Minister of National Security the Hon O A ?Tommy? Turnquest (left) with Commissioner of Police Reginald Ferguson, turned on the Christmas tree during the Royal Bahamas Police Force 9th annual Carol Service & Tree Lighting Ceremony, November 26, Police Headquarters

Nassau, Bahamas - Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Hubert A Ingraham left Nassau for Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday where he will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

He returns on Sunday.

CHOGM will be attended by Her Majesty, the Queen. Prime Minister Ingraham will join Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon Brent Symonette, who left yesterday to participate in pre-CHOGM meetings.

Also joining the team is Minister of the Environment, Earl Deveaux. In their absence, the Hon O A T 'Tommy' Turnquest will be the Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.

Prime Minister Ingraham will address CHOGM Business Forum this (Wednesday) evening. On Friday, the Prime Minister will attend a special four-hour session on Climate Change which was schedule by Prime Minister Patrick Manning of Trinidad and Tobago.

At that meeting, Commonwealth Heads will be meet with meet with a number of non-Commonwealth Heads of Government to discuss issues relating to the upcoming Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change

Freeport, Grand Bahama - Wednesday evening Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Company launched its fourth beer, High Rock, a premium lager beer. The newest addition to the brewery?s line of successful beers is a higher end lager, delivering a crisp and refreshing taste with a bolder constitution.

?Lager beer is one of the most popular beers made in the world,? said Lynden Johnson, Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Sales and Marketing Manager. ?High Rock will be our higher end lager using the method of longer maturation which gives HIGH ROCK a wholesome quality. Allowing the slow acting yeast to ferment during storage gives it more body ? much like a European beer.?


The name of the newest beer to join the Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Co. family, HIGH ROCK, was derived from the 2006 competition launched by brewery owner James ?Jimmy? Sands. This unique contest allowed all Grand Bahamians to submit their ideas for ?Truly Bahamian? beer names ? even before the brewery opened!


The competition offered contestants a chance to win $3,000 for their ideas. When the brewery opened ?Sands? was the first name chosen and then ?High Rock? the second name. At the time two local ladies had submitted this name, Ethel Bethel and Garnell Frith, and thus won $1,500 each.


High Rock Premium Beer was named after the High Rock Township, a small and hospitable community in the eastern end of Grand Bahama. ?High Rock is a place where you can relax on a Sunday afternoon, while sipping on your favorite cocktail and enjoying the ocean breeze,? noted James ?Jimmy? Sands, Bahamian Brewery Owner and President. ?As you drive through the area, you are greeted by many locals and feel a sense of community, much like what we are trying to create at our brewery facilities and with our business practices.?



High Rock bellows ?Truly Bahamian? from its smooth finish to its original bottle design. The lighthouse on the label and bottle cap are reminiscent of an out island feel, and there is in fact a lighthouse in the High Rock community. Its distinctive green bottle is not only a great ?green? colour but is also a ?green? environmental product as it is recyclable.


Notably though, for fans waiting for the next great brew, High Rock?s taste is pure and aromatic. The longer aging process gives it a slightly darker golden colour as well as a wholesome quality. Brewed with no sugar, it delivers a pure taste with a smooth finish.


Sands noted ?I am ecstatic to present yet another beer to The Bahamas. We have had great success with Sands, Sands Light, Strong Back and even our malt-beverage, Triple B. I am confident that our premium lager will have a similar impact on the market.?


Since opening in late 2007, the Bahamian Brewery and Beverage team has been steadily growing from 14 to now just over 60 employees. Though all products are produced and bottled in Grand Bahama, the brewery has also expanded its operation into Nassau, opening a capital-based distribution centre at Kelly?s Liquor Store on Wulff Road in April of this year. This new distribution centre and the brewery in Grand Bahama are also the collection points for the brewery?s ongoing recycling of bottles programme.


?With the holiday season approaching, what better way to show our appreciation, to our many loyal distributors,? noted Johnson,? than by introducing the newest Truly Bahamian Premium Beer, High Rock, to them and saying thank you for their continued support of our brands.? Johnson also released that High Rock beer will be available for sale on Thursday, November 19th at Jimmy?s Liquor Store, Bristol Wines and Spirits Freeport and at all Truly Bahamian Liquor stores and restaurants throughout Grand Bahama.


The Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Company has always held a special place for keeping it ?Truly Bahamian? and is on a mission to make all of its products Bahamian sensations. ?We had great success with the Sands beer launch in late 2007? noted ?Jimmy? Sands, ?and the local support here in Grand Bahama has been incredible. I am hoping they will embrace High Rock the same way! So I will launch it here first and then in 2010 take it the rest of The Bahamas.?

NASSAU, The Bahamas - The Government of The Bahamas invested more than one million dollars on programmes and stipends for the training of nurses at the College of The Bahamas during the fiscal year 2008/2009, Minister of Health Dr. the Hon. Hubert A. Minnis said.

The Ministry of Health is sponsoring 158 Nursing Students in the College of The Bahamas? Nursing Programme which is a four-year, Bachelor of Science Degree programme. The requirements for entry are five BGCSE Certificates including English Language, Mathematics, a Science and two other subjects.

Dr. Minnis said the monies are being spent in an effort to ensure that there are sufficient numbers of skilled nurses in the public healthcare sector.

?It is an accepted fact that quality healthcare outcomes require an adequate supply of qualified nursing personnel,? Dr. Minnis said.

?As a vital component of the healthcare system, and in an effort to meet health challenges ? particularly in developing countries ? nurses must have appropriate education and training to ensure that they have the required competencies within their profession.

?Recognizing this, the Government of The Bahamas, through the Ministry of Health, spends over one million dollars on programmes and stipends for the training of nurses at the College of The Bahamas,? Dr. Minnis added.



Addressing the Opening Session of the 33rd Annual Conference of the Nurses Association of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas (NACB) which concluded over the weekend in New Providence, Dr. Minnis said there is a ?great need? for skilled nurses both locally and globally.

?Today, nurses have a critical role in our society as new health challenges and issues arise such as the HINI Influenza Virus,? Dr. Minnis said. ?Nurses? roles have been re-defined, re-assessed and revised within the context of health-sector reform.?

Dr. Minnis said the nursing profession in The Bahamas represents the largest group of health workers providing the majority of health services and therefore must be acknowledged as an ?essential and vital component? of the delivery of quality healthcare.

The Health Minister said it is a widely accepted fact that nurses are leading ?change managers? in healthcare.

?This is why nursing care and service should be acknowledged as an essential and vital component of the delivery of healthcare,? Dr. Minnis added.