Police Investigate Fatal Accident
Traffic officers of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force are investigating an accident that occurred this morning which resulted in the death of a 55 year old female of the Dominican Republic.
Around 9:45am Officers and Paramedics responded to the scene located on Bible Street, Blue Hills where it was ascertained that while a White Suzuki Water truck was reversing the female was hit. She was pronounced dead at 9:48am.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine d the exact caused of death.
Ocean Club hotel robbers found guilty
THE TWO men who in July 2016 invaded two tourists' hotel room and robbed them $40,000 in jewellery and cash while they sleep, were on Wednesday found guilty in a Providenciales court.
Jamal Thompson Missick and Paul Missick were on Wednesday afternoon (May 3) found guilty by a seven member jury, who returned unanimous verdicts on the charge of burglary for both.
Justice Robert Shuster, who presided over the trial in the Supreme Court, ordered a pre-sentencing report be submitted to the court, and the defendants will return for sentencing on May 30.
The trial lasted six days.
Jamal Thompson Missick was represented by attorney-at-law Lara Maroof-Missick and Paul Missick's defence was handled by Guy Chapman.
The charges were laid against the two men shortly after the shocking robbery against a vacationing couple.
On the day in question, at the Ocean Club East resort in Providenciales, at about 1.58am, one of the victims contacted 911 and reported that two men entered their hotel room and stole over $5,000 in cash, two Rolex watches, along with an engagement ring and IDs.
One victim, Shameka Watson, told the police that one of the culprits was being restrained by her boyfriend, Tyshawn Corbett.
When officers arrived on the scene, the victims pointed to one of the culprits who was unsuccessful in getting away.
Just three days after, police officials announced that the second man, Jamal Missick, turned himself in to police authorities after a nationwide 'wanted' poster was issued for his arrest.
In an interview with this publication at the time of the incident both Corbett and Watson expressed disappointment and fear after their ordeal.
Corbett said: "My girlfriend and I were sleeping when I heard someone removing my chain [jewellery] off of the dresser. I woke up. I then saw two guys running out of our room.
"I thought it was a dream, but I just reacted. I chased them outside and I caught one of them, and he had my chain in his hand. I just restrained him until the police came."
The victim explained that the burglar fought back and that there was a struggle among the two of them.
Corbett added that his girlfriend celebrated her birthday just days ago and that he had plans to propose to her for her birthday, before the robbery happened.
"We are just blessed to be here, because they could have killed us," Corbett said.
Watson described the situation as "unfair" and said that she was thankful that it did not have a more severe outcome.
She said: "It's not even the materialistic stuff, because we can get those things back. It is the fact that I haven't been able to sleep since Saturday, and every time I hear a noise or a sound, I am jumping up.
"I am paranoid. You close your eyes and you think there's someone standing over you, watching you sleep.
"That's an unsettling feeling. I will never be able to go to another resort anywhere in the world because of this experience.
"This was supposed to have been an occasion of me to celebrate my birthday, and we weren't even on the island for four hours before this happened."
Paba semi finals game 4
Defending champions Knights put on a spectacular performance for the fans as they advanced to their second consecutive Paba finals after taming the three time defending champs GT stallions 81-74.
Levenskay Missick led the way for the stallions with 17 points, 5 rebounds, Clifton Jean chipped in with 15 pts3 rebounds and Enrico Smith added 12 points. Andujar Gardiner continued to put on an MVP like performance with 26 points, 8 rebounds, 1 block, 5 steals while Melvin Elsie added 19 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists 3 steals for the Knights. The Knights won the series 3-1 and sent the Stallions home.
The flyers rebounded from a painful loss in game 3 to even their series against the predators and send their semi finals into a deciding game five. The winner of that game will face the confident and resurgent knights in the Paba finals which will kick off on Saturday night.
Darly Francois scored 18 points, 7 rebounds and Charlton Stubbs added 14 points. Anthony Cash returned to his normal style of play to lead the scoring for the flyers with 21pts, 5 rebounds 2 steals and Jakee Been chipped in with 15 points and 3 rebounds.
