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TCI: ‘Reno’ work to NJS Francis to top $3 million, Premier explains

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#Providenciales, November 29, 2018 – Turks and Caicos – The NJS Francis Building cost The Turks and Caicos Islands Government over $6 million to acquire and the structure is now severely run down and in dire need of refurbishment; that ‘reno’ work will reportedly top $3 million and force all occupants out according to Premier and Finance Minister, Sharlene Robinson.

The Premier agreed to a one on one interview with Magnetic Media on Wednesday (November 28) to address some of the burning issues and among them is the state of disrepair of the building bearing the name of a Turks and Caicos former Public Works minister and home to Parliament, Finance and the Office of the Premier – the NJS Francis Building located in Grand Turk.

“That project is included in this budget to the tune of $3 million; the majority of the damage to that building – he is correct – is not Irma and Maria it is an old problem and it is now our responsibility but at the end of the day it is very disingenuous to behave as if that building was just now falling apart.”

Premier Robinson was responding, in part, to a statement from the Opposition Leader, Washington Misick who slammed the PDM Administration for not, more quickly getting repairs done on the NJS Francis Building.

“Last year there was a project to the tune of $1.8m, when we were informed that there was a contract…and that we had to move from the building (NJS Francis)…” the Premier said this move would have included all tenants and shared that it had to be postponed because of a lack of foresight by the former PNP Administration. 

“There was absolutely no funding in place for the relocation of these offices so at the end of financial year, pretty much, you had no funding available and you could not move forward with that project because you had no re-location, no new rents (budgeted) for the Ministry of Finance, for the Premier’s Office and that is the reason that project was cancelled at the time,” she explained during the interview conducted at her office in Providenciales.

For years, reports on the crumbling state of the building have made headlines and drawn criticism.  For the second time in just over two years, the occupants of the NJS Francis are required to move out for renovation work.  The House of Assembly has already been dismantled and reassembled at the HJ Robinson High school auditorium.

“Even before the hurricanes my government worked on a maintenance policy; and as with all governments but worse in the Turks and Caicos, we build buildings and we do not maintain. The situation with the NJS Francis building is that it is on the water.  The salt air, the salt water, the thumping from ferocious waves at times will require more maintenance and zero maintenance was happening since the government bought that building to the tune of $6.1m from National Insurance. 

The Premier said the National Insurance Board did have a maintenance contract in place when it was the owner of the NJS Francis, but that contract was discontinued by TCIG.

While the vistas surrounding the NJS Francis Building are stunning with the hues of blue of the Atlantic Ocean on the west side and the historic Pond Street salinas opposite its eastern side; it comes at a price.  The extreme exposure to extreme elements has caused much of the extreme damage and the extremely hefty repair bill.

“I was Leader of the Opposition for four years and there was no air conditioning on the side where I was.  We had House Meetings where members of the House of Assembly on the government side could not sit there when the building was leaking because there were shortages in the microphones.”

Last week, Leader of the Opposition, Washington Misick slammed the Premier for allowing the dilapidation on her watch.  Misick recommended she resign and the Premier has now officially hit back.

“Now I notice that the Leader of the Opposition has woken from his slumber again to come out and say that I should resign or call snap elections for a building that has been falling apart from the time we purchased it many years ago.”

The difference explained the Premier between this move and the one under the Rufus Ewing administration in 2016, is that it is planned, comprehensive and fully budgeted.

“Under the former administration we did some quick patchwork.  Persons would remember we did relocate to the HJ Robinson for a few months; we should have done the complete work then.  But at the end of the day things happen for the best and I would say that because that contract would have been frustrated after the storms and we would have had to gone back to square one.  The truth is it is poor planning on the part of the former administration, in that a contract may have been awarded but there was no relocation expenses budgeted. ”

Meanwhile, Premier Robinson said there will be no ‘snap elections’ because she is not dissolving parliament.  Her advice to the elder statesman is for his party, the Progressive National Party, to wait its turn.

