California fire kills two firefighters, thousands flee
A fast-growing northern California wildfire killed a second firefighter on Friday after high winds drove it into the city of Redding, prompting mass evacuations, destroying scores of homes and threatening some 5,000 other dwellings and businesses, officials said.
Flames raging in California's scenic Shasta-Trinity area erupted late Thursday into a firestorm that jumped across the Sacramento River and swept into the western side of Redding, home to about 90,000 people, forcing residents to flee for their lives.
Firefighters and police "went into life-safety mode," hustling door to door to usher civilians out of harm's way, said Scott McLean, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire).
Erratic winds blowing with gale force on Thursday night whipped the blaze into a frenzy, creating fire tornadoes that uprooted trees and tore into structures. "It was like a Tasmanian devil," McLean told Reuters.
Some 37,000 people remained under evacuation orders on Friday, as flames continued to burn in pockets of the city's west side, he said.
CalFire reported 65 structures destroyed by the blaze, but McLean called that tally a "placeholder" figure that would grow significantly, with the number of homes lost likely to run into "the hundreds" as the scope of devastation was fully assessed.
Nearly 5,000 homes were listed by CalFire as threatened.
Papa John sues Papa John's
John Schnatter, the ousted founder of pizza chain Papa John's, is suing his former company.
In a lawsuit filed in Delaware Chancery Court on Thursday, Schnatter's lawyers say he is seeking to inspect company documents "because of the unexplained and heavy-handed way in which the company has treated him since the publication of a story that falsely accused him of using a racial slur.Papa John's denied Schnatter's claims in a statement. The company said it was "saddened and disappointed" by the lawsuit, which it called "needless and wasteful."
Schnatter has admitted he said the N-word on a conference call with a marketing firm. Schnatter claimed the firm asked if he was racist, and he used the N-word in describing how KFC's Colonel Sanders used to talk. Schnatter has since said he also told the firm that he himself wouldn't ever use that word.
The company asked him to resign as chairman of the board, which he did, though he remains on the board as a director. He owns 29% of Papa John's stock.
Schnatter has since said he regrets stepping away from the company. He also accused the board of not "doing any investigation" and said its decision to remove him as chairman was based on "rumor and innuendo," according to a letter he sent to the board earlier this month.Papa John's has also removed Schnatter from its commercials and marketing materials and kicked him out of office space at its headquarters.
Facebook just had the worst day in stock market history
Shares plunged 19% on Thursday after executives warned that revenue growth would slow as the company focuses on user privacy.
The sell-off vaporized about $119 billion in market value — the biggest single-day loss for any public company in history, according to Thomson Reuters.
For founder Mark Zuckerberg, the loss came to almost $16 billion, according to Forbes, which tracks billionaire wealth in real time. That dropped him from fourth to sixth on the list of richest people in the world.
Facebook (FB) Chief Financial Officer David Wehner said on a conference call with investors that Facebook is "putting privacy first" after the Cambridge Analytica scandal triggered a wave of horrible press, customer angst and regulatory scrutiny around the world.
As an example of its new strategy, Wehner said Facebook will put more development muscle behind the company's Stories feature. That will put a drag on sales because Facebook makes more money on its core News Feed than its other products.
Facebook says it will spend a lot of money to accomplish its goals. Wehner said the company will invest billions of dollars per year improving safety and security after a bruising period of headlines about Facebook's role in enabling fake news and election meddling.
"We think that's the right thing to do for the business," he said
BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND ISLANDS PUBLIC FORECAST JULY 27TH, 2018
THIS IS THE PUBLIC FORECAST FOR 6:00 AM TODAY AND TONIGHT FRIDAY 27TH JULY 2018.
GENERAL SITUATION: A DEEP LAYERED TROUGH OVER SOUTH FLORIDA CONTINUES TO PRODUCE UNSETTLED WEATHER ACROSS THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, HIGH PRESSURE COVERS THE REMAINING ISLANDS.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: SMALL CRAFT OPERATORS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE WATERSPOUT ACTIVITY.
