BAHAMAS MARINE FORECAST
MARINE FORECAST FOR THE BAHAMAS FOR 24 HOURS FROM 6AM WEDNESDAY 3RD AUGUST 2016, ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY AT 0930UTC.
BEACHGOERS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXERCISE CAUTION DUE TO THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT BEACHES MAINLY ALONG THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN SHORELINES.
GENERAL SITUATION: AN UPPER LEVEL LOW ALONG WITH AN INDUCED TROUGH FROM TROPICAL STORM EARL WILL CONTINUE TO INFLUENCE THE WEATHER ACROSS THE ISLANDS.
NORTHWEST BAHAMAS:
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT SHOULD BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS IN OR NEAR HEAVY SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.
WEATHER: A FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS:
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION REMAINS IN EFFECT.
WINDS: EASTERLY AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 4 TO 7 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.
WEATHER: BREEZY WITH THE SLIGHT CHANCE OF A SHOWER.
MOONRISE: 7:19AM HIGH TIDE: 8:49 AM HIGH TIDE 9:13 PM
MOONSET: 8:31 PM LOW TIDE: 2:57 PM LOW TIDE 3:37 AM THU
EXTENDED FORECAST: (FOR THE NEXT THREE DAYS)
FORECAST FOR (DAY 2) THURSDAY
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS SWELLS:
WEATHER: FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS OR THE CHANCE OF ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
FORECAST FOR (DAY 3) FRIDAY
WINDS: SOUTHEASTERLY AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND SOUTHEASTERLY AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
WEATHER: THE CHANCE OF ISOLATED SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: PLEASE SEE THE LATEST NEWS ITEM ON TROPICAL STORM EARL
PATRICIA WEEKS/vm
BAHAMAS PUBLIC FORECAST FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT WEDNESDAY 3RD JULY 2016
GENERAL SITUATION: AN UPPER LEVEL LOW ALONG WITH AN INDUCED TROUGH FROM TROPICAL STORM EARL WILL CONTINUE TO INFLUENCE THE WEATHER ACROSS THE ISLANDS.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: BEACHGOERS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXERCISE CAUTION DUE TO THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT BEACHES MAINLY ALONG THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN SHORELINES.
NORTHWEST BAHAMAS:
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY AND WARM WITH FEW CLOUDY INTERVALS, FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY TONIGHT WITH FEW STRAY SHOWERS.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT SHOULD BE ALERT FOR GUSTY WINDS AND HIGHER SEAS IN OR NEAR HEAVY SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS:
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY, BREEZY AND HOT WITH THE SLIGHT CHANCE OF A PASSING SHOWER.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION REMAINS IN EFFECT.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 4 TO 7 FEET OVER THE OCEAN.
TODAY’S HIGH TEMPERATURE 93 °F 34 °C
OVERNITE LOW TEMPERATURE 79 °F 26 °C
SUNRISE: 6:39 AM MOONRISE: 7:19AM HIGH TIDE: 8:49 AM HIGH TIDE: 9:13 PM
SUNSET: 7:53 PM MOONSET: 8:31 PM LOW TIDE: 2:57 PM LOW TIDE: 3:37 AM
EXTENDED FORECAST: (FOR THE NEXT THREE DAYS)
FORECAST FOR (DAY 2) THURSDAY
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY WITH FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS OR THE CHANCE OF ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
FORECAST FOR (DAY 3) FRIDAY
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY AND WARM WITH THE CHANCE OF ISOLATED SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: SOUTHEASTERLY AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND SOUTHEASTERLY AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: PLEASE SEE THE LATEST NEWS ITEM ON TROPICAL STORM EARL….
PATRICIA WEEKS/vm
TROPICAL STORM EARL EXPECTED TO PASS NEAR THE HONDURAS BAY ISLANDS HEADING TO BELIZE
NEWS ITEM ON TROPICAL STORM EARL ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY, FORECAST OFFICE SECTION, ON TUESDAY 2ND AUGUST 2016 AT 6PM.
TROPICAL STORM EARL EXPECTED TO PASS NEAR THE HONDURAS BAY ISLANDS ON ITS WAY TO BELIZE
AT 5PM EDT, TROPICAL STORM EARL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.4° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 81.5° WEST OR ABOUT 200 MILES SOUTH OF GRAND CAYMAN OR ABOUT 450 MILES EAST OF BELIZE CITY. EARL IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 16 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY. ON THIS TRACK, THE CORE OF EARL IS EXPECTED TO PASS JUST NORTH OF THE HONDURAS BAY ISLANDS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND THEN BE VERY NEAR THE BELIZE COAST EARLY THURSDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 50 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST, AND EARL COULD BE NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH AS IT APPROACHES BELIZE AND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA.
THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT 6AM.
PREPARED BY DUTY FORECASTER: IAN V. MCKENZIE
ISSUED: 5:45PM ON TUESDAY 2ND AUGUST 2016
TROPICAL STORM EARL
NEWS ITEM ON TROPICAL STORM EARL ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY, FORECAST OFFICE SECTION, ON TUESDAY 2ND AUGUST 2016 AT 1PM.
AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER PLANE FINDS TROPICAL STORM EARL IN NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA
EARL IS THE FIFTH TROPICAL STORM OF THE 2016 HURRICANE SEASON
AT 12PM EDT, TROPICAL STORM EARL WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.3° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 80.2° WEST OR ABOUT 215 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF GRAND CAYMAN.
EARL IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 22 MPH AND THIS MOTION, WITH A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THIS TRACK THE CENTER OF EARL WILL BE MOVING VERY CLOSE TO THE NORTH COAST OF HONDURAS LATER TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY THEN, APPROACH BELIZE AND THE YUCANTAN PENINSULA LATE WEDNESDAY. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1001 MB.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST BEFORE EARL REACHES THE YUCANTAN PENINSULA. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 80 MILES FROM THE CENTER.
THE NEXT NEWS ITEM WILL BE ISSUED AT 6PM
PREPARED BY FORECASTER: SHEZELLE MATHER
TUESDAY 2ND AUGUST 2016 12:30 PM
Fourth person charged with Sunny Food Store Robbery
As investigations into the Sunny Foods store robbery continues, a 27-year-old-male of Blue Hills Providenciales has been arrested and charged with Robbery and inflicting Grevous Bodily Harm.
The male is the fourth person charged in connection with the incident that occurred at the store on Sunday 10th April 2016 where ex-Superintendent of Police Alboin Williams was shot multiple times by three (3) masked men who got away with a large undisclosed amount of money.
The other three males, 33-year-old Reginald Presil, 32-year-olds Fritzer Prevalus and Wilbert Almonor who were charged on Monday 19th July 2016 with Conspiracy to Commit Robbery are presently on remand awaiting sufficiency hearing set for Friday 2nd September 2016.
The 27year old male will be taken to court later this week.
BAHAMAS MARINE FORECAST FOR THE BAHAMAS FOR 24 HOURS FROM 6AM TUESDAY 02ND AUGUST 2016 ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY AT 1000UTC.
WARNINGS: BEACHGOERS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION DUE TO THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS MAINLY AT BEACHES ALONG THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN SHORELINES.
GENERAL SITUATION: AN UPPER LOW ACROSS THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS ALONG WITH THE NORTHERN PART OF A STRONG TROPICAL WAVE NEAR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS CONTINUE TO GENERATE SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ISLANDS.
NORTHWEST BAHAMAS
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION REMAINS IN EFFECT TODAY.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS TODAY BECOMING EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS TONIGHT OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 4 TO 7 FEET TODAY SUBSIDING 2 TO 4 FEET TONIGHT OVER THE OCEAN.
WEATHER: A FEW WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT.
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT TODAY. SMALL CRAFT CAUTION IN EFFECT TONIGHT.
WINDS: EASTERLY AT 15 TO 25 KNOTS, GUSTING TO NEAR GALE FORCE AT TIMES TODAY BECOMING EASTERLY AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS TONIGHT OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 5 TO 8 FEET, BUT HIGHER IN GUSTS TODAY SUBSIDING 4 TO 6 FEET TONIGHT OVER THE OCEAN.
WEATHER: WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT.
MOONRISE: 6:21AM
MOONSET: 7:46PM
HIGH TIDE: 8:00AM 8:28PM
LOW TIDE: 2:09PM 2:53AM WED
EXTENDED FORECAST: THE NORTHERN PART OF A STRONG TROPICAL WAVE IN THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN WILL SHIFT WESTWARD ACROSS THE SOUTHERN BAHAMAS TODAY WHILE A SURFACE RIDGE WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE BAHAMAS THROUGH FRIDAY.
FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND EASTERLY AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS OVER THE OCEAN.
WEATHER: WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
FORECAST FOR THURSDAY
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS OVER THE OCEAN.
