GOVERNOR & PREMIER PROVIDES UPDATE ON RESPONSE TO CRIME
Her Excellency the Governor and the Hon. Premier condemn strongly the shooting incident on Grand Turk and extend their deepest condolences to the family and to the community. Such criminality near school children while they were at a school sports day is deplorable. A serious crime team has been deployed to Grand Turk and action is underway to conduct a community impact assessment, including work with school officials and the Ministry of Education to ensure the safety and security of our communities.
Strengthening of capability
The Governor and the Premier continue to work together closely to strengthen our operational and strategic response. In addition to the imminent deployment of experienced Firearms Officers from the United Kingdom announced on 03 February, and ahead of the arrival of the Commissioner Designate Mr. Edvin Martin (which, – due to a routine medical procedure and convalescence period – will now take place in May 2024), the Governor is making the following appointments to bolster the strategic operational expertise and focus of the RTCIPF:
• Mr Chris Eyre will be appointed as interim RTCIPF Acting Commissioner of Police effective this Monday 12 February. He has 37-years of experience as a police officer, including 18-years at Assistant Chief Constable rank and above. His final role in UK policing was as Chief Constable (Commissioner equivalent) of Nottinghamshire Police. During his career he has led the operational response to terrorist attacks, riots, major demonstrations, international criminal investigations and sensitive covert operations making him well placed to lead the RTCIPF during this interim period. In his last post, Mr Eyre led the British Overseas Territory Police Force in the Sovereign Base Area of Cyprus.
• Superintendent Mat Newton will be temporarily appointed to the Force Executive as an Assistant Commissioner of Police with specific responsibility for specialist tactical operations.
• Immediate work is being undertaken to recruit a Superintendent to assist policing in Grand Turk and ensure targeted oversight of community and policing operations.
This added capability will vitalise the RTCIPF’s strategic and tactical arsenal for policing across our islands and will ensure the full strength of the Force Executive leadership at Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner levels. The Governor and Premier express their sincere thanks to Acting Commissioner Adams and Acting Deputy Commissioner Grant for their continuing leadership of the RTCIPF during these challenging times.
The first of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office funded rapid deployment of firearms officers; investigative officers; a firearms commander; a firearms operations planner and a crime analyst will arrive this weekend. These officers will provide an immediate boost in tactical and investigative manpower. Parallel work is underway to secure further regional operational support and a targeted recruitment campaign is being launched to recruit permanent experienced firearms officers and investigators to the RTCIPF. This is in addition to the ongoing recruitment to ensure the full complement at each grade across the rank and file of the RTCIPF.
Commissioner Designate Martin remains committed to leading the RTCIPF. He is eager to arrive with his family to serve the Turks and Caicos Islands and deliver on his safety and security responsibilities for the nation. Over the past few weeks, he has been engaged with the Governor and regional colleagues in support of work to secure tactical operational support for the RTCIPF.
We appeal to everyone to help the RTCIPF with their investigations. Any piece of information – however insignificant it might seem – can be pivotal to bringing the perpetrators to justice and restoring calm to our neighbourhoods.
May God bless you and may God continue to bless the beautiful by nature Turks and Caicos Islands.
Thank you.
Mahomes asked about Super Bowl & Taylor?
Heading into the Super Bowl on Sunday, all the players from the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers have faced questions from the press. But in the case of the Chiefs, a lot of those questions have been about Travis Kelce's girlfriend, Taylor Swift. Even the players who aren't dating Taylor have been asked about her.
On Thursday, quarterback Patrick Mahomes was asked to comment on the couple's relationship during a press availability in Las Vegas.
It's two great people. And they have so much respect for each other, and their professions. I mean, that's why their relationship has has been so great. And so I'm just happy for both of them, and know that they'll continue to, to be better and better as a relationship, together. And individually as well.
The quarterback also denied that their romance has been a distraction for the team.
"I don't think it distracts the team at all," Mahomes said. "I mean, when you come in the building, it's all about football. We have a great culture here. And everybody that's met Taylor knows how great of a person she is. And I think we're just as happy that she's on the headlines as anybody, because we know how great she is."
As for Kelce, he was asked why people are so fascinated by their relationship.
"I think the values that we stand for and just who we are as people," he replied. "We love to shine light on others, shine light around the people that help and support us. ... I feel like we both have, just, a love for life."
