Government Officials Met with Carnival Cruise Port Managers following Fire Incident
On Thursday, May 26, 2022, the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME) was notified of an incident at the Carnival Cruise Centre on the island of Grand Turk, where there was a fire on the vessel Carnival Freedom Cruise Line.
A quick response by both the Carnival Freedom Cruise Response Team and TCI Domestic Fire team quickly extinguished the blaze and brought the incident under control.
The Deputy Governor, along with the Acting Director of DDME and TCI Regiment, visited Grand Turk to assess the situation. A meeting was convened with the Carnival Terminal Management Team and was co-chaired by Deputy Governor and Hon. Otis Morris, Minister of Home Affairs, Transportation and Communication. The purpose of the meeting was to identify resources needed and coordinate and support response between Carnival Terminal Management team and the TCI Government.
Also present at this meeting to provide support were representatives from the following agencies: Port Authority, Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) , Domestic Fire Department, TCI Airport Authority, Department of Maritime and Fisheries and the Ministry of Tourism.
Carnival Terminal Managers reported that no one sustained injuries and the ship is operating on full power, however access to the upper deck is currently restricted. Assessment Team (Carnival) was requested and is expected to arrive later today (Thursday, May 26, 2022) to assess the ability of the ship to sail.
Subsequent to the meeting at Carnival Cruise Centre, a preliminary assessment was conducted at JAGS McCartney International Airport to explore the possibility of charter flights landing on Grand Turk for passengers who may not wish to return on the Cruise Line Vessel.
The situation is under control and commendation is expressed to all agencies for their support in bringing the incident under control.
Department of Youth Affairs Hosted Emotional & Conflict Management Training
The Ministry of Education, Labour, Employment and Customer Services is on a mandated mission to identity and implement robust strategies to aid in eradicating bullying and cases of youth violence throughout our Schools.
Therefore, it is imperative to train youth on how to regulate their emotions and resolve conflict through effective nonviolent communication strategies. It is imperious that we instill in young people the necessary tools that are needed to succeed in life; and one way this can be achieved is through PEER TRAINING.
Towards this goal, The Department of Youth Affairs, recently hosted an Emotional and Conflict Management Training Workshop on 18th May 2022. The Department accommodated thirty (30) participants from across the Government’s High Schools, including representatives from the Turks Caicos Islands Community College. The session was well received by the participants and provided a forum and Safe Space for the youth to express themselves free of judgements.
Further, the Department of Youth Affairs recently launch its National Youth Policy which speaks to creating Safe Spaces and environments for young people. Moreover, developing young people as Peace Builders who will be able to resolute conflict among their peers, signifies the Department’s commitment to ensure that our youth are receiving preventative strategies and are proactively engaged.
Mrs. Jasmine Thomas, Director for the Department of Youth Affairs commented, “It is the Department’s goal to ensure development of violence prevention measures in the Education System at all levels, while utilizing evidence-based models. In addition, focusing on preventative programs to assist with conflict management, anti-behaviors and gang violence”
Dr. Barbara Ambrister, of Human Capital Development and Training Services and facilitator for the training commented, “It is amazing how our young children have already framed their perspectives of the world and are adjusting themselves with techniques of survival”.
The Minister of Education stated, ‘ As we aim to address Human Capital Development, it is paramount that we also address the social ills of society in an effort to ensure that there is inclusivity in our development of our people. We will make bold steps through our initiatives in an effort reach our youths in all communities.’
Youth who participated in the training will serve as Peer Mentors and Peace Ambassadors in their schools. The Department of Youth Affairs will continue to implement more holistic and evidence-based violence prevention initiatives.
'Goodfellas' actor Ray Liotta dead at 67
Goodfellas actor Ray Liotta has died at age 67, his publicist confirms to ABC News.
No cause of death was given, though there are unconfirmed reports that he passed away in his sleep while shooting the movie Dangerous Waters in the Dominican Republic.
Liotta caught the attention of Hollywood in the 1986 film Something Wild, playing star Melanie Griffith's violent ex-con husband, and role for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe. He went on to appear as Shoeless Joe Jackson in 1989's baseball-themed classic Field of Dreams, with Kevin Costner, in which he delivered the memorable, oft-quoted line "Hey, rookie! You were good!"
But Liotta's breakout role came in the 1990 Martin Scorsese classic Goodfellas, as part of an all-star cast that included Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Lorraine Bracco. Based in part on the life of former mobster turned government informant Henry Hill, which Liotta played, the film became a near-instant classic and launched Liotta to stardom.
