EZRA TAYLOR CONTINUES TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE LEEWARD CONSTITUENCY
PDM seat caretaker Ezra Taylor, continues to serve the constituency that had given him a near victory in 2012. He has over the years continued to speak to the issues and address its needs having through his vibrant team conducted clean ups, address the issue of feral dogs that continue to plague the communities, brighten the Christmas for the children, placed trash bins in frequently used beach areas, donating and installing seating area in the increasingly popular Long Bay Beach, conducted walk-throughs and meet and greet its residents.
Over the past few weeks, he has conducted two community outreach initiatives with more in the works. Mindful of the increased number of robberies in the Leeward and Long Bay Hills areas, Mr. Taylor began a door to door campaign with a member of Community Policing. This gesture was well appreciated and residents were thrilled to see this partnership.
“I believe that all leaders and those willing to serve must be hands on in addressing the crime situation in these Islands particularly here in Provo. Leeward and Long Bay Hills have experienced an increasing number of house break-ins and robberies and the residents were happy to see the Police in such a community spirited initiative. I believe that we can make serious inroads in fighting crime if we take it from the community level and work along with the Police in initiatives such as these. I look forward to continuing this initiative and to making our people more aware of the state of our communities whilst ensuring that they engage in crime prevention activities”, says Ezra Taylor.
In an effort again to address the indiscriminate littering and general uncleanliness of the Leeward constituency, volunteers took to the streets in a clean-up led by Ezra Taylor. They were able to collect dozens of bags of trash.
“There must be a sustainable program put in place to address the general uncleanliness of these Islands. Whilst I welcome and embrace volunteerism, the Government must place greater resources in this area and enforce the Laws. This remains a health risk but for me it has also become an embarrassing issue and one of national pride or rather lack thereof. More has to be done to maintain a cleaner environment,” remarked Taylor.
Mr. Taylor is looking forward to continuing to serve the people of the Leeward and Long Bay Hills communities.
College Summer Interns Begin Work at FORTISTCI
Five college students from the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), studying abroad and locally, were recently welcomed to the FortisTCI family. Demetrio Quant, Angelique Pereira, Gabriel Saunders, Jonathan Chan Jon Chu, and Miquel Swann, were each selected to participate in this year’s FORTISTCI Student Summer Employment Programme (SSEP), which will last for an 8 week period through August.
As college interns at FORTISTCI, they will have the opportunity to experience a professional working environment at a well-established international business. The Company anticipates that this exposure will help the students develop skill sets in their particular area of study and introduce them to the opportunities available in the energy sector.
“We are impressed with this year’s group of interns and the varying scholastic backgrounds that they have. This year’s selection process was fairly tough, and we know that as each year passes, selections will only become tougher as more students apply. We are excited to get to know the students in this year’s program, and wish them a summer filled with learning new things,” said Vice President of Human Resources, Finance & CFO Ruth Forbes.
Demetrio Quant is a 22-year-old who is currently studying Electrical Electronic and Power Engineering at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. Demetrio is working within the Energy Production and Project Planning Division. He said, “I am currently working with the mechanics, and have been observing the maintenance of the generators on a daily basis. Upon completion of my degree, I want to join the FORTISTCI team full time and help in the development of both the Company and my Country.”
Angelique Pereira, a 19-year-old who recently completed a two-year Associates Degree in Business Accounting at the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College, is working in the Customer Service Department within the Customer & Corporate Services Division. A part of her responsibilities include responding to customer inquiries and managing customer accounts. Angelique said, “I applied to intern with FORTISTCI because I was interested and eager to develop my communication, organization, and numeracy skills. I want to obtain my Bachelors and MBA abroad, and then return to the Turks and Caicos Islands to serve as a Certified Public Accountant,” she said.
18-year-old Gabriel Saunders is studying Business at the University of Waterloo. He is currently working with the Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Department within the Transmission and Distribution Division. “So far I have conducted research, calculated costs, participated in a business conference call, and started reconstructing a business case that will be presented to the CEO of FORTISTCI. My long term goals include getting an MBA,” said Gabriel.
Jonathan Chan Jon Chu, an 18-year-old Economics student at Saint Leo University in Florida, USA, is working with the Innovation Resource Planning (IRP) Department within the Executive Services Division of FORTIS TCI. His responsibilities include helping to build presentations, working on business continuity plans, and researching environmental measures that FORTISTCI can adopt. “My long-term goals entail returning to the Turks and Caicos Islands to help develop the Country,” Jonathan said
Meanwhile, Miquel Swann, a 27-year-old attending Newman University in Wichita Kansas, is majoring in Accounting, with a minor in Information Technology. He is currently working with the Finance Team within the Human Resources, Finance and Information Technology Division. “I believe that FORTISTCI sticks with their mission, to retain the best in the country. While here, I hope to re-affirm my love for accounting and finance. I also have a strong passion and desire to give back to the local community. Upon my return, I plan to teach at least one class per semester at the community college; helping to mold the next generation of Turks and Caicos Islanders in business, accounting, and finance,” said Miquel.
