10172022 NEWS AND SPORT

The last words 22-year-old victim said:

‘MOMMY - I GOT SHOT’

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE distraught mother of a 22-year-old woman who was fatally shot outside an apart ment complex at Red Land Acres has recalled her daugh ter’s final words.

“‘Mommy, I got shot’,” Natanya Greene said of her

daughter Tadasha Sears who she believes was an unintended target of rival gangs.

Sears, according to Ms Greene, was sitting on the porch on Friday night when shots rang out. She ran inside, realising she had been shot.

Police said the incident reportedly occurred shortly after 11pm.

PM TO MEET RETAILERS ‘UP IN ARMS’ OVER PRICE CONTROLS

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

PRESS Secretary Clint Watson confirmed a meet ing with retailers and Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis will take place tomor row - as it was announced that no penalties would be enforced during an

“adjustment period”. The announcement of the meeting comes after reports that food stores were said to be “up in arms” over the details of the government’s expanded price control regime amid fears it will “devastate” the industry and jobs for hundreds of workers.

TADASHA SEARS, who had a four-year-old daughter. She died after being shot on Friday night.

1,500 SEEK JOBS AT FAIR

By LETRE SWEETING lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

LABOUR director

Robert Farquharson said the Labour on the Blocks 2.0 Job Fair, which had over 1,500 attendees, saw many students and the job seek ers granted opportunities for employment.

The department’s job fair held Saturday started at 9am at Anatol Rodgers High School.

The event at the opening

THE JOB fair on Saturday.

had hundreds of people in lines outside the school on Faith Avenue waiting to be let through the gates.

Mr Farquharson said

yesterday that the number of persons that showed up at the job fair, which turned out to be “a huge success”, indicated the number of persons struggling in the country, especially in the communities of South Beach, Carmichael and Southern Shores.

“The job fair went extremely well,” he said.

“We had a little over 1,500 people show up and were registered for the job fair.

THREE

GB ELECTRIC TO BE 40% CHEAPER THAN NASSAU

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama’s electricity costs will be 40 percent lower than Nas sau’s and the rest of The Bahamas during the 2023 summer peak after the island’s utility locked in fuel costs at 12-14 cents per kilo watt hour (kWh).

Dave McGregor, Carib bean chief operating officer for Emera, Grand Bahama Power Company’s 100 per cent owner, told Tribune Business he hoped the differ ence in energy costs would steer investors towards the island and help revive its struggling economy.

“If I were to believe the numbers we’re seeing out of BPL next summer, all things

being equal, we’ll be 40 per cent less cost than the rest of The Bahamas,” he asserted.

“I’ve seen the numbers that BPL has pushed out for next June. If they are at 27 cents per kWh, and we’re at 12-13 kWh, that’s a huge difference and I hope that helps investors decide where to invest because Grand Bahama needs it.”

ONE IN FOUR BAHAMIANS HAS HAD TO SKIP MEALS

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

TWENTY-eight percent of Bahamians have skipped meals for lack of money or other resources, accord ing to a recent Hands for Hunger survey.

The finding represents a two percent increase this year when compared to 2021 as 26 percent of people answered ‘yes’ to a question that asked whether they were forced to skip meals because they did not have money or lacked other resources.

The results further showed that 24 percent of the population worried that they would not have enough food to eat and 37 percent were unable to eat food that was nei ther healthy nor nutritious.

Additionally, it was revealed that 20 percent of respondents had gone an entire day without eating because they could not afford food.

WHO ‘TRIED TO ROB HIS WIFE’

By LETRE SWEETING lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

A 38-YEAR-OLD man being electronically moni tored and on bail for murder was shot dead on Saturday after he allegedly attempted to rob a woman of her car, according to police.

Shortly after 8pm, police said, a woman who had just arrived at her residence on Barbados Avenue, Elizabeth Estates, was approached by a man armed with a handgun, who demanded the keys to her vehicle.

The woman screamed, alerting her husband, an off-duty police officer.

DECOMPOSED BODY FOUND IN FREEPORT

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama Police are unable to determine whether foul play is sus pected in connection with the discovery of a partially decomposed body in Free port yesterday.

Acting Deputy Commis sioner of Police Theophilus Cunningham reported that sometime around 2.50pm a man’s severely decomposed body was found near Tynes Beach.

He said that a concerned citizen who was walking in the Glover Lane area found the body through a track road in nearby bushes and notified police.

The victim was only clad in multi-coloured boxer underwear, Mr Cunning ham said.

“The head was facing in a western direction and feet facing east. Because of the severe decomposed state of the body, we are unable to determine a positive ID at this time,” he told report ers at the scene. He said an autopsy will have to be performed to determine the cause of death.

There were at least three missing people reported on Grand Bahama in recent weeks. On hearing news of the discovery, concerned residents of loved ones still missing from Eight Mile Rock gathered in the area.

Morticians from Rest view Memorial Mortuary took the remains to the

Rand Memorial Hospital.

Mr Cunningham con firmed the body appeared to be a male but could not give an age or say how long the body had been there.

“We have two missing persons that are outstand ing – a female in the inner city of Grand Bahama, and one is a 17-year-old male from the Eight Mile Rock area that we are trying to ascertain the whereabouts of,” he said.

“We are unable to deter mine if this is foul play at this time because of the state of the body, and I am not in a position to say how long the body has been there,” he told reporters.

Also still missing is 56-year-old Stephanie Chisholm, of Hanna Hill, Eight Mile Rock.

Mr Cunningham is appealing to the public for their assistance in this miss ing person’s case.

“Anybody who knows of her whereabouts should contact 911 or 919. We would be grateful for any assistance we can get,” he said.

He thanked members of the public who have been helpful assisting police in resolving and prevent ing criminal matters in the northern Bahamas District.

The Urban Renewal chat groups have also been highly effective in fighting crime in the northern Baha mas, Mr Cunningham said.

“So, we see this as a good sign in the right direction in moving forward,” he said.

OFF-DUTY COP SHOOTS MAN WHO ‘TRIED TO ROB HIS WIFE’

from page one

The off-duty officer con fronted the armed man and while attempting to disarm him, the 38-year-old was fatally shot. His weapon was confiscated by police.

According to police, the victim was a resident of Nassau Village.

“Police wish to remind those persons who engage in criminal behaviour, that police will remain relent less in their pursuit of all offenders and that this could be your fate when engaging in criminality,” the police said further.

Recent police-involved killings have raised con cerns about the status of Coroner’s Court cases regarding these matters.

Last month, police said a teenager allegedly involved in an armed robbery was fatally shot on Saturday after pulling a gun on officers.

Two days later, police shot dead a wanted suspect in Gamble Heights after he allegedly pulled a gun on officers.

The frequency of fatal police-involved shootings in the country and the lack of inquests to determine if they were justifiable is con cerning to some.

In August, Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander said officers

have “the right to do what they have to do” when con fronted with armed people who put their lives in danger. He added that the police are not “in the busi ness” of letting off “warning shots” in these situations.

In late August, police said a man was shot and killed when he produced a hand gun and engaged the officers. At the time, police said offic ers from Operation Ceasefire responded to information about people with illegal handguns on a property on Miami Street, between Cord eaux and Balfour Avenues.

In April, a man wearing a bulletproof vest was shot by police when they responded to an armed robbery after 1am in the area of Delancey Street.

In January, a police officer shot and killed a Royal Bahamas Defence Force officer who allegedly “charged” at him and tried to disarm him.

Last year, 21 policeinvolved shootings were recorded, 13 of them fatal.

The Tribune had previ ously reported that The Bahamas has one of the highest per capita rates of police involved killings in the world, with 11 recorded in 2017, 2018 and 2020.

Meanwhile, investigations into Saturday’s incident are being led by the acting coro ner and are continuing.

POLICE PROBE FREEPORT ROBBERY

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred in Freeport on Friday.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Stephen Rolle reported that the inci dent occurred shortly after 8pm in the area of Drake Avenue.

When officers arrived at the scene to investigate,

they spoke to an adult male who reported that while he and a female were at an apartment complex, a masked man armed with a handgun approached him and demanded cash.

The male victim handed over an undetermined amount of cash to the gunman. There was a struggle, and the gunman was able to flee on foot. He left behind the pistol, containing a quantity of ammunition.

OFFICERS at the scene where a partially decomposed body was found in Freeport yesterday.

Photo: Vandyke Hepburn

‘Mommy - I got shot’

“Preliminary reports reveal that the victim was standing outside the complex when she was approached and subse quently shot multiple times by a male who exited a dark coloured Japanese vehicle,” police explained. At the time, police were uncertain of the circumstances sur rounding this incident.

Yesterday, Ms Greene was tearful as she spoke of her daughter’s final moments. She left behind a four-year-old daughter and was planning to celebrate her 23rd birthday on Octo ber 26.

“She fell right there,” Ms

Greene told The Tribune “She said ‘Mommy, I got shot’. I went on the house phone. I dialled emergency contact. I said baby you’re gonna be okay. She said ‘okay mommy’.”

“A shot in her leg was visible. Because she was wearing a black dress, I did not see the rest of (the) bullet that had gone in her stomach. Those were her last words - ‘mummy I got shot’.”

She said the deceased had no problems with people and believed the matter was gang related.

Ms Greene pointed to a group of individuals who are rivals.

“This avenue right here is a target against (the) avenue

down there. There’s a set of boys who are down there based in Pinewood. They have rival with boys that be up here on this hill,” she said.

“This is an open yard. I can’t tell people don’t come in the yard. When I’m in my room, I don’t know who is be out here. I don’t know what people be in this yard from all over.”

“So they came and when they came they didn’t see no males. So, they just walk up and open fire on her.”

Police reported the victim was believed to be a Jamai can national. The deceased came to The Bahamas in July 2013, her mother said.

However, her mother sent her back home to further her education in

Jamaica.

“She went to study as a nail technician. She came back over.”

Ms Greene has been living in the apartment for eight years.

Asked if she had secu rity issues, the mother answered: “Never. No matter what happened up here or wherever because violence is everywhere, but I never one day imagine.”

Yet, she admitted to the effect a previous shoot ing incident had on her 19-year-old son who is now in Jamaica.

“After one of his school friends got shot right there, I sent him home because I see he was still emotional about it. And I can’t be up

to watch him every night to say he ain’t coming out of this house. I don’t know what’s going through his mind space.”

Meanwhile, Bishop Simeon Hall has called for the United States to assist The Bahamas with the number of illegal guns on the streets.

He said: “The wide spread presence of illegal guns in our country is at the core of the bloodshed on our streets. These guns are not manufactured in The Bahamas. We, there fore, fully endorse and echo the recent calls of Prime Minister (Philip “Brave”) Davis for the United States of America – where these guns are made – to do more

to stop the illegal export and trafficking of guns into our Bahama land.

“Periodically, when there is an uptick in crime-related incidents the US issues security and travel alerts warning their citizens on traveling to our country. These alerts are ineffective at best - some would say disingenuous - if not accom panied by renewed efforts and resolutions to assist in blocking and removing the American guns from our streets.

“The recent uptick in violent crime needs an allhands-on-deck approach at the domestic, regional, and international levels. Who has a bigger hand than the United States?”

1,500 SEEK JOBS AT FAIR

“I can say definitely some per sons were hired and definitely more people will be hired on Monday pend ing presentation of identification and resumes and police record and stuff like that,” he said.

“Certainly it is the largest job fair we’ve had so far,” Mr Farquharson said.

He added: “People are now actively seeking gainful employment oppor tunities and I think it had a lot to do with our marketing plan and the fact that we took the job fair in the heart

of those communities.”

The labour director said the new initiatives that the department intro duced with the job fair included assistance with new work clothing at all Department of Labour locations and an upgraded training programme along with dual enrollment for high school students to earn certifications.

“I can say that I’m extremely pleased not only with the quality of persons that attended the job fair, but also the young people who attended. And the young men in particular.

“We had people come dressed with proper attire, looking smart and par ticipating in the interviews.

Additionally, we had a number of students who responded to our plea for participation in the dualenrollment programme at BTVI and the national training agency. It went extremely well.”

More than 45 companies were pre sent at Saturday’s job fair, including some nine hotels and other companies, including Baha Mar, Atlantis, Blue Lagoon, Ocean Club, Commonwealth Brewery, SMG construction, Cavalier cruise line, Disney cruise line, various banks, Sbarro, John Bull, Wendy’s, Kentucky, Bamboo Shack, and other businesses in all sectors, Mr Farquhar son said.

ONE IN FOUR BAHAMIANS HAS HAD TO SKIP MEALS

Hands for Hunger execu tive director Keisha Ellis explained that H4H com missioned the study by Public Domain and it was conducted in August 2022. She said that 607 resi dents throughout The Bahamas were interviewed by using a random tel ephone number selection. Respondents were screened on the basis of age, being 18 years old and above.

To further ensure that the information was a fair representation of the onthe-ground reality, the data has been weighted in order to represent the population on the basis of age, gender and island population.

Fifty-seven percent were employed full-time, nine percent were unemployed, and the remainder were listed as self-employed, working part-time, retired, and students.

Fifty-five percent of households had children and H4H operates pantries in 15 schools.

As for earnings: 24 percent of respondents earned less than 15 percent earned between $10,000 to $20,000; nine percent between $20,000 to $30,000; eight percent between $30,000 and $40,000; six percent between $40,000 and $50,000; three per cent between $50,000 and $60,000 and two per cent between $60,000 and $80,000.

Twenty-eight percent do not know or refused to reveal their earnings.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis announced last week an increase in the country’s minimum wage from $210 to $260 per week.

Additionally, as Baha mians continue to grapple with the high cost of living compounded by inflation, Mr Davis revealed that 38

new items will be subject to price controls.

Asked if she thought these measures will help the most vulnerable, Ms Ellis said: “For the people who are most vulnerable to food insecurity and the effects of inflation, every little bit counts and I am happy to see these changes being put in place.”

“While I have no doubt that in the short term, an increase in weekly wages will alleviate some of the tension that these house holds feel, I also know that there are major structural changes that need to be made in order to address the major underlying causes of food insecurity in our country.”

“Many of these under lying causes are being addressed through the work of organisations like Hands for Hunger, as well as many of the other non-govern mental organisations that continue to work tirelessly

to make lasting changes in our country. No one group can do it all, but together, we can make a major difference.”

Ms Ellis indicated Hands for Hunger provides food assistance for almost 1000 families through its H4H Pantry and also delivers fresh food and grocery items to almost 50 feeding agencies throughout New Providence.

She further stated the need is also great on the Family Islands.

