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VOLUME:114 No.199, SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2017
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PREPARE FOR THE WORST
EVACUEES from MICAL and Ragged Island arriving in Nassau yesterday.
FEARS OF MATTHEWTYPE HIT ON OTHER ISLANDS
TOURISTS TOLD TO LEAVE GRAND BAHAMA
BIMINI/ FREEPORT LIKELY TO BE STRUCK SUNDAY
Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
TRIBUNE HURRICANE ALERT
EVACUEES FLY IN TO NASSAU EMERGENCY SHELTERS By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE EYE of Hurricane Irma is projected to pass directly over the northern tip of Andros Friday night, according to US Accuweather forecaster Dan Kottlowski, who said the “most dangerous side” of the category five storm will pass over New Providence, Grand Bahama, Bimini and the Berry Islands. In an interview with The Tribune, Mr Kottlowski said on its current path, Irma is predicted to cause
“massive destruction” to The Bahamas similar to Hurricane Matthew’s impact in 2016. He said while most of the country will not get hit directly, the storm will be so close that all the islands will be “highly impacted” with strong winds, high water levels and massive sea surges. The US National Hurricane Centre warned
yesterday that Irma, tied for the second-strongest storm ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, is capable of catastrophic damage. Mr Kottlowski said residents in New Providence can expect strong 70mph to 80pmh winds beginning late Friday, while the southern islands will experience the full brunt of Irma’s 185mph winds beginning late Thursday.
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“Inagua will be the first island to get hit, then Turks and Caicos, followed by Acklins, Crooked Island, Samana Cay and Inagua. Those islands will get the full brunt of the storm. This is a very serious storm and there are two features that are going to control how Irma moves over the next two days,” Mr Kottlowski said. SEE PAGE FIVE
PAGE 2, Thursday, September 7, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
A LINE of buses ready to take evacuees from MICAL and Ragged Island from Lynden Pindling International Airport to shelter.
EVACUEES from MICAL and Ragged Island arriving in Nassau yesterday. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
A HELPING hand for some of the evacuees from MICAL and Ragged Island.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, September 7, 2017, PAGE 3
PRIME Minister Perry Christie greeting evacuees from MICAL and Ragged Island as they arrived in Nassau yesterday.
PM: Lives are more important than cost By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE costs associated with the largest hurricane evacuation in the country’s history is “immaterial” when lives are to be preserved, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday as Hurricane Irma draws closer to the southern islands. The prime minister, who was at the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) with Official Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis and other government officials to greet the first group of evacuees from Inagua said, “You don’t put money on lives.” He was asked to comment on the cost to taxpayers to evacuate residents from Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins, Long Cay and Ragged Island. On Tuesday night, Dr Minnis called these evacuations the “largest” ever seen in this country. “Money is immaterial when it comes to lives. You don’t put money on lives,”
he said in response to a question from The Tribune. National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) officials said yesterday as many as 15 flights from the southern islands were expected. This is something Dr Minnis applauded. “What we’ve witnessed to today is history,” he told reporters at LPIA yesterday where he personally greeted evacuees from Inagua. “We have a monster storm coming through The Bahamas from the southern areas. We’ve sent out a warning to our residents and as you can see they accepted and most would have volunteered to come out. “We have organised various planes to evacuate individuals from the southern island, including Ragged Island.” He added: “We have great assistance also from the leader of the opposition and I think all of our hiccups are cleared so I want to thank the opposition leader for offering his support also because this is not a politi-
cal event. This is a national event. “it shows the maturity as we move forward. Both political parties get together for one common purpose and that is to save lives and show the Bahamian people that we are one family and continue to work as a unified group.” Mr Davis, who gave input into the evacuation process, agreed. He said: “Certainly, there are things that are not to divide us. An impending national disaster, threats to our nation’s security, threats to our safety and health are not matters that you could approach along party lines.” While the cooperation across party lines was commended, Mr Davis said he still had concerns. “Well I am concerned that they have not heeded that warning. As I said it’s better to be safe rather than sorry. This hurricane is a monster. “It is packing 185mph winds and Lord knows what devastation will accompany that. “So if you are still not
heeding please take advantage of the efforts now being engaged by the government to bring you to safety and please adhere to the warning and please accept the olive branch being handed to you to make sure that you are safe,” Mr Davis said. Dr Minnis said because it was possible Mr Davis could be the next prime minister, succession planning and co-operation in times like this were needed. Irma, according to weather officials has winds of 185mph, making it a solid category five storm. Although many residents heeded the emergency evacuation, not everyone left those islands. However, officials could not say yesterday how many stayed behind. Officials have said the southern islands will begin to feel Irma’s impact by this evening continuing into Friday. The central and northern Bahamas will also likely experience effects of the storm as it churns through the country into the weekend.
OUTPATIENT, SPECIALTY CLINICS CLOSE FRIDAY THE Public Hospitals Authority has advised that all public out-patient and specialty clinics will be closed as of Friday due to Hurricane Irma. All elective surgery cases will also be discontinued as of Friday due to the storm. Normal operations will resume following the all clear from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Once the storm has passed and the all clear has been given, public announcements will be disseminated via the media regarding the resumption of services, PHA said. Patients are asked to contact the relevant clinics to confirm new appointment dates once the all clear has been given. Persons requiring advice or assistance during the storm should call 322-2861, 328-6243 or 326-0714.
All services at the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre will suspend today at noon due to Hurricane Irma. In Grand Bahama, all elective surgeries have been cancelled at the Rand Memorial Hospital until further notice. Due to the impending hurricane, all clinics (including Sweetings Cay and Grand Cay) and out-patient specialty clinics at the Rand Memorial Hospital, Pearce Plaza and the Freeport General Practice Clinic will be closed on Friday until the all clear is given. The Eight Mile Rock Community Clinic will be open to receive emergencies only as of Friday. The public will be advised of any further developments as soon as they become available. A special needs shelter at the Foster B Pestaina Centre, Pro-Cathedral of Christ The King in Grand Bahama
will be activated upon advisement by NEMA. Persons with special needs or critical medical conditions such as renal failure, tracheotomies, uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension, and chronic dressings that may require support should go to this shelter once it is activated. All maternity patients who are near term, that is seven months gestation and over,
are to report to the special needs shelter once it has been activated. Patients are asked to bring all medication, bedding, and food supplies. If clarification is needed on who should go to the special needs shelter, please call 351-8056, 351-8057 or 351-8058. During the storm, hospital visitation will be suspended.
