as a busser between May 1 and July 15.

All four pleaded not

guilty to separate charges of stealing by reason of employment and falsification of accounts before acting Chief Magistrate Ancella Evans.

Bail was set at $5,000 with one or two sureties each.

As a condition of bail, the accused must sign in at their local police stations every Thursday by 7pm.

All four defendants return for trial on September 26.

Corporal Moultrie prosecuted the case.

Arson suspect admits to damaging victim’s car before $300k blaze

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net A MAN accused of setting fire to a woman’s home admitted to damaging her car windscreen earlier the same day this month.

Prosecutors allege Terrance Stubbs Jr, 39, intentionally set fire to Shan Thompson’s single-storey stone dwelling in New Providence on August 1.

The blaze caused an estimated $300,000 in damage.

On the same date, Stubbs damaged the windscreen of Ms Thompson’s 2008 Toyota Camry. The damage to the vehicle was estimated at $600.

While Stubbs pleaded guilty to a damage charge, he was not required to enter a plea to arson of a dwelling house before Deputy Chief Magistrate Shaka Serville.

The accused was informed

that the arson matter would proceed to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

Stubbs was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until his bail hearing before the magistrate on August 21.

He will also be sentenced for the damage charge on that date.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Kendrick Bauld prosecuted the case.

THE Davis administration expects to move quickly on rent-control legislation when Parliament reopens next month, with Housing and Land Reform Minister Keith Bell saying the reforms are intended to rein in rental prices and strengthen protections for tenants.

Mr Bell said the legislation would have to balance those protections against the financial obligations of landlords, including mortgage payments.

He was speaking to reporters in San Salvador after 11 families received keys to homes in the new Cockburn Town Subdivision.

The proposed reforms come as Bell raised concerns about the conditions in which some tenants are living, alleging that some landlords have disconnected electricity and water and that some rental

properties are unfit for occupation.

“You have a lot of places which are untenantable,” Mr Bell said. “They are on generators. The landlord turn off the light. They turn off the water. They do all kind of things.”

Mr Bell said the administration wanted to restore a balance between landlords and tenants while keeping rental prices down.

“Again, we have to strike this delicate balance between the rights of the landlord,” Mr Bell said.

“They do have mortgages to pay, but also striking the balance where persons are in an inferior bargaining position, that is the tenants.”

He said the reforms were aimed at “competing interests” in the rental market.

Mr Bell also addressed the development of the country’s new land-registration system, months after Petrocelli Edwards was appointed the first Registrar of Lands.

Ms Edwards was

appointed with effect from January 19 following the passage of the Registered Land Act, 2025, and the Land Adjudication Act, 2025.

Mr Bell described putting the new registration and adjudication system into operation as a major undertaking in which mistakes could not be afforded.

He said the administration was meanwhile pressing ahead with efforts to regularise land titles rather than waiting for the wider registration and adjudication exercise to be completed.

“What this honourable Prime Minister has done is that he is not just waiting on the land registration and adjudication to take place,” Mr Bell said. “He has actually started with land regularisation.”

He said people in New Providence and the Family Islands had approached the Ministry of Housing and Land Reform for help regularising land titles.

GENERAL MANAGER DESIGNATE A supervised financial institution is seeking to employ a suitably qualified and experienced professional for the position of General Manager – Designate.

The successful candidate will work alongside the current General Manager for a period before formally assuming the position. Please visit PWCCUL.com for the full Job Description, including the responsibilities and qualification requirements. Applications should be submitted to board@pwccul.com no later than 5:00 pm, Friday August 21, 2026.

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

PAGE 8, Tuesday, August 18, 2026

THE TRIBUNE

Ivoine Ingraham • Facing Reality

The !rst lie we tell our children Everyone is guilty!

REMEMBER this: “A liar is a thief, and a thief is a murderer!” We have heard that since the beginning of time.

Every generation likes to believe it is wiser than the one before it. We lecture our children about honesty. We punish them when they lie. We tell them that integrity is the foundation of character and that truth matters more than convenience. Yet before many children are old enough to distinguish fantasy from reality, we deliberately blur that distinction ourselves.