“We have been able to provide assistance for 900 families in Eleuthera, and 50 in Acklins. We are com mitted to expanding even more and assisting people throughout the entire archi pelago,” she explained.

Dear Mom,

Thinking of you on this special day, to celebrate all the happiness you gave to others so unselfishly. Real love means keeping promises, holding on when you don’t want to and being strong so that others may rest. Though you are not physically here beside me, your love is matched by no other and I thank God each day for his great gift: Making you, my MOTHER! I love you with all my heart, always.

JOB hopefuls attending the Labour on the Blocks event on Saturday.

RENT-TO-OWN HOUSING INITIATIVE TO BE LAUNCHED

HOUSING and Trans port Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis on Friday officially announced the launch of her ministry’s rent-to-own housing initia tive early next month.

The programme will pro vide 50 homes across The Bahamas in its pilot phase.

The initiative, “A Place to Call Home”, will open the first week in November with plans to construct the homes at Abaco, New Prov idence, Grand Bahama, North Andros, North Eleuthera, San Salvador, Exuma and Cat Island.

The first phase will see five homes built in Spring City in Abaco.

Applications for hous ing will only be received through the ministry’s website at mothbahamas. com. The opening date for applications will be commu nicated at a later date, Mrs Coleby-Davis said at the Office of the Prime Minis ter during a press briefing.

She said the initiative will allow struggling Bahamians in the capital and on the Family Islands the opportu nity to save up for their first dream home while living in that home at the same time.

She said: “We were get ting a lot of queries from the islands, specifically Abaco and Grand Bahama, where Hurricane Dorian affected mostly and there’s been a low rate of per sons getting back on the job. This would be a great

initiative to help them still become homeowners.

“Additionally we have a lot of self-employed persons that live on the Family Islands and it’s been quite difficult for them to secure financing and to get a mortgage.

“And, of course, New Providence has a great demand for housing, so any thing that the Department of Housing offers as an ini tiative would also be offered in New Providence.”

The minister echoed statements earlier this year encouraging Bahamians to save a portion of their monthly income and make wise financial decisions, as the housing initiative is geared toward working individuals who are either employed or self-employed.

“A Place to Call Home is

a multi-island, sustainable, financially viable housing solution administered by the Department of Hous ing for working individuals, employed and self-employed Bahamians,” she said.

“We also wish to encour age Bahamians to avoid excessive consumer loans and to create monthly financial budgets. Having a monthly financial budget could assist in better finan cial management, such as curbing or eliminating unnecessary spending.”

Successful applicants will be required to sign an occu pancy agreement, which would form the legal basis of the agreement with the Department of Housing and also deal with delin quency of accounts and payments, she said.

“Over an agreed fixed period, not longer than 36 months, rent will be paid to the Department of Housing and a portion of the rent will go toward a downpayment for the mortgage, property maintenance and insurance costs,” she said.

“Successful applicants will also be required to attend a home ownership education course through the Depart ment of Housing and agree to financial coaching.”

Mrs Coleby-Davis said this initiative will be admin istered in a professional and transparent manner “to ensure full compliance with internal controls and qual ity assurance”.

She said: “The programme will be subject to audits and financial reporting. Baha mians are advised to take

advantage of this initiative.” Mrs Coleby-Davis said the cost will be revealed at a later date, with specific payments and prices being based on the homes and financing period selected by the applicant.

The homes will range from two-bedroom, onebath to three-bedrooms, two-bath models.

Employed Bahamians wishing to apply must upload a valid passport, National Insurance Card, job letter, not older than 45 days and their most recent pay stub. Self-employed applicants should upload a valid pass port, National Insurance Card, Business License and most recent bank account statement and any additional information, if required, said Mrs Coleby-Davis.

MUNROE CONTINUES DEFENCE OF TCI POLICE OPERATION

By LETRE SWEETING lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe has defended govern ment’s decisions to send law enforcement to the Turks and Caicos Islands amid public concerns and escalat ing crime in The Bahamas.

He pointed to a recent joint exercise at TCI that resulted in the arrest of a man who was wanted in Grand Bahama.

The ministry of National Security sent 20 Royal

Bahamas Police Force offic ers to assist at TCI, as the island has been experiencing an “explosion of violence”, according to TCI Com missioner of Police Trevor Botting earlier this month.

“There has already been an arrest in TCI of a man wanted on a warrant of arrest here,” Mr Munroe said yesterday.

“One of the men arrested in the joint exercise in TCI was wanted in The Baha mas on a warrant of arrest for missing court in traffic matters in Grand Bahama.”

Mr Munroe added that

movement between The Bahamas and TCI is fairly free flowing.

“There is a fairly free flowing movement of people between TCI and The Bahamas. A large concentration of people affiliated with TCI live in Grand Bahama.”

When asked about the identity of this man, Mr Munroe said he is not able to reveal the man’s identity.

Last week, after some criticism on social media of the decision to send in officers to TCI, Mr Munroe defended the decision of his

ministry to assist with their crime fight amid criticisms from the opposition.

In a press statement released on Monday, the Free National Movement called on the government to explain its crime fighting efforts and its decision to deploy officers abroad at a time when crime is already high in The Bahamas.

Responding, Mr Munroe said it was important for officials to keep information confidential about the oper ation for security reasons.

“We have for national security reasons not been

explicit and I see the leader of the opposition doesn’t seem to understand and if I tell you all what the officers are there to do, we are also telling the criminals what the officers are there to do,” he said.

On October 13, Nigel Dakin, Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands, expressed his gratitude to the Bahamas government for lending support to assist in their fight against crime, saying the nation’s officers are already making a differ ence on the grounds there.

“The day after the Baha mian officers arrived, they were operational,” he said during his address to TCI last Tuesday.

“All I need to say now is they’ve already made a dif ference. Some are directly inducted into our tactical

firearms unit, making one large joint team. Some are deployed as response units. Their dogs, able to attack or to search, were active at the airport yesterday, sup porting our customs officers search for guns and drugs.”

“I, the Premier and Com missioner, and the people of the TCI, are extremely grateful for what can only be described as very gen erous support from our steadfast neighbour. Baha mas, you have been your brother’s keeper.”

Mr Dakin made the remarks while giving an update on local and inter national response to tackle the rise in gang related vio lence on TCI, adding that the situation there had been “significantly more stable” in recent days.

Viewing Notice For

Alphonso James Smith, 70

a resident of Nicholl’s Town, North Andros will be held on Thursday, October 20, 2022 at PLP Headquarters, Gambire House, Farrington Road, from 10:30a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Funeral Service is scheduled for Saturday, October 22, 2022 at St. Margaret’s Anglican Church, Nicholl’s Town , North Andros.

Viewing Notice For

Lee Beauford Callender, 64

a resident of Seabreeze Lane will be held on Thursday, October 20, 2022 at Butlers’ Funeral Homes & Crematorium, Ernest and York Streets, from 10:30a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Funeral Service is scheduled for Saturday, October 22, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. at St. Mary, The Virgin Anglican Church, Virginia Street, Nassau.

There will be NO VIEWING at the Church

Current Emergency COVID-19 regulations are in effect.

Social Distancing and Face Masks may be enforced.

PM to meet retailers ‘up in arms’ over price controls

And last night, the Min istry of Economic Affairs issued a statement revealing there would be no enforce ment or penalties during the adjustment period.

The statement said: “The Ministry of Eco nomic Affairs values public consultation with all of our stakeholders regard ing the understanding or impact of Government policy announcements and changes. The Ministry of Economic Affairs will con tinue to consult broadly with the Retailers and Wholesalers Associations regarding the Government’s recent announcement and price control enforcement as per the amendment of the Price Control Act Chapter 339 Additional Items Regulations 2022.

“The changes to the Price Control regulations come into full effect on Octo ber 17th, 2022. However, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and The Price Con trol Commission recognize the need for an extended period to phase in the price control adjustments and will forgo any penalties and enforcement during the adjustment period. The Min istry of Economic Affairs and The Price Control Com mission will continue to review this recent change in the regulation while main taining an open channel of consultations in the interest of consumers, retailers, and wholesalers.”

Mr Watson also responded to calls from prominent grocer Rupert Roberts that price controls be done away with, saying: “We are protecting our Bahamian people that’s

why we have the consumer protection agency.”

He further acknowledged that there were some con cerns on social media that retailers planned to take action over the govern ment’s decision.

On Friday, he said: “They’re threatening to hold some items from the shelves that might be costly. We’ve heard some people say they may close on weekends on Sundays.

There is a meeting with the Prime Minister and the retailers next week. I think it’s Tuesday that they have planned to have that meeting,” Mr Watson told reporters during a press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister.

He said the Prime Minis ter will talk to the retailers and one of the things he will convey to them is his administration wants to

provide an environment where retailers can thrive, but also where consum ers and Bahamians can not only thrive but survive.

“Food services, access to food is important for our people and so there must be a way to be able to manage how we’re able to ensure that people can afford to go to the grocery store and pur chase goods so that you can have food for them and their families - that’s important.

“But what (the) Prime Minister has done through his administration is put relief in place for retailers and wholesalers. There has been a reduction on cus toms imports and duties on food specifically so that these retailers and whole salers can feel some relief themselves and the con sumers hopefully will be passed on that relief. That’s just one initiative to allow

there to be some balancing of what we’ve seen happen with inflation.”

Mr Watson went further to express officials’ position on the price control com mission, adding they are protecting Bahamians when he was asked about calls to do away with price control.

“We are protecting our Bahamian people. That’s why we have the consumer protection agency. That’s why we have price control.

They’re there to protect you because a grocer and a wholesaler are in business to do what? Make money.

“And so people are naturally looking at their bottom line and see even in inflation how can we still stay afloat and still make a profit. We’re not knocking them for that. That’s their job. The job of the govern ment is to protect its people and those measures are put

in place to be able to impact people in a positive direc tion. So, there are also going to be times and seasons where people are going to push a little more. Remem ber the gas wholesalers and retailers did the same thing when gas prices were rising.

“They were pushing and agitating for (the) govern ment to give them a little more room and (the) gov ernment said listen, where you work with us we will give you some relief in other areas, but we’re not going to put this on the backs of Bahamians. What happened eventually, it bal anced out and that’s what you call good governance.

“Rather than just saying the lazy, lazy way out is increased taxes, we’re not going to do that. We’re going to find a way that you always benefit people,” Mr Watson said.

POLICE INVESTIGATING ALLEGED SUICIDE OF BOY

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Staff Reporter

POLICE are investigat ing an alleged suicide in which a male juvenile was the reported victim.

Preliminary reports indi cated that shortly before 4pm on Thursday police were notified of the inci dent, which occurred at a residence in Ardastra Estates, New Providence.

“The victim was report edly found unresponsive by a family member with a sheet tied around his neck,” police said in a statement. “At present, police are uncertain of the circum stances surrounding this incident.”

Consultant psychiatrist

Dr John Dillett on Friday explained that with chil dren and adolescents socialisation is extremely important.

He said for many of them with school being virtual, many social events being either postponed or cancelled or with there being limited access that age group has been much affected.

“Also too when persons are isolated, irritability and agitation tends to increase, mainly because sometimes the home is one of the greatest sources of stress, you know with interper sonal relationships with parents, with siblings, neighbours, etc,” Dr Dil lett said. “Having social activities is usually a very

good outlet for persons to decompress, and to relieve stress.

“So, when you take away those modalities in terms of being able to decrease stress, the stress can build up and when you don’t have access to friends and confidants (or) people that you kind of see eye to eye with, you have a lot in common with them, that just creates less opportu nities to be able to talk things out and to have fun, and, therefore, relieve stress.

“So, we found that across the world, in many cases, children and adolescents have been significantly affected because of being in the pandemic and the isola tion that it had brought.”

EX-MINISTER: SHANTY

TOWN ISSUE IS A CRISIS

By LETRE SWEETING lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Immigration Minister Elsworth Johnson described the shanty town issue in Abaco as a “crisis” that requires both national and international action.

After a recent raid in Abaco on two major shanty towns earlier this month by the Department of Immigration and other law enforcement, Mr Johnson said yesterday that while he agrees with current Immi gration Minister Keith Bell’s decisions in that regard, he still has some concerns.

One of the shanty towns was found to have expanded from 50 acres in 2019 to now 200 acres.

“I think it is a crisis,” Mr Johnson said. “You have a vast influx of people, it affects your education, your healthcare, your ability to enforce. All of these things are affected and we see it and it’s a crisis. It requires the ability to just enforce, but do it in a humane and socially-conscious way.

“Let me say this, this matter is not political, this requires an apolitical approach. And so I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the minister, as they attempt to deal with what I term to be a crisis. Now I know he says it’s not a crisis.

“He said the matter of irregular immigration in The Bahamas requires a national and an interna tional approach.

“In terms of enforcement, it requires an international approach by countries like The Bahamas, insisting and demanding that the world create the environment, where Haiti is given an opportunity to settle, deter mine and exist.

“We must partner with Haiti. We owe Haiti that for what it has done”.

Mr Johnson added: “Nationally it requires a

humane, socio-economic approach, because we can see what is happen ing, despite what my good friend and brother says. Whether it be in Nassau, Eleuthera and Andros or other islands, the situation is out of hand.”

Mr Johnson said that while The Bahamas does have the laws in place to deal with the immigration and shanty town issues that plague it, it lacks the force ful enforcement needed to make sure the laws are followed.

“We don’t lack laws to deal with these situations. I think we lack the impetus to do it. If anybody’s build ing in contravention to the building codes or the Envi ronmental Health Act, you must deal with them,” he said.

“They’re just building because they don’t think we have the fortitude to do anything about it. Whether it be on Crown land or pri vate land, nobody has a right to come and do what they like.”

“And we cannot only respond when we feel or when we understand that Bahamians are about to respond and there must be equality before the law. There must be enforcement of law. And we do that, whether it be through the immigration, persons who are harbouring or persons who build in contravention to the building code.”

He agreed with Mr Bell’s statements last week that there needs to be a tighten ing of national security in the form of biometrics as well as digitisation.

“And we have to be forceful with our enforce ment, the total digitisation of the Immigration Depart ment going cashless paperless and the inter connection with other law enforcement agencies like Interpol, FIU, and other regional police depart ments must be done,” Mr

Johnson said.

“I agree with Mr Bell, that there has to be very quickly, the biometrics of everybody that is in this country, we must have a right to have that informa tion, because it is national security.”

Last week at a press briefing, Immigration Min ister Keith Bell said there will be an increased number of immigration officers deployed to Abaco due to the recent expansion of sev eral shanty towns there.

