09022019 NEWS

MONDAY i’m lovin’ it!

The Tribune Established 1903

24/7 BREAKING NEWS ON TRIBUNE242.COM

HIGH 87ºF LOW 78ºF

Biggest And Best!

VOLUME:116 No.172, SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2019

HO US E & 16 THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

PAGES

HOME

MONSTER SPECIAL REPORT: SEE PAGES 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

FLOODING in Abaco yesterday from Hurricane Dorian. Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/ Tribune Staff

200mph wipeout devastates Abaco - PRAY NO ONE DIED MINNIS: WE BEGGED PEOPLE TO GET OUT - THEY REFUSED

US ON STANDBY TO LEND MASS SUPPORT IN RESCUE OPERATION

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

GRAND BAHAMA HOLDS ITS BREATH AS DORIAN EDGES NEAR

PAGE 2, Monday, September 2, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

200mph wipeout

IMAGES from videos circulated on social media showing the damage in Abaco.

ANGRY and brutal Hurricane Dorian left only devastation in its wake, snapping utility poles, overturning vehicles and tearing entire communities apart, ultimately disintegrating life for Abaco residents. At its maximum strength, the Category Five monster hurricane, the strongest to ever hit the Northern Bahamas, packed 185mph winds. These powerful gusts were intensified by flash flooding and storm surges. The storm, which made landfall early Sunday morning, left parts of the island in ruins. While telephone communication into the island was down and electricity had been shut off since 10.15am, social media was flooded with video documenting the severity of Dorian’s wrath.

REPORTING BY RASHAD ROLLE and TERREL W CAREY SR in Abaco and KHRISNA RUSSELL in New Providence

People in Nassau found themselves forced to make impassioned appeals by way of social media for the rescue of relatives left stranded and exposed to the elements after Dorian left them without shelter. Fear overcame Mulice King yesterday when she was unable to reach her mother Patrice Neely. Her concern was further compounded because in a brief telephone call that was abruptly disconnected, her mother had asked to be rescued. Ms King’s 79-year-old

grandmother was among a family of five in Central Pines, Abaco, left homeless by Hurricane Dorian’s gale force winds. “The last message she gave me was when she called me and told me that the house roof torn off and they are stranded,” Ms King said in an interview with The Tribune yesterday. “Then I tried to call her again and there was nothing. “Later on my brother posted a video saying they lost everything. He was recording how all of the neighbours’ houses were gone. Parts of houses just flew and went into people’s yards and stuff like that. “I am still scared and sitting down here trying to reach my sister and father who live in Abaco.”

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, September 2, 2019, PAGE 3

devastates Abaco

For the family, according to Ms King, they could never have imagined Hurricane Dorian would have left this impact, especially for those in the Central Pines area. “Central Pines is an area surrounded by just trees. It’s not close to where the ocean is. It’s in the centre of Abaco so they wasn’t expecting for the impact to be so severe. They thought that they could have ride out the storm at home because they always do. “But the house just couldn’t take it. Right now my head is pounding and I feel helpless because I cannot be there to help. Family is everything and I feel helpless.” Over in Dundas Town, it was a similar story. Carissa Françoise said her five relatives weren’t able to save any of their belongings, not even important documents like passports and driver’s licences. She said: “They told me they were trying to find a shelter, but most of the close ones were flooded and broken.” When Ms Françoise spoke to this newspaper, hours had passed since she had last heard from her family. Fear Harrowing cell phone videos sent out by those in Abaco showed some residents holed up in bathrooms and closets praying for God’s protection while others, staying on the top floor of a two-story building, were seen in a video on social media rummaging through belongings that had been ransacked by wind and rain. Another video showed a group of people walking through water and rain, filing into what appeared to be an Abaco government complex. As if the trauma associated with a Category Five storm wasn’t enough, these people were rushed into the facility by what looked to be Royal Bahamas Defence Force marines who shouted at two women to drop a plastic bag containing belongings and rush inside. Further, there were reports of a group appealing for help as the roof of the Island Breeze Hotel in Marsh Harbour had been badly damaged. Before Dorian ravaged the island, there was some flooding seen in areas of Green Turtle Cay, according to a resident there, Marcus Jones, 34. The cay has approximately 500 people, very few of whom followed the government’s evacuation order. He too said they did not know the storm would get so strong. Many believed it would max out as a Category 3 or 4. But by 10.30am the storm had intensified into a Category Five hurricane with winds up to 180mph. “Maybe we would’ve left had we known,” Mr Jones told The Tribune shortly after 10am Sunday. “I think we would have left if

we had the means. Mostly everybody still here. Ten to 15 people left to go to family abroad or something but most people are moving to the houses in the higher land area. We have lots of friends on the island who are second home owners so they are letting people who want to stay at their house do so because they have generators. And then there are people staying at the school, the shelter.” When he spoke to this newspaper, Mr Jones said the downtown area of the cay had already sustained two to three feet of floodwater, a normal occurrence in rainy weather. Like many Abaco residents, Hurricane Floyd in 1999 remained an instructive experience about what to expect from hurricanes. He said many of the cay’s structures survived that event. Once the eye passed over Abaco, the devastation prompted many to venture out of their homes. Some sought alternative shelter and others were curious to see how their communities feared. It was something that North Abaco MP Darren Henfield discouraged. “We have just come through an hour and a half of pounding. Roofs have been compromised, people have called in distress,” he said in an interview aired on ZNS. “But I want to stress to people in the Abacos that we are moving now through the eye of the storm. “Do not come out doors if you don’t have to. If you are in a compromised place and you can manage to ride out the storm stay there unless you can get out quickly in five, ten minutes to a next place. “This is only the eye of the storm. We expect the back end of the storm to come over us very shortly. “We are going to be okay. We just need to keep calm and stay focused. “We are going to be okay and we are going to come through this. Keep praying and asking God’s mercy upon us.”

IMAGES from videos circulated on social media showing the damage in Abaco.

HELP WANTED Groundskeeper for a Commercial Building Duties to include but not limited to: The general upkeep & maintenance of the common areas of the building. Please send resume with a photo to:

elizob242@gmail.com

"Remember, patience and leaving home at least 30 to 45 minutes earlier than you did during the summer will get you through this week's back-to-school drive."

“QUOTE OF THE DAY” Distributed By

BAY STREET GARAGE Dowdeswell Street

322-2434 • 322-2082

PAGE 4, Monday, September 2, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

DEBRIS in Abaco yesterday. Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

THE SCENES in Abaco yesterday in images circulated on social media.

SOME of the damage in Abaco yesterday as Hurricane Dorian struck.

THE SCENES in Abaco yesterday in images circulated on social media.

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, September 2, 2019, PAGE 5

SOME of the early damage in Abaco yesterday.

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

A ROOF ripped off in Abaco yesterday in an image from a video circulated on social media.

Heading to shelter before the storm By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net ONE person brought a brand new television. Another arrived with a refrigerator. One man even brought his pitbull in a cage to the Central Abaco Primary School shelter in Marsh Harbour but was promptly asked to leave and take the dog elsewhere. As Hurricane Dorian inched toward the island, vulnerable residents scrambled to safeguard their most prized possessions, even if it meant bringing them along to one of the 15 shelters available around the island. When The Tribune visited the Central Abaco Primary School around 6pm on Saturday, more than 100 residents had already settled there, hours before Dorian’s arrival. By 8pm, according to group manager Christine Lightbourne, that number had doubled to more than 200. “From previous experience, we sometimes have 400 to 500 persons in this shelter,” said Ms Lightbourne, who works for the Red Cross. Stillness echoed over the normally bustling Marsh Harbour town on Saturday, with all but a few stores closed and residents at home making their final preparations. The weather shifted

sharply throughout the day, with a mixture of intermittent rain and sunny skies. “From previous experience,” Ms Lightbourne said, “the average Abaconian and even the expats who live here who have encountered hurricanes, they don’t take it lightly. They’re always in a preparedness mood and they follow the alerts and they respond very well.” The government issued evacuation orders for parts of Abaco on Friday. Few people on the cays have taken advantage of the transportation made available, however, worrying officials who insist daring rescue missions would not be attempted in the midst of the storm. By late Saturday, officials were still trying to determine how many had chosen to wait out the storm in their remote locations. The total, they estimated, was in the hundreds. On midday Saturday, Royal Bahamas Defence Force officers accompanied a Haitian pastor, Wilson Isnord, as he used a megaphone to encourage people to evacuate The Mudd and Pigeon Peas areas, the most vulnerable areas on mainland Abaco. The residents were encouraged to go to shelters like the Central Abaco Primary School. Later, around 7pm, police officers visited the area and more

forcefully pushed people to leave. When they go to shelters, they will find that people are grouped and placed in different blocks, Ms Lightbourne said, with priority given to keeping families together and elderly people near the restrooms. “We try to balance it so we can’t have a lot of people acting crazy,” Ms Lightbourne said. “The mindset of people is that they do think they can have a room for their families and like I told them, you can be placed in a room but as the demand is required, we will put other persons in there with you.” The primary school has about 30 available rooms. It was used as a shelter during Hurricane Floyd 20 years ago, an experience Ms Lightbourne prefers not to recall. “The shelter was opened up for a month during Floyd,” she said. “People had to be relocated because children had to go back to school. We had to take over 200 people to another location. It was terrible.” People in shelters are required to bring their own food and personal hygiene supplies. Two things they cannot bring are alcohol and pets. “Smoking is allowed outside the room but no booze is permitted on this property,” Ms Lightbourne said.