But Travis' tolerance for Taylor questions only goes so far. When a reporter asked him to complete the lyric "Karma is the guy on the ...," he gamely responded, "Chiefs. Of course." But he refused to sing the rest of it.
Source-ABC
Grand Turk Shooting Update
Shortly after noon today, the Police Control Room received a call of gunshots being heard near the Parade Grounds, Grand Turk.
Police officers and medical staff were dispatched to the location and found the body of a male with what appeared to be gunshot wounds.
The victim, who has yet to be formally identified, was a male, aged 24 years and was reportedly approached by potentially two offenders and shot.
Sadly, this incident occurred whilst a school sports day was underway. As a result, senior officers from the RTCIPF and representatives of the Ministry of Education convened an urgent meeting this afternoon to discuss priority actions to manage the consequences of this awful event.
The RTCIPF strongly condemns this latest shooting incident.
Such an act of brazen violence not only endangered the lives of innocent individuals but also disrupted the safety and security of the entire community.
The Serious Crime Unit is actively investigating the incident to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice swiftly. We are collaborating closely with school officials and the Ministry of Education to ensure the safety and security of our communities.
Detectives are flying from Providenciales to Grand Turk to support local officers and the primary investigation.
Acting Commissioner of Police Mr Rodney Adams said: “Today’s despicable act is yet another example of criminals having no regard or remorse for anyone. The RTCIPF is resolute and won't hesitate to confront those intent on causing harm in the TCI within the confines of the law. We won't relent.
“To the students affected by this afternoon’s incident, their parents and teachers, rest assured the RTCIPF remains committed to maintaining law and order and ensuring your safety and that of all law-abiders. “I encourage the public to share any information and evidence that could assist in bringing justice to this matter in the swiftest possible time”.
The RT&CIPF is asking the public to share any videos and information with detectives at the Serious Crime Unit, South Dock Road, Providenciales, at 231-1842, 911, or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 and give any information anonymously.
Maintaining a Secure Environment for learning and extracurricular activities.
In preparation for the execution of several counselling and psychosocial sessions with students, staff and parents, the HJ Robinson High School will be closed today, Friday 09th, February 2024.
We are cognizant of the concerns and anxieties that may arise in the aftermath of this afternoon’s event, and we want to emphasize that the Ministry of Education is committed to providing a safe and secure learning environment for all students and staff through our Student Support Services and other child safeguarding initiatives.
We are actively reviewing our security protocols and procedures to identify areas for improvement and ensure that our schools remain safe havens for education and personal development. Our Student Support Services have been activated and equipped to cater to the needs of those students and teachers who were traumatized by today’s event. The Education Psychologist is working in collaboration with the Department of Mental Health in an effort to provide students with the necessary guidance and support.
In response to the concerning surge in gun violence, particularly affecting young men in the Turks and Caicos Islands, key stakeholders from across the various Government Ministries and Departments, will conduct a national training programme slated for April 8th - 12th, 2024. This multi-sector intervention against youth violence in the TCI will be facilitated by Dr. David Borrows, multifaceted author, motivator, inspirator, businessman, consultant and mentor from the Bahamas.
It is important for the general public to know that although the incident occurred in close proximity to the school’s premises and impacted the students emotionally, no current students were involved.
Students, teachers and parents are urged to contact the Student Support Services Hotline on (232 SAFE 7233) for immediate or long-term support or assistance.
The Ministry of Education continues to work closely with local authorities and educational institutions to enhance security measures.
South Caicos receives first batch of spiny lobsters
Fishermen in South Caicos have received the first batch of spiny lobster artificial habitats under the Sustainable Livelihood Program.
The program, a holistic and innovative approach that the Ministry of Tourism with responsibility for Fisheries is undertaking to combat the decline in spiny lobster catch levels caused by the destruction of natural habitats during the 2018 hurricanes.
Coupled with the increase in fuel prices and overall cost of living, lobster fishing has become a less beneficial endeavour for fishermen.
The Ministry is committed to employ strategic solutions to ensure the sustainability of the lobster industry, and the improvement the lives of people who depend on the ocean for their sustenance in a meaningful and long-lasting way.
The program’s multifaceted strategy includes financial incentives, community engagement, and ecological conservation.
In addition to providing a temporary economic boost, the program lays the groundwork for long-term sustainability by paying registered fishermen for their labour in creating artificial habitats.
Jamaica sprint legend to retire after Paris 2024 Olympics
Three-time Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce says she "owes" it to her family to retire after the 2024 Games.
