BAHAMAS AND TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS PUBLIC FORECAST 20TH AUGUST, 2018
PUBLIC FORECAST FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT MONDAY 20TH AUGUST 2018
GENERAL SITUATION: A BROAD SURFACE TROUGH WILL MOVE WESTWARD ACROSS THE BAHAMAS GENERATING SOME CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY.
SPECIAL WARNINGS: BOATERS SHOULD BE VIGILANT FOR WATERSPOUT ACTIVITY.
ALL AREAS
WEATHER: VARIABLY CLOUDY AND WARM WITH WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY OVER THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS EARLY BECOMING SUNNY AND HOT BY MID-MORNING WITH A FEW BRIEF PASSING ISOLATED SHOWERS POSSIBLE.
ADVISORY: SMALL CRAFT CAUTION IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCLUDUNG THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS. BOATERS 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 IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND EASTERLY AT 15 TO 20 KNOTS IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS OVER OPEN WATERS.
SEAS: 2 TO 4 FEET IN THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND 4 TO 6 FEET IN THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS INCLUDING THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS OVER THE OCEAN.
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURE 93°F 34°C
OVERNITE LOW TEMPERATURE 79°F 26°C
HEAT INDEX 106°F 41°C
SUNRISE: 6:46AM
SUNSET: 7:38PM
MOONRISE: 3:35PM
MOONSET: 2:36AM TUE
LOW TIDE: 9:05AM 10:03PM
HIGH TIDE: 3:34PM 3:50AM TUE
EXTENDED FORECAST: IN THE WAKE A BROAD WEAK TROUGH, A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL MEANDER AND DOMINATE THE WEATHER ACROSS THE AREA.
POLICE INVESTIGATE STRING OF GUN-RELATED INCIDENTS
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force is investigating the circumstances surrounding a shooting incident which occurred near the Blue Hills roundabout shortly after 4:00 a.m., Sunday, August 19th, 2018.
According to police media relations officer Takara Bain, a 25-year-old male received multiple gunshot wounds, while the 19-year-old female escaped serious injuries.
Bain said a second shooting that took place after 12:00 a.m., on Monday, August 20th, 2018 is also being investigated by Police. This incident took place near the Kew Town Kids Park. A 21-year-old female in a parked car received a gunshot wound. The second passenger, a 22-year-old man was unharmed.
An armed robbery occurred Sunday, August 19th, 2018 in Grace Bay. Shortly after 2:00 a.m., a man was approached by two armed men, who robbed him of personal items. There were no reports of shots fired and injuries.
Acting Commissioner of Police Mr. Trevor Botting, said: "The weekend has seen three incidents which involved a firearm, none of which appear to be directly linked. These matters are of great concern to the RT&CIPF, as they should be to all the communities on the Turks and Caicos, given the levels of violence used."
He added: "Detectives are investigating these incidents but we need the help of local communities in bringing those persons responsible to justice and to make the TCI a safer place. There is no place for these such incidents in our communities and I am asking for your help in these investigations; we must work together to make our communities safer. My officers will be actively pursuing leads and you will see an increase in policing activity in areas of Providenciales over the coming days.”
If you have any information into these incidents please contact the Chalk Sound Police Station at 338-5901, 941-8082, 911 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-8477.
Top of Form
TCI CADETS ATTEND BIENNIAL CARIBBEAN CADET CAMP IN BARBADOS
On Sunday, August 5, 2018, three instructors, along with a cohort of 16 cadets, left the Turks and Caicos Islands to join other cadets from across the Caribbean region in Barbados for the Biennial Caribbean Cadet Camp held this year, 5-19 August 2018, for a time of adventurous training, competition and cultural immersion.
The Premier, along with the Speaker of the House and the Minister of Education, Youth, Culture and Library Services, had the opportunity to pray with the cadets and their instructors at the Providenciales Airport just before their departure.
The camp is held every year for cadets across the Caribbean region and a major objective is to widen and deepen understanding among the youth groups in the different territories. It allows for the cadets to undergo training in disciplines such as air and sea, weapons management and environmental awareness along with training in leadership.
Mr. Nixon Dickenson, acting Director of the Youth Department who is responsible for the Cadets Corps Programme stated, "I firmly believe that if given the opportunity, the youth of our society will maximize their potential to become productive citizens and members of our society. It may seem difficult at times, but eventually the youth will reap the benefits of the programme. The aim of the Turks & Caicos Islands Cadet Corps is to build discipline and character while instilling in our youth positive values and attitudes, and the ideal of civic responsibility to community and country".
The instructors and cadets will return to the island on Sunday, August 19, 2018.
END
BLUE HILLS STORE ROBBED
Providenciales Police are seeking the public's help with information into a robbery that took place at a Bay Road Store on Wednesday, August 15th, 2018.
According to reports, shortly after 1:00 p.m., an armed masked man approached the store cashier and demanded money.
The robber made away with an undisclosed amount of cash.
There were no reports of shots fired or injuries.
Investigations are ongoing.
If you have any information into this incident please contact the Chalk Sound Police Station at 338-5901, 941-8082, 911 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-8477.
