Bahamas News
‘Friendship Agreement’ coming for TCI & The Bahamas says Premier & Grand Bahama Minister
By Deandrea Hamilton
Editor
#TheBahamas, February 20, 2023 – Thirty years since he’d been to Grand Bahama Island and Washington Misick, Premier of the Turks and Caicos on an official visit to the Bahamas’ second city admitted the audience for his event was impressive.
“To be honest with you, I don’t think we can pull that crowd back on Turks and Caicos. I was totally surprised to have such a large audience, pleasantly surprised,” said Misick responding to media questions following the over-booked meeting arranged for Bahamians of Turks and Caicos heritage.
Over 300 people were said to have filled the ballroom of the Grand Lucayan resort in Freeport, Grand Bahama. In the invitation only meeting and a beginning for closer relations between the two countries, an official plan was laid bare.
“As the economy expands, there are needs for more people to come and we want to give our own bloodlines the first dibs on job opportunities. But not only job opportunities, business investment, he said.
Ginger Moxey, Minister for Grand Bahama beamed at the opportunity to partner with the TCI Government on the official visit, which drew curious residents to a first of its kind initiative.
“We have such a strong bond with the Turks and Caicos and so we are delighted for him to be here and for so many Belongers to see their premier. We have already started to talk about a Sister City relationship because the bonds already exist,” said the minister when questioned, adding, “You know Turks and Caicos Islanders were some of the ones who were responsible for the development of the City of Freeport back in 1955…they’ve brought so much value to the Grand Bahama economy and to the way we live.”
The idea that there is a deep pool of human resources in The Bahamas which could help to fill the employment needs is not a new concept; companies like Beaches Turks and Caicos, the Hartling Group and Graceway Supermarkets have all been fishing for career seekers in Grand Bahama.
The premier said, his government knows that the issue of housing for anyone who does seize the offer to come back or apply for citizenship status in the TCI, will have to be addressed.
“The process is that if you are a status holder, then you are just coming back home. The issue is going to be finding places to live. We have a real problem when it comes to housing,” offered Misick as he acknowledged the country’s booming tourism industry has created a conundrum.
Grand Bahama is the island in the northern Bahamas still rebounding from seasons of ferocious hurricanes including, the most treacherous in modern history, 2019’s Hurricane Dorian. Grand Bahama is also the island which absorbed and then thrived when waves of Turks and Caicos Islanders relocated to the archipelago north of them to support the budding pine timber industry. Back then, it was a win-win situation – good employment and embrace by The Bahamas Government and for The Bahamas, a capable and steady workforce able to grow this new area of commerce.
Turks and Caicos Islanders eventually blended in. While some returned home, many more remained and raised
their families with heaviest concentration of those with TCI heritage said to be in islands like Abaco and Grand Bahama.
Today, the Turks and Caicos is eager to tap into the tens of thousands of descendants who would qualify for citizenship under the current law, where Turks and Caicos Islands Status is a right up to the second generation.
“I think as I see the future for TCI and The Bahamas I could see where the relationship will become stronger and stronger and where the flow of talents and skills will be facilitated because of our friendship agreement which we hope to enter into.”
The Grand Bahama minister is already well placed to progress swiftly in the ideas both leaders had shared; being a former vice president of the Grand Bahama Port Authority and the current International Representative for the Sister City program.
The Minister supported this notion sharing, “we have discussed the Sister City relationship which is really about business exchange, cultural exchange, tourism, humanitarian and educational exchanges.”
Both the Premier and the Minister agreed, that while the word ‘city’ was being used, the plan is more grand in scale and has the potential to formalize a familial and geographical alliance for The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos.
DEAR EDITOR,
Sometimes the best ideas come from experiences far away from home.
It was while I was living in Europe that I saw how excited people were about England’s iconic double-decker buses. It was a symbol of culture – and visitors looked forward to the ride as an experience in itself rather than just a method of transportation.
That sparked a thought: What if we brought that same excitement to The Bahamas, but made it uniquely Bahamian?
In November 2024, that thought became 2 Storeys Tours. I wanted visitors to see Nassau in a way they had not been able to before. That meant they could come straight off a cruise ship and onto a double-decker to see what makes our country what it is – to see our beautiful waters and to discover what makes us Bahamian.
We wanted to create something memorable, something visitors would associate with their Bahamian vacation, just as people associate double-decker buses with England.
The bus may catch your attention, but The Bahamas is what makes the experience unforgettable.
We also believe tourism should create opportunities for Bahamians.
We started less than five years ago with one very used double decker bus.
Now thanks to cruise ship business, we have quadrupled the size of our little fleet. We now have four shiny new red and blue buses, so we can say Welcome Ashore in style.
Depending on the season, between 70 and 80 percent of our business is cruise-passenger driven. Even during the slower season for hotels, the cruise ships arrive filled with people looking to explore historic Nassau and we are giving them the closest to a bird’s eye view as they can get. And they love it.
Turning an idea into a functioning business has been an exciting journey, but certainly not without challenges. From planning and preparation to finally seeing our buses on the road, the experience has taught us patience, perseverance, and the importance of believing in a vision.
We are proud of how far we’ve come, and even more excited about what lies ahead.
Building partnerships helped us to get to where we are today – building them further will take us to where we can reach tomorrow.
Our ambition is to make 2 Storeys Tours a recognised and trusted name in Bahamian tourism. We want to continue improving our tours, developing new experiences, embracing environmentally responsible tourism, and building meaningful relationships – and eventually take the 2 Storeys Tours experience beyond Nassau to other islands.
Above all, we want to build something that lasts.
