TCI Commissioner issues Christmas Greetings
Commissioner of Police James Smith, has issued a Christmas greeting to residents of the Turks & Caicos Islands.
"Once again we find ourselves in the Holiday Season, that very special time of year when we join with our friends and loved ones in sharing centuries old traditions and spending time with family and friends. I want to wish everyone a merry Christmas and remind you that the Royal Turks & Caicos Islands Police Force is here to protect you and look after you and that we will be working thought this period to keep you safe. Whilst having fun and spreading good cheer I would ask that people do not drink and drive, designate a driver or make arrangements to be transported by someone else. Already this year we have seen too many terrible road crashes where individuals have suffered life changing injuries, all of these could be prevented.
It’s also worth remembering that at this time of the year with lots of valuable presents, burglars are on the lookout for this and will take every opportunity to take advantage of your relaxed mood. Make sure to keep your homes and businesses well secured and keep any eye on your neighbors if they are away from home. Do not leave your vehicles unattended with the keys inside or your valuable property on show, remove it from the vehicle or store it in the boot out of sight.
We continue to deal with over six thousand calls for help each year and attempt to get you the assistance you need in the quickest possible time. Some of these calls require men and women of the Police Force to walk towards danger, I recognize the sacrifices and commitment police officers make on a daily basis in the interest of public safety and assure you we will carry that same commitment into the New Year.
On behalf of officers and staff of the Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force we wish you, your families and loved ones a safe and happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year."
Coping with Grief and Loss during the Holiday Season
Christmas and New Year’s Day are annual holidays that can be very difficult for people who have experienced the loss of a loved one.
Watching others who are feeling thankful and are celebrating when you feel overwhelmed, lonely or sad can be very painful.
Here are some Tips for Coping with Grief and Loss during the Holidays
Set realistic expectations for yourself. Decide if you can still handle the responsibilities you’ve had in the past. Examine the tasks and events of celebrating and ask yourself if you want to continue them. Take others up on offers to cook, shop or decorate.
Surround yourself with people who love and support you. Share your plans with family and friends and let them know of any intended changes in holiday routine. Memories can sometimes be a source of comfort to the bereaved. Share your memories with others of holidays spent with your loved one by telling stories and looking at photo albums.
Try to avoid “canceling” the holiday despite the temptation. It is OK to avoid some circumstances that you don’t feel ready to handle, but don't isolate yourself. Allow yourself some time for solitude, remembering and grieving, but balance it with planned activities with others.
Allow yourself to feel joy, sadness, anger – allow yourself to grieve. It is important to recognize that everyone will have his/her own unique grief experience and may have different needs related to celebrating the holidays. No one way is right or wrong. Experiencing joy and laughter does not mean you have forgotten your loved one.
Take care of yourself. Avoid using alcohol to self-medicate your mood. If possible, treat yourself to something you enjoy doing and find healthy ways to relax such as going to the beach, playing a sport, listening to music or getting a massage.
Seek professional help if you need it. Despite your best efforts, you may find yourself feeling persistently sad, unable to sleep, irritable and hopeless, and unable to face routine chores. If these feelings last for a while, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional.
Avoid bottling stuff up. Getting stuff off your chest is important. Tension can build up if you keep your feelings to yourself, and finding a way to get it out can help you feel better. You may want to talk to someone, write your thoughts down, draw, or cry.
The most important thing to remember is there is no right or wrong way to celebrate the holiday season after the death of a loved one, and that the best way to cope with that first holiday season is to plan ahead, get support from others and take it easy.
FORECAST FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT THURSDAY 24TH DECEMBER 2015
GENERAL SITUATION: A STRONG HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE REMAINS OVER THE ISLANDS CREATING FRESH TO STRONG BREEZES.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: MARINERS AND BEACHGOERS SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXERCISE CAUTION DUE TO ROUGH SURF CONDITIONS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF HAZARDOUS RIP CURRENTS MAINLY AT BEACHES ALONG THE EASTERN SHORELINES.
NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS
WEATHER: MOSTLY SUNNY, WARM AND BREEZY WITH THE CHANCE OF BRIEF PASSING SHOWERS MAINLY OVER THE EXTREME NORTHWEST BAHAMAS... TURNING MAINLY FAIR AND BREEZY TONIGHT
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 25 KNOTS
SEAS: 5 TO 8 FEET OVER THE OCEAN
SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
WEATHER: SUNNY, WARM AND WINDY WITH THE CHANCE OF A BRIEF SHOWER...TURNING MAINLY FAIR AND WINDY TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT
WINDS: EASTERLY AT 25 TO 30 KNOTS
SEAS: 10 TO 14 FEET OVER THE OCEAN
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE: 86F 30C
OVERNITE LOW TEMPERATURE: 68F 20C
SUNRISE: 6:52AM SUNSET: 5:27PM
MOONRISE: 5:04PM MOONSET: 6:46AM FRI.
HIGH TIDE: 6:31AM LOW TIDE: 12:59PM
HIGH TIDE: 6:50PM LOW TIDE: 12:57AM FRI.
EXTENDED FORECAST: HIGH PRESSURE WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH BRISK WINDS CONTINUING
FORECAST FOR FRIDAY
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY, BREEZY AND WARM WITH A FEW PASSING SHOWERS
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 25 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS...EASTERLY AT 25 TO 30 KNOTS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
SEAS: 5 TO 8 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND 10 TO 14 FEET IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
FORECAST FOR SATURDAY
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY WARM AND BREEZY WITH A STRAY SHOWER OR TWO
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 25 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS...EASTERLY AT 25 TO 30 KNOTS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
SEAS: 5 TO 8 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS...10 TO 14 FEET IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
J'can woman arrested in Cayman for residency scam
A Jamaican woman living here, has been convicted for her part in a permanent residency scam which involved two other women.
Marcia Hamilton was convicted on six counts of obtaining property by deception, when she appeared in court earlier this week.
Another woman Judith Douglas, pleaded guilty to similar offences.
The third woman, Kathleen Davis, also a Jamaican, fled the country before she could be charged.
According to police reports, Hamilton who received permanent status during in 2003, denied the charges, claiming she was not part of a conspiracy because she believed the Permanent Residency offer she assisted with was a legitimate scheme.
However, trial judge – Justic Charles Quin, ruled that Hamilton knew that the people she and her co-accused scammed for US$2,500 each were never going to get Permanent Residency.
The exact number of victims have not been confirmed but lists of names and documented cash payments found in Hamilton’s car and home suggested that dozens of people could have all paid fees of to secure what they all believed would be the right to live and work in the Cayman Islands.
Quin said he found the evidence was overwhelming that Hamilton acted together with the two other women to deliberately defraud their victims.
He described the receipts, ledgers and documentation found in Hamilton’s possession as damning evidence that showed she was, as the crown claimed, “the money lady” in the scheme and that she was not just assisting friends and family to help them get permanent residency.
The judge described Hamilton as an “intelligent and resourceful” woman who ran a business and who was familiar with the immigration system and would have known how the system really works to get residency.
The fraud took place between October 2009 and April 2010.
Hamilton and Douglas, who are out on bail, will be sentenced on February 25.
Source-CMC
US broadband adoption stalls, as more go mobile
Adoption of home broadband has stalled in the United States, as more Americans opt for Internet on the go with mobile devices, a survey showed Monday.
A Pew Research Center survey found 67 per cent of Americans had high-speed Internet at home in 2015, down slightly from 70 per cent in 2013.
Pew said that this “small, but statistically significant” decline puts broadband back to 2012 levels, and is likely due to the growing number of adults who are “smartphone only” Internet users.
The decline “could represent a blip or might be a more prolonged reality,” the Pew report said.
Some 13 per cent of those surveyed said they used smartphones exclusively for Internet in 2015, up from eight per cent two years earlier.