No contradiction is greater in modern parenting than our insistence that children must always tell the truth while we intentionally cultivate stories we know to be false. We smile as we do it. We congratulate one another for preserving "the magic." We celebrate it as tradition. Then, years later, we wonder why truth has become so negotiable in our culture.

The issue is bigger than Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny. Those characters have become symbols of something much deeper: our willingness to substitute fantasy for truth during the most impressionable years of a child's life.

We are told that these harmless stories create wonderful memories. We are assured that children eventually "figure it out" and suffer no lasting harm.

But another perspective deserves serious consideration. What happens when the very people children trust most deliberately convince them of something they know is untrue? What lesson is quietly planted beneath the wrapping paper and chocolate eggs?

We plant in their subconscious that lying is ok.

Everyone has cultivated that deception is okay. A child believes because a parent says it is true.

SACRED TRUST A child trusts because a parent is the highest authority in their world.

That trust is sacred. It forms the very foundation upon which a child learns to distinguish truth from falsehood. Yet we willingly use that trust to persuade children to believe stories that we ourselves do not believe.

Then, almost overnight, we reveal the deception.

"It was just for fun."

"It was only pretend."

"It was tradition."

But for the child, the lesson is far more complicated. If Mom, Dad and the pastor could look me in the eye and convince me that Santa came down the chimney or that a rabbit hid coloured eggs around the yard, then perhaps truth is flexible. Perhaps people I love can intentionally deceive me if they think the reason is good enough.

That is not merely about

‘If we want future generations of men and women to value truth, we must first become adults who refuse to compromise it.’ holiday traditions. It is about establishing a philosophy of truth.

HISTORIC DISTORTIONS The contradiction becomes even more striking when we examine the holidays themselves.

Easter is one of the most profound observances in Christianity. It commemorates sacrifice, redemption, hope, and resurrection.

Whether one is a believer or not, it is impossible to deny that the Easter story has shaped civilizations, inspired great works of art, and transformed countless lives.

Yet what do many children know about Easter?

Egg hunts. Chocolate bunnies. Plastic eggs filled with candy.

Colourful baskets.

Pictures with an oversized rabbit.

Some children could explain in great detail how to find hidden eggs but know almost nothing about the event Easter was originally intended to commemorate.

One has to ask an uncomfortable question.

How did one of history's most significant religious observances become centred around rabbits that lay eggs?

There is no sensible explanation for reducing a message of life, sacrifice, and resurrection to a scavenger hunt. Where is the humour?

The same phenomenon occurs at Christmas.

Christmas marks the birth of Jesus Christ, an event Christians believe changed human history.

Yet for millions of children, Christmas becomes almost entirely about Santa Claus.

Santa watches, Santa judges, Santa keeps a list, Santa decides who deserves rewards.

Every Christmas, children are encouraged to behave because an invisible figure

is supposedly watching their every move. He then judges whether they have been naughty or nice before rewarding them with gifts.

It is an interesting paradox: we teach children to be sceptical and think critically, yet ask them to believe in an unseen observer who dispenses rewards based on their behaviour.

Again, adults know this story is fictional.

Children do not.

Parents, teachers, relatives, neighbours, television programs, books, and advertisers all work together to reinforce the illusion. The child has no meaningful opportunity to question it because every trusted authority repeats the same story. Classic brainwashing!

NOT HARMLESS FUN When eventually the truth emerges, the deception is excused as harmless fun.

But should we be so quick to dismiss it?

If honesty truly matters, why should deception become acceptable simply because it is seasonal?

If we condemn lying in every other circumstance, why do we celebrate it during the holidays?

Children notice inconsistencies long before adults imagine they do.

They observe that rules seem to change depending on convenience.

Truth becomes negotiable.

The ends justify the means.

If the outcome is pleasant enough, deception becomes acceptable.

That lesson extends far

beyond April.

December

and

PERVASIVE DISHONESTY Our society increasingly struggles with honesty: political deception, Corporate deception, Academic dishonesty, Financial fraud, False advertising.

Social media personas are carefully constructed to project lives that do not exist.

People routinely distort reality to gain approval, avoid consequences, or obtain advantages.

We express shock.

We lament declining moral standards.

We wonder why truth seems to matter less with every passing generation.

Let's first examine ourselves.

LESSONS LEARNED Character is not built in adulthood.

It begins in childhood.

