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“He will forever be missed…” Lewis Astwood laid to rest in Official Funeral attended by country leaders past & present

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By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

 

#TurksandCaicos, June 16, 2022 – Former politician and founding member of the People’s Democratic Movement Lewis Astwood III was laid to rest at Paradise Baptist Church in Five Cays on Wednesday, June 8th.

The pioneering leader was sent home with an official ceremony from the Turks and Caicos Islands Government, attended by several sitting Members of Parliament.

Astwood was celebrated by his successors on both sides of the political arena.

The ceremony was attended by Governor Nigel Dakin; Deputy Governor Anya Williams, Premier Washington Misick; Leader of the Opposition Edwin Astwood; former Premier Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson; former Chief Ministers Derek Taylor and Oswald Skippings, other Members of Parliament, members of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force who served as pallbearers, and members of the TCI Regiment and Cadet Corps.

Premier Washington Misick read the 23rd Psalm, with the hope that it would ‘bring some comfort’ to Astwood’s family. Leader of the Opposition Edwin Astwood expressed his deep love for his uncle describing his death as a “great loss.”

“He will forever be missed. I do not know how many others know him in his other stations, but he was one of the best uncles that I could have had. He was one of the best in the world.”

Derek Taylor gave the congregation a reflection of Astwood’s life recalling fondly how he was called “red cow” because of his love for the condensed milk of the same name. He explained Astwood’s love for his donkey ‘Buster’.

“Buster would go in the house and watch TV…It got so bad that when he got attacked by another donkey he would run to people for shelter!” he explained to rounds of laughter

Jokes aside Lewis was a true patriot Taylor said, committed to his country in every way.

“He was a hands-on minister, he set the bar. He did not stay in the office. Lewis was well informed and not only in the public sector but in the private sector as well…he would long to be remembered for his contributions to these islands,” Taylor explained.

Born in 1943, Astwood became the first Minister of Works and Utilities and despite his lack of a formal high school and university education, he did brilliantly at the job.

Drexwell Seymour explained, “Each time someone talked to Lewie he made a lasting impression on them with his knowledge, he was always thinking outside the box.”

Astwood’s life was not easy after the death of his father and his mother’s migration to The Bahamas, he did whatever it took to keep himself and his family afloat.

“Some days his cousins would bring food in their pockets so he could have dinner and in return, he would help them with their homework as he was an ace in mathematics and geography. He did not let anything deter him from the life he wanted.” Seymour said during the obituary.

Despite having a lucrative job in the Bahamas when he grew older, he returned home to serve and was a successful businessman and politician. Both Astwood’s son and daughter entered the political sphere, following in their father’s footsteps. His son Sean Astwood held the position of Deputy Premier.

Lewie Astwood was instrumental in improving life for the Turks and Caicos Islanders.

Described as a ‘diehard PDM’ he put his country first and is credited with alleviating initial water problems in Grand Turk and upgrading roads and electricity as well as championing the cause of dialysis patients. He is also credited with upgrading the working conditions of Cable and Wireless staff and being instrumental in export trade deals with the European Union among a great many other things.

Astwood also represented the Turks and Caicos on the international stage in Fiji, the United States, and the UK.

“He was a man of change and solutions and a man that gave with his heart on his sleeve,” Seymour said.

His commitment to family and the Turks and Caicos as well as his overwhelming compassion was lauded by all who remembered him. Retired clerk of the Legislative Council Ruth Blackman, spoke tearfully about the hours that he labored by her side out of the goodness of his heart as she went through labor in the hospital.

Describing him as a visionary, she insisted that we must ensure that our children knew of his own and his colleague’s contributions.

“We have to ensure that our children know the struggles and the difficulties that persons like the honorable Oswald Skippings, the honorable Norman Saunders, and the honorable J.A.G.S. McCartney went through because we are where we are today because of them, it’s on their shoulders that we stand today.”

She challenged the sitting members to do something to mark his legacy insisting that “we must keep it alive”

Astwood passed away on May 13th, 2022 at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre.  He was interred in the Bight Public Cemetery in Providenciales.

He was rewarded for his time in public service by the House of Assembly with an official funeral with full honours.

Bahamas News

Don Jr. Bahamas Wedding to Proceed Without President Trump

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USA, May 22, 2026 – Donald Trump Jr. is expected to marry Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson this weekend in The Bahamas, but despite speculation surrounding the high-profile ceremony, the exact location remains tightly guarded.

Multiple U.S. media outlets report the couple selected a private island in The Bahamas for what is being described as a small, intimate Memorial Day weekend wedding with roughly 50 close friends and family members in attendance. So far, no publication has publicly confirmed which Bahamian island or cay will host the ceremony, though reports consistently describe it as a secluded and heavily private setting.

The secrecy has only fueled curiosity in a country made up of more than 700 islands and cays, many of which are favored by wealthy international visitors for destination weddings and luxury retreats.

On Friday, President Donald Trump confirmed he will not attend the ceremony, citing international tensions and responsibilities at the White House.

Posting on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “While I very much wanted to be with my son, Don Jr., and the newest member of the Trump Family, his soon to be wife, Bettina, circumstances pertaining to Government, and my love for the United States of America, do not allow me to do so.”

Earlier in the week, Trump had indicated he would “try and make it,” but acknowledged the timing was “not good” because of ongoing tensions involving Iran.

