Tribute to Jim Kelly: A Legacy of Passion, Empowerment, and Hope
Director of Sports, Jarret Forbes shared heartfelt condolences to the sporting & boxing community.
Forbes added, "It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the untimely passing of Jim Kelly Joseph, a man whose life was a testament to his motto: “Humble. Discipline. Respect.” Jim embodied these values in every aspect of his work and life, leaving a profound impact on our community that will never be forgotten. To know Jim Kelly was to know a man of deep conviction, a relentless advocate for youth, and a voice of hope and empowerment for all.
Jim Kelly was more than a boxing instructor at the Felix Morley Community Center and a fitness instructor for the Let’s Move TCI campaign—he was a mentor, a leader, and a fierce advocate for change. From the day I met him, Jim Kelly spoke with unwavering passion about his vision for our youth, especially young men and boys. He believed in their potential, even when they didn’t believe in themselves, and he dedicated his life to guiding them toward discipline, purpose, and a future free from violence. He spoke fervently about his desire to see young men in Turks and Caicos thrive, break free from cycles of violence, and embrace discipline, confidence, and purpose.
Through boxing, Jim Kelly instilled more than just physical strength in his trainees. He taught them resilience, respect, and the value of hard work. He would often share videos of his students, brimming with excitement as he declared, “This one will be the next champion.” But for Jim, it was never just about winning—building character and transforming lives.
Jim’s dedication was deeply personal. He carried dreams not only for himself and his family but for an entire community. He envisioned a generation of strong, disciplined, and respectful young men who would lead with integrity. His pride as a father was unmatched—he often spoke of his deep love for his son, the challenges they overcame together, and the joy he found in watching his son thrive. While we grieve his loss, we are grateful that his son survived this tragedy, a testament to Jim’s legacy of love and strength.
As we reflect on Jim’s contributions, we are reminded that his work is not done. Jim Kelly’s legacy calls us to continue his mission of empowering our youth, promoting discipline and respect, and believing in the transformative power of sports. We are committed to ensuring that his dreams for our community are fulfilled and that his efforts are not in vain.
To his family and loved ones, we extend our deepest condolences. Jim Kelly was a man of vision, compassion, and unwavering dedication to making a difference. He will be profoundly missed, but his values and mission will live on in every program he touched every young person he inspired, and every heart he moved.
Rest in peace, Jim Kelly Joseph. You were a true champion, not just in the ring but in life, and your impact will continue to shape our community for generations to come.''
WEATHER FORECAST FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS
GENERAL SITUATION: Fair weather conditions persist as a high-pressure ridge builds across the area.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: A SMALL CRAFT CAUTION WILL COME INTO EFFECT TONIGHT DUE TO ELEVATED SEAS.
WEATHER: Partly sunny with isolated showers possible. Mostly fair and cool tonight.
WINDS: Northeast to east at 10 knots or less
SEAS: 3 feet or less in the Caicos Bank, 2 to 4 feet nearshore building up to 6 feet offshore in Atlantic waters
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 82°F 28°C
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURE 67°F 19°C
SUNSET: 05:25 PM
NEXT LOW TIDE: 02:18 PM (0.7 FT)
NEXT HIGH TIDE: 07:54 PM (2.3 FT)
EXTENDED FORECAST (NEXT TWO DAYS): High pressure will continue to build over the area, maintaining relatively dry and cool conditions. A frontal boundary will move through late Wednesday or Thursday, potentially triggering some shower activity.
TUESDAY: Partly to mostly sunny, with a high near 81.
TUESDAY NIGHT: Mostly fair, with a low of around 68.
WINDS: Northeasterly at 10 knots or less
SEAS: 3 feet or less in the Caicos Bank, 2 to 4 feet nearshore building up to 6 feet offshore in Atlantic waters
SUNRISE: 06:29 AM
SUNSET: 05:26 PM
LOW TIDE: 02:04 AM (0.3 FT) 03:04 PM (0.7 FT)
HIGH TIDE: 08:36 AM (3.3 FT) 08:42 PM (2.3 FT)
WEDNESDAY: Partly to mostly sunny, with a high near 81.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: A low (20 percent) chance of showers overnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 68.
WINDS: Northeasterly at 10 knots or less, becoming north to northeast at 10 to 15 knots in the evening.