Liotta most recently appeared in films including the Sopranos spin-off The Many Saints of Newark, Marriage Story and No Sudden Move. He also starred in TV shows including Shades of Blue opposite Jennifer Lopez, Amazon Prime’s Hanna, and the Apple TV+ series Black Bird, alongside Taron Egerton.
In 2005, Liotta won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, for his role as Charlie Metcalf in an episode of ER called "Time of Death."
Liotta leaves behind a daughter, Karsen, and a fiancée, Jacy Nittolo.
Source-ABC
TCI ONE OF SAFEST COUNTRIES FOR TRAVEL, SAYS TOURISM MINISTRY
Following the recent news of the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands relaxing travel restrictions and public health measures, the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board released an uplifting message on Thursday, 19th May.
The TCI Tourist Board encourages travelers to bear in mind that more than 85 percent of the adult population within the TCI are fully vaccinated, making the Turks and Caicos Islands one of the most inoculated countries in the world.
The Board stated that due to the ‘Beautiful by Nature’ British Caribbean islands’ commitment to the health and safety of its citizens, residents, and visitors, the country has received an Alert Level 2 from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Minister of Tourism, Hon. Josephine Connolly said that “travelers can take heart and be confident in their vacation plans, as they make the Turks and Caicos Islands their destination of choice to visit.” She added that “the Turks and Caicos Islands is one of the safest countries for travelers”.
The Ministry of Health and Human Services announced a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in April which is currently being administered to adults throughout the country, prioritizing those aged 60 and older or who are immunocompromised.
The Minister of Health, Hon. Jamell Robinson, said that “the COVID-19 pandemic was first and foremost a humanitarian crisis affecting people’s lives and livelihoods, but it also impacted our Islands further as tourism is an important part of our economy.”
The Honourable Minister mentioned that the government’s health team moved quickly to introduce measures aimed at containing the spread, while minimizing as much as possible the impact on the tourism sector.
In this regard, the great work of TCI’s health professionals and personnel is being celebrated this week with the launch of EMS Week 2022 – Rising to the Challenge last Sunday.
Hon. Robinson stated that his health team has “worked hard to restore traveler confidence and stimulate demand with new safe and clean labels for the health sector through information apps and continuous promotion campaigns.”
Hon. Connolly stated that when the country’s borders opened in July 2020, Turks and Caicos saw a steady increase in visitor arrivals. She went on to say that last year, the destination performed tremendously well, showing that the number of arrivals were returning to pre-Covid numbers.
She explained that as the tourism sector continues to rebound, the preliminary numbers have indicated that the Turks and Caicos is once again breaking visitor arrival records, with some 138,700 air arrivals and 173,100 cruise arrivals in the first quarter of 2022.
The Minister of Tourism continued to say that last month travel restrictions have relaxed significantly, so travelers are now being encouraged to embrace all that the Turks and Caicos Islands has to offer and create memories to last a lifetime.
Hon. Connolly reminded the public that while all travelers over the age of 18 must still show proof of full vaccination to visit the Islands, they are no longer required to provide a negative COVID-19 test or proof of travel insurance to gain entry as of 1st May 2022.
Also, she reminded persons that all visitors will no longer be required to upload their information to the TCI Assured Portal, as it was discontinued on Saturday, 30th April 2022. Moreover, face masks will no longer be required indoors and in enclosed spaces.
THE TCI TOURIST INDUSTRY IS BOOMING
According to the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board, the tourism sector continues to rebound as the Beautiful By Nature Islands once again breaks visitor arrival records, with over 138,700 air arrivals and 173,151 cruise arrivals in the first quarter of 2022.
Mary Lightbourne, Director of Tourism (Acting), Turks and Caicos Tourist Board declared that the tourism industry is poised for a full recovery. She stated that the first quarter of 2022 has been particularly strong in context to the destination revitalizing from the decline dealt to the sector by the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years.
Miss Lightbourne said that the Tourist Board is indeed buoyed by these figures, in particular the month of March, which is critical to the sector. She went on to say that the first quarter, especially March, is traditionally excellent for winter vacationers, having seen a robust in visitor arrivals, almost paralleling the corresponding month in 2019, which saw the best pre-COVID arrivals for the sector.