WEATHER: ISOLATED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: A STRONG TROPICAL WAVE OVER THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN SEA, LOCATED ABOUT 150 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF KINGSTON, JAMAICA, CONTINUES TO MOVE QUICKLY WESTWARD AT ABOUT 20 MPH, BUT THERE STILL APPEARS TO LACK A CLOSED SURFACE CIRCULATION. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE CONDUCIVE FOR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND A TROPICAL STORM IS LIKELY TO FORM LATER TODAY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND GUSTY WINDS, PERHAPS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE, WILL CONTINUE OVER PORTIONS OF JAMAICA THIS MORNING AND REACH THE CAYMAN ISLANDS LATER TODAY. INTERESTS IN THESE AREAS AND ELSEWHERE IN THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS DISTURBANCE. TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION CHANCE THROUGH 48 HOURS IS HIGH.
FORECASTER: ORSON NIXON/vs/sc
BAHAMAS PUBLIC FORECAST FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT TUESDAY 2ND AUGUST 2016
GENERAL SITUATION: AN UPPER LOW ACROSS THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS ALONG WITH THE NORTHERN PART OF A STRONG TROPICAL WAVE NEAR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS CONTINUE TO GENERATE SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ISLANDS.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: BEACHGOERS THROUGHOUT THE BAHAMAS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION DUE TO THE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS MAINLY AT BEACHES ALONG THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN SHORELINES.
NORTHWEST BAHAMAS
WEATHER: VARIABLE CLOUDINESS, BREEZY, HOT AND HAZY WITH A FEW WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION REMAINS IN EFFECT TODAY.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS TODAY BECOMING EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS TONIGHT OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 4 TO 7 FEET TODAY SUBSIDING 2 TO 4 FEET TONIGHT OVER THE OCEAN.
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS
WEATHER: PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY, HOT AND WINDY WITH WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT TODAY. SMALL CRAFT CAUTION IN EFFECT TONIGHT.
WINDS: EASTERLY AT 15 TO 25 KNOTS, GUSTING TO NEAR GALE FORCE AT TIMES TODAY BECOMING EASTERLY AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS TONIGHT OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 5 TO 8 FEET, BUT HIGHER IN GUSTS TODAY SUBSIDING 4 TO 6 FEET TONIGHT OVER THE OCEAN.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE: 92°F 33°C
OVERNITE LOW TEMPERATURE: 79°F 26°C
SUNRISE: 6:38AM
SUNSET: 7:54PM
MOONRISE: 6:21AM
MOONSET: 7:46PM
HIGH TIDE: 8:00AM 8:28PM
LOW TIDE: 2:09PM 2:53AM WED
EXTENDED FORECAST: THE NORTHERN PART OF A STRONG TROPICAL WAVE IN THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN WILL SHIFT WESTWARD ACROSS THE SOUTHERN BAHAMAS TODAY WHILE A SURFACE RIDGE WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE BAHAMAS THROUGH FRIDAY.
FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY
WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY TO CLOUDY, HOT AND HUMID WITH WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND EASTERLY AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS OVER THE OCEAN.
FORECAST FOR THURSDAY
WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY, HOT AND HUMID WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.
WINDS: EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS OVER THE OCEAN.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK: A STRONG TROPICAL WAVE OVER THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN SEA, LOCATED ABOUT 150 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF KINGSTON, JAMAICA, CONTINUES TO MOVE QUICKLY WESTWARD AT ABOUT 20 MPH, BUT THERE STILL APPEARS TO LACK A CLOSED SURFACE CIRCULATION. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE CONDUCIVE FOR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND A TROPICAL STORM IS LIKELY TO FORM LATER TODAY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND GUSTY WINDS, PERHAPS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE, WILL CONTINUE OVER PORTIONS OF JAMAICA THIS MORNING AND REACH THE CAYMAN ISLANDS LATER TODAY. INTERESTS IN THESE AREAS AND ELSEWHERE IN THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS DISTURBANCE. TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION CHANCE THROUGH 48 HOURS IS HIGH.
FORECASTER: ORSON NIXON/vs/sc
GOVERNOR REMEMBERS THE CRIMES AGINST MARY PRINCE - AND DESCRIBES MODERN DAY SLAVERY ACROSS THE GLOBE
The Governor Peter Beckingham described the account by a slave on Grand Turk, Mary Prince, as one of the most significant events involving Turks and Caicos, in his address at the Emancipation day service at St. Thomas Church, Grand Turk on Monday 1 August.
