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Bahamas News

WRAP UP: CARIFTA 36 Aquatics Championships staged in Curaçao

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By Rashaed Esson 

Staff Writer

 

#TheBahamas, April 13, 2023 – The 2023 CARIFTA Aquatics Championships hosted by Curaçao this past Easter break, ended after four days of hot competition between the competing countries; The Bahamas emerged on top, dominating the meet for the fifth consecutive time with 1,113 points and 85 medals.

Making a splash from team Bahamas is Nigel Forbes of Grand Bahama who broke the 15-17 boys 200m butterfly record time of 57:85 with his 54:74.

With 37 gold, 27 silver and 21 bronze the 36-member team lived up to the hype.

“The team has been training together for four weeks and the chemistry was there,” he pointed out. “The swimmers have trained hard and executed the win. I am proud of Team Bahamas.” Coach Travano McPhee told media.

Another stand out for Team Bahamas was Saleste Gibson, from the girls 11-12 100m division. Gibson pulled off seven wins for seven gold medals in the 100m butterfly in 1:09.11; 200m freestyle in 2:20.49; 50m butterfly in 30.02; 400m freestyle in 5:06.29; 50m freestyle in 28.69; 200m individual medley (IM) in 2:43.24 and 100m freestyle in 1:03.23.

Pulling up in second place at the Swimming Championships was the Cayman Islands with 752 points and 53 medals; 25 Gold, 16 Silver and 12 Bronze.

Cayman Jullian Crooks gave an impressive performance in the 50m freestyle sprint finals swimming a record breaking time of 26.08, the fastest time by a female swimmer in the championship’s 36 year history.

Adding to Caymans’ victory is Sierrah Broadbelt, the most decorated female swimmer at this year’s CARIFTA Games amassing eight gold medals.

Also, Caymans James Allison advanced to a new time of 50.99 in the 15-17, from his 53.02 last year that had him in 5th place. He is right behind Shaun Malcolm’s 50.94 set in 2006. He is now the third fastest CARIFTA Championship performer of all time.

Trinidad and Tobago was not far behind, rounding out the top three top teams.  T&T earned 534 points -, 54 medals, 22 Gold, 26 Silver and 6 Bronze.

T&T’s Nikoli Blackman hit an A standard in the 100 free, setting a new personal best, beating his former time of 50.42, making a CARIFTA record with the Pan American time of 50.07, which of course gave him gold.

His record time automatically goes under the PAN AM time of 50.10.

Coming in fourth was Jamaica with 502.50 points and 30 medals; 1 Gold, 11 Silver and 18 Bronze, then the Barbados Swim team in 5th place with 474 points and 35 medals, 10 Gold, 10 Silver and 15 Bronze, rounding out the top 5 countries.

Antoine Destang claimed TEN medals under the St Lucia flag; 7 gold and 3 silver, and walked away with three meet records, the male 13-14 high point trophy, and the 13-14 most FINA points trophy; a definite win for his country.

Destang got his first CARIFTA gold in record time clocking 56.52 in the 13-14 100-fly, which is under the PAN AM Games B standard of 57.52.  He is the first swimmer from Eastern Caribbean to set a record time in the boys 100m butterfly.

Right behind Destang claiming Silver and Bronze were Christian Jerome of Haiti with a time of 57.30 and Daren Belfon with 59.88.

The excitement continued as Guyanese, Raekwon Noel made history as the first Guyanese boy to win a medal with the country’s best ever performance.

He won the 400m freestyle clocking 4:03.57, beating his national record of 4:11.04. He now holds the title as the sixth CARIFTA junior of all time.

With another record time is Ellie Shaw of Antigua and Barbuda who swam 1:14.28 in the 13-14 girls 100m breaststroke, making her the new record holder.

Next year, the CARIFTA Aquatics Championships will take competition to the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas.

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Husband Murder Plot foiled in The Bahamas; Wife and two others arrested 

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Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

 

#TheBahamas, August 5, 2023 – An American woman has been arrested in The Bahamas, accused of conspiring with two men, one of them alleged to be her lover, to murder her estranged husband.