ROOF damage in Abaco yesterday in an image from a video circulated on social media.

DAMAGE in Abaco yesterday.

Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff

PAGE 6, Monday, September 2, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

FISHING Hole Bridge yesterday in Grand Bahama ahead of the storm’s arrival.

Photos: Vandyke Hepburn

‘Crazy’ to stay in low-lying areas in Grand Bahama By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

MANY residents in flood prone low-lying areas of Grand Bahama heeded the evacuation order to leave, especially those in East Grand Bahama, Queen’s Cove in the north, and West Grand Bahama, which were expected to be affected by powerful storm surges from Hurricane Dorian. Ahead of the storm’s arrival yesterday, the city was in preparation mode – all businesses were closed, and traffic lights were deactivated at all the major intersections in Freeport. Flooding and powerful gale force winds are expected to be a major threat to the island. The Tribune visited the Queen’s Cove Subdivision on Sunday morning where residents were completing preparations to their homes. Many of them evacuated because of the anticipated storm surge and flooding in that north-shore waterfront community. Ray Darville, of Queen’s Cove, said that it would be crazy for anyone to stay there or any low-lying area in Grand Bahama during Dorian. “I have been on the sea my whole life and I have been looking at storms, and anybody that stays in QC or any low-lying area around

SCENES in Grand Bahama in the West End and Sea Grape areas, above and below. Freeport is out of their minds. “We are going to have a serious storm surge come through QC, and this isn’t an (exaggeration). I don’t run from storms, I been in two hurricanes at sea, please get out.” Mr Darville predicted that Dorian would leave his home and others in Queen’s Cove under five or six feet of water. He cleared out his entire home of all furnishings and appliances in anticipation. When asked how he felt about another major storm hitting Grand Bahama, which had been devastated three years ago by Hurricane Matthew, he said: “We all live in paradise so we have to pay our price too. Lots of people live in some terrible places in the world; we living the best place in the world. We just have to

pay once or twice a year for the blessings we got.” In anticipation of the flooding, Queen’s Cove resident Kendal Davis put his furniture and other appliances on pallets inside his home. “We are (in the) last stages of lifting everything. As a matter of fact it’s all used pallets and 2x6 and 2x8 and make a scaffolding and everything is raised above that. Right now, we are getting (ready) to move out...and just wait it out until the storm passes.” Mr Davis, who has been through many storms in the past, said that his home was not flooded during Matthew, but it flooded during Hurricane Floyd about two decades ago. “The thing is, we only get flooding if there is a surge from the north side because the south side is lower than

the north side so once the water comes in it flows over. I have been doing this now for 20 years, the first one was Floyd 20 years ago. But such is life, you just keep on going,” he said. Further down, we ran into Wayne Burrows, who is an elderly wheelchair bound resident of Queen’s Cove. He was being assisted by family members with preparing his home. “I am getting out in a couple minutes,” he said. “Whoever stays in Queen’s Cove anywhere by the water got to be crazy with this kind of storm that is coming our way. We got to just pray for the best.” Mr Burrows planned to move inland to Burrows’ Home, a care facility for elderly persons. Even though her home is two-story, Chrisanne Astin said it is just too dangerous

to stay in Queen’s Cove. “I will be leaving; we know that the water is going to be high here, so it is just too dangerous to stay; even though I have a two-story I still would not stay. We been through every hurricane pretty much and we know what to expect, and it is not a happy thing, but we got to take the blows as it come,” she said. Patsy Roberts has also cleared her house of all furnishings, however, a few family photos were still hanging on the walls. “I am not staying here, I am finishing off clearing out my house,” she said. Ms Roberts said her home had flooded in past storms. Willard Hanna said Grand Bahama is in for a very hard blow. “This is just terrible. I don’t know what is going to happen to Grand

Bahama after this has gone through,” he said. In East Grand Bahama, some six persons had left Sweeting’s Cay on Sunday morning. According to the island administrator there, Gaye Bowe, some 125 residents live on the cay. She reported that 33 were still on the island by 9am on Sunday. Evacuation orders have all been issued for residents in the Pinder’s Point area, the southwest part of the island, as well as West End. Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest said there is a heightened “sense of concern” for his constituency of East Grand Bahama after watching the devastation that Dorian has delivered to Abaco. “As we watch the total devastation that is currently happening in Abaco, our sense of concern is heightened for the residents that have made the unwise decision to stay in Sweeting’s Cay, East Grand Bahama and other vulnerable areas of East Grand Bahama,” he said. “At this time, these areas will shortly begin to feel the effects that will rapidly escalate. As it is too late to move now, ask you all to be safe as possible, sheltered in the strongest home in the area, stay together and be sure to check on one another,” Mr Turnquest said yesterday afternoon.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, September 2, 2019, PAGE 7

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis at a press conference at NEMA to address The Bahamas on Hurricane Dorian along with his cabinet ministers.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Minnis: we begged people to get out - they refused PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis defended his administration’s stalled pace on promised mandatory evacuation legislation, telling reporters yesterday that no one could have anticipated monster storm Hurricane Dorian. He said when Parliament resumes, it will be a priority for the Minnis administration. He spoke to reporters at a noon press conference at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), as cries for help poured in from residents in Abaco and the surrounding cays. Dr Minnis rejected assertions that cost was a factor for evacuations. “Cost nor communication is an issue,” Dr Minnis

said, “the NEMA team representatives and professional went to those areas door-to-door asking individuals with boats available, waiting, asking them to evacuate and if they did not at least allow the children, women and elderly to leave - in spite of that they refused.” Dr Minnis was asked whether there would be any attempts to rescue residents from vulnerable areas in Abaco, where roofs had been ripped off and cars overturned as Hurricane Dorian battered

the island with winds more than 180mph. “I’ll ask you a simple question,” Dr Minnis responded. “Winds of 180 mph, I ask you tomorrow to go and rescue those people, would you go? I don’t think anybody that fool to go out there nor would I subject their lives to that especially when individuals were warned repeatedly to leave.” Legislation to allow for mandatory evacuations was promised when Hurricane Irma threatened the country some two years ago. Dr Minnis said the promised legislation would now be a priority for his administration. “There are many legislation we are drafting to bring forth,” Dr Minnis said.

“We never anticipated a hurricane of 180 going up to 200, that places legislation in priority. You gave us five years, we will utilise that five years to put forth the legislation that we promised – you did not promise us one month.” It was unclear up to press time how many persons are still on the surrounding Abaco cays, where people had been asked to evacuate. “I can’t answer that. No I want to give you accurate answers, so I can’t answer that,” Dr Minnis said. However, one official told ZNS Northern Service that about 200 people were feared to have stayed on Grand Cay. About 30 of them were

evacuated from the cay and brought to Grand Bahama yesterday. At yesterday’s press conference, Dr Minnis insisted Grand Bahama was prepared for the storm, noting the island withstood Hurricane Matthew in 2016. “Grand Bahama has withstood many hurricanes, and they were prepared for maximum,” Dr Minnis said. “They, nor I, nor you would have anticipated a hurricane of 180mph with gusts of 200 and possibly more.” Dr Minnis said the government was ready to mobilise relief once the all clear was given. “The government would be assisted by agencies like the American government. The prime minister of

Jamaica has called me their team is waiting and ready with a manpower of 180 individuals on the ground ready to come in.” Dr Minnis said he has also spoken with the prime ministers of St Lucia, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Barbados. “The world is prepared to assist us,” Dr Minnis said. Dr Minnis said officials are expecting the all-clear for affected islands to be given later this week. “We are anticipating allclear by Wednesday, at that particular time we will move in with all materials. As I’ve said the Americans have been extremely helpful, all materials and equipment are in the vicinity waiting to be dispatched as soon as the weather permits.”

