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VOLUME:117 No.188, AUGUST 27, 2020

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BY SIMON SEE PAGE EIGHT

Out-of-court deal stops prosecution and avoids arrested suing police

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE people arrested last week for protesting New Providence’s immediate seven-day lockdown will not be charged in court, according to attorney Wayne Munroe, QC, one of the lawyers representing the group.

Mr Munroe said an agreement to allow the protestors to go free has been reached with Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle.

“We arrived at an agreement with the

Commissioner of Police,” Mr Munroe said, “that the protesters wouldn’t have to go to court and that they would release the police from suing them over their arrest since the police weren’t sending them to court... So the police don’t have to fear not sending them to court and then getting sued.”

Despite multiple attempts, Commissioner Rolle did not respond to a request for comment up to press time.

Police said 39 people SEE PAGE THREE

COOPER CALLS ON GOVT TO DETAIL STATE OF TREASURY

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party deputy leader Chester Cooper yesterday called on the government to provide a report on the current state of the Public Treasury and all loan agreements approved for this year.

Speaking to reporters outside the House of Assembly yesterday, Mr Cooper said Bahamians are in need of weekly or monthly updates from the Minnis administration on the country’s

financial state of affairs due to reports that its assistance programmes “are running out of money”.

He said: “One day, we hear the minister of finance talk about the possibility of programmes running out of money. We heard the minister responsible for public service and national insurance make a similar comment. We hear similar comments from Bahamasair and Water and Sewerage Corporation, and we know BPL is in crisis.

SEE PAGE THREE

LUCKY TO BE ALIVE FOUR passengers from Abaco are lucky to be alive after their small aircraft crashed into water off Treasure Cay yesterday morning soon after takeoff.

Full story - Page 5

JOBS CRISIS HITS CHURCH FUNDING ROW ENDS IN FATAL STABBING

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

RELIANCE on the church has grown “exponentially” amid the country’s COVID-19 outbreak, a reality that has created challenges across the board, according to Bahamas Christian Council president Bishop Delton Fernander.

Chief among the challenges is that high unemployment has had a

trickle down effect, meaning less people are able to give resources to the church to assist with outreach to those most in need.

“Forty percent of the society is unemployed,” the BCC president told The Tribune yesterday. “You can only imagine that that’s 40 percent of congregations that are unemployed and churches do their very best to help their own.

“We’re really challenged with everything. We are a part of society so if 40

percent are unemployed, churches are not the building, so there are 40 percent of people who cannot help with outreach, who cannot give the finances.

“We run the majority of the schools. We run the majority of the homes. We run the majority of the atrisk programmes and if we can’t fund them they aren’t running at full potential.

“Churches have been running the homes, paying

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

POLICE are investigating a stabbing incident that occurred on Tuesday night which left a man dead. ASP Audley Peters reported that shortly before

SEE PAGE FOUR

SEE PAGE SEVEN

SPANISH WOMAN, 73, WAS COCAINE MULE

STATESIDE

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

AN elderly Spanish woman who was arraigned earlier this year in connection with the seizure of 12 pounds of cocaine was yesterday released to the Department of Immigration for deportation after spending five months in custody.

LYNDEN Pindling Airport Esperanza Bonet-Roig, 73, of Majorca, Spain first appeared before Deputy

Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes in March, after officers seized cocaine from her.

At the time, Bonet-Roig was charged with dangerous drug possession with the intent to supply and importation of the contraband into the country.

After spending five months on remand,

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

SEE PAGE SEVEN

HOW MELANIA IS STARTING TO LEAD THE TRUMP SHOW SEE PAGE NINE

PAGE 2, Thursday, August 27, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Tributes to former FNM chairman Johnlee Ferguson

Photos: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff and Ulric Woodside/BIS

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net FAMILY, friends and political colleagues of former Free National Movement (FNM) chairman Johnlee Ferguson paid tribute yesterday to a man they said had great love for his country and made many contributions to society.

Mr Ferguson, who died on August 6 at the age of 69, was a former senator, educator and FNM candidate. His body laid-in-state in the foyer of the Senate yesterday.

He was said to have worked closely with all of the prime ministers in the country and was also praised as a man who touched the lives of many he came into contact with.

“I believe that there are few persons inside the Free National Movement or even in the political sphere right now in this country, few who would not have their lives touched by Johnlee Ferguson,” said Health Minister Renward Wells.

“I was one of those individuals. Johnlee and I ate together almost every Saturday morning down at Rudy’s off of Cowpen Road and he was very instrumental in helping to shape some of my understanding of the political dynamics that go on in the country. And above all else, he was always extremely encouraging.”

Progressive Liberal Party deputy leader, Chester Cooper added: “Mr Ferguson has left a great legacy. He has been a

pioneer in politics but I think sometimes we forget the legend that people are before entering politics and its important for us to reflect on his achievements in education, his sterling track record as an educator across the Bahamas.

“As an island boy from Acklins, he became principal of the notable high schools in the country including RM Bailey and most latterly SC McPherson.”

Among those who paid their final respects yesterday also included Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, Governor General C A Smith and former prime ministers Hubert Ingraham and Perry Christie.

Mr Ferguson leaves a wife, Carnetta, and four children.

ACCIDENT CAUSES BLACKOUT

A CAR colliding with an electricity pole in Fox Hill last night caused many homes to be without power for much of the evening

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, August 27, 2020, PAGE 3

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net BAHAMASAIR chairman Tommy Turnquest yesterday described the national airline’s current financial state of affairs due to the COVID-19 pandemic as being “very rough,” adding that officials are anxiously awaiting the government’s greenlight on the resumption of domestic and international travel.

In the meantime, Mr Turnquest said the airline is currently focusing its energy on operational training of its staff.

This comes after government officials said they are eying late October or early November as a potential reopening date for the country’s borders.

“It’s been very rough,” said Mr Turnquest, pictured.

“There’s been no operations since the 28th or 29th of July. We are awaiting the government’s indication in regard to firstly, domestic travel and then secondly, international travel.

“Bahamasair is using the opportunity for training with a new operating system and so this has been a good time for our staff to get involved in the training.

We’ve been looking at the

Bahamasair chief says company’s financial state is ‘very rough’ finances in terms of the outstanding payables, what are the cost of operations, types of operation, how are we able to operate in a more efficient manner.”

He added: “And so we’ve been using the time constructively in my view - the executive management, the managers, supervisors and the line staff—all in my view realise that they are getting paid and they’ve got to add some value and I think that they are adding value by undergoing training. “…We have a maintenance team, they’re going in and turning over their engines. They’ve sanitised

everything. We need to be ready. The key is to be able to make sure we can operate.”

On Monday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis revealed that the government has not yet made a decision concerning salary deferrals for Bahamasair’s employees.

This comes after he warned last month that the government may have to consider deferring a portion of salaries for the airline’s employees as a result of the economic fallout from the COVID-19 crisis.

Yesterday, the chairman told reporters that all salaries had been paid to date.

However, he acknowledged that officials are currently engaged in discussions with the Minnis administration concerning its funding for upcoming payment for workers.

He said: “Firstly, let me say that we have paid salaries to date and a salary is due again on Friday and we’re in discussions with the government to fund that. Once that’s funded, we’ll pass it on but we make absolutely no money from lack of operations and we have no reserves unfortunately.”

Asked yesterday if Bahamasair was operating only because of the mercies of the government, he replied: “Well, Bahamasair is always at the mercy of the government.

The government is the shareholder representing the people of the Bahamas and no it’s not safe to say that because we only operate in terms of the government.

“The government is our only shareholder. Any company operates on behalf of its shareholders so that’s not earth shattering in any way. We’re not making

any revenue so we’re relying on rejection on the shareholder.”

In July, Mr Turnquest warned the airline will “close down” without an increase in taxpayer subsidies after its top-line was cut by $22m due to Hurricane Dorian and COVID-19.

Mr Turnquest, speaking after the national flag carrier was ordered to cease commercial flights into the US, told Tribune Business that revenues for the 2020 financial year that just closed at end-June were likely to be down 24 percent year-over-year - from $92m to $70m.

Munroe: No charges for lockdown demo from page one

SOME of the protesters who were unhappy about the lack of notice given over New Providence’s seven-day lockdown.

were arrested on Tuesday August 18 after they protested near Windsor Park, sparked by the lack of notice given over New Providence’s seven-day lockdown.

The protestors defied orders to remain indoors and instead took to the streets to decry the restrictive measures announced

by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis hours earlier.

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis reversed the harsh lockdown less than 24 hours after his prior announcement, allowing food stores, pharmacies, water depots, gas stations and hardware stores to open and the previous partial lockdown to remain in place.

The announcement came in a statement from Dr Minnis after the government was roundly criticised by residents, the opposition and non-profit organisations on the impromptu lockdown, which left many without enough food and water in their homes.

Dr Minnis said the reversal came after Cabinet was briefed by weather officials on an approaching storm and after residents raised concerns with him. Dr Minnis conceded residents and businesses need more time to prepare for such a lockdown.

Editorial View - Page 6

COOPER CALLS ON GOVT TO DETAIL STATE OF TREASURY from page one

“Our country is in crisis.

We need weekly or monthly updates on the state of the economy. Today, I’m calling for a review of the treasury, a review of the finances of our country through the treasury committee of Parliament. I’ve called for a meeting of the treasury committee in order to review all the monthly reports compared with last year. We’re also calling for a sight of the Fiscal Responsibility Council’s report.”

He added: “The Fiscal Responsibility Council is mandated by law to review all aspects of the economy and to report, they would have full access to all of the information in the Ministry of Finance and we ask for that report to be released.

The silence of the Fiscal Responsibility (Council) is stunning, and we ask that we see the reports in very short order.

“Before we can talk about what the economy

looks like in November, we must look to see where we are at the moment. We must look at the various metrics and we can see how we can forecast moving forward.”

Given the economic uncertainty due to COVID, the deputy leader said it is important that the opposition party be kept abreast of the government’s financial state.

“The other thing that I’m calling for today is for the government and the Ministry of Finance to give sight to the opposition and treasury committee of Parliament all of the loans and the loan agreements signed this year,” he said.

PLP’S Chester Cooper

“The minister of finance is on record talking about bridge financing by the CDB, IDB and the World Bank and we know that there were loans from the IMF and we need to have sight of the loan agreements so that we can make our own assessment as to what’s being done especially during this period when many of the conventions of consultation and Parliament is on suspension.

“It’s important that we see the details and it’s important that we understand what the government is doing.”

On Monday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced the resumption of commercial activity in the capital, which will allow many businesses in New Providence to resume operations under certain restrictions, including restaurants and retail stores, as of August 31.

He also said the government was committed to a measured phased re-opening of the economy and

society, based on specific health metrics.