A recent operation on Abaco resulted in 52 arrests and exposed the scope of the worsening shanty town problem.

The Department of immi gration launched Operation Expedition from October 7 to 10, where immigra tion officers as well as the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Royal Baha mas Defence Force went to the island to explore, detain and eventually repatri ate any irregular migrants found.

Last week, Press Sec retary Clint Watson said private land has made it dif ficult for the government to stop the growth of shanty towns in Abaco.

“The reason why it’s so difficult for government to be able to intervene and stop it is because of one major thing, private land,” Mr Watson said at an Office of the Prime Minister press briefing.

“The private land is owned by people and if you own your land, you can give somebody permission or you can enter an agree ment with people to be on your land. And guess what they do? They pay you to be there. You understand it’s not government land, private land,” he said.

“And so it’s very difficult for the government to step in and tell somebody, ‘No you can’t let them do that’, because it’s not the govern ment’s land.”

He highlighted the stigma concerning mental health, the improvements made on the problem and what steps should be taken.

“I think, unfortunately, in the Caribbean, there’s still a great stigma associated with mental health conditions. I can say, though, that is changing. I think attitudes are changing slowly, but we need education. We need for persons who are brave enough who have gone through their own mental health issues to kind of also stand up and let people know, ‘Hey, it’s okay. If you’re having problems, it’s not your fault? There are many people who can iden tify with what you’re going through’”, the consultant

psychiatrist said. “We do need to continue to improve our media cam paigns and we need to have persons stand up in the communities and talk about mental health on a greater basis so that it doesn’t seem as much of a stigma as it once was. So there have been improvements, but, yes, there still is quite a bit of stigma associated with mental health.”

This incident follows other alleged suicides in the country recently.

Among them was the sui cide of Anthony Tilme who was found with cable wires wrapped around his neck early last month at Kelly Lane.

The month before, police

were investigating an incident in August in the Carmichael Road area. Ini tial information suggested that shortly after 11am a man in his early 20s was found unresponsive, hang ing with a sheet around his neck.

Emergency Medical Services responded and confirmed no signs of life. This came after another alleged suicide occurred in late July when around 7pm police responded to a report of a man hanging from a property in the area of Marathon Road, north of Robinson Road.

Emergency Medical Services responded and confirmed that the man showed no signs of life.

(242) 322-1986

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fax (242) 328-2398

Grand Bahama (242)-352-6608

(242) 352-9348

So many left hungry in our nation

YOU don’t have to look far to see signs of how hard life is for many Bahamians.

On a drive along Wulff Road on Friday, the size of the long queue of people outside Great Commission Min istries looking for help could not be ignored.

These were people standing and wait ing out in the hot sun to get a little food, a little support.

In Friday’s Tribune, columnist Diane Phillips wrote about the street people – those with nowhere to go at all, who find their daily routine revolving around when The Salvation Army might be serving food, or when the Bahamas Feeding Network could offer a plate.

These are the obvious signs of those most in need, but the struggle goes deeper than that.

According to Hands for Hunger, more than one in four people have skipped meals because they don’t have the money or the resources to put food on the table.

That total, 28 percent, has gone up since last year by two percent. Things are getting harder.

One in five people had even gone an entire day without eating because they just couldn’t afford it.

These numbers come from a survey – but it may be even worse than that. The survey was conducted by telephone. Many of those hardest hit may not have a phone to answer such surveys.

Look across at Anatol Rodgers High School on Saturday and hun dreds of people were lined up looking for work.

More than 1,500 people showed up looking for an opportunity to better their lives. For some, that will mean get ting a better job. For many, it will mean getting any job.

The increase in minimum wage has been touted as helping those most in need – and at the sharp end, every dollar counts.

Keisha Ellis, the executive director of Hands for Hunger, said: “For the people who are most vulnerable to

food insecurity and the effects of infla tion, every little bit counts and I am happy to see these changes [minimum wage and extra price controls] being put in place.

“While I have no doubt that in the short term, an increase in weekly wages will alleviate some of the tension that these households feel, I also know that there are major structural changes that need to be made in order to address the major underlying causes of food insecu rity in our country.

“Many of these underlying causes are being addressed through the work of organisations like Hands for Hunger, as well as many of the other non-govern mental organisations that continue to work tirelessly to make lasting changes in our country. No one group can do it all, but together, we can make a major difference.”

There is no single magic solution, of course. Organisations such as Great Commission Ministries or the Salvation Army are doing the best they can to put plates of food into the hands of those who need them, but they can do little to solve the bigger economic problems that landed people in this situation in the first place.

There were already people in need even before COVID-19 came along and shut down the world, our tourism indus try included.

That industry has restarted, but even now businesses are reopening and jobs that had been lost have not been regained.

The safety net has been strained hard, and will be for some time yet.

Giving people the chance to work so they can lift themselves out of the poverty trap is one step, increasing the wages to try to avoid being outrun by soaring inflation has been another – but it will take many more steps to reduce those long queues of people seeking help.

Finding solutions is no easy task – but knowing the depth of how our nation has been affected is the start of the battle.

Too little but not too late

EDITOR, The Tribune.

THERE is nothing natu ral or “free market” about the low structural ratio of wages to prices and profits in The Bahamas.

In fact, it reflects little more than traditional atti tudes towards labour in an historically slave-powered economy. These attitudes have now been ossified into economic policy by mod ern-day politicians, who relentlessly consume and parrot the trickle-down fal lacies peddled by private financial interests.

Relative both to prices and to the unearned profits of rentier capitalists, wages in The Bahamas are simply too low. That (rather than some genetic trait of irre sponsibility) is the cause of the low savings rate that politicians so often scold Bahamians about.

It is also the cause of

stubbornly high unemploy ment, since wages remain the primary medium by which foreign investment is translated into stimu lus (and more jobs) in the domestic economy.

That is why every forced or externally imposed wage hike in Bahamian history has been followed by a sharp and sustained eco nomic boom.

Yet still politicians don’t get it. They take only timid credit for pride-worthy industrial agreements with unions and couch their language about mini mum wage hikes in almost apologetic terms, repeat ing the nonsense about the need for caution so as not to disrupt the economy - when in fact the econ omy’s chief obstacles are the suppressed wages and regressive taxes in which governments have been fully complicit.

There is, of course, a point at which wages can be too high and erode productivity, leading to unemployment. But The Bahamas has never been anywhere near that point.

Quite the reverse.

Working class wages (and not concentrated wealth) drive consumption and growth in The Bahamas. And too high a portion of the revenues from enter prise and rent ends up as dividends, while too low a portion goes to wages. That (together with our failure to tax the rich) is our main economic failing.

So government is to be commended for raising the minimum wage. But it is still very far from enough and it is never the wrong time to do it.

ANDREW ALLEN

Nassau.

October 16, 2022.

Performance of Members of Parliament

EDITOR, The Tribune.

IT HAS been a little over a year since scores of “new” members of parliament were elected; re-elected or rejected. How would some of the ones who were privi leged to be elected for the first time would have per formed; under performed or are unmitigated “miser able” F first year students of the subtle art of politics? I propose to grade them all over the course of the next few weeks.

My family and I are long time residents and constitu ents of the Mount Moriah constituency so I will cri tique the representative, the Hon Mackel Bonaby (PLP-Mount Moriah) in the first instance. I first met him at a social function in the dock area of downtown, along with the then MP for my constituency, the Hon. Arnold Forbes. Thereafter, I would see him every so often at the law chambers which they shared at the corners of Bay and Fre drick Streets.

I must confess that even though I fully supported Forbes in the 2012 general elections, I could not and did not support his re-elec tion for a myriad of reasons. He, like so many other under performing PLP MPs, went down in flames as the Christie piloted air craft crashed and burned. The Bahamian electorate that existed in 2007 and 2012 is a thing of the past. We are more informed and sophisticated so we have little or no patience for bull skaters... or political gyrators.

Under the stellar and long awaited leadership of the Most Hon Philip “Brave” Davis (PLP-Cat Island), then a Queen’s Counsel, now a King’s Counsel, the iconic Progressive Liberal Party regrouped; energized its base and was re-elected by an unprecedented mas sive plurality. The beloved and highly respected leader was sworn in as Prime Min ister and here we are today, thanks be to the Lord Jesus Christ.

I have and have had personal and political disa greements with the current MP for Mount Moriah,

brother Bonaby, but he is, in my view, a superior type of representative. He is a go-getter and is very active on the ground in Mount Moriah. Like the represent atives for Mount Moriah, which is a relatively huge one, his job is cut out for him. I would hold that such a diverse constitu ency like Mount Moriah, which consists of Yellow Elder Gardens to the East; Millennium Gardens in the centre and Staple don Gardens to the West needs a representative like Bonaby.

So far, he is performing at a grade C+ . I do believe that he could bump up his grade to a B, but there is much more work to be done, especially amongst the youthful males and adult ones. Bonaby is doing a great job in terms of having water hydrants installed in strategic areas of the constituency. Street lighting throughout Mount Moriah, has been and continues to be positively improved. Drainage is still a work in progress.

The public parks over here are well maintained and are safe havens for the children and exercising adults. Street signage, alas, is sorely lacking and the MP must prevail upon the Ministry of Works & Public Works to get its people with responsibility for this, to get the hell out of their air con ditioned offices and onto the streets in the area, and others, and do their jobs.

I am a firm believer in higher education and I do believe that a few scholar ships should be offered to financially challenged stu dents at The University of The Bahamas and up at BTVI. One of the biggest challenges for our young people, especially the male of the specie are: a stark lack of marketable skills; lack of societal behavioral patterns; self knowledge and, more importantly, most lack ambition and are not interested in being motivated in a positive way. Bonaby, if he is a smart

man, would do well to establish a youth based ini tiative in the Mount Moriah constituency.

Even though I do not need or desire to see him, one on one, Bonaby can vasses the constituency on a regular basis and meets with constituents as often as pos sible. Like most freshman MPs, PLP & FNM, the fact that they would have been elected, based on party principles, and not because of their perceived or self appointed personality of charisma. Some will stand out, others will be mere cogs in the wheel of destiny. Bonaby has the capacity, I believe, to ascend higher on the political totem pole. With the proper humility and working with ALL sec tors of Mount Moriah, he is a possible cabinet minister in the making.

As chairman of Beaches & Parks, he has brought rationalisation and trans parency therein to an acceptable standard. Con tracts would appear to have been awarded based on “merit” and not pure politics and as a job crea tion exercise for followers and/or political supporters. A little patronage is to be expected in retail politics but not in a discriminated manner or perceived to overly partisan. Bonaby, so far, has displayed impartial ity and is accessible to all. He gets an A on this one.

In conclusion, I am satis fied that McKell Bonaby is the “real deal” for Mount Moriah. As I cau tioned, before, however, he must not fall victim to that deadly and often fatal, political delusion that it is or could be all about him. It is all about the constituency and the unwashed masses. He, like other MPs, who have not yet succumbed to dreams of grandeur and self delusions, would do well to remember that over the course of the next four years, if the Lord continues to tarry, I shall critique the performance, to date, of the Hon Michael Pintard (FNM-Marco City).

ORTLAND H BODIE, Jr

PARTICIPANTS in the Baptist Day march yesterday.

Photo: Moise Amisial

Farmers Market murder accused faces court

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter

A MAN was remanded by a Magistrate’s Court yesterday in connection with a shooting at a Farmers Market last month that left another man, who was on bail for murder, dead.

The accused claimed that the victim was responsible for the death of his brother in 2019.

Brandon Evans, 28, represented by Attorney Domek Rolle, faced Magistrate Shaka Serville on a

charge of murder.

On October 7 at a Farmer’s Market on Baillou Hill Road South, Brandon Evans is accused of being involved in the death of Andy Johnson. According to police reports Evans, wearing a camouflage jacket, approached Johnson at the western end of the market, before shooting him mul tiple times.

It is said that while Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS, the suspect fled in a dark coloured Nissan Cube.

At the time of his death

MAN GUILTY OF RAPE OF 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

HAYWARD Dorsett was found guilty in the Supreme Court on Friday of rape of a minor and possession of child pornography.

A jury of five women and four men delivered unani mous verdicts of 9-0 guilty on both charges.

Dorsett, 23, of Holmes Rock, was charged with unlawful sexual inter course with a 13-year-old girl and possession of child pornography.

He was represented by Attorney K Brian Hanna.

According to court

evidence, Dorsett harassed the teen for two weeks to have sex with him. He told the teen he had nude photos and videos of her on his cel lular phone and threatened to post them if she did not have sex with him. Between April 13 and April 14, 2021, he drove to a location where the teen was staying and had sex with her in the back seat of his vehicle.

Lead prosecutor Ashley Carroll, assisted by Erica Culmer-Curry, appeared for the Crown. Justice Andrew Forbes presided.

Dorsett was remanded to the Department of Cor rection until December 5, 2022, for sentencing.

BAIL GRANTED IN BAR FIGHT STABBING CASE

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was granted bail in a Magistrate’s Court on Friday in connection with an alleged bar fight stab bing in North Andros last weekend.

Ishmael Watson, 30, rep resented by Attorney Maria Daxon, stood before Magis trate Samuel McKinney on a charge of causing grievous harm.

At around 10pm on October 9 at the Shipwreck

Restaurant and Bar in Nicholls Town, Andros, Watson is accused of stab bing Simeon Lewis in the abdomen. This argu ment resulted in Lewis sustaining serious injury.

In court, the accused pleaded not guilty to the offence.

He was granted $7,500 bail with one surety. Under the conditions of his bail, Watson is expected to sign in at his local police station every Wednesday by 6pm.

The trial is set to begin on January 24, 2023.

$2,000 FINE FOR STEALING IPHONE

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was ordered to pay a fine in a Magis trate’s Court on Friday after admitting to stealing a luxury phone earlier this month.

Jeremy Ferguson, 27, appeared before Magistrate Kendra Kelly on charges of stealing and receiving.

On October 2 in New

Providence, Ferguson stole a black iPhone 13 pro valued at $1,499 which belongs to Darren Darville.

After Ferguson pleaded guilty to theft, the receiving charge was withdrawn by the court.

As such the Magistrate ordered the defendant to pay a fine of $2,000 for the offence. Ferguson is expected to return to court on November 4 to provide proof of payment.

Johnson was on bail charged with the 2019 murder of Brian Evans Jr, the defendant’s brother.

As the defendant awaited arraignment, he struggled to maintain his composure openly breaking into tears in court.

