02162026 NEWS

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The Tribune HOUSE & HOME

MAN KILLED BY COP

‘WAS KNOWN TO HIM’

Residents claim men knew each other and had argued days earlier

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A 28-YEAR-OLD man who was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer in Kemp Road last week knew the officer, say local residents, contradicting initial police statements that he was an “unknown” man encountered at the officer’s home.

Police Press Liaison Chief Superintendent Sheria King had said a plain-clothes officer arrived at his Margaret Street residence

Thursday afternoon and confronted the “unknown” male on the premises, but not inside the home.

An altercation followed, and the officer fatally shot the man.

Those close to the deceased identified him as Makaveli Tinker, a father of one who lived nearby, and said the two men had argued days earlier.

A close friend, speaking anonymously out of concern for their safety, said bystanders also heard an

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Immigration Minister Brent Symonette said deporting convicted murderer Chris Ferguson after he completes his 40-year sentence for killing Adriel Moxey would be

“inhumane”, amid questions over the killer’s unresolved immigration status. Ferguson, 39, was sentenced last week after accepting a plea deal in the killing of 12-year-old Adriel, whose body was found in bushes off a track road near

By NEIL HARTNELl Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A FORMER Cabinet minister is pledging to “hold” Baha Mar to its undertaking after construction work related to the $700m resort expansion launched despite an active and ongoing challenge to the project’s planning approvals. Damian Gomez KC, ex-minister of state for legal affairs in the last Christie administration, told Tribune Business he plans to “check” whether the Cable Beach mega resort developer has breached a pledge

given to the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board by its attorneys last Tuesday. Graham, Thompson & Company promised that no construction work or activity would occur before the outcome of the bid by

WILL NOT HAVE ANY POLITICAL ACTIVITY DURING

By KEILE CAMPEBLL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

THE PLP launches its national election campaign today – but will suspend public political events just two days later in observance of the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. It’s a move seen as seeking to ease concerns from religious leaders who sparked a public debate over the appropriateness of beginning a national campaign on the eve of the 40-day period of

Christian reflection leading up to Easter. ”We will not have any political public activities during Lent,” said Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis He did not indicate any change to the launch itself but said campaign engagement during the season would be limited to non-public outreach, including private meetings with voters. Some church leaders had

Neighbour helps rescue woman from house fire

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

A WOMAN was saved by neighbours who forced their way into her burning home off East Street South yesterday after an explosion tore through the interior, leaving her with upper body burns.

Firefighters were called to a structural fire on Porgy Way shortly after 9.30am and found Christine Lightbourne outside the single-storey residence. She was taken to hospital, where relatives later said she was in stable condition.

Her daughter and grandson, who also live at the home, were not there at the time.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately known. Family members said Ms Lightbourne had just blown out a candle and was preparing for church when she heard a blast.

From the outside the house appeared mostly intact. Inside, soot stained the ceiling and broken sheetrock covered the floor.

Neighbour Robert Bethell said he had stayed home from church and went outside to feed his dogs when he noticed smoke and heard cries for help.

“My mind just told me to stay home,” he said.

He said he began wetting his roof and shut off the gas tank as passing motorists stopped to help. They struggled to enter because of the locks.

“I was afraid. I said boy this whole area could be imploding and she was in there hollering and we couldn’t get the doors open because of the deadlocks,” he said.

They eventually forced their way inside and carried Ms Lightbourne out.

“It looked like her upper body was burnt. Her face was black and like her shoulders and stuff, she had some burns,” he added.

Her sister Denise Mackey said she received a call from Ms Lightbourne and her pastor about the explosion and rushed to the scene after the ambulance left.

“I’m so grateful to Mr Roberts for his assistance,” Ms Mackey.

Ms Lightbourne’s daughter, Crystal Ingraham, later said she had visited her mother in hospital and described her as in the “best spirits” possible despite significant burns.

Abaco volunteers grapple with ‘recurring hazard’ as shanty demolition site and junkyards burn

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

SMOKE from a bush fire at the former Gaza shanty town site drifted across north Abaco yesterday as volunteer firefighters struggled to contain flames residents say have become a recurring hazard since the area was demolished nearly two years ago.

The blaze began Friday along SC Bootle Highway and spread north toward Kipco Road, reaching the vicinity of Little Al and Bodie’s Junkyard as winds pushed thick grey smoke across nearby communities. Videos circulating online showed volunteers working through smouldering wreckage and abandoned vehicles.

The site was cleared of more than 60 structures in February 2024, but debris and hundreds of derelict cars remain. Residents say repeated fires now force them to breathe fumes and live with constant flare-ups.

Roscoe Thompson, chairman of the Marsh Harbour/ Spring City Township, said volunteers had difficulty accessing the blaze because of poor service roads and the absence of heavy equipment.

“Central government did the demolition exercise for the shanty town,” Mr Thompson said. “ With that being said, they never cleaned up everything they’ve knocked down from close to two years ago. So it’s just been a natural hazard and people keep setting it on fire there, dumping there garbage there and setting it on fire. And it seems that the Minister responsible just doesn’t want to address that.”

He said requests to local government for machinery had not produced assistance and blamed continued burning of dumped debris for the fire’s persistence.

“We’ve warned them about keeping their areas clean and having a fire break at 60 to 80 ft wide

and maintained and that’s for everyone,” he said. “Not just business owners that have the junkyards but for central government to keep a fire break near the main road near Kipco. And hopefully the residents had heeded the warning over the years but some don’t and some do.”

Fires have repeatedly broken out at the site since the demolition.

After another outbreak in December, Central Abaco fire chief Danny Sawyer warned the location had become a “regular dump site” and remained a safety concern.

Mr Sawyer said Sunday the latest blaze had burned for four days and spread into a derelict vehicle compound. He also said requests for heavy equipment had not been answered.

Bush fires are common in Abaco’s dry season, but residents say the abandoned debris field has turned a seasonal threat into a chronic one.

PLP launches campaign today

then hits pause for Lent

“We will not have any political public activities during Lent.”

LENT from page one

criticised the timing. Father Roderick Bain of St Barnabas Anglican Church questioned the message it sends so close to the holy season.

“If we’re a Christian nation, we should not really be focusing on political things just yet, especially during Lent,” he said.

“Whatever their strategies are launching, they probably have strategies. I don’t think that is the best thing to do right before Lent.

“But again, like I say, they are in their own world. I don’t even think the politicians care too much about what the church or spirituality is all about, anyhow. It’s all about winning power, money, and whatever else.

So they’re not very cognisant of spiritual matters.”

Others struck a more measured tone. Methodist

Church president Rev James Neilly said the issue depended on conduct during the season.

“I don’t have a whole lot of problems with it, to you know for them to launch their campaign, I guess it’s all about how they conduct themselves during the season of Lent and what all they operate you know,” Mr Neilly said.

Dr Philip Stubbs of St Michael Methodist said he wished the launch were not happening immediately before the observance, while Christ Church Cathedral dean Dwight Rolle said holding it before Lent formally begins was acceptable.

The Office of the Prime Minister declined to say whether an election could be called during Lent but pointed to precedent, noting a previous administration had done so in 1997.

Pintard pledges to remove VAT from essential goods

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FNM National Move-

ment leader Michael Pintard said an FNM government would remove VAT from essential goods and services, framing the pledge as central to easing a cost-of-living squeeze he said has worsened under the Progressive Liberal Party.

Addressing supporters at the City of Lights during the party’s Grand Bahama slate launch on Friday, Mr Pintard said residents faced rising prices, high electricity bills and increasing reliance on food assistance.

“Some of you have never once before this period asked for any food assistance, but today things are tough for so many people,” he said.

He said VAT would be eliminated on items such as baby products,

feminine hygiene products and key healthcare services, part of a broader effort to reduce household expenses alongside tackling utility costs. Mr Pintard criticised recent government announcements on Grand Bahama, saying they lacked substance and failed to address the island’s economic challenges.

“The government has no real plans for this island,” he said.