Yesterday, Mr Cooper said while the opposition welcomes the government’s decision, a structured plan detailing the country’s way forward is still needed.

“We want to understand that we are not going to be in an emergency order type of scenario indefinitely so we must see what the next steps are going to be for the new normal,” he said.

“We must continue to educate the Bahamian people. We must prepare them for what this new normal is going to look like.

Everyone says this virus is going to be here with us for a while so we need to plan for that eventuality and we must ensure that we have the legislation in place for social distancing and all of the other necessary essentials that we must have in place once the pandemic passes.”

Last night in response to Mr Cooper’s request, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister K. Peter Turnquest issued a

statement making clear protocols were already in place for what Mr Cooper was asking for.

“I note the request submitted yesterday by the shadow Minister of Finance I. Chester Cooper, requesting to “examine the state of the Treasury,” said Mr Turnquest. “The Shadow Minister would be aware that the Government’s latest budget update is due to be released in a matter of days, in keeping with the practice of quarterly performance reporting initiated by this Government two years ago.

We have never been late with a report and notwithstanding the unprecedented national crisis, we do not intend to be late this time.

“The Ministry of Finance will release the FY2019/2020 fourth quarter budget update on schedule on Sunday, August 30.

Further, in keeping with the Prime Minister’s announcement about upcoming ministry updates, the Ministry of Finance will hold a press conference on the

country’s fiscal affairs on Wednesday, September 2, 2020, where detailed updates will be provided.

“Separately, I have always made myself available to the Shadow Minister to address any questions he may have.

As always, he can reach out to me on any serious or substantive matters.

“This Administration has set and continues to follow a prescribed fiscal plan, which is allowing the Government to meet its ongoing core financial obligations.

The integrity of the public treasury remains intact.

“As foreshadowed during the budget exercise this past May and June, the budgetary performance early in the new fiscal year reflects the prevailing reality in the broader economy. Revenue receipts are muted, and discretionary spending has been constrained. The priorities of the Government remain to provide funding for critical government services and social support.”

Editorial View - Page 6

PAGE 4, Thursday, August 27, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

NURSE ‘HAD TO PAY FOR PRIVATE COVID TEST’

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

A NURSE at the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre who has COVID-19 says she had to pay $224 for testing at a private facility after waiting since August 10 for her results at the South Beach Clinic.

She has yet to receive the result from the public clinic.

Trained Clinical Nurse Yolande Ramsey, 44, said she first began to experience symptoms the day after Hurricane Isaias.

“We (got) called into work that Sunday. I worked from five until

11 on one ward and then I worked another ward from 11pm to 8.30 that morning,” explained the mother-of-four.

“During baths, about after five o’clock in the morning I started to experience congestion, slight headaches. I thought it was sinus to be honest with you because I do suffer from sinus from time to time.

“I was off after that for the next two days. I started to take sinus medication.

I went to work because I work night duty so we work (four) nights. After the two nights off I went to work and for the two days of the beginning of the shift I felt

really bad. The sinuses were not clearing up.”

She said she took sick leave and during that time the symptoms increased.

She started to experience things such as shortness of breath, muscle cramps, sneezing and diarrhea.

She said she then contacted the employee health department. “I called them and they said they’re not doing any testing of staff. I called the lady back from the hotline and she made arrangements for me to go to South Beach Clinic. I did the test at South Beach Clinic and that was on the 10th of August and presently I’m still waiting on the results.”

As her symptoms got worse, such as a spike in temperature, she ended up going to a private facility to get her test. The results came back positive.

Although she understands there was a backlog at South Beach Clinic, she feels nurses should be given priority considering they are on the frontline.

Now, she is feeling better than before and is taking vitamins. The Ministry of Health has been calling her, but she said there is no specialised care for nurses having symptoms.

“When you ask what can be done because you’re experiencing the symptoms,

the only thing they tell is ‘Well, continue with your vitamins and you get any worse then go to the hospital,’” said the 44-year-old.

“But there’s actually no care for the nurses while you’re experiencing these symptoms and these symptoms have to get to a certain point before they can say okay go to the hospital.”

She also said while nurses at SRC were given masks and gloves, more personal protective equipment was needed.

“We were never informed as where this thing exactly was or where this COVID actually was” On Monday, health

officials said 72 healthcare workers have contracted COVID-19 since July.

Data provided by the Ministry of Health shows that as of August 19, 28 healthcare workers at Grand Bahama Health Services tested positive for COVID-19; 18 at Princess Margaret Hospital; 18 at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre; seven at the Department of Public Health (DPH) on New Providence and one at DPH on the Family Islands.

Nurse Bernadette Rolle, who worked on the Male Ward at SRC, died on Friday from the disease.

FUSION TO ROLL AGAIN AS SOON AS GOVT PERMITS

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Christian Council president Bishop Delton Fernander

Jobs crisis hits church funding

from page one

the light bills, feeding people, those are free things that we do.

“Schools haven’t opened since the early part of this year and they fund the overall operation and so its a trickle down effect.

“One day we are going to sit down and talk about the real impact of the church on the Bahamian economy because I think sometimes we miss the fact that the church is an extension of social services and we do our part to help the unfortunate of society.”

Regarding churches, Bishop Fernander said the BCC is implementing the same previous protocols approved by the Ministry of Health that were in place

during the first wave of COVID-19.

“We were very very thankful that we saw on the pie chart that there was zero transmission from churches and we want to keep it the way. So I had a wonderful conversation with our leaders about continuing to follow protocols even the more although we’re starting the process of opening.

“So as far as New Providence is concerned we believe with that kind of numbering and we’re following the data, that in short order the churches in New Providence as soon as the numbers remain in this category I believe for the next week we could see the return of the 30 percent occupancy.”

He maintained that churches are an essential

service with great value to society. “While everybody was home we had to deal with the dead. We had to deal with the grieving. We had to deal with the sick. We didn’t have any personal protective equipment. We didn’t have any big fancy equipment. All we had was a mask and our faith but we go on the road even when the orders didn’t see a need for us.

“But there was a coming around. They quickly realised that if we are going to feed the nation the churches are the places where these people meet we already know who in our communities are in need of help and they already come to us so i think it took this pandemic for people to really understand. “…Between Hurricane Dorian and now the

pandemic the church has proven to be a stable sector of society that when governments come and go the church remains,” Bishop Fernander said.

He spoke after new emergency orders were released, which allow churches in New Providence to conduct services via live stream between 7am and 1pm provided no more than 10 people participate, effective next Monday.

Churches in certain Family Islands, however, are allowed to resume services in accordance with the protocol established by BCC and approved by the Ministry of Health. These islands are Chub Cay, Harbour Island, Long Cay, Long Island, Ragged Island, Rum Cay, San Salvador and Spanish Wells.

DESPITE being shuttered for the last five months, Fusion Superplex will reopen once the government gives the nod for cinemas to operate.

According to Fusion’s chief marketing officer, Nikolette Elden, while the latest Emergency Powers Orders prohibits the complex from opening, there is an ongoing effort to prepare for whenever it is allowed to do so.

However, she said there was not a date set in stone for when the doors of the entertainment facility will open as the situation in the country due to COVID-19 remains fluid.

Ms Elden said there are no plans to lay off staff at this time.

“We are in a holding pattern at the moment,” she told The Tribune yesterday.

“The new executive orders (state) that we are still on the prohibited list, cinemas that is.

“We are of course preparing business behind the scenes, preparing to have a safe and comfortable environment for loyal fans who’ve come to love and appreciate our product.

We’re looking forward to welcoming them back as well as of course our staff.

“So we’ll be introducing new protocols. The technology that we have allows us to practise social distancing in the theatres so we will continue with that as well as introduce the new concepts.”

Asked if the same staff levels would be needed once Fusion reopens, Ms Elden suggested this element will depend on government regulations.

“… What will dictate that are whatever rules the competent authority puts in place,” she said.

“For instance restaurants are at 50 percent capacity so of course I wouldn’t be able to bring on 100 percent staff for 50 percent occupancy so whenever the rules are laid out for us we’ll be guided by those. “(But) we have no intention of laying off staff, not at this point.”

Back in March, Fusion Superplex placed around 350 of its staff on unpaid leave after the government’s first COVID-19 lockdown.

At the time Carlos Foulkes, chief executive officer of the entertainment facility, told The Tribune the company saw no other way as it was faced with $1.1m in monthly operational costs.

He said revenue was directly tied to the facility’s ability to offer content to viewers.

Following this, employees were told management was facing a payroll deficiency and was unable to satisfy salaries for the March pay period.

Later that month, employees expressed concern that their National Insurance Board contributions had not been paid.

However Mr Foulkes said the company’s NIB contributions were delayed, citing paperwork issues, admitting the company was on a payment plan with NIB. He said this arrangement should be no reason for employees to be prevented from getting benefits.

To date, Ms Elden told The Tribune that any worker with outstanding money had their issues satisfied.

WHAT THE LATEST EMERGENCY POWERS ALLOW

THE Minnis administration’s latest emergency order reveals which businesses will be allowed to resume operations as the country eases lockdown restrictions.

Islands listed in the first schedule of the order include Chub Cay, Harbour Island, Long Cay, Long Island, Ragged Island, Rum Cay, San Salvador and Spanish Wells.

In these islands, churches, schools, home schools and preschools can operate with sanitisation, mask-wearing and social distancing carried out. No more than five students can attend a home school unless authorised.

Salons, barbershops and other cosmetologists may operate in these specified islands but can only have one patron per service provider in the business.

Restaurants may offer inside and outside dining at 50 percent capacity.

Social gathering is allowed with a maximum of 20 people at a private residence or facility.

Meanwhile, weddings,

receptions, funerals, burials and repasts will also be allowed with guidelines.

Beaches and parks will be open in the islands in the first schedule.

The second schedule of the order includes Acklins, Abaco, Andros, the Berry Islands, Bimini, Cat Island, Crooked Island, Eleuthera, Exuma, Grand Bahama, Inagua, and Mayaguana.

As of Monday, August 31, New Providence and Paradise Island will be able to operate under the second schedule.

A nightly curfew will remain in effect between for these islands from 10pm and 5am.

Businesses and offices in islands in the second schedule can continue operations by allowing employees to work from home unless these employees are permitted to work under section four of the order.

Essential workers in the civil service should report to work.

Grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, hardware stores and water depots

may operate between 6am and 9pm.

Private medical facilities may operate Monday through Friday between 9am and 5pm for emergency care and other specified services. A dental practice can provide emergency care.

Commercial banks and credit unions may operate between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, while money transmission services may operate from 9am to 5pm.

International banks and trusts can also operate once client-facing services are excluded.