Looking back, it’s incredible to think that an observation while living in Europe could lead to a business right here at home.
What began as an idea became a business with a purpose, and we’re only getting started.
Our inspiration came from abroad. Our passion comes from home. And our future is proudly Bahamian.
By: KEEVON MAYNARD
President, 2 Storeys Tours
Bahamas News
Federal Investigation into Florida Turnpike Tragedy that Killed Three Children of Bahamian Mother
NTSB examining roadside assistance driver’s actions, SUV speed and seat belt use after six people perish in fiery collision
ORLANDO, FLORIDA — October 29, 2026 — Federal investigators have joined the investigation into a horrific Florida Turnpike collision that claimed six lives, including all three children of a Bahamian mother, as questions intensify over what caused the deadly crash.
The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has confirmed that it is opening an investigation into the October 23 accident, which occurred around 9:31 p.m. near mile marker 252 in Orange County.
The agency’s involvement brings federal scrutiny to a tragedy that has devastated several families and prompted an extraordinary
outpouring of sympathy and disbelief.
Among those killed were siblings Charles Milton, Jakara Milton and Dalvena Green, the three adult children of Marshall Clarke-Milton and her husband, Charles Milton Sr.
The siblings were traveling with three others to Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights, reportedly on their first trip together.
They never arrived.
FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS EXAMINE WHAT WENT WRONG
The NTSB confirmed to FOX 35 Orlando that its investigation will examine the training and performance of the roadside assistance driver, the actions of the SUV driver, including speed, and whether the occupants were wearing seat belts.
The agency investigates serious transportation accidents to identify safety failures and recommend measures that could prevent similar tragedies.
Its involvement does not establish wrongdoing by either driver.
The Florida Highway Patrol is conducting a separate investigation into the collision.
According to the preliminary police account, a Road Ranger roadside assistance truck had been parked in the highway median before its driver received instructions to assist a disabled box truck on the opposite shoulder.
As the Road Ranger moved across the northbound lanes, it collided with a 2023 Chevrolet Traverse carrying six adults.
Both vehicles left the roadway and caught fire.
All six occupants of the SUV died at the scene. The Road Ranger driver survived with minor injuries.
MOTHER CHALLENGES EARLY ACCOUNT
Witnesses reportedly told investigators that the SUV was traveling at high speed without its headlights illuminated.
However, those observations have not been established as the definitive cause of the collision.
Clarke-Milton has challenged suggestions that her children or their companions were responsible, urging investigators to examine the evidence before reaching conclusions.
She wants investigators to establish the SUV’s actual speed and determine whether its headlights were operating.
The family’s concerns underscore the importance of the continuing investigations, particularly given the movement of the roadside assistance vehicle across active highway lanes.
ALL THREE CHILDREN LOST
For Clarke-Milton, the investigation unfolds against an almost incomprehensible personal tragedy.
She lost all three of her children simultaneously.
In an emotional interview with FOX 35 Orlando, the grieving mother described the terrible feeling that overcame her when she could not reach them.
“My heart sank,” she said, recalling the moment she feared her children were involved.
The siblings were among six people whose lives ended during what should have been an enjoyable evening together.
The other victims included Timothy Williams and Shawn Palmer. A sixth person’s identity had not been publicly confirmed in the latest reports reviewed.
The family’s heartbreak has resonated across The Bahamas and beyond, with expressions of sympathy accompanying calls for answers.
SEARCH FOR ANSWERS CONTINUES
The Florida Highway Patrol has indicated that a crash report is expected within approximately ten days of the accident.
The NTSB’s investigation will examine broader transportation safety concerns, including the operation of roadside assistance vehicles and the circumstances surrounding the collision.
For the grieving families, the findings cannot reverse the tragedy.
But they may establish what happened on that stretch of Florida’s Turnpike and whether anything could have prevented six people from losing their lives.
For one Bahamian mother, the loss is especially devastating.
Three children left for an evening of entertainment. Not one came home.
Nassau, The Bahamas, October 22, 2026 — The National Computer Incident Response Team of The Bahamas (CIRT-BS) has issued a cybersecurity advisory warning businesses, government institutions and other organisations about the growing threat posed by Akira ransomware, a cybercriminal operation capable of stealing sensitive information, disrupting networks and demanding ransom payments.
Active since March 2023, Akira operates through a Ransomware-as-a-Service model, with affiliates exploiting weaknesses in computer networks to gain unauthorised access.
Once inside, attackers can steal confidential data, disable recovery systems and encrypt files, preventing organisations from accessing critical information.
Particularly concerning is Akira’s use of double extortion, threatening to publish stolen information unless victims pay. Some attacks involve data theft without encryption.
The October 22 advisory identifies vulnerabilities involving Cisco and SonicWall firewalls, VPN services, Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol, Veeam backup systems and outdated Windows and Linux operating systems. VMware ESXi and Nutanix AHV environments are also potential targets.
Attackers may exploit unpatched software, stolen login credentials and inadequately secured remote-access applications, including AnyDesk and RustDesk.
Warning signs include unexpected administrator accounts, unusual remote logins, unauthorised software installations, suspicious backup activity, mass file changes and ransom notes.
CIRT-BS recommends immediate security updates, multifactor authentication, restricted remote access, stronger network monitoring and secure backups maintained separately from operational systems.
Organisations should also remove unnecessary internet exposure of remote desktop services, limit administrative privileges and regularly test backup restoration.
The advisory does not identify any confirmed Akira attack against a Bahamian organisation but highlights vulnerabilities that could expose institutions to serious financial and operational disruption.
Cybersecurity incidents can be reported to CIRT-BS at soc@cirt.bs or through its official website.