The 37-year-old, regarded as one of the greatest sprinters of all time, won the 100m title in 2008 and 2012.
Jamaican Fraser-Pryce also won Tokyo 2020 Olympic relay gold, plus three of her 10 world titles, in a comeback after giving birth to her son in 2017.
"There's not a day I'm getting up to go practise and I'm like, 'I'm over this,'" she told Essence.com, external.
"My son needs me.
"My husband and I have been together since before I won in 2008. He has sacrificed for me.
"We're a partnership, a team. And it's because of that support that I'm able to do the things that I have been doing for all these years. And I think I now owe it to them to do something else."
She added this year's Olympics in Paris were about "showing people that you stop when you decide. I want to finish on my own terms".
In total, Fraser-Pryce has won three Olympic golds, four silvers and a bronze.
She won world bronze behind American Sha'Carri Richardson and team-mate Shericka Jackson at last summer's World Championships and will remain one of the main contenders at Paris 2024 in July and August.
She became the oldest woman to win the 100m world title with her victory in Doha in 2019 and extended that record by winning again aged 35 in Eugene in 2022 - 14 years after her first Olympic gold.
"You can have an impact, and it's important to show people that you can't be selfish," she said.
"It's not enough that we step on a track and we win medals. You have to think about the next generation that's coming after you, and give them the opportunity to also dream - and dream big."
Fraser-Pryce's World and Olympic medal haul
Olympics
Three gold: 100m (2008, 2012), 4x100m relay (2020)
Four silver: 100m (2020), 200m (2012), 4x100m relay (2012, 2016)
One bronze: 100m (2016)
World Championships
10 gold: 100m (2009, 2013, 2015, 2019, 2022), 200m (2013), 4x100m relay (2009, 2013, 2015, 2019)
Five silver: 200m (2022), 4x100m relay (2007, 2011, 2022, 2023)
One bronze: 100m (2023)
IDB approves funds for Barbados
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) says it has approved a US$100 million loan that allows Barbados to continue modernizing its policies, laws and regulations as it strives to achieve sustainable development.
It said the operation is the third in a series of three policy-based loans designed to enhance how Barbados plans its land use, controls development, and manages its water resources, natural assets, resilience, and disaster risk.
The IDB said that in Barbados, sustainability is key because most development opportunities are related to tourism and natural assets which are largely located in coastal areas.
“The way land and environmental risks are managed in these areas is critical. Also, Barbados gets its drinking water from underground, so pollution risks must be controlled in the context of changing rainfall patterns. The country’s location and exposure to climate change also make disaster risk policies especially important in safeguarding lives, investments, and the economy.”
The Washington-based financial institution said that the operation is expected to benefit the country’s entire population of nearly 300,000 people. It said programmes for coastal zone management, resilience, and disaster management will have a larger effect on low- and middle-income households, which are more vulnerable to climate impacts.
The loan, which has been approved by the IDB’s Board of Executive Directors, will help advance ongoing regulatory reforms to improve land-use planning, control over development, water resource management and natural asset management.
The reforms also aim to enhance resilience and disaster management. Other measures include protocols for more systematic private sector involvement in disaster response which will strengthen a facet of post-disaster governance. “This affected households.
The bank said another reform includes policies and protocols for retrofitting low and middle-income homes to improve their resilience in the face of hurricanes and storm-force winds.
The IDB loan has a 20-year repayment term, a 5.5-year grace period and an interest rate based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR).
Source-CMC
Super Bowl halftime: Usher goes from 2011's special guest to 2024's headliner
Bringing out special guests during the Super Bowl halftime show has become a thing in recent years — except for Rihanna, unless you want to count the baby in her belly at the time as a "guest." This year's Super Bowl halftime performer, Usher, was even a guest back in 2011.
After several years of classic rock artists, 2011 marked the year pop music returned to the Super Bowl, with Black Eyed Peas playing halftime. Usher was a guest during the show, performing "OMG" after making his entrance from the ceiling on a wire, which he says could have ended in disaster.
At a press conference February 8 in Vegas, Usher recalled, "My hand got caught in the wire that was holding me, like, 30 feet in the air. And I almost missed my first mark. I was like, 'Oh my God, don’t let this malfunction cause me to miss something!'"
But Usher said he also recalled "how amazing it felt to be in front of that many people and feel the energy — so much so that it made me really passionate about eventually getting this moment."