Management Agency, Dr Minnis pleaded with residents in Grand Bahama to leave high-risk zones immediately. He appeared emotional at the press conference and at one point could be seen wiping his eyes with a handkerchief. He noted the country still did not have legislation authorising mandatory evacuation, but pledged draft legislation would be brought to Parliament at the earliest opportunity. Dr Minnis said: “Grand Bahama, those individuals in the West End area, this is your last warning. We have made all necessary arrangements, at least 13 shelters available.”

Residents in West Grand Bahama were urged to cross the bridge at the Fishing Hole Road by 3pm yesterday. Police were there directing traffic and ensuring safe passage until that time. An emotional Dr Minnis added: “This is probably the most saddened and worst day of my life to address the Bahamian people. “I just want to say as a physician, I’ve been trained to withstand many things but never anything like this. We are facing a hurricane, one that we’ve never seen in the history of the Bahamas. There will be gusts in excess of 200mph. We have some of the best standards

of home-building within this region. “Our homes are built to withstand at least 150mph so this will put us to the test that we have never confronted before. The extreme surge of about 20ft... that’s higher than the average roof of our homes here in the Bahamas. “This is a deadly storm and a monster storm,” he continued, “on two previous occasions I have asked Bahamians to leave the cays in the west and east. Many have not heeded my warning, many are left behind, there are individuals in the western area who still refuse to leave. I can only say to them that

I hope this is not the last time they will hear my voice and may God be with them. “The Marsh Harbour area of Abaco, parts of it is already underwater and some areas you cannot tell the difference between the beginning of the street and where ocean begins and they have not been hit by the brunt of the storm. “Those (in) Abaco at this point in time, cannot move anymore. They are now in for the long haul.” Dr Minnis also called for political unity, telling Bahamians it was not time for red or yellow flags but to work together as Bahamians. On Friday, Dr Minnis

said his administration’s disaster, mitigation, response and recovery plan features a $100m line of credit from the Inter-American Development Bank. He said he instructed Finance Minister Peter Turnquest to mobilise the credit line. “The Minister of Finance has been instructed to mobilise the $100m line of credit from the Inter-American Development Bank, which we signed in April. “This is a key component of the government’s readiness plan so that we can have access to resources as quickly as possible to speed up response and recovery efforts.”

Reporting by Ava Turnquest Tribune Chief Reporter in Nassau aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

PM: MAY GOD BE WITH THEM By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

AS Hurricane Dorian pounded Abaco and had Grand Bahama set in its sights, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday was the “worst day of my life” while he expressed hope God would be with those who did not heed evacuation warnings. Abaco residents who refused voluntary evacuation were in for the “long haul,” he said, noting parts of Marsh Harbour were already underwater by noon yesterday. At a press conference at the National Emergency

PAGE 8, Monday, September 2, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

WEATHER conditions affecting New Providence yesterday as Hurricane Dorian passed to the north. Banks, schools and government offices will be closed today. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

D’Aguilar fears blow to tourism from hurricane By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE government’s forecast of a record-breaking year for tourism performance could be disrupted thanks to Hurricane Dorian. According to Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar yesterday, although the dangerous storm would have largely affected Grand Bahama and Abaco, visitors unfamiliar with The Bahamas’ geography will believe the entire country was devastated. This, he said, is likely to affect projections, creating “enormous” concerns for the industry. He also lamented the fact that more than 20,000 cruise ship passengers who were expected to arrive in Nassau have been directed elsewhere due to the storm. “Of course there are enormous concerns given the severity of the storm, the size of the storm and the expected level of devastation,” Mr D’Aguilar told reporters yesterday. “So Grand Bahama and Abaco are obviously a major source of foreign visitors to our country and we expect there to be catastrophic

DIONISIO D’AGUILAR, Minister of Tourism, yesterday. damage to the infrastructure there and certainly for a number of months, at least at a minimum, we expect there to be a significant decrease of foreign visitors to those islands. “However in Abaco especially a lot of the foreign visitors to Abaco

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

are second home owners and so we are expecting a number of them to come in and assess the damage of their second homes and to rebuild as quickly as possible. “There is certainly a very resilient component of our foreign visitors and so we

expect that to bounce back quickly.” He continued: “Obviously New Providence is being affected just by the news that people are getting confused about the geography of The Bahamas as they always do and so when we refer to the

devastation that is happening to Abaco and Grand Bahama people assume it’s the entire Bahamas and so we like to emphasise that Nassau which is, of course, the economic hub and the depository for most of our foreign visitors will emerge relatively unscathed. “We are expecting very low tropical storm force winds in New Providence and so we expect at least this component of foreign visitors to bounce back. “For example, today we were expecting in excess of 20,000 cruise ship passengers in the city of Nassau and they have all cancelled so we are going to at least temporarily experience a significant downturn of foreign visitors, but like I say a number of the important component of our infrastructure will remain unscathed and so those will be able to bounce back relatively quickly. “So the Ministry of Tourism’s primary focus right now is to get out there that while there has been some devastation to a component of our tourism infrastructure at least the majority of it here in Nassau is open and ready to receive our foreign visitors so that will be our task at hand,” the

minister also said. Asked if it was likely that Dorian would affect the Grand Lucayan’s sale, Mr D’Aguilar said he was hoping it would not. “I am happy to report that the chairman of the Lucayan Renewal Company has fully insured it. It has full replacement value insurance and so any damage that hotel incurs we expect to be able to recoup it through the insurance. So we have prepared for the inevitable. We had planned for it and I think we are ready to move on from that.” He also said: “So, yes, there will be landscaping damage, there may even be damage to the buildings as well, but you know the first line of defence is the insurance and then I know that they were expected to do a significant renovation to those buildings there. I am hoping that won’t impede our intended plan to divest ourselves of the hotel in the later part of the year.” • The Cabinet Office announces that government offices in New Providence will re-open on Tuesday, September 3. All others will be closed until further notice. Public Health Clinics are to open today, September 2.

SCHOOLS STAY CLOSED PUBLIC schools in the central and northwestern Bahamas will be closed until further notice. Education Minister Jeff Lloyd said these will include: New Providence, Andros, Eleuthera, Abaco and the surrounding cays,

Grand Bahama and the surrounding territories, Bimini, Cat Cay and the Berry Islands. Schools on Cat Island, Exuma, Long Island, Acklins, Crooked Island, Mayaguana, San Salvador and Rum Cay will open on

Wednesday at the regular scheduled time, he said. At a briefing yesterday, Mr Lloyd advised public school administrators, teachers and support staff, along with contractors at schools outside of the affected areas to report to campuses on Monday and Tuesday to prepare for the return of students. All public schools were originally set to open tomorrow. The University of the Bahamas’ campuses in New Providence and Grand Bahama will also remain closed until further notice. • All team members of the Nassau Airport Development Company have been asked to report to work on Monday at their regularly scheduled times unless otherwise advised. Lynden Pindling International Airport will be open to accommodate any arriving or departing flights weather conditions permitting.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, September 2, 2019, PAGE 9

Organisations ready to reach out in support By LEANDRA ROLLE

NON-PROFIT organisations have mobilised to assist residents following the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, which churned over Abaco and Grand Bahama yesterday. In an interview with The Tribune, Director General of Bahamas Red Cross Caroline Turnquest said the organisation has been in constant communication with Red Cross leaders at both islands. She noted that necessary preparations were being made to secure the safety of residents on those islands and to help provide relief efforts following the aftermath of the monster storm.