We do wish them all, the very best.
DIGICEL WELCOMES SUMMER INTERNS FROM THE TURKS AND CAICOS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Thursday, July 16th, 2015 – Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands: With the long summer holiday ahead, tertiary and secondary students are actively searching for summer jobs. In line with this, telecommunications leader, DIGICEL, has partnered with the Turks and Caicos Community College to invite students into the organization to participate in a 6 week long internship Program.
For the past 5 years, DIGICEL has welcomed students of the Turks & Caicos Community College into the organization as part of the college’s internship program. The program provides promising students at the tertiary level with real world experience in the areas of Information Technology, Finance, Marketing, Customer Care and Distribution. Interns are given a chance to participate in carrying out administrative and clerical functions at the telecommunications company. In order to provide the students with personal and career development, each student is paired with a mentor who is a senior manager in the business. These mentors are responsible for showing their intern the ins and outs of DIGICEL as well as guiding them on a path to a successful and fulfilling internship with the company.
Intern, Amaano Kwatt, who aspires to be a Business Manager in the corporate world, described his experience in the Customer Care, Finance and Distribution departments as very beneficial. "I enjoyed my time here at DIGICEL and now have a better understanding of the telecommunications Industry. I have learnt so much from my rotation in the various departments and now understand how a business operates and how its departments functions.”
Donna Chapman, Human Resources Manager for DIGICEL stated that, “DIGICEL will continue to partner with the Turks & Caicos Community College and welcome interns into the organization. The program has been beneficial for both the company and students alike. We are happy to have the assistance of the interns and in turn provide them an opportunity to enhance their work experience and apply knowledge gain in the classroom into a real life work environment. Ms. Chapman further stated: “We also use the program as an opportunity to screen prospective employees. In fact, several past interns are currently working with us in permanent contract roles, so the program definitely opens the door to greater opportunities for them.”
The partnership with the Turks & Caicos Community College on this Internship Program is one way of demonstrating DIGICEL’s commitment to nation building, by providing students with their first entry into the work environment and allowing them to make their contribution to society.
DIGICEL wishes all five interns who participated in the program the best of luck in their future endeavors.
More flights to Florida tourist destination from JetBlue
This year has already seen JetBlue introduce flights from Fort Lauderdale to Albany, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Mexico City, Nashville, Philadelphia and Quito. These have quickly followed the launch of services to Jacksonville, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh late last year.
US carrier, JetBlue Airways, is continuing its rapid rise at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport with the introduction of two further routes during the final quarter of this year – a domestic connection to Charleston International Airport and an international link to the Turks and Caicos Islands. These will be the 7th and 8th new non-stop markets to be served by JetBlue from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International since the start of the year and 40th and 41st destinations to be served from the focus city.
The new link to Charleston continues the airline’s growth in the historic southern port city since it launched its first flights into South Carolina in February 2013 from New York. JetBlue will offer a daily flight from Fort Lauderdale from November 19, 2015 but will switch its schedule from January 6, 2016 to offer better early morning departures from and late evening returns to Charleston to better meet the needs of the local market. The route will be operated using a 100-seat Embraer E190.
"Our partnership with JetBlue continues to be mutually beneficial and exceed our expectations," said Fernando Harb, vice president tourism sales, Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau. "With the addition of direct service from Charleston, SC, we see great growth potential for meetings and conventions as well as business travel segments."
JetBlue also intends to launch the new link between Fort Lauderdale and Turks and Caicos in November 2015, again using Embraer E190 equipment. The flight remains subject to regulatory approval and the US carrier hopes to open reservations within weeks as it awaits the green light to start the international service.
"I am delighted by JetBlue's announcement of the intent to launch direct service from Fort Lauderdale to the Turks and Caicos Islands. This is a very critical and long awaited route for the Turks and Caicos Islands as the gateway to some of the main cities where our diaspora have settled," said The Honorable Dr. Rufus Ewing, Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands. "The new route also signifies the strengthening d growth of our economy and the growing demand by travelers to visit the Turks and Caicos Islands, home of Providenciales, voted as Trip-Advisor's World's Best Island," he added.
This year has already seen JetBlue introduce flights from Fort Lauderdale to Albany, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Mexico City, Nashville, Philadelphia and Quito. These have quickly followed the launch of services to Jacksonville, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh late last year.
Its two new routes are into high yield markets, where South Florida is a key outbound leisure markets for travelers and average air fares are currently relatively high. There is already an established market between Florida and Charleston via the flights of American Airlines from Miami, while Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos is a notable Caribbean banking hub with traffic potential to and from South Florida for business, shopping and leisure.