SEAS: 3 feet or less in the Caicos Bank, 2 to 4 feet nearshore building up to 6 feet offshore in Atlantic waters
SUNRISE: 06:29 AM
SUNSET: 05:26 PM
LOW TIDE: 02:53 AM (0.3 FT) 03:48 PM (0.7 FT)
HIGH TIDE: 09:22 AM (3.3 FT) 09:30 PM (2.3 FT)
FORECASTER: H. HAMILTON
Commissioner (ag) Bailey's New Year's Message
Good Day, Turks and Caicos Islands,
I welcome this opportunity to address you as we stand on the cusp of a New Year.
It is a time for reflection, gratitude, and determination as we collectively chart a path toward a brighter future.
2024 was a difficult year in policing. We lost several young men to gang violence, and innocent lives were felled by the use of illegal firearms.
To the families who lost loved ones, accept our condolences. I know that our words may ring hollow, but the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force is doing everything possible to bring you closure.
I wish to pay tribute to the vast majority of our law-abiding and industrious citizens, who, through individual and collective efforts, have contributed to the progress of our Beautiful By Nature Turks and Caicos Islands over the past year.
Your resilience, hard work, and unity remain the foundation upon which we continue to build our nation.
I am confident that, in the year ahead, we will work together to ensure further development and progress while successfully overcoming the challenges that lie before us. The most pressing of these challenges is our communities' criminal activity level.
Ongoing gang wars have driven our murder rate to concerning levels, and we continue to be confronted by a small number of heartless individuals among us. However, we refuse to be defined or defeated by these challenges.
During a media briefing two weeks ago, I outlined our various steps to address crime alongside my executive team and senior leadership. These measures include enhancing the efficiency and capacity of our law enforcement agencies with increased manpower, equipment, training, and the integration of advanced technology. We also benefit from robust cooperation with our local, regional, and international partners.
Let me assure you that we will relentlessly pursue our current strategies while developing new initiatives to curb crime. We will not rest until the citizens, visitors, and investors of the Turks and Caicos Islands feel safe and secure.
As we enter 2025, the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force will embark on a transformative journey under the banner:
“Reigniting Progress: Transformation Unveiled.”
This transformative process will redefine who we are and how we deliver our services. It is time for the Force to undergo a much-needed metamorphosis and emerge as the reliable, trusted, and professional organization that our people deserve.
We are committed to becoming:
A reliable Force
A trusted Force
A Force with the highest standards
A Force that protects and serves with pride and integrity
A Professional Force
As gatekeepers of security, our vision is to make the Turks and Caicos Islands a safe and secure place to live, visit, and invest. We will uphold our core values of Respect, Transparency, Compassion, Integrity, Professionalism, Discipline, and Fairness as we pursue this mission.
Our strategic objectives for 2025 and beyond will focus on the following pillars:
Prevention and Reduction of Crime
We will enhance intelligence capabilities and improve crime reporting standards.
We will collaborate with partner agencies to develop comprehensive crime prevention strategies that integrate witness protection, offender management, diversion programs, and community education.
Tackling Local and Transnational Crime
To safeguard our borders, we will enhance drone and fixed-wing capabilities and ensure that officers are equipped and deployed to address priority areas effectively
Developing Our People and Workforce
We will thoroughly review workforce capabilities, focusing on training, deployment, and equipment to ensure officers are prepared and empowered to serve.
Optimizing Technology and Collaboration
We will embrace modern technologies to support our objectives while closely collaborating with communities, partners, and stakeholders.
Working in collaboration with Communities and Stakeholders
With a revised strategy, we will enhance the Community Policing program and increase the multi-agency neighborhood scheme, school engagement, restorative justice, and community groups. We will also implement a robust media campaign to increase awareness, community communication, and intelligence. We believe in the rule of law for all.
I remind all law-abiding citizens that safety and security are not just the responsibility of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force—they are a shared mission. Together, we must stand united against crime. I encourage each of you to play your part in building a safer, stronger Turks and Caicos Islands.
As we look forward to 2025, let us embrace transformation, resilience, and hope.
May God bless every one of you. May God bless our beautiful-by-nature Turks and Caicos Islands.
Best wishes for the New Year. May it bring peace, progress, and prosperity to all.
Six Persons Charged
Six individuals, including a female minor, have been charged with various firearm-related offences following investigations conducted by the Serious Crime Unit.
The accused are expected to appear in the Magistrate’s Court next week.
On December 24th, 24-year-old SMALEY LOUIS was charged with the following offences:
One count of Possession of an Imitation Firearm with Intent to Cause Fear.
One count of Gang Membership.
On December 26th, officers charged twin brothers GIVESON MARC and GUBERSON
MARC.
The brothers, aged 20, are charged with the following offences:
One count of Possession of an Imitation Firearm with Intent to Cause Fear.
One count of Possession of Ammunition.