“We have asked about the inventory to see what they have on hand and making preparations but, of course, we wouldn’t know what is needed until we have done our rapid assessments following the passage of the storm,” she told The Tribune on Friday. When asked if the organisation is seeking donations, Ms Turnquest replied: “We are very much looking for canned goods and other assistance in terms of cleaning supplies when there is flooding as well as any other monetary donations we can use so we can find out what is needed.” Bahamas Red Cross Grand Bahama administrator Stephanie Barr made similar comments, adding they were as

ready as anyone could be for the approaching storm. “We had a shipment from the Bahamas Red Cross headquarters come in today (Friday) with tarps to assist with persons after and, of course, that’s when we begin to get more donors come on board with water and ice and stuff like that once we would’ve gone through whatever we’ve gone through. But, we are ready,” she said. In partnership with the Bahamas Red Cross, the HeadKnowles Foundation is also preparing to assist those in need following the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian. Lia Head-Rigby, founder of the HeadKnowles foundation, said teams are ready to jump into action.

“I have spoken to everyone in Grand Bahama and the Abacos. We have our database up and running as well as updated as possible,” Mrs Head-Rigby said. “We have our fundraising links ready, our GoFundMe links that were going to post at the end of the day so that it’s up and running and just wait. We have our people in the community whose making sure they know what’s going on, whose where, whose what and who will need stuff.” Hurricane Dorian was expected to leave catastrophic damage in its wake, with possible wind gusts of over 200 mph in the northern Bahamas and storm surge of up to 23 feet.

A BABY sleeps inside a church that was opened up as a shelter yesterday for residents who will wait out Hurricane Dorian in Freeport on Grand Bahama. Photo: Ramon Espinosa/AP

ABACO ‘WILL NEED SERIOUS HELP’ HOPE Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue reported that the island of Abaco “will need serious help and assistance” as soon as possible after monster storm Dorian left it devastated. “The (worst) is over now,” the rescue organisation posted on its Facebook page after 5pm yesterday. Speaking about conditions in Hope Town, the group said: “Winds are about Cat1 strength now. . .so people are assessing. The eye was a Godsend as every home needed to evacuate to new dwellings. We prayed long and hard for that eye for time

to escape. Expect the worse possible situation for our island and times that. “It’s devastated. Hope Town and Abaco will need serious help and assistance as soon as possible please. We are happy to be alive despite majority of us (losing) absolutely everything. We are strong but entirely grateful for life today.” The agency said all parts of the island were damaged. In a second Facebook post, the rescue group said: “Roofs gone, buildings demolished. Flooding has been reported and the dune in White Sound is gone.

“Some buildings were badly damaged but are still standing.” While many buildings were compromised by Dorian, the Marsh Harbour clinic was intact at last report, according to Health Minister Dr Duane Sands yesterday, who said more than 300 people were seeking shelter there. The Ministry of Health said around 5.30pm yesterday, there were no reported deaths on Abaco in relation to Hurricane Dorian. A man died there earlier Sunday after a car accident, unrelated to the storm.

RELIEF EFFORTS TO HELP ISLANDS AFFECTED BY HURRICANE DORIAN A NUMBER of organisations and groups are already organising donations and fundraising efforts to help those affected by Hurricane Dorian. • From 9am today, the Princess Margaret Hospital blood bank will be open for blood donations of all types. For more information, contact 322-8077. • The New Providence Community Church in partnership with HeadKnowles, Ports International, the Family Medicine Center, Bahamas Rotary Clubs and Rev, is asking the public to drop off non-perishable items that will be shipped to the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama. They are accepting water, tuna, sardines, mackerel, corned beef and other canned goods, as well as toiletries, sanitary products, pampers, premixed formula, flashlights, batteries, tarps, nails, hammers, chainsaws and gas jugs. Donations can be brought to NPCC Blake Road and JFK drive, open daily from 7.30am-9pm. Contact 327-1660 for more information. • Tropix Shipping in Fort Lauderdale and Nassau will be open to receiving relief from today. The address is Tropix Abaco, 5610 NW 12th Avenue, Suite 203, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309. • Anglican Young Adults are asking for donations of clothing. Items should be in new or mint (good) condition and separated accordingly. Tops, bottoms, shoes, towels, hygiene items and underwear for all ages/sizes will be accepted. For more information on drop-offs, contact 359-3143. Volunteers are also needed for sorting and packaging. • The Miami Dade Community Emergency Operations Center is accepting donations at 5120 NW 24th Avenue, Miami, Florida, from 10am-6pm. Donations requested are toiletries, diapers, first aid items, cleaning supplies, canned goods, box fans, leather work gloves, hand sanitizer, non-perishable food, water, wipes (cleaning and baby), tents, generators. No clothes, please. Contact 786-877-7826/786-2698070/305-343-7971. • HeadKnowles has launched a GoFundMe for emergency funds, which has already raised more than $32,000. The group is also asking for generators, tarps, chainsaws, portable stoves, butane cannisters, air mattreses, liquid baby formula, diapers, wet wipes, toiletries including female sanitary products, mosquito repellent, water filtration devices, and matches. The fundraiser link is: www.gofundme. com/f/headknowles-emergency-funds • Lend A Hand Bahamas has launched a fundraiser for relief efforts in The Bahamas to provide needed materials not normally donated outright as well as direct monetary support to those impacted. The link is: https://lendahandbahamas. networkforgood.com/projects/80136bahamas-hurricane-relief-fund • The Little House By The Ferry blog is also rounding up fundraising efforts, including ways to contribute to the Hope Town Volunteer Fire and Rescue group. The link is: littlehousebytheferry.com

COST TO COUNTRY COULD BE $8.1 BILLION By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

PRE-STORM impact data analysis pegged the country’s capital exposure from Hurricane Dorian at $8.1 billion with a projected impact to more than 70,000 Bahamians. Data from the Pacific Disaster Centre, obtained by The Tribune, shows potential needs of 220,000 litres of water per day. Those estimates were recorded on Friday, and officials say the figures have since increased. At the National Emergency Management Agency’s headquarters on Sunday, The Tribune was told the number of people exposed to potential tropical cyclone winds had climbed to 76,000. Of that figure, children under 15-years-old account for 22 percent, and people

older than 64 for eight percent. Abaco and Grand Bahama islands remain the main focus for officials at NEMA’s headquarters at Gladstone Road. Brad Milliken, Pacific Disaster Centre disaster analyst, explained the billion-dollar sum reflected what’s exposed to the monster Category 5 storm, not how much it will cost to rebuild. Impact projections are updated every 12 or 24 hours, depending on the proximity of the storm. Mr Milliken told The Tribune current estimates put the number of meals needed for those impacted at roughly 40,000 meals per day. “So for planning purposes when we look at how much the damage is going to cost - it’s going to be significantly less than this, that’s just the total value of

everything exposed, this is all just pre-impact.” He also said: “It’s home values, the structures themselves, the property that it’s on and then it’s all infrastructure and what it would cost to replace it. (Capital exposure) that’s the full cost for the catastrophic damage in this band. It’s saying there is a potential that there couldn’t be anything left so the full cost to replace every home, recoup all the land, all the infrastructure all the government assets everything in that band, that’s the full cost of just taking an eraser and removing everything.” The PDC’s impact data analysis is based on Hurricane Dorian’s track through northwestern Bahamas, with Abaco and Grand Bahama projected to suffer catastrophic damage. As of Friday, the centre projected severe impact to

communications, power and transportation with an impact from potential wind exposure to 21,000 total households across those two islands. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), PDC and PAHO are assisting NEMA and the Bahamas government with tracking the storm, response and recovery. CDEMA programme manager Joanne Persad did not provide updated preimpact figures; however, she explained the data was being used to coordinate post-storm response. “It’s called pre-impact data analysis,” she explained, “we identify what is the estimated amount of people that can be impacted and the level of impact. We identify what their priority needs would be.” She continued: “Saving

lives entails either search and rescue operations, mass casualty management, or medical response. If people are stranded in flood waters, the priority would be to rescue them and bring them to a safe area or shelter. “Those type of operations will be determined post-impact. What we do is plan for them, so if we have to work on pre-positioning resources and personnel that’s ongoing at this point in time.” Ms Persad said a rapid needs assessment will be dispatched once the allclear is given. The team will verify real impact and provide a qualitative assessment. When asked about the data on Sunday, Social Services Minister Frankie Campbell said: “The thing about it is, notwithstanding that ($8.1bn estimate), it wouldn’t be

expected that that number is addressed all at once and so it is a question of prioritising the human needs. “Quite a bit of that will be infrastructural needs and so our objective would be to ensure that our people are safe. The human needs are met, the basic needs food, shelter and clothing are met, and then we’ll carry on down the line. “What we are doing is ensuring that we don’t operate in silos. Ensuring that all of the persons who are offering assistance in any way shape or form, that all of our assistance is channeled through NEMA to ensure that you have one entity approaching the Ministry of Finance asking for VAT exemptions or whatever other exemptions there are and to ensure that things are properly channeled.”