Pool maintenance and landscape services will be allowed between 7am and 5pm.

Retail bakeries, water and ice production shall be permitted between 7am and 5pm.

News vendors can operate between 7am and 1pm, and laundromats between 6am and 9pm provided they operate at 50 percent occupancy.

A retail business may

operate Monday through Friday between 7am and 6pm using curbside or delivery service.

Gaming house operators, wholesalers and manufacturers may also operate using curbside, online or delivery services.

However, spas, gyms, straw market vendors, festivals, regattas, cinema and cultural or entertainment events and services remain prohibited. Jet ski operators are also not permitted to operate and a gym or outdoor exercise group is also prohibited.

Effective next Monday, a church in the second schedule of islands can offer live stream service between 7am and 1pm provided no more than 10 people participate on the premises.

Schools, preschools, and home school programmes with no more than five students, can operate with all health guidelines including mask-wearing and sanitisation.

Weddings and graveside services may be held

with 10 people, excluding officiants.

Hotels may operate on islands in the second schedule provided guests remain on premises during the curfew.

Restaurants can operate with curbside service, pickup, delivery, takeaway and drive-thru between 5am and 9pm, and can offer outdoor dining a 50 percent capacity with social distancing. Indoor dining is not allowed.

Vendors at Fish Fry and Potter’s Cay in New Providence will be allowed to operate next week Monday, however outdoor dining is not permitted.

Fishing is allowed with no more than two people on the vessel between 5am and 6pm; commercial fishing and harvesting certain marine life is also allowed.

Beaches and parks in Grand Bahama will open between 5am and 9am. In New Providence, effective August 31, they will also be open between 5am and 9am however groups exceeding five people are not allowed.

Individuals may exercise in their neighbourhoods between 5am and 9am and in their yard at any time.

Social gatherings, unless specified in the order, remain barred.

Regarding public transportation, taxis may operate, but private and public buses remain prohibited.

Construction will be permitted Monday through Friday between 7am and 5pm; and on Saturdays between 7am and 1pm.

In the section on travel, the order states that the director general of the Civil Aviation Authority may permit a private or commercial flight while the chairman of the Bahamas Maritime Authority may permit a commercial vessel.

For inter-island travel, a negative COVID-19 test is needed and upon arrival at the destination mandatory quarantine at a government identified facility or another appropriate facility for 14 days or for the duration of stay, if for a lesser period, is required.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, August 27, 2020, PAGE 5

Four survive as aircraft crashes

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT ts-cartwright @tribunemedia.net A GROUP from Abaco is lucky to be alive after their small aircraft crashed into water off Treasure Cay yesterday morning just after takeoff.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority is investigating the incident.

The agency said a Piper PA32 Cherokee Six with registration C6-TOY crashed into water after departing the Treasure Cay Airport. All four passengers were uninjured.

According to the aircraft’s pilot, Bishop Cedric Bullard, just after takeoff from the airport, he noticed something was out of sorts with the plane.

“We were going to Nassau to see our families and get back here, but after takeoff we were climbing to an altitude and I observed that we were not climbing, we lost engine pressure,” said Bishop Bullard. “As a minister of the gospel I want to point out why it is important to ask God to order your steps.

“I said to my pastor, ‘Pray that God gives us a safe flight’ and we had a prayer

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in the plane this morning.

We started losing power and we tried to head back to the (runway), because there wasn’t enough altitude. We were able to put this airplane in the swamp in a beautiful area in Abaco.”

Bishop Bullard, who posted a live Facebook video about the incident, was travelling to New Providence with his son, Timothy Ferguson, one of the pastors from his church, Rev LaTroy Russell and Russell’s daughter, a medical school student. The bishop thanked God they are all alive and uninjured.

“I want to say to you to always put God first,” Bishop Bullard continued.

“The Bible says in all your ways acknowledge Christ and he will direct your path.

Do that! This could have ended differently. We could have been over the deep blue ocean or over the pine yard, but God put us over the swamp.

“The landing was smooth. No one was injured. We are here and able to talk to each other and give God thanks. The message in this is not to do a video to show off, but to say God is real and if you serve him and put him first,

he will protect you in troubled times.”

The AAIA also confirmed that the Royal Bahamas Defence Force rescued the passengers on board the downed Piper Cherokee aircraft. The agency said investigations into this matter will continue Abaco is no stranger to aircraft crashes. On August 25, 2001, almost the same date of yesterday’s crash, a Cessna 402 twin-engine light aircraft carrying American singer and actress Aaliyah and part of her entourage crashed just after takeoff

from the Marsh Harbour Airport in Abaco. That crash took the lives of the pilot and all eight passengers on board.

On March 26, 2012, then Police Superintendent Paul Rolle, now Commissioner of Police, informed the press of a crash where a single engine Piper aircraft, minutes after taking off from the Treasure Cay Airport, exploded after crashing into some trees a few yards away from the runway.

All four passengers, who were second home owners, were confirmed dead on the scene.

PAGE 6, Thursday, August 27, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

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What is the course for the ship of state?

THERE’S some political sparring afoot. As readers of today’s Tribune can see, the deputy leaders of the FNM and PLP are taking potshots at one another.

Chester Cooper, for the Opposition, wants a briefing about the state of the economy, while Peter Turnquest, for the government, notes that such briefings happen on a regular basis.

Underneath the sniping, however, there is a serious point – which is that many of us have concerns about what the state of the economy is at present, and could do with some guidance on where we are, and where we’re going.

We do feel for the government in this moment – with the battle against COVID-19 making definite predictions on when the economy might get back on its feet a fool’s errand.

In yesterday’s Tribune, we reported that Mr Turnquest was looking several weeks ahead towards international borders reopening – but we all know that further spikes in COVID-19 cases could see that pushed even further back.

That said, the signs are all around of

the economic nightmare we are facing.

In today’s Tribune Business section, Moody’s reports that tourism income was pretty much wiped out in the second quarter, and that unemployment is soaring, while we also report the number of households bringing home a salary below minimum wage tripling. There are now more wire transfers going out of the country than coming in. Pick a sector of the economy, and it’s not hard to see the troubles it is facing.

As for how quickly circumstances are changing, you only need to see the turnaround in a week from the government imposing an immediate lockdown to declaring it will open New Providence more.

More details from the government of how it plans to support the economy we have in the meantime, plus its plans for when the country restarts would be useful. Not just for Mr Cooper and the PLP, but for the public.

We understand the stormy waters we are sailing through, but we still need to know the course we are charting.

Lessons hopefully learned WITH a metaphorical shake of hands, it appears that the protests that sprouted up the day after that immediate lockdown have been resolved. The police won’t prosecute, the protesters represented by Wayne Munroe won’t sue.

Given the circumstances at present, a protracted legal battle wouldn’t help anyone, and there’s a certain honour in all parties just walking away.

That said, shouldn’t that be up to the Director of Public Prosecutions? Might

the Attorney General have something to say about it?

Legal matters have a habit of not going away quite as readily as one might hope, so senior officials weighing in might be useful to tie it off completely.

Meanwhile, others arrested for minor offences in lockdown might be asking well, what about me?

We’re glad this has been resolved – and we hope lessons have been learned on all sides to stop such tensions being stirred again.

Drilling for oil in The Bahamas would be a disaster EDITOR, The Tribune

Now we’re on the right road, we can begin hard task of rebuilding EDITOR, The Tribune THE Prime Minister outdid himself during his national address this past Monday. Clearly he has a new crew of advisers and I am especially pleased to note that Dr. Dayl-Regis is back in the loop as lead spokesperson for the health protocols and management of the pandemic on behalf of the Bahamian people and the administration.

It was a well crafted, researched and most welcomed address after the high number of Covid related deaths. The sympathies and condolences of myself and family are extended to those who may have lost loved ones so far.

One death is too many, but we will emerge from the pandemic in fine form, God willing.

I am happy that the PM has scrapped the wicked and debilitating practice of extensive lock downs and invasive curfews. The

announcement that commercial activities will be allowed to resume next week was also a welcomed piece of good news for a change. The Covid is going to be around for a bit longer and we, like others around the world, will have to understand this. Until a vaccine is discovered we will have to observe ALL of the recommended health protocols. In this vein I urge all Bahamians to continue to do just that.

We are not out of the woods yet and people should become more considerate about wearing face masks and maintaining a social distance as recommended by the health officials. The economy should bounce back over the course of the next four months or so. I predict that

by January, 2021 we will have put the worst aspects of the pandemic behind us.

The Commissioner of Police is urged to place more foot and bike patrol

officers in the inner city areas; at the food stores and certainly at the now reopened wash houses.

Churches should remain restricted for now and protocols MUST be followed at weddings and burials. No fly by night parties, please and certainly no large gatherings at the beaches. As we emerge from the tunnel of disaster and grief, let us not look behind but forward; onward and upward together.

Thank you Competent Authority for finally getting it right. Now the hard task of rebuilding begins.

As we roll up our collective sleeves let us be ever mindful that there will be additional dark days ahead of us BUT we have yet to see our best days as a people. To God then, in all things, be the glory.

ORTLAND H. BODIE, Jr. Nassau, August 25, 2020

THE recent oil spill on the southeast coast of Mauritius is a reminder that drilling for oil in The Bahamas is a recipe for disaster.

On July 25, 2020 the Japanese owned mv Wakashio sustained damage when it hit and destroyed a coral reef near Pointe D’Esny, a sanctuary for rare wildlife and important wetlands.

At the beginning of August, oil leaking from the ship turned the colour of the ocean from pristine turquoise to thick dark toxic waste. A state of environmental emergency was declared and a unique, biodiverse marine ecosystem was polluted with more than 1,000 tonnes of diesel and oil.

Insufficiently equipped to handle the disaster, the people of Mauritius attempted to reduce the damage of the oil spill by making absorbent barriers stuffed with straw, leaves and human hair.

On August 15 the ship broke into two pieces.

Photos of the devastation are heart-breaking.

In a short period of time, 35 years of work by the wildlife foundation to restore the area has been compromised and ruined. Jean Hugue Gardenne of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation says: “We have planted about 200,000 indigenous trees to restore the coastal forest.

We re-introduced endangered birds, including the pink pigeon, the olive white-eye and the critically

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net endangered Mauritius fody to the Isle aux Aigrettes.

Now all this is threatened as the oil is seeping into the soil and the coral reefs.”

Happy Khambule, Greenpeace Africa’s Senior Climate and Energy Campaign Manager summarizes the catastrophe by saying: “Thousands of species around the pristine lagoons of Blue Bay, Pointe d’Esny and Mahebourg are at risk of drowning in a sea of pollution, with dire consequences for Mauritius’ economy, food security and health.” He adds: “Mauritians had nothing to gain from the mv Wakashio crossing their waters and are now asked to pay the price of this disaster.”