Donald Trump Jr., 48, became engaged to Anderson, 39, in December 2025 at Camp David after about a year of dating. This will be his second marriage.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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Bahamas News

Over a Week Later, Bahamians Still Waiting on Full Election Numbers

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The Bahamas, May 22, 2026 – More than a week after Bahamians voted in the country’s 2026 General Election, complete official constituency voting figures still have not been publicly released by the Parliamentary Registration Department.

While winners have been declared across the country’s expanded 41-seat Parliament, no centralized official breakdown showing constituency vote totals, turnout percentages, rejected ballots or margins of victory appears to have been published publicly.

The Progressive Liberal Party is widely reported to have secured 33 seats, while the Free National Movement won eight seats, according to tallies carried by several media houses, including the Nassau Guardian’s election tracker and other regional reports.

Still missing, however, are the underlying numbers which would allow the public to independently assess voter participation levels across the country’s 41 constituencies.

That absence is drawing increasing attention following an election already marked by concerns over long lines, advanced polling confusion, voter register complaints and questions about election administration.

Unofficial turnout estimates circulating in local media place national voter participation near 58 percent. If confirmed, that would represent the lowest voter turnout in modern Bahamian general election history.

Historically, The Bahamas has recorded strong election participation rates, with turnout often exceeding 80 percent in previous decades. But participation declined sharply in 2021, when official turnout fell to roughly 65 percent — at the time considered historically low.

Now, the Coalition of Independents says it plans to challenge aspects of the election process in Election Court and is escalating its criticism of the handling of the vote.

In a sharply worded statement issued to media, Coalition Leader Lincoln Bain announced the party will boycott the opening of Parliament, insisting the election was “flawed from start to finish.”

The Coalition claims the country cannot “celebrate ceremony while justice is ignored,” arguing that unresolved election concerns continue to hang over the legitimacy of the process.

Among the concerns raised by the COI are:

  • allegations of voter register irregularities;
  • claims that the voters register remained open after Parliament was dissolved;
  • accusations of vote buying;
  • concerns tied to the Pinewood constituency race;
  • alleged constitutional breaches involving undeclared government contracts;
  • and alleged conflicts of interest involving gaming operators serving in Cabinet.

The Coalition also referenced allegations surrounding criminal influence and drug-related claims connected to political operations, while calling for what it describes as a “serious local investigation.”

In its statement, the COI said there has been “no proper public accounting, no local investigation announced, and no Commission of Inquiry launched into these matters.”

The group is now demanding a formal Commission of Inquiry into the conduct of the election and related allegations.

Bain said the boycott of Parliament is “not a boycott of democracy” but instead “a stand in defence of democracy.”

The statement further argues that Parliament itself must be protected from “corruption, conflicts of interest, criminal influence, and electoral fraud.”

So far, election authorities have not publicly indicated when complete certified constituency voting figures will be formally released.

And that delay is becoming increasingly significant because the missing data includes the very numbers needed to understand whether Bahamians truly disengaged from the electoral process in record numbers.

If unofficial turnout estimates are accurate, it would mean voter participation in 2026 either matched or fell below the historically low 2021 election turnout — despite The Bahamas recording one of its largest voter registration totals ever, with more than 209,000 people listed to vote.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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Health

Grand Turk Residents Fear Norovirus-Linked Cruise as Health Ministry Approves Docking

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Turks and Caicos, May 22, 2026 – Residents in Grand Turk raised concerns last week after a cruise ship previously linked to a major norovirus outbreak was cleared to dock in the Turks and Caicos Islands days after passengers were reportedly denied disembarkation in The Bahamas over health fears.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak sickened 115 people — including 102 passengers and 13 crew members — during a voyage which ran from April 28 to May 11. The illnesses involved symptoms commonly associated with norovirus, including vomiting and diarrhea.

The outbreak became public on May 7 and quickly triggered concern across the region.

Authorities in Nassau reportedly refused to allow passengers off the vessel because of public health concerns connected to the outbreak.

That decision later fueled anxiety among some Turks and Caicos residents when the ship proceeded to Grand Turk on May 15.

Residents’ concerns were not without cause.

Norovirus is a highly contagious viral illness often associated with cruise ships, hotels, schools and other environments where large groups of people share close quarters. The virus primarily causes sudden vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps and nausea, and spreads rapidly through contaminated food, water, surfaces and person-to-person contact.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most healthy people recover within one to three days, but norovirus can become serious — and occasionally fatal — for elderly individuals, young children and people with weakened immune systems because of severe dehydration. While the overall fatality rate is considered very low, the CDC estimates norovirus contributes to hundreds of deaths annually in the United States, mainly among vulnerable populations.

The Turks and Caicos Ministry of Health and Human Services had said in a press statement on May 15, it believed the risks had been effectively neutralized before the vessel arrived in Grand Turk.

In a statement issued Thursday, the Ministry said the ship had already returned to Florida, where passengers disembarked and “comprehensive sanitization and deep-cleaning procedures were completed” before operations resumed.

The Ministry also stressed that its Public Health Team maintained “close and continuous communication” with the ship’s medical personnel, Carnival Cruise Line officials and stakeholders at the Grand Turk Cruise Centre before approving the docking.

Routine inspections and standard port health procedures were also carried out, according to officials.

The Ministry further reassured the public that there were “currently no public health concerns” associated with the vessel’s arrival.

Still, the situation once again highlighted the delicate balancing act Caribbean nations face between protecting public health and sustaining tourism economies heavily dependent on cruise arrivals.

Officials are now encouraging vendors, taxi operators, tour companies and businesses to continue practicing strong sanitation and hygiene measures as an added precaution.

Residents were also reminded that frequent handwashing remains one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of norovirus and other infectious illnesses.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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