Due to the gravity of the offence, Evans was not required to enter a plea. He was informed that his case would be fast tracked to the Supreme Court by way of a Voluntary Bill of Indictment (VBI).

The magistrate informed Evans that as he did not have the

authority to grant him bail in his jurisdiction, he would have to apply for it at the higher court.

Until bail is granted, Evans will be remanded to the Baha mas Department of Correctional Services.

After formally being read his charges, concerns were raised over Evans’ safety in remand, claiming that the victim in this matter has gang affiliations.

Attorney Rolle said that his client was the victim of police abuse while in custody at the CDU. The defendant went on

to tell the court that officers there allegedly put a fish bag over his head and placed him in a body bag to beat him into saying what they wanted on record.

Magistrate Serville noted the complaints made by counsel as well as his objection to his client’s alleged confession under duress at the onset.

Before being taking into remand, Evans tearfully embraced his mother.

The defendant’s VBI will be served on November 30.

BAPTIST DAY MARCH

Dr. Franklin Walkine

Wishes to announce his retirement from the Clinical Practice of Medicine, October 31,

I wish to thank all my patients for the opportunity to participate in their health care. Any patients wanting their notes should request them from the office.

The office hours are from Monday to Friday

am

SCENES from the Baptist Day march yesterday.

Photos: Moise Amisial

A united front over issue of marital rape

By MALCOLM STRACHAN

A BREAKTHROUGH appears to have been achieved in the debate over marital rape – and it’s thanks in no small part to the University of The Bahamas.

Last week, an expert at our nation’s own university was able to release some of the findings from a study into marital rape. The scale of what adjunct faculty member William Fielding had to report was remark able, to say the least.

The study found that one in 12 married women have been raped by their hus bands. One in 12.

That would work out to about 4,000 married women in the country, according to Mr Fielding’s results.

An even greater number, around 6,000, claimed they were victims of sexual abuse. That would include any sexual activity without consent, including sexual violence, unwanted touch ing, forced oral sex and rape.

Frighteningly, the study found that married women were more likely to be sex ually abused than a single woman by an intimate partner.

Mr Fielding added: “Admitting to rape requires courage, so we might val idly interpret this figure as ‘at least eight percent’ and

so estimate the figure as being in the region of 4,000 women.”

Now, to be fair, some caveats should be noted with regard to this research. The findings were released to The Tribune before the study was published, so it would still need to stand up to peer review. How ever, it seems unlikely that a review would show wildly different findings.

Instead, what we are faced with is a glimpse of the scale of the problem of marital rape – how many people are affected, how commonplace sexual vio lence is within marriage in Bahamian society.

I will freely admit to being shocked by the

figures. In the debate over marital rape so far, it was easy to think of it as impor tant, to protect women who were victims of it, but think that it only came down to a small number of cases each year. One victim is too many, of course, and the law should be amended to pro tect even that one person – but now that we see the scale of the problem, it brings home the urgency of doing something about it.

So how have our leaders responded? I’m delighted to say they have risen to the challenge.

Rather than dismiss the study, or talk as if the problem isn’t there, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis was one of the first to

speak up, urging victims of rape – whether married or single – to report abuse to the police.

He said: “What I say to any woman, married or not, if they are aggrieved by being assaulted violently by anyone, they should report it to the police. The law takes into account the separation of persons who would have had a marriage and any assault on a woman be it whether you call it rape, grievous harm or oth erwise, the law should take its course.”

That may or may not be so – it would be a challeng ing test case for a married woman to bring given the state of our current laws, and the trauma of going over a rape attack before a court of law is difficult enough without the uncer tainty of whether the law even applies.

However, Mr Davis has done the right thing – encouraging the involve ment of authorities.

Indeed, he was applauded that same day by Human Rights Bahamas, whose secretary general, Paco Nunez, in describing the news that one in 12 Baha mian wives have been raped as “unconscionable, outra geous and utterly barbaric”, went on to say: “Human Rights Bahamas once again applauds the Davis admin istration for committing to bring an end to this night mare once and for all.”

But what about the other voice in the room in this conversation – that of the church? Credit again to Bahamas Christian Council president Bishop Delton Fernander, who called the survey outcome “horrific”.

He said: “I want to have a strong conversation with pastors I regard to the data that came out.”

He called such acts against married women “unacceptable”, and added: “I think the data can be the catalyst of a strong conversation, as clergy, as I’ve spoken to the clergy – we’ve got work to do.

We’ve got a lot of work to do, to reverse what’s going on in our society.”

Some of the discus sion rejecting the idea of marital rape laws has sur rounded that when a man and a woman marry, they become one, and that one part cannot reject another. There has been talk of women promising to obey their husbands.

But Bishop Fernander noted that if marriage is done right – “God’s way” –then men will respect their wives and never want to harm them because they are “bone of your bone and flesh of your flesh”.

He said: “Spousal abuse, that is taking place in society – that’s where we started. We started talk ing about spousal abuse, whether male or female, it’s real. And because it’s real, it’s our job to do something about it, but I can’t con vince you to live a Christian life.”

The university study appears to have brought a turning point. It has shown the scale of the problem our nation faces – of the suf fering being inflicted upon women in our society.

Some will say we should have known all along, but there have been voices tell ing us this all along that have been ignored.

They don’t appear to be being ignored any longer.

Our university is our leading institution in the land, and its study shows we need to do something about this. Our Prime Min ister has urged victims to call the police and marital rape legislation is finally on the government’s radar. And our religious lead ers are acknowledging that such abuse is wrong and that we need to do something.

That’s a powerful moment – to see such una nimity across the board. This might actually be a time when change can finally happen.

And women will be safer for it.

Bishop Delton Fernander

If the school bell cries

AT any given moment, our lives can change forever.

Just the notion of how splitsecond fast it can happen is frightening. Given the fear of the unknown makes it even more unsettling. So, while we all reasonably live in hope that every new day will be better than the last, should tragedy unex pectedly happen, the next day can easily be worse. In those moments, the quiet desperation of ‘what if’ thrives without abatement and the unrequited long ing to alter circumstance is unshakable.

While such moments of what tomorrow will bring were once only relegated to the elderly and cynical, today even school-aged children are faced with such dilemmas. That’s because schools are no longer the hub of safety that they once were, particularly in the United States where, according to the American press, there have been 28 school shootings this year alone. As a consequence, the school bell, which once only tolled the start and end of a class period, now also functions as an anthem that cries out to alert students that their life is in eminent danger.

That danger has also swept into schools here in The Bahamas. Case in point, several years ago a 15-year-old male student, hereafter referred to as David, got into an argu ment with several other classmates. During the first break of the school period, their arguing exploded into physical attacks. An army of bystanders soon gathered and chaos ensued when one of the young men pulled out a knife. Once school administrators saw the pan demonium, the school bell, as protocol demands, cried loudly and unyieldingly, its echo sounding across the large campus. The vibration shook the earth beneath the students’ feet and trembled through their ear drums, but it was too late. David was punched and kicked and then suddenly, blood pulsated out of him like a broken faucet. The congregation of onlookers grew larger by the second confused as to the rapid escalation in severity of the situation.

Once the crowd real ised what had happened, a chorus of screams grew louder and more deaf ening as students and teachers watched in horror as David’s body became soaked with his own blood. He’d been brutally stabbed in his head with a butcher knife. The distal portion of the knife rammed through his skull with minimal resistance owing to the extreme sharpness of the blade. The shocking pain was immediate. David pulled back and the knife broke, snapping into two and leaving seven centim eters of the distal portion embedded within his brain. The school went into shut down and on-campus police officers took charge. David was transported to the hos pital in critical condition but unlike my previous reports, this story isn’t told from the patient’s perspec tive but from the surgeon who operated on him that fateful afternoon.

Esteemed professor Dr. Magnus Ekedede, the chief

consultant of neurological surgery at both The Prin cess Margaret Hospital (PMH) and Doctor’s Hos pital, received a call that a patient with a stab wound had been brought into the emergency room. Despite the preliminary phone assessment of the patient’s condition, Professor Eked ede admits that he was ill-prepared for what he saw as he walked into accident and emergency and laid eyes upon David for the first time.

The patient, he states, looked as if he’d been res cued from a war-zone. His uniform broadcasted to all the frailty of his youth. Barely conscious and inaudible, his arms flailed wildly as he had to be held down to prevent him from harming himself or others. Awake but con fused and unaware of his surroundings, tears rolled down his cheek and David loudly mumbled the same word over and over, fight ing assailants who were no longer there. A nurse sug gested that he was calling out for his mother. It was a haunting reminder that this wasn’t just a patient, it was someone’s son, harmed while at an institu tion designed for no other reason than to provide him with a brighter future. Once X-rays were performed to assess the exact position of the blade, David was prepped and transported to the operating theatre.

Sedated by general anes thesia, David’s head was shaved and was held in place with a three-point fix ation device. The area was then cleansed and draped. Using a surgical blade, a skin incision was made and the underlying muscle and soft tissue were lifted off the skull and retracted. An oscillating bone saw was utilized and a bone

flap was excised exposing the dura which covers the brain. Fortunately, the knife didn’t damage the exten sive network of nerves and blood vessels that traverse through the brain. The knife was gently removed and with great caution, water was flushed over the open brain and suctioned along with any possible broken metal fragments. The dura was closed with sutures and the bone flap was secured in position with titanium plates and screws. Finally, the muscle and skin were sutured close and the incision site was dressed with antibiotic ointment and sterile gauze.

David fortunately recov ered without any focal deficits. His memory and language skills are still both intact and he has no restrictions in his move ments. For all intents and purposes, it was not only a miracle that he survived but that he walked away from his injury physically

unscathed except for a head scar that will forever tell the story of his neardeath experience. He was discharged from the hos pital two weeks after the stabbing incident that came so close to ending his young life and might well have done so had it not been for the quick response of offi cials and the extraordinary skills of Professor Ekedede and the team at PMH.

But not all students are as fortunate as David was to survive what could have been a fatal attack. And amidst the growing con cern of bullying and school violence, many activists are calling for stricter gun laws. Any amicable solutions, however, lie unilaterally within the lab yrinth of erosions to our individual liberty. Metal detectors, a stronger police presence and random search and seize policy suggestions are typically met with hostility from the public at large. They

By DR KENNETH D KEMP

decry that the forebod ing presence of such will foster a prison-like envi ronment as opposed to the un-restrictedness and open-mindedness that higher education should stimulate. But for others, it is a small price to pay for the peace of mind that children will return home safely at the end of the day.

The reality is that life in The Bahamas is not as peaceful as it once was 20 years ago. Unfortu nately, today parents can no longer naively assume that their children are entirely safe at school.

During the age of slavery, in their oppression, black men worked together and spoke freely among them selves. But today, violence is the language of the oppressed and many of the descendants of those once enslaved men resolve their issues not with words but with bullets. And yet, for every David who hasn’t been equipped with the

tools of conflict resolution, there’s a Professor Dr. Magnus Ekedede, a spec tacular embodiment of the counterfactual.

The night David came home from the hospital, as his mother watched him sleep, I suspect she thought to herself and dared to hope that her son, and other young men, will someday learn to appreciate that silence is often more pow erful than screams and walking away can some times require more courage than confrontation. And perhaps someday, par ticularly for the sake of students throughout the Commonwealth, violence within schools will cease and school bells will cry no more. That will certainly once again give us hope that tomorrow will indeed be better than today.

This is the KDK Report.

• Nicknamed ‘The Prince of Podiatry’, Dr Kenneth D Kemp is the founder and medical director of Baha mas Foot and Ankle located in Caves Village, Western New Providence. He served as the deputy chairman for the Health Council for five years and he currently sits on the board of directors for the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation in his role as co-vice-chairman.

PEOPLE react following a deadly school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in May this year. We may think of school violence as a problem more common in the US - but while not on the scale of an incident such as Uvalde, Bahamian schools can be prone to violence too.

Photo: Dario Lopez-Mills/AP

Support for Juan Guaidó has dwindled

AT the height of Donald Trump’s presidency of the United States (U.S.) when, on January 23, 2019, he anointed Juan Guaidó as the “Interim President” of Venezuela, as much as 50 countries joined him in a folly that persisted until October 6, 2022.

Juan Guaidó was never the “Interim President” of Venezuela. He never had the power or authority to change anything within Venezuela, and he certainly was not in control of a gov ernment in Venezuela that could negotiate with any government in the world.

Guaidó’s “Interim Presi dency” was a fiction from its beginning, largely con cocted by President Trump’s re-election campaign team whose eyes were tightly focussed on votes of the Cuban-Venezuelan exiled community in Florida.

Emphasis was placed on the Organization of American States (OAS) where, traditionally, the US Government has exerted considerable influence over the 35-nation membership. Note that the OAS Secre tariat continues to count Cuba as one of its mem bers, even though Cuba was effectively suspended in January 1962, and it rejected a June 2009 OAS resolution, which ended Cuba’s exclusion from the Organization and invited the Cuban government to request participation after a “process of dialogue”.

The background is as fol lows: On April 27, 2017,

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By SIR RONALD SANDERS

the Government of Ven ezuela denounced the OAS Charter and announced its withdrawal from member ship of the Organization with effect two years later on April 27, 2019, as required by the Charter. In August 2017, a Constitu ent National Assembly was elected in Venezuela to draft a new constitution.

The election was disputed within and outside of Venezuela.

However, The Demo cratic Unity Roundtable - the opposition - boycotted the election, claiming that the Constituent Assembly was “a trick to keep the incumbent ruling party in power”. Since the opposi tion did not participate in the election, the incum bent Great Patriotic Pole, dominated by the United Socialist Party of Ven ezuela, won almost all the seats in the Assembly by default.

On August 8, 2017, eleven member states of the OAS formed “The Lima Group” whose stated pur pose was “to address the critical situation in Ven ezuela and explore ways to contribute to the restora tion of democracy in that country through a peaceful

and negotiated solution”. They also made their par tisanship very clear, by stating, “Their decision not to recognize the National Constituent Assembly, nor the acts emanating from it, due to its illegitimate nature’ and “Their full sup port and solidarity with the National Assembly, demo cratically elected”.

The eleven countries were: Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay and Peru. Their first meet ing was also attended by representatives of Guyana and Jamaica. The then gov ernments of Guyana, Haiti and St Lucia subsequently joined the group. The Dominican Republic, Ecua dor, and El Salvador were also described as “regional observers” to the Group.

Today, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Guyana, Hon duras, Panama, Peru, and St Lucia have all discarded the “Lima Group”, and its agenda for regime change in Venezuela.