 

#MagneticMediaNews

#renoworkatNJSFrancisbuilding

 

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Health

Increased cases of Chicken Pox Prompts Ministry of Health and Human Services Response

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PRESS RELEASE

MINISTRY OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 25 April 2024 – The Ministry of Health and Human Services is issuing a public advisory regarding a recent increase in chicken pox cases, particularly within school communities in the regions of Grand Turk and Providenciales. The Ministry is actively monitoring the situation and is working closely with affected schools to provide support and education aimed at preventing further spread of the virus.

Chicken pox, caused by the varicella-zoster virus, is a highly contagious infection characterized by a distinctive rash of itchy red spots or blisters. Transmission occurs via droplets, aerosols, or direct contact with respiratory secretions, and almost always produces clinical disease in susceptible individuals. While mostly a mild disorder in childhood, varicella tends to be more severe in adults. It may be fatal, especially in neonates and in immunocompromised persons. The Ministry urges parents, teachers, and the general public to remain vigilant and familiarize themselves with the signs and symptoms of chicken pox, which may include:

  • Rash: The primary symptom of chicken pox is a rash that typically begins as small red spots, which then develop into fluid-filled blisters over several days.
  • Fever: Children with chicken pox may experience a mild to moderate fever, often preceding the appearance of the rash.
  • Fatigue: Some individuals may feel generally unwell, tired, or lethargic.
  • Loss of Appetite: A decreased desire to eat may accompany other symptoms of chicken pox.

Management aims to relieve symptoms and reduce the risk of complications and may include:

  • drinking plenty of fluid (try popsicles if your child is not drinking) to avoid dehydration.
  • taking paracetamol to help with pain and discomfort.
  • cut your child’s fingernails and put socks on their hands at night to stop them scratching.
  • use cooling creams or gels e.g. Calamine lotion
  • speak to your health care provider about using antihistamine medicine to help itching.
  • bathe in cool water and pat the skin dry (do not rub)
  • dress in loose clothes.

 

  • do not use ibuprofen unless advised to do so by a doctor, as it may cause serious skin infections.
  • do not give aspirin to children under 16.
  • do not go near newborn babies, or anyone who is pregnant or has a weakened immune system, as chickenpox can be dangerous for them.
  • do not scratch the spots, as scratching can cause scarring.

To mitigate the spread of chicken pox within schools and communities, the Ministry emphasizes the importance of practicing good hygiene habits, including frequent handwashing with soap and water, covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow, and avoiding close contact with infected individuals.

In the event that a child exhibits symptoms of chicken pox, parents and caregivers are advised to keep them at home and seek medical attention promptly. A sick leave for a period of 14 days is usually given. After the 14 day sick leave period, the individual must return to the physician or the public health nurse at one of the primary care clinics to obtain a fit for work or school certificate allowing them re-entry back into school or work. Anyone returning earlier than this time or without this certificate should not be allowed in school so as to prevent spread to other children. Additionally, it is crucial to inform school authorities to prevent further transmission among classmates and staff.

The Ministry of Health and Human Services is committed to ensuring the health and well-being of all citizens, and will continue to work diligently to address this current situation. For further information and guidance on chicken pox prevention and management, please visit Turks and Caicos Islands Ministry of Health and Human Services Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/tciministryofhealth/.

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TCI News

Ammunition Charges

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PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE

Police Headquarters, Airport Road

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands

Tel: 649-941-4448|Email: media@tcipolice.tc

SERVICE WITH PRIDE AND INTEGRITY

 

April 25th, 2024.

On Tuesday, 23rd April 2024, officers from the Criminal Investigations Department of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force charged a 31-year-old male.

TYLER SCOTT WENRICH of Virginia, USA, is charged with POSSESSION OF AMMUNITION.

Mr Wenrich appeared before a Grand Turk Magistrate yesterday (April 24th) and was remanded into custody at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation pending a June 07th Sufficiency Hearing.

Based on reports, Mr. Wenrich travelled to Grand Turk on a cruise ship.

While going through a security checkpoint, it was discovered Mr Wenrich allegedly had ammunition in his possession.

Officers of the Grand Turk Police Station were called, and Mr Wenrich was arrested and subsequently charged.

 

 

 

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Crime

Bail Granted to American Tourist without hassle; facing 12 Years for four bullets in luggage

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Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

 

 

#TurksandCaicos, April 25, 2024 – He was busted at the Howard Hamilton Providenciales International Airport on Friday, April 16, 2024.