“You've heard the prime minister on multiple occasions recently coming to Grand Bahama, but you have not heard him lay out a plan that can transform our lives,” he said. He pointed to the government’s memorandum of understanding to acquire EMERA’s shares in the Grand Bahama Power Company, describing the move as politically motivated.

Beyond tax relief, Mr Pintard said the party

would prioritise reducing the country’s nearly $1bn food import bill through expanded domestic production, revive

manufacturing, support small businesses and grow eco-tourism and heritage tourism in West and East Grand Bahama.

He also pledged to modernise Freeport’s infrastructure, address unpaved roads, water access and basic services, and demand greater accountability from developers and the Grand Bahama Port Authority.

Nationally, he said an

FNM administration would pursue a large-scale housing programme over five years, strengthen public healthcare by better equipping facilities and staffing them adequately, and emphasise transparency and competitive bidding in government contracts.

Mr Pintard predicted the party would win all five Grand Bahama constituencies and introduced candidates including Dr

Dr Reid said residents were ready for change and called for improved healthcare, stronger schools and accountability in public service.

Mr Isaacs said West Grand Bahama remained neglected despite being the country’s largest settlement, noting the absence of a bank, major supermarket and fish market, and promised equitable development.

Ms Gibson said residents were disappointed with unfulfilled promises including a new airport, hospital upgrades and improved schools.

Mr Thompson criticised the government over scandals and spending and urged voters to consider what he called a historic opportunity.

“Grand Bahama has an opportunity to elect a prime minister that is from Grand Bahama. Someone who knows your struggles, he understands the island. He has the passion and now will have the capability to fix it,” he said.

‘They knew each other’: Residents dispute police account of fatal shooting

argument shortly before gunshots rang out.

They declined to describe the earlier dispute but said the police account does not reflect what residents witnessed.

“They said when they heard the shots, they just break off running because you could’ve heard what was going on inside the yard,” the person added.

“They described what he was wearing, but they say at the time they didn’t know it was him.”

When contacted for comment yesterday, Chief Supt King told The Tribune that “the investigation was in its preliminary stage” when she made her initial comments.

“That was the information I had at the time,” she said. “While I still cannot confirm that, this may have been information gathered afterwards. The matter will be turned over to the Coroner.”

Tinker made headlines when he was charged as a minor in the 2015 killing of Queen’s College teacher Joyelle McIntosh.

His conviction, along with those of two co-accused, was later overturned, and a retrial was pending at the time of his death.

His death comes weeks after his 28th birthday and follows earlier violence in his family.

In 2022, his mother, Bernadette Tynes and brother Bertram McPhee were killed in a double murder he witnessed, The Tribune was told. The deaths left him “hurt,” lost and withdrawn, according to those close to him.

However, they said the birth of his son shifted his focus.

“He was very passionate about his son after he lost his mother and brother,” the person said. “That’s the reason really why he never tried to revenge anything because his son gave him back life when he lost his mother and his brother. He did give up, but his son gave him back his life to live.”

A relative said his time in custody also altered his outlook.

“It changed his mindset on life,” the person added. “He wasn’t involved in anything after that and he just used to go to work.”

Friends said he had recently been cleaning cars and doing small handyman jobs while on curfew, and that he had spoken about opening his own business after losing his job last year.

They described his death as a major loss to the Kemp Road community, where he was known for helping others, especially the elderly.

“We need closure and plus he left for one year old. It’s hard and it hurts to know you could see someone every day and then you could walk off, and they could walk off, and then you could just end up dead in someone’s yard.”

The shooting is the first fatal police-involved killing of the year.

When asked about the officer’s length of service on the day of the shooting, CSP King said he had been on the force, “for a while.”

She said whether the officer remains on active duty will be determined by the Commissioner of Police. Meanwhile, the matter will be examined in the Coroner’s Court, whose findings may be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions to determine whether charges should be brought.

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Publisher/Editor 1903-1914

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH, Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972

Contributing Editor 1972-1991

RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B.

Publisher/Editor 1972-

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Don’t rush to judgementdiligently seek truth instead

IN THE aftermath of an incident involving police, there should always be a note of caution in the statements issued by authorities. What seems to be the case in the immediate aftermath of an event does not always turn out to be so, and there is no need to pre-empt an investigation by commenting prematurely.

We will come to some local incidents in a moment – but to give an example, we need only look at some of the rhetoric surrounding incidents involving ICE agents in the US recently.

The cases of the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti have been well documented, with the contrast between initial statements by authorities, including that the individuals involved were “domestic terrorists” and the evidence that soon appeared on video, has been remarkable.

In another case just seven days after the fatal shooting of Renee Good, another man was shot. Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna was making deliveries as a DoorDash driver when he realised he was being followed by ICE agents. In the ensuing moments, his cousin, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis was shot in the leg.

The initial story was that Sosa-Celis was driving the car when he, Aljorna and another man attacked an ICE agent before the agent fired his weapon.

Another story has since emerged, that Aljorna fled to his home and ran into the house where his cousin was standing, and an agent shot Sosa-Celis as Aljorna tried to lock the door.

Two very different stories. And over the weekend, the Justice Department filed to drop the charges and ICE issued said its agents made “false statements” under oath. They lied.

The truth of an incident is not always evident right away. There should be caution in stating absolutes while an investigation is only just getting under way.

Closer to home, take the case of a man who was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer in Kemp Road last week. After the incident, police press liaison Chief Superintendent Sheria King said the officer arrived at his home to find a man on the premises, who she said was “unknown”. An altercation followed and the man was shot.

However, local residents say the man who was shot knew the officer, and said that the man, Makaveli Tinker, had argued with the officer days earlier. Tinker was also known to police more widely, having been charged as a minor for the 2015 killing of Queen’s College teacher Joyelle McIntosh – a conviction was later overturned.

Now none of this means that we should draw any more conclusions about the shooting itself. However, it does raise questions about the accuracy of initial statements in the immediate aftermath of the incident. How was a conclusion drawn that the officer did not know who this man was? Although again, let us not overstep the mark ourselves, let us note that this is if the neighbours are correct in what they say. Still, it does make one question whether there was a rush to state

Bahamian youth not apathetic

EDITOR, The Tribune.

BAHAMIAN youth are often misunderstood, either out of convenience or as a strategy.

something that might not be accurate, and which tended towards vindicating the shooting, when that outcome has not yet been reached. A Coroner’s Court will decide that matter. The investigation must be neutral, the information gathering likewise.

Similarly, in a case The Tribune reported last week, a man has pleaded guilty to drug charges in an incident in which video footage seemingly showed a police officer placing a bag on the ground. That video did not show what happened immediately before – so no definite conclusions can be drawn. Yet. What should happen of course is the same thing – an independent investigation. Review the footage. Check the bodycams of any officers involved. Determine what happened so that allegations can be proven or refuted. There is no harm in investigation. In fact, it ensures that names can be cleared as much as it catches those who have done wrong.

There remain certain allegations where investigations are not ongoing –such as the matter involving Bahamians that is presently being tried in the US, a cocaine smuggling ring which has named officers as suspects and stated that a high-ranking politician is involved. No investigation is ongoing into that matter here, despite the scale of the allegations and the professed shock at claims by the lawyer of the one man who has pleaded guilty so far that The Bahamas is riddled with corruption. No matter the case, we must not rush to judgement. However, we should absolutely move with urgency to find out the truth.

PLP giving up campaigning for Lent?

Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent this week, so let us ask a question – what are you giving up for Lent? Perhaps no alcohol for Lent? Maybe skipping caffeine? Dumping the junk food, or biting your nails?

For the PLP, apparently, it will be a case of skipping public political events. The strange thing about that is that the party launches its national election campaign today.

There has in the past been discomfort from the church over campaigning during Lent – and Prime Minister Philip Davis has bowed to that by saying: “We will not have any political public activities during Lent.”

Perhaps he could have simply held off the launch of the campaign until after Easter rather than launching it then pausing it two days later. Those pamphlets will be gathering dust for a few weeks.

Of course, just as if your friends or family catch you out having a sly piece of chocolate or popping open a beer when you said you wouldn’t, keep an eye on the PLP.