It was the “Lima Group”, together with the US that were active in the OAS throughout the period, August 2017 to January 2019, in initiating various

resolutions and declara tions on Venezuela.

On January 23, 2019, Juan Guaidó, as head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, declared him self “interim president” of the country and was imme diately recognised by the then-US President, Donald Trump.

Subsequently, the following 16 member states of the OAS simi larly declared recognition of Guaidó: Argentina, the Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Sal vador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Panama, Para guay, and Peru. It is this group of states whose rep resentatives in 2019 were active in the OAS, along with Jamaica and St Lucia, in support of Juan Guaidó as the “interim president” of Venezuela.

Amid protests and objec tions of 15 member states, on April 19, 2019, by the slimmest majority of 18 votes at a meeting of the Permanent Council, which was convoked contrary to its rules, a Resolution, accepting the Venezue lan National Assembly’s nominee as the designated Permanent Representa tive, was adopted. Many objections were formally communicated to the Sec retariat of the OAS, the United Nations SecretaryGeneral, and all member states of the OAS, in addi tion to being footnoted to the Resolution.

Subsequently, on June 28, 2019, the OAS General Assembly, again by the slim majority of 18 votes, plus the vote of the disputed Venezuelan representative making it 19, accepted the Permanent Representative to the OAS designated by the “National Assembly” of Venezuela. This resolu tion was inconsistent with the provisions of the OAS Charter, the Vienna Con vention on Diplomatic relations, and the method ology in the UN system. It was blatantly wrong.

Several delegations formally protested the decision and recorded that they would not accept any decisions, declara tions or resolutions, which included the vote of Guaidó’s representative to form a required majority.

Among the countries that formally registered their disapproval were: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bolivia, Dominica, Gre nada, Mexico, Nicaragua, St Kitts-Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trini dad and Tobago.

Throughout the period of the participation of Guaidó’s representative in the Councils of the OAS, he used meetings as a bully pulpit for expounding his political party’s viewpoint.

At a meeting of the Perma nent Council on December 16, 2020, he falsely and maliciously excoriated the government of Trinidad and Tobago over the cir cumstances in which a boat sunk between Venezuela and Trinidad, calling for “an investigation into the treatment of Venezuelan migrants in Trinidad and Tobago”. The boat, with no safety equipment on board, was built to carry eight persons but had 41 migrants on board. He was not challenged by the Chair of the Permanent Coun cil - sadly a Representative of a CARICOM nationfor this offensive and false allegation. It was left to the Trinidad and Tobago repre sentative to reject robustly the attack of an outlier in the OAS Council.

The only other body in the entire international system in which Guaido’s representative illegally sits is the OAS ancillary body the Inter-American Devel opment Bank – a situation that also requires review.

In the event, on October 6, 2022, at the 52nd Regu lar Session of the OAS General Assembly, Anti gua and Barbuda, with the co-sponsorship of 10 other countries, proposed a Resolution to overturn the illegal 2018 decision to seat Guaidó’s person as the rep resentative of Venezuela.

However, to get the item on the agenda of the meeting, according to the anachro nistic and inappropriate rules, a majority of twothirds of the membership was required.

The US and Canada had vigorously and widely lob bied every government not to support the effort to get the topic on the agenda. Despite their efforts, a majority of member states – 19 of them – voted to do so; only four countries voted against. The latter four countries were the US, Canada, Guatemala, and Paraguay. The two big countries managed to stop the transparent dialogue, which they demand should be standard conditions in nations, but they failed to garner support for the con tinuing illegal presence of Juan Guaidó’s person in the councils of the OAS.

It is significant that the US itself is now bargaining directly with the de facto and de jure government in Venezuela over oil and the swapping of prisoners, rec ognizing that Guaidó is in charge of nothing and that the fallacy of his “Interim Presidency” is fully exposed, as is the injury done to the OAS.

At the OAS General Assembly, Antigua and Barbuda, in presenting the item to remedy the folly of seating Guaidó’s person, stated: “This is an effort to maintain the credibility, authority and integrity of the OAS”.

It should be recorded that 11 of the 14 CARI COM countries voted in unity. Three governments abstained - Haiti because of its reliance on the U.S. in its current precarious situation; Guyana because of the sensitivity over its present border contention against Venezuela at the International Court of Jus tice; and Jamaica which has continuously voted favour ably to install and maintain Guaidó’s representative.

However, the reality is that support for Guaidó has dwindled in the OAS to four declared member states, and while it was imposed, it was never credible and is now not sustainable.

• Responses and previ ous commentaries: www. sirronaldsanders.com

(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassa dor to the United States of America and the Organiza tion of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Common wealth Studies, University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto).

LEADERS

the Ministerial Meeting of the Summit Implementation Review Group during the 52nd General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Lima, Peru, on October 6.

Photo: Cris Bouroncle/AP

UNION TELLS OF FRUSTRATION OVER GB POWER DISMISSALS

stop dismissing our mem bers without cause,” Mr Burrows said on Friday.

THE Commonwealth Electrical Workers Union is frustrated over the alleged wrongful dismiss als of workers at the Grand Bahama Power Company.

CEWU president Roscoe Burrows claims that a total of five workers have been terminated for no just cause over the past two years.

He accused GBPC of violating the contract under Article 19, which speaks to productivity, contract of employment termination, and perfor mance evaluation.

Additionally, Mr Bur rows indicated that there are other outstanding issues pending, including the safety of workers and dis crimination in pay.

The union president said disputes were filed with the Labour Board concerning the dismissals, which have yet to be resolved. Just last week, another employee was dismissed at the GBPC.

“We want the GBPC to

‘We have been in negotia tions on all cases for almost two years and we are not getting anywhere. We have four matters before the Labour Board, and every thing seems to be stalled.”

According to a state ment issued by CEWU, the first dismissal occurred on November 27, 2020. A dispute was filed with the Labour Board.

Mr Burrows said the union is awaiting an out come of the Court of Appeal ruling.

Since then, there have been other alleged wrong ful dismissals. On Feb 12, 2021, Mr Burrows claimed that no reason or cause was given for the termination of an employee who had ini tially alerted GB Power HR about alleged irregulari ties that were discovered with his superior’s work operation.

The union official stated that after receiving no resolution, the worker proceeded to use Emera’s

hotline, which has been established for reporting code of conduct violations.

He pointed out the hot line was promised to be anonymous and protect employees from retaliation.

He said shortly after that the worker was dismissed by his director.

Burrows. “There is now a total of four cases before the Labour Board and one at the Court of Appeal and possi bly more soon to come.”

Other outstanding issues include the safety of work ers and discrimination in pay, among others.

experience and tenure, to far supersede their own salaries, are still being over looked themselves.

compensation, no raises, no promotions, not to men tion many employees have either no clear job descrip tions or are just plain missing in the contract.”

Mr Burrows said CEWU filed a dispute at the Labour Board for wrongful dismissal on the worker’s behalf.

Although

The Industrial Tribunal ruled in favour of the case filed by CEWU on May 2, 2022, GBPC is appealing it in the Court of Appeal.

Despite the ruling in the previous case, the union president said GBPC dismissed a worker on October 6, 2022, under cir cumstances similar to the previous case. The union member had utilised the hotline shortly before being dismissed.

“It seems Emera’s hot line is getting a little too hot for employees to manage and not even the law is not enough to stay the iron fist of the Company,” said Mr

“There is a safety con cern in the Power Line Technicians Department as it relates to work pro cesses to help keep workers safe while performing such integral and poten tially dangerous tasks daily, ensuring the lights stay bright,” Mr Burrows claimed.

“Also, there is a matter of their Progression Plan needing to be laid out with a clear schedule for advancement similar to the documents that are in place for the Mechanics and the Mechanic Operator’s Pro gression Plans.”

“There is also the matter of the three Control Room Operators being discrimi nated upon for three years and counting, while they train Operators, some with far fewer years of

“There is also the Instru ment Electrical & Controls case of four technicians being utilised for four plus years to provide service and skill sets outside of what they were being paid for despite the contract clearly outlining how they are to be compensated.

“There is also an alleged Customer Service Represent ative with no clear job title according to the Company, who has been worked far above his pay grade for seven years and counting, with no promotion to an appropriate position and no remunera tion for past years of service, almost akin to slavery.

‘‘There is also a Store Man who is stuck in the lowest rank for the past nine years despite training other Store Men and acting as Warehouse Supervisor on many occasions. There also exists numerous counts of employees perform ing tasks well above and outside their roles with no

The union official said GBPC has decreased its line staff by half over the years. “The company has successfully and quietly downsized from over two hundred line staff down to almost half that in the past decade while executive pro motions and hiring seem to be at an all-time high,” Mr Burrows claimed.

“With all the same equip ment in place to maintain and operate, almost all departments are over worked, understaffed, and under-compensated.”

Mr Burrows said contract renegotiations are nearing.

“To prevent the union from taking any further course of redress we are calling on the government to intervene and bring about swift, amenable resolves with the Emera Company and its affiliate, to make Grand Bahama Power bright again,” he said.

‘WE ARE WELL PLACED TO HANDLE ANY CHOLERA OUTBREAK’

BY JADE RUSSELL jrussell@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH and Well ness Minister Dr Michael Darville has assured the public that the Bahamas can handle an outbreak of cholera, should one occur, adding that officials were actively working to imple ment additional protocols.

Dr Darville spoke to reporters on Friday regard ing a confirmed cholera case of a 52-year-old Bahamian man in New Providence who was reported by the Ministry of Health and Wellness on Thursday.

Despite speculations, Dr Darville said the man did not travel to Haiti, but he did not give any other details on the patient’s recent travel history.

Cholera is an acute diar rheal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholera, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

With the new confirmed case of cholera in the capital, Dr Darville told reporters that the minis try is working closely with

the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) to implement additional protocols.

He said: “The additional protocols are more closely monitoring our borders, having more healthcare, individuals in our sur veillance unit, high alert, monitoring our airports, ports of entry ships coming in from various different jurisdictions.

“It’s more involved with surveillance,” he said

When asked if the country’s healthcare facilities have the capac ity to deal with cholera cases, “yes” was Dr Dar ville‘s reply. “Yes, we have an emergency pro tocol that we can activate in the event that we have cases that supersede these isolated cases. They are available not only in New Providence, but also in Grand Bahama.

“And our team on the Family Islands are also on high alert on how. So, these are standard medical protocols that our health care providers have the ability to activate, in the event that we do have an outbreak.”

BAIL GRANTED OVER BREAK-INS

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was granted bail in a Magistrate’s Court on Friday in connection with recent break-ins at a rec tory and a business.

The accused was further bound over to keep the peace for one year after admitting to an additional drug offence.

Breon McKenzie, 22, represented by attorney Maria Daxon, faced Magis trate Samuel McKinney on four charges. These include shopbreaking, attempted shopbreaking, damage and possession of dangerous drugs.

Between 3.30pm on Sep tember 10 and 7.45am on September 12, McKenzie is alleged to have broken into R & T Investment on Dun more Avenue with intent to steal. From 10pm on Sep tember 11 and 1.45am on

September 12, McKenzie is further accused of attempt ing to break into St Francis and St Joseph’s Rectory on Boyd Road. This led to an estimated $306.68 worth of damage to two windows.

On October 12, McKen zie was arrested for having three grams of Indian Hemp in his possession.

He pleaded not guilty to the shopbreaking and damage charges. However, he pleaded guilty to the drug charge.

McKenzie was bound to keep the peace for one year for the drug offence. Should he be found in default he faces a $500 fine or three months in prison.

He was granted $5,000 bail for each break-in. Under the conditions of his bail, McKenzie is expected to sign in at Nassau Street Police Station on Wednes days and Fridays by 6pm.

McKenzie’s trial is sched uled for November 29.

With one case of chol era having been reported in the country so far, Dr Darville said there is no need for great alarm at this point.

However, he urged resi dents to take the necessary precautions, such as using and drinking safe water and to practice proper hygiene.

“I want the residents of The Bahamas to know that our neighbour in close proximity there’s an out break and there’s always the possibility. And so, for us in the healthcare indus try, we must be mindful of what is around us and begin to prepare for any possible outbreak.”

The last case of cholera in the country was recorded in 2017, according to the ministry.

Additionally, the minis ter confirmed the country is stocked with measles vaccines, adding the min istry is prepared if a case occurred.

When asked for an update on the recruitment process for nurses, he said it is continuing. He further explained that the ministry is looking for nurses from several different places to assist the shortage of nurses in the country.

In a release on Friday, the ministry said the monk eypox vaccine will arrive in the country on Monday.

PROPOSAL ON GB HOSPITAL ‘SOON’

By JADE RUSSELL jrussell@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH and Well ness Minister Dr Michael Darville said on Friday a request for a proposal to award contracts for the building phase of a new Grand Bahama hospital is coming soon.

Dr Darville spoke to reporters after his remarks at the World Sight Day symposium at the Church of God on East Street.

The event was educa tional in terms of providing information on living with blindness and how to func tion through everyday life. Local health officials also highlighted the importance of eye care and health.

When asked for an update on the building of the new hospitals, Dr Darville said things were progressing very rapidly for the construction of a new state of the art hospital for

Grand Bahama.

“That will be the first deliverable in terms of the tertiary facility that is pro gressing very well,” he said. “And very shortly, we will be going out to request for proposals to award con tracts to start the first phase of that facility.

“The facility will be built in three phases, phase 1(a), phase 1(b), and then the last phase will be the tower, which are the additional rooms that will take the healthcare facility to about 150 beds. At that particular time once it’s completed, and it’s operational. We do not tend to have two ter tiary healthcare facilities in Grand Bahama or two campuses.”

He continued: “So we would have a tertiary facil ity, the brand-new facility, and the Rand would be stepped down to sec ondary so that we can mitigate and manage the

cost of providing health care on the island of Grand Bahama. And by extension, the northern region of The Bahamas.”

In July, Dr Darville revealed that government secured the money to build a new hospital in Grand Bahama. A new hospi tal is desperately needed in Grand Bahama, as the Rand Memorial Hospi tal sustained significant damage during Hurricane Dorian in September 2019.

Additionally, when asked about the site for the location of the new Prin cess Margret Hospital in Nassau, Dr Darville said he is pleased with the site, noting that he hopes to soon be able to announce where the new site will be.

“I would like to let the Bahamian people know that there is some study, some geo-technical studies that are going on, on the rock formation to ensure

that it can handle multi-sto rey capability. I am pleased with the site; the site is about 50 to 55 acres. So, there’s room for expansion. It’s on high ground, which means that we don’t have to worry too much about the elements of climate change.