One count of Gang Membership.
The charges against Mr Louis and the Marc brothers were laid following investigations into an incident reported on Thursday, December 19, 2024.
On Thursday, December 26, 2024, the following individuals from Dock Yard, Providenciales, were charged:
ROSEMIRLINE PIERRE, 24
WOODSON GAY,23, and
A 15-year-old female -Given that the accused is a minor, the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force cannot name nor release her photograph.
The accused face the following charges:
One count of Possession of Ammunition.
One count of Illegal Entry.
These charges stemmed from an operation in Dock Yard on Saturday, December 21, 2024.
Christmas Eve Operations
On Christmas Eve, December 24, 2024, officers from the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, supported by the TCI Regiment and Border Force, executed a series of search warrants inDock Yard, Providenciales.
During a search of the premises, officers found ammunition and a 54-year-old male suspect hiding. Officers detained him.
Two other suspects were arrested for Suspicion of Possession of Ammunition and Suspicion of Gang Affiliation.
The RT&CIPF wishes to remind the public that harbouring and concealing a gang member is an offence under the Anti-Gang Ordinance (2022).
“Harbouring a gang member 10. (1) A person who harbours a gang leader or a gang member commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term of ten years.
(3) In this section “harbour” means supplying a person with shelter, food, drink, money or clothes, guns, ammunition or means of conveyance, or assisting a person in any way to evade apprehension.”
“Concealing a gang member 11. (1) A person who conceals— 8 (a) a gang leader or a gang member; or (b) a gang-related activity, commits an offence and is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term of fifteen years.”
Cabinet Meets on TCIG Cyber Incident
Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam chaired a special meeting of the Cabinet on Monday, December 30th, 2024, at the Office of the Governor, Leeward Highway, Providenciales.
All members of the Cabinet were present.
External cyber security technical experts and TCIG officials from the Ministry of Finance, DETI, and National Security briefed the Cabinet on the ongoing response.
Summary
On Wednesday, December 18, the Turks and Caicos Islands Government (TCIG) was the victim of a ransomware cyber-attack that resulted in major disruptions to services.
The investigation into the attack continues by external forensic investigators funded by the UK Government.
Due to a number of factors including the heightened threat of attack from malign actors, restoration and recovery is being conducted carefully, balancing the need for access to critical operations against the necessity for the safe restoration of services, appropriately secured against known threats.
TCIG has engaged external cyber security specialists who are taking forward the technical recovery, which is focused on the restoration of essential services. This has included deploying a capability that will manage the detection and response of any malicious activity within the network.
In order to accelerate the restoration of critical services, the relevant business continuity plans are being activated and initially focused on the TCIG financial systems to enable payments. In parallel, work is underway to build alternative systems whilst work is ongoing to restore systems. Additional resources is being sought to accelerate this further and to enhance security measures in the coming weeks.
Recovery and Business Continuity Measures
TCIG is working in collaboration with external forensic investigators and external cyber security specialists who are continuing to work around the clock to investigate the breach, contain the threat, and restore functionality.
Supported by a managed threat response service, all affected systems are undergoing comprehensive assessments to ensure their security before being brought back online and endpoint protection.
To mitigate the immediate impact, business continuity plans are being enacted to manually process outstanding and urgent payments. Priority will be given to the processing of payments prioritized by urgency within the following categories:
- Social Welfare
- Scholarship and Grants
- Healthcare Related Payments
- Cost of Living Program
- Financial Assistance Program
- Community Enhancement Program
- Utility Payments
- Bi-Weekly Employees
- All other approved payments for goods and services
A dedicated resource from the Ministry of Finance is being deployed to process these transactions manually while ensuring compliance with all necessary controls and safeguards. Consequently, non-urgent payments are likely to experience delays.
A detailed report on the nature of the attack and the steps taken to prevent future incidents will be submitted once the recovery process is complete.
The cabinet members were assured that every possible measure was being taken to address the incident comprehensively and ensure ongoing protection.
Cabinet was also advised that several other key databases and applications remain operational. These include:
* Status Cards;
* Passports;
* Elections Database;
* RDS application for Driver’s License;
* BMS Airport passenger processing; and
* ASYCUDA (customs clearance)
Cabinet affirmed its commitment to providing all the resources needed to restore TCIG’s systems, whilst also building resiliency to mitigate against future attacks.