Although JetBlue will be the sole carrier on these two routes, both destinations have previously been linked to Fort Lauderdale over the past ten years. Chautauqua Airlines operated a daily Embraer ERJ-135 connection for Delta Air Lines between Fort Lauderdale and Charleston up until January 2006, while ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines offered flights between Fort Lauderdale and Providenciales from February 2006 to July 2008 with a long summer flight programme.
Police release the name of 45 Year Old male found deceased – KEW TOWN
The Royal Turks & Caicos Islands Police were called to a property at Kew Town address in Providenciales at approximately 3:03PM Tuesday afternoon (July 14, 2015) after reports of a sudden death.
Police and an ambulance service were all in attendance and the body of one person, a 45 year old man was found in the property. A medical doctor later pronounced the man dead.
His next of kin have been informed and the deceased man is identified as 45 year old Sidney Stuart.
A Post Mortem will be carried out to determine the cause of death.
Police arrested and charged three suspects for various offences
Officers of the Royal Turks & Caicos Islands Police Force (RT&CIPF) on Wednesday 15th July arrested and charged three suspects for various offences.
1). 26 year old Tyrell Francis of Kew North Caicos was arrested and charged for Burglary in connection with a report that was made on Monday 22nd June 2015. He was later given police bail for his appearance to the North Caicos Magistrate’s Court today Thursday 16th June 2015.
2). 22 year old William Richard Penn Jr. of the Bight Providenciales was arrested and charged for Burglary and Motor Vehicle Interference. This arrest is in connection with a report made Wednesday 24th June 2015. He remains in Police Custody.
3). A 41year male of Blue Hills Providenciales was arrested on suspicion of Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm. The arrest is in connection with a report made on Sunday 12th July 2015. He too remains in Police Custody.
WATCHES AND A QUANTITY OF JEWELLERY – THE BIGHT
Police have arrested a 32 year old man, following a search warrant was executed at a Lower Bight address earlier this week.
At approximately 8:25PM on Tuesday 14 July 2015, police executed a search warrant at a home in The Bight.
During the search, police located and seized six watches and a quantity of jewelry.
The suspected stolen items were seized from the home for further forensic examination.
Meanwhile, the 32 year old man remains in police custody pending further investigations.
Anyone who may have information pertaining to this incident, is asked to call police on 941-8083 or Crime Stoppers in Miami on 1-800-8477.
CANNABIS AND SUSPECTED STOLEN ITEMS – THE BIGHT
A 21 year old male of The Bight was also arrested earlier this week for the offence of Possession of a Controlled Drug and Suspicion of Handling Stolen Goods.
At approximately 12:30pm (Monday 13 July 2015), police executed a search warrant at a home in The Bight. During a search of this home, police located and seized:
• 3 large flower pots containing suspected Cannabis plants
• 1 black and grey disc drive
• 1 grey Toshiba laptop
• 1 silver HP laptop
• 5 computer laptop drive
• 16 phones
• 3 Memory ram for computer laptop
• 2 wrist watches
• 1 keyboard
• 2 cameras
• 3 microphones
• 3 speakers and a quantity of chargers.
These items were seized from the home for further forensic examination.
Meanwhile, the 21 year old man remains in police custody pending further investigations.
CANNABIS AT AIRPORT – PROVIDENCIALES
Earlier this week, a 22 year old male was charged for the offence of Possession of a Controlled Drug.
Police say that at approximately7:05am (Monday 13 July 2015), officers attached to the Providenciales International Airport observed an unattended bag which drew their suspicion as to its contents.
A 22 year old male was identified as the owner of the said bag and officers conducted a search. During the search of that bag, police located and seized 155 grams of suspected Cannabis.
The charge of Possession of a Controlled Drug was laid on the 22 year old male after officers concluded their investigations into the suspected Cannabis found in his bag.
The 22 year old male has been given bail for his appearance before Chief Magistrate Clifton Warner in the Magistrate’s Court next week (Tuesday 21 July 2015).
ARREST SAME DAY BURGLARY WAS REPORTED
Officers of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force have been pretty busy recently, including being able to apprehend burglars the same day.
Police have arrested a 20 year old man for Burglary and Handling Stolen Goods in relation to a report that was made Wednesday.
At approximately 12:21pm yesterday (Wednesday 15th July 2015) police officers attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) responded to a Burglary at the Clement Howell High School (CHHS) in Blue Hills. A number of tools from the Woodwork shop were reported stolen and officers immediately commenced investigations.
Acting on intelligence, Police officers visited a Pawn Shop on Providenciales around 3:15PM, same day - Wednesday.
A 20 year old male of Blue Hills was found in possession of tools that matched the description of those reported stolen from CHHS attempting to pawn them. The suspect was arrested and taken to Chalk Sound Police station. He remains in Police custody and is expected to be formally charged later yesterday.