“But I’m pleased that as we’re progressing with the final feasibility, it appears that we have a confirmed site.

“I figure in a couple of weeks - at the latest two months I will be able to clearly articulate to the Bahamian people where the new site for the Princess Margaret Hospital will be.”

The minister had initially said that officials were look ing at three possible sites, however, he is satisfied with the new proposed site.

The government stated in its Blueprint for Change that their priority was to improve and build health care facilities in the country.

HEALTH Minister Michael Darville.

Photo: Austin Fernander

RYAN, PIERCE HOOK UP IN FINAL MINUTE, COLTS BEAT JAGS 34-27

By MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)

— Indianapolis Colts coach Frank Reich trusted Matt Ryan to make the right calls yesterday.

In the waning moments, the 15-year veteran deliv ered again.

Ryan read Jackson ville’s defence, relied on his instincts and then lobbed a 32-yard touchdown pass to rookie receiver Alec Pierce, who caught it just over the hands of a defender with 17 seconds left to give the Colts a 34-27 victory.

“Alec is so good on those kinds of routes and I think in that situation throwing the ball past the sticks and taking a shot, you can’t play scared,” Ryan said. “I thought it was a great call, a great route and I wanted to take a chance there.”

His perfect throw, despite taking a hit as he released the ball, capped a memora ble day with a victory that may finally get the Colts’ offence righted.

Ryan was 42 of 58 for 389 yards with three touch downs, no sacks and no turnovers. He broke the franchise’s single game record for completions and moved into seventh on the NFL’s career passing list.

Dan Marino has 61,361 yards. Ryan now has 61,499 yards and 45 career gamewinning drives. He’s also fifth all-time with 30 career games of 350 or more yards passing.

But Ryan also knew what mattered most. Indy (3-21) snapped a two-game skid against its AFC South rival and improved to 1-2-1 in division play. Plus, Indy ended a touchdown drought that stretched to Week 4 and topped the 20-point mark for the first time in eight games.

SPORTS NOTES

SEASON OPENING

THE Government Sec ondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA) will begin its 2022/23 sports calendar with softball and baseball on Monday at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

• Here’s a look at the games on the schedule starting at 4pm:

- Anatol Rodgers vs LW Young junior girls softball.

- Anatol Rodgers vs LW Young junior boys baseball.

- RM Bailey vs CV Bethel senior girls softball.

- RM Bailey vs CV Bethel senior boys baseball.

- TA Thompson vs HO Nash junior girls softball.

- TA Thompson vs HO Nash junior boys baseball.

- CI Gibson vs DW Doris Johnson senior girls softball.

- CI Gibson vs Doris Johnson senior boys baseball.

BASKETBALL CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS LEAGUE

After opening up its regu lar season Friday at Loyola Hall on Gladstone Road, the Catholic Diocesan Pri mary Schools will continue its basketball competition on Friday at 3:30pm with another series of games.

St Francis/Joseph Shock ers will play St Cecilia’s and Xavier’s Giants will face St Thomas More Sparks.

NPSA Best of 5: Hitmen take Game 1

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

MANAGER Darren Stevens liked what he saw from his C&S Hitmen in game one of their New Providence Softball Association men’s best-of-five championship series at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex on Saturday night.

Veteran Edney ‘the Heat’ Bethel was in vintage form, spinning a three hitter with 16 strikeouts and designated player Hosea Hilton and pinch hitter Rudy Fox came through with a pair of clutch hits to seal the deal.

Those performances enabled C&S to pull off a close 3-1 victory over the Cyber Tech Blue Marlins to snatch the initial lead in the series that will continue with game two at 9pm on Tuesday night.

“This was a hard-fought game. We didn’t expect anything less,”

Steven said. “Edney did his job, He came out with 16 strikeouts and we were able to muster a few runs. That was all we needed.”

The Hitmen didn’t score until the bottom of the second when they pushed a pair of runs across home plate from right fielder Edron Knowles and left fielder Martin Burrows Jr, thanks to a two-run single from Hilton.

Losing pitcher Thomas Davis held their bats in check until the sixth when Fox came in to pinch hit for Bethel.

He ripped a shot to right-centre field for a lead off triple.

But after he failed to score on Sherman Ferguson’s fly ball to centre field, Stevens brought John son back to run for Fox. On a wild pitch, he managed to race home with their insurance run.

“We just have to be consistent and cash in on the runs when we need them,” said Stevens as they

needed the run on Fox’s stand up triple that saw Johnson scoot home.

“We have to be able to score the runs and cash in on when the opportunities arise. But once our defence stays steady and our pitch ing is steady, we should be able to pull off the win.”

Davis ended up giving up four hits with eight strikeouts.

The Blue Marlins drew first blood, scoring their only run in the top of the second when with oneout, catcher Garfield Bethel got a single off Bethel.

After moving up to second on a wild pitch, Bethel eventually scored from second on a passed ball.

Cyber Tech blew a pair of scor ing opportunities after that, the first coming in the fourth as right fielder Winston Seymour got a lead off double, but was left stranded as C&S got the next three batters out.

Then in the seventh with one out, left fielder Lamar Watkins singled, stole second and reached third in a ground out, but Bethel struck out second baseman Ste phen Russell to end the game.

As they prepare for game two on Tuesday, Stevens said there’s no doubt that their ace Alcott Forbes, who started at third base, will be on the mound for the Hitmen.

“We are looking for the same hard-fought effort from them from that aspect of the game, but they will have to do it against our ace Alcott Forbes,” Stevens said.

“It’s no secret, he will get the ball.

“So as long as we stay consistent like we did tonight (Saturday), we will be alright.”

The Marlins, with Marcus Pratt handling the managerial chores, are expected to counter with Eugene Pratt on the mound. Pratt played third base in game one.

Eagles stay undefeated

By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA

(AP) — Jalen Hurts threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns, C.J. Gard ner-Johnson had two of Philadelphia’s three inter ceptions of Cooper Rush, and the Eagles stayed undefeated with a 26-17 win over the Dallas Cow boys last night.

The Eagles held on after their 20-0 lead shrank to 20-17 early in the fourth quarter, improving to 6-0 for the first time since 2004 — when they won their first seven games and went to the Super Bowl.

Philly put the game away with an efficient drive that took up more than half the fourth quarter. The Eagles converted three third downs and Hurts hit DeVonta Smith for a 7-yard touchdown. Cow boys cornerback Trevon Diggs ripped off his helmet and slammed it in anger after the score, one final blown opportunity to make a stop and take the NFC East lead away from the Eagles.

The Eagles failed on the 2-point conversion and led 26-17.

Hurts converted two of the third downs on rush ing attempts and Philly needed the clutch runs after the Cowboys (4-2) powered their way back into the game. Ezekiel Elliott scored on a 14-yard run in the third that made it 20-10 and Rush, who mostly struggled, threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Jake Ferguson in the fourth for a 20-17 game.

Gardner-Johnson made a

HURTS KEY IN 26-17 VICTORY OVER COWBOYS

Eagles had converted 8 of 12 fourth-down attempts coming into the game and kept the gambles rolling on their first scoring drive.

Hurts connected with A.J. Brown on fourthand-3 for 11 yards. Then on fourth-and-4 from the 10, the Eagles snared Dallas in a neutral zone infraction for an automatic first down. Miles Sanders scored on a 5-yard TD run and a 7-0 lead.

Rush, solid but hardly lighting up the scoreboard as a starter, had a pass deflected and intercepted by Gardner-Johnson, who flapped his arms after the pick and had Eagles fans going wild. Philly sports fans haven’t had much chance to settle down this fall.

The Eagles are perfect, the Phillies are in the NL Championship Series, the Union host a playoff game this week, and the 76ers open the season on Thursday.

Hurts capitalised off the pick and hit Brown for a 15-yard TD and a 14-0 lead.

diving catch for his second interception to cut off one late drive, and Brett Maher missed a 59-yard fieldgoal attempt in a last-gasp effort to stay within strik ing distance.

Rush had led Dallas to four straight victories in place of the injured Dak

Prescott but was over matched under the lights in front of a rowdy crowd — and an Eagles defence that ranks second in the NFL in points off turnovers.

Rush threw two inter ceptions in the first half that led to 10 points for the Eagles and the ineffective

QB finished the half with a 1.0 rating.

No wonder the Eagles stand as the NFL’s lone unbeaten team.

The Eagles scored 20 points in the second quar ter and have now outscored opponents 112-27 in that quarter this season. The

Jake Elliott, who missed last week’s game with a bad ankle, added field goals of 51 and 34 yards to make it 20-0. Elliott’s second field goal came after Darius Slay intercepted Rush.

UP NEXT The Cowboys return home next Sunday and play Detroit.

The Eagles are off next week and host the Steelers on October 30.

NPSA women: Wildcats win opener

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE Sunshine Auto Lady Wildcats had their hands full with the R&B Lady Operators, but they showed why they are still considered the best team in the women’s New Providence Softball Association.

In game one of their best-of-five championship series on Saturday night in the Bankers Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex, the Lady Wildcats held off the Lady Operators 7-5 to take the opener.

Game two of the series will be played at 7pm on Tuesday with game three on Thursday.

Winning pitcher Thela Ste vens helped her own cause with a 1-for-3 night with three runs batted in, while scoring a run.

Third sacker Lynette Kelly was 2-for-3 with a RBI, shortstop Lari kah Russell was 1-for-2 with a RBI

and a run scored, left fielder Tyrice Davis was 1-for-3 with a run and scratcher Aaliyah Ferguson was 1-for-3 with a run scored.

How she feels about the team’s performance in Game 1?

“I am elated about the mindset and the performance of my team going into game 1,” Russell said.

“There was a lot of excite ment and appreciation leading up to tonight, but we were able to channel that energy and nerves positively.

“Our game plan was to be aggressive, swing at strikes and control the middle of the plate.

In my view, I felt like we exe cuted that extremely well and our defence was strong as expected.”

Despite giving up 10 hits, Ste vens struck out four batters to outduel Diva Burrows, who had a pretty good night on the mound with a seven-hitter and three strikeouts.

It was a night for Sunshine Auto as proprietor and Lady Wildcats’

sponsor Deanza ‘Sonny’ Cox hosted a charity night on behalf of women battling breast cancer with proceeds going to the Sister Sister Organisation.

There were also a lot of prizes given away as another sponsor Bommer George joined in the fes tive occasion.

On the field, the Lady Wildcats took the spotlight as well, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first inning as Stevens highlighted the attack with a three-run home run.

That was followed by an RBI double from Kelly and a run-pro ducing fielder’s choice from first sacker Crystal Finley.

Sunshine Auto added two more runs in the fifth with Russell coming through with a RBI sacri fice fly.

The Lady Operators, however, made it close when they responded with two runs in the third on first sacker Jeanette Hilton’s RBI double for a 5-2 deficit. They came up with another run in the sixth

on an error that got right fielder Francheska McBridge on base.

She eventually scored on another miscue to cut the deficit to 7-3.

And in the seventh, R&A put two more runs on the score board, thanks to catcher Brianna Knowles’ one-out RBI triple and McBridge’s RBI groundout.

The Lady Wildcats were just two runs ahead of them every time they made a run at it.

Knowles finished with a 2-for-4 night at the plate with a RBI and a run scored, Hilton was 2-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored and left fielder Sheryl Evans was 2-for-4 with a run scored for the Lady Operators, who will have to regroup for game two on Tuesday.

“For game two, people should prepare to see us win again once we remain focused on our goals, improve upon mistakes made in the first game and be prepared to have fun,” Russell told the Lady Operators.

PHILADELPHIA Eagles’ Jalen Hurts runs with the ball during the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys last night in Philadelphia.

(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Bahamian pro basketball players in Euro spotlight

By RENALDO DORSETT

BAHAMIAN pro bas ketball players across various leagues in Europe produced season highs in early season play for their new clubs.

In Bulgaria’s National Basketball League, Zane Knowles was dominant for the CSKA Sofia Reds in their narrow 70-68 win on the road over Shumen on Saturday night.

Knowles finished with 17 points, a game high 12 rebounds and three blocked shots. He shot 6-9 from the field and 5-6 from the freethrow line.

The Reds moved to 1-1 after an opening night loss to Spartak Pleven, 91-65.

Knowles finished with 14 points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench.

The Reds earned a pro motion to the NBL after winning the BBL, Group A title last season and will play in the Bulgarian bas ketball elite for the first time after a 13-year hiatus.

Knowles returned from injury last season to con clude the year with Levski Sofia and helped the team reach the NBL semifinal.

In five regular season games, he averaged 10.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

Lashann Higgs scored a season high 19 points to lead Hozono Global Jairis to an 83-75 win over her former club Bem bibre PDM in Spain’s Liga Femenina Endesa.

She shot 3-5 from beyond the arc, 4-5 from the free throw line and also added five assists in 31 minutes.

The third-year guard is the early scoring leader for Jairis in her first season with the club at 10.7 points per game.

Higgs opened the season with nine points and grabbed five rebounds in her club’s 64-51 win over Cadi La Seu. She con cluded last season in the

Liga Femenina Endesa with Lointek Gernika Bizkaia.

In 25 games she averaged 9.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

Jairis head coach Lucas Fernández said he has lofty expectations for the impact Higgs will have on the club for the 2022-23 campaign.

“Lashann Higgs is a player who, within her humility and effort, has a great capacity to generate advantages from her one on one skills, with the ability to finish, to assist, and with great physical abilities in defence,” he said.

“She is a player who from the beginning has shown us great enthusiasm for joining our team and who I am sure will work hard to offer us her best version.”

Several players in France made their respective season debuts.

It was a winning debut for Travis Munnings in his promotion to the French ProB League with his Bou lazac Basket Dordogne basketball club. He finished with five points and three rebounds in an 82-75 win over Lille Métropole in the opener.

Munnings has averaged 10.6 points, four rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in the preseason Leaders Cup.

Last season, Boulazac finished 13th in league standings at 13-19. The front office has been

optimistic about the impact they expect Munnings to have.

“Munnings is a small for ward that is very versatile. He is able to evolve and play shooting guard but also a power forward.

“He will bring volume to the team,” they said in a press release issued by the team.

“Munnings is an athletic player by his physicality. He plays on both sides of the ball with a lot of intensity and he knows how to adapt and put himself at the ser vice of his team.”

Munnings previously played in France when he made his pro debut with La Rochelle Stade Rochelais of France’s NM1 League.

He averaged 17.5 points, eight rebounds and 3.8

assists per game in his brief stint with the club.