Overall, the percentage with Internet access through either a smartphone or a home broadband subscription has changed little since 2013 — 80 per cent this year compared with 78 per cent two years earlier.
Pew researchers noted, however, that people dependent on smartphones sometimes face challenges in some online activities, such as applying for jobs.
“Those who are ‘smartphone dependent’ for access encounter distinct challenges,” said researcher John Horrigan.
“If they have both kinds of access, most people prefer to use their smartphone for getting in touch with family or friends but prefer a device that uses a home broadband connection for watching video. At the same time, many ‘smartphone only’ users sometimes struggle to do some of the things they want to do online.”
Many of the “smartphone only” Americans are people with relatively low incomes, African Americans or rural residents.
Those without broadband at home acknowledged they were at a disadvantage in terms of finding a job, getting information about health or government services or keeping up with news.
Among those without home broadband, one-third cited the monthly cost of service as the main reason while 10 per cent cited the cost of owning a computer.
Pew found 68 per cent in the survey owned a smartphone, a sharp rise from 55 per cent two years ago.
The survey also found 15 per cent of adults were “cord cutters”, who lack a paid cable or satellite television service.
Many said they are able to get the television they want from online sources like Netflix,
Hulu or YouTube.
The report is based on a survey of 2,001 American adults in June and July of 2015, with comparison to research conducted in 2013.
Source-AFP
NBA Joins Fight Against Gun Violence in America
The Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund has teamed up with the National Basketbal Association and Spike Lee to launch a campaign hoping to combat gun violence in America.
The End Gun Violence campaign focuses on "the 88 Americans who are killed with guns every day and the hundreds more who are injured," according to a press release.
The first of a series of public service announcements will feature basketball stars like the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry and Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks, among others, and will air on ABC and ESPN’s NBA game coverage on Christmas Day. The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of ABC and ESPN.
The basketball stars said this is a cause close to their hearts.
"All over America people are tired of daily gun violence," said Anthony. "But I’ve spoken with people about this in Baltimore, in New York, and across the United States and I know people are ready for their voices to be heard. Basketball brought me to a different route in my life, but every kid should have an outlet to reach his or her full potential. Using my platform to speak out, I know we can keep guns out of the wrong hands and save lives."
"I heard over the summer about a shooting that killed a three-year-old girl, and I immediately thought of my three-year-old daughter Riley," said Curry. "We’ve come together as a country to solve problems before – gun violence should be no different."
Chris Pratt Visits Kids "Who Don't Get to Be at Home for Xmas"
"I am truly living the dream," Pratt said on Instagram, before adding, "Say a prayer for all those kids who don't get to be at home for Xmas."
The actor even added his own: "Psalm 37:3–4 'Trust in the LORD, and do good. Dwell in the land, and enjoy safe pasture. Also delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.'"
The hospital also posted pictures of the visit, including a heartbreaking one of a baby amidst a tangle of IVs and monitor wires, smiling and reaching up to touch the face of the surgical mask-wearing actor, who happens to be holding a dancing Baby Groot toy for the little patient.
Pratt is no stranger to hospital visits -- indeed, he made no secret of secreting his Star-Lord costume from the Guardians of the Galaxy set just so he could wear it for such occasions in case the movie was a hit, which of course it was.
He also got a chance to make good on that promise after the Super Bowl, when his beloved Seahawks fell to the Chris Evans' hometown heroes the New England Patriots.
Pratt's lost bet with Captain America meant he had to show up as Star-Lord to visit Christopher’s Haven in Boston, Massachusetts. Not to be outdone in the real-life hero category, however, Evans, incidentally suited up in his spangly outfit for a separate visit to the Seattle Children's Hospital.
Source-ABC
Kim and Kourtney Kardashian's Kids Star on Family Christmas Card
The annual Kardashian family Christmas card was revealed on Wednesday, and this time it features the clan's littlest members.