New Year Weather
GENERAL SITUATION: The Turks and Caicos Islands remain under the influence of a broad ridge, supporting pleasant weather with comfortable temperatures and drier conditions. Moderate seas will gradually subside by tonight.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: BEACHGOERS AND SWIMMERS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION WHILE VISITING ATLANTIC SHORELINES, DUE TO THE RISK OF HAZARDOUS RIP CURRENTS AND THE PRESENCE OF LOCALLY ROUGH SURF IN THESE AREAS.
WEATHER: Partly sunny with isolated showers possible today, becoming fair and mild tonight.
ADVISORY: A Small Craft Caution is in effect
WINDS: Northeast to east at 5 to 15 knots
SEAS: 3 feet or less in the Caicos Bank; 3 to 5 feet nearshore, building up to 7 feet in northeasterly to easterly swell offshore along Atlantic exposures
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 81°F 27°C
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURE 68°F 20°C
SUNSET: 05:16 PM
NEXT LOW TIDE: 02:14 PM (1.0 FT)
NEXT HIGH TIDE: 07:51 PM (2.3 FT)
EXTENDED FORECAST (NEXT TWO DAYS): These pleasant conditions will persist over the next two days as the Turks and Caicos Islands remain under the influence of the ridging pattern and a drier airmass.
TUESDAY: Partly sunny, with a high near 82.
TUESDAY NIGHT: Fair, with a low around 68.
WINDS: Easterly at 10 to 15 knots
SEAS: 3 feet or less in the Caicos Bank; 2 to 4 feet nearshore, building up to 6 feet offshore along Atlantic exposures
SUNRISE: 06:27 AM
SUNSET: 05:16 PM
LOW TIDE: 01:56 AM (0.7 FT) 02:54 PM (1.0 FT)
HIGH TIDE: 08:29 AM (3.0 FT) 08:31 PM (2.3 FT)
WEDNESDAY: Partly sunny, with a high near 82.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Fair, with a low around 67.
WINDS: Northeast to east at 10 to 15 knots
SEAS: 3 feet or less in the Caicos Bank and nearshore, building up to 5 feet offshore along Atlantic exposures
SUNRISE: 06:27 AM
SUNSET: 05:17 PM
LOW TIDE: 02:38 AM (0.3 FT) 03:36 PM (1.0 FT)
HIGH TIDE: 09:11 AM (3.0 FT) 09:14 PM (2.3 FT)
FORECASTER: H. HAMILTON
Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter dead at 100
Jimmy Carter, the Georgia peanut farmer who was elected as the 39th U.S. president and later earned a Nobel Peace Prize as a global champion of human rights, has died.
He turned 100 on Oct. 1.
Carter's wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, died of natural causes last November at age 96.
Plane skids, crashes and burns while landing in South Korea, killing 179
A passenger plane skidded off a runway at a South Korean airport on Sunday, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into flames after its front landing gear apparently failed to deploy. All but two of the 181 people on board died in one of the country's worst aviation disasters.
The country's National Fire Agency (NFA) said rescuers raced to pull people from the Jeju Air passenger plane at the airport in the town of Muan, about 290 kilometres south of the capital, Seoul.
Emergency officials later confirmed there were only two survivors. Workers pulled two crew members to safety. Health officials said they are conscious and not in life-threatening condition.
Family members cried as officials announced the names of some victims at a lounge in the Muan airport.
Footage of the crash aired by YTN television showed the plane skidding across the airstrip, apparently with its landing gear still closed, and colliding head-on with a concrete wall on the facility's outskirts.
Local TV stations aired footage showing the aircraft engulfed in flames, with thick pillows of black smoke billowing from it. The NFA deployed 32 fire trucks and several helicopters to contain the blaze. About 1,560 firefighters, police officers, soldiers and other officials were also sent to the site, the agency said.
Emergency officials in Muan said they were examining the cause of the fire, initially saying the plane's landing gear appeared to have malfunctioned.
John Cox, president of aviation consulting firm Safety Operating Systems LLC, based in Washington, D.C., said the footage indicates the plane may have taken a bird strike to one or both engines, but investigators will know more once they study the aircraft's black boxes and scour the engines for bird debris.
U.K. aviation expert Philip Butterworth-Hayes told Agence France-Presse that a strike to both engines would cause the aircraft to lose power, and pilots would have to activate the APU, or auxillary power unit, to get power back and gain more control over things like the landing gear.
"It may have been they did not have time to get the landing gear down by the auxiliary means because of having limited or no power from the engines," Cox told CBC News.
He said the aircraft initially appeared to be under control on the runway and was slowing down, "and would have come to a stop had that wall not been there."
Cox said under international standards, airports should have a clear area at the end of the runway so that "if an airplane does go off, it doesn't strike something."
Source-BBC