PAGE 10, Monday, September 2, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,

jamaaltheartist@gmail.com

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914 Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991

EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,

C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-

Published daily Monday to Friday

Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207 TELEPHONES

News & General Information Advertising Manager Circulation Department Nassau fax Freeport, Grand Bahama Freeport fax

(242) 322-1986 (242) 502-2394 (242) 502-2386 (242) 328-2398 (242)-352-6608 (242) 352-9348

WEBSITE, TWITTER & FACEBOOK www.tribune242.com

@tribune242

tribune news network

A prayer for The Bahamas TODAY, we offer a prayer for the people of Abaco and Grand Bahama - and all Bahamians as they consider the damage wrought by Hurricane Dorian to the northwestern islands.

Our Father,who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Corporations replacing nation states? EDITOR, The Tribune. THE state has the right to exist when individuals are willing to sacrifice their own interests for the community it represents, according to Ernest Renan, a French philosopher. All the government scandal I see in the news reinforces my hypothesis that the nation state is under threat from a new creature, the corporate state that will be a 21 century reality. The power of money which more people believe in than in God or other deities will precipitate this transformation. When people lose faith in the nation due to corruption, crime and other inefficiencies something has to take its place because nature abhors a vacuum. The belief in the narrative of money is powerful because it solves people’s problems, it’s efficient and makes survival easier. Around 1100 BC, the Chinese moved from using actual tools and weapons as a medium of exchange to using miniature replicas of the same tools cast in bronze. Nobody wants to reach into their pocket and impale their hand on a sharp arrow so, over time, these tiny daggers, spades,

and hoes were change to the less prickly shape of a circle, which became some of the first coins. China was the first country to use recognisable coins, but the first minted coins were in Lydia (now western Turkey) in 600 BC. The Chinese started carrying folding paper money during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) — mostly in the form of privately issued bills of credit or exchange notes. In 1971 when the United States’ dollar the world reserve currency was moved off the gold standard, money came back by nothing but the faith (fiat currency) in governments. In 2009 Bitcoin, a digital currency that uses peer to peer transfer on a network without intermediaries, was invented. Facebook will launch the Libra, a digital block chain currency similar to Bitcoin in 2020. It is the first time in history that a corporation will have its own money that can be used by so many people globally. The US Senate Banking Committee is concerned about the Libra saying, “Monetary policy is properly the province of central Banks”. Facebook has 2.41 billion users which is 31.3% of the world population.

It has more digital citizens than any country. Alphabet (Google parent company) Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft deal in data and are the most powerful corporations in the world. These companies are worth about US$1trillion each. Data mining, cyber security and related fields are multi- trillion (US$) dollar industries. These data related companies will replace big oil corporations of the industrial revolution as shapers of geopolitics. We are now living in the time of the digital revolution. Data has become more valuable than oil or gold. Malcom X said, “the future belongs to those who prepare for it today”. We need to prepare for a probable future where big tech becomes more powerful than nations and renders the nation state ineffective and obsolete or an instrument for their dominance. This seems like science fiction, but so is artificial intelligence, cloning, self driving car and other technological marvels. BRIAN PLUMMER Nassau, July 30, 2019.

ELLIS

Smith appeal is flogging a dead horse EDITOR, The Tribune.

AS a trained lawyer with extensive experience at the criminal defense Bar back in the day, I was astounded to hear and read that the Crown will be seeking leave from the Court of Appeal to appeal against its recent decision relative to Frank Smith, former PLP member for Ann’s Town, now renamed Free Town, wherein the panel upheld the prior ruling made by the Chief Magistrate. Smith was acquitted and discharged on several serious criminal charges which, if true, could have landed him in The Bahamas Correctional Centre for years. From day one the Crown failed miserably to marshal its evidence, such as it was. The main prosecution witness was a disaster and totally lacked credibility. The other witnesses, inclusive of several police officers left much to be desired. In my considered view, that case was doomed to fail. In fact, in more than thirty odd years in the profession, I have never before now seen such a juvenile prosecution. In my view, it would be an abuse of our jurisprudence for the Crown to seek leave to appeal an apparent ‘hopeless’ and legally baseless appeal to the Privy Council. By the Court of Appeal Act,

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net that panel’s decision on an appeal from a Stipendiary & Circuit Magistrate is final. Surely, the learned Attorney General and the Director of Public Prosecution know this trite law? To even contemplate a further appeal, if it were possible in law, appears to be tantamount to a political witch haunt. The nation is already suffering from anxieties of all sorts.Most are now so angry with the FNM and it’s failure, so far, to deliver on major campaign promises. Talks of strikes and go slows abound in the nation and crime continues to be unacceptably high, even if in fairness one seeks to ‘blame’ Minnis and company for the escalation. Monies that were spent on legal fees in Smith’s case could have been better utilised. By the way, what is the final fee billing herein? The AG is playing cute in that he has, so far, declined to give the people a clear and concise accounting. After forty two years of independence and some 1,450 members in good standing at our local bar, why the necessity to import counsel to prosecute Bahamians? This charade must stop and stop now. The AG and his staff have lost more

cases, criminal and civil, in living memory. He is not a dumb man but something is not right and the PM really needs to reassign him. Some do not like the form of PM Ingraham, but he was the second best Prime Minister we’ve had so far. Brother Christie tried his best but fell so short that he did not register. Minnis has a long long way to go in finding his footing and crafting his legacy. if one is capable to been etched out by “the man who never expected to become Prime Minister”. Beating this dead horse relative to Frank Smith is a waste of taxpayers’ monies and is serving as a distraction and circus of the highest order. Enough is enough. The Most Honorable PM has changed, for the worst, since elevation to high office. He is being badly advised and, God forbid, manipulated. My deepest condolences to the former police officer who lost his life in the Abacos to what is reported to be connected to Dorian. The loss . of material things is one thing, but a life is irreplaceable. To God then, even with these events, in all things, be the glory. ORTLAND H. BODIE, Jr. Nassau, September 1, 2019.

KYC compliance EDITOR, The Tribune. IN reference to the ever increasing burden of compliance in the name of Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Proliferation of Terrorism on the Bahamian people. After taking 12+ hours of my volunteer time to take care of the requirements in order to maintain the bank account of a non-profit volunteer service organisation which has been in existence since before Bahamian Independence - it occurs to me that this whole “Compliance” bullocks is clearly running against the legal

concept of “innocent until proven guilty”. With the modern world’s paperwork burden on the average man or business, it is necessary to prove your innocence to the bank you want to open or even just maintain an account with a bank. You have to prove your innocence when you want to hire an attorney or accountant. You have to prove your innocence when you want to buy real estate in the Bahamas. And you have to prove your innocence when you want to get a utility account turned on. Is this not contrary to the constitutional rights of The Bahamas?