Game 5 between the flyers and the predators will be played on Friday night.
JAGS McCartney Relays Ready for 2017
The annual JAGS McCartney Relays will be hosted by the Turks and Caicos Amateur Athletic Association (TCAAA) and the Commonwealth Games Association (CGA).
The relays will take place at the Grand Turk Parade Grounds on 29 May 2017 as they celebrate and honor our national hero by doing what he was passionate about, promoting the future of the young Turks and Caicos Islander.
Today May 9th, 2017, marks 37th anniversary since the passing of our 1st National hero and as a mark of respect, the CGA & the TCAAA will be inviting students from the various high schools around the island to participate and show case their talent before an esteem coach from St. JAGO High School out of Jamaica.
RTC Sports was told that the relays are open to boys and girls and will also be extended to the primary schools on Grand Turk.
Both Presidents via telephone lamented that this event promises to expose the future athletes to various opportunities and offers the possibility of professional training and competing on an international level.
RTC Sports will have more on the relays as we get closer.
PABA SEMIS HEATS UP FOR PREDATORS & KNIGHTS
The Predators and Knights lead the PABA best of five semi-finals series 2-1 in their respective games as game 4 gets set to kick off Wed night.
The Predators preyed on the Flyers 74-71 to clinch the win on Monday night in an overtime thriller. Charlton Stubbs scored 15 pts and grabbed 7 rebounds for the Predators. Carlos Bassett chipped in with 14 pts 8 rebounds and Darly Francois added 12 pts.
Jakee Been led the way for the Flyers with 18 pts, 6 rebounds while Anthony Cash chipped in with 13 pts, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Turnovers, missed layups and free throws plagued the Flyers. Ray Harris of the flyers had a chance to win the game for his team but issued two crucial free throws to send the game into overtime.
In game two the Knights tamed the Stallions 88-87 in another nail biter.
Clifton Jean scored 21 pts 12 rebounds and Enrico Smith chipped in with 15 pts, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Andujar Gardiner did most of the damage for the Knights with 27 pts, 5 rebounds and 5 steals but was eventually fouled out of the game in the fourth quarter.
Melvin Elsie junior added 18 pts, 5 rebounds and 2 steals for the Knights for the win.
It's a matter of do or die, win or go fishing for the Flyers and the Stallions tonight. Flyers must minimize their turnovers, score free throws and focus on the game if they are to take this series to a game five says Kelcy Brooks. While Amin McCartney added that the GT Stallions must get some assistance from their second unit coming off the bench if they intend to stop the Knights prolific scoring by Andujar Gardiner and the speed of Melvin Elsie.
Caribbean Tourism Organization delegation visits Turks and Caicos Islands
The Ministry of Tourism, Environment, Heritage & Culture in collaboration with the Ministry of Education welcomed, on 1st May a delegation from the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) namely Ms. Faye Gill, Director of Membership Services and Ms. Bonita Morgan, Director of Resource Mobilization & Development.
The delegation met with Minister of Tourism Hon. Ralph Higgs and Minister of Education Hon. Josephine Connolly, including senior personnel from the Ministries and members of the Turks and Caicos Tourist Board. The primary objective of the meeting was to provide insight and opportunities offered by the CTO and to address avenues of assistance as it relates to the inclusion of tourism subjects in the school's curriculum.
Minister Higgs commented; "We are indeed grateful for the opportunity to have met with officials from CTO where we were able to discuss ways to advance cooperation and mutual interests with respect to tourism related topics in our schools. The Turks and Caicos for a number of years, has enjoyed a solid relationship with the CTO of which we plan to build on."
CTO is the regions tourism development agency, whose mission is "To provide to and through its members the services and information necessary for the development of sustainable tourism, for the social and economic benefit of the People of the Caribbean". There are approximately 28 member countries including the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The CTO recently launched its digital tourism education learning series which includes four e-tourism workbooks, activities and videos designed for use by teachers and students ages 6-11. The aim is to integrate tourism topics in schools curriculum to build greater awareness among young students regarding tourism.