If they come knocking door to door or hold a rally, do remind them not to let their promise slip.

Millennials, Gen Z, and the emerging Gen AI cohort are not apathetic. I am a Gen Z, a wife, and a mother. In fact, we are frustrated, and the reason is simple: what we want has not been provided. It’s frustrating to watch commentators criticise young people for “disengagement” while refusing to deliver, agitate, or voice support for the policies we consistently ask for. This is like criticising customers for leaving a store that has no bread. We came for bread, found none, and were then told to accept whatever is now available on the shelf.

That is not leadership we desire; that is misdirection.

If political leaders want to engage Bahamian youth as voters, they need to stop demanding trust while ignoring the conditions that make participation feel like a rigged transaction. You cannot increase voter turnout by blaming the very people you have failed to serve. To build turnout, you must offer us a serious product: coherent, measurable plans that address the issues affecting our daily lives.

Currently, too much of the national debate is partial and performative, much like the six blind men describing an elephant based solely on the parts they have touched. One leader focuses on the economy and only speaks in terms of GDP headlines. Another addresses crime with just crackdowns. A third speaks about education, delivering only slogans. Each one speaks confidently, yet each presents an incomplete picture, and none captures the full reality that Bahamian youths are forced to navigate.

We are not asking for narratives; we are asking for an integrated, wholeof-country plan that treats housing, energy, immigration, education, healthcare, crime, governance, and the cost of living as interconnected issues, measured, funded, and timed appropriately.

Here is what Bahamian youth are truly asking for:

We desire an ownership economy, not one based on “access by connection.” We envision a Bahamas where opportunity is not inherited, brokered through personal networks, or granted as a political favor. Ownership means creating real pathways to assets such as homes, businesses, and equity participation. This should be supported by financing systems that make these assets attainable without predatory terms or endless bureaucracy. When leaders talk about “empowerment” without establishing the foundations for ownership, their words become mere decoration.

We are seeking affordable and attainable housing with clear, measurable targets. Housing

is not just a lifestyle debate; it is an essential national infrastructure. If stable rents and home ownership remain out of reach for young workers, the country risks exporting its future. We do not need another promise of “more units.” We need a comprehensive published housing strategy with measurable outputs: the number of lots to be and that have been delivered, approvals processed, housing units started and completed, timeto-permit, cost-per-unit benchmarks, rent-to-income ratios, and land-use reforms that minimise obstacles. If it cannot be tracked monthly, it is not a policy; it is simply marketing. We want low-cost, reliable energy to support a fast-growing AI-dependent global economy. Energy is a crucial input that affects everything: groceries, logistics, digital work, investment attraction, and national competitiveness. High energy costs act as a tax on the future. Bahamian Youth will not rally behind more vague commitments; we want clear transition plans that lower costs, improve reliability, modernise the grid, and provide published performance data. We are demanding immigration reform that safeguards our sovereignty and nationhood for future generations. This issue should not be considered taboo or used as a partisan weapon. What we need are clear rules, fair processes, credible enforcement, and transparent reporting. When systems appear porous or selective, public trust erodes. We are desirous of education reform built for the 21st century. An education system that cannot produce competitive skills becomes a pipeline to underemployment and instability. We want strong literacy and numeracy that hold up, digital competence, AI fluency, solid pathways in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics), trades, entrepreneurship opportunities, and civic literacy. We need to measure outcomes, not rely on slogans: proficiency rates, attendance, placement statistics, remediation gaps, and support for teachers that lead to real results. We desire healthcare that works for everyone, from cradle to grave. Healthcare should encompass access, wait times, preventive care, mental health services, chronic disease management, and cost transparency, not just hospitals and heroic efforts. We need published service standards and set targets for wait times. Prevention should be treated as a national strategy, not just a talking point in speeches. We desire economic inclusion that fosters generational wealth. We are tired of being told to

“dream bigger” within a system that keeps ownership scarce. Inclusion means establishing frameworks that enable people to build wealth rather than merely survive: fair financing, transparent procurement, substantial support for cottage, micro, small, and medium enterprises (CMSMEs), and pathways into higher-productivity sectors. If our wages do not align with the cost of living, then “growth” is a headline that conceals real-life decline.

We want a Bahamas that is genuinely safe, not just one that talks tough. Safety requires prevention, professional policing, swift and fair justice, community intervention, and consistent accountability. Crime is not solved by speeches; it is addressed through capacity and integrity.

The missing ingredient in our approach is effective public performance management. If Bahamian leaders genuinely want to engage young people, they need to stop treating governance like a theatrical performance and start approaching it as operational work. We need from them clear public key performance indicators (KPIs) that can be monitored monthly, presented plainly, and free from any spin. These KPIs should include proposed housing outputs, energy reliability and costs, immigration processing metrics, education outcomes, healthcare access times, procurement transparency, corruption case throughput, and cost-ofliving indicators linked to concrete interventions. When performance is measurable, trust becomes rational; when performance is hidden, trust turns into a gamble. Furthermore, stop referring to us as “future leaders” to postpone responsibility. We are “current stakeholders.” We deal with today’s prices, compete in today’s job market, and navigate today’s broken infrastructures, crime rates, education results, and healthcare accessibility. If leaders continue to claim that young people are apathetic, they will perpetuate the same outcomes: low enthusiasm, low voter turnout, and a growing legitimacy gap. Bahamian Leadership needs to provide detailed strategies, measurable plans, and timelines that are worth voting for. Then, commit to publishing the KPIs and taking accountability for the results. In a follow-up letter, I will outline the actions needed to be taken and discuss how we, as Bahamian youth, both individually and collectively, can ensure our voices are heard before the next general election, beginning with voter registration before this registration period closes. Thinking of Today & Tomorrow.

EDEN MERRY

JOHNSON Freeport, Grand Bahama February 11, 2026

Symonette: Let jailed migrant stay if he survives his 40 year sentence

Faith Avenue in 2024.

Police said she died from strangulation. He apologised in court and expressed regret.

Immigration officials later confirmed Ferguson, a Haitian national who claimed birth in The Bahamas, applied for citizenship in 2010. Cabinet approved

the application in principle, but only on condition that further documents be submitted. The department said those documents were never provided and he never took the oath of allegiance.

“Citizenship is granted only upon the full satisfaction of all statutory requirements, including the submission of all required documentation and the

formal swearing of the oath of allegiance and grant of the Certificate of Naturalisation or Registration.”

The clarification came amid speculation that Ferguson had already been granted citizenship.

Mr Symonette said the case highlights a legal and moral dilemma over what happens when a longterm resident completes a lengthy prison term

decades later. “That’s the grey area immigration faces. He got a 40 year sentence. He’s likely going nowhere. He’ll do his 40 years. He’ll be a 70-year-old man. Let him stay the rest of the natural days if he survives jail for that long,” he said.

He said the pending application complicates any removal decision, adding: “That muddies the

water quite a bit.”

Mr Symonette added that older immigration processes allowed applications to remain incomplete for years, leaving many people in limbo.

“When I was in immigration five or six years ago, it went in a file, and there was no tracking or whatever of the file, so the files could get lost or never be worked on or whatever so

he could’ve been one of those people and there are thousands of people like that,” he said. He described the situation as a “big problem” but argued deportation after decades would serve little purpose.

Immigration officials did not comment on what action would be taken when Ferguson completes his sentence.

Man pleads guilty in ‘planted drugs’ case

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 26-YEAR-OLD man has pleaded guilty to drug charges related to an incident in which a relative claimed home camera footage showed police planting narcotics at his Carmichael Road home.

Delbert Bonimy admitted three counts of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply before Magistrate Abigail Farrington on Friday. He was fined $3,500 or 12 months in prison and placed on one year probation, with a further one-year prison term if breached.

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter

A SUPREME Court judge has again denied bail to a man awaiting trial for an armed robbery, ruling that his prior escape from custody and the strength of the Crown’s case outweighed any change in his circumstances.

Justice Darron Ellis refused bail to Tevin Fritz, who is accused of robbing the Chances web shop at Baillou Hill and John Roads of $500 on February 24, 2024 with armed accomplices.