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PAGE 4, Thursday, September 7, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
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After tough talk on immigration, Trump waffles WASHINGTON (AP) — Since the day he launched his presidential campaign, Donald Trump has talked tough on immigration, promising to take the kind of decisive action he accused other politicians of avoiding. This week, he waffled. Trump passed off responsibility for the fate of the 800,000 young immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children to a Congress that has shown little ability to tackle politically fraught issues. He gave lawmakers six months to act, then said in a Tuesday night tweet that he would “revisit this issue” if they didn’t. He sent Attorney General Jeff Sessions out to be the face of the controversial policy, effectively ceding one of the central roles of the presidency: explaining difficult decisions to the American people. Trump addressed the move only briefly during a tax policy event at the White House, saying he had “a great heart for the folks we’re talking about, a great love”. It was the path of least resistance for a president who promised bold action and decisive leadership. And it pleased almost no one. Democrats — including former President Barack Obama, who instituted the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme in 2012 by executive fiat — and immigration advocates slammed Trump as cruel and heartless. Some Republican lawmakers said the decision was counter to American values and bristled at Trump’s decision to foist the problem on Congress at the start of a fall legislative session already packed with high-stakes issues. Conservatives who pinned their hopes on Trump and his hard-line immigration policies during the campaign — including an unfulfilled pledge to build a wall along the southern border and have Mexico pay for it — accused him of breaking his promises. Ann Coulter, the far-right commentator who informally advised Trump on immigration issues during the campaign, said Trump’s sudden eagerness for immigration legislation that addressed the fate of DACA recipients and other issues was “exactly what he used to denounce.” Officials offered few details about what the president wants Congress to do, beyond providing legal status for young people brought to the US illegally as children. Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president wanted Congress to include those protections in a broader immigration package, but did not spell out what else Trump wanted in a bill. Previous efforts to pass comprehensive immigration reform have included roadmaps to legal status for people living in the country illegally, a step Trump has panned as “amnesty”. Republicans made clear they weren’t ready to go down that road again without clear markers from the president. “It is important that the White House clearly outline what kind of legislation
the president is willing to sign,” Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said. “We have no time to waste on ideas that do not have the votes to pass or that the president won’t sign.” In punting to Congress, Trump is taking a page out of the playbook of predecessors. Presidents often try to pass the burden for difficult decisions on to Congress. Obama tried for years to get Congress to take up sweeping immigration legislation, and ultimately took executive action to protect hundreds of thousands of young immigrants from deportation when it became clear lawmakers wouldn’t act on that front ahead of his re-election campaign. But rarely do presidents hang the kind of legislative albatross on their own party in the way Trump did. The six-month timeframe he set for lawmakers to act before pulling work permits from the Dreamers extends into a midterm election year, when Congress is less likely to take up a politically sensitive issue. Republicans, who have spent years struggling with the party’s positioning on immigration, have no appetite for taking up legislation this year. While some GOP leaders complained of executive overreach when Obama enacted DACA, many are sympathetic to the young immigrants brought to the US illegally as children and were willing to let the programme stand. “I strongly believe that children who were illegally brought into this country through no fault of their own should not be forced to return to a country they do not know,” said Sen John McCain, R-Ariz, who called Trump’s move the “wrong approach”. The president’s decision underscored his own uneasiness with the future of the programme. As a candidate, Trump vowed to end the deportation protections for young immigrants. But as president, he assured the dreamers they could “rest easy”. In private meetings with aides, he often tried to skirt the issue and delay a decision on the programme’s future. Ultimately, Trump left many questions unanswered. Among them: what happens in March if Congress hasn’t passed legislation to clarify the status of the young immigrants? The president’s Tuesday night tweet appeared to leave open the possibility that he could follow Obama’s lead and use his executive power to continue protecting the Dreamers from deportation. But in another indication of the president trying to have it both ways, the guidance the White House sent to members of Congress included an ominous warning. “The Department of Homeland Security urges DACA recipients to use the time remaining on their work authorisations to prepare for and arrange their departure from the United States,” the guidance read. This article is by Julie Pace of the Associated Press
Crime worry EDITOR, The Tribune. PLEASE allow me to express myself as a very concerned citizen of this beloved Bahamas In today’s headline dated September 5th in The Tribune reads, “We All Need To Worry!” It was, I guess, the sentiments of the Prime Minister with regards to Hurricane Irma. This disturbed me, not as an FNM, but as Bahamian that my Prime Minister, if in fact he used the word WORRY, not only puts panic and unease among citizens whom already are broken from the surge of crime, but it
alludes to the fact that this government has no plans for anything other than corruption. To my Prime Minister it’s time to get on with the things that matter most – crime and the economy. The impact of a hurricane will be disastrous, not only in physical infrastructure but the way of life for many Bahamians, including yourself maybe succumb to crime as the economic impact will be devastating. I call on Marvin Dames to make a public address with the approval from Cabinet to make a Zero Tolerance address on all the electronic media and print
media alerting all culprits with illegal firearms that the police has been given authorisation to use deadly force on persons with firearms in their possession. Hurricane Irma will pass, Mr Prime Minister, but the undesirables in our country who are preying on the good citizens of this country are here to stay and if you want to worry it‘s with this high crime element. I call on the government to make a national address with regards to this Hurricane called “Crime”! CRIME WORRIED CITIZEN Nassau,
Baptism by water EDITOR, The Tribune.