Hon. Josephine Connolly stated; "The tourism and hospitality sector is a major contributor to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Tourism industry provides various employment opportunities within its sector and impacts other business entities relating to tourism services. Development of a curricula for implementation in the high school would give the students the benefit from exposure to the concepts and principles of tourism, and their practical application to the real environment. The global tourism map today is much richer and wider with more destination options than it was three decades ago, so we here in the Turks and Caicos Islands have to protect our destination and prepare our students entering the hospitality environment for competition and service."
The delegation will depart the country on May 3rd 2017.
Turks and Caicos Islands signs on to CARICOM Advance Passenger Information System
The Deputy Premier and Minister with responsibilities for the Ministry of Border Control and Employment Hon. Sean Astwood, led a delegation to Bridgetown, Barbados for the signing of the CARICOM Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) with the United States.
On the 24th May 2017 at the Border Security Professional Exchange Conference the signing took place between the U.S Ambassador to Barbados, Her Excellency Linda Taglialetela and the Deputy Premier where the Turks and Caicos Islands became the first associated member country amongst the six Overseas Territories to sign on to APIS programme.
The Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) is an automated system established for aviation and maritime operators that have the capability of enhancing border security over the Region by supplying Law Enforcement Officers with data on passengers and crew members prior to arrival and departure from CARICOM Member States, United Kingdom, United States and Canada. This system was established by the U.S. Customs Border Protection (CBP) in May 2009.
The Ambassador during her speech explained that by "adopting APIS, will further allow countries to secure their airports and ports which leads them to enhancing their regional security". She also went on further to state that "persons must work within the sovereign states to identify issues and discuss implementable solution."
The Deputy Premier Hon. Sean Astwood expressed that; "The signing marked a historic occasion as the Turks and Caicos Islands embarked on a path of modernizing our border security regime through the cooperation agreement between the United States of America and the Caribbean counterparts". He explained that; "Signing of the memorandum was a significant and important step in achieving full implementation in the APIS in the Turks and Caicos Islands and by extension improves security for our region."
During the conference Senior Immigration Officer Latoya Mitchell gave a brief presentation of the Immigration Department and its role in securing the borders of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The delegation consisted of Deputy Premier Hon. Sean Astwood, Head of Secretariat Ms. Cynara John and Senior Immigration Officer Ms. Latoya Mitchell.
The APIS should be fully operational by September 2017.
TCHTA Hosts Management Training with Top Regional Trainer
Forty (40) managers and supervisors from various organisations within our hotel industry recently attended a two-day Customer Service Training session, aimed at encouraging participants to explore the responsibilities within their roles as leaders in the customer service environment.
The training entitled “The Customer Journey” was hosted by the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association and facilitated by Kyran “Darron” Turnquest, a Bahamian native celebrated for his distinct ability to inspire, motivate, cultivate and drive the change process. During the sessions, Turnquest, an accomplished counselling psychology, public speaker, youth development specialist and corporate trainer, encouraged the leaders to be the change they want to see as an unmotivated team can cause a business to lose revenue and customers.
While thanking Turnquest for facilitating the training as well as congratulating him on his recent certification as an International Project Manager, TCHTA’s Executive Director Stacy Cox noted, “A service team is only as good as its leader so leadership development is essential as it helps sustain great service, establish standards, communicate these standards and lead teams to success.”
Cox added, “This two-day session was a refresher for our managers and supervisors on the need to lead, model and promote the organisational values within a customer service environment as well as provide opportunities for them to explore the responsibilities, within their roles as leaders.”
Attending the training were representatives from The Alexandra Resort, Beach House, Blue Haven, CIBC FirstCaribbean, Blue Haven Marina, FedEx, Gansevoort, Grace Bay Car Rentals, Grace Bay Club, Graceway Gourmet, IGA and Smart, Invest Turks & Caicos, Ocean Club Resort, Point Grace Resort, Ports of Call Resort, Iriedawta Private Chef, The Meridian Club, Pine Cay Resort and Windsong Resort.