Every lesson becomes another brick in the foundation.

Every example matters.

Children imitate what adults practice far more than what adults preach.

If adults demonstrate that some lies are acceptable because they create excitement or preserve tradition, children naturally learn that deception can be justified when the purpose seems worthwhile.

That principle does not remain confined to holiday celebrations; it quietly expands. One lie to avoid embarrassment, another to impress friends, another to escape responsibility, another to gain influence.

Eventually, entire cultures become comfortable with appearances rather than reality.

We often speak about society's moral decline as though it emerged from nowhere.

But cultures are built one family at a time.

Homes produce citizens.

Parents shape future leaders.

Children raised on consistency tend to value consistency.

Children raised amid contradictions often inherit contradictions.

TRADITION IS NO EXCUSE None of this suggests that parents intentionally seek to harm their children—quite the opposite.

Most parents participate in these traditions out of genuine love.

They wish to create joyful memories.

They remember their own childhood experiences fondly.

They continue what previous generations practiced.

Few stop to ask whether tradition itself deserves examination.

History is filled with traditions that later generations wisely abandoned.

Tradition alone cannot determine what is good.

Every generation has the responsibility to ask whether inherited customs still deserve preservation.

That responsibility becomes even greater when children are involved.

Some may argue that imagination is essential for healthy development.

Indeed, imagination is invaluable. Stories inspire creativity, Fairy tales teach courage, legends communicate values, and children delight in make-believe, but imagination need not masquerade as reality.

There is a profound difference between saying, "Let's pretend," and insisting that fiction is literally true.

Children are perfectly capable of enjoying fantasy when it is honestly presented as fantasy.

Books, films, theatre, and storytelling have delighted children for centuries without requiring deliberate deception from parents.

The issue is not imagination.

The issue is honesty.

Trust between parent and child is among the most precious relationships on earth. Once weakened, it cannot easily be restored.

Parents rightly expect children to believe them when discussing matters of safety, morality, education, and faith.

That credibility should never be spent unnecessarily. Imagine instead a generation raised with unwavering respect for truth.

Children who know their parents never intentionally deceive them.

Children who understand that joy does not require falsehood.

Children who celebrate Christmas for its historical and spiritual meaning rather than mythical surveillance.

Children who celebrate Easter by understanding its significance rather than merely searching for candy-filled eggs.

Such children would still laugh. They would still celebrate. They would still create treasured family memories. Only those memories would rest upon truth rather than illusion.

WORTHY OF REFLECTION This conversation is not about condemning parents.

It is about inviting reflection.

Every parent has made mistakes.

Every generation has

inherited customs worth reconsidering.

The question is not whether our parents loved us.

Most certainly they did.

The question is whether love sometimes perpetuates practices that deserve honest examination.

If we genuinely desire a society built upon integrity, then integrity must begin where character begins—in the home.

We cannot consistently teach honesty while practicing carefully managed deception.

We cannot condemn lying in teenagers while celebrating it in toddlers.

We cannot expect truthfulness to flourish if the earliest lessons children receive suggest that trusted adults sometimes invent elaborate stories and insist they are true.

GIFT OF TRUTH Perhaps the greatest gift we can give our children is not a mountain of presents beneath a Christmas tree or baskets overflowing with candy on Easter morning.

Perhaps the greatest gift is something far simpler.

A home where truth is never sacrificed for tradition.

A home where trust is never traded for entertainment.

A home where honesty is not merely preached but consistently practiced.

If we want future generations of men and women to value truth, we must first become adults who refuse to compromise it.

The whirlwind we often see in society did not appear overnight. Countless choices, large and small, repeated across generations have shaped it.

While no single tradition can explain every social ill, each generation has an opportunity to ask whether its customs reinforce the values it claims to cherish. If honesty truly is the cornerstone of character, then it deserves protection from the very beginning of a child's life.

The measure of our commitment to truth is not how passionately we condemn dishonesty in others, but how faithfully we embody truth in the lives of those entrusted to our care.

If we want children who become adults of integrity, then the first step is to ensure that the first voices they learn to trust are also the first voices that consistently tell them the truth.