Kim Kardashian's two-and-a-half-year-old daughter North joins Kourtney Kardashian‘s children with Scott Disick — Mason, 6, Penelope, 3, and Reign, 1 -- for this year's card, which Kim debuted on her app and website.
"It's been such a hectic year for our family so we just decided to have the kids in this year's holiday card," she explains. "They represent pure love, which is all you need!
As for why the newest Kardashian, Kim's son Saint, doesn't appear in the card, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star writes, "Saint wasn't born yet when we shot this, or he would have of course been included."
"Next year!" she adds.
Kourtney also tweeted the greeting to her more than 17 million followers, along with the message, "All you need is love. Merry Christmas!"
The family will be spending Christmas Eve at their mom Kris Jenner's house, although the gathering will be a little smaller this year.
“It’s been a tradition as long as I can remember,” Kim, wrote on her website and app last week, according to People magazine. “[This year] we have definitely downsized the party because I think the older we get, and with all of us being so busy, it’s more important to spend the holidays with our immediate family and really close friends.”
Keeping Up with the Kardashians airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on E!
Source-ABC
Which Celebrities Tweeted the Most in 2015?
A lot of celebrities are on Twitter these days, but which ones were the chattiest in 2015? The answer might surprise you, according to the New York Post.
The celeb with the most tweets was hip-hop DJ Funkmaster Flex, who tweeted 42,859 messages this past year. That comes out to 121 tweets per day, or five per hour.
Blue Bloods star Donnie Wahlberg came in second, according to the newspaper. He sent a whopping 33,510 tweets over the past year.
Rounding out the top five are hip-hop artist Talib Kweli with 25,249, Love & Hip Hop star Milan Christopher with 19,766 and actor William Shatner, who posted 14,648 messages on Twitter.
The data was provided by Twittercounter.com, an analytics firm which tracks more than 200 million Twitter accounts.
The complete list is as follows:
1. Funkmaster Flex: 42,859 tweets
2. Donnie Wahlberg: 33,510 tweets
3. Talib Kweli: 25,249 tweets
4. Milan Christopher: 19,766 tweets
5. William Shatner: 14,648 tweets
6. Joe Budden: 14,598 tweets
7. Michael Ian Black: 13,245 tweets
8. Ryan Leslie: 11,116 tweets
9. K. Michelle: 10,479 tweets
10. Jenny McCarthy: 10,270 tweets
11. Ken Jeong: 9,728 tweets
12. MC Hammer: 9,376 tweets
13. Andy Richter: 9,289 tweets
14. DJ Khaled: 8,523 tweets
15. RuPaul: 8,508 tweets
Source-ABC
Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez Speaks Out Following Miss Universe Crowning Mistake
Following Sunday night's crowning mistake at the Miss Universe pageant, Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez posted a long message on Instagram about being "able to bring happiness to my country after becoming Miss Universe for only a couple of minutes."
Host Steve Harvey announced Gutierrez as the winner by mistake, but came back out on stage to reveal that Miss Philippines had actually won and Colombia was first runner-up.
"After the storm comes the calm. I want to thank each and everyone of you who have sent messages of support and strength," Gutierrez wrote next to a picture from the pageant. "Every one of you has become an incredible human being in my book and I am the most fortunate and thankful for having the support not only from one country but from the whole entire world. Your destiny is written for you. And my destiny was this."
Gutierrez, 21, said that even though she only wore the crown for a few minutes, "I was able to bring happiness to my country."
"Today because of that COLOMBIA and the LATIN COMMUNITY are being talked about in every corner of the world. I also want to congratulate the Philippines for their new Miss Universe," she continued. "Life continues and in the future we will find out why things happen the way they happen. Thank you all for your LOVE SUPPORT and KINDNESS."
After the error, Harvey tweeted, "I'd like to apologize wholeheartedly to Miss Colombia & Miss Philippines for my huge mistake. I feel terrible."
The pageant itself weighed in with its own apology on Twitter. Still, its parent company, WME/IMG, has said it would welcome Harvey back as host.
Source-ABC