I am not in any way stating that fighting terrorism and money laundering is a bad thing, but at what cost to our liberty? At what point will the collective consciousness of the humans of the world realise that the increased burden and cost on people and business has not had the desired effect? Case in point - we have to take our shoes off to get on a plane, but that hasn’t stopped terrorism around the world has it? At what cost to our liberty? NAME WITHHOLD Nassau, August 26, 2019.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2019

THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

Juggling problems but BPL has to remain the priority By MALCOLM STRACHAN

to ensure doctors in the public service are satisfied to avoid this becoming even more of a spectacle. Others AFTER months of inac- would argue it is just the tion on the country’s power right thing to do. Considergeneration challenges, the ing the length of time spent government’s recent focus away from their families on remediating the crisis first in university and later has been welcome. Proc- tending to the nation’s sick lamations by the nation’s - along with the physical top brass - first the prime toll it takes on their health, minister, and more recently, most of their salaries pale in the deputy prime minis- comparison with doctors in ter – while not completely other countries in the westmaking amends after ern hemisphere. months of nearly daily It is no wonder they power cuts, have certainly are frustrated. Any fairbeen better than complete thinking Bahamian should silence. understand their annoyAddressing Bahamas ances. And under regular Power and Light’s (BPL) circumstances, we should recent struggles, Prime all be standing in solidarity Minister Minnis finally with the doctors who are acknowledged what many justifiably fed up with waitothers within government ing on the government to wouldn’t and labelled the address their concerns. current state of affairs However, to our misforexactly what it is – a crisis. tune, The Bahamas is not Now, seemingly poised experiencing the convento provide the Bahamian tional circumstances. people with some relief, BPL just happens to be the government is yet again the bane of the citizenry’s between a rock and a hard frustration, and for the place. While BPL was majority of us, nothing else busy driving nearly every takes priority over the govperson in The Bahamas to ernment fixing this vexing the brink of bursting into issue. flames, labour relations in Lucky for them, the govthe country have also been ernment’s agenda to be a heating up with the Baha- more fiscally responsible mas Public Service Union administration, and more (BPSU) and the Bahamas importantly, BPL’s latest Doctors Union (BDU) con- failings have coincidentally tinuing to lock horns with provided the government the government with an excuse after strained to leave the We refuse to negotiations. public service wait a moment hanging – one While expressing the longer for the that won’t cost frustrations them too much of the junior government to politically if doctors, BDU alleviate the they are able to president Dr damage BPL resolve the chalMelisande lenges at BPL. Basset said, “I has inflicted on That certainly want you to its customers – seems like what realise that this the Bahamian they’re bankis (us) standing ing on as it was on a principle people. not more than here. If we cona few days ago tinue to allow when Deputy Prime Miniswhomever it is, whether it’s ter and Minister of Finance a public, private employer, Peter Turnquest discussed whomever. If we continue the precarious position of to allow them to whittle the nation’s finances with away at workers’ rights, at the media. Pointing to the end of the day we will what he called “limiting be left with nothing. We will circumstances”, he all but just be simple slaves. ruled out a scenario where “The laws are there the unions and the poputo protect the Bahamian lace can be satisfied, and people. And people may the government could stay hate unions and may look on its course toward fiscal at us as being devils, but we responsibility. serve a purpose: to ensure Calling on the nation to that workers’ rights are be more “practical and reaprotected. You could hate sonable” as the government us…You think that we’re performs its latest juggling greedy…But think critically act, he said: “There is only and just put yourselves in so much revenue that we our position and ask your- generate that goes to pay all self if you would put up the costs to provide services with the same thing.” to people. Realistically, when it all “While we all certainly boils down to it, how can deserve whatever comone argue with her? It’s not pensation or benefits that like Bahamian doctors got we believe that we should to put less hours into their have, and in a First World studies or didn’t have to world that we should have apply themselves as much and deserve, the unfortuas their contemporaries nate factor is that we have from other countries that limiting circumstances. may receive higher com“We don’t want to go pensation elsewhere. back to a situation where Yet they are still looked we are borrowing head upon by some as being over heels, uncontrollable greedy. It goes to show how borrowing, uncontrollable little the populace appre- spending, to the extent that ciates the work of doctors we put ourselves back in a in the public sector. And if precarious financial posione needed more evidence, tion that we have worked so look no further than Min- hard to overcome.” ister of Health Dr Duane Certainly, that doesn’t Sands’ announcement sound like something we of $700m plus of unpaid want. However, the Bahahospital bills at Princess mian people still struggle Margaret Hospital. with the widely shared You get what you pay for. belief that the government Unfortunately, a lack finds money to pay for of appreciation is echoed what it views as a priority. throughout the public ser- Whether it is the purchase vice by many. Furthermore, of a hotel, exorbitant rent the government’s adamance for the governor general’s that it has more pressing living quarters, or subsidismatters to attend will do ing education for University little to cool tempers, as the of Bahamas and BTVI stuBDU has already alluded to dents, the government has additional strike polls in the shown that when it sees it is near future. necessary, it is prepared to Certainly, with its plate foot the bill. already full it should It is difficult to ignore behove the government the message that may be

BPL plant Clifton Pier. The power outages at BPL are taking priority right now according to the government - putting unions in a back seat for their negotiations. Photo: Terrel W Carey Sr/Tribune Staff subconsciously being sent to those in the public service. Reasonably, one can understand why the unions are beginning to draw their lines in the sand. However, there isn’t much support from common citizens as everyone’s focus is on having their own misery cease. Last week, the deputy prime minister made it clear that the government would spare no expense to ease the burden being carried by the Bahamian people as a result of BPL’s inability to keep the lights on. However, when discussing the recently increased labour tensions, Turnquest was unbending when he attempted to balance the need for the government to address the power crisis but

also maintain its policy on being fiscally prudent. “I think everybody would understand that if we did not have reliable, clean, consistent power, the discussions we (are) having with the union is moot because that is the foundation. “If we don’t have the basic infrastructure in place, how can we talk about productivity? How can we talk about contribution? How can we talk about generating the tax dollars that are needed in order to satisfy some of these union demands?” Of course, there is the argument the government should be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. But without a clear plan on the table indicating how

we’re going to navigate through the consistent torment we experience with BPL, perhaps it is best for the government to home in on this matter. We refuse to wait a moment longer for the government to alleviate the damage BPL has inflicted on its customers – the Bahamian people. At the same time, in earnest, the government has to read the tea leaves. Before there is another general strike, the government has to begin making proactive steps toward mending its relationships with the unions and essentially the public service. With morale unquestionably low, it’s reasonable to assume members of the public service feel

undervalued. Hopefully, all sides can get back to the negotiation table and are able to work towards a mutually beneficial end to these negotiations as soon as possible. Like it was discussed last week when we were looking at increasing the minimum wage, this is another matter that requires the government to be calculated and precise in rolling out its plans. The tendency we’ve witnessed by successive administrations to allow small issues to become massive problems has to become a thing of the past. Efficient leadership identifies problems early, and in a short timeframe, is able to bring about effective solutions.

PAGE 12, Monday, September 2, 2019

THE SCENE of a traffic fatality where an adult male was struck by a motor vehicle yesterday morning on East Bay Street.

THE TRIBUNE

Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Pedestrian dies after being hit by car A MALE pedestrian died after he was hit by a car on East Bay Street and catapulted over a wall near the Harbour Bay Shopping Centre. Police received a call about the incident shortly after 8am on Sunday. According to Chief Superintendent Craig Stubbs, head of the Traffic Division, an eyewitness said the male victim was walking east along East Bay Street, on the southern side of the corridor, when a burgundy car struck him. The car then hit a utility pole and then collided with a residential wall. Police said the driver tried to leave the scene, but security guards from the nearby shopping centre detained the motorist until police arrived. The pedestrian had blunt force trauma and injuries to

his head and upper torso. He died at the scene. Police could not say if the driver, a man in his early 40s, was under the influence of any substance but said tests would be carried out to determine that. Police say charges may be filed in connection to this incident. Meanwhile, a motorist died in Abaco after a traffic accident there early Sunday, ahead of Hurricane Dorian’s landfall. According to police, two vehicles were travelling in the same direction on Ernest Dean Highway after midnight when there was a collision. The driver of one car died on scene while the occupants of the other vehicle were transported to a local medical facility and treated for non-life threatening injuries.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, September 2, 2019, PAGE 13

As storm drew near, police left to probe two murders By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net AS the northwest Bahamas prepared for Hurricane Dorian’s arrival, police in New Providence were investigating two separate murders that occurred on Friday. The first homicide was the result of a man being stabbed about the body, police said. According to reports, two men were at a home on Bowe Avenue, Montell Heights shortly before 9pm when an altercation

escalated resulting in one of the them producing a knife and stabbing the other about the body. The injured man was taken to hospital, but later died of his injuries. The second incident happened roughly two hours later shortly before 11pm. Police said a man was standing in front of a bar on Carmichael Road when he was approached by a male armed with a firearm, who shot him before getting into a silver vehicle and speeding away. Paramedics visited the scene and attempted to revive

the injured man but were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police are appealing to members of the public, who may have information that can assist with these investigations, to contact the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991/2, Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS (8477) or the nearest police station. These incidents have taken the country’s murder count to 63 for the year, according to this newspaper’s records. Prior to both homicides, a 28-year-old man was killed the day before he was to

begin a new job at Bahamas Power and Light. Justin Davis was shot and killed on Sunday, August 25 shortly after 10pm. Police said two men were standing in front of a home on Ross Corner when the occupants of a white vehicle

opened fire in their direction, hitting one of them before speeding away. “The injured man was transported to hospital and a short time later was pronounced dead,” police said. Relatives mourned his death calling him an

“easy-going” person as they condemned the country’s increasing violence. A day before Davis was killed, on August 24, two men were shot and killed in the Family Islands –one in Abaco and one in Eleuthera.