Facing reality: when we stop lying to our children, then we could start to address the other social ills of a country and, by extension, the world.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 18, 2026, PAGE 9

World View • Sir Ronald Sanders

Stop the money flow to organised crime HAITI’S plight must not be forgotten because it’s no longer a regular feature of international headlines.

The suffering has not diminished. Between January and early June 2026, at least 2,310 people were killed, 1,106 were injured and 99 were kidnapped, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). It also reported that 699 women and girls were victims of sexual violence, and that almost 1.47 million people had been displaced within Haiti by May. These figures should disturb the conscience of every nation. They also point to a truth that governments must now confront: Force alone cannot restore order.

The gangs’ money, weapons, and trafficking routes must be cut off, and those who finance, supply, and protect them must be pursued.

Armed gangs retain effective control over large parts of Port-au-Prince.

They have also pushed into important roads, ports, coastal areas, and commercial routes. Their operations extend beyond terrorising communities. They control movement, extort money, seize goods, and impose their own authority where the Haitian State is absent or too weak to resist them.

In July, UNODC put the matter plainly before the United Nations Security Council. Haiti’s crisis, it said, should not be regarded as a security crisis alone. It’s also a governance crisis sustained by organised crime.

A security crisis might be answered largely by superior force. A governance crisis driven by organised

crime requires much more.

It requires action against extortion, kidnapping, arms and narcotics trafficking, money laundering, corruption, and the people who provide political protection. It also requires courts, prosecutors, prisons, and police institutions capable of enforcing the law.

No one should misunderstand this argument. The United Nations-authorised Gang Suppression Force is necessary. The Haitian authorities requested it, and people living under gang rule cannot be left defenceless. Yet, by July, just over 1,000 personnel had been deployed. That’s 4,500 less than the approved number.

The Force requires the personnel, financing, equipment, and logistical support necessary to carry out its mandate.

But the Force cannot do everything. It may recover a road, a port, or a police station. It cannot, by itself, stop new weapons arriving, identify those laundering the proceeds of crime or prosecute the people who finance and protect the gangs. If those networks remain untouched, gang leaders will be replaced, weapons will be replenished, and lost territory will be reclaimed.

This was the concern I raised as the Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda at the OAS General Assembly in Panama in June.

We called for coordinated hemispheric action to disrupt drug trafficking, illicit financial flows, and the cross-border movement of weapons and criminals. We also urged governments to identify, sanction, and

A MAN sits in a shelter for families displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, August 12, 2026.

Photos: Odelyn Joseph/AP

“Sanctions should not end with the men who hold the guns. Where reliable evidence establishes involvement, they should also reach the people who buy the weapons, arrange their shipment, conceal criminal proceeds, or use political and commercial influence to protect the gangs.” prosecute those who finance or materially support the gangs, whether they operate inside Haiti or beyond its borders. UNODC’s subsequent assessment reinforced the urgency of that position.

Haiti’s record of financial enforcement is particularly troubling. UNODC reports that the country’s financial intelligence unit received 1,254 suspicious transaction

A GIRL rests at a shelter for families displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026.

reports between 2019 and 2024. Only 19 were sent to the judicial authorities.

None resulted in a conviction. The United Nations sanctions list for Haiti contains only nine individuals and two entities, both of them gangs. Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union have sanctioned a wider group of political and economic figures. Even so, the wider networks have not yet been systematically investigated and punished.

The OAS General Assembly has called for intelligence-sharing and customs cooperation to stop weapons and money reaching the gangs. It has also supported SECURE-Haiti and closer coordination with the United Nations and CARICOM. CARICOM continues to support the Gang Suppression Force, provide humanitarian assistance, and encourage political dialogue through its Eminent Persons Group. CARICOM IMPACS and the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap have also improved regional cooperation against firearms trafficking.

However, these efforts remain divided among

security assistance, political dialogue, humanitarian relief, and weapons control. There is still no clearly identified body bringing together the financial intelligence officers, customs authorities, coast guards, firearms investigators, anti-narcotics agencies, and prosecutors needed to pursue the networks as a whole.

What’s required now is a practical arrangement joining the Haitian authorities, the OAS, CARICOM and UNODC in a common effort against the transnational organised criminal networks sustaining the gangs. Its work should combine financial intelligence, customs information, firearms tracing, maritime surveillance, anti-narcotics activity, and prosecutorial cooperation. It should map financial and commercial links, trace seized weapons and ammunition, scrutinise suspicious cargo and maritime movements, prepare evidence for sanctions, support joint investigations, and pursue the freezing and lawful recovery of criminal assets.