Willis Mackey also made his regular season debut with Lyon in the French Nationale Masculine 1 League.

He finished with 11 points, a team high three steals, two rebounds and two assists in his club’s 87-84 win over Kayserberg.

Mackey joined the club as a medical transfer for the next three months.

“His arrival will com pensate for the prolonged absence of our American interior Michael Craion,” the club said of Mackey’s signing. “It is therefore a high quality reinforcement that joins Team Lyon for the next few months.”

Mackey spent last season with another NM1

club, Mulhouse Basket Agglomeration.

In 33 games, the fourth year forward averaged 11.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game on 62 percent shoot ing from the field and 39 percent from three-point range.

Also in the NM1 League, Davis and Vendee Chal lans Basket ended a brief two-game skid with two consecutive wins.

He finished with a season high 16 points and six rebounds in an 81-77 win over Tarbes Lourdes and added eight points and five rebounds in just 17 minutes off the bench last night in an 81-77 win over Rueil.

The second year pro has averaged 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game through five games thus far.

The NM1 is the pro fessional level third-tier division in France. The two top teams from each season of the competition are pro moted to the LNB Pro B, which is the French second division

Kentwan Smith had a game high scoring effort and near double double in his debut for the Svendborg Rabbits of the Basketligaen - the top division in the country.

Smith scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds - both team highs - in his team’s 78-76 loss to Vaer lose. Smith shot 8-13 from the field, including 3-4 from three-point range.

Smith spent the last two seasons with Garonne ASPTT in France’s NM2 league.

In 23 appearances, he averaged 15.4 points per game. In the previ ous season, he averaged 12.9 points per game and Garonne ended the regular season with the second-best record in the league.

In addition to Denmark and France, Smith’s pro career has taken him to Finland, Mexico, Roma nia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Hornets relying on LaMelo Ball, young draft picks to emerge

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

(AP) — The Charlotte Hornets are relying on the continued growth of AllStar point guard LaMelo Ball and the development of a host of young draft picks to help them take the next step after losing in the play-in game the past two seasons.

The Hornets, who haven’t won a playoff series in more than two decades, didn’t add any veteran help via trade or free agency in the offseason to put around Ball, other than role player Dennis Smith Jr.

And, Miles Bridges’ uncertain NBA future has only complicated things.

Bridges, who is a restricted free agent, is facing three felony domes tic violence charges and more than 11 years in prison if convicted. Bridges was the team’s leading scorer last season, averag ing 20.2 points along with 7 rebounds and 3.8 assists.

“Guys are going to have to emerge,” said coach Steve Clifford, who is back for his second stint with the Hornets after owner Michael Jordan fired James Borrego in April.

“You know you’re going to need a comeback player of the year, someone that is All-Rookie team, some one who leads the league in rebounding that didn’t rebound last year. You always have that when you have good seasons,” Clif ford added.

The Hornets expect P.J. Washington will fill Bridges’ spot in the starting lineup and play alongside Ball, Gordon Haywood, Terry

Rozier and Mason Plum lee. Kelly Oubre Jr and Cody Martin have experi ence coming off the bench, but Charlotte is relatively young and untested beyond that.

Clifford is counting on guard James Bouknight, forwards Jalen McDaniels and J.T. Thor, and centres Nick Richards, Kai Jones and rookie Mark Williams to develop quickly and contribute.

Clifford said Bouknight, who spent most of his rookie season in Borrego’s doghouse, has “starter potential” — and his team mates tend to agree.

“Bouk’s definitely got talent,” Ball said. “Just seeing what you can do, the gaps, just reading the whole NBA game, so as soon as he gets that I think he’ll be straight.”

BALL’S INJURY

It’s unclear if the Hornets will have Ball to start the season.

He rolled his left ankle on Monday night and the team said it’s awaiting results of an MRI.

Clifford said Rozier would start at point guard if Ball is out for the season opener on October 19 at San Antonio, and that Smith could see more action at guard.

“Terry was the starting point guard on a team (the Boston Celtics in 2017-18) that went to the Eastern Conference finals,” Clifford said. “It’s a role he is com fortable with, and if that ends up being the situation that is how we will do it.”

BALL DON’T LIE

Clifford loves Ball’s game, but said he wants to see the 21-year-old get to the foul line more.

Ball only attempted 3.2 free throws per game last season, and Clifford wants to see that number double.

The 6-foot-7 Ball has been working overtime with coaches and a former NBA referee on how to create contact and draw more fouls.

“To be honest, if he can attempt three more free throws per game that would be a game-changer for him and for our team,” Clifford said. “He is a good range shooter, his pull-up num bers are not extraordinary,

but they are good enough to win. He doesn’t turn the ball over a lot for a guy who has such large usage.”

HAYWARD’S HEALTH

It seems to be a recur ring theme this time of the year, but keeping Hay ward healthy is vital for the Hornets.

The 12-year NBA vet eran has struggled to stay on the court since his arrival in Charlotte, limited to just 93 games over the past two seasons after signing a fouryear, $120 million contract

in 2020. Clifford said the team will have a week-toweek plan when it comes to resting him.

“He’s definitely not going to play 82 games — that wouldn’t be smart,” Clif ford said. “But I think that a lot of it is him being honest about the way he feels. He badly wants to be on the floor.”

CENTRE OF DEVELOPMENT

Plumlee is currently deal ing with a foot injury but is projected as the team’s starting centre despite the veteran switching to a lefthanded jump shot.

Richards, a former second round pick, is in line to be the back-up and has earned praise from Clifford for his work all summer.

The 7-foot-2 Williams, a first-round pick this year from Duke, will also vie for playing time.

“It means the world to me knowing my team mates believe in me, mostly because I’ve shown that I believe in myself,” Rich ards said.

Said Clifford: “He’s given himself a chance to make progress here because he knows who he is and he plays to his strengths. He can run, he’s physical, he’s a good screener and he’s a good roller.”

TRANSITION DEFENCE

The Hornets have strug gled so far in the preseason in transition defence, some thing that Clifford was brought in to fix.

On several occasions opponents have turned easy makes or misses by the Hornets into easy baskets at the other end.

Fixing that is Clifford’s top priority.

RASHIELD WILLIAMS LOSES VIA SPLIT DECISION

RASHIELD Williams took on a new opponent on short notice and suf fered his first loss at the professional level in over two years.

Williams suffered a loss via split decision to Elijah Flores Saturday night on the BoxLab Promotions card at the Caribe Royale Center in Orlando, Florida.

Flores outscored Wil liams 58-56, 56-58 and 59-55 to win the welter weight bout.

Williams, 33, was origi nally scheduled to face undefeated Jeovanny Estela (9-0, 3KOs) in a six-round bout, while Flores, 18, was scheduled to face Dylan Hale.

Williams’ last loss at the professional level also came via a split decision, at the hands of Javaune James in March 2019 at the Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort in Miami, Florida.

The veteran welter weight now has a record of 6-2 with 5KOs. Prior to this weekend, he last appeared in the ring with a TKO win over Daniel Arriaga on September 17 at the Alessi Fitness Gym in Tampa, Florida. He began 2022 with a TKO win over Daniel Molina on January 28 at the Hialeah Park Racing & Casino in Hialeah, Florida.

In August, Williams returned to the national team level and repre sented the Bahamas at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

HANEY BEATS KAMBOSOS TO KEEP 4 WORLD LIGHTWEIGHT BELTS

MELBOURNE, Aus tralia (AP) — American Devin Haney remains the undisputed light weight boxing champion after outclassing former titleholder George Kam bosos Jr yet again in Melbourne.

Despite sustaining a cut on the right side of his face during the eighth round, the 23-year-old Haney was dominant yesterday while claiming a unanimous points deci sion over the Australian.

The unbeaten Ameri can has won 29 fights, 15 of them by knockout, and has unified the WBA, IBF, WBO and The Ring lightweight belts.

Haney outpointed Kambosos, who claimed the four titles in an upset win over Teofino Lopez at Madison Square Garden last November, in Melbourne in June when claiming the light weight belts for the first time.

Haney proved to be the better boxer again with another victory over Kambosos, who sus tained cuts under his left eye and above his right ear which left him blood ied late in the fight.

Haney’s left jab was the difference in the first fight, but he dem onstrated his versatility when using his right hand to great effect in their second meeting.

CHARLOTTE Hornets’ Kai Jones plays during a preseason NBA basketball game on Wednesday, October 12 in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

ZANE KNOWLES

LASHANN HIGGS TRAVIS MUNNINGS

WILLIS MACKEYKENTWAN SMITH

Allen and Bills finally win at KC

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Josh Allen threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns, including the go-ahead toss to Dawson Knox with 1:04 remain ing, and the Buffalo Bills beat the Kansas City Chiefs 24-20 yesterday to exact a small measure of revenge for their epic overtime loss in last year’s playoffs.

Stefon Diggs had 10 catches for 148 yards and a touchdown, and Gabe Davis also had a TD catch after torching Kansas City for four of them in Janu ary, as the Bills (5-1) finally walked out of Arrowhead Stadium a winner.

Patrick Mahomes had one last chance to rally the Chiefs (4-2) in the final minute. But after an incomplete pass, Buffalo cornerback Taron Johnson jumped Mahomes’ pass to Skyy Moore, picking him off with 51 seconds left.

Mahomes finished with 338 yards passing to go with two touchdowns and two interceptions, including one in the end zone early in the game. JuJu Smith-Schuster had five catches for 113 yards and a touchdown.

Harrison Butker kicked two field goals for Kansas City, including a 62-yarder on the last play of the first half and a 44-yarder that put the Chiefs ahead 20-17 with 9:49 to play. But the Chiefs went three-and-out on their next possession, setting up the Bills’ decisive drive.

GIANTS 24, RAVENS 20

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Julian Love’s interception and 27-yard return set up Saquon Bark ley’s 1-yard touchdown dive with 1:43 to play, and New York rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Baltimore.

The Giants’ defence, led by former Ravens coor dinator Wink Martindale, forced two turnovers by Lamar Jackson late in the fourth quarter. After Barkley’s go-ahead score, rookie Keyvon Thibodeaux sacked Jackson and forced a fumble as the Ravens (3-3) had their third late meltdown this season and handed the Giants (5-1) another surprising victory.

[[Led by new coach Brian Daboll, the Giants have already exceeded their 2021 win total.

Daniel Jones threw touchdown passes to two rookies: 5 yards to Wan’Dale Robinson and 8 yards to Daniel Bellinger. The second got New York within 20-17 with 6:53 to go. Kenyan Drake ran for 119 yards, including a 30-yard TD, and Jackson hit Mark Andrews on a 12-yard TD pass early in the fourth quarter for a 20-10 lead.

The Ravens seemed to have a stranglehold on the game when Jackson had a third-down sneak to the Baltimore 46 for an appar ent first down. An illegal formation nullified the play and the shotgun snap on third-and-5 went past Jackson.

He picked up the ball deep behind the line of scrimmage, and his desper ation pass was intercepted by Love and returned to the 13.

STEELERS 20,

an injured Kenny Pickett to throw a 6-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and Pittsburgh’s defence made it stand up against Tom Brady and Tampa Bay.

The Steelers (2-4) snapped a four-game losing streak by relying on a defence missing almost its entire starting secondary.

Brady struggled to take advantage behind an offen sive line that had issues protecting him.

The 45-year-old com pleted 25 of 40 passes for 243 yards for the Bucca neers (3-3). Brady’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Leonard Fournette with 4:38 remain ing cut Pittsburgh’s lead to two.

Steelers linebacker Devin Bush broke up the 2-point conversion attempt and Pittsburgh ran out the clock behind Trubisky to avoid its first 1-5 start since 1988.

Trubisky, benched in favour of Pickett at half time of an October 2 loss to the New York Jets, passed for 144 yards and the touch down to Chase Claypool, the first scoring grab by a Pittsburgh wide receiver this season. Trubisky con nected with Claypool again for a 26-yard gain on the Steelers’ final drive and then ran for a 9-yard gain that finished off Tampa Bay.

Pickett entered the NFL’s concussion protocol after being pushed legally to the ground by Tampa Bay line backer Devin White shortly after throwing a pass.

JETS 27,

PACKERS 10

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Breece Hall ran for 116 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown, and New York sacked Aaron Rodgers four times to win its fourth straight.

The Jets (4-2) are off to their best six-game start since 2015, when they also were 4-2 before finish ing 10-6. New York hasn’t reached the playoffs since the 2010 season, the NFL’s longest active drought.

Green Bay (3-3) lost consecutive regular-season games within the same season for the first time since coach Matt LaFleur’s arrival in 2019.

Zach Wilson was just 10 of 18 for 110 yards. New York broke a 3-all tie and pulled ahead for good by scoring two touchdowns in a span of less than 2 1/2 minutes in the third quarter.

Braxton Berrios gave the Jets the lead by scoring on a 20-yard end-around. After New York stopped Green Bay on its next possession, Michael Clemons blocked a punt and Will Parks got the ball and raced 20 yards into the end zone.

Rodgers, who injured a thumb last week, hardly resembled himself. He went 26 of 41 for 241 yards and nearly committed turnovers on each of Green Bay’s first two possessions.

RAMS 24, PANTHERS 10

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Matthew Stafford passed for 253 yards, Dar rell Henderson and receiver Ben Skowronek rushed for touchdowns in the second half, and Los Angeles beat Carolina to end a two-game skid.

Allen Robinson caught a TD pass for the defend ing Super Bowl champion Rams (3-3), who spoiled Steve Wilks’ debut as the Panthers’ interim head coach.

Los Angeles trailed 10-7 at halftime, but took con trol in the second half.

VIKINGS 24, DOLPHINS 16 MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Dalvin Cook rushed for a 53-yard insur ance touchdown in the fourth quarter and Min nesota held on to beat injury-riddled Miami.

The Dolphins (3-3) had rallied behind Teddy Bridgewater, who returned from the concussion pro tocol and entered the game when third-stringer Skylar Thompson injured his thumb in the second quarter.

Cook’s score with 3:25 left restored a two-touch down lead for the Vikings (5-1). It followed a fumble by Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle on a drive when Miami was swiftly moving the ball down the field, trailing 16-10.

NFL receiving leader Justin Jefferson had a 47-yard catch-and-run at the end of the third quar ter — part of a six-catch, 107-yard performance. That set up a 2-yard touchdown catch by Adam Thielen to put the Vikings ahead 16-3.

Chase capped a rally in the final four minutes for Cincinnati (3-3), starting with Evan McPherson’s 52-yard field goal that trimmed New Orleans’ lead to 26-24.