For the air arrivals specifically, the Board stated that the TCI saw an average increase of approximately 33% in stopover arrivals through the Providenciales International Airport and FBOs, growing from the 34,057 stopover arrivals in January 2022 to 44,596 stopover arrivals in February 2022, and 60,109 in March 2022.
The stopovers received in February 2022 was a significant increase of 248% year over year, according to the Board. As the destination received only 12,798 stopover arrivals in February 2021; a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the measures put in place to contain its diffusion.
The Tourist Board also emphasized that the U.S. market continues to dominate as the main source market claiming the majority of total visitor arrivals, January through March 2022.
Speaking specifically to cruise arrivals, the Board mentioned that in December 2021, when the TCI reopened its cruise sector, there was total of 25,573 arrivals during that month, which was 21% of arrivals seen in 2019.
They explained that the TCI then received 173,151 cruise visitors in the first three months of 2022, which was 62% of the 277,280 cruise arrivals received in the same three months of 2019. January welcomed 27 ships with 43,035 cruise visitors, whereas February received 24 ships and 50,148 cruise visitors, with March welcoming 28 ships and 79,968 cruise visitors.
The US’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention lifted its risk advisory for cruise ship travel in March 2022 - indicating that the public health measures in place on cruise ships are effective and will hopefully influence more cruise passengers.
Acting Director Lightbourne added that the arrival figures are indicative that the Turks and Caicos continue to be a much sought-after destination. She said that the TCI is on track to increase arrivals in the coming weeks and months, welcoming all our guests to our Beautiful by Nature isles.
FACEBOOK FRAUDSTER IN TRINIDAD & TOBAGO VENGEFULLY WOUNDED FRAUDSTER IN TRINIDAD & TOBAGO VENGEFULLY WOUNDED
In Trinidad & Tobago, two men attempting to lure buyers using a Facebook advertisement for a car that did not exist were not prepared for the potential customer who responded on Saturday, 21st May. The customer was asked to meet the sellers at Wayne Street, Cap-de-Ville, where he would be allowed to view the car.
A police report stated that the customer, an off-duty police officer, arrived at the location and was greeted by two men around 3.30p.m. that Saturday. Police said the men, armed with a Chinese chopper and a firearm, demanded that the officer hand over cash and other valuables.
The officer, who is attached to the Debe Police Post in Trinidad, told investigators that he saw his life was in imminent danger and drew his licensed firearm. The officer fired in the direction of the men, hitting the man armed with the chopper in his back, while the gunman ran away.
The wounded man, who lives in Tarodale, San Fernando, was taken to Point Fortin Hospital. Police say they have the identity of the second suspect and are searching for him
JAYSON TATUM RUNS RAMPANT AS CELTICS DOMINATE HEAT 102-82 IN GAME 4
The Boston Celtics could not have asked for a better time for Jayson Tatum to rediscover his best form than on Monday night. The 24-year-old, who has blossomed into one of the NBA's biggest stars this season, scored 31 points as the Celtics dominated the Miami Heat 102-82 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
After a disappointing Game 3 in which he scored just 10 points as the Heat comfortably won, Tatum looked back to his best, racking up eight rebounds and five assists as well. The result levels the best-of-seven series at 2-2, with the two sides facing off next in Game 5 in Miami on Wednesday.
When asked about his Game 3 performance, Tatum said that he felt like he let his teammates down, but he thinks he does a really good job of sleeping it off, regardless of having made 10 points or 46 points.
He went on to say that he is a big believer that you can't change what happened, so he didn't doubt himself. Tatum added that they definitely knew how important the game was, so everyone simply had to come up with a different sense of urgency.
Throughout the regular season, Boston's defense had been the No. 1 ranked in the NBA, and it showed why early on in Game 5, even without the NBA's defensive player of the year, Marcus Smart.
Miami missed 15 of their first 16 shots as the Celtics stifled the Heat, allowing them to build a 26-4 lead and cruise to a comfortable victory late on. Boston led by 27 points in the second quarter and as many as 32 points in the third. For the Heat, it was a disappointing outing after an impressive Game 3 performance on the road.
Nineteen students, two teachers dead after shooting at Texas elementary school
At least 19 students and two teachers are dead after a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday, a Texas Department of Public Safety tells ABC News.
The 18-year-old suspect, identified by law enforcement sources and Gov. Greg Abbott as Salvador Ramosa, a student at Uvalde High School, is also dead.
Ramosa also allegedly shot his grandmother before entering the school and again opening fire. The grandmother was listed in critical condition as of Tuesday night.