AREA: CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY, HOT AND WINDY WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY AND WINDY TONIGHT WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION CONTINUES
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS
SEAS: 4 TO 6 FEET
AREA: NORTHWEST BAHAMAS
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY TO CLOUDY AND HUMID WITH WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT SHOULD BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS IN OR NEAR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: SOUTHEASTERLY AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 92°F 33°C
OVERNITE LOW TEMPERATURE
79°F 26°C
SUNRISE: 6:35 AM SUNSET: 7:55 PM
MOONSET: 6:17 AM MOONRISE: 8:00 PM
HIGH TIDE: 7:18 AM & 7:42 PM
LOW TIDE: 1:21 PM & 2:08 AM
EXTENDED FORECAST: A LOW LEVEL TROUGH EAST OF THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS WILL BEGIN ITS MIGRATION NORTHWESTWARD THROUGH THE BAHAMAS LATER TODAY.
FORECAST FOR SATURDAY
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, CLOUDY WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
WINDS: SOUTHEASTERLY AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS GUSTING IN THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
SEAS: FOR THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS 2 TO 4 FEET HIGHER IN GUSTS, 4 TO 6 FEET WHERE SMALL CRAFT CAUTION WILL CONTINUE IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
FORECAST FOR SUNDAY
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY, HOT AND HAZY WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS.
WINDS: SOUTHEASTERLY AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, 4 TO 6 FEET WHERE SMALL CRAFT CAUTION WILL CONTINUE IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: TROPICAL CYCLONE ACTIVITY IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS.
TURKS AND CAICOS POST CABINET MEETING STATEMENT
His Excellency the Governor, Dr John Freeman, chaired the 16th meeting of the Cabinet on Wednesday, 25 July 2018, at the Hon. Hilly Ewing Building on Providenciales.
All Ministers were present except the Hon. Minister of Health, Agriculture, Sports and Human services
At this meeting Cabinet:
- Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve for entry into force on or before 30 July 2018 the following draft Regulations to ensure TCI’s compliance with Financial Action Task Force recommendations to meet international standards to combat money laundering and terrorist financing – Anti-Money Laundering and Prevention of Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Regulation 2018; Companies (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2018; Financial Services (Financial Penalties) (Amendment) Regulations 2018; Non-Profit Companies (Amendment) Regulations 2018; Companies (Amendment ) Order 2018;
- Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve the Hotel and Restaurant (Service Charge) Bill 2018 for forwarding to the House of Assembly for approval;
- Approved MSME concession orders to Caicos Farm Traditional Grits and Flour to develop its milling business on North Caicos and to J & D Cleaning Service to establish a cleaning business on Providenciales;
- Noted the terms of appointment of Dr Teresse Maitland as interim CEO of the National Health Insurance Board (NHIB) for a period of one year with effect from 1 July 2018;
- Approved the appointments of members of the Providenciales District Board for 2018/19 in accordance with the Caicos District Boards Ordinance 1945;
- Endorsed the nominations of the National Honours and Awards Committee for recipients of National Honours and Awards 2018 to be conferred at the National Honours and Awards Ceremony on 9 October 2018. Cabinet agreed that the names of the proposed recipients be published in the Gazette and media not later than 6 weeks before the awards ceremony;
- Approved the appointment of Ms Irene Yvonne Glinton as Secretary to the Electricity Board of TCI until 31 March 2019 in accordance with Section 2B (2) of the Electricity (Amendment) Ordinance 2015;
- Approved amendments to the TCI National Scholarship Policy;
- Noted plans by the Ministry of Education, Youth, Culture and Library Services to phase out the current Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) and introduce the full implementation of the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) with effect from May/June 2020;
- Noted the strategic plan by the Ministry of Education, Youth, Culture and Library Services to strengthen the relationship between TCIG and the University of the West Indies and the plans to improve access to tertiary education via online studies;
- Approved, subject to conditions being met, the issuing of a dredging licence for a period of one year to Provident Ltd to continue unfinished dredging works at the Discovery Bay Canal on Land Parcel 60716/88, 89 and 145 on Providenciales;
- Received an up-date by the Chair of the National Recovery Task Force (NRTF) on progress being made by the NRTF;
