Turks and Caicos, September 13, 2024 – From July to September, FortisTCI conducted nearly a dozen Community Conversations sessions across the islands, engaging customers and stakeholders on the Company’s operations, recent investments to meet TCI’s rising energy demand, and significant developments in the energy sector. These sessions also provided an open forum for participants to ask questions about the electricity service and other energy matters.

The series began with a media breakfast and a plant tour at FortisTCI headquarters in July, followed by several customer-focused events held throughout the islands. The series culminated on September 3, 2024, with an Energy Hour Business Breakfast at The Shore Club Resort, aimed at members of the business community.

Presentations were led by FortisTCI President and CEO, Ruth Forbes, alongside Senior Vice President of Operations Devon Cox, and Vice President of Finance, Corporate Services and CFO, Aisha Laporte. The sessions also featured insights from other executive team members and management. Attendees responded positively, expressing appreciation for the valuable information shared.

In addition to the informative conversations, the sessions featured giveaways, with over twenty participants winning hurricane food starter baskets. All attendees of the Community Conversations sessions received complimentary LED lanterns and were automatically entered into a raffle for energy-efficient home appliances. Seven customers from across the islands emerged as winners in a random drawing.

FortisTCI President and CEO Ruth Forbes reflected on the series: “As we navigate the energy transition, open and meaningful dialogue with our customers and stakeholders is essential. The rapid changes in the energy landscape, rising energy demand, regulatory developments, and transformation of the traditional utility model are all pertinent areas that require ongoing engagement. Our Community Conversations series was a crucial opportunity to connect with our customers and stakeholders, and we look forward to more interactions as electricity impacts every facet of society.”

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Increasingly Aligned with the Interests of U.S. Travelers

From Hospitalitynet.org

WASHINGTON – Following record-breaking air travel over Labor Day weekend, the U.S. Travel Association along with Ipsos released survey results underscoring traveler preference of biometric technology screening to keep air passengers safe and provide greater efficiency at airport checkpoints.

By overwhelming margins, air travelers support TSA’s use of biometric technology at airports to strengthen security and improve the travel experience. Travelers embrace next-generation technology at the same time a small cadre of members of Congress seek to take air travel back to the Dark Ages. Further efforts to harm the travel experience by forcing antiquated approaches upon travelers will have consequences among voters. Geoff Freeman, U.S. Travel Association President and CEO

Key findings include:

• The majority of air travelers (79%), Americans (78%), Democrats (80%), and Republicans (76%) support the use of biometrics at TSA security checkpoints to confirm the identity of travelers.
• Nearly all Americans (92%) and air travelers (95%) agree that verifying traveler identity is an important measure taken by TSA to protect the flying public.
• Nine in 10 air travelers say they would be more likely or equally likely to support biometric use at TSA security checkpoints if it reduced the typical time it takes to get through security.
• Supporters of TSA biometrics primarily list stopping terrorism and human trafficking (71%) and making airports safer (66%) as their reasons for supporting biometric use at TSA security checkpoints – even above travel efficiency and wait times.
• More than half of Americans say they are more likely to support the use of biometrics at TSA security checkpoints knowing the data would:

• Be deleted within hours of the completed trip,
• Be used to stop terrorism,
• Have safeguards in place to ensure biometric data is not shared with other government agencies.

These results emphasize the important work of our Commission on Seamless and Secure Travel, which is closely examining the use of biometrics to strengthen security, improve the passenger experience and protect privacy, Freeman added. Given the decade of major global sporting events announced for the United States and knowing a vast majority of travelers prefer biometric screening, Washington must act to fund and widely utilize this technology at our nation’s airports to welcome and process millions of people who are expected to visit in coming years.

U.S. Travel’s Commission on Seamless and Secure Travel, chaired by former Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan, has embarked on a year-long study to improve U.S. global competitiveness and increase travel security and efficiency. A report and recommendations are expected this fall.

~All medalled athletes from islands where Sandals operates, to receive weeklong stays at luxury chain

for their Paris Olympics performances~

Montego Bay, Jamaica – September 8, 2024 – Sandals Resorts International, in a show of celebration following the extraordinary performance of Caribbean athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics, extended complimentary vacations to all medalists from the islands where the resort brand operates.

Jamaican top performers, Rojé Stona, Kishane Thompson, Shanieka Ricketts, Rajindra Campbell, Wayne Pinnock and Rasheed Broadbell will receive week-long stays at any Sandals or Beaches resort in the Caribbean. Saint Lucia’s Olympic champion Julien Alfred, alongside Grenada’s star athletes Lindon Victor and Anderson Peters will also receive complimentary one-week vacations at any Sandals or Beaches resort across the region.

“The Olympic Games are always a special time for us here in the Caribbean. Our athletes are incredibly talented and we are thrilled to witness their wins and record-making performances. On behalf of our entire Sandals family, we excitedly celebrate with our Olympic medallists and we look forward to hosting them for a relaxing vacation at Sandals,” shared Executive Chairman for Sandals Resorts International, Adam Stewart.

This latest show of support for Caribbean athletes has become a hallmark of Sandals Resorts as they made a similar offering to athletes at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The resort chain has also been a major sponsor of regional sports such as the West Indies Cricket team and multiple motorsport athletes among many others.

Captions:

Rojé Stona: Jamaican track and field athlete Rojé Stona broke the Olympic record to win the gold medal in the men’s discus throw at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Stona is the first Jamaican to win Olympic gold at a throwing event.

Shanieka Ricketts: Jamaican athlete Shanieka Ricketts copped silver in the women’s triple jump at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Julien Alfred: Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred celebrates her historic performance after copping gold in the women’s 100m at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Alfred also won silver in the women’s 200m competition.