Authorities have recovered an AR-15-style rifle and numerous magazines, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News.
Multiple police officers were among those injured, according to the TX DPS spokesperson.
"When parents drop their kids off at school, they have every expectation to know that they're going to be able to pick their child up when that school day ends. And there are families who are in mourning right now," Abbott said. "The state of Texas is in mourning with them for the reality that these parents are not going to be able to pick up their children."
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has been briefed on the situation and the agency "is actively coordinating with federal, state, and local partners," a spokesperson said. Customs and Border Protection officials in the area also responded to the scene.
The National Counterterrorism Operations Center believes there is "no known terrorism nexus" at this time, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by ABC News.
Source-ABC
POTUS on TX shooting: calls for an assault weapons ban and rails against lawmakers who block gun control reform
With disgust evident in his voice, President Joe Biden railed against lawmakers who consistently block gun control reform in the United States, and mourned the loss of at least 18 school children, recounting his experience as Vice President during the Sandy Hook shooting of 2012.
Biden arrived in Washington DC Tuesday night from his first trip to Asia as President, where he met with Asian leaders. He said he learned about this latest shooting on the flight back, and he questioned why these shootings are so frequent in America.
What struck me on that 17 hour flight...was these kinds of mass shootings rarely happen anywhere else in the world. Why? They have mental health problems. They had domestic disputes in other countries. They have people who are lost. But these kinds of mass shootings never happen with the kind of frequency that happened in America,” he said
“Why are we willing to live with this carnage? Why do we keep letting this happen? Where in God's name is our backbone to the courage to deal with -to stand up the lobbies. It's time to turn this pain into action,” Biden said.
Biden also called for an assault weapons ban, something he achieved during his tenure as a senator but has since been rolled back.
“We can’t and won’t prevent every tragedy. But we know they work and have positive impact. When we passed the assault weapons ban, mass shootings went down. When the law expired, mass shootings tripled. The idea that an 18 year old kid can walk into a gun store and buy two assault weapons, it's just wrong. What in God's name do you need an assault weapon for accept to kill someone?” Biden said.
President Biden noted that it has been 3,448 days since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
“10 years since I stood up at a high school in Connecticut, a grade school in Connecticut where another gunman massacred 26 people including 20 first graders at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Since then, there have been over 900 incidents of gun fires reported on school grounds.”
The President listed a few of those shooting incidents including those at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida and Oxford High School in Michigan.
“When you include mass shootings at places like movie theaters, houses of worship, as we saw just 10 days ago at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York. I am sick and tired of it. We have to act and don't tell me we can't have an impact on this carnage,” he said.
The President closed his remarks by offering his prayers for the parents of the children who were killed today.
“Our prayer tonight, was for those parents, lying in bed and trying to figure out: Will I be able to sleep again? What do I say to my other children? What happens tomorrow?”
“May God bless the loss of innocent life on this sad day. And May the Lord be near the brokenhearted and save those crushed his spirit. Cause they're going to need a lot of help. A lot of our prayers. God love you.”
Source-ABC
Maverick City Music reigns as #1 on Billboard with "Jireh"
Contemporary gospel collective Maverick City Music remains in the #1 spot on Billboard's Hot Gospel Songs chart with their 2019 hit song "Jireh."
Following its #1 debut in April, this week serves as the 59th time the song has landed on the chart, beating out its own 2020 hit, "Promises," which lands at #2, as well as Kanye's "Praise God" and "Hurricane" in the third and fourth spots, respectively.
"Jireh," the collaboration with North Carolina gospel collective Elevation Worship and featuring Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine, is one of 13 songs on the 2021 album Old Church Basement. It went on to earn each group their first Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Album at the 2022 ceremony.
Other Maverick City songs on the gospel chart include "Firm Foundation (He Won't)" featuring Chandler Moore & Cody Carnes and "Worthy Of My Song (Worthy Of It All)" featuring Phil Wickham, Chandler Moore and the Maverick City Gospel Choir.
Maverick City recently announced the Kingdom Tour with Kirk Franklin, set to kick off June 1 in Miami, and the duo's joint album, Kingdom Book 1, out Friday, June 17.
Speaking of the forthcoming album, Maverick City's Jonathan Jay said in a press release, "I think this album is for every fan that loves music, and our hope is that these songs and the stories behind them will serve as a way to raise awareness to the challenges that people face every day – many of which are forgotten about."
Source-ABC