PAGE 14, Monday, September 2, 2019

THE TRIBUNE

Man who died in cement mixer ‘was disliked by his co-workers’ By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net A MAN who died when his legs were mangled by a cement mixing machine, which suddenly turned on while he was cleaning it, was disliked by his coworkers because of his work ethic, a court was told. Detective Corporal Cyril Walkes said he was told Kelly Brown’s work ethic didn’t “sit well” with a number of his coworkers at Block World prior to his death in February of last year, so much so that they felt he was “showing them up”. D/Cpl Walkes said one of Mr Brown’s co-workers told him Mr Brown “was just performing at a higher level than the others”, and that he would consequently hear “resentment” and “chitterchatter” from some of the staff from time to time. The officer’s evidence came after Block World’s manager, James Wallace, revealed his suspicions that a former employee pushed the power button to turn the mixer on while

Mr Brown was inside, and was the only employee seen near the machine when the incident occurred. D/Cpl Walkes further stated that one employee in particular, Felix Wallace, who was assigned to help Mr Brown clean the machine that day but didn’t, aroused his suspicion when he and his senior, Detective Sergeant Darren Stubbs, were conducting their preliminary inquiries. D/Cpl Walkes said when he “sternly” told Mr Wallace and a few other Block World employees that they would exhaust all avenues in investigating Mr Brown’s death, Mr Wallace put his hand on his stomach, asked to be excused from where they were and never returned. D/Cpl Walkes said neither he nor D/Sgt Stubbs, got the opportunity to interview Mr Wallace. In fact, D/ Cpl Walkes said “the persons that have the answers were never spoken to” to the best of his knowledge. D/Cpl Walkes explained that based on the information he and D/Sgt Stubbs got from their preliminary inquiries

into the matter, he had recommended to his superiors that further interviews be conducted in the matter. He also said he and D/Sgt Stubbs had arranged for further interviews to take place. The officer also said that he and D/Sgt Stubbs had a good grasp of the incident, and were thus “very confident” that they were the ideal people to see the investigation through to its conclusion. However, D/Cpl Walkes said those interviews never took place subsequent to making his recommendations. He said he honestly could not say why. “As far as I’m concerned (the investigation) is still open,” he said. D/Cpl Walkes’ testimony came during an inquest into Mr Brown’s death on February 19, 2018. He was injured while at work at Block World, located behind FYP on Wulff Road. According to initial reports, Mr Brown, who had only started working at Block World on January 9, 2018, was in the process of cleaning the mixer while

the electricity was off, when the power suddenly came back on and amputated his legs. He was later taken to hospital where he died. Based on the evidence led thus far, however, Mr Brown’s death may not have been an accident as initially thought. Mr Wallace previously testified about his suspicions that his former employee, Sean Pennerman, inadvertently turned on the machine without knowing that Mr Brown was inside. Mr Wallace said in canvassing his employees in the days following the incident, one senior employee, Perry Winder, said he saw Mr Pennerman by the control panel near the mixer. In fact, Mr Wallace said he was told that Mr Pennerman was “the first one at the mixer”, though it is unclear if he got to the machine before or after Mr Brown. Mr Wallace said Mr Winder told him he heard a “scream”, and when he turned and looked towards the mixer, Mr Pennerman, whom he said was driving the cement block loader

that day, was there and turned the machine off. Mr Wallace said based on what he was told, Mr Pennerman pushed the button somehow thinking he was stopping the mixer, but actually started the machine, all the while unaware that Mr Brown was inside. Mr Wallace said though Mr Pennerman never actually admitted to pushing the button when he conducted his internal investigation, there was no other explanation for the machine randomly turning on. However, Mr Wallace said he’d never observed any issues between Messrs Brown and Pennerman, as both were “very quiet” individuals. Additionally, he said, Mr Pennerman is a “good family man” who wouldn’t “play around” with something like that. Mr Wallace also said that at that time, none of the employees were squabbling or going at each other to his knowledge. When D/Cpl Walkes took the witness stand, he testified that he was on patrol with D/Sgt Stubbs at around 2pm on the date in question when he received a message from Police Control Room of an accident at the FYP compound. D/Cpl Walkes said he and D/Sgt Stubbs ultimately went to Princess Margaret Hospital after getting additional information that Mr Brown had been taken to the hospital to seek medical attention. Upon their arrival, he said, a doctor told them that Mr Brown had died of his injuries. D/Cpl Walkes said he and his partner then asked to see the body, and were shown the lower part of Mr Brown’s body. He said the man’s right leg was “severely mangled”. After viewing Mr Brown’s body, he said he and D/Sgt Stubbs went to the waiting area in a bid to conduct initial inquiries. He said they were alerted to the family room area where they spoke with a number of men who identified themselves as Block World employees. D/Cpl Walkes said he and his partner subsequently informed the group that Mr Brown had died of his injuries and that he and D/Sgt Stubbs would be launching a full investigation into the matter. D/Cpl Walkes said he “sternly” warned the men that he and D/Sgt Stubbs would “leave no stone unturned” in getting to the bottom of what happened. D/Cpl Walkes said when he said that, Felix Wallace, a “heavy-set” man wearing a green, Democratic National Alliance (DNA) party t-shirt, put his hands on his stomach and asked to be excused from the room. D/Cpl Walkes said he found that as being “odd”, because while all of the employees were “saddened” by Mr Brown’s death, only Felix Wallace opted to leave. D/Cpl Walkes said when the man asked to be excused, he made it sound like he just “needed a moment” to regain his composure. Thus, D/Cpl Walkes said he and D/Sgt Stubbs continued to address the other men with the belief that Felix Wallace would rejoin them. However, he said the man never came back, and they never got a chance to interview him. However, the officer said one of the other employees, Mr Dupree, who has an American accent, stayed and gave him and his partner a basic understanding of what took place that day. D/Cpl Walkes said it was Mr Dupree who identified the man who left the meeting as Felix Wallace. D/Cpl Walkes went on to say that it was Mr Dupree who told him about the protocol in cleaning the mixer, and about how the other employees felt about Mr Brown’s work ethic. The officer said Mr Dupree described Mr Brown was a “really good worker” and someone who was “really energetic and always willing to work and do extra hours”, something the other employees weren’t too keen about. After speaking with Mr