The tragic reality currently faced by Mauritians is the reality that Bahamians will inevitably experience if Bahamas Petroleum Company (BPC) – or anyone – drills for oil in The Bahamas.

Registered in The Isle of Man, BPC shows maps on its website of 100% BPC Southern Licences, 100% BPC Northern Licence, 100% BPC Applications Pending, and Proposed Drilling Locations in The Bahamas.

Simon Potter, Chief Executive Officer of BPC writes: “The Company has a clear and unambiguous obligation under its licences to drill an initial exploration

well in The Bahamas during 2020. Discharge of this obligation will then allow the Company to enter the next exploration period, running for a further three years, and in the event of success seek a 30-year production lease that would allow for development of any discovered commercial reserves.”

Drilling was scheduled for the beginning of 2020, but COVID-19 and the hurricane season forced BPC to postpone its plans until the end of 2020. Although Mr. Potter would like to reassure Bahamians that BPC’s oil project is safe and beneficial for The Bahamas, it’s time to face the facts and tell it like it is: 1. The process of drilling and shipping oil in The Bahamas is not safe, will never be safe, and will not benefit Bahamians.

2. Drilling for oil is not going to reduce or solve our problems; it will only exacerbate and create more problems.

3. This is our country. Visitors are welcome to visit but not to take over, exploit or destroy The Bahamas.

4. We must educate and invest in Bahamians, and we must work together to protect and preserve our natural resources. Our lives and future generations depend on it.

5. Swift and decisive action must be taken now to ensure that oil drilling is banned in The Bahamas.

FORWARD, UPWARD, ONWARD, TOGETHER Nassau, August 26, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, August 27, 2020, PAGE 7

SPANISH WOMAN, 73, WAS COCAINE MULE

from page one

Bonet-Roig returned to court yesterday to plead guilty to the charges brought against her.

This time, the court heard around 11.30am on the day in question, officers acting on information, went to Lynden Pindling International Airport where they apprehended Bonet-Roig in reference to dangerous drug possession.

The defendant was then taken to the airport police station with her black duffle bag. When officers

searched it, they discovered a large black square package containing a quantity of suspected cocaine in the lining of the luggage. As a result, the officers contacted a Spanish interpreter to inform Bonet-Roig that she was under arrest.

They also seized $107 from Bonet-Roig as the proceeds of crime. She was then taken to the Drug Enforcement Unit where she denied the allegations when interviewed by officers in the presence of an interpreter. According to the prosecution, the drugs

had an estimated street value of $84,000.

During the hearing, Bonet-Roig’s lawyer said his client has “accepted responsibility” for her actions after receiving legal advice. He added Bonet-Roig “fully comprehended the wrong she committed in this jurisdiction” and insisted she was remorseful for allowing herself to be used to transport drugs into the country.

In response, Magistrate Forbes said it appeared as if Bonet-Roig was used as a mule and stated it was regrettable she found herself being

incarcerated for five months at her elderly age for such a crime.

As a result, after sentencing the defendant to time served, Magistrate Forbes said he hoped she would exercise a “little more due diligence” in the future and said he would turn her over to the director of immigration to assist with her deportation to Spain.

He further ordered the drugs to be confiscated and destroyed and made a note for the $107 that was seized from Bonet-Roig on the day of her arrest to be forfeited to the Crown.

Man violates curfew to charge ankle bracelet

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A 27-YEAR-OLD man who claimed he violated New Providence’s curfew because he went to get the adapter to charge his ankle bracelet was fined $500 yesterday.

Police arrested Dwayne Kelly Jr after they found him walking in the Florida Court area without a face mask around 10.45pm on August 13.

During his hearing before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes yesterday, Kelly Jr pleaded guilty to breaching the curfew and violating the requirement

to wear a mask and was fined $500.

The court heard officers were on mobile patrol in the area when they observed the defendant walking without a face mask. When they approached and questioned him, he said he was coming from his girlfriend’s house.

He was subsequently arrested.

When given an opportunity to speak yesterday, Kelly Jr, who is currently on probation, told the magistrate he only left his home because he needed to get the adapter to charge his monitoring bracelet to avoid getting “locked up for something else more serious”.

As a result, Magistrate Forbes fined him $300 for violating the curfew and $200 for going outdoors without a mask. Still, he warned Kelly Jr if he failed to pay the fines, he would spend one month behind bars.

Meanwhile, Kenol Gue, 35, was charged after officers found him on East Street around 10.30pm on August 24.

According to the prosecution, when officers questioned Gue that night, he told them he was at a party and had lost track of time. He also said he was outdoors because he was on his way to take some items to his girlfriend.

FINED FOR COCAINE POSSESSION

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN who officers seized nearly ten ounces of cocaine from on Tuesday was fined $5,000 in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes imposed the fine on Eariel Turnquest, 45, after he pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous drug possession with the intent to supply.

The prosecution said Turnquest planned to sell the 9.5 ounces of cocaine to make a $2,660 profit.

The court heard officers went to Turnquest’s apartment around 1.56pm on the day of his arrest, armed with a search warrant. Upon their arrival, they informed the defendant that they would be conducting a search in reference to dangerous drugs and firearms. During their investigation, police found

two clear bags containing hard rock substances suspected to be cocaine in the oven of Turnquest’s stove. He was subsequently arrested and transported to the Drug Enforcement Unit. In an interview with officers there, he admitted to the offense.

During his arraignment, Turnquest pleaded guilty.

If he fails to pay the fine he will spend one year at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

TEENAGER GIVEN BAIL AHEAD OF TRIAL

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A TEENAGER who was accused of hacking into a man’s social media account was yesterday granted bail ahead of her trial.

Rayven Young, 19, appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew

Forbes charged with one count of unauthorised access to computer material and another of unauthorised modification of computer material after she was accused of using a mobile device or computer to change the password of a man’s Facebook account sometime between January 1 and August 24.

The prosecution also alleged the defendant altered the complainant’s passcode without his authority during that same timeframe.

Yesterday, Young denied both charges and the matter was adjourned to November 10 for trial. The youngster was granted $1,000 bail in the interim.

Gue pleaded guilty during his arraignment before Magistrate Forbes and was fined $450 or one month at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

Officers found Kenvardo Knowles, 21, and Bryanna Ferguson, 23, on McKinney Drive around 10.25am on August 13. The court heard the defendants were arrested after officers on mobile patrol spotted the couple riding on a scooter.

The court heard when officers questioned the pair that morning, Knowles said he was taking his girlfriend for a ride around the corner.

During the hearing, he told the magistrate he was an essential worker and had to report to his job for 11am, so he was trying to “hurry up” and carry Ferguson home. Yesterday, both defendants pleaded guilty to violating curfew and were each fined $450 or one month at BDCS. Kendise Smith,19,

was charged after officers found her on Baillou Hill Road around 9pm on August 13. She pleaded guilty and was fined $300 after she told the magistrate she left home to pick up her mother who worked at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH). Smith said she did not call 311 before she left home on the night in question, because when she had tried to contact them in the past, she never got an answer.

After fining the defendant, Magistrate Forbes warned her if she failed to pay the fine, she could risk spending a month in prison.

Officers found Leavon Williamson, 50, on Balfour Avenue around 8.40am.

According to the prosecution, during his interview with police, Williamson told officers he was headed by a friend to see if they had work that day or the day after. After pleading guilty, Williamson was fined $500 or two months behind bars.

ROW ENDS IN FATAL STABBING from page one 8pm a group of men were gathered outside a business on Pinedale Road when two of them got into an argument.

He added: “One of the men produced a sharp object stabbing the other multiple times about the body. The victim was transported to the hospital via private vehicle where he later succumbed to his injuries.”

It is believed the victim is between 20 to 30. His identity was not released by police.

His killing pushed the year’s murder count to 41, according to this newspaper’s records.

Valentino Smith, 36, died in hospital after he was shot after 10pm on Saturday August 15.

He had been wounded by several bullets, which ripped through his home.

That killing came more than a week after another man was shot while parked outside a residence on Pine Yard Road.

Rhodrigo Gray, 46, was awaiting the return of his passenger when a burgundy Nissan Cube pulled alongside his vehicle on August 5.

A male passenger exited the Cube and produced a handgun, discharging it in the direction of the driver injuring him.

The gunman returned to the vehicle and the driver sped off. The victim was transported to the hospital

by Emergency Medical Services where he later died.

Anyone with information on any of these incidents is asked to call police at 5029991 or Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS.

PAGE 8, Thursday, August 27, 2020

FRONT PORCH

BY SIMON “We have to move from ‘they should’ to “we should’.

We have to move from ‘they say’ to ‘we say’.” – Prime Minister Hubert Minnis IN THE last century newspapers published blank maps so that citizens could plot the path of a hurricane. Still, it was anyone’s guess where a storm was headed. Today, satellite information combined with powerful computers track the steering winds in the path of the storm and create a cone of a probable path that has proven to be increasingly accurate.

Few people, if anyone, question the likelihood of the path of the hurricane veering outside that cone of probability. Over the past hundred years we have travelled unsteadily from ignorance to the application of scientific models to deliver maps of the likely paths of impending storms to our smartphones.

After Dorian, no one questions the need to be as fully prepared as possible for the destructive power of hurricanes.

There is a reason why COVID-19 is dubbed a novel, meaning new, coronavirus. Our early knowledge of this virus was equivalent to our early knowledge of hurricane tracking 100 years ago.

THE TRIBUNE

Make no mistake - we’re all in this fight and have to work together Our knowledge has improved markedly over the past several months and is improving every day. Given that the last pandemic of the scale of COVID-19 was more than 100 years ago, it might be that our lack of direct experience with a pandemic explains our relatively cavalier attitude toward COVID-19.

But we now see what happens when we let our guard down. We see what happens when we forget the science that guided us when we were receiving praise from the international community.

For example, we regularly heard the expressed belief among many young people that they are either immune to or can easily

recover from a COVID-19 infection.

VITAL We now know that death is not the only negative outcome from a COVID-19 infection. Even for those young people who recover, an increasing number are showing long-term effects to their lung capacity and in other reductions in the functioning of their vital organs including their hearts.

Some recovered young people who are used to running over the Paradise Island Bridge will soon discover they can only walk over the bridge because of their impaired heart and lung functions.

Anyone who tells you

that only older people need to worry about contracting COVID-19 is not telling you the full story. It is important for us to not only preserve life but to also preserve the quality of life.

We cannot let our guard down again. By letting our guard down, we compromised our health and welfare. We forestalled the properly phased reopening of our economy.