The idea of having big-name stars perform during halftime only dates back to 1991, when New Kids on the Block did it. Before that, marching bands, older stars like Chubby Checker or the vocal troupe Up with People were the norm.
But what changed the game was Michael Jackson's 1993 performance, featuring an inflatable globe and a choir of over 3,000 local children. Thanks to Michael, the ratings increased between halves during the game. From then on, stars and spectacle were the rule.
Here's a look back at who's done the halftime show since 1991:
1991 -- New Kids on the Block
1992 -- Gloria Estefan
1993 -- Michael Jackson, performing with 3,500 children
1994 -- Country stars Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, Wynonna Judd and Naomi Judd
1995 -- Patti LaBelle, Miami Sound Machine and Tony Bennett
1996 -- Diana Ross
1997 -- ZZ Top, James Brown, the Blues Brothers featuring Dan Aykroyd, John Goodman and James Belushi
1998 -- Boyz II Men, Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves, the Temptations, Queen Latifah
1999 -- Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
2000 -- Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton
2001 -- Aerosmith, *NSYNC, Britney Spears, Nelly, Mary J. Blige
2002 -- U2
2003 -- Shania Twain, No Doubt, Sting
2004 -- Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Nelly, Kid Rock, P. Diddy
2005 -- Paul McCartney
2006 -- The Rolling Stones
2007 -- Prince
2008 -- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
2009 -- Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
2010 -- The Who
2011 -- Black Eyed Peas
2012 -- Madonna
2013 -- Beyoncé (and Destiny's Child, briefly)
2014 -- Bruno Mars feat. Red Hot Chili Peppers
2015 -- Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott
2016 -- Coldplay, Beyoncé and Bruno Mars
2017 -- Lady Gaga
2018 -- Justin Timberlake
2019 -- Maroon 5, Travis Scott, Big Boi
2020 -- Jennifer Lopez and Shakira
2021 -- The Weeknd
2022 -- Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige and Snoop Dogg with 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak
2023 -- Rihanna
2024 -- Usher
Creator of Grenada’s national flag dies as the country celebrates 50th anniversary of independence
Anthony Conrad George, the designer of the Grenada National Flag died in the United Kingdom on Wednesday, the same day the island celebrated its 50thanniversary of political independence from Britain, attorney Jacqueline McKenzie has said.
“On the day that Grenadians celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence, with the country adorned by thousands of flags of red, green and gold, of the nutmeg, and of the stars representing the seven parishes, its creator, Anthony George, passed on to the ancestors,” she said, as she paid tribute to the 86-year-old.
Opposition Leader, Dr. Keith Mitchell in a statement paying tribute to George, said “we mourn the loss of the visionary behind our National Flag, a true patriot whose legacy is eternally woven into Grenada’s identity.
“His contributions transcend art, embodying our unity and diversity. Our deepest condolences go out to his loved ones,” said Mitchell.
George, who lived in the United Kingdom and Grenada, was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in 2007 and according to his 2013 memoir “Beyond Belief” he had envisioned for the national flag an aesthetic that would stand the test of time, and placed the star at the centre to symbolise the sovereignty of the nation’s new beginning and beyond, while the other stars reference mariners who relied on them for navigation.
Regarding the components of the national flag, George wrote that the “red border represents love, fervour, courage, aspiration and a burning desire to be free.
“The colour gold, in which yellow is sometimes substituted in (flag reproductions), represents the warmth of our character and friendliness ‘for which we’re renowned;’ our wisdom and fortitude, and of course, the beautiful sunshine we enjoyed all year round in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. The colour green represents the richness of our soil, the fertility of our land, and the lush vegetation of our island’s agriculture.”
George, the second of five children, has appeared on stamps (2009), and received numerous awards including the Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, for Community Services and Nation Building. His moment of great joy was when A C George Road in Soubise, St Andrew, was named in his honour in 2012.
“When someone dies, we often say their legacy will live on. George’s truly will if yesterday’s magical celebrations of Grenada 50, and the central role played by his design, is anything to go by,” McKenzie wrote.
Source-CMC
5 missing Marines confirmed dead following helicopter crash
Five missing Marines have been confirmed dead more than 24 hours after their helicopter crashed during a training flight, the U.S. Marine Corps said Thursday.
The Marines had been reported missing when their CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter was "reported overdue" to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Tuesday night. The helicopter departed from Creech Air Force Base near Las Vegas and was en route to Miramar, in the San Diego area.
Source-ABC