- Received an up-date by Her Excellency the Deputy Governor on the current status of capital projects for the Financial Year 2017/18;
- Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve the establishment of a TCI Land Surveyors’ Board;
- Noted progress made in implementation of the EU EDF 11 Education sector reform project;
- Received a briefing by His Excellency the Governor on the 6th State of Hurricane Preparedness Meeting which he chaired on 24 July;
- Was advised by His Excellency the Governor that the Statutory Body quarterly reports were due but had been delayed in discussion with the his office and the Ministry of Finance;
- His Excellency the Governor asked for an up-date on the process underway to consider the proposed rate rise by Fortis TCI Ltd;
- Received an up-date by the Hon. Premier on the fire at the waste disposal landfill site on Providenciales;
- Was advised by the Hon. Premier of the OECD peer review team which is island and doing work with the EOI personnel;
- Was advised by the Hon. Premier of the visit to TCI by the Caribbean Development Bank who were in TCI to advise on funding for MSMEs;
- Was advised by the Hon. Attorney General that the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) assessment of TCI would take place from 10-21 September 2018;
- Was advised by the Hon. Minister of Tourism, Environment, Heritage and Gaming that, in the case of Gaming Bill, since its passage through Cabinet there has been a proposed number of substantial policy changes which he is inclined to positively consider. It was agreed and he committed to bring those changes ahead of the 2nd Reading in the House to Cabinet
- Her Excellency the Deputy Governor asked all Ministries to notify her office of their recruitment plans for 2018/19;
- It was confirmed that Cabinet had approved by round-robin the lease of a building to provide temporary accommodation for the Oseta Jolly Primary School on Providenciales.
Further information on these matters will be provided by Ministers in due course.
DECR LOOKS TO EDUCATE ON SARGASSUM SEAWEED ACCUMULATION ON TCI'S COASTLINE
The Turks and Caicos Islands Government acknowledge that the current quantities of sargassum that have washed ashore, may pose a frustration to residents and visitors to Grand Turk's eastern shore, and would like to assure all parties that we seek to act in the best interests of residents, valued visitors and our environment.
Sargassum is an important seaweed found throughout the world's oceans. In fact, the Sargasso Sea is named after the concentration of this alga in its waters. Periodically, sargassum washes up on beaches which is a natural process that can provide important structure and nutrients to these areas. While floating around, sargassum provides an important habitat for a number of organisms, particularly giving shelter to juveniles during their vulnerable stages, and this can include sea turtles as well as fish.
In recent years, the reported incidents of large rafts of sargassum washed up on beaches in the region seems to be on the rise, and although this may also be on the increase in the TCI, we do not currently have the data to support this.
Sargassum poses no threat to humans and decaying mounds of the material may create eyesores and offensive odours, the wrack line stabilizes beaches as it 'catches' wind-blown sand, preventing erosion and stabilizing dunes. The management of these issues therefore requires careful consideration of the enjoyment of the shoreline and the environment.
The DECR would like to caution persons that bagging the material and leaving bags on shoreline is a violation of the Coast Protection Ordinance (Ordinance 3 of 1988)and National Parks Ordinance (Ordinance 11 of 1975), Regulation 3 (1):
The following are prohibited within all national parks -
(a) The taking of any animal or plant by any method on land or at sea, except to the extent permitted in any fishing zone;
(i) The dumping of refuse, abandoned vehicles, toxic or other wastes, bilges, oil and other petroleum products, pesticides and other items harmful to animals or plants, or unsightly items.
The use of heavy machinery including raking tractors and trucks compromise the stability of the shoreline, therefore persons seeking to remove large amounts of material from the eastern shoreline of Grand Turk should contact our office at 338-3172 or environment@gov.tc to seek further guidance to coordinate removal efforts. In areas where quantities of sargassum are too large to be buried in the sand, it should be transported to the dump for waste disposal.
Summer Interns Gaining Work Experience at FortisTCI
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (Tuesday, July 24, 2018) – Sixteen fourth and fifth form high school students and two college students are gaining summer work experience at FortisTCI through the company’s Student Internship Program (SIP) and Summer Student Employment (SSEP) Program.