THE Free National administration and it’s erstwhile leader, Dr Hubert A Minnis (FNM-Killarney) are about to be baptised by the waters of Irma. The Christie administration, as well as those of Hubert A Ingraham, both individuals who, mercifully, no longer hold sway over our wonderful nation, were incapable of handling the ravages of assorted hurricanes and storms. Under Ingraham’s watch, Freeport and the entire island of Grand Bahama have yet to recover from storms of the 1990s. Joaquin and Matthew, in no small measure sealed the death blow, politically, to Christie and crew. The FNM campaigned on what now is fast looking like a bogus promise that it was “the people dem time”. That party and its leaders shouted that they had “the plans” to fix the mess which the PLP and Christie had inflicted and imposed upon the unwashed masses. Well, with the harrowing and rapid approach of Irma, Minnis and the FNM administration are about to be baptised by water. It is now their time to rise to the challenges poised by this category 4 and soon to be increased to a category five hurricane. Irma is no joke but the response by Minnis and NEMA, headed by an incompetent director in the form of Capt Stephen Russell, et al, has been dismal and pathetic at best. The FNM never had any real plans in place to start governing from day one. Minnis is still being scripted by his handlers and it is clear that he does not have a hands on approach to governance and preparing for natural disasters. His administration, so far, has proven to be clueless on so many national issues that it is becoming alarming. The FNM government, clearly, has no economic stimulation plan; they have no plan for tackling crime; they have no plan for the infrastructure here in New Providence and the major populated
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net Family Islands; they have no plan for education; they have no plan for national health care and for sure, they are not transparent and have shown absolutely no empathy, so far, for a single Bahamian, except the friends and cronies. It is unfortunate that our nation is in the usual hurricane path and has been so from time immemorial. We all know when the season starts but successive administrations and lousy NEMA always respond at the very last minute. No regular releases were issued. No announced location of shelters throughout the nation. More than 4,000 homes and businesses are still awaiting repairs that were promised by the Christie administration and lousy NEMA, headed, for too long I submit, by Captain Stephen Russell. It is profound that our major churches are ready to roll with Irma, if necessary. Pastor Melvin Lewis of Hillside SeventhDay Adventist Church and his team up there are to be congratulated for their proactive measures. The PM and his administration are about to be baptised by water and except a modern day John The Baptist emerges, they may not resurface. Nor will there be, I postulate, an opening of the clouds and a Dove is to be seen coming down to rest over their collective heads. There will also not be the utterance: “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased” if they fail to carry us through Irma successfully. Hot coals and brimstones will also be heaped upon them if recovery efforts and immediate relief following Madam Irma. When one thinks about it, however, hurricanes, despite their destructive powers, brings out the very best in most of us. Of course, a handful of greedy; thiefing and ungodly Bahamians, especially here in New Providence, are the natural
sons and daughters of Perdition. Gouging and corrupt practices also abound during this particular season. Housebreaking and stealing always seems to spike upwards during times when home owners and tenants are away from their properties due to severe flooding and/or the loss of electrical power. The Police and Defence Forces do an excellent job but they too are challenged with real resources to manage natural disasters. Baptism by water is the unenviable fate of Dr Minnis and his crew. The ship will weather Irma if all hands are on deck; we all pray to God, by whatever name you choose; lighten up the ballast and tack to the right. The Opposition, led by the next de facto and de jure leader, has an opportunity to demonstrate ‘leadership and empathy” on the ground in its constituencies and those that they hope to recapture. Brave is the man and he must rise to the occasion by taking the lead and seizing the initiative. He and The New PLP must also provide necessities, of good quality, and solace to as many Bahamians as possible. It is good that baptism may be of one or it may be of many, especially where The Holy Spirit is invoked. Yes, we unwashed and God abandoning Bahamians, will emerge in one piece, again. To God then, The Great I Am That I Am, in all things, even Irma, be the glory. ORTLAND H BODIE, Jr Nassau, September 6, 2017.
Ever upwards Re:insurers warn of 2025% rate increase EDITOR, The Tribune. DO insurers ever warn of 20-25% insurance rate decreases if hurricanes do not hit? In fact, do insurance rates ever decrease? JB Nassau, September 6, 2017.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, September 7, 2017, PAGE 5
Prepare for the worst from page one “In any event, Irma has picked up speed and is moving faster but The Bahamas is now more in harm’s way. “This storm will cause massive destruction and unfortunately it looks like it will be a monster when it gets to The Bahamas. The bottom line is it doesn’t matter where you are or where the centre of
this hurricane goes, people should prepare as if it was Hurricane Matthew. “The centre of Irma is expected to move over the northern tip of Andros which means New Providence and Grand Bahama will be in the eastern part of the eye which is the most dangerous part of the eye. People should prepare as if they are preparing for Hurricane Matthew.” Local meteorologist
Mary Butler said throughout its passage through the Bahamas, Hurricane Irma is expected to remain a major storm. “The eye will move closer to the tip of Andros and the western portion of Grand Bahama. Originally in the earlier projections we thought the eye was going across the Florida Keys but as it stands in this new projection the eye is moving along the northern part of
Andros,” she said. “In any event the most dangerous portion of the storm will be over Grand Bahama, the Berry Islands, New Providence, and Andros. We will be in the most dangerous part in the capital and we will experience high tropical storm force winds or hurricane force winds. “The entire island chain would be on the worst side of this storm and it is a large storm but it doesn’t matter
if we don’t have a direct hit from the eye, we will all feel this storm.” At least two people have died and two others have been seriously injured in the French islands of St Barts and St Martin following Hurricane Irma according to CNN. On Wednesday, the fierce storm hit the northeastern Caribbean islands, moving through Barbuda and St Martin. The New York
Times reported widespread damage to property, homes, and infrastructure on these and other islands. Communication to Barbuda, a tiny island with a population of 1,600, has been cut off since the storm began, CNN reports. On Thursday, Irma is expected to graze by the Dominican Republic. By late Thursday, it will be near Turks and Caicos and the southeastern Bahamas.
AS Hurricane Irma approaches, evacuees from MICAL and Ragged Island were flown to Nassau yesterday. Welcoming Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis was on hand to greet islanders, along with Leader of the Opposition Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, MP for Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador; Miriam Emmanuel, MICAL MP and Chester Cooper, MP for Exuma and Ragged Island. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
DAVIS: PAY ATTENTION TO NOTICES ON HURRICANE PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis has urged Bahamians not to take anything for granted as Hurricane Irma approaches and to finalise storm preparations. “I want to encourage all residents of the Bahamas to please give your full attention to all official notices provided on the developments of Hurricane Irma,” Mr Davis said in a statement released yesterday. “Take nothing for grant-
GOVERNMENT OFFICES CLOSED AS of 5pm Wednesday, all government offices except for essential services will be closed and remain closed until further notice due to Hurricane Irma, the Cabinet office announced. The government department urged residents to heed warnings issued by the National Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Meteorology and stay tuned for further updates.
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ed as you make the necessary preparations to ensure your personal safety and secure your properties. “We stand ready to assist in any way as this is a critical national undertaking requiring all hands-on deck and demanding that we be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. “Today begins a voluntary evacuation exercise for the residents of the Southeastern Bahamas chain who will be the first to be impacted by this cat-
egory five Hurricane Irma, a monster storm with sustained winds of 185 miles per hour, the largest storm of record in the North Atlantic Ocean. “I urge all residents in these affected areas to please take full advantage of this exercise and take every opportunity to get to safety and out of harm’s way. “Today I join Bahamians across the length and breadth of this country in prayers for our nation and
for the security and safety of each and every one of us who call The Bahamas our home. “I extend special thanks and words of encouragement to those frontline workers, first responders and other public officials who are and will continue to work around the clock to secure this country and protect our health and safety through this ordeal. We fully support your efforts,” Mr Davis said.
PAGE 6, Thursday, September 7, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
Getting ready for the storm
IN preparation for Hurricane Irma, Mosko’s United Construction is pictured putting up shutters in Harbour Bay Shopping Plaza.
Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
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THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, September 7, 2017, PAGE 7
Grand Bahama residents told to evacuate the coastline
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net GRAND Bahama will be “significantly impacted” by Hurricane Irma, and residents are being urged to evacuate all coastal and low-lying areas prone to flooding. The 700-plus visitors on the island are also advised to make arrangements to leave as soon as possible as both airport and harbour operations will cease on Friday. During a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister on Wednesday, Minister of State for Grand Bahama Kwasi Thompson warned: “This is a very serious storm and all residents must take the necessary precautions.” Mr Thompson stated that as a result of the latest projections, the storm is expected to “significantly impact” the island, with weather conditions deteriorating by late Friday and continuing until Monday. The worst of the weather, he said, is expected on Sunday. “All residents in flood zones should prepare themselves now to evacuate those
THE STAR Club in Grand Bahama was among the buildings badly hit by Hurricane Matthew - and now facing further possible damage from Hurricane Irma. areas,” said Mr Thompson. “If you live near the coastline you should begin to prepare to move further inland as there would be significant flooding and storm surge is predicted.” Residents of West End, Hunters, Pinder’s Point, and the surrounding areas should evacuate and make plans to move further inland staying with family and friends or at the 11 designated shelters on the island. A shelter has also been designated for all visitors remaining on the island. Shelters will open on Thursday afternoon and all evacuations should be com-
pleted by Friday afternoon. They are: The Foster B Pestaina Centre at the Pro Cathedral of Christ of the King for special needs individuals; First Baptist Church Hall; Central Church of God; Jack Hayward High School; Maurice Moore Primary School for East End residents; St Georges High School; the Cancer Association, Eight Mile Rock High School residents of West Grand Bahama; Church of God of Prophecy Seagrape EMR; A Social Affair, Grace Bible Church, and the Freeport Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
Paula Marshall, assistant director of the Department of Social Services, said they are also looking at other shelters. She stated that persons going to a shelter should take a change of clothing for themselves and their children, blanket, food, water, toiletries, and other essential items, including medication. Mrs Marshall also advised residents to secure important documents in a sealed plastic bag. She said residents should go to sleep in clothing prepared for an emergency. “It is unfortunate that the
people of Grand Bahama have to face the onslaught of another hurricane, 11 months after dealing with the devastation of Hurricane Matthew in October 2016,” she said. Mr Thompson stressed that people should not panic, but to prepare themselves and pray. Deputy Commissioner of Police Emrick Seymour said police are in heightened state of alert. “We have already seen some of the devastation caused to the Leeward Islands and we are beginning to see the seriousness of this monster storm,” he said. All policing protocols, he said, have been activated in Grand Bahama, Abaco and Bimini. “GB is no stranger to hurricanes. We have seen the devastation wrought by hurricanes, but this particular one is going to be worse than any we experienced in recent history. We want everyone in GB, Abaco, and Bimini not to take this hurricane lightly. “We cannot put officers’ lives at risk and other emergency personnel lives to come in the middle of the hurricane to rescue persons,” he said, appealing to
residents in the southern coastal settlements to heed the call to evacuate. Island Administrator Preston Cunningham stated that the Emergency Operation Command (EOC) Centre is in the Harold DeGregory Complex and will be activated on Thursday morning. The telephone number is 351-4902-4. He too has warned residents not to wait until the last minute to prepare their homes or to evacuate. “This hurricane is so powerful, extremely powerful. Make sure that you are ready,” he said. “Ensure that your homes are properly secured, do not wait for the last minute, secure it now. If homes are not sound structurally make sure you make provision immediately to go to a family member or go to the shelter. “Those of you who live on the shoreline and low-lying areas please do not wait until the storm is bearing down. Prepare to get out without delay. Any delay can be extremely dangerous and we do not want to put rescuers’ lives at risk,” said the administrator. Meanwhile, Mr Thompson said that all government assets are being secured.
MINISTRY URGES ISLAND TOURISTS TO GO BACK HOME
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net AS the island prepares for category five storm Irma, officials at the Ministry of Tourism in Grand Bahama appealed to the hundreds of visitors here on the island to return home as soon as possible. Betty Bethel, director of tourism in Freeport, reported that there are currently
700-plus visitors in Grand Bahama. “We are strongly encouraging tourists on the island to return back home,” she said. “We do appeal to you to make arrangements as quickly as possible to leave our island as we are expected to be severely impacted by category five Hurricane Irma.” Ms Bethel stressed that their primary objective is the safety and security of
guests on the island. “However, I must appeal to all guests and industry partners that it is imperative and urgent that you make plans to depart Grand Bahama as quickly as possible. “Guests should be communicating with their airlines and travel agencies to assist them with returning to their respective home.” On Wednesday, Hutchison Ports Bahamas announced that the Grand
Bahama Airport Company will cease operations at noon on Friday, and harbour operations will close at 6pm on Thursday. The company will also suspend full operations at the Freeport Container Port at 3pm on Thursday. Ms Bethel said that the Balearia Cruise has already ceased its operations to Freeport, and the Grand Celebration Cruise out of West Palm Beach will make
its last call on Thursday. “We do not want any guest to suffer any discomfort and that is why I am urgently appealing to all guests who have not begun to prepare to depart Grand Bahama to please do so at this time. That is the only way we can keep our guests safe by asking them to please to depart as quickly as possible,” she said. She said that those guests who remain on island will
be referred to a shelter designated for visitors, but they must also prepare themselves for staying in a shelter by purchasing food, water, and any other essential items, like medicine. The tourism executive gave an assurance that a team will be in place to monitor the industry by communicating with hotels and will be available to assist with guests where necessary.