As the Prime Minister noted in his press conference this past Monday: “Our task now is to restore our confidence in ourselves by shutting down community spread and flattening the COVID-19 curve of transmissions and infections once again, over the next several weeks.

“The only way that we can get there is by moving from ‘the government should’ to ‘we should’. We have to move from ‘they should’ to ‘we should’. We have to move from ‘they say’ to ‘we say’.

“When The Bahamas is successful, it is not the government that is being successful. It is the Bahamian people who are achieving success!”

Recent research shows The Bahamas is among the top or at the top of destinations to which North Americans wish to travel internationally and our proximity to North America further cements our advantages.

No one believes we will never get another case of COVID-19 brought into The Bahamas by a visitor.

That is likely to happen.

But we need those cases to be so rare that we can immediately find the source, trace the contacts and contain the spread. The same applies to Bahamians and to our residents. There will be

other cases of COVID19 infection but our task is to make sure they are all easily identifiable and controllable.

REVIVE For the past several decades as we gained greater certainty about the behavioUr of hurricanes, we have demonstrated how we can work together in planning for those storms. We must do the same to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

A recent article in The Economist noted of the English-speaking Caribbean: “Governments now face an agonizing choice. Should they keep their countries relatively closed to contain the pandemic, or open them back up to revive their economies, at the risk of spreading the virus?

“They must also watch out for the weather. Forecasters predicted that the storm season, which runs from June to November, would be unusually active.

A major hurricane would make matters far worse for any island it strikes.

“Fossil-fuel-rich Trinidad & Tobago has large foreigncurrency reserves. But most Caribbean countries have less to spend. Barbados, which is highly indebted, is shoring up its finances under Mia Mottley, Prime Minister since 2018 and getting help from the IMF. The Bahamas has not recovered from Hurricane Dorian, which struck last year. The IMF is helping it, too.

“Governments pray for a pickup in tourism when the peak season begins in December. But their efforts to tempt back travellers may spread disease without boosting growth much.”

There are few to no confirmed case of transmission

of COVID-19 from a visitor to The Bahamas. The protocols The Bahamas had in place to protect our citizens, residents and visitors worked and worked well.

Unfortunately, it is Bahamians who caused the recent surge in cases after some of them visited hotspots overseas.

It is now up to all of us to act and behave more responsibly to combat this virus and to reopen our economy and country.

In a recent letter to the editor, Athena Damianos admonished us to be more responsible individually and collectively. She also stressed: “The media plays a big role in shaping society. Besides acting as a watchdog – so crucial to democracy – their role is to inform, educate and entertain. I don’t see too much going on in the way of educating.

“While some are doing an admirable job (kudos to them, they know who they are), too many who call themselves journalists are pushing their personal agendas instead of educating the public and playing a leading role in helping to stop the spread of COVID-19.

“It is important and right to scrutinize, expose and question. It is NOT cool to use this very important platform to undermine public efforts to get a handle on the virus and play on the emotions of people.”

In a letter of support to the Prime Minister and the Government, Ethan Farquharson, an eight-year-old, has given us our marching orders. Ethan demonstrated a maturity, wisdom, spirit of unity and national spirit that has eluded so many of us. He reminded us of our better angels.

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THE TRIBUNE

L

OOKING back, maybe we should have seen it coming. But it was quite unexpected. It was unethical if not yet illegal. And it might yet prove to be a real turning point.

It was actually two things.

It was, first, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s campaign speech from the roof of the famous King David Hotel in Jerusalem as a highlight of the second day of the 2020 Republican National Convention. And it was, second, the lengthy, stirring, somehow normal address to the nation by First Lady Melania Trump before a rapt Rose Garden audience behind the White House.

Pompeo, who is widely tipped as an early favourite to either succeed Trump or oppose Biden in 2024, ably recited a list of the President’s claimed foreign policy successes. There have been several, most notably getting in the face of China.

In so doing, Trump has confronted the issue of Chinese megalomania more directly than any other recent American President and he has won quiet admiration for it in many corners of the world, even as he has behaved like a buffoon too often for the taste of many other leaders.

Pompeo shattered American tradition in joining the convention in a partisan way as a sitting Secretary of State. In addressing the convention - and nation - from the White House, Trump and his wife both politicised “America’s house” in similarly unprecedented fashion.

But Mrs Trump hit a home run. Visibly struggling at times to keep her composure on this biggest of stages while speaking in a language clearly not her native tongue, Melania departed from the embarrassingly mendacious, craven tone of the RNC to address the huge issues that actually face Americans.

She sounded suspiciously like a human being.

Relatively invisible for most of her husband’s first term as President, Melania delivered only a light pitch for his re-election.

Instead, she departed from the dreary litany of untruthful obsequiousness of other speakers to appeal for national unity in the face of COVID-19, a looming national economic depression and continuing civil unrest over racial inequalities.

Unlike so many other speakers, she didn’t misrepresent Trump’s dreadful civil rights record, obvious indifference to the severity of the pandemic or obstinate refusal to admit that only the federal government can rescue the country from its economic woes.

Melania’s appearance was certainly the highlight of the first two days of the RNC. It will likely remain in first place as the convention concludes this evening.

On Monday, the first speaker at the 2020 virtual Republican national convention, like almost all of them, was videotaped. Looking wooden and robotic, 26-year-old campus conservative organiser Charlie Kirk set the tone for the night by referring to President Trump as the “bodyguard of western civilisation”.

You may admire Trump.

He may disgust you. You may look the other way at some of his boorish, sophomoric behaviour in favour of his steadfast commitment to his campaign promises.

You may feel that his wilful, cynical ignorance imperils the future of the US and maybe even the world. Or maybe you are somewhere in between.

But whatever your

Thursday, August 27, 2020, PAGE 9

Out of the White House shadows at last we saw something presidential emerge - Melania Trump STATESIDE

with Charlie Harper

feelings about him, Trump has obviously commandeered the Republican Party, and this has never been more clearly on display than this week as he and Vice President Mike Pence were re-nominated for second four-year terms.

The first night set the tone for the week. After callow Kirk, a parade of videotaped tributes followed for a couple of hours.

The biting, often defensive tone of the speakers’ comments and sharpness of their personal attacks on Democratic nominee Joe Biden seemed to underscore the desperation the Republicans reportedly feel about the November election.

Here’s first son Donald Trump Jr.: “This election is a choice between church, work and school and rioting, looting and vandalism. Joe Biden is basically the Loch Ness Monster of the swamp.

For the past half-century, he’s been lurking around in there. He sticks his head up every now and then to run for President, then he disappears and doesn’t do much in between.”

Trump and his followers shouldn’t necessarily be faulted for hewing to the lines of argument and rhetoric that led him to victory four years ago. But to offer little more than general conservative bromides and venomous attacks on the opposition does make you wonder if they feel they have any accomplishments to boast about.

Here’s Ohio congressman Jim Jordan, a leading Trump cheerleader in the House of Representatives: “Democrats refuse to denounce the (Black Lives Matter) mob.

They’re trying to take away your guns. Democrats won’t let you go to church, but they’ll let you violently protest.

Democrats won’t let you go to work, but they’ll let you riot. Democrats won’t let you go to school, but they’ll let you loot.”

While liberal cable TV anchors furiously factchecked some of the numerous misstatements and lies by Trump supporters, Fox News glided in and out of its coverage to highlight commentary by old party warhorses like George W. Bush’s “brain,” Karl Rove, and others. It didn’t seem like the Republican Party was really trying very hard to win over those American voters who remain undecided ahead of the election.

It seemed more that the party leaders, and Trump in particular, had simply decided to double down on pandering to his significant base of support in an effort to ensure as many of them as possible turn out to vote for him.

Some of the more strident speakers were actually

yelling and shouting at the cameras in front of empty ceremonial rooms at the Commerce Department’s Ronald Reagan building, where most of the video was shot.

Don Jr’s girlfriend, former Fox News babe Kimberly Guilfoyle, said Democrats “want to destroy this country, and everything that we have fought for and hold dear. They want to steal your liberty, your freedom. They want to control what you see and think and believe, so they can control how you live. They want to enslave you to the weak, dependent, liberal, victim ideology to the point that you will not recognise this country or yourself.”

Speaking earlier, her boyfriend did much better than many expected. Don Jr. delivered his remarks on time and with a polished, practiced cadence that speaks well of the dedication he has reportedly shown in honing his skills.

His performance was only marred by his eyes: they were forever welling up, looking like he had applied too many eyedrops before coming to the podium to speak.

Other speakers repeated the stupendous charges that a President Biden would raise taxes for 82 percent of Americans, that he and his band of socialist supporters would eliminate 10 million jobs and that they would pursue policies permitting abortion right up to the point of birth.

This is all nonsense of course. But Republican and Trumper audiences are accustomed to this mendacious hyperbole. What sticks in the mind is that these hand-picked speakers and their content coaches couldn’t find anything more credible to talk about.

South Carolina produced two of the better speakers on Monday evening. Black US Senator Tim Scott, the final speaker, delivered measured, human remarks that were certainly partisan but highly credible.

And former South Carolina governor and UN ambassador Nikki Haley did almost as well. She was rougher and relied on Republican critiques of the United Nations that date back at least to the 1950s.

But she impressed many observers.

Former NFL star running back Herschel Walker was actually quite convincing in his endorsement of Trump, praising the President’s 37-year friendship with him.

The several other black speakers mostly just hectored the Democrats and Biden with tired and mostly inaccurate blather.

Trump himself appeared on camera several times on the convention’s first two nights, in staged meetings with released hostages, convention delegates, health

FIRST lady Melania Trump arrives to speak on the second day of the Republican National Convention from the Rose Garden of the White House care workers and newly naturalised US citizens.

Compelled by the occasion to be quiet, respectful and to listen to others, Trump visibly struggled with his task but made it through without major

mistakes. But he was clearly uncomfortable in a public role that obliged him to play second fiddle to other people.

The national political conventions are traditionally the last chance for a

big score in the polls for presidential candidates.

We’ll soon see how Trump did. But one thing was clear at the RNC. His wife looked and spoke much more like a President than he did.

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PAGE 10, Thursday, August 27, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

17-year-old arrested after two shot dead WISCONSIN Associated Press

A WHITE, 17-year-old police admirer was arrested yesterdy after two people were shot to death during a third straight night of protests in Kenosha over the police shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake.

Kyle Rittenhouse, of Antioch, Illinois, was taken into custody in Illinois on suspicion of first-degree intentional homicide. Antioch is about 15 miles from Kenosha.

Two people were killed on Tuesday night and a third was wounded in an attack apparently carried out by a young white man who was caught on cellphone video opening fire in the middle of the street with a semi-automatic rifle.

“I just killed somebody,” the gunman could be heard saying at one point during the rampage that erupted just before midnight.

