Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies: Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands — Fifteen teams raced across Providenciales on Saturday July 4th for the inaugural DDME Hurricane Hunt, a community scavenger hunt designed to combine friendly competition with hurricane preparedness education.

Teams were given a bag of supplies and 15 cryptic clues, participants had less than two hours to pinpoint locations and collect hurricane must-haves; including water jugs, shovels, flashlights and other supplies that every household should have on hand ahead of a storm.

The challenge tested not only participants’ local knowledge and navigation skills, but also their teamwork under time pressure; all while reinforcing practical lessons about what it takes to stay ready when a storm approaches.

Beyond the hunt itself, the event drew a lively crowd of families and supporters who turned out to enjoy a full day of festivities. Attendees took part in games, received free gifts, face painting, canvas painting, bounce houses and visited vendor booths; while enjoying fresh food off the grill throughout the afternoon.

“This event brought together the best of both worlds; a fun, high-energy competition and a meaningful reminder of how important it is for our community to be prepared,” Mr. Aaron Ballantyne, Community Preparedness Officer for Providenciales. “Seeing 15 teams fully engaged, racing to landmarks across the island while learning what belongs in a hurricane kit, was exactly the outcome we hoped for.”

DDME extends their sincere gratitude to the stakeholders that partnered with the event and generously donated their time, resources and efforts to make it a success: The Turks and Caicos Islands Red Cross, The Oseta Jolly Primary School, The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, Do It Center (Building Materials), KB Homes, Digicel TCI, Frost Cay and Clint Grilling and Catering Services, along with all other vendors who were solicited.

The event’s success was also made possible by the private organizations and government departments that opened their locations to serve as scavenger hunt sites, allowing the hunt to unfold across the island; from Chalk Sound to Long Bay.

The quick thinking first place team consisted of; Neekimo King, Keturah Miller-Brown, Lashaunda Dickenson and Kebba Thomas who all walked away with exciting prizes.

Ms. Bernadya Smith, Public Information and Media Manager stated; “With hurricane season underway, this event, along with our recent Hurricane Expo held in Grand Turk and community pop-ups throughout the country, is a testament to DDME’s commitment to blending community engagement with year-round storm readiness. We look forward to making this event an annual staple that brings families together while keeping preparedness at the forefront of every community we serve.

Follow DDME social media pages to stay up to date with upcoming events and to join their weekly quizzes for a chance to win exciting prizes all hurricane season long.

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands — June 11th   2026 — Invest Turks and Caicos Islands has confirmed a financial commitment of $26,750 through the MSME Programme’s Technical Assistance support to assist 35 participants undertaking STCW and Fly-Fishing Guide Certifications under the Turks and Caicos Fly Fishing Association (TCFFA) and the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College (TCICC) partnership. The support is intended to strengthen the capacity of existing and emerging local operators within the flats-fishing and marine–based tourism sector, helping participants formalize their skills, improve service standards, and access higher-value economic opportunities.

The announcement follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between TCFFA and TCICC on 12th May 2026, establishing the country’s first endorsed and regionally recognized Sustainable Fly-Fishing curriculum. That partnership, funded in part by the UK Government through the Darwin Plus Local initiative, aims to certify twenty or more Turks and Caicos Islanders as Flats-Fishing Guides and Train-The-Trainers — drawn from Providenciales, North Caicos, South Caicos, Middle Caicos, and Grand Turk.

Invest TCI’s contribution ensures that the financial barrier to certification does not prevent qualified candidates from accessing this sector-building opportunity. The support is being provided as technical assistance to strengthen the capacity of existing and emerging MSMEs within the flats-fishing and marine-based tourism sector, enabling participants to formalize, improve service standards, and access higher-value market opportunities.

“We are indeed happy to be a part of this initiative and to provide financial support towards the certification of the 35 participants. Invest TCI is committed to empowering small and medium enterprises and the individuals who drive them – and this programme is a direct example of that commitment in action.” — Alexa Cooper, Vice President – SME Development, Invest Turks and Caicos

Regional studies, including research on The Bahamas’ flats-fishing sector, show that the industry can generate significant economic value through lodging, meals, transport, retail, and guided services. This demonstrates the potential for Turks and Caicos to strengthen its own flats-fishing value chain through professional training, certification, and local enterprise development.

Angela Musgrove, CEO of Invest Turks and Caicos, highlighted the strategic alignment between the investment and Invest TCI’s broader mission:

“Invest TCI’s mandate is to support a stronger, more diversified economy with Turks and Caicos Islanders positioned to benefit from the industries that shape our future. This initiative directly aligns with that mandate. By supporting certification for local flats-fishing guides, we are helping to convert local knowledge into recognized credentials, strengthen small business capacity, and retain more value within our communities. It is a practical investment in people, enterprise, and sector development.” — Angela Musgrove, CEO, Invest Turks and Caicos

TCFFA President Levardo Talbot, whose association initiated the candidacy process and identified the funded participants, welcomed Invest TCI’s commitment as pivotal to the programme’s reach:

“For the first time, Turks and Caicos Islander fly fishing guides have an endorsed and regionally-recognized, locally delivered pathway into a profession that has long been built on their knowledge but not always on their terms. Invest TCI’s support ensures the people who should be in this room are in this room.” — Levardo Talbot, President, Turks and Caicos Fly Fishing Association

By Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

NASSAU, Bahamas (July 16, 2026) — The allegation is as shocking as it is consequential. Prosecutors now contend Azario Major was struck by additional gunfire after he was already dead.  That conclusion has prompted the Director of Public Prosecutions to upgrade the case against three police officers from manslaughter to murder ahead of a judge-only trial.

According to court filings and the DPP’s review of the forensic evidence, prosecutors allege that additional rounds entered Major’s body after death, a finding they say fundamentally changed their assessment of the case and justified the more serious charge of murder.

Investigators recovered 45 spent shell casings at the scene of the Boxing Day 2021 fatal shooting of Azario Major, a striking piece of forensic evidence that has remained central to the case from its earliest days.

Major, 31, was fatally shot by police outside Woody’s Bar on Fire Trail Road on December 26, 2021. While police initially maintained the shooting was justified, the circumstances surrounding the incident were heavily scrutinized during a Coroner’s Court inquest, where jurors ultimately returned a verdict of homicide by manslaughter.

The officers later challenged that finding, but the Supreme Court upheld the Coroner’s Court ruling, paving the way for criminal proceedings. They were subsequently arraigned on manslaughter charges and pleaded not guilty.

The DPP’s decision to elevate the charges to murder significantly raises the legal stakes. Unlike manslaughter, which does not necessarily require proof of an intent to kill, a murder conviction requires prosecutors to establish the legal elements of the more serious offence beyond a reasonable doubt. The prosecution’s case is now expected to focus heavily on forensic evidence, ballistic analysis and the sequence of gunfire during the fatal encounter.

The case is also notable because it will proceed without a jury. Barring further delays, the trial is expected to open on September 14 before Justice Guillimina Archer-Minns in a judge-alone trial, where a single judge—not a jury—will decide the fate of the three accused officers.

The proceedings will determine not only whether the three officers are guilty or innocent of murder, but whether prosecutors’ extraordinary allegation—that Azario Major was struck by additional gunfire after he was already dead—can be proven in court.