News
TCI Govt Officials fully endorse DDME App
By Deandrea Hamilton & Dana Malcolm
Editorial Staff
#TurksandCaicos, March 22, 2022 – Three months before the start of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season and the Department of Disaster and Emergencies in the TCI has launched its new mobile app called DDME Alert and you can find it on both the Android and the Apple platforms.
At a ceremony held Friday at the Shore Club and attended by Governor Nigel Dakin; Deputy Governor Anya Williams; Minister of Immigration and Border Services Arlington Musgrove; Opposition member Alvin Garland and several other members of government and the Royal TCI Police Force, the striking mobile application was launched.
The UK Foreign Commonwealth Development Office had announced it would support the development of an app for the DDME, now the tool is here and provides real time hazard information, weather updates and access to emergency services to islanders.
Minister with responsibility for Disaster Management and Emergencies is Arlington Musgrove, at the launch on Friday afternoon he expressed being impressed but not surprised.
“You know, when I met Team DDME, they wasted no time in telling me they are a force to be reckoned with. They said they are very small, but they are definitely a force to be reckoned with. Not only in TCI, but in the whole region. 
This app is a good thing and I really want to encourage every turks and Caicos islander, residents and visitors alike to please download this app.
This is very important, especially in disaster, not only in hurricane, but there could be airplane crashing, fires – this app will be able to tell you things like where flooding is.
I want to thank DDME for bringing this app to the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands. I applaud you,” said Minister Musgrove.
An ‘IM OKAY’ feature to let friends and family know your status in the event of a disaster is another vital feature. A ‘friend walk’ feature allows one to share location with a friend and allows one to be tracked; both are designed to prove useful when communications are limited.
TCI remembers in 2017, when back to back hits of Hurricanes Irma and Maria destroyed over 70 per cent of buildings and cut off vital communication. These days earthquakes, tsunamis and man-made catastrophes are all equally as possible.
When the Governor spoke, he too acknowledged the hard working DDME team, particularly Joanna Wilson-Forbes and Mark Wilkinson, who he said not only have ideas but have been able to deliver on them.
“It’s intimidating being a small island state in the hurricane belt but there are two amazing things that now give us an edge, perhaps we did not want them to give us an edge. But the first is because we have had three category five hurricanes in 13-14 years, we’ve got an extremely experienced Government – by which I mean public service and ministers who’ve done this before and will do it well again and a really experienced public as well, who have been through it.
If you’ve got that type of experienced public, the best thing you can do, is give them the very best information so they can make really smart decisions and that is exactly what your application is doing, thank you for that.”
Governor Dakin, who is co-chair (along with the Premier) of the National Emergency Operation Center, NEOC, which is mobilized in the event of any kind of disaster, said the DDME App also gives leaders great information.
The Governor, Nigel Dakin issued a challenged. For everyone at the launch to get 10 individuals to download the app, asking those individuals to repeat the process for there to be maximum access to the information contained in the hub.
You can download the DDME app at DDME alert in the App Store or on Google play.
The Bahamas, August 27, 2026 – The Royal Bahamas Police Force wishes to inform members of the public that several individuals are scheduled to appear before the Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 27th August 2026, at 12:00 noon.
The individuals and charges are as follows:
An 18-year-old female is scheduled to be arraigned on the following charges:
Three (3) counts of Murder
Three (3) counts of Attempted Murder
Three (3) counts of Possession of a Firearm with Intent to Endanger Life
Three (3) counts of Possession of an Unlicensed Firearm
Two (2) counts of Possession of Ammunition
Armed Robbery
Abetment to Armed Robbery
Stealing
Receiving
The charges stem from three separate shooting incidents and an armed robbery that occurred on Friday, 21st August 2026, and Saturday, 22nd August 2026.
The first shooting occurred in the area of Soldier Road and Baillou Hill Road, resulting in the death of a 51-year-old male.
The second shooting occurred in the area of Joe Farrington Road, resulting in the death of a 52-year-old male.
The third shooting occurred in the area of Gladstone Road, resulting in the death of a 36-year-old male.