Dupree, D/Cpl Walkes said he and D/Sgt Stubbs asked him to accompany them to Block World to better explain things to them. D/Cpl Walkes said when they arrived at the compound, the site was like a “ghost town”; no one was there. However, he said other employees eventually started showing up. D/Cpl Walkes said Mr Dupree led them to the cement mixing machine and showed them the power switch. The officer said while inspecting the mixer, he could see a “large quantity” of blood inside the machine’s drum. He also said Mr Brown’s air chisel that he was using to clean the machine was still inside the drum, and also covered in blood. At that point, D/Cpl Walkes said he and his partner decided to secure the scene. D/Cpl Walkes said they suspended their walkthrough with Mr Dupree and contacted officers from the Crime Scene Unit (CSI) for that purpose. At some point, D/Cpl Walkes said he and his partner observed a surveillance camera situated on the rear of FYP that overlooked the Block World compound and in particular, the area where the cement mixer was. D/ Cpl Walkes said based on the camera’s placement, it would have given a “good view” of what actually happened. However, D/Cpl Walkes said the camera was not working, thus preventing them from obtaining any footage. D/Cpl Walkes said various other persons started showing up at the compound, such as Mr Brown’s brother Geno Brown and other family members, as well as Mr Wallace, who had just come back in town. D/Cpl Walkes said Mr Wallace was interviewed on everything from company policies to employee rostering. The officer said Mr Wallace also reported that he was in contact with a specialist to determine if the accident was the result of a mechanical error. D/Cpl Walkes said after interviewing Mr Wallace, he and his partner informed him that they wanted to arrange a meeting with all of his employees, either at CDU or the Block World compound. D/Cpl Walkes said most of the employees preferred to speak with the officers at Block World. However, D/Cpl Walkes said such an arrangement never materialised. When asked why it never happened, D/Cpl Walkes explained that when he and D/Sgt Stubbs returned to CDU, they updated their commanding officers on the incident, and prepared a summary detailing all of the information they had gathered up to that point, as well as their recommendations. His recommendation was that further inquiries should be made. D/Cpl Walkes explained that when a matter is reported, it would be handled by the General Investigation Unit. Once recommendations are made, the file is then assigned to another area. He said in most cases pertaining to incidents of that nature, the file would be forwarded to the homicide unit for further investigation, though it may not necessarily be a homicide investigation. However, D/Cpl Walkes said where the file ultimately ends up depends on his superiors. He said they may forward it to the homicide unit, or, in the present case, they could have sent it back to D/Sgt Stubbs for him to continue the investigation. And such a decision can be affected by issues like resources, manpower, and the incident in question, D/Cpl Walkes said. D/Cpl Walkes said in his view, he and D/Sgt Stubbs had a “good grasp” of the situation because they had followed the “right steps” in conducting the preliminary inquiries. “So I’m very confident that we could have continued the investigation,” he said. The case continues.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, September 2, 2019, PAGE 15

FLORIDA PREPARES FOR THE STORM VERO BEACH, Florida Associated Press

TWO days after storm shutters started going up and people waited in long lines for gas and food in anticipation of Hurricane Dorian, the parking lot of a Home Depot a short drive from the beach in central Florida was nearly empty as the sun peeked out behind scattered clouds. Mike Lafferty boarded up his house near Vero Beach days ago and was at the store to pick up a few more things. The waiting can be bothersome, but it beats being caught unprepared. The National Hurricane Center has a 60% chance of the area getting hurricane force winds before early Wednesday. “It’s not overkill. It’s necessity. You don’t know what is going to happen,” Lafferty said. “Electricity is going to go out sometime. You have to be ready for it.” From Florida to North Carolina, residents and government officials have been preparing for possible impacts of Dorian for days, even as the official forecast has the center of the storm staying offshore. The Category 5 hurricane’s nearly unprecedented strength — the 185 mph (295 kph) winds made it the second strongest storm in the Atlantic Ocean since 1950 — has people aware that even a tiny error

in the forecast could be catastrophic. “We may not do anything. But we have to be ready for it,” said Neil Baxley, commander of emergency services in coastal South Carolina’s Beaufort County. “We are deep in the error cone.” The gas lines and people queued up with carts outside grocery stores weren’t seen yesterday along the southeast US coast. Instead, people were watching and waiting to see the destruction from the northern Bahamas, where Dorian made landfall on the Abaco Islands. “I’m thanking God now that it has turned a little more to the east. But that’s a forecast. We never know,” said Kevin Browning, who was at the Vero Beach Home Depot looking for supplies after putting up his hurricane shutters Friday. “I feel for The Bahamas and I’m praying for them.” Some evacuations have already begun in Florida, where the governor suspended tolls. Father up the coast, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster held a short news conference where he wouldn’t say when he might make a decision on evacuations and the main goal seemed to be to promise officials were on top of things. South Carolina has ordered evacuations in each of the past three hurricane seasons and with just

JERRY and Patricia Perkins put up shutters at their home on the barrier island in Vero Beach, Florida, yesteray. Photo: Gerald Herbert/AP “It looks like business and whatever the heck one storm making landfall talented people working during that time — Michael around the clock,” the gov- as usual, which is a little the others were,” she said strange, but a lot of people Sunday, trying to recall in 2016 — there is storm ernor said. In Florida, it was still the are here from out of town them all. weariness in the state. McMaster asked resi- Labor Day holiday week- they don’t want the storm She said she has learned end, so folks headed to the to ruin their Labor Day it is better to be prepared dents to stay tuned. “We don’t have a solid beach. It wasn’t as crowded weekend,” said volunteer and the worst not happen prediction as to where it as usual at Jacksonville lifeguard Mikey Atkins. then to be surprised and not Gerry Heister has lived ready. might turn, where it might Beach, and members of the not turn when it will get American Red Cross Vol- in Florida for 35 years “You just prepare and here. But we assure you unteer Life Saving Corps and seen a lot of storms then once it’s gone, you we have the best minds and were warning people not to come through Vero Beach. get on with the rest of your “Frances, Jeanne, Matthew life,” Heister said. the most experienced and go into the water.

Seven dead, 22 injured in Texas shooting rampage ODESSA, Texas Associated Press AUTHORITIES said yesterday they still could not explain why a man with an AR-style weapon opened fire during a routine traffic stop in West Texas to begin a terrifying, ten-mile (16-kilometer) rampage that killed seven people, injured 22 others and ended with officers gunning him down outside a movie theater. Authorities identified the shooter as Seth Aaron Ator, 36, of Odessa. Online court records show Ator was arrested in 2001 for a misdemeanor offense that would not have prevented him from legally purchasing firearms in Texas, although authorities have not said where Ator got his weapon. Ator acted alone and federal investigators believe the shooter had no ties to any domestic or international terrorism group, FBI special agent Christopher Combs said. Authorities said those killed were between the ages of 15 and 57 years old but did not immediately provide a list of names. The injured included three law enforcement officers, as well as a 17-month-old girl who sustained injuries to her face and chest. Odessa Police Chief Michael Gerke refused to say the name of the shooter during a televised news conference, saying he wouldn’t give him notoriety, but police later posted his name on Facebook. A similar approach has been taken in some other recent mass shootings. Gerke said there were still no answers pointing to a motive for the chaotic rampage, which began Saturday afternoon when Texas state troopers tried pulling over a gold car on Interstate 20 for failing to signal a left turn. Before the vehicle came to a complete stop, the driver “pointed a rifle toward the rear window of his car and fired several shots” toward the patrol car stopping him, according to Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Katherine Cesinger. The gunshots struck a trooper, Cesinger said, after which the gunman fled and

continued shooting. He fired at random as he drove in the area of Odessa and Midland, two cities in the heart of Texas oil country more than 300 miles (483 kilometers) west of Dallas. At one point, he hijacked a mail carrier truck, killing the lone postal worker inside. US Postal Service officials identified her as Mary Granados, 29. Police used a marked SUV to ram the mail truck outside the Cinergy Movie Theater in Odessa, disabling the vehicle. The gunman then fired at police, wounding two officers. Combs said the gunman might have entered the theater if police had not killed him. “In the midst of a man driving down the highway shooting at people, local law enforcement and state troopers pursued him and stopped him from possibly going into a crowded movie theater and having another event of mass violence,” Combs said. Police said Ator had no outstanding warrants. His arrest in 2001 was around Waco, hundreds of miles east of Odessa. Online court records show he was charged then with misdemeanor criminal trespass and evading arrest. He entered guilty pleas in a deferred prosecution agreement where the charge was waived after he served 24 months of probation, according to records. Texas Gov Greg Abbott said a 17-month-old girl is recovering but faces surgery today to remove shrapnel from her right chest. She also suffered injuries to her face. Abbott says the mother texted: “Her mouth is pretty bad, but will heal and can be fixed. Thankfully it doesn’t seem like her jaw was hit. Just lips, teeth and tongue... We are thanking God for healing her and appreciate continued prayers.” The shooting came at the end of an already violent month in Texas, where on August 3 a gunman in the border city of El Paso killed 22 people at a Walmart. Sitting beside authorities in Odessa, Abbott ticked off a list of mass shootings that have now killed nearly 70 since 2016 in his state alone. “I have been to too many

of these events,” Abbott said. “Too many Texans are in mourning. Too many Texans have lost their lives. The status quo in Texas is unacceptable, and action is needed.” But Abbott, a Republican, remains noncommittal about imposing any new gun laws in Texas at a time when Democrats and gun-control groups are demanding restrictions. Saturday’s shooting brings the number of mass killings in the US so far this year to 25.

A CITY of Odessa police car, left, and a US mail vehicle, right, which were involved in Saturday’s shooting. Photo: Sue Ogrocki/AP