PERMANENT RESIDENCE SUBMISSION
PUBLIC NOTICE
PERMANENT RESIDENCE SUBMISSION
The Department of Registration & Citizenship, under the Ministry of Border Control & Employment, wishes to advise the general public of the following:
Persons submitting applications for Permanent Residence, under Sections (12) and (13) of the Turks and Caicos Islands Immigration Ordinance 2015, and the TCI Status Ordinance 2015, must continue to maintain their legal status in the Islands following on submission of an application and during the period that it is being processed.
This is in accordance with the Turks and Caicos Islands Immigration Ordinance 2015 Part 3 Section 11, which states:
"Except for an Islander, a British Overseas territories citizen or a permanent resident, a person shall not remain in the Islands after the expiration of the period during which he is permitted to remain in the Islands by the Immigration officer unless the person is in possession of a valid permit issued under section 24, 32, or 33."
The Department of Registration & Citizenship further wishes to thank the public for its understanding and cooperation as we seek to improve our standards of service delivery.
END
ATTEMPTED ROBBERY IN GRAND TURK
ATTEMPTED ROBBERY IN GRAND TURK
Police on Grand Turk are investigating an attempted armed robbery, which occurred Monday, August 13, 2018.
According to 911 Central, at 9:13 p.m., armed masked men attempted to rob a North Back Salina Grocery Store. The masked men escaped on foot.
There were no reports of shots fired or injuries.
Investigations are ongoing.
If you have any information into this latest incident please contact the Chalk Sound Police Station at 338-5901, 941-8082, 911 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-8477.
ENDs.
CARPHA concludes risk of getting zika in the Caribbean low at this time
The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has concluded that zika virus transmission in the Caribbean region has been interrupted, and that the risk to residents and visitors to the region of acquiring Zika is low. This follows a review by CARPHA of the data of the last 30 months pertinent to the situation.
Zika virus (ZIKV) was first detected in the Caribbean region in late 2015. The number of cases increased in the first half of 2016 and reached its peak circulation in August 2016, and then declined rapidly by December 2016.
At this time, ongoing surveillance and laboratory testing in CMS indicate that the epidemic circulation of ZIKV has been interrupted in Caribbean territories. This is based on congruency of data available from several sources and on experience of previous outbreaks of mosquito-borne viral diseases in the region:
- Local surveillance in member states has demonstrated both a decrease in general fever-related illness as well as a specific absence of ZIKV reports over the past year.
- CARPHA Regional Laboratory continues to test samples for mosquito-borne disease, including ZIKV, dengue virus (DENV) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV). These tests have shown the drastic decrease from the peak of ZIKV circulation in 2016 to a situation where no cases of ZIKV have been confirmed among samples received from any CMS over the past 12 months
- CARPHA has reached out to international public health agencies, including the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and the European Centres for Disease Control (eCDC), for information on cases of ZIKV in travelers returning from the Caribbean to Canada and Europe respectively. The data shared indicate a similar pattern to that seen in regional data – a drastic decrease from a high-point in 2016, to sporadic cases in the immediate aftermath and no cases this year.
CARPHA advises that there is still a need to be vigilant given the ongoing risk for dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases.
Guyanese Government commits to hiking teachers’ pay
MINISTER of Education, Ms. Nicolette Henry, said talks between the Government of Guyana and the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) held last Thursday were not concluded but rather, some aspects of the union’s terms were agreed and a decision was taken for another meeting to be held to iron out the outstanding issues.
However, she noted that the government remains committed to paying teachers their increases. The union has called on its members to go on strike and has since notified the Ministry of Education of its intention. In an invited comment with the Ministry of the Presidency’s Public Information and Press Services Unit, Minister Henry said that coming out of last week’s meeting, the two sides agreed to some recommendations, but noted that some could not be agreed, while others were completely withdrawn by the union.
Minister Henry said given the difference of opinions and the number of issues that had to be addressed, the union and the government’s side “agreed in principle that we will meet subsequently to address the issues that were not resolved at that first meeting. So, my understanding and at least the agreement that came out of that meeting, is that we will meet subsequently; and it is my intention to invite the union to continue to have meetings as was agreed [to] at our initial meeting.”
Serena Williams loses to Petra Kvitova at Cincinnati's Western & Southern Open
Former world number one Serena Williams says she is at the start of a "long comeback" after losing 6-3 2-6 6-3 to Czech Petra Kvitova in Cincinnati.
The second-round loss comes on the back of her heaviest career defeat, a 6-1 6-0 loss to Britain's Johanna Konta in the Silicon Valley Classic first round.
"I'm still at the very beginning," said the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
"I'm just going to continue to work hard, and hopefully I'll start winning more matches."
Puerto Rican Little League Baseball team riding strength of a hurricane
For the players from Radames Lopez Little League, their unlikely journey to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was borne out of the island's worst natural disaster in more than a century.
Less than a year ago, Hurricanes Irma and Maria ravaged Puerto Rico, leaving a trail of death and destruction. Guayama, a small coastal town on the southeastern part of the island, was among the hardest-hit areas from Maria.
Yet its resilient Little League team of 11- and 12-year-olds, despite untold damage to their homes, their community and their baseball fields, went undefeated in the Caribbean regional tournament to qualify for its first trip to Williamsport.
For Radames Lopez, which opens play Thursday against South Korea (1 p.m. ET on ESPN), going to the Little League World Series was a way of giving thanks to baseball. The game provided a sense of normalcy for the people of Guayama as they tried to rebuild their lives amid the chaos and confusion in the aftermath of the hurricane