Police said Fritz was arrested later that day on Fleming Street in a grey Japanese vehicle matching the alleged getaway car.

Prosecutors Timothy Bailey and Tylah Murray opposed bail, citing the seriousness of the charge, public safety concerns linked to the alleged use of a firearm and a risk that Fritz would abscond. They noted that Justice Joyann Ferguson had denied him

Police searched the Lake Lane property around 11.30pm on February 10 and recovered 16 ounces of marijuana and four ounces of cocaine concealed in wrappings across the yard, including near a banana tree, a wooden shed and inside the rear bumper of a black Chevy Jeep. The drugs were valued at $2,800.

bail in September 2025 because of a prior conviction for escaping lawful custody.

While on remand for the robbery, Fritz escaped from Southern Police Station around 9pm on February 29, 2024, the night before his arraignment. He was recaptured and arraigned on March 4, 2024 and later served eight months in prison for the escape.

The prosecution said his circumstances had not materially changed since the earlier bail refusal and argued the case against him was strong, alleging he admitted involvement during a police interview.

Trial is set for May.

The defence, led by Ian Cargill, said Fritz had been on remand since 2024 and pointed to the discontinuance of a rape charge against him on May 25, 2025, arguing that the allegation had been central to the earlier bail decision.

Counsel also disputed the Crown’s interpretation of his interview, contending that at most he admitted

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN accused of robbing another man of his car, cash and phone at gunpoint on Boxing Day has been remanded to prison. Demetrius “Frowsy” Brown, 30, appeared before Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley on an armed robbery charge. Prosecutors allege he robbed Durante Dean of a blue 2002 Suzuki Swift, $3,000 and a blue Samsung A30 cellphone in New Providence on December 26, 2025 while armed with a black and silver handgun. Police had previously circulated a wanted poster for Brown in late December.

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A 33-YEAR-OLD man accused of threatening another man with a handgun after an argument has been granted bail. Kendrick Taylor pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Lennox Coleby to possession of a firearm with intent to put another in fear. Prosecutors allege he threatened Jamile

Alexander with a black handgun in New Providence on February 8. Taylor told the court the dispute stemmed from a disagreement involving the complainant’s girlfriend and said he was a self-employed mechanic.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Lincoln McKenzie did not oppose bail.

Defence attorney Barry Sawyer said his client would relocate from the Montell Heights area to avoid

dropping off other suspects and not taking part in the robbery.

The defence further noted that Fritz had previously been on bail from July 26, 2021 to February 24, 2024 without breaches, had worked as a security guard and had no other pending matters. He also had a prior drug conviction for which he received an absolute discharge after completing probation.

Justice Ellis accepted that the discontinued rape charge altered the defendant’s position to some extent but found it did not address the central concern — his demonstrated willingness to evade custody. The judge found he posed a high risk of absconding and that the Crown’s case was not weak.

Bail was refused on the grounds that Fritz is likely to abscond, is not of good character, the safety of prosecution witnesses must be preserved and the matter will be tried within a reasonable time.

He was not required to enter a plea. The matter will proceed to the Supreme Court by voluntary bill of indictment, and he was advised of his right to apply for bail there.

Brown was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until service of the VBI on June 23. Inspector Deon Barr prosecuted.

further confrontation.

Taylor was granted $6,000 bail with one or two sureties. He must sign in at East Street South Police Station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday by 6pm, observe an 8pm to 6am curfew and wear an electronic monitoring device.

Magistrate Coleby warned him not to interfere with the complainant and not to tamper with the device.

Trial is set for March 2.

The plea follows public claims by a relative that officers from the Drug Enforcement Unit planted the drugs during the search.

The relative said a motion camera installed on the property captured officers in the yard and alleged they placed items there.

After Bonimy accepted sole responsibility, charges against Devaughn Bonimy, 36, Dainette Bonimy, 61, and Kendesha Major, 26, were withdrawn.

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

“The video shows where one of the officer put the drugs and put the drugs right by the tire,” the relative claimed.

Police had detained two sons around midnight and later arrested the mother and a girlfriend. Following Bonimy’s admission in court, the others were no longer prosecuted.

Mark Penn represented Bonimy. Assistant Superintendent of Police K Bould prosecuted.

The Tribune viewed the footage, which showed officers searching the yard at night using flashlights and, at one point, an officer placing a bag on the ground. The recording did not show what occurred immediately before that moment.

A JURY has acquitted a man of murder and attempted murder charges stemming from a 2021 shooting that left one man dead and four injured. Zevargo Gaitor, 26, was unanimously found not guilty before Justice Renae McKay of murdering Elvardo Deveaux, 22, and attempting to murder Kevin Solomon, Jameson Jacob, Glen White and Justton Campbell on June 4, 2021 on Milton Street. During the trial, the defence argued the case was fabricated and pointed to conflicting witness accounts and the absence of any recovered weapon. The Crown maintained Gaitor was responsible and relied in part on testimony from an anonymous witness who said the accused confessed and had been threatened to remain silent.

Calnan Kelly and Valentino Bowe appeared with prosecutor Terry Archer for the Crown, while James Thompson represented Gaitor.

Bahamian students to share stage with world’s best at Iconique Ballet

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN dance students will take the stage alongside world-renowned performers when the Iconique Ballet returns to The Bahamas next month.

The two-day gala, set for March 7-8 at The Island House, will feature principal dancers from The Royal Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, New York City Ballet and more. Organisers, Covent Garden Dance, are promising a magical evening, with guests enjoying a threecourse meal alongside the performances.

Courtney Celeste Fox, a Bahamian dancer and global dance educator who has taught in more than 20 countries, said she is excited

to perform a piece at the event again this year. However, she noted that this year is especially meaningful because a segment will feature Bahamian students.

The students represent nearly seven dance studios on the island, along with two international students.

“It's a real celebration of dance and art, and watching all these students come together from different teachers and different dance studios is really, really beautiful,” she said. “They have some incredible teachers and just really help elevate and propel them and give them a platform to share their gifts.”

Ms Fox said events such as the Iconique Ballet help expose the next generation to what is possible in the world of dance and art. She

described it as an eye-opening reminder to aspiring dancers in The Bahamas that they are capable of reaching global stages and excelling.

Borneo Adderley, a Bahamian dancer, will also perform with Ms Fox during the event. Mr Adderley has performed in the country for the past 16 years and is a current member of the National Dance Company of The Bahamas under Mr Robert Bain.

He said the importance of the performance is to show the versatility of male dancers in The Bahamas, whether on a ballet stage, a jazz stage, a Broadway stage or the greatest stage on Earth, the Junkanoo stage.

The programme will also feature soprano Stanesha Deligence.

‘Rather give it away than throw it away’: Restaurant

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

RATHER than throw away extra food at the end of the day, a family-owned restaurant that relocated from Abaco to New Providence last year is giving away about 20 plates several times a week to families in need.

People’s Best Grill, owned by cousins Tazmia Cunningham, Lance Swain and Neko Hield, has partnered with community activist Khandi Gibson, president of FOAM, to distribute free meals to vulnerable residents.

Ms Cunningham said giving back has always been part of the family’s values.

Even while operating in Abaco, the business made it a priority to assist struggling families, particularly parents who found it difficult to feed their children.

After opening in New Providence, Ms Cunningham said she followed Ms Gibson’s outreach efforts on Facebook and was moved by her work assisting vulnerable people across various communities. She eventually reached out and offered to provide free plates of food whenever possible.

What began as an occasional gesture developed into a consistent effort.

Depending on how much food remains after a full day of sales, the restaurant now donates around 20 plates

several times a week.

“I would rather give the food away to people I know who need it rather than throw it away,” Ms Cunningham said, adding that the business does not reuse leftover food and prepares meals fresh each day.

She said if she sees a mother appealing for assistance on social media, she often contacts her directly to offer meals for her and her children. Although the restaurant may not always be able to provide financial help, she said ensuring families have something to eat is a meaningful way to support the community.