Source and transit countries have a particular duty. The weapons

and ammunition that sustain Haiti’s gangs are overwhelmingly drawn from external supply chains. Haiti cannot police cargo controls at foreign ports, trace money through foreign financial centres or prevent diversion before weapons enter illicit supply chains.

Outbound cargo screening, tighter oversight of shippers, systematic weapons tracing, and investigation of diverted legal purchases cannot be left to Haiti alone.

Sanctions should not end with the men who hold the guns. Where reliable evidence establishes involvement, they should also reach the people who buy the weapons, arrange their shipment, conceal criminal proceeds, or use political and commercial influence to protect the gangs.

Such action must be lawful and precise. Financial measures should be directed at identified persons, businesses and transactions, with proper safeguards and due process.

While external assistance is vital in this process, Haitian institutions must be bolstered. Haiti’s specialised judicial units for financial crimes must become fully operational. Investigators, prosecutors, judges, prison authorities, and anti-corruption bodies need protection, resources, and technical support.

Financial intelligence must produce investigations; investigations must produce cases; and convictions should lead to the recovery of criminal assets.

The problem is no longer a lack of diagnosis. UNODC has provided it. The OAS and CARICOM have recognised important parts of it.

What is still lacking is coordinated execution. Force can create the time and space in which Haiti might recover. But if the people who finance, arm, transport, and protect the gangs remain untouched, the Haitian people will be made to endure the same cycle again.

The international community must therefore act decisively to disrupt the financial network that illegally sustains the gangs.

Stopping the violence requires stopping the money that empowers it.

The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the US and the OAS. He is also Chancellor of the University of Guyana. The views expressed are his own

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, August 18, 2026, PAGE 11

Visually impaired students excel in 2026 BJC exams

By Fay Simmons Tribune Education Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net FOR Quintino Barr, Kamall Forbes and Macken Louis, success in the 2026 Bahamas Junior Certificate examinations is more than a collection of grades — it is evidence of what students who are blind or visually impaired can accomplish when high expectations are matched with opportunity, support and determination.

The three students of the Erin H Gilmour School for the Blind and Visually Impaired recorded notable results in Mathematics and Health Science, marking another encouraging milestone in the school’s continued academic progress.

In Mathematics, Quintino and Kamall each earned an A, while Macken earned a B. In Health Science, Kamall earned a B, while Quintino and Macken each received a C. For the school community, the results represent more than academic achievement. They reflect the students’ preparation, perseverance and willingness to meet the expectations set for them.

Principal Kevin Cartwright congratulated the students, saying their performance demonstrates what can happen when students are supported by dedicated teachers and encouraged to believe in their own potential.

“To our students: stand tall and be proud,” said Mr Cartwright.

“You have demonstrated that with preparation, determination, excellent teaching and belief in yourselves, there are no limits to what you can achieve.”

He also praised Mathematics teacher Claudia Bain and Science teacher Byron Jones for their commitment to preparing the students for the national

improvement.

Mr Cartwright knows firsthand the importance of opportunity and perseverance.

Born with glaucoma, he lost his sight completely at the age of eight. He later earned his undergraduate degree at West Virginia State University and a Master of Education in Teaching and

Bahamas. His appointment as Principal was made substantive by the Public Service Commission in 2025.

His journey from student to educator, classroom teacher and school leader provides students at Erin H Gilmour with a powerful example of what education, perseverance and opportunity

KAMALL FORBES

QUINTINO BARR

MACKEN LOUIS

examinations.

“Your investment in our students has produced results of which the entire Erin H Gilmour School community can be proud,” said Mr Cartwright.

“Thank you for believing in them, challenging them and helping them to reach for excellence.”

The students’ accomplishments come as Erin H Gilmour continues to strengthen a culture built around high expectations, inclusion and continuous

Learning from the University of Ottawa in Canada.

After returning to The Bahamas, he dedicated his career to educating children who are blind and visually impaired. At Erin H Gilmour, he taught Language Arts, Braille and assistive technology before moving into school leadership.