PAGE 8, Thursday, September 7, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
Relief for southern evacuees
By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
IVA Nixon, 79, breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped off a Bahamasair jet and onto the tarmac at the Lynden Pindling International Airport yesterday, telling reporters no one should be thinking about material things amid evacuations from Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins, Long Cay and Ragged Island ahead of monster storm Hurricane Irma’s arrival to the country. Trailing behind Ms Nixon was Sydney Delancy, a father who was cradling his four-month-old son. Accompanying him were eight relatives, including his two toddler children. Mr Delancy told The Tribune the mere thought of his experiences with both Hurricanes Joaquin and Matthew were enough motivation for him and his family to flee their home for safer ground. He said they were in transit to Grand Bahama. Ms Nixon and Mr Delancy were among 120 Bahamians aboard the first flight of evacuees from Inagua yesterday. Many of them said this would be their first time evacuating because of a hurricane. “Most of Inagua is in the low-lying area and sometimes it gets flooding,” Ms Nixon, a resident of the is-
land for the last 56 years, said. “At first I didn’t want to leave, but after everybody keep on calling and say come I decided to leave. I don’t think about material things, but I still have someone in Inagua to think about, my son Michael Nixon. His reason for staying is he is the general manager of Morton (Salt). I am worried about him and will be praying for him.” “It wasn’t a good experience with Matthew and Joaquin,” Mr Delancy added, “It was the aftermath of both storms that made us not want to stay. (So leaving) is the only right thing to do. A category five (with) babies? Gotta go.” There to greet them was a familiar face, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis accompanied by Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis and other government officials. Dr Minnis could be seen assisting many of the elderly and physically challenged down the plane’s steps and on to the concrete where some of them shouted “thank you Jesus” and “thank you prime minister” for assisting them in reaching the capital. National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Director Captain Stephen Russell said the evacuation exercise could possibly see around 1,500 people on about 15 flights evacuated from their
DEMISON NESBIT
homes, which are in the direct path of Hurricane Irma. As the islanders arrived, buses were lined up on the outside to shuttle those without their own accommodations in New Providence to three shelters, including New Providence Community Centre, Loyola Hall and the Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium. Capt Russell said: “We are working towards 1,500 persons from the islands mentioned earlier and I am quite sure as the day winds down and last flights you are going to still find the numbers changing and we have a team at NEMA’s office crunching the numbers in contact with the island administrators to see how the figures are changing. Another team at NEMA is in contact with various airline operators to see if they can put out additional flights for us because you know the numbers are going to change. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we push close to the 1,800 mark and persons try to get out before sunset today. But we are going to have to end the evacuations definitely by sunset. “I think as of Thursday definitely through Friday the southern Bahamas is going to start feeling the impacts of the outer edges, the tropical storm force winds of the storm.” He added: “So in terms of our flights we may try and get a flight into Ragged Island, that’s further up the chain. (So) we can sneak a flight in there and get out before they start being impacted by tropical storm force winds.” The diameter of the tropical storm force winds extends almost 300 miles, Captain Russell said. These are characteristics of hurricanes, which Pastor Kenrick Major said are unsettling for him. He and his nine family members were among those yesterday who
IVA NIXON, who was evacuated from the southern Bahamas yesterday, with Official Opposition Leader Philip “Brave” Davis and Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis behind her. Photo: Khrisna Russell/Tribune Staff evacuated the southern is- houses on Ragged Island Providence to see how we could withstand this,” he will be impacted by this lands. He said: “I experienced said seated in his wheel- hurricane when it makes its Matthew and I experienced chair. turn sometime during the Mr Nesbitt described his remainder of the week and Ike. It’s the breeze, the wind, the noise. You feel sentiments about having to if Nassau is somewhere in like the roof is about to tear leave home to weather the the hurricane force zone of off and you pray that every storm in the capital as a that hurricane that raises lil’ noise you hear that the “funny feeling,” adding that some other concerns in roof don’t come off over as soon as was possible, he terms of additional shelterwould be returning to sur- ing. your head. “I think it’s a wise deci- vey the damage brought by “But Thursday or Friday sion and a safe decision. At Hurricane Irma. we will activate the remainWhile each of these evac- ing number of our shelters first I didn’t really want to go and leave my home and uees said they will not need and make sure the managleave my properties. Then to rely on any of the three ers for those shelters are in the administrators gave me shelters available to them, position and standing by to some advice and said how the government expects receive persons.” powerful the storm was and many others to utilise the He reiterated that no shelI saw the advertisement various facilities. ter is “a plush Holiday Inn” Captain Russell has said and everyone is expected from NEMA,” he added. Arriving on an earlier there will be adequate ac- to bring the basic essentials flight from Ragged Island commodations for persons needed to make their stays to ride out the storm in New comfortable along with was Demison Nesbitt. “I came down here be- Providence. important documentation “We are watching in New they might need. cause I don’t think those
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, September 7, 2017, PAGE 9
BPL TO SHUT DOWN OPERATIONS IN SOUTHERN ISLANDS By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMAS Power & Light employees in the southern islands affected by the emergency evacuation order have been ordered to shut down operations, secure equipment, and head to the capital, according to Darnell Osbourne, chairwoman of BPL’s board. Mrs Osbourne told reporters that electricity supply would be shut down in Mayaguana, Ragged Island, Acklins, and Crooked Island by today, and will not resume until assessments are made after the all clear is given. Officials confirmed the electricity company’s readiness and hurricane preparedness as the country braces for record-breaking hurricane Irma at a press conference staged at BPL’s Clifton Pier Plant yesterday. Several buildings at Clifton were damaged last year due to Hurricane Matthew, and Mrs Osbourne yesterday said the board was “astounded and disappointed” that repairs had not been completed. She said that the new board discovered that an RFP process for repairs had not yet started, and have since completed that process and initiated both temporary and permanent measures.
However, interim CEO Mike Harreld said the “damage from a few leaks in the roof” was not substantial enough to impact storm readiness. “The plant is ok,” he said, “it’s running well today and will continue to run. Obviously we’re trying to fix those leaks, we just had a discussion about some other things we can do to address them and we feel confident. You never know for sure but we’re going to do some things to ensure that the leaks are maintained at the lowest possible level. Hopefully no leaks but you never know when a storm hits like Irma, she will find ways in that we didn’t think were possible. “But we think we’re in as good a shape as we can be to provide electricity.” Mr Harreld underscored that the Clifton plant was the “workhorse” of its generation fleet in terms of cost-efficiency and production, and the company would do everything in its power to ensure that it was protected. He said the company would work to keep the lights on in the capital for as long as possible during the passage of the storm, with a view to getting electricity back on in the shortest possible time. “We understand people want the lights on,” Mr
EVACUEES from MICAL and Ragged Island arriving at Lynden Pindling International Airport. Harreld said, “at the same time we don’t want to hurt our equipment or get people hurt. We’ll keep it on as long as its practical. This is the workhorse for the Bahamas and we’ll get it on as soon as we can. “I am disappointed that we don’t have some things done but that’s the real world, and so what we plan to do is go forth and do the very best job possible for the Bahamas.” He continued: “The plant is ready to go, if the
storm gets bad enough then we’re going to have to shut it down during the storm but get it going again as soon as practical afterwards. I feel confident and I think our management team in total believes we’re ok.” Mrs Osbourne told the media that the evacuation of BPL’s employees and their families were mandatory. “All of BPL’s employees will be evacuated from the southern islands,” Mrs Os-
Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
bourne said. “They will be the last to leave, securing equipment and taking down the grids, and will be the first to go back to the island once the all clear is given. “We urge all residents to heed the prime minister’s evacuation order. We urge clinics and residents to secure all medicines, especially those that require refrigeration. “For our employees it is mandatory that they evacuate and the corporation will house them in hotels, and
FULL HOUSE AT HUMANE SOCIETY
By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
LYNDEN Pindling International Airport yesterday.
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OPEN UNTIL END OF TODAY THE Nassau Airport Development Company has announced that operations will continue as normal at Lynden Pindling International Airport until the end of Thursday. All stakeholders are encouraged to complete the securing of their premises and vehicles in order to have the best possible outcome, NAD said. “The public is reminded to check with their individual airline regarding any changes in flight times, or cancellations,” NAD’s statement added. Airport operations will resume only when the ‘all clear’ is given by the Met Department/National
Emergency Management Agency, after which all airport employees will be expected to safely report for duty to assess any damage, clean up and restore premises to normal condition, for the ordinary resumption of operations. A statement will be issued by NAD to advise the travelling public as to when the airport will resume full operations. The public is requested to listen carefully to the media for updates regarding both cessation and resumption of airport operations as there might be changes in the forward movement of Hurricane Irma requiring adjustments to the operations timelines.