The Saints (2-4) failed to get a first down on their next series, and Blake Gillikin’s shanked punt fluttered out of bounds at the Cincinnati 40. One play later, Chase was racing away from the Saints’ secondary.

New Orleans rushed for 228 yards as a team, but ended four drives inside the Cincinnati 20-yard line with field goals.

FALCONS 28, 49ERS 14

ATLANTA (AP) — Marcus Mariota threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for another score against the NFL’s topranked defence, leading Atlanta past San Francisco.

on Garoppolo and limiting San Francisco to 50 yards rushing.

Garoppolo connected with Brandon Aiyuk for two TDs.

SEAHAWKS 19, CARDINALS 9

SEATTLE (AP) —

Rookie Kenneth Walker III rushed for an 11-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter and Seattle beat Arizona.

The Seahawks (3-3) jumped into a share of the lead in the NFC West with San Francisco, which lost earlier yesterday at Atlanta.

Walker, a second-round pick out of Michigan State, took over as Seattle’s feature back because of Rashaad Penny’s seasonending broken leg. He had a season-most 21 carries for 97 yards.

Geno Smith completed 20 of 31 passes for 197 yards for Seattle. He also ran for 48 yards on six car ries. Jason Myers kicked four field goals for the Seahawks.

Kyler Murray completed 23 of 37 passes for 222 yards with an interception, while rushing for 100 yards for the Cardinals (2-4), who struggled all day to finish drives.

Matt Ammendola made a 23-yard field goal to cap Arizona’s first drive of the game, the first time all season the Cardinals scored in the first quarter.

But Arizona didn’t score again in the first half, and Chris Banjo’s fumble recov ery in the end zone led to its lone touchdown.

PATRIOTS 38, BROWNS 15

CLEVELAND (AP)

— Rookie backup Bailey Zappe threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns in his third NFL game, and Bill Belichick tied George Halas for second on the all-time list with his 324th victory as New England buried Cleveland.

18

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mitch Trubisky came on for

The Jets outrushed Green Bay 179-60 while

Wilks took over when Matt Rhule was fired last Monday. He appar ently sent receiver Robbie Anderson to the locker room shortly before the end of the third quarter after a shouting match with receiv ers coach Joe Dailey.

Donte Jackson returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown for the Panthers (1-5), who have lost three straight. Chris tian McCaffrey racked up 158 total yards, but P.J. Walker passed for just 60 yards while making his third career start in the injury absences of Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and Matt Corral.

Walker was sidelined in the fourth quarter with a neck injury, but passed concussion protocol. Jacob Eason, promoted from the practice squad this week, passed for 59 yards for the Panthers, whose offence didn’t score after a field goal on the opening drive.

The Dolphins’ defence put together one of its best performances in a while — three sacks, seven quarterback hurries, four tackles for loss — but didn’t get enough help from an offence that could not turn drives into points.

Bridgewater threw for 329 yards and two touch downs to Mike Gesicki. Tyreek Hill had 12 recep tions for 177 yards and Waddle caught six passes for 129 yards.

BENGALS 30, SAINTS 26

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Joe Burrow passed for three touchdowns and scrambled 19 yards for a score as Cincinnati rallied past New Orleans.

Two of Burrow’s touch down tosses went to Ja’Marr Chase — just like the previous time the pair played in college in the Superdome in a national championship game tri umph with LSU.

The second came on a quick pass to the left

Mariota completed his first 13 passes for the Fal cons (3-3), finally throwing his lone incompletion on his final attempt of the day with less than 11 minutes remaining.

He finished with 129 yards through the air in Atlanta’s conservative pass ing game, also rushing for 50 yards on six carries.

The Niners (3-3) couldn’t overcome two interceptions by Jimmy Garoppolo and a fumble by Jeff Wilson that resulted in an Atlanta touchdown.

Kyle Pitts caught his first TD pass of the season and just the second of his 22-game career, hauling in a 7-yard throw from Mariota.

Veteran tight end MyCole Pruitt collected the other scoring pass from Mariota, a 2-yarder to cap an 11-play, 74-yard drive on Atlanta’s opening possession.

Mariota bootlegged it in from the 3 in the final minute of the first half to the put the Falcons ahead to stay, 21-14.

Atlanta’s defence out shined the Niners’ touted unit, making things tough

Zappe, starting his second game in place of the injured Mac Jones, threw second-half TD passes to Tyquan Thornton and Hunter Henry as the Patri ots (3-3) pulled away from the anemic Browns. Rham ondre Stevenson rushed for two touchdowns for New England.

Zappe finished 24 of 34 passing a week after he threw for 188 yards and a touchdown in his first start. Belichick, who is 324159 including the playoffs, has a chance to pass Halas next Monday night at home against Chicago — the fran chise with which Halas won all his games.

The Browns (2-4) man aged only a pair of field goals by Cade York in the first half.

Nick Chubb, who entered leading the NFL in rushing, didn’t have a double-digit gain until late in the third quarter.

He finished with 12 car ries for 56 yards, both season lows.

Jacoby Brissett finished 21 for 45 for 266 yards with two interceptions.

sideline that Chase turned into a 60-yard, go-ahead score with 1:57 left. The star receiver spun away from cornerback Bradley Roby before outrunning safety Tyrann Mathieu.

BUFFALO Bills quarterback Josh Allen celebrates after an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday in Kansas City, Mo. Buffalo won 24-20. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

NEW York Giants’ David Sills V (13) celebrates with teammate Daniel Bellinger (82) after Bellinger scored a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens yesterday in East Rutherford, N.J.

(AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Cole, Yankees save season, beat Guards to force ALDS Game 5

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer

CLEVELAND (AP)

— Gerrit Cole gave New York what it needed, seven solid innings and Harrison Bader hit a two-run homer as the Yankees saved their season and forced a deci sive fifth game in the AL Division Series with a 4-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 4 last night.

New York’s $324 million man, Cole allowed two runs and struck out eight in beating the Guardians for the second time in six days. He didn’t dominate, but Cole kept Cleveland’s hitters off base and off balance.

Bader homered for the third time in the best-offive series, connecting in the second inning off Cal Quantrill, who came in unbeaten in 44 games at Progressive Field.

After blowing Game 3 on Saturday, when the Yankees’ bullpen had its greatest meltdown in the team’s storied postseason history, New York recov ered and is headed home.

New York will start Game 2 loser Jameson Taillon against Aaron Civale tonight at Yankee Stadium.

The winner advances to meet Houston in the AL Championship Series.

Josh Naylor homered for the Guardians, who are trying to end Major League Baseball’s current long est World Series drought in their first year after a franchise name change. Cleveland hasn’t won it all since 1948.

With a history of postsea son heartbreak, Cleveland teams are 1-7 in winnertake-all games.

Cole was pulled after 110 pitches and Yankees

manager Aaron Boone brought in closer Clay Holmes for the eighth. Holmes didn’t pitch in Game 3 after Boone decided to shut him down but didn’t tell the right-hander.

Holmes struck out Amed Rosario and All-Star José Ramírez in the eighth before Wandy Peralta fin ished for the save. Working his third straight day, Per alta retired three batters on just seven pitches.

The Guardians weren’t supposed to be here. But they won the AL Central, swept Tampa Bay in the wild-card round and had the Yankees on the cusp of elimination. All Cleve land’s kids have to do now is beat the Yankees in baseball’s most hostile environment.

This was the kind of game the Yankees envi sioned Cole pitching in when they signed him to a nine-year contract in 2019 as a free agent after he spent two seasons with the Astros.

There was no magic this time for the Guardians, who overcame a two-run deficit in the ninth inning on Saturday to win Game 3 in dramatic fashion.

Cleveland not only ral lied against New York’s bullpen on Saturday, but the Guardians became the first team in 168 games to overcome a multi-run defi cit and beat the Yankees in the postseason.

The Guardians closed within 3-2 in the fourth on Naylor’s second career postseason homer — and third homer in 17 at-bats — off Cole.

Naylor’s laser shot into the seats fronting the outfield bullpens sent Cleveland’s crowd into a frenzy that got wilder as the animated DH circled

the bases swinging his arms back in forth as if he was rocking a baby.

Bader’s 429-foot shot into the left-field bleachers put the Yankees ahead 3-0 in the second, and not only gave them momentum but belief they would even the series following their gut ting loss in Game 3.

New York’s dugout erupted with shouts and fist pumps as Bader rounded first following his fifth hit in six career at-bats off Quantrill.

He also homered in Game 1, when Cole and the Yankees beat Quantrill.

Josh Donaldson sin gled to open the second, and one out later, Bader jumped on Quantrill’s first pitch, an 89 mph cutter he turned into a souvenir.

Liverpool and Man City bitter rivalry boils over at Anfield

By JAMES ROBSON AP Soccer Writer

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said Liverpool fans needed to improve their aim after coins were allegedly thrown at him — and missed — during his team’s 1-0 defeat at Anfield yesterday.

Liverpool, meanwhile, said City fans must behave better. “We are deeply disappointed to hear vile chants relating to football stadium tragedies from the away section during today’s game at Anfield,” Liver pool said in a statement after the Premier League game. “The concourse in the away section was also vandalised with graffiti of a similar nature.”

It is not the first time the rivalry between Eng lish soccer’s most dominant teams of recent years has turned bitter.

In 2018, City’s team bus was attacked by Liver pool supporters ahead of a Champions League quar terfinal match at the same stadium. And the wounds clearly run deep for Guar diola, who joined City in 2016.

The flash point Sunday came after Phil Foden’s sec ond-half goal was ruled out when VAR invited referee Anthony Taylor to review the pitchside monitor and he spotted a foul on Fabi nho in the buildup.

The City manager angrily remonstrated with the crowd, wildly gesticulating before he claims coins were thrown in his direction.

“Next time they will do it better,” he said. “They didn’t get me. They try it again next year.

“All these coins, they tried, but didn’t get it. They got the coach years ago.”

Liverpool said it would investigate the alleged

incident and that any fan found guilty of throwing coins faced a lifetime ban from Anfield.

Liverpool was fined just under $20,000 for incidents around the Champions League match four years ago, which included such severe damage to City’s team bus that a replacement was required to get the players back to Manchester.

The rivalry on the field has grown increasingly fierce due to the quality of both teams in recent seasons.

And that was in evidence in this latest installment, even on the back of Liv erpool enduring such a difficult start to the cam paign that City went into the match 13 points ahead of last season’s runner-up.

Jurgen Klopp was sent off after furiously racing out of his technical area to com plain about a late decision, for which the Liverpool manager later apologised.

“It is about emotion of course so (it was a) red card,” Klopp said. “My fault. I went over the top in the moment. I know myself, I am 55 and I deserve a red card.”

Klopp also apologised to Guardiola for the alleged coin throwing.

“Horrible,” he said. “I am sorry. It never should happen.”

While that incident threatened to overshadow the result, this was an occasion when Liver pool showed it potentially remains a major threat to City.

Mohamed Salah’s 76thminute goal was the difference but the home team had the better chances in an engrossing encounter.

Salah was denied by Ederson when one-on-one with the City goalkeeper in the second half, while substitute Darwin Nunez missed a golden opportu nity late on to extend the lead.

Arsenal was arguably the biggest winner on the day, moving four points clear at the top of the Premier League.

ARSENAL POWERS

AHEAD

Arsenal increasingly looks like a genuine title contender after a battling 1-0 win at Leeds in a game that was delayed for 40 minutes after an electrical fault at Elland Road led to the players coming off just two minutes in.

Bukayo Saka’s first-half strike made it nine wins out of 10 for Mikel Arteta’s team, but Patrick Bamford missed a penalty and Leeds had another spot-kick deci sion overturned in stoppage time.

“We expected some very hectic and chaotic moments,” Arteta said.

“The way they play and the atmosphere that this pro duces in this stadium. I’m really pleased we managed to handle it.”

The game had been delayed shortly after kick off when the referee and his officials lost contact with VAR and goal-line technol ogy due to a power cut.

The Guardians got a run back in the third, but missed a chance for more when Ramírez got a little overaggressive on the base paths.

With runners at first and second, Ramírez dropped a bloop into left field that scored rookie Steven Kwan. Thinking he had a chance to take an extra base, Ramírez went about halfway to second before realising he had no chance and got thrown out retreat ing to first.

HAND HIM

AN OSCAR

Oscar Gonzalez’s quick rise from rookie to post season has mirrored Cleveland’s stunning jump to World Series contender.

While the 24-year-old, who has twice walked-off

postseason wins with clutch hit, has an aggres sive approach at the plate, he’s also a selective hitter — most of the time. “He swung at a ball in in the fifth inning that almost hit him in the Adam’s apple,” manager Terry Francona said, recalling a Game 3 at-bat. “And he comes back and that was an at-bat he went deep to right field. He’s a little unique.”

UP NEXT

Making his first career relief appearance, Tail lon allowed two runs ad three hits without record ing an out in Game 2. Civale hasn’t pitched since October 5. He’s won his last three starts with a 3.18 ERA. The right-hander was on the injured list three times this season.

NOTES

BASKETBALL TEMPLE CHRISTIAN TOURNEY

THE Temple Chris tian Academy Basketball Tournament is back. The tournament for mini and primary girls and boys got started on Monday and will continue with games every day from 4pm until Friday when the championships are played.

The tournament is back after a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19.

VOLLEYBALL

BSAA VOLLEYBALL

THE Bahamas Scholas tic Athletic Association will continue its regular season action in volleyball today at the Tom ‘the Bird’ Grant Community Center in Yellow Elder at 4pm.

Games will be played every day with competi tion in the junior and senior boys and girls divisions.

VOLLEYBALL

NPVA ACTION

The New Providence Vol leyball Association is back in full swing with games being played at the DW Davis Gymnasium.

After opening up the season yesterday, the league will continue with games every Wednesday and Friday at 7:30pm and on Sundays at 3pm.

SOFTBALL

NPSA FINALS

The New Providence Softball Association will continue its best-of-five championship series at 7pm on Tuesday night with the ladies’ opener between the defending champions Sunshine Auto Lady Wild cats and the R&B Lady Operators.

The men’s encounter between the defending champions C&S Hitmen and the Cyber Tech Blue Marlins will follow.

Game three of both series will be played on Thursday.

If necessary, the fourth game will take place on Saturday.

YANKEES’ Gerrit Cole pitches in the first inning of Game 4 of a baseball AL Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians last night in Cleveland.

(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

LIVERPOOL’s Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring his side’s opening goal against Manchester City at Anfield sta dium in Liverpool yesterday. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)