“We are grateful to even be able to give back, not just sell food,” she said.

“We thank God for the

opportunity for placing us here, for allowing us to come here and be able to help somebody.”

The initiative comes at a time when many Bahamians continue to feel the strain of rising food prices and everyday expenses. Ms Cunningham acknowledged that the high cost of living has made it increasingly difficult for some families to make ends meet, reinforcing the importance of businesses supporting their communities where they can.

feeds needy families

The move to New Providence itself was a leap of faith. Ms Cunningham said it had always been their dream to expand beyond Abaco, but relocating meant rebuilding their customer base from scratch. Word of mouth and online reviews helped boost their profile, with several content creators posting videos highlighting their grilled pork, chicken, ribs and generous portions. Despite their growing success, Ms Cunningham stressed that running a business is not solely about making money, but also about giving back to the community whenever possible.

Ms Gibson expressed gratitude for the partnership, describing the restaurant’s support as heartfelt and timely. She reiterated the importance of Bahamians and local businesses coming together to assist those who are hurting the most during challenging economic times.

THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

To believe or not. That is the question.

By Malcolm Strachan

TODAYistheday forthestartofthe PLP’selectioncampaign.SosaysPrime MinisterPhilipDavis. Andthoughthis doesn t mean we havean election date yet, oneof theearly signsof theparty s focus has been Grand Bahama.

The PLP seems to be at last trying to do something – or beseen tobe doing something – about Grand Bahama s various ills after years of inaction.

Taketheannouncementlastweekthat Manchester Airport Group (MAG) now has a contract withthe government to manage GrandBahama International Airport. That sounds like progress. But thetruthisthat MAGhasbeenwaiting foryearsfor thegovernmenttomake progress on the deal.

Back in January2024, The Tribune reportedone sourcesaying thatMAG had “beengiven thecomplete runaround by the government.” Nearly two years later, itseemsthedeal isalmost there – justin timeforelection andfor the governmentto say “hey, lookwhat we’re doing.”

No explanationfor whythe dealhas been parked so long, and why the PM is onlynowsinging thepraisesofMAG.

In fact,when he announcedlast month that workwould atlast starton theairport, MAG did noteven get a mention, although he now says they were already working on the airport by then.

He hailedMAG for itswork operating some of the largest airports in the United Kingdom and that airlines are familiar withthe firm, which hesaid is important to the success of the airport.

MAG is agood choice – itjust all seems a bit last-minutefor a contract signing witha groupthat hasbeen patiently waiting for a long time.

Meanwhile,overattheGrandLucayanresort,Mr Davis says that one of the issues has been the need toremediate mould,somethingthathe said could have compromised the entire transaction.”

A littlemould nearly brought thewhole Grand Lucayandealtoanend? Really?Whenthedealinvolves demolition and redevelopment?

TheGrand Lucayandeal wassignedin Maylast yearwith ConcordWilshere.Sincethen, therehas beenlittle signof progress.Mr Davissays thegovernmentand ConcordWilsherehave beenlooking to secure the right branding partners.

Here s the thing, though: we were told property was sold. Questionswere raised as towhether the money - $120m of it – was in the bank.

It s still not entirely clear.

Meanwhile, billshave goneunpaid, thewater is offandstaffsalarieshave notbeenpaidontimeon repeated occasions.

Nextup,thePM announcedaGrandBahama Power deal only for the other members of the deal to say not so fast,nothing is finalised. Mr Davis saysthe dealisimportantbecause electricitycosts are toohigh on theisland and hewants uniform

rates across the country.

That’snot abad goal – but sayingit and doing it are two different things.

There are twoways to do that:find a waytocutthe costsofgeneratingelectricityon theisland.No proposalhas been revealed for howthat would be done – orwhy GBPower couldn’t do thatonitsown. Secondistospreadthe costsso thatpeoplein NewProvidence and therest ofThe Bahamaspay more to subsidisethe highercosts inGrand Bahama.

Maybe that s areasonablething todo (but the PM hasnot mentioned that the rest ofthe countrymight facehigher bills to achieve his goal from the deal.)

Some of these announcements seem to havecome outbefore theyare fully ready, especially theGB Power one. The MAG announcement, in contrast, feels like it’s long overdue.

Either way, theflurry of statements hascertainlyputthefocusonGrandBa-

Grand Bahama is not what itwas, and it is not what it could be. We all know that.

Any government that wants to get re-elected needsto showwhatit hasdonefor everycommunity, notjust GrandBahama, notjust New Providence.Youknowaswellasmethatifsomeone fromthepartyin powercomesknockingonyour door asking for your vote, the first thing you ought to ask is well, what have you done for me lately?

Thinkbacktolasttimearound–forthosewhoare notfirst-time voters – andwhatyou werepromised by the candidates seeking your votes back then. Did it happen?

If it didn’t, they’d bettersay why not, or why should we believe you?

In thePLP Blueprint forChange lasttime, the partypromisedthat GrandBahamawould “harness the power of themaritime industry, including transshipmentand logistics,with spin-offopportunities.”

It promisedit would immediatelymake upgrades” to the Rand Memorial Hospital.

It promised it would strengthen existing hurricane shelters there.

It promised the re-establishment of the Grand BahamaHotel andCatering Collegeon GrandBahama.

It promised to build a new hospital for Grand Bahama.

Thepartyalsopledged tomakeGrandBahama the “Home of Maritime”, the “Home of Entertainment and to make it Innovation City. Plenty of buzzwords there, but youcan measure for yourself how many of these promises were actually kept. Have youheard anyone callingGrand Bahama the Home of Entertainment lately? What would that even mean?

Youcanjudgefor yourselveshowmanyofthe party’s promises, both in the previous election campaign and over the years, have come to pass. Is the latest flurry of announcements really the sign that things are finally going to come right?

Or is it too little, too late.

hama and its issues. And that spotlight, fora governmentnear theend of its term, is not entirely flattering. SpeakingtopeoplefromGrandBahama, there has beena realfeeling that not enough is being done. But that’s nothing new. You could say the sameover andover foradministrations down the years.

Even with the announcements that have been made, there’sstill noconfirmation ofwhat ishappening with the GrandLucayan. There has clearly beenan overstepinwhathas beendiscussedregardingGBPower. Andtheairportannouncement, aswelcome asitis, isalong timepastthe datewe were told the airport would be finished. Ifthe governmentis dependingonthe votesof Grand Bahama to win re-election, it s in a tough spot. What will its next promises be?

Andhowmuchfaithwillvotershavethattheywill deliver?

Was China's one-child policy necessary in the first place?

By KEN MORITSUGU Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) China's one-child policy,one ofthe harshest attemptsat population control theworld hasseen, forced abortions on women, made sterilisationwidespread and ledto babydaughters being sold oreven killed, because parentswanted their only child to be a male.

Now,experts say,thequestioniswhetheritwasallnecessary. China's birthrate fell to record lows lastyear and its population has fallenfor four years ina row,official statistics showedthis week.Authorities, alarmedby theprospectof ashrinkingworkforce and anaging population, scrapped the policy in 2015.

It s hardto escapethe fact that Chinademographically shotitselfin thefoot, said Mei Fong,the authorof the 2016 book, “OneChild: The Storyof China s Most Radical Experiment.” Population growth as a threat

China'sleaders sawunbridled population growthas a potential threat in1980 to both economic development andits abilitytofeed whathad grown into a nation of 1 billion people.

The thenimpoverished country wasn t the only one worriedabouthavingtoomany people at the time.Population control was a hot topic internationally and experts feared that rapid growth in China,India and elsewhere could overwhelm the earth s resources. The birthrate hadbegun to fall inthe 1970s afterthe government beganencouraging people tohave fewerchildren. It'sunclear howmuch itsfall sincethen resultedfromthe one-child policy andto what degree it would have happened anyway becauseof thetremendous economic and societal changes over the last four decades.

Stiff fines and sterilisation

But theleadership atthe time decided to curb population growth more directly, launching theone-child policy and enforcing itwith stiff financial penaltiesfor parents who had morethan one child, as wellas abortionsand sterilisation campaigns. Itlasted for 35 years.

