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JAGS’ daughter, Yaa McCartney, commandingly reminds what her father the Hero would want from TCI Today

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By Deandrea Hamilton & Dana Malcolm

Editorial Staff

 

#TurksandCaicos, June 6, 2022 – Yaa McCartney was only five-years-old when she stood across from her father’s empty casket.  Surrounded by Turks and Caicos Islanders in the throes of grief, this 5-year-old had just begun the journey of understanding who her father was and what he represented for the emerging islands of the TCI.

“I didn’t cry because I understood the moment, but because I felt the hurt that surrounded me,” she explained.

Yaa’s perspective is the perspective of a great many Turks and Caicos Islanders today who have no firsthand experience of what it meant to know J.A.G.S McCartney.  They have heard the stories and perhaps in each recant and reflection, each year, they learn a bit more about the indomitable spirit of the man who is still one of the youngest elected leaders in modern history.

But with so many still around who had a front row seat to the spectacular showmanship of the Most Excellent JAGS, and with a legacy that speaks for itself even from his final resting place, Yaa would come to learn so much about the man who was both father and hero.

Still, there were times she remembers feeling resentful of the legacy, worried that the shadow her iconic father had cast was bound to make life more difficult and dim the sunshine for her own life and her family.  Yaa, for a season, felt ‘disliked by people’ however as she learned more about James Alexander George Smith McCartney, that burdensome worry grew into pride.

Through firsthand accounts easily shared with her by those who knew him well, Yaa, now an attorney by profession and whose name is Ghanaian for ‘born on a Thursday’ is resting peacefully in the knowledge of what her father stood for and she was inadvertently schooled in the subject of ‘what it means to be a hero’.

“He was brave, He represented his people and saw beyond political affiliations…although being first at something is commendable, the bar set for a national hero is higher than that,” Yaa said.

Yaa was told of his determination to set the Turks and Caicos people up as first class citizens of their home via constitutional changes.

JAGS McCartney, she found, along with others of his time, had shaped the Turks and Caicos Islands into what we know it as today: a proud nation of resilient, culturally rich people.

The people who spoke to Yaa, JAGS’ eldest child, about her father had much to say about the things he did in order to set this future for TCI in motion, but two things always stood out, his abounding humility and his desire for unity.

“People would say to me your dad would dine with the rich and the poor…he would sit in a chair at your table or on a bucket and your outside stove.”

From the words of his compatriot, J.A.G.S McCartney did what he did for his people without caring about recognition.

In light of the powerful and pervasive legacy this Junkanoo Club legend left behind, Yaa found it commandingly reminded the Turks and Caicos that, “J.A.G.S wouldn’t want us to get bogged down with trivial differences. He would remind us there was still work to be done and it could only be achieved together.  He believed that unity was our greatest asset to propel the Turks and Caicos to its greatest potential.”

Crime

Police Report NEW MURDER, No 44 for 2024

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Turks and Caicos, December 7, 2024 – “Homicide detectives of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force are actively investigating a homicide in Five Cays, Providenciales.

Initial reports indicate that shortly after 10 pm yesterday (December 06th), the Police Control Room received several calls stating that gunshots were being heard in the area of Sandy Land.

RT&CIPF officers responded to the given location and found the lifeless body of a male with what appeared to be gunshot wounds about the body.  The victim was later identified as NEIL RIGBY, 52, of Five Cays.

The RT&CIPF offers condolences to Mr. Rigby’s relatives and friends.

The RT&CIPF is asking anyone with information that may help in this investigation to contact the closest police station, 911, the Serious Crime Unit at 231-1842, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 to provide any information anonymously.

Additionally, individuals are encouraged to download the Crime Stoppers P3 app.

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Minister response to Trump deportation

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Statement from the Minister of Immigration

Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands

 

 

 

Turks and Caicos, December 5, 2024 – The Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands categorically states that we will not, under any circumstances, accept deportees from the United States or any other nation who are not citizens of Turks and Caicos. Our country’s immigration policies are clear and firmly rooted in the principles of sovereignty, the protection of our borders, and the welfare of our people.

Turks and Caicos, like all nations, has the sovereign right to determine who may reside within its borders. The unilateral imposition of third-country deportation policies, such as those reportedly under consideration by the incoming Trump administration, is fundamentally at odds with international norms and legal standards.

We are deeply concerned about any suggestion of displacing individuals to countries with which they have no connection. Such policies disregard the cultural, social, and economic implications for receiving countries and the humanitarian impact on the individuals affected.

We remind all stakeholders that Turks and Caicos is already facing significant challenges managing irregular migration and the accompanying strain on our resources. We will not permit external policies to exacerbate these challenges, nor undermine or dictate our national security.

Our Government remains committed to maintaining strong diplomatic relations with the United States and our other international partners. However, we are steadfast in our commitment to protecting the interests of the Turks and Caicos Islands and upholding the integrity of our immigration system.

To be clear: The Turks and Caicos Islands will not participate in any program that seeks to forcibly relocate individuals here against their will, or ours.

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News

Reported Weekend Incidents

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Turks and Caicos,  December 03rd, 2024 – The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force is actively investigating incidents involving an attempted robbery and a reported armed robbery in Providenciales on November 30 and December 02, 2024.

Incident 1: Attempted Robbery at Service Station

Shortly after midnight on November 30, 2024, officers responded to a report of an attempted robbery at a Service Station on Leeward Highway. Based on preliminary reports, a lone male approached the premises from a black Honda Fit vehicle. The suspect, armed with a firearm,

struck an employee, causing a wound. The suspect fled in the car. At the same time, the employee was transported to the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre, where he received treatment for his injuries.

Incident 2: Armed Robbery at Eatery

On November 30, 2024, at approximately 6:57 p.m., the police received a report of an armed robbery at an eating establishment in Blue Hills. Two masked individuals, one armed with a firearm, entered the premises and robbed patrons. No injuries were reported, and the suspects fled the scene on foot in an unknown direction.

Incident 3: Robbery/Malicious Injuries to Property

On the evening of Monday, December 2, 2024, a male driver was proceeding along Walter Cox Drive when he stopped to drop off a passenger. While reversing, an unidentified male armed with a cinder block demanded the driver exit his vehicle. The driver complied and was robbed of personal belongings. The suspect proceeded to use the cinder block to shatter the rear passenger side window before fleeing the scene.

We urge anyone with information about these incidents to come forward.

Individuals can contact the Serious Crime Unit at (649)-232-6696 or report anonymously via Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477.

Additionally, persons are asked to download the Crime Stoppers P3 app and provide information.

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