The armed robbery occurred at a business establishment in the area of Carmichael Road and Baillou Hill Road.
A 21-year-old male is scheduled to be arraigned on one charge of:
- Murder
The charge stems from a shooting incident that occurred on Tuesday, 21st July 2026, in the area of Samson Street, Nassau Village, which resulted in the death of a 28-year-old male.
A 32-year-old male is scheduled to be arraigned on the following charges:
- Murder
- Attempted Murder
These charges stem from a shooting incident that occurred on Wednesday, 24th December 2025, in the area of Graham Drive, Yellow Elder, which resulted in the death of a 25-year-old male.
RBPF, PACD
by Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
PROVIDENCIALES, TCI — In a country where government press conferences are virtually non-existent, ministers are often difficult for
journalists to access and regular broadcast television news has disappeared, TCI Innovation, Technology and Energy Minister E. Jay Saunders has challenged Caribbean media to become “impossible to ignore.”
Speaking at the Caribbean Broadcasting Union gathering, Saunders argued that the Caribbean does not have a relevance problem but a “discoverability and positioning problem.”
Discoverability is precisely the issue in Saunders’ home country. Even Government’s own attempts at video news broadcasting have struggled against the realities of consistently producing a daily, weekly or even monthly newscast.
The difficulties confronting TCI media extend well beyond algorithms: limited advertising revenue, underfunding, shortages of trained professionals and insufficient human capacity leave newsrooms struggling for both staff and stamina.
Then there is the reality of operating in one of the region’s smallest societies. Politicians, journalists, advertisers, businesses and the subjects of stories often exist within the same tight economic and social circles. A controversial report that might create a ripple elsewhere can produce a tsunami in TCI, intensifying concerns among journalists about commercial and professional victimisation.
Saunders believes AI can help.
He urged Caribbean media to use the technology to transform one original story into television, radio, web, podcast, social and translated content without multiplying newsroom workload.
He also wants regional journalism structured so AI systems can find, understand and trust Caribbean sources, moving media beyond traditional SEO into Answer Engine Optimisation.
His ultimate message was emphatic: “Use AI not to make Caribbean media more artificial — but to make Caribbean voices more visible.”
For Turks and Caicos media, however, becoming visible may require more than technology. It requires an environment in which journalism can survive.
That last sentence is where I think we land the plane. It acknowledges that EJ actually has some us
Bahamas News
Bahama Brass Band Invitation Sparks Heritage Debate Ahead of TCI Constitutional Holiday
Turks and Caicos, August 20, 2026 – The planned participation of the Bahama Brass Band in the Turks and Caicos Islands’ inaugural Constitutional Holiday celebrations on August 30 has sparked public debate over culture, heritage and the historical contributions of Turks and Caicos Islanders abroad.
Organizers defended the invitation, saying the band’s inclusion is intended to highlight the deep historical ties between the two countries
and honor Turks and Caicos men who helped establish and develop the institution in Grand Bahama.
According to the organizers, the Bahama Brass Band began in 1955 in Pine Ridge, Freeport, with Turks and Caicos Islanders, including the late Deacon Reuben Hall Sr. of Middle Caicos and Jenkins Williams and Mervin Hendfield of North Caicos, among those who helped build its foundation. The band eventually grew to more than 50 men.
The organizers also pointed to the participation of Turks and Caicos men in The Bahamas’ Independence celebrations on July 10, 1973, arguing that their contributions became part of Bahamian history while maintaining strong connections to their homeland.
Supporters say bringing the band home represents an opportunity to honor those pioneers, showcase their regional influence and expose younger generations to an important part of Turks and Caicos history.
However, concerns raised publicly described the invitation as potentially disrespectful to local culture and heritage. Organizers acknowledged those concerns, apologizing to anyone who felt overlooked or offended, while maintaining that no disrespect was intended.
The committee said the event should ultimately unite rather than divide, presenting the band’s history as evidence of the reach and resilience of Turks and Caicos heritage.
PHOTO CREDIT: Bahamas Brass Band