Yi Fuxian, a senior scientist inobstetrics andgynaecology attheUniversityofWisconsinMadison, notes that the number of peoplegetting sterilisedplungedfrom1.4million womenand 180,000menin

2014,two yearsbeforethe policy waseased, to190,000 women and 2,600men in 2020.

In 2016, the government began allowingtwo children percouple andraised thelimit tothreechildrenin2021.Butit hasprovenmoredifficulttoreverse the mentality of people than the policy.

‘Little emperors’ China is far from the only countryfacing thechallenges ofan agingpopulation. Around the world, as people getwealthier,theytendtowant fewer, or no, children.

Butthe one-childpolicy, leadingto apreferencefor sons, has alsocreated a gender imbalancein theone-child generation.

Now,some fromthatgeneration, oncedubbed “little emperors becausethey wereso fussed over, face the pressure of meetingthe expectations, including financial, of being the only child.

Astheyreach their30sand 40s, there is only one child to support twoparents, andin some cases, up to four grandparents. For some,this can lead toanxiety anddepression, Fong said.

Thelittle emperoratsome point becomes theslave, she said.

BAHAMIAN familiesre-

memberanerawhentravelto

the UnitedStates functioned as a routine cross-border relationship rather thana highstakes legalproceeding. PreSeptember 11,2001, the Nassau Preclearance facility operated under what was colloquially termed the "Good Neighbour" framework:a service-oriented posturein which borderprocessing reflected theeconomic interdependence and geographic proximitybetween thetwo nations.

During that period, a Bahamian passport holder presenting for preclearance received expedited, predictableprocessing. Officersunderstoodthe corridor'scommercial character: Bahamian residentswere repeatcustomersfuelling Florida'sretail, medical,and education sectors. Theblue passport signalled partnership, not risk. Families travelled to Disney World in Orlando Florida,Sawgrass Mills,or Aventura Mallwithout the anticipatory anxiety that now defines themodern preclearance experience.

The relationship was transactionalin thebestsense, mutually beneficial, transparent, and efficient.

Nostalgia vs. The Modern Preclearance Reality

The post-9/11 security infrastructure fundamentally altered theUS-Bahamas travel corridor. While legitimate security enhancements were necessaryand appropriate, the operational culture atNassau Preclearancehas evolved into aposture that frequently contradicts the economic anddiplomatic relationshipbetween theUS and the Bahamas.

Contemporary Bahamian travellers report systemic patterns inconsistent with modern risk-based screening protocols: the I-275 Withdrawal Trap, in which travellers under timepressure or lacking full procedural understanding aredirected to sign voluntary withdrawal forms thatcreate adverseimmigration records; the Bahamas maintainsone ofthe highest B1/B2 visa denial rates in theWesternHemisphere despitedemonstrable economic tiesand lowoverstay risk; and the Passport Trap, involvingcoercive

seizureor markingofvalid travel documents during secondary processing without clear legalauthority orprocedural transparency. They representrecurring, documented patternsthat warrantstructureddiplomatic reviewand correctiveintervention.

The Bahamas, Bermuda, and Aruba triangle

The disparity in treatment becomes particularly pronounced whenNassau Preclearance is benchmarked against otherregional preclearance jurisdictions. Aruba andBermuda--both participating in theUS Customs and Border Protection Preclearance Program--are widely reported by travellers and industry observers to offersmoother, moremodernised processingexperiences.Questioning isdescribed as professional and proportionate. Secondary screenings are less frequent. Family-impacting enforcement actions are rare.

The economic data render this divergence incomprehensiblefrom apartnership standpoint. Bahamianresidentscontribute anestimated $4.5 billion annuallyto the US economy,concentrated heavily in Floridaand driven by retail procurement, medical services,education expenditures, andrecurring business activity.This figure represents sustained, measurable economic integration. By contrast, Arubaand Bermuda,while valuedpartners, contribute resident spend commonlyestimated ata fractionofBahamian levels,often10 to20times lower inaggregate resident expenditure. Yetthese jurisdictions reportedlyreceive a preclearance experience characterised by efficiency, predictability, and professional courtesy

The question isdirect: if smaller economic contributors receive modernised, partnership-oriented processing, why doesthe Bahamas, as a premium economic driver, experience such adversarial friction?

Thisisnotadvocacyforreduced securitystandards. It s acall forproportional,transparent, evidence-based enforcementthat alignstreatment withrisk profileand economic contribution.The Bahamas remains a cooper-

ativepartner inregionalsecurity architecture. Bahamian travellers areoverwhelmingly compliant,low-risk, and economically integrated.

The corridorshould reflect that reality.

TheMinistry ofForeign Affairs andthe USEmbassy in Nassau must acknowledge that thecurrent preclearance environment is not sustainable. Economicreciprocity cannot coexistindefinitely with punitiveprocessing. Partnership requiresmutual respect not merelyin diplomatic rhetoric,but inoperational practice at the border

Establisha formalPreclearance Oversight Liaison withinthe MinistryofForeign Affairsto systematically document complaints,coordinate withUS Embassy leadership, andpublish anonymisedtrenddataonrecurring processing issues.

Mandate transparent, public-facing standards for questioning protocols,secondary screening triggers, and documentrequests, eliminating thediscretionary enforcement that breeds inconsistency and fear.

Commit tomeasurable modernisation benchmarks that bring Nassau Preclearance into alignmentwith regionalbest practicesobserved inAruba andBermuda, includingservice-oriented training, reduced unnecessary secondary screenings, and accountability mechanisms for coercive practices.

A Return to Partnership The"Good Neighbour"era was not characterised by lax security. Itwas characterised by trust,efficiency, andmutual benefit. Thoseprinciples remainachievable ina modern securityframework. Risk-based screening, targeted questioning, and professional conduct are not incompatiblewith dignityand predictability. Bahamian familiesremain among themost consistent, high-value cross-border travellers inthe WesternHemisphere.If ArubaandBer-

muda,witha fractionofthat economic footprint, can sustain modernised, respectful preclearance corridors,the same is achievable in

Nassau. Theask isstraightforward: treat the Bahamasas the premiumeconomic partnerit demonstrably is.Security and dignityare notmutually exclusive. Thecorridor that once exemplified regional partnershipcan dosoagain, if both governments commit to making it so. That s nothow it'sbeen, but maybe we can try again?

For travellers navigating complexUSimmigrationmattersor experiencing adverse outcomes at preclearance, professional legal guidanceis essential. Donnette Russell-Love,LLC provides targeted representation forBahamian andCaribbean families and professionals facingvisa denials,I-275withdrawals, and related crossborderlegal challenges.Contactourofficeforaconfidential consultation.

Some lives depend on the gift of a stranger. There's a better way forward for The Bahamas

By Dr. Kenneth D. Kemp

Imagine it’s3 am.Your wife goesinto labour.There s excitement, nervous laughter, thehurrieddrivethroughquiet streets.Bythe timeyoureach the hospital,you’re thinking about finally holding your babyandwhisperingthename you agonised over. You think aboutfirstcriesandultimately about the moment your life will change forever.But instead,your wife’s doctor pulls you aside. There are complications. A severe postpartum haemorrhage. It sone ofthe most commonanddangerousemergencies in obstetrics;unpredictable, fast-moving,and unforgiving. The bloodloss is significant and blood is needed immediately.But that sentenceis quicklyfollowed by another thatno family shouldeverhavetohear:there isn’tenough bloodavailable right now.

What should havebeen a medical emergency managed withprecision--the waywe see itin somany grippingTV show--becomes somethingfar morefragile andfraughtwith fear. Frantic phonecalls are made tosleeping family, friends and neighbours, beggingthemtodonatebloodand to call everyone they can. They reach out to their network, they post the cry for blood onsocial media,and soon strangersare askedto leave their bedsand rush to the hospital.You pacethe floor, hands sweating, heart caught betweenthumping and breaking, hoping someone willarriveintimeandthatthat someonenotonlyhastheright blood type,but isable tomeet all donation requirements. All, while a mother and child wait.