The Governor stated: “Mary Prince’s description of her shocking treatment on Grand Turk for nearly ten years as a salt worker, had a major impact on attempts to ban slavery in the UK, Europe and the United States. Her account repays rereading for its moving impact and descriptions of what was one of the worse crimes committed against human beings.
“But sadly, despite the end of slavery from Africa to the Americas, the world still permits an horrendous amount of “Modern Day Slavery” across numerous countries and continents” the Governor continued. “There are estimates that there are still as many as 45M people affected by one sort of slavery or another, ranging from the sea industry, where thousands of workers are impelled to work in dreadful conditions, especially in Asia, to the sex exploitation industry, common in hundreds of countries, and awful practice of forced begging, especially among children, which I have certainly witnessed firsthand.
“Regrettably, the UK is still not immune from some of these practices” , the Governor said “and our new Prime Minister Theresa May announced this weekend a new campaign to dry and drive out modern day slavery from Britain, where there are estimates of over 10,000 people affected. These are people working in brothels, on construction sites, nail bars, cannabis farms and in agriculture.
The Governor concluded: “TCI has of course a far smaller population, but I hope that anyone who has any concerns about modern day slavery here will alert the Human Rights Commission or the Police Force. It would be an injustice to Mary Prince to allow her memory to be scarred by the continuation of practices outlawed over 200 years ago.”
The Governor ended by reading a passage from Mary Prince’s book, which he said he had first read in Bermuda earlier this year: of her slave master she says: “nothing could touch his hard heart – neither sighs, nor tears, nor prayers, nor streaming blood: he was deaf to our cries, and careless of our sufferings.”
VICTORY FOR TCIG IN JUDICIAL REVIEW
Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands, Thursday July 28, 2016
Victory was recorded for the Turks and Caicos Islands Government this week, when Chief Justice Margaret Ramsey-Hale awarded a favourable judgment in the Supreme Court in respect to a judicial review that was initially filed by the plaintiffs, developers of the Venetian and the Tuscany resorts, back in 2015.
Her Ladyship Chief Justice Ramsey-Hale noted in her judgement that the question of whether or not the Governor in Cabinet could lawfully amend regulations or policy was not a matter for the judiciary to decide but that the intent of a review was to ensure that due process was followed and that the Government had duly considered the possible environmental impacts that such amendments could have and that the evidence before her demonstrated that it had.
The nearly year-long dispute arose amidst the announcement by Cabinet that it had made amendments to the planning policy to increase the permissible height of apartments, condominiums and hotel buildings and increasing the density of the number of bedrooms per acre and based on the type of development in certain areas on Providenciales.
The arguments put forth by the developers of the sister properties located in Leeward Providenciales were that their properties would be adversely affected by the Government's amendments to the policy and they further accused the Government of not holding widespread stakeholder consultations prior to making the decision to increase the permissible height and density of tourism related development.
However, the Government was and remains satisfied that consultation was in fact widespread and that interested persons were given ample opportunities and means to communicate and engage with the Government on the proposed amendments via stakeholder meetings, email, letters as well as through public town hall meetings.
The Premier, Hon. Dr. Rufus W. Ewing on receiving the judgement remarked, "while this is a victorious day for the Government and indeed the people of these islands, who have waited long enough and are deserving of the many opportunities that development brings, I must also register my displeasure with the amount of resources that have had to be utilized to defend the Government's position.
"I would like to register my government's gratitude to the technical support teams in the planning department and the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Planning, and the Attorney General's Chambers and outside counsel Helen Mountfield QC for their diligence and dedication in this matter."
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL CONSIDERS CCTV AND RADAR PROTECTION
The Governor, Premier, Police Commissioner, Minister for Border Control and Attorney General held their fifth meeting of the National Security Council on Tuesday 26 July. They agreed to recommend to Cabinet an RFP as soon as possible for the first phase of closed circuit television cameras in Providenciales and Grand Turk. They noted the value of systems in other jurisdictions, and proposed that a steering group be formed as soon as possible, chaired by the Director of the Premier's Office, to take forward proposals, including considering possible private sector collaboration. They noted that it would be necessary for the AG to consider the need for some data protection legislation.
Members of the Council also discussed the radar detection centre, and the need to collaborate with the RTCI Police Force, especially after the acquisition of new high-speed vessels, and possibly drones, for the protection of TCI's borders. The Council agreed to recommend to Cabinet that, to ensure as effective a detection unit as possible, members of the existing team should be transferred to become members of the Police staff under the direction of the Commissioner once the appropriate administrative steps have been taken.
The Council will invite members of the wider NSC Advisory Group to a meeting soon in Providenciales.