He allegedly had in his luggage four (4) rounds of 6.5mm ammunition on his departure to his homeland in Oklahoma in the United States of America (USA).

Ryan Watson and his wife were arrested and placed into police lock up. Both were later granted police bail, and upon return to police station the Monday after the couple’s arrest, the husband alone was charged by detective Police Constable Kimberlee Markland for unlawful possession of the four rounds of ammunition.

Watson was escorted to court on Tuesday, April 23rd, placed before the learned Chief Magistrate Mr. Jolyon Hatmin and remanded to His Majesty’s Prison until his sufficiency hearing on June 7, this (2024) year.

His counsel, Mr. Oliver Smith KC and his junior assistant Mrs. Kimone Tennant immediately sought bail for him in the Supreme Court which was heard the following day (Wednesday April 24) before her Ladyship Ms. Tanya Lobban-Jackson and was granted bail, without hassle in the amount or $15,000.00 cash or surety.

The Crown, in the person of senior public prosecutor Ms. Tassja Mitchell did not oppose bail.

Magnetic Media can report that once again on the afternoon of the Tuesday April 24th, after the accused RYAN TYLER WATSON, 41 was remanded by the Magistrate’s court, the U.S. Embassy issued an warning to it’s citizens and travelers to carefully check their bags when traveling to Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) as TCI authorities are strictly enforcing firearm and ammunition laws and if found you could go to prison for 12 years.

A real question of great concern and public importance is: should the TCI courts sentence tourists to the full mandatory minimum of 12 years imprisonment for simple possession firearm and/or ammunition.

The succinct answer is: Yes!

The Court of Appeal, just last month said in its written judgment that “ALL PERSONS,” including tourist/visitors must go to prison if found guilty or pleas guilty to firearm and ammunition offences.

However, there remains the concern about how much time in prison a judge should give a visitor regardless of the existence of exceptional circumstances.

Should the judge imprison a visitor to the territory, who may have been wrongly informed, for example, the full mandatory minimum term or must a reduced prison term be imposed.

If TCI judges start to give less than the mandatory minimum to tourists/visitors, it is being strong and widely advocated by senior defense attorneys that the same must apply to local or residents of these Islands, who may also present exceptional circumstances.

Arguments about the equity in delivery of justice is what drove the question to the Court of Appeal late in 2023. The decision came this past February.

‘We cannot find ourselves sentencing tourists regardless of exceptional circumstances to lesser sentences, and when those same exceptional circumstances are found in local cases, it’s being ignored by our judges.’

Human Rights Attorney, Sheena Mair has on more than one occasion argued this point; including in firearm and ammunition bail applications. She would put the very same judges and prosecutors from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution on the spot by reminding the judges and the prosecutors that precedent has been set.

‘You’ve just granted bail to a tourist for firearm and ammunition but now here’s a local person, same charge but because he’s a local he can’t get bail?  He has to be remanded pending a trial that could take years before it’s heard?’

Mair has valiantly outlined the wrong in this and clearly stated this practice is “not fair” and it’s “not proper administration of justice in the Turks and Caicos Islands.”

Ms. Mair further complained that tourists would plea guilty to possession of firearm and ammunition and be released on bail pending sentencing but as for a local, he or she has to wait on remand at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation pending sentencing.

The attorney criticizes the optics of such decisions and is on record reminding the Judge that the Court of Appeal has already set out that the law applies to everyone; visitors and locals alike.

A police statement issued Wednesday April 24 informs: “Today (April 24th), Mr. Watson appeared in the Supreme Court and, following a bail application, was granted $15,000 bail with the following conditions:

1)  Not travel out of TCI without the court’s permission.

2)  Surrender his passport and all other travel documents to the   court

3) Report to Grace Bay Police Station on Tuesdays and Thursdays between the hours of  8 am-4 pm,

4) Reside at the given address in Providenciales; any address change will be provided before the court.”

The American from Oklahoma whose story is trending in the US and has been carried by leading news networks was joined by a host of loved ones at the Courthouse.

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