This is not a hypothetical scenario. It s oneI haveseen repeatedly throughmy patients storiesat bothDoctors Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau and undoubtedly atRand Memorial inGrand Bahama.At

some point, it may more than likely occur atthe new Eleuthera Wellness Hospital. The namesand scenarios change,thediagnosesvarybut the fear does not.

Chronicandrecurrentblood shortages have quietly becomepartofaninsidiousback story of ourhealthcarelandscape.Wetreatthemasunfortunate butinevitable, respondingthe samewayeach time, with urgentappeals and last-minuteheroics. Butimprovisation is not a system. And hope is not a strategy. Blood donation is governed by necessary standards. Donors mustmeet age, weight, and haemoglobin thresholds. Certain medical conditions, medications,recent illnesses,recent tattooor travel histories canlead to temporaryor permanentdeferral. Even well-intentioned volunteers may arrive onlyto be toldthey cannotdonate. These safeguards protect recipients,but theyalsoexpose the weaknessof relyingon chance whenlives areat stake.

But there is a better option. Ibelievethis cyclecanbe broken. And more importantly, itmust be.The solution isn’tmoreemergencyappeals. It’s afundamental reimagining of how we approach blood donation in The Bahamas. I madvocating forthe creation ofa nationalblood donorregistry,aproactive,organised, ready-to-deploy system designed not for crisis response,but forcrisisprevention.

Here is how it would work:

First, we identify and register50 eligibledonorsfor eachbloodtype(A,B,AB,O) inclusive ofall Rh-positive andRh-negativesubtypes.We cando thisthroughinvitation or publicnotice forvolunteers.Theseindividualswould bescreened, blood-typed,and entered intoa securenational database with full confidentiality. Their eligibility status would be updated regularly, ensuringthat whenbloodis

needed, hospitals are not searching blindly but activating areadily available,reliable pool.

Second, donorswould receive an official blood donor card that servesas a symbol not onlyof willingcivic responsibility but of partnership. Participating hospitals and private clinics would agree to recognise this card with tangiblebenefits: reduced,deferred,orwaivedcopayments when appropriate, expedited services and appointments, and formal acknowledgmentof thedonor s contribution tonational health.

Importantly, these incentives arenot a financialrisk to

participating institutionsor businesses.They’reastrategic investment. Anyoneeligible todonate bloodis, bydefinition,likely toberelatively healthy.Hospitals andprivate clinicsthat extendprivileges to donorsare thereforenot inviting excessive utilisation or financial strain, butrather engaginga populationthat already demonstrates preventive health behaviours.

At the sametime, businessesthat offermodestdiscounts benefitfrom increased customer loyalty,positive publicperception, andconsistent patronagefrom a clearlydefined andsocially responsible group. Third,this effortwouldex-

tend beyond medicine alone.

Grocery stores,gas stations, clothing stores, gyms, pharmacies, shopping centres, restaurants, andother localbusinessescouldparticipatebyofferingmodest discountsorincentives to registered donors. Not as payment, but as recognition. A public signalthat donatingbloodisnotaninvisible act, but a valued one.

Health insurerscould also offer modest incentivesto registered blood donors like wellness creditsor reduced deductibles.Lifeinsurers,too, would havea clearincentive to participateas everylife savedmeans sustainingcoverage, not settling a loss. Thebenefits extendeven further. A national blood donor registry wouldnot only savelives inmomentsof crisis, it wouldquietly but ideally encouragea healthier populationoverall. Ina countryranked amongthe highestglobally forobesity and non-communicable diseases, eligibilityitself becomes motivation.Weight loss,improved bloodglucose control, betterblood pressure management --each becomes a step toward qualifying for a coveted donorcard andthe privileges that accompany it. Health, in this model, is no longerabstract. It’s tangible, recognised, and rewarded. Mostimportantly, thisregistry would replacepanic with preparedness.No more frantic middle-of-the-night calls.No moreuncertainty aboutblood typecompatibility or eligibility. No more families wondering whether help willarrive intime. As physicians, we aretrained to anticipate complicationsand prepareforthem.Asasociety, itisimperative wedothe same.

There are countless moments in any hospital week whenthe needforblood arises,butwecontinuetotreat eachinstance asthoughit wereextraordinary.Imagineif everytime anurse neededa bandage, or a doctor required asplintto stabiliseabroken

bone, they were forced to scramble, making calls, appealingtostrangersbyposting onsocialmedia, allwhilea patient waited inagony with a limbleft unsupported.It wouldbeunthinkable.Yet,the collection of blood, which is themost essentialelementof care beyondthe humantouch itself, is still treatedas a sideline to the provision of care. In moments ofcrisis, survivalmaynot alwaysbedictatedby medicinealone,but on the quiet generousgift of a stranger. While TheBahamas hasa smaller population, fewer traumacases, andfarfewer mass-casualty events than larger countries, the ongoing demandfor bloodremains highbecauseit’sdrivenbyobstetric emergencies,surgical care,chronic anaemia,sickle cell diseaseand adisproportionately large dialysis population in a country with limited accessto kidneytransplantation. Donated blood expires within weeks anddespite modernmedicine, despiteinnovation, despitemachines capable ofreplacing hearts andfiltering kidneys,blood cannot bemanufactured. There is noartificial substitute. No laboratory-grown equivalent.Every unitstillrequiresone persontowillingly giveapart ofthemselvesso that another might live. Nomother shouldbleed while asystem scrambles.No child’ssurvivalshoulddepend on chance. And no family shouldlearn,intheirmostvulnerable moment,that thelifeline they needsimply isn t there. The Bahamas has always been a nation of neighbours helping neighbours. A national blooddonor registry simply gives that impulse the structure it needs to save lives consistently, predictably,and sustainably. Thisis notan unsolvable problem.It isan organisational one. And with compassion,coordination,and common sense,it isentirely possible to achieve.

'We hold these truths': Viewing the Declaration of Independence

By GARY FIELDS Associated Press

WASHINGTON(AP) America's 250th anniversaryarrives at atime of deep political divisionsand, in some quarters,heightened anxietyover whetherrepresentative governmentin the world's oldest democracy can be sustained.

Cultural institutions sporting events even communities are polarised.If there is any place the bitter partisanship is set aside, even temporarily, it is in the rotunda of theNational Archives. This ishome tothenation's foundingdocuments, including theonethat willbe commemorated this year,the Declaration of Independence.

Theroomisfilled withasilentsense ofreverenceas visitorsgazedownat the light brownparchment, secured underbullet-proof glass,thathelped create the foundationof a government that has been a beacon of inspiration for people around the worldfor more than two centuries. Its significance was not lost on those who filtered in ona recent day, braving a deep freeze in the nation's capital to ensure they would not miss this stop on theirWashingtontour. Evenasthe crowdgrew,theroom wasfilledwitha sense that people knew they were in the presence of something momentous.

Their visits coincided with a national reckoningover PresidentDonald Trump's aggressive immigration enforcement actions, which had led to the shooting deathsof two U.S.citizens on the streetsof Minneapolisand grave concerns about attacks on constitutional rights.The AssociatedPressinterviewed visitors after they had viewed the Declarationof Independence,along withthe Constitutionand Billof Rights, for their thoughts on the state of America and its future as it approached its semi quincentennial moment. They acknowledged the country's ideological divides butwere reluctant to assign blame, inmany cases expressing hope thenationwould beable torepair itself,asithas donemany times over its history. With the Rotunda'sbus-sizedoil oncanvaspaintings of the Founding Fathers asa backdrop,they gavecomplicatedresponses when asked whether America was living upto theideals ofits founding documents and whereit might be headed.

Despite divides, thenation has found ways to come together

Ryan O Neil, visitingfromWest Bloomfield,Michigan, saidthatwhile the countryis splitpolitically what hecalled “very tribal” — he findshope in the documents heviewed at the National Archivesbecause theyhave

guided the country for 250 years.

"We ve not yet lived up to everything that wehadhoped to,butwearecontinuing to progress andget closer to that, he said.

