Bahamas News

NEMA/UNWFP conduct Emergency Response Equipment Workshop

Published

4 years ago

August 15, 2022

Deandrea Hamilton

By: Matt Maura

Bahamas Information Services

#Nassau, The Bahamas, August 15, 2022 – Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the United Nations World Food Programme recently collaborated to conduct an Emergency Response Equipment Training Workshop for First Responders from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and NEMA’s In-house staff.

The training was in partnership with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and USAID, and is expected to further enhance NEMA’s response capabilities in the aftermath of a disaster and/or an emergency by providing local emergency response personnel with the advanced expertise to be able to quickly establish logistics hubs in order to more effectively receive, organize and distribute relief supplies to affected islands and/or persons in the event of a disaster and/or emergency.

The workshop was conducted by Ms. Kristin Pristupa, a Humanitarian/Military Interaction Officer with WFP, and Major Damain Bromley, Logistics Consultant/Trainer, WFP, and facilitated by Ms. Lisa Bowleg, Training Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency, and Chief Petty Officer Romeiko Burrows, Logistics, NEMA.

“The first few hours and days are very critical in terms of assessments of course and getting in the relief supplies or the food or the medicine or whatever is required by the affected people and this logistics support function that we are working on with NEMA and the Defence Force will allow that to be scaled up immediately so that it can facilitate the wider disaster response,” Ms. Pristupa said.

“We have a number of units prepositioned here that were deployed as part of the Hurricane Dorian response in 2019 and this ranges from mobile storage units which are like very large temporary warehouses, (to) pre-fabricated office modular office units, generators, forklifts and lighting towers and all sorts of logistics equipment and the purpose of this really is to jumpstart the logistics response at the very beginning of a natural disaster. So this allows us to work with the government to immediately set up a logistics hub to be able to receive, for example, relief supplies, organize them and then to redeploy them or send them out to affected persons.”

NEMA Director, Captain Stephen Russell, said the multitude of skillsets offered by the men and women of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force are priceless to the country’s disaster management/response mechanism.

“The Defence Force Act mandates them to assist in times of man-made and/or natural disasters. Therefore as an agency, we rely on their leadership, their strength in terms of their personnel, and their skillset,” Captain Russell said.

“As far as their role with NEMA, we have an Emergency Support Function (ESF) grouping, some 14 of them, and the Defence Force functions in at least ten or more of those groupings simply because of the skillsets in the Force. They assist in shelter management, in communications, and because of their maritime and air assets, they are automatically part of the Agency’s Search and Rescue component and any other duties they are called upon to perform. We know that we can depend upon them to be on the ground, in the forefront of those operations in terms of disasters and/or emergencies as with all of our other emergency support functions, and so building capacity, knowledge exchange is symbolic of the relationship between NEMA and the Defence Force,” Captain Russell added.

Photo Caption: Our photographs show workshop participants at various stages of erecting the mobile storage units that can serve as large, temporary warehouses in the event of a disaster and/or emergency event.

(BIS Photos/Mark Ford)

Release: BIS

Bahamas News

Royal Bahamas Police Force – ARRAIGNMENT NOTICE

Published

1 week ago

August 27, 2026

Deandrea Hamilton

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

Bahamas News

Bahama Brass Band Invitation Sparks Heritage Debate Ahead of TCI Constitutional Holiday

Published

2 weeks ago

August 20, 2026

Deandrea Hamilton

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

Bahamas News

CBC Supports Opportunities for Young Bahamian Basketball Players

Published

2 weeks ago

August 20, 2026

Deandrea Hamilton

NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers of Dasani products, proudly sponsored the fifth annual, Caribbean Hoopfest.

The tournament brings together Bahamian high school basketball teams and visiting teams from the United States for a competitive showcase at the Kendal G. L. Isaacs Gymnasium. Following its inaugural year at the Kendal G. L. Isaacs gym and last year’s event at Loyola Hall, the tournament returned to the Kendal G. L. Isaacs gym this year.

During the weekend tournament, CBC kept athletes well hydrated with in-kind donations of Dasani Water, Powerade and Minute Maid Juices.

During the tournament’s final day, CBC provided additional support by offering Sprite No Sugar samples and inviting attendees to participate in its Spin the Wheel for a chance to win exciting prizes.

CBC was proud to support this incredible event, which provides young Bahamian athletes with valuable exposure to U.S. basketball scouts and coaches. This opportunity gives them the chance to earn scholarships, continue their education, and pursue their basketball careers in the United States.

Event organizer, Donald Francois shared his appreciation for CBC’s support.

“I want to express our sincere appreciation for Caribbean Bottling Company, who has been a tremendous supporter and an important part of the success of our program. Without CBC’s support, Caribbean Hoop Fest would not be able to function at the level it does today. And without Caribbean Hoop Fest, we would not have been able to provide the opportunities that have helped young Bahamian athletes gain exposure and pursue educational opportunities in the United States,” he expressed.

Since the program’s inception, several Bahamian student-athletes have been selected for scholarship opportunities, highlighting the tournament’s growing impact on the development and advancement of young basketball talent in The Bahamas.

They are: Kelvin McDowells – Guard, Wodson Antoine – Power Forward, Justin Lafleur – Guard and Sean John – Guard.

After another successful edition of the tournament, Francois shared what he hopes he and Caribbean Bottling Company can achieve in the future.

“Our vision is bigger than basketball. We want to use the platform of Caribbean Hoop Fest to educate, develop, and create opportunities for young people and their families throughout the Bahamas. With individuals and organizations committed to our mission, we believe we can continue to grow the program and make an even greater impact,” Francois said.

For more details on community support, events and new products visit Caribbean Bottling Company at www.cbcbahamas.com today.