In the wake of the killings, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers authorized the sending of 500 members of the National Guard to Kenosha, doubling the number of troops. The governor’s office said he is working with other states to bring in additional National Guard members and law officers.

Authorities also announced

A PROTESTER takes cover during clashes outside the Kenosha courthouse; inset: People try to push over protective fencing. a 7pm curfew, an hour earlier than the night before.

“A senseless tragedy like this cannot happen again,” the governor, a Democrat, said in a statement. “I again ask those who choose to exercise their First Amendment rights please do so peacefully and safely, as so many did last night. I also ask the individuals who are not there to exercise those rights to please stay home and let

local first responders, law enforcement and members of the Wisconsin National Guard do their jobs.”

In Washington, the Justice Department said it is sending in the FBI and federal marshals in response to the unrest. The White House said up to 2,000 National Guard troops would be made available.

The dead were identified only as a 26-year-old Silver

Lake, Wisconsin, resident and a 36-year-old from Kenosha. The wounded person, a 36-year-old from West Allis, Wisconsin, was expected to survive, police said.

“We were all chanting ‘Black lives matter’ at the gas station and then we heard, boom, boom, and I told my friend, `’That’s not fireworks,’” 19-year-old protester Devin Scott said.

“And then this guy with this huge gun runs by us in the middle of the street and people are yelling, ‘He shot someone! He shot someone!’ And everyone is trying to fight the guy, chasing him and then he started shooting again.”

Scott said he cradled a lifeless victim in his arms, and a woman started performing CPR, but “I don’t think he made it.”

According to witness accounts and video footage, police apparently let the gunman walk past them and leave the scene with a rifle over his shoulder and his hands in the air as members of the crowd were yelling for him to be arrested because he had shot people.

As for how the gunman managed to leave the scene, Sheriff David Beth portrayed a chaotic, high-stress situation, with screaming, chanting, nonstop radio traffic and people running all over — conditions he said can cause “tunnel vision” among law officers.

Rittenhouse was assigned a public defender in Illinois for a hearing tomorrow on his transfer to Wisconsin.

The public defender’s office had no comment. Under Wisconsin law, anyone 17 or older is treated as an adult in the criminal justice system.

LAURA COULD SINK ENTIRE COMMUNITIES

THE OUTER bands of Hurricane Laura bring winds and rain to High Island yesterday TEXAS Associated Press NATIONAL Laura strengthened yesterday into a menacing Category 4 hurricane, raising fears of a 20-foot storm surge that forecasters said would be “unsurvivable” and capable of sinking entire communities. Authorities implored coastal residents of Texas and Louisiana to evacuate and worried that not enough had fled.

The storm grew nearly 87% in power in just 24 hours to a size the National Hurricane Center called “extremely dangerous.”

Drawing energy from the warm Gulf of Mexico waters, the system was on track to arrive late last night or early today as the most powerful hurricane to strike the US so far this year.

“It looks like it’s in full beast mode, which is not what you want to see if you’re in its way,” University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy said.

Winds were expected to

reach 150 mph before landfall, and forecasters said up to 15 inches of rain could fall in some places.

One major Louisiana highway already had standing water as Laura’s outer bands moved ashore with tropical storm-force winds.

Thousands of sandbags lined roadways in tiny Lafitte, and winds picked up as shoppers rushed into a grocery store in low-lying Delcambre.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards were concerned that the dire predictions were not resonating despite authorities putting more than 500,000 coastal residents under mandatory evacuation orders.

In Lake Charles, Louisiana, National Guard members drove school buses around neighborhoods, offering to pick up families. Across the state line in Port Arthur, Texas, few stragglers boarded evacuation buses, and city officials announced that two C-130 transport planes offered the last chance to

leave. Abbott warned that people who fail to get out of harm’s way could be cut off from help long after the storm hits.

The National Hurricane Center kept raising its estimate of Laura’s storm surge, from 10 feet just a couple of days ago to twice that size — a height that forecasters said would be especially deadly.

By yesterday afternoon, Laura had maximum sustained winds of 145 mph as it churned about 155 miles south of Lake Charles.

“Heed the advice of your local authorities. If they tell you to go, go! Your life depends on it today,” said Joel Cline, tropical program coordinator at the National Weather Service. “It’s a serious day and you need to listen to them.”

On Twitter, President Donald Trump also urged coastal residents to heed local officials. Hurricane warnings were issued from San Luis Pass, Texas, to Intracoastal City, Louisiana, and reached inland for 200 miles.

QUEST TO CONTROL LIONFISH Associated Press

THE quest is on for a better way to kill beautiful but brutally destructive lionfish than shooting them one by one with spearguns.

The voracious invaders with huge appetites, flashy

stripes and a mane of venomous spines are a problem in the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and the East Coast almost to Virginia.

With few natural predators, they eat native fish and compete for food.

Scientists are looking at

two kinds of traps as a way to control the fish outside their native South Pacific and Indian oceans. One is a lobster trap with an entry too skinny for legal lobsters. The other is wildly different, using a vertical sheet of lattice as a lure.

SPORTS PAGE 13

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2020

PAGE 16

Looking to spring next year

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Games postponed

SEE PAGE 15

W

ith the NCAA Division II 2020 Fall Championships cancelled, Bahamian football players will have to look to spring 2021 to complete their collegiate careers on the gridiron.

Rondre Knowles-Tener of the University of Virginia-Wise Cavaliers and Mike Strachan of the University of Charleston Golden Cougars saw their senior seasons postponed after the presidents council for each division made the announcement earlier this month based on challenges stemming from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

NCAA fall sports include men’s and women’s soccer, football, field hockey, and women’s volleyball.

The Cavs compete in the South Atlantic Conference. The SAC Presidents Council had previously delayed the start of fall sports competition until September 26, but due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the presidents felt it was in the best interest of the student-athletes, coaches, administrators, fans and the campus communities in general to postpone to the spring of 2021.

“We had to bring our kids in a little earlier to have a scattered move-in where they moved in during certain time slots. We had started workouts and had practiced social distancing.

We were really hoping we’d have a chance to play,” UVa-Wise football coach Dane Damron told the Bristol Herald Courier. “It’ll be different. Not

much high school football to watch and who knows with college football at the [NCAA Division I] FBS and FCS levels.”

In his second season with the Cavs, Knowles-Tener became a force on the defensive line. The junior defensive tackle led the team with seven sacks.

In addition to his career high sack numbers this season, he also reached several other career high marks this season with 38 total tackles, 10 tackles for a loss (54 yards) and a team leading four quarterback hurries.

He opened the season with one sack and four tackles, including one for a loss, against Chowan University. In game two he had a season high two sacks and four tackles against Tennessee Tech. He also recorded sacks against Carson-Newman, Tusculum and Newberry (0.5).

After struggling to earn playing time over the last two seasons with the James Madison Dukes, KnowlesTener decided to leave the programme and transfer to the Cavs.

Strachan and the Golden Eagles compete in the Mountain East Conference.

The MEC’s Board of Directors announced several decisions, including the postponement of fall sports until the spring semester.

The board also approved a reduced schedule model for fall sports that will shift to spring 2021 (football, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s cross country). “That includes a conference championship, without participants exhausting a year of eligibility utilising the legislative relief provided to NCAA Division II institutions for the 2020-21 season,” the organsation said in a press release.

Strachan was recently listed among Yahoo! Sports’ top “small school” prospects for the 2021 NFL Draft and a preseason All-American.

The COVID-19 pandemic has already hindered the exposure of prospects in the 2020 draft where just three Division II prospects were selected.

In his junior season, Strachan rewrote the record books and boosted his stock for pro scouts. He was named an NCAA Division II Second Team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association and to the 2019 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America team.

Strachan finished with 78 receptions for 1,319 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Following his breakout season, he had a share of the all-time Charleston touchdown record of 27. He set new school records, led the Mountain East Conference in each category and was second in all of DII in both receiving yards and touchdowns. His breakout season achieved Division II Top-10 marks for the 2019 season in receiving touchdowns (second), receiving yards (sixth), receptions (ninth), and receiving yards per game (fifth).

Miller Jr granted NCAA waiver for immediate eligibility

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net WHEN the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles take to the court for the 2021 season, Franco Miller Jr could have an immediate impact with the programme.

Miller has been granted an NCAA waiver for immediate eligibility and will not have to sit out a season after he transferred from Ole Miss to FGCU in June.

“Having Franco be immediately eligible is a big boost to our line-up this season and adds another veteran player who has experience in high-level competition,” said Eagles head coach Michael Fly. “As a mature player, this announcement helps Franco stay in his basketball timeline without being away from game competition for a year and strengthens our backcourt for the foreseeable future when you look at our roster make-up.”

Miller’s tenure with the Rebels came in March

when he announced he would be leaving the programme. He will have three years of eligibility remaining in his NCAA career.

“The three years of eligibility was huge for us.

We were looking at other transfers who had one year as well but Franco having three was a factor. We think it gives him time to join the programme and get his feet wet and really contribute in big ways over the course of his time with us. His addition should strengthen our backcourt for the foreseeable future in combination with our other newcomers and young players.”

Fly told Screecher Report in their Summer Flyer/ Fresh Faces Series: “We think he can play both positions (PG and SG/Wing). In high school he was a scoring combo guard and we think he can get back to that. He’s got a pure shooting form.

We’ll see, when we get the guys back [on campus], how he does with the ball in his hands and taking charge of the offence vs how he does without it.”

FRANCO Miller Jr has been granted an NCAA waiver for immediate eligibility and will not have to sit out a season after he transferred from Ole Miss to FGCU in June.

According to the Eagles, Miller becomes the sixth newcomer for the Eagles

roster heading into the 2020-21 season, joining four early signees and one

graduate transfer. The Eagles will return 70 per cent of its scoring back in the line-up along with seven players who saw significant action in 25-or-more games during the 2019-20 season.

“There’s a recruiting ban on guys right now and for the foreseeable future. We weren’t able to truly scout [Franco] in a traditional way. We watched all the high school tape we could.

Actually, coach Davis’ staff at Ole Miss sent us practice tape of him so we could evaluate him more.

They were extremely complimentary of him on and off the court. We do a lot of our recruiting based on connections we have made and continue to make and we have a great relationship with his prep school and coach Davis’ staff. We are excited to add a student and player of Franco’s calibre to our programme. He is an experienced guard who can play the point guard position or slide over to the wing as a scorer.”

FGCU competes in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

They come off a 10-22 season that concluded with a loss in the quarter-finals of the conference tournament.

FGCU is best known for their run in the 2013 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament, their first since moving up to Division I. They became the first 15th seed to advance to the Sweet 16.