TheArchiveshas aspecialexhibit marking the250th anniversary,"The American Story, thathighlights that complex history, mixing the country's astonishing accomplishments and advances with imagesshowing itsdarker moments.

O'Neil, 42, said theU.S. has been in similardivisive situationsthroughout its history and always managed to regroup. The one constant,he said is that thecountry's politicalpendulum isalways swinging.

Despite many testsover theyears, goingback toits founding,throughout the last 250 years it has withstood challenges, has withstood complaints, has withstood protests," he said, "and continues toevolve towhat wehave today.

How would the founders approach this moment?

Kevin Sullivan hadtravelled to Washington from Milwaukeewith his wifetovisit theirchildrenandattend the confirmation of their oldest grandson.

He acknowledged thecountry was in a divisive moment, but said it wasn't the

Trump says Board of Peace will unveil $5 billion in Gaza reconstruction pledges at inaugural meeting

By AAMER MADHANI Associated Press

PRESIDENT Donald Trump said Sunday that members of his newly created Board of Peace have pledged $5 billion toward rebuilding war-ravaged Gaza and will commit thousands of personnel to international stabilization and police forces for the territory.

The pledges will be formally announced when board members gather in Washington on Thursday for their first meeting, he said.

“The Board of Peace will prove to be the most consequential International Body in History, and it is my honour to serve as its Chairman,” Trump said in a social media posting announcing the pledges.

He did not detail which member nations were making the pledges for reconstruction or would contribute personnel to the stabilization force. But Indonesia’s military said Sunday that up to 8,000 of its troops are expected to be ready by the end of June for a potential deployment to Gaza as part of a humanitarian and peace mission. It’s the first firm commitment that the Republican president has received.

US

By BEN FINLEY Associated Press

US military forces boarded another sanctioned tanker in the Indian Ocean after tracking the vessel from the Caribbean Sea in an effort to target illicit oil connected to Venezuela, the Pentagon said Sunday.

Rebuilding the Palestinian territory will be a daunting endeavour. The United Nations, World Bank and European Union estimate that reconstruction of the territory will cost $70 billion. Few places in the Gaza Strip were left unscathed by more than two years of Israeli bombardment.

The ceasefire deal calls for an armed international stabilization force to keep security and ensure the disarming of the militant Hamas group, a key demand of Israel. Thus far, few countries have expressed interest in taking part in the proposed force.

The Oct. 10 US-brokered ceasefire deal attempted to halt a more than 2-year war between Israel and Hamas. While the heaviest fighting has subsided, Israeli forces have carried out repeated airstrikes and frequently fire on Palestinians near military-held zones.

It is not clear how many of the more than 20 members of the Board of Peace will attend the first meeting. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who held White House talks with Trump last week, is not expected to be there.

Trump’s new board was first seen as a mechanism

Venezuela had faced US sanctions on its oil for several years, relying on a shadow fleet of falsely flagged tankers to smuggle crude into global supply chains. President Donald Trump ordered a quarantine of sanctioned tankers in December to pressure then-President Nicolás Maduro before Maduro was apprehended in January during an American military operation.

focused on ending the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

But it has taken shape with his ambition for a far broader mandate of resolving global crises and appears to be the latest US effort to sidestep the United Nations

Several tankers fled the Venezuelan coast in the wake of the raid, including the ship that was boarded in the Indian Ocean overnight.

The Defense Department said in a post on X that US forces boarded the Veronica III, conducting “a right-ofvisit, maritime interdiction and boarding.”

“The vessel tried to defy President Trump’s

as Trump aims to reset the post-World War II international order.

Many of America’s top allies in Europe and elsewhere have declined to join what they suspect may be an attempt to rival the Security Council.

quarantine — hoping to slip away,” the Pentagon said. “We tracked it from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, closed the distance, and shut it down.”

Video posted by the Pentagon shows US troops boarding the tanker.

The Veronica III is a Panamanian-flagged vessel under US sanctions related to Iran, according to the

Trump also confirmed that Thursday’s meeting will take place at the US Institute of Peace, which the State Department announced in December it was remaining the Donald J. Trump US Institute of Peace.

website of the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. The Panama Maritime Authority said Sunday in a brief statement that the ship was no longer registered there and had been cancelled in December 2024.

The Veronica III left Venezuela on Jan. 3, the same day as Maduro’s capture, with nearly 2 million barrels of crude and fuel oil, TankerTrackers.com posted Sunday on X.

“Since 2023, she’s been involved with Russian, Iranian and Venezuelan oil,” the organization said. Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com, told The Associated Press in January that his organization used satellite imagery and surface-level photos to document that at least 16

tankers left the Venezuelan coast in contravention of the quarantine. The Trump administration has been seizing tankers as part of its broader efforts to take control of the Venezuela’s oil. The Pentagon did not say in the post whether the Veronica III was formally seized and placed under US control, and later told the AP in an email that it had no additional information to provide beyond that post. Last week, the US military boarded a different tanker in the Indian Ocean, the Aquila II. The ship was being held while its ultimate fate was decided by the United States, according to a defense official who spoke last week on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing decision-making.

Comedy For A Cause play ‘SmartyPants’ opens to packed audience at Atlantis Theatre

COMEDY For A Cause play ‘SmartyPants’ opened to a packed audience at The Atlantis Theatre on Thursday as it seeks to raise funds to benefit Bahamians in need

There was a standing ovation from a packed theatre for what was described as the ‘silly, sexy and sensational’ show - the latest play from 2Hoops Productions as part of its Comedy For A Cause campaign.

Audience members were

Opening night was a roaring success for a play that is raising funds for good causes – and producer Heather Hodgson Kosoy urged people to join in the fun, all while helping to benefit The Bahamas.

full of praise for the show, calling it “amazing”, “fantastic” and “incredibly funny”. Among the guests on opening night was Ann Marie Davis, of the Office of the Spouse, who said she really enjoyed the show and praised organisers for their continuing efforts to help good causes. “The people who put on this play are

doing such good work, and they really put on a good show, it was so much fun,” she said.

“The theatre was packed – and the show got such a good reaction from the audience. We could really feel the love. The show runs until February 21, so there’s still time to join in and help us with our mission, to laugh out loud for goodness’ sake! So come along and join the fun,” said Hodgson Kosoy.

‘SmartyPants’ tells the story of a woman named Linda who breaks into her ex-husband’s home with two of her oldest friends to retrieve a sculpture she believes is rightfully hers. Her husband is now a tech millionaire after inventing smart underwear – allowing you to control your home’s environment – air conditioning, lighting, doors – with the squeeze of a butt cheek. Linda’s plan goes off the rails when her husband returns home unexpectedly mid-heist – and soon had the audience in laughter throughout the show.

The show is raising funds for the Bahamas Feeding Network, the Bahamas National Trust, Lend A Hand and Ranfurly Homes for Children – having last year raised more than $150,000 with the play ‘Real Estate’. That nearly doubled the previous year’s $80,000 with the show ‘Screwball Comedy’. It is sponsored by Stering Global Financial.

Last year’s funds enabled the Bahamas Feeding Network to provide 28,000 meals, the Bahamas National Trust to open all national parks for

a day without charge to the public, Lend A Hand to complete a community centre, and Ranfurly Homes for Children to enable older residents no longer eligible for residence in the main home to remain safe and sheltered until they could find a new residence. Each organisation will again benefit from this year’s show.

Among the event sponsors is musician Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, who hailed the production, saying: “Good work is being done thanks to the kindness and generosity of all of you… I’m all about giving back, and I love what’s going on here.”

The show stars Heather Hodgson Kosoy, Lisa Norton, Nora Sheehan, Stephen Sparks, and is directed by Chris McHarge, with Daniele Guillaume as stage manager. ‘Smarty Pants’ is written by Shelley Hoffman and Stephen Sparks. ‘SmartyPants’ continues at the Atlantis Theatre from February 17-21, with performances at 8pm. Tickets cost from $42.75 to $78.75 and are available from www. atlantisbahamas.com, or call 363-6601. Discounts are available for teens or groups. The show is for audiences aged 16+.