FNM chairman says party won't name candidates yet
Free National Movement (FNM) Chairman Carl Bethel has confirmed that the governing party will not be announcing candidates for the next general election at this time, as has been done by the opposition party.
"We are not involved in that process as of yet," said Bethel yesterday in an interview.
PLP leader Perry Christie told The Nassau Guardian on Sunday that the nomination and selection process would be ongoing in that party.
The PLP ratified four candidates last Thursday.
Senators Jerome Fitzgerald (Marathon), Michael Halkitis (Golden Isles), Hope Strachan (Sea Breeze) and Dr. Kendal Major (Garden Hills) will run for the PLP in the next general election.
Minnis: Violent crime impacting healthcare system
The frequency of violent crime in New Providence has placed a strain on the healthcare system, according to Health Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis.
That was one of the preliminary findings that the team developing the National Health Services Strategic Plan found, Dr. Minnis said. Police statistics reveal that violent crimes rose by seven percent in 2009 over 2008.
An accountability problem among hospital staff is another one of the key issues the government needs to address, as it works to improve the healthcare sector, noted the findings of the team, which is comprised of officials from the health sector, consultants and other government agencies.
Police shoot suspect
Police shot a man they suspected was breaking into a car in the Yellow Elder area early Monday morning. Police press liaison officer Sergeant Chrislyn Skippings, said officers responded to a call about 4am. At the scene a male resident of Nichols Court, Yellow Elder told the police that his blue Honda CRV had been broken into. The victim, also a police officer, said he saw that the left rear glass was shattered and, coming closer, saw a man in dark clothing inside. The man came out of the car firing a gun. The officer returned fire, hitting the thief in the abdomen. The man avoided police for a little while but was later arrested. The man was taken to hospital and listed in serious condition.
Woman facing fraud charge
A woman who police wanted for questioning regarding an alleged housing scam appeared before a magistrate yesterday on one count of stealing by reason of service.
Melissa Deal-Dorsett, 29, of Lumumba Lane, pleaded not guilty to the charge that she stole a $4,200 down-payment from Shanria Smith-Edwards and Charles Edwards on October 14, during an arraignment before Magistrate Guillimina Archer. She set bail at $7,000 and scheduled a September 13 trial date.
Police announced last week that 12 people had filed complaints against Deal-Dorsett who ran a property development company. Customers allegedly paid money for services which they reportedly never received.
Man on murder charge denied bail
The 26-year-old man charged with this month's murder of Robert Jean St. Jean made his initial appearance before a magistrate yesterday.
Christopher Wallace, nicknamed Minz, is accused of St. Jean's shooting death on March 4. He is also accused of endangering Johnny Pierre's life with a pistol on the same date.
Wallace was not required to enter a plea to those charges. A preliminary inquiry will be held to determine whether there is enough evidence for a Supreme Court trial. He has been denied bail.
Wallace's lawyer Willie Moss Jr. alleged that police beat his client while he was in custody. Moss claimed that the officers used force to extract a confession statement. He asked the court to send Wallace to the Princess Margaret Hospital for an examination. However, Prosecutor David Lockhart pointed out that the prison doctor would examine Wallace and he could be referred to the hospital if necessary.
Cool weather for a couple of days
The cold front that brought heavy rains and the year's first thunderstorm in New Providence yesterday is now trekking towards the Southeastern Bahamas. Though relatively mild compared to the fronts that affected The Bahamas in the winter months of January and February, a local forecaster said the temperatures could still drop into the low 60s or even the upper 50s tonight.
Senior Meteorological Officer Geoffrey Greene said the cooler air associated with the front should last until Wednesday afternoon.
But as it is a springtime front, Greene said the daytime hours should be a little warm with temperatures between the low to mid 70s.
"We expect New Providence to experience partly sunny (weather) and mild conditions [today]," he said.
"We're probably going for about 75 degrees Fahrenheit."
However, he added that the temperatures will drop to the low 60s at night because the clouds are expected to lift. He said the temperatures could drop lower if there are light winds in addition to a lack of clouds.
He also noted that the rain that doused the island yesterday (0.5 inches recorded) was a part of the pre-frontal activity, adding that there was still a possibility of some lingering scattered showers immediately behind the front.
Anglican Diocese makes donation to Haiti
Thirty thousand dollars, a first in a series of donations from the Anglican Diocese, will go towards assisting more than 20,000 homeless and hungry people living in camps in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, it was revealed yesterday.
"Homelessness is a colossal issue since the quake, and the Anglican Church has set up 23 camps all over Port-au-Prince where the injured, homeless and hungry can come for help and refuge," said Bishop Laish Boyd in a recent press statement. The Anglican Diocese recently sent a delegation, headed by Boyd, to the earthquake-ravaged nation on March 6 to see the damage by the January 12 earthquake first hand. Boyd and other Anglican leaders visited Haiti on March 6.
Boyd said the camps assist about 24,000 people daily and many of the camps are located on the premises of Anglican churches and schools.
"We've committed to help and support the Diocese of Haiti and the $30,000 we gave is the first of several major contributions," he told The Nassau Guardian last week.
Glass company closes, 50 face unemployment
Proof of Fenestration and Glass Services' (FGS) pull-out was evidenced yesterday as employees from the company's rubber division were busy uploading machinery onto shipping containers bound for the United States.
The company has begun scaling down its operation and is relocating to North Carolina. The initial move will affect some 50 employees.
Fenestration had announced last week it was closing its doors because of a dispute over the high cost of electricity. The company contends that the Grand Bahama Power Company owes it $170,000. The power company, however, maintains that Fenestration owes it $120,000. According to Fenestration, to stay in Grand Bahama would mean fighting GBPC in court and spending more money on legal fees.
Minister of State for Finance Zhivargo Laing and Minister of Works Neko Grant, concerned over the hurricane impact glass manufacturer's announcement, initiated talks with executives at both companies. Minister Grant, in a telephone interview with The Freeport News from Long Island yesterday, disclosed that he had spoken with the company's Managing Director Phil Popple last week and was informed that both companies were at an impasse.
"I think it was at the stage where they were both contemplating legal action. I have not had an opportunity to speak with Grand Bahama Power. That, I intend to do when I return to Grand Bahama," he said.