The SIP is designed to engage high school students in a highly developed professional environment, while exposing them to the different types of careers within the electric utility sector. The first group of SIP participants began work on Monday, July 16, 2018, and will work over a two week period through Friday, July 27, 2018. The second group of fourth and fifth form students will join the company on Tuesday, August 7 until Friday, August 17, 2018.
This year’s July SIP participants are Devana Higgs, Avielle Amaya Brown, Pandel Lightbourne, Aiyana Been, Davis Gardiner, Caelan Musgrove, and Ashanti Robinson from Raymond Gardiner High School; Rodneyson Jean and Zaria Ingham from Maranatha Academy; Kendly Smith from Clement Howell High School, Diavion Ebanks from Holy Family Academy; Caitlin Lewis from TCIPS, Chinaza Chukwu from Champions for Christ; Lukas Barclay from Wesley Methodist High School; Shaqueena Gibson from British West Indies Collegiate; and Trevante Brown, a recent graduate from Oxon Hill High School in Maryland, USA. These students are gaining hands-on experience within the company in various departments that include customer service, IT, engineering, energy production, environmental health and safety, finance and transmission and distribution.
The SSEP selects highly qualified college students and provides them an opportunity to work two months over the summer alongside industry professionals. This year’s SSEP participants are Roshawn Cox, a Clark Atlanta University student studying Computer Science, and Cristhofer Lugo Bernabel, a Turks and Caicos Islands Community College student taking Computer Studies.
Both SSEP and SIP are intense programs that require students to go through a rigorous selection process. College students must demonstrate a grade point average (GPA) of3.0 or higher and submit two letters of recommendation, among other requirements. High school students are required to submit a letter of recommendation from their principal or guidance counsellor and must submit an essay outlining why they should be hired as an intern at FortisTCI.
Ruth Forbes, FortisTCI Senior Vice President of Corporate Services and CFO, said, “This is the fourth year that FortisTCI has offered its summer internship and employment programs to help develop the country’s youth into soaring professionals in the 21st century.”
Mrs. Forbes continued, “At FortisTCI, investment in people, particularly the youth, is a constant conversation and a focus to which the company remains committed. Work experience at FortisTCI is not just about having a summer job, but also about the discovery of self and uncovering talents and passions as a way of guiding our youth on their destined paths. We congratulate all students for their hard work and determination to be leading professionals.”
World Hepatitis Day 2018
World Hepatitis Day 2018 will be observed on July 28th 2018. This year's theme is "Test. Treat. Hepatitis". World hepatitis day is used as a means of raising awareness of this global public health threat. Viral hepatitis can cause inflammation of the liver and chronic hepatitis B and C can lead to cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer. Chronic hepatitis can remain asymptomatic for many years. Hepatitis is responsible for a million of deaths worldwide annually. Chronic hepatitis B and C are responsible for 60% of liver cancers. A vaccine is available for hepatitis B and treatment is available for hepatitis B and C.
Why is this important?
- Most people living with Hepatitis do not know that they are infected.
- Early testing for Hepatitis helps to prevent liver disease and cancer.
- Less than 15% of people in Latin American and the Caribbean with Hepatitis have been diagnosed.
- Less than 2% of people in Latin American and the Caribbean with Hepatitis are receiving treatment.
- The disease is preventable through vaccination.
- More than 95% of people with Hepatitis can be cured with treatment.
How is Hepatitis spread?
The Hepatitis virus is spread through bodily fluids of an infected person including blood, semen, sweat, vaginal secretions, menstrual blood, and breast milk.
Risky behaviours include:
- Not getting tested for Hepatitis.
- Mother-to-child transmission from an untreated infected mother.
- Having unprotected sex.
- Sharing used needles for example in tattooing and drug use.
- Heavy alcohol use.
Who Is at risk of contracting Hepatitis?
- Untested mothers giving birth.
- People having unprotected sexual contact with a Hepatitis infected person.
- People getting tattoos using shared or unsterilized needles.
- Healthcare workers.
- Heavy alcohol drinkers.
What should you do?
- Get tested for Hepatitis.
- If you are infected with Hepatitis, get treated.
- Get cured for Hepatitis.
BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS PUBLIC FORECAST 26TH JULY, 2018
FORECAST FOR THE BAHAMAS FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
THURSDAY 26TH JULY 2018
GENERAL SITUATION: A TROUGH OVER THE AREA WILL CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN A WET WEATHER PATTERN OVER THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS WHILE WINDS WILL INCREASE OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN ISLANDS DUE TO A BUILDING HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: BOATERS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE WATERSPOUT ACTIVITY. BEACHGOERS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ALONG THE EASTERN COASTS.
SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
WEATHER: MOSTLY SUNNY, HOT AND HUMID WITH FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY AND BREEZY TONIGHT WITH THE CHANCE OF ISOLATED SHOWERS.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS INCREASING EASTERLY AT 15 TO 25 KNOTS LATE TONIGHT.
SEAS: 4 TO 6 FEET BUILDING 5 TO 8 FEET LATE TONIGHT.
NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS
WEATHER: MOSTLY CLOUDY, HOT AND HUMID WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT SHOULD BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS IN OR NEAR HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS FALLING LIGHT AND VARIABLE AT TIMES
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE: 91F 33C
OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURE: 79F 26C
HEAT INDEX: 103F 39C
SUNSET: 7:56PM SUNRISE: 6:35AM FRI.
MOONSET: 7:16PM MOONRISE: 6:17AM FRI.
LOW TIDE: 12:41PM
HIGH TIDE: 7:04PM
LOW TIDE: 1:31AM FRI.
HIGH TIDE: 7:18AM FRI.
OUTLOOK FOR TOMORROW: VARIABLE CLOUDINESS AND BREEZY WITH WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT FIVE DAYS.
SOURCE - DDME TCI
MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION COMMENTS ON DUMP FIRE
The alarming rate of landfill fires is a very real problem that affects all of us here in the Turks & Caicos Islands, but more intimately with my constituency of Wheeland, due to proximity.
It demands real and immediate solutions. The health of our residents on this island, the place in which we live and do business, depends on that.
I take this opportunity as the MP for Wheeland to extend my sincerest apologies to residents in the area and any others who were affected, for the inconvenience caused by the fire at the landfill on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. I am again assuring my community that this government is actively exploring a more effective solid waste management program that will alleviate the issues that have long been affecting residents in the area for many years.
In addition to this, we are committed to ensuring that those responsible for the management of waste disposal at the site implement new measures to reduce future occurrences. The process of choosing where and how to build new garbage disposal facilities is inevitably controversial. But the process cannot move forward without bold and decisive leadership from my government who was elected as policy makers and are responsible for protecting the public interest along with the stakeholders in the community.
As your representative and as a member of this government, I am indeed mindful of the obligation to ensure that persons living in close proximity to the waste disposal site are able to enjoy and function in an environment that is safe and hazard-free. Despite the known challenges that are associated with landfills, we will be working with, and encouraging those responsible for the waste disposal site to ensure that there are substantial and effective improvements in the systems at the facility. I want to emphasize that this unpleasant state of affairs at the dump in Providenciales cannot and will not continue under my watch. We in the Turks and Caicos Islands pride ourselves on being a modern society and we simply cannot tolerate or facilitate any system or anything that poses a hazard to our people, their health and well-being.
Our people are literally sick and tired of the less than satisfactory performance and conditions at the landfill. Our people deserve better and they will get it under this Minister and this Government. Let me therefore give residents of Providenciales and Turks and Caicos Islands the assurance that I will definitely be holding the current contractors at the landfill accountable and responsible for ensuring that their management of that site is of the highest possible standard. What is happening now is just not the way it should be.
In light of what our people have had to experience with the landfill over the past many years, it is obvious that it cannot be business as usual and that drastic and significant improvements must be made by those who are under contract and who have an obligation to get it right. Enough is enough, and as a government and a people we must, and we will, receive value for money.
Again, let me assure you that your health and well-being are of utmost importance to me and my government colleagues and I want to give you the reassurance that we will be relentless in our commitment to ensuring that there are significant and effective improvements in the systems that are in place to manage the facility.
Minister Home Affairs Transportation and Communication