A Lyford Cay Foundations scholar, Mr Cartwright was appointed Acting Principal in 2023, becoming the first blind person to lead a school in The

can make possible.

Mr Cartwright said his Christian faith remains central to his life and leadership, guiding his commitment to service and his belief that his opportunities and responsibilities should be used to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

Beyond his work as an educator and principal, Mr Cartwright is an author, poet, music creator and disability advocate. He has also developed a strong interest in coding, computer programming,

website development and artificial intelligence, particularly in how technology can improve accessibility, independence and educational opportunities.

The accomplishments of Quintino, Kamall and Macken are therefore part of a larger vision for Erin H Gilmour — one in which students are not defined by their disabilities but encouraged and equipped to reach their full potential.

“These results represent the direction in which Erin H Gilmour School is moving — a school where disability does not determine potential and where our students are expected, encouraged and equipped to achieve,” said Mr Cartwright.

The school also acknowledged the parents and guardians, teachers, staff members and supporters whose encouragement, sacrifices and commitment helped the students reach this point.

For Quintino, Kamall and Macken, the 2026 BJC results are a significant academic accomplishment. For Erin H Gilmour, they are also a reminder of the possibilities that emerge when students are given the tools, support and confidence to succeed.

“This is the Erin H Gilmour School of today — a school moving forward through vision, teamwork, accountability and an unwavering belief in what our students can achieve,” said Mr Cartwright.

“The progress is visible, the momentum is real, and our best chapters are still ahead.”

Photos show Cambodian children attend school Teachers turn to oral exams in floating villages along the Tonle Sap lake to fight against AI cheating

A STUDENT looks up from his picture book at a school in one of the floating villages of Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake on June 29, 2026.

Photo: Aniruddha Ghosal/AP

By ANTON L DELGADO and ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL Associated Press ON Cambodia’s Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, getting anywhere has always meant navigating the water.

It isn’t any different for schoolchildren.

Most mornings, a gas-powered boat chugs through Kampong Prahok floating village, steered by students often no older than those climbing aboard. They pull up alongside floating homes, as peers in crisp uniforms clamber aboard, careful to keep their backpacks dry.

The Iran war is driving up fuel prices, making it more

expensive for students to get to school.

Some children are quitting school and starting to work to help their families make ends meet. Cash-strapped governments in hard-hit Asia also are struggling to fund education initiatives and school meal programs that help keep millions of children in classrooms.

SCHOOLS and universities are turning to oral exams to stop your students from using artificial intelligence to cheat.

Teachers believe these verbal assessments test a student’s knowledge more accurately.

Oral exams are one of the oldest assessment methods, dating back to ancient Greece. Teachers asked questions, and students responded immediately to prove their knowledge. As class sizes grew, written exams became easier to administer. Oral assessments remained, but they are not a perfect solution for academic integrity today.

These exams can create barriers for your students.

Research indicates verbal tests increase social anxiety. A German study found university students experienced more anxiety in oral exams than in written ones. If your students are overly anxious, they may fail to demonstrate what they actually know.

Oral assessments may also unfairly disadvantage students speaking in a non-native language.

These students often possess a strong understanding of the subject but need more time to express their thoughts verbally.

Ensuring consistency is difficult. A study of Norwegian secondary schools found initial student presentations ranged from five to 16 minutes.

Follow-up discussions lasted between seven and 23 minutes. Examiners gave students unequal opportunities to prove their knowledge. In a follow-up study with the same examiners, some students received fewer than ten questions, and others received nearly 50.

These variations have real consequences.

As a defense against cheating, oral assessments are flawed. One student could memorize convincing answers generated by artificial intelligence.

Another student who wrote every word of their essay might freeze under pressure. Treating assessments as a tool to catch cheating tests a student’s confidence rather than their learning or effort.

Oral exams work best when you pair them with written or practical assignments. Instead of replacing a history essay with a verbal test, you can ask students to submit an annotated draft and a reference list. You then follow up with a five-minute conversation. During this discussion, the student explains their choice of references, a notable revision they made, and how artificial intelligence shaped their thinking.

A well-designed oral exam proves how your students engaged with a topic and supports a meaningful conversation between you and your class. Using it as an interrogation simply creates a fairness problem and generates more work for you.