BAHAMAS Humane Society Shelter Manager Percy Grant said yesterday the rescue organisation’s shelter facilities have reached maximum capacity as the country braces for the effects of Hurricane Irma. Mr Grant urged the public not to tie down their pets if they are unable to keep them indoors during the passage of Hurricane Irma. “We have no more space,” he said. “We can’t take anymore animals but we advise people if they cannot bring their pets inside, they cannot tie them outside. “Set them free so that they can try and seek shelter. If you are bringing them inside, remember newspapers, dry food, and medication from vets. Please contact your vet to discuss the hurricane as they may be able to house pets.”
THE BAHAMAS Humane Society is full to capacity. Mr Grant said the shelter normally houses about 300 animals, and has also opened its doors to the pets of evacuees from the southern islands. In addition to shelter animals, he said the organisation has bookings for some 80 to 100 other animals. “I really wish we had a hurricane dorm,” Mr Grant said. “We’re part of NEMA now and they’ve involved us a lot. The outcry in the past was that animals were never included in emergency contingency plans.
“We love that people are trying to take care of their pets. At least people are at least calling to find out.” Mr Grant said the BHS has a volunteer team that will ride out the storm at the facility to take care of the animals. He said that more volunteers were needed, as well as assistance with food and supplies for volunteers and animals. The BHS has also advised people to ensure their pets have collars and identification. It has also asked farmers to find a way to mark livestock.
their families as well. They must leave not only to protect their lives but to protect our equipment as well. “For those islands there will be no power and that’s the message that needs to resonate,” she said, “until we’re able to assess the situation and be able to come back.” BPL said it will shut down power in Mayaguana at 11am today, Ragged Island at 11.30am and in Acklins, Crooked Island and Long Cay at 5pm.
ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHUT THE Ministry of Education has announced that all public schools in the country would close at 3pm Wednesday and remain closed until further notice due to Hurricane Irma. The ministry advised the public to monitor updates on its official website, (ministryofeducationbahamas. com) along with its social media platforms. “These should be your first points of reference as it may prove difficult to place radio announcements in a timely fashion,” the ministry said, adding that the public should disregard supposed notices from unofficial sources. Meanwhile, the Catholic Board of Education also announced that its schools were closing on Thursday and will stay closed until further notice. The CBE said parents will be updates through email messages, local radio stations and its website, cboe.cec.edu.bs.
PAGE 10, Thursday, September 7, 2017
Shelter from the storm
THE TRIBUNE
BEDS in place at Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium for evacuees seeking shelter. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Triubne Staff
GIFTS for evacuees, who found books for them to read as they take shelter having arrived from MICAL and Ragged Island yesterday.
Announcement
on CLOSURE of Banks during Hurricane Irma
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis speaking to the media as evacuees arrived.
‘The Bahamas’ own street philosopher’
Due to Hurricane Irma, all commercial banks in New Providence, Abaco and Grand Bahama will close at 12:00 noon on Thursday, September 7, 2017, until further notice. We encourage all residents to remain vigilant and take the necessary hurricane precautions to be safe during the passage of this dangerous hurricane. ATM service will be maintained for as long as the hurricane and system conditions permit. Reopening hours will be announced once damage assessment can be safely carried out after the passing of the hurricane. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
YOUR
CHOICE FOR THE FAMILY WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/JOYFM1019
THE TRIBUNE
Devastation in Barbuda as Irma lashes Caribbean SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO Associated Press HURRICANE Irma lashed Puerto Rico with heavy rain and powerful winds late Wednesday, leaving nearly 900,000 people without power as authorities struggled to get aid to small Caribbean islands already devastated by the historic storm. Florida rushed to prepare for a possible direct hit on the Miami area by the Category five storm with potentially catastrophic 185 mph winds. Nearly every building on the island of Barbuda was damaged when the eye of the storm passed almost directly overhead early Wednesday and about 60 percent of the island’s roughly 1,400 people were left homeless, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told The Associated Press. “Either they were totally demolished or they would have lost their roof,” Browne said after returning to Antigua from a plane trip to the neighboring island. “It is just really a horrendous situation.” He said roads and telecommunications systems were destroyed and recovery will take months, if not years. A two-year-old child was killed as a family tried to escape a damaged home during the storm, Browne told the AP. As the storm moved west, it tore up the small islands in its path. On St Thomas, in the US Virgin Islands, Laura Strickling spent 12 hours hunkered down with her husband and one-year-old daughter in a boarded-up basement apartment with no power as the storm raged outside. They emerged to find the lush island in tatters, with many of their neighbors’ homes damaged and the once-dense vegeta-
tion largely gone. “There are no leaves. It is crazy. One of the things we loved about St. Thomas is that it was so green. And it’s gone,” said Strickling, who moved to the island with her husband three years ago from Washington, DC. “It will take years for this community to get back on its feet.” Significant effects were also reported on St Martin, an island split between French and Dutch control. Photos and video circulating on social media showed major damage to the airport in Philipsburg and the coastal village of Marigot heavily flooded. France sent emergency food and water rations there and to the French island of St. Bart’s, where Irma ripped off roofs and knocked out all electricity. Dutch marines who flew to St Martin and two other Dutch islands hammered by Irma reported extensive damage but no deaths or injuries. By late Wednesday, the centre of the storm was about 85 miles (135 kilometers) north-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and heading west-northwest at 16 mph (26 kph). More than half the island of Puerto Rico was without power and nearly 50,000 without water, the US territory’s emergency management agency said. Fourteen hospitals were using generators after losing power, and trees and light poles were strewn across roads. The tiny island of Culebra reported sustained winds of 88mph and wind gusts of 110mph. The US National Weather Service said Puerto Rico had not seen a hurricane of Irma’s magnitude since Hurricane San Felipe in 1928, which killed a total of 2,748 people in Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico and Florida.
HIGH winds and rain sweep through the streets of the Matelnillo community during the passage of hurricane Irma, in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, yesterday. Photo: Carlos Giusti/AP
PEOPLE recover broken parts of the dock after the passing of Hurricane Irma, in St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, yesterday. Photo: Johnny Jno-Baptiste/AP
MOTORISTS head north of Key Largo, Florida, in anticipation of Hurricane Irma. Photo: Alan Diaz/AP
Puerto Rico’s public power company has cut back on staff and maintenance amid a decade-long economic crisis and the agency’s director warned that some areas could be without power from four to six months because the infrastructure has already deteriorated so badly.
Thursday, September 7, 2017, PAGE 11
A MAN drives through rain and strong winds during the passage of Hurricane Irma, in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, on Wednesday. Photo: Carlos Giusti/AP
PAGE 12, Thursday, September 7, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
POLICE SHOOT MAN DEAD AS HE ‘BRANDISHES MACHETE’
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was shot dead by police in the Pinder’s Point
area of Grand Bahama on Tuesday evening, police reported on Wednesday. Assistant Superintendent of Police Terecita Pinder said that shortly before 8pm
on Tuesday, officers were called to Pinder’s Point where a man was reportedly brandishing a machete. She said that officers responded and attempted to
disarm the man, who reportedly inflicted injuries to himself and threatened family members with the machete. ASP Pinder said that fur-
PHILLIP Coleman Dean outside court yesterday to be arraigned for the murder in Long Island last weekend.
ther attempts were made to disarm the man, who charged at the officers and injured an officer. She said the officers were in fear of their lives and dis-
charged their police service revolver, fatally wounding the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Police are investigating the matter.
Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
Man accused of killing wife in Long Island cutlass attack By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net A 61-YEAR-OLD Long Island man was arraigned in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday in connection with a cutlass attack on that island last week that left his
wife dead and her mother in serious condition in hospital. Phillip Coleman Dean, of Taits, Long Island, stood before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt facing one count each of murder and attempted murder in connection with the Sep-
tember 2 incident. It is alleged that Dean murdered 54-year-old Eleanor Dean on the day in question, and also attempted to murder Hilda Taylor, her mother. According to initial police reports, Eleanor Dean, a mother of eight,
and her mother were in their Long Island home on the day in question when a man known to them entered the house and “chopped” the two women with a cutlass, causing serious injuries. The younger victim died on the scene, while her el-
derly mother who recently had a stroke, was airlifted to New Providence, and was listed in serious condition, according to initial reports. Police, who had been searching for a male relative of the victims in connection with the killing, ar-
rested Dean a day later. Dean was not required to enter a plea and the matter was adjourned to October 16 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment. He was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services in the interim.
ABACO MAN ACCUSED OVER $3M MARIJUANA SEIZURE By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
AN Abaco man was arraigned in Magistrate’s Court yesterday in connection with the recent seizure of just over $3m worth of marijuana in waters off Exuma last month.
Brannon Strachan, 33, of Central Pines, Abaco, stood before Magistrate Andrew Forbes facing one count each of conspiracy to possess dangerous drugs with intent to supply and conspiracy to import dangerous drugs. It is alleged that on August 26, at Williams Town,
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Exuma, and being concerned with others, Strachan conspired to possess dangerous drugs with the intent to supply. It is also alleged that between August 21 to August 26, Strachan, being concerned with others, also conspired to import dangerous drugs. According to initial reports, at about 7am on August 26, the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s (RBPF)
Marine Support Unit, in a joint operation with the RBPF’s Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), went to waters off Williams Town, Exuma, and intercepted a go-fast vessel. A total of 65 bales of suspected marijuana, weighing 3,201 pounds and with a street value of $3.2m, was discovered. Two suspects
were taken into custody in connection with the incident. Strachan pleaded not guilty to both charges. The magistrate subsequently adjourned the matter to November 6 for trial. Strachan was denied bail and remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services in the interim. He can apply to the Supreme Court for bail
ahead of his trial. According to police, Strachan was one of three men who were wanted by police in connection with the Exuma drug bust. He was arrested on Tuesday, police said. Last week, five men, ranging in age from 23 to 42, were arraigned on various drug related charges in connection with the drug seizure.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, September 7, 2017, PAGE 13
BTVI HANDS OVER DONATION TO ELIZABETH ESTATES CHILDREN’S HOME
MUCH-needed bath towels were recently donated to the Elizabeth Estates Children’s Home – thanks to a team of helping hands at the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute
(BTVI). Instructors of the construction trades department made monetary donations to purchase the assortment of 40 bath towels. Organised by BTVI’s
construction and mechanical trades department, the community project is the beginning of a give-back programme the department wishes to continue with various organisations.
Their aim is to be more involved in the community, which falls in line with one of BTVI’s strategic plan goals: community engagement. During the presentation, Elizabeth Estates
Children’s Home Assistant Administrator Andrea Johnson shared the urgency for basic items at the home. As such, she and the children were very grateful for the donation.
PHOTO: BTVI Head of Construction Trades, Gustavus Ferguson and Elizabeth Estates Children’s Home Assistant Administrator, Andrea Johnson. Picture by Shantique Longley
Rebuilding the coral reefs VAN Oord has reached a major achievement in environmentally responsible maritime infrastructure development with the formal delivery and handover of the first coral engine in The Bahamas. The in-house developed innovation is groundbreaking in the maritime industry, the company said in its press release. A coral engine is an underwater coral nursery that contains both locally sourced coral fragments and sexually produced coral juveniles of varying ages. As the corals grow, the
coral engine provides a continuous source of outplaceable corals with which local stakeholders can create and, if necessary, rehabilitate their coral reefs. On August 28, in the presence of 150 guests including Desmond Bannister, minister of works, the maintenance of the coral engine was handed over to local partners Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas, Bahamas Reef Environment Education Foundation and Royal Bahamas Defence Force. They will maintain the nursery and encourage conservation groups,
schools, members of the public and tourists to visit the site and become actively involved with its continued development and the subsequent outplacement activities. Over the past few years, Van Oord has been involved in several dredging and marine works around New Providence, Bahamas. Various measures to protect the vulnerable surrounding corals were taken. Corals that were located in the footprint of the access channel were relocated to a recipient site nearby to
ensure their preservation. In addition to the relocation, Van Oord was actively involved in the breeding of coral. “We shipped our mobile coral breeding facility ReefGuard to The Bahamas and produced thousands of sexual recruits obtained from local spawning events on our preconditioned settlement substrates with the help of local volunteers. “The sexually produced coral recruits of various ages have been combined with a number of coral fragments to form a coral engine,” said Mark van
Koningsveld, Van Oord’s manager of research & development engineering. In 2014, the government of The Bahamas, Van Oord and DAMEN Shipyards signed an agreement for a rigorous upgrade of the naval bases on three islands and the delivery of a fleet of new patrol vessels. “Our scope in the Sandy Bottom project includes dredging, constructing several breakwaters and quay walls and corresponding civil engineering works,” said Van Oord’s area director Mark Roelofs.
“The work is spread out over sites up to 700 km apart. We expect to finish the construction works by the end of September this year. When working in vulnerable areas like this, we take into account the interests of the environment and our stakeholders. “Van Oord’s delivery of the coral engine and associated deployment of the ReefGuard are good examples of this. This also proves the outstanding engineering capabilities of our colleagues involved and are showcases of our marine ingenuity.”
PAGE 14, Thursday, September 7, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
SEAHAWKS PLAYER SAYS HE FEARED POLICE WERE GOING TO KILL HIM LAS VEGAS Associated Press SEATTLE Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett accused Las Vegas police on Wednesday of racially motivated excessive force, saying he was threatened at gunpoint and handcuffed following a report of gunshots at an after-hours club at a casino-hotel. Police said they’re investigating, but that Bennett failed to stop for officers searching a crowded casino for what they believed to be an active shooter just hours after the August 26 boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Conor McGregor.