Miller had his true freshman season in 2018-19 cut short due to a stress fracture in his kneecap that eventually led to surgery.

He was granted a medical redshirt. In 2019-20 campaign, he played sparingly as a redshirt freshman and appeared in just 13 games.

In those few appearances, he reached double figures in minutes just three times.

He scored four points in his season debut against Alabama State, but would go scoreless for the remainder of the season.

Despite falling out of the rotation, Miller made an impact off the court and was named to the 2020 SEC Men’s Basketball Community Service Team.

TIGER WOODS FACES A NEW, STERN TEST TO GET TO FEDEX CUP FINALE

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. (AP) — Tiger Woods at Olympia Fields brought concerns about the state of his game.

That was the case 17 years ago going into the US Open. Never mind that Woods was the defending champion. He had gone all of four tournaments without winning. At that stage in his career, it was enough to raise questions about a slump.

Not much has changed this week at the BMW Championship, with a slight change in the narrative. It’s

not about whether he can win a major. It’s whether he can avoid another early end to his PGA Tour season.

Woods has gone four tournaments outside the top 35 — three of those since golf returned from the COVID-19 pandemic in June — and he likely needs to finish among the top four against a 69-man field to reach the Tour Championship. The top 30 advance to East Lake to compete for a $15 million prize.

“I have to play well. I have to earn my way to East Lake,” said Woods, who is No. 57 in the FedEx Cup. “I haven’t done so yet and need a big week in order to

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advance. If I don’t, then I go home. This is a big week for me. I’m looking forward to getting out there and playing and competing.”

He’ll be doing that on a course that is only familiar in its look — tree-lined, a few elevated greens, fairways framed by rough that can cover the top of his shoes and quick, contoured greens.

But then, it’s not familiar to many at the second of three FedEx Cup postseason events.

Woods, Charles Howell III, Adam Scott and Paul Casey are the only players who competed in that 2003 US Open (Woods tied for 20th).

Bryson DeChambeau won the 2015 US Amateur at Olympia Fields, which featured five other players in the BMW Championship field, including PGA champion Collin Morikawa.

Harris English won a college tournament here a decade ago.

TIGER WOODS (AP) “I remember how great a test it was,” English said. “It’s just a tough golf course. I don’t think you’re going to see the scores like you did last week. ... It’s going to be a good warm-up for the other tournaments coming up, with the Tour Championship and then the US Open. I know we’re all excited to be here.”

Last week was Dustin Johnson overwhelming the field and the course at the TPC Boston, winning by 11 shots and finishing at 30-under 254, one shot away from two 72-hole scoring records on the PGA

Tour. That put Johnson atop the FedEx Cup standings, and he’s not likely to fall far. For some, this week is about improving their position going to the Tour Championship, which features a staggered start to par. The No. 1 seed starts the week at 10 under, down to even par for the final five players.

Because of the shorter season from having lost three months to the coronavirus pandemic, the points count only triple instead of quadruple, and movement isn’t as severe.

The top 20 or so are locked into East Lake.

Among those on the bubble are Tony Finau at No. 29, and players like Patrick Cantlay (No. 37) and U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland (No. 39) who have ground to make up.

For Woods, the math is simple. He needs a top finish or he has two weeks off ahead of the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, which

wouldn’t be the worst dilemma he has faced.

If it took time for Woods to remember the holes, the routing might confuse him. The course was reconfigured for the U.S. Open because the closing holes don’t have a lot of room for thousands of fans, much less hospitality structures. But when the BMW Championship had to do without fans, the routing was returned to the way it is for the members.

Woods is unveiling his first public golf course design with an exhibition that will be the closest golf gets to a Ryder Cup match this year.

The Payne’s Valley Cup will be played September 22, the Tuesday after the US Open, at Payne’s Valley Golf Course at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri. Woods and Justin Thomas will be the U.S. team that takes on Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose of Europe.

PAGE 14, Thursday, August 27, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

NFL players concerned, ‘sick and tired’ of racial injustice

By DENNIS WASZAK JR AP Pro Football Writer BRADLEY McDougald is angry. He’s downright frustrated and sad.

The New York Jets safety is also extremely worried.

Within the confines of the team’s facility, McDougald is a respected pro football player whose main concern

is stopping the offence.

When he heads home and turns onto the main road just a few hundred yards away, he goes on the defence. His guard goes up just as it has most of his life.

“Guys are sick and tired of being sick and tired,” McDougald said yesterday during a video conference call.

He has seen the video of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and he doesn’t want to end up like him. Or, George Floyd. Or, Breonna Taylor. Or, the countless other Black men and women who have been victims of police brutality or social injustice.

“Me personally, I’m hurt by the whole situation,”

McDougald said. “I’m an African-American man and that easily could’ve been me. As soon as I walk out of 1 Jets Drive, I’m just another black man — and I don’t know how the cops are going to see me.

“I have dreads and tattoos and I’m bigger than the average male, but I don’t know how that cop is going to view me, and the attitude and aggression he’s going to give me.”

Blake, 29, was shot, apparently in the back, on Sunday as he leaned into his SUV, three of his children seated inside. The shooting was captured on cellphone video and ignited new protests in the US three months after the death of George Floyd under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer touched off a nationwide reckoning over racial injustice.

“I just don’t understand how somebody could – somebody who is unarmed, family in the car — how he could be a threat,” Dolphins safety Kavon Frazier said. “I just don’t understand. We’re lost. We’re scared. I’m scared. I drive a pretty nice car and I’m scared if I get pulled over, that could happen to me.”

The Detroit Lions cancelled their practice Tuesday, protesting the incident involving Blake, and racial injustice. The players and coaching staff discussed what happened and then filed out of the team’s practice facility. They used a dry-erase board to address the media with the words: “The world can’t go on” and “We won’t be silent!!

One pride.”

The rest of the NFL saw what the Lions did, and has come together with their own discussions about social issues and how they might be able to affect change.

“At this time, everybody needs to come together and join hands and love each other for what we are and the privilege we have in the short period of time we have on Earth,” said Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who is white. “As opposed to walking in fear, to walk with strength and pride. And if we do that, we’ll be a great example to the world.”

Eagles coach Doug Pederson, who is also white, thought what the Lions did was “a great sign of unity, a sign of strength and support as a team.” He said his team will continue the dialogue among players and staff.

“It’s just where we are as a country,” he said. “You’ve got to put football aside.

NEW York Jets safety Bradley McDougald (30) during a practice at the NFL football team’s training camp in Florham Park, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger) This is human life, and this is about all our lives, and these guys have a message.

They have a platform. They have something that needs to be said, and so I’m here, obviously, to listen, to listen to their ideas and their comments and the things that they’re dealing with every single day.

“So for the Lions to do that and to show a sign of unity I think is a very powerful message in our society today.”

McDougald, who spoke hours before three NBA playoff games were postponed as players around that league chose to boycott in their statement against racial injustice, cited the peaceful protests across the country over the last several months. And how statues of former slave owners have been taken down, and streets have been painted with “Black Lives Matter.”

Colin Kaepernick, exiled from the NFL since the 2016 season when he took a knee during the national anthem, shed light on police brutality and racial inequality while playing for the San Francisco 49ers.

McDougald insists true change needs to continue, and not just one-time bursts during which people push social injustice into the forefront.

However, McDougald wonders if the message gets forgotten too quickly as people move on with their lives.

“I’m not bashing them.

I’m commending them,” McDougald said of the Lions. “That was great that they did that. But just like every other peaceful protest or every other movement we started, hashtag we started, it still comes back to nothing’s getting settled. Nothing real is getting done.”

That’s the frustration McDougald and so many

other Black men and women grapple with on a daily basis. And have for too long.

“Needless to say, what’s going on in this country of ours at times is extremely disgusting,” Patriots quarterback Cam Newton said.

“And until we find a fix, I think more than ever, we have to unify and become one as much as possible.

From the Black Lives Matter campaign, from the social injustice, bringing awareness with that, and just everybody becoming more aware of certain things and not necessarily turning their ear or turning their face (away from) things that are extremely blatant.

“It becomes hard being a father. It becomes hard knowing, yeah, what your day job is. But yet we have to use our platform to raise awareness for issues like this.”

The Jets held a virtual team meeting Tuesday night and coach Adam Gase allowed the players to discuss their feelings about the Blake shooting, along with their own experiences and thoughts.

Team chairman and CEO Christopher Johnson joined the at-times emotional discussion, which also continued as the players broke off into their positional meetings.

“This is definitely something that I don’t want — and a lot of my brothers in the locker room don’t want — we don’t want it swept under the rug,” McDougald said.

“This is not just a one-day topic or when it happens, we need to talk about it.

This is something real in our community that we’re dealing with.

“And I’m going to deal with it for the rest of my life, and my kids are going to deal with it.”

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, August 27, 2020, PAGE 15

Boycott: NBA playoff games called off amid player protest

By BRIAN MAHONEY and TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writers LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida (AP) — All three NBA playoff games scheduled for yesterday were postponed, with players around the league choosing to boycott in their strongest statement yet against racial injustice.

Called off: Games between Milwaukee and Orlando, Houston and Oklahoma City and the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland. The NBA said all three games would be rescheduled, yet did not say when.

The dramatic series of moves began when the Bucks — the NBA’s team from Wisconsin, a state rocked in recent days by the shooting by police of Jacob Blake, a Black man — didn’t take the floor for their playoff game against the Magic.

The teams were set to begin Game 5 of their series shortly after 4pm, with the Bucks needing a win to advance to the second round.

Players had been discussing boycotting games in the bubble after the shooting of Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. More discussions among players on teams still in the bubble were scheduled yesterday, presumably on how — or if — to go forward with the season, but even before that the Bucks apparently decided they would act.

“Some things are bigger than basketball,” Bucks senior vice president Alex Lasry tweeted. “The stand taken today by the players and (the organisation) shows that we’re fed up.

Enough is enough. Change needs to happen. I’m incredibly proud of our guys and we stand 100 per cent behind our players ready to assist and bring about real change.”

Added Jeanie Buss, the Governor of the Lakers, in a tweet: “I stand behind our players, today and always.

After more than 400 years of cruelty, racism and injustice, we all need to work together to say enough is enough.

The Bucks remained in their locker room past 6pm, more than two hours after they made the decision to boycott. It was not immediately clear why they were staying in the arena.

There are three other playoff games scheduled today. It was unclear if they would be affected.

Several NBA players, including the Lakers’ LeBron James, tweeted out messages demanding change and the Boston Celtics’ official Twitter account did the same. “We weren’t given advanced notice about the decision but we are happy to stand in solidarity with Milwaukee, Jacob, and the entire NBA community,” Orlando guard Michael Carter-Williams said.

