The HMBS Rolly Gray was the fourth in a series of nine defense force vessels to be commissioned by the government under the Sandy Bottom project. The late Rolly Gray was a legendary master mariner who hailed from Staniel Cay, Exuma. It follows the commissioning of HMBS Arthur Dion Hanna, HMBS Durward Knowles and HMBS Leon Smith. The commissioning ceremony took place on Thursday, 30th April at the Emerald Bay Marina in Exuma.

Newly appointed non-resident High Commissioner of The Bahamas to India, H.E. Mr. Lowell J. Mortimer, O.B.E. presented his Credentials to the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan on April 30, 2015. Mr. Mortimer, an attorney, is currently the president of Campbell Shipping Company and was a veteran educator.

Forty-seven Junior Achievers were honoured at Government House on Wednesday of this week for their outstanding and innovative entrepreneurial work. They were selected from a group of more than 400 youngsters.

Madame Stella Maureen Crane-Scott was sworn in as a Justice of The Bahamas Court of Appeal by Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling on Friday at Government House in a short ceremony.

Continuing its commitment to training and educating its staff to enable them to consistently deliver the highest quality of public goods and services, the department of Housing hosted a two day seminar at the Bahamas Vocational and Technical Institute (BTVI) this week. Twenty-three building inspectors and safety officers participated in this refresher course that took place in the ‘U’ block of the institute on Old Trail Road.

The World Customs Organization IT Conference and Exhibition is set to take place in Grand Bahama, May 6th thru 8th 2015 at the Grand Lucayan Resort. This event was announced at a press conference on Thursday by Larry Bodie, Superintendent of Bahamas Customs and head of the planning committee. The 2015 WCO conference will comprise a pre-conference workshop in Customs Administration for senior managers and the two-day conference will include a mix of briefings and presentations, case-study discussions and table top exercises. The theme of the conference is “IT for an Inclusive Approach in Connecting Customs and Other Stakeholders in Inter and Intra-Regional Trade.”

President of the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF), Lamine Diasck of Senegal and World and Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt of Jamaica paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Christie at his Cable Beach office on Friday, 1st May. Both Diasck and Bolt are in town for the 2nd IAAF/BTC World Relays to be held at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium on 2nd and 3rd May 2015.