“I believe this case will become completely clear as all the available video is reviewed for evidentiary purposes,” Clark County Undersheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters. “We’ll see very, very clearly exactly what happened on this incident.” Bennett said on a Twitter message titled “Dear World,” that police “singled me out and pointed their guns at me for doing nothing more than simply being a black man in the wrong place at the wrong time.” McMahill aired a lengthy video clip taken from a police sergeant’s body camera during a search of the Cromwell casino after a re-
port of gunfire at the Drai’s nightclub. But he said at least one officer who encountered Bennett didn’t have his body camera on at the time. Bennett isn’t seen until the very end of the clip — being handcuffed as he lies prone in a traffic lane on Las Vegas Boulevard. McMahill said that with an internal affairs investigation just beginning, he saw “no evidence that race played any role in this incident”. Police and casino officials later attributed the report of gunfire to the sharp sound of velvet rope stands being knocked to a tile floor. Bennett, during a brief
appearance Wednesday at the Seahawks’ practice facility in Renton, Washington, described the incident as “traumatic” but declined to go into specifics about it. “It’s a traumatic experience for me, my family and it sucks that the country that we live in now sometimes you get profiled for the color of your skin,” Bennett said. “Do I think every police officer is bad? No, I don’t believe that. Do I believe there are some people out there that judge people by the color of their skin? I do believe that.” “I’m just trying to focus on the game, focus on the task at hand and let everything take care of itself,”
Bennett said. “But like I said this is a tragic situation for me, I hate to be up here at this moment. There is a lot of people who experienced what I experienced at that point, at that moment and they’re not here to tell their story.” Bennett, a 6-foot-4 defensive end who has been a leader of the national anthem protests started by former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick , said he was among several hundred people running away. In his Twitter message, Bennett said he was handcuffed face-down on the ground after an officer held a gun to his head saying he would blow his head off if
he moved. “All I could think of was ‘I’m going to die for no other reason than I am black and my skin color is somehow a threat,’” he wrote. He said he thought of his wife and children. Bennett said he was taken to the back of a police car “until they apparently realized I was not a thug, common criminal or ordinary black man but Michael Bennett a famous professional football player.” He was released without charges. Las Vegas police Officer Jacinto Rivera said police were checking for casino and police body camera video and written reports.
Fighting for the Dreamers NEW YORK Associated Press FIFTEEN states and the District of Columbia sued the US government Wednesday to block President Donald Trump’s plan to end protection against deportation for young immigrants, saying it was motivated by prejudice against Mexicans. Legal experts, however, say the evidence of bias is not strong in the case involving the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. “It might be able to muck up the works, maybe push off the effective date of the repeal, but I don’t see litigation being successful in the same way as the travel ban,” Kari Hong, an immigration expert at Boston College Law School, said, referring to the lawsuit earlier this year that limited the Trump ban involving predominantly Muslim nations. As indications of Trump’s bias, the suit filed Wednesday cited his previous statements referring to some Mexican immigrants as rapists and his decision to pardon former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of contempt for ignoring a federal court order to stop traffic patrols that targeted immigrants. “Ending DACA, whose participants are mostly of Mexican origin, is a culmination of President’s Trump’s oft-stated commitments — whether personally held, stated to appease some portion of his constituency, or some combination thereof — to punish and disparage people with
Mexican roots,” the lawsuit filed in federal court in Brooklyn said. In its fight against the travel ban, Hawaii argued that it was illegally motivated by religious discrimination against Muslims and used statements Trump made as a candidate to support that claim. A federal judge agreed and blocked the ban, though the US Supreme Court later allowed a version to move forward. The attorneys general who brought the DACA lawsuit — all Democrats — represent states where the population of DACA participants ranges from hundreds to tens of thousands. Known as “dreamers,” they were brought to the US illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Tuesday the program will end in six months so Congress can have time to find a legislative solution for people in the program. Opponents of the program called DACA an unconstitutional abuse of executive power. Supporters of the DACA program disagreed. New York Attorney General Eric T Schneiderman said Trump’s plan is “cruel, shortsighted, inhumane” and driven by a personal bias against Mexicans and Latinos. He said the 42,000 New Yorkers with protected status under the program are largely model citizens. “They are the best of America,” Schneiderman said. “Dreamers play by the
HOUSE Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi accompanied by members of the House and Senate Democrats, gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington yesterday. House and Senate Democrats gather to call for Congressional Republicans to stand up to President Trump’s decision to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative by bringing the DREAM Act for a vote on the House and Senate Floor. Photo: Jose Luis Magana/AP rules. Dreamers work hard. Dreamers pay taxes. For most of them, America is the only home they’ve ever known. And they deserve to stay here,” he said. Devin M. O’Malley, a Justice Department spokesman, said the agency looks
forward to defending the administration’s position. Pratheepan Gulasekaram, who teaches immigration and constitutional law at Santa Clara University School of Law, agreed that the bias claim will be hard to win. “As a general matter, showing animus is not easy especially showing animus on the basis of nebulous statements that don’t necessarily reference this group,” he said. Holly Cooper, co-director of the Immigration Law Clinic at the University of California Davis School of Law, disagreed, saying: “Given his past history, pretty explicit statements against people of color and
immigrants and people of certain religions, you have a lot of evidence to work with to make this case.” Under Trump’s plan, people already enrolled in DACA remain covered until their permits expire. If that happens before March 5, they are eligible to renew them for another two years as long as they apply by Oct. 5. But the program isn’t accepting new applications. Trump on Tuesday said he had “love” for those who benefited from DACA and said he hoped Congress would help them. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include New York, Hawaii, Washington, Massachusetts, Connecticut,
Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia. A half-dozen beneficiaries of DACA — young adults from Mexico, Venezuela, Peru and elsewhere, including some now working at law firms or for the state Legislature — flanked Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson, both Democrats, at a news conference in Seattle announcing the lawsuit. “It’s outrageous, it’s not right,” an emotional Ferguson said. “As attorney general for the state of Washington, I have a hammer, it’s the law.”
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CLOSURE Please be advised that as a result of the threat of Hurricane Irma, ALL University of The Bahamas campuses are closed until further notice. This includes the Oakes Field Campus including Chapter One Bookstore and the Harry C. Moore Library and Information Centre; the Grosvenor Close Centre on Shirley Street; University of The BahamasNorth in Grand Bahama and the Gerace Research Centre in San Salvador. Following the passage of Hurricane Irma, and after NEMA has issued the official “all clear”, a thorough assessment will be conducted of all University facilities and a subsequent notice will be issued regarding the resumption of operations and classes at the respective campuses.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, September 7, 2017, PAGE 15
A HOGFISH caught on Saturday. Photo: Blood_Sweat_ and_Spears (IG)
BRI Palaniuk with a Bimini Wahoo at the weekend. Photo: Bri Palaniuk
CATCHING bugs - on camera - undersea. Photo: Errol Thurston
DAVID Nason found the Wahoo biting near Memory Rock, Grand Bahama. Photo: David Nason
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