WNBA games postponed following shooting of Jacob Blake

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer THE WNBA would not play its three games lst night following the shooting of Jacob Blake over the weekend.

The move came hours after the NBA decided to postpone its three playoff games with its players choosing to boycott in their strongest statement yet against racial injustice.

In Bradenton, Florida, on Wednesday, Washington was set to play Atlanta, Minnesota was going to face Los Angeles, and Connecticut was going to meet Phoenix. Players from the Mystics, Dream, Sparks and Lynx were talking on the court for about an hour deciding whether to play or not. The decision was announced shortly before the expected 7pm EDT tip for the Mystics and Dream.

All four teams took a knee at centre court right before leaving the court.

Atlanta Dream player Elizabeth Williams read a statement on ESPN saying that the “consensus is not to play in tonight’s games. We stand in solidarity with our brothers in the NBA.” Williams is the secretary of the players’ union.

The Mystics came into the arena wearing shirts that spelled out Blake’s

name on the front and had holes in the back to signify the seven bullets that he was hit with by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The league had just passed its halfway mark of the 22-game season.

With teams playing pretty much every other day in the bubble the postponed games will most likely have to be made up after the regular season ends on Sept.

12.

The WNBA and its players have dedicated this season to social justice.

Players have been wearing the name of Breonna Taylor on the back of the uniforms all season long.

Taylor, a 26-year-old Black emergency medical technician, was shot eight times by plainclothes Louisville police officers serving a narcotics search warrant at her apartment on March 13. No drugs were found.

Her family and protesters around the country have called for swift action against the officers who shot Taylor.

Over the course of the season players have worn warmup shirts that read “Black Lives Matter” on the front and “Say Her Name” on the back.

The phrase “Black Lives Matter” is featured prominently on the courts where the teams play.

“Change is coming,” he added.

Magic players and referees were on the basketball court for the game but Milwaukee never took the floor.

Eventually everyone else left and the arena staff soon took the balls, towels and tags that go on player chairs back inside.

National Basketball Players Association President Chris Paul of the Oklahoma City Thunder and guard Russell Westbrook of the Houston Rockets were seen emerging from a conversation, not long before it became known that their teams also decided to not play their scheduled game yesterday.

“Today we stand united with the NBA Office, the National Basketball Players Association, the Milwaukee Bucks and the rest of the league condemning bigotry, racial injustice and the unwarranted use of violence by police against people of colour,” the Magic and its ownership

group, the DeVos family, said in a statement.

Demanding societal change and ending racial injustice has been a major part of the NBA’s restart at Walt Disney World.

The phrase “Black Lives Matter” is painted on the arena courts, players are wearing messages urging change on their jerseys and coaches are donning pins demanding racial justice as well.

Many players wrestled for weeks about whether it was even right to play, fearing that a return to games would take attention off the deaths of, among others, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd in recent months.

Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was fatally shot when police officers burst into her Louisville, Kentucky apartment using a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation on March 13. The warrant was in connection with a suspect who did not live there and no drugs were found. Then on May 25, Floyd died after

OPEN

a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee into the Black man’s neck for nearly eight minutes — all captured on a cell phone video.

Bucks guard George Hill said after Blake’s shooting that he felt players shouldn’t have come to Disney. “We’re the ones getting killed,” Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers, who is Black, said in an emotional postgame speech Tuesday night. “We’re the ones getting shot. We’re the ones that we’re denied to live in certain communities.

We’ve been hung. We’ve been shot. And all you do is keep hearing about fear.

It’s amazing why we keep loving this country and this country does not love us back. And it’s just, it’s really so sad.”

The Celtics and Toronto Raptors met Tuesday to discuss boycotting Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semi-final series, which had been scheduled for today. Members of the National Basketball

Players Association were also part of those meetings, and Miami forward Andre Iguodala — a union officer — said around 2:15pm that he did not believe a boycott plan had been finalised.

Less than two hours later, the Bucks wouldn’t take the floor. “When you talk about boycotting a game, everyone’s antenna goes up,” Iguodala said.

“It’s sad you have to make threats like that — I wouldn’t say threats — but you have to be willing to sacrifice corporate money for people to realise there’s a big problem out there.”

The postponed NBA games came on the fourth anniversary of Colin Kaepernick’s very first protest of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before an NFL preseason game.

Kaepernick sat through the anthem for his first protest, which he said was to protest racial inequality and police mistreatment of minorities. then famously kneeled during the anthem going forward.

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PAGE 16, Thursday, August 27, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Djokovic advances, Medvedev ousted NEW YORK (AP) — Only a dozen unforced errors.

Every shot crisp in windy conditions. Top-ranked Novak Djokovic had all parts of his game working yesterday while advancing to the semi-finals of the Western & Southern Open.

Djokovic had no problems with his creaky neck or the swirling winds during a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Jan-Lennard Struff that was by far his best showing of the week.

So far, no rust at all after the long layoff from competitive tennis.

“Everything was worked on in the last six months, I had plenty of time,” Djokovic said. “I worked on every single thing. It’s great it’s paying off so early after the break.”

Djokovic tested positive for COVID-19 after exhibition matches he organised in Serbia and Croatia in June with no social distancing.

In his match Monday against Ricardas Berankis, Djokovic had his sore neck massaged twice by a trainer during a 7-6 (2), 6-4 victory that included seven double faults. The neck has gotten better, and so has his overall game.

“Right now it’s not a concern,” he said. “It’s still not

100 per cent but it’s close to that. I’ve been gaining more range in my movement of the neck every single day, so no complaints.”

In the semi-finals, he’ll face Roberto Bautista Agut, who knocked out defending champion Daniil Medvedev earlier in the day.

Medvedev failed to close it out in the second set, and Bautista Agut rallied for a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory that eliminated yet another top player out of the tune-up tournament for US Open. Djokovic is the only player left in the tournament with an ATP Masters 1000 title to his credit.

Medvedev led 4-3 in the second before letting it slip away. He converted only five of 20 break points in the match and swatted his racket against the court in frustration at the end.

“Even in the third set I had my chances and didn’t take them,” Medvedev said.

Bautista Agut reached his third Masters semi-final and his first since 2016. He needed a set to adjust to the breezy, cooler conditions on court.

“It’s never easy to come back and play good at first,” he said. “I have to be patient, to try to enjoy every single match I play here after six months without competing.

Just pleased and happy to be in the semi-finals.”

Medvedev hoisted the champion’s Rookwood Pottery cup last year in Mason, Ohio, where the tournament is held annually. This year’s event was moved to the US Open site in Flushing Meadows because of pandemic precautions, creating a twotournament event without spectators.

On the women’s side, fourth-seeded Naomi Osaka beat No. 12 Anett Kontaveit 4-6, 6-2, 7-5, reaching the semis as the only Top 10 player left in the bracket.

She’ll play No. 14 Elise Mertens, who beat 83rdranked Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-3.

Already down one set, Osaka had her serve broken early in the second, then won six games in a row to gain momentum.

“For the first set and honestly a couple games in the second, I was just really being down on myself and being negative,” Osaka said.

“If I had to lose a match, I didn’t want to lose a match on that note. I just tried to be more positive and pump myself up. “I just came back from six months (off) and the third match and I was already being negative, which is something I hope I can change.”

NAOMI OSAKA, of Japan, reacts to winning a point to Anett Kontaveit, of Estonia, during the quarterfinals at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament yesterday in New York.

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

NISHIKORI NOW NEGATIVE FOR COVID-19 BUT OUT OF US OPEN NEW YORK (AP) — Kei Nishikori, the 2014 US Open runner-up, said he tested negative for COVID-19 after having two positive tests but still decided to withdraw from the Grand Slam tournament that begins next week.

Nishikori wrote yesterday on his mobile app that he is ready to “slowly” return to practice — but not prepared to compete in best-of-five-set matches.

“After such a long break I feel that returning in a best of 5 long-match setting is not smart until I am fully ready to do so,” Nishikori’s post said.

“It’s disappointing as I love the US Open and have great memories there. I will start on the clay. Thank you.”

Another player withdrawing from the US Open yesterday was Polona Hercog. That allowed 2009 semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer to move into the main draw.

The US Open, on the hard courts at Flushing Meadows, ends on September 13. Then the tennis tour shifts to red clay in Europe, with tuneup tournaments planned ahead of the scheduled start of the French Open on September 27.

REDS-BREWS, M’S-PADRES GAMES OFF IN WAKE OF KENOSHA SHOOTING

By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer MILWAUKEE (AP) — A pair of Major League Baseball games were postponed yesterday as players across the sports landscape reacted in the wake of the weekend shooting by police of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in Wisconsin.

Games between the Cincinnati Reds and Brewers in Milwaukee and the Seattle Mariners and Padres in San Diego were called off hours before they were set to begin.

Other MLB games had finished, were in progress or just about to start when the announcements were made.

The baseball postponements came after the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks didn’t come out on the floor for Game 5 of their first-round playoff series with the Orlando Magic yesterday afternoon at Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

NBA officials later announced that all three of the day’s scheduled playoff games had been postponed.

Blake was shot multiple times by police in Kenosha, about 40 miles south of Milwaukee. The Blake family’s attorney said Blake was paralysed and that it would “take a miracle” for him to walk again.

The shooting of the 29-year-old Blake was captured on cellphone

video Sunday and ignited protests in Kenosha and elsewhere.

“The players from the Brewers and Reds have decided to not play tonight’s baseball game. With our community and our nation in such pain, we wanted to draw as much attention to the issues that really matter, especially racial injustice and systemic oppression,” players from both teams said in a joint statement.

Mariners infielder/outfielder Dee Gordon said the team decided unanimously to skip Wednesday’s game.

“There are serious issues in this country,” Gordon tweeted. “For me, and for many of my teammates, the injustices, violence,

death and systemic racism is deeply personal.

“This is impacting not only my community, but very directly my family and friends. Our team voted unanimously not to play tonight.”

“Instead of watching us, we hope people will focus on the things more important than sports that are happening,” he said.

Mariners pitcher Justin Dunn tweeted: “Enough is enough.”

Dunn included a Black Lives Matter hashtag and a cartoon image of he and his Black teammates in Black Lives Matter shirts.

Colorado outfielder Matt Kemp, who is Black, announced

on social media he would skip the Rockies’ game in Arizona “in protest of the injustices my people continue to suffer.”

“I could not play this game I love so much tonight knowing the hurt and anguish my people continue to feel,” he wrote.

“In a world where we are the ones who need to remain calm while a trained professional points a gun in our face; a world where the people in uniforms who took an oath to protect us are the same ones killing us; a world where we become hashtags before we even reach our potential; we must stand together, speak out, protest, and be the change we demand, require, and need so bad.”

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