Training opportunities are available to all TCHTA members, with the Association seeking opportunities for members to grow and improve their organisations as well as their teams.
MESSAGE FROM HE THE GOVERNOR Dr. John Freeman
“There is no substitute for preparation. This is true for disaster management as for many other aspects of life. As we approach this year’s hurricane season, we should not assume that what didn’t happen last year won’t happen this year. We should remind ourselves that TCI had a very close call last year when Hurricane Matthew diverted at the last minute and reaped such havoc and destruction resulting in the loss of hundreds of lives in Haiti.
Led by the hard-working DDME team, TCI is already actively engaged in preparation for the forthcoming hurricane season – and not only for hurricanes, but for other possible disasters such as flooding.
I am determined to play my part in the collective task of mitigating the risks so as to make ourselves - as an Islands-wide community - as ready for all contingencies as possible. I know too that this is the shared objective of the Premier and of other Ministers and of other relevant agencies both public and private.
But this isn’t only a question of preparation by DDME or Government more widely, it is also a task for us all as individuals and as family members. We all have a part to play.”
Hurricane Preparedness Month, May 2017
With the 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season being only four (4) weeks away, the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME) will be observing its Annual Hurricane Preparedness Month (HMP) Campaign beginning Monday 1st May, 2017 under the Theme, “Are You Prepared for the Unexpected?” HPM 2017 seeks to encourage early Hurricane Preparedness by community members, businesses, schools, government and non-government organizations throughout the Turks and Caicos.
Preliminary predictions by the Tropical Meteorology Project at the Colorado University for the 2017 Hurricane Season is forecasting a less average season; with (11) named storms, (4) of which will develop into hurricanes with two (2) developing into a major hurricane (Category 3 or 5).
Despite the predictions for the upcoming hurricane season, the DDME would like to encourage residents to begin preparations early. Additionally, let us be reminded that the formation of storms before the commencement of the Hurricane Season is not unlikely. On April 19th, 2017 a Sub-Tropical Depression was formed in the Central Atlantic, 890 miles West-Southwest of Azore, which later develop into Tropical Storm Arlene; the first named storm for 2017. In 2016, Alex was first hurricane since Alice in 1955 to form in the month of January. Prior to Alice, there was an unnamed storm in 1938.
To this end, the DDME cannot over emphasize the importance of early preparation as Hurricane Awareness and Readiness can help to reduce the impact of hurricane on our lives, communities and businesses. In fact, research has shown that families, individuals, and businesses, who know their vulnerability and who have taken concrete steps to prepare for an event are more likely to increase their chances of surviving than those who are not prepared.
In Dr. Virginia Clerveaux’s (Director of DDME) hurricane preparedness message for 2017, she reminds us that “it takes a single hurricane to wreak havoc on our social, economic and environmental landscape, so irrespective of these predictions, let us do our utmost as a nation and as individuals, to be prepared. Let us strive not to be complacent and let our reflections on past events such as Tropical Storm Hanna and Hurricane Ike in 2008 and other events in neighboring nations such as the Bahamas and Haiti, inform our call to action for this Hurricane Season.”
Several activities have been planned to mark the month, and are as follows:
• State of Preparedness Meeting – May 2, 2017
• Training in Website and Social Media Management for Disaster Management –May 3, 2017
• Ceremony to Launch Hurricane Preparedness Month, North Caicos - May 5, 2017
• National Church Service at the Harvest Bible Chapel, Providenciales - May 7, 2017
• Staff Capacity Building – Governor’s Hurricane Conference – May 13 – 19, 2017
• Art Competition for Primary Schools, May 30, 2017
• Poetry Competition for Primary Schools, May 30, 2017
• Inter High School Debate – May 31, 2017
• Family Plan (with Gender Affairs) -TBD
• Business Continuity Plans for Government and Private Sector - TBD
• Publication of DDME Quarterly Newsletter – May 2017