The woman, 36 year old Lindsay Shiver and the two men, 28-year-old Terrance Bethel, the alleged lover and 29 year old Faron Newbold, were taken into custody last week following police investigation of a reported burglary at Grabbers Bar and Grill restaurant on Great Guana Cay.

The police looked into their cell phones and found WhatsApp messages detailing the assassination plot to kill her husband.

The couple, who built a life in South Georgia have three children and are home owners on the island in the Abacos.

News outlets throughout the US have reported on the scandalous story, including that a nasty court battle over the couple’s reported, $5 Million dollar fortune and three children was underway.  Shiver, an entrepreneur is a former beauty Alabama queen, her husband a former football player was an insurance executive.

According to US media, the husband, Robert, recently filed for divorce from Shivers after a decade of marriage upon discovering she had an alleged extra-martial affair with Bethel whom she met in The Bahamas.

While the husband claims infidelity on the part of his wife, the wife claims he was abusive.

The suspects Shiver, Bethel and Newbold appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley on Friday July 28th.  Their next court date is set for October 5th.

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Alarming Sexual Assault cases raising fears in The Bahamas

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Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

#TheBahamas, August 5, 2023 – The Bahamas is now facing an unfortunate reality as sexual assault has become and is a growing issue since 2023.  Women and girls are said to be living in fear for their safety from these perpetrators.

The Royal Bahamas Police force has reported on instances of assault in press releases found on their Facebook page.

One report spoke of a 50 year old they were searching for after he burglarized a home and sexually assaulted an elderly woman, 82 years old.  She was reported to be asleep when he woke and assaulted her.

This took place on Tuesday July 11th, 2023 at the home in the Centreville area of Nassau.

There is another incident that took place on July 17th, 2023 which the police are seeking in catching the suspect as they investigate.  It involves a man believed to the perpetrator in for an armed robbery and sexual assault.

According to preliminary data, he approached the victim, a female, with a firearm, robbed her and sexually assaulted her.  He proceeded to enter the house and robbed a male and escaped.  This happened in the Cowpen Road area; also in Nassau.

The assaults continue to grow in number as the police reported that they were investigating two other incidents that took place on July 24th.

The first had to do with a female, 30 years old who reported she was driving on West on Marshall Road when two men approached her after she slowed down near Faith Avenue.  One of the males with a firearm, forced her from her vehicle and took her to nearby bushes where they sexually assaulted her after which they escaped.

The second incident involved à 32 year old woman who was sexually assaulted by a male known to her.  It is reported that she was walking in the Fleming Street area when she accepted transportation from the suspect, who drove her to a dirt road off Gladstone Road where he presented a firearm and proceeded to rape her.

Furthermore, another assault, this time involving a 9 year old girl, was reported.  As revealed by preliminary information, the victim was playing with friends outside where she lives on Saturday July 29th, 2023 when the suspect, a 42 year old male of Summerset Estate, driving a white Nissan Skyline, arrived and gestured to her to enter the car.

She entered the car after which he took her to an unknown location, threatened her and sexually assaulted her.  She was later found somewhere in Spikenard Road; this also happened in Nassau.

Fortunately, he was caught and arrested for abduction and sexual assault on Sunday July 30th by officers affiliated with the Drug Enforcement Unit.

There are other reports of sexual assault throughout The Bahamas as well as rape and attempted rape during the earlier parts of the year, dating back to as early as February.

 

CAPTION: Women Leaders, including Ann Marie Davis, wife of the Prime Minister filled the gallery of The Bahamas Senate this week as members of the upper chamber debated the Protection Against Violence Bill 2023.  The debate came just as the country experiences a spike in sexual assaults against women and girls.  Photo by Patrick Hanna, BIS.

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Premier Misick received a courtesy call from the Bahamas Leader of the Opposition

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#TurksandCaicos, August 5, 2023 – On August 3rd, 2023, Premier Misick met with the Leader of the Opposition of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, the Honorable Michael Pintard. The discussion was highly productive, and they delved into matters of mutual concern between their neighboring nations. Hon. Pintard was accompanied by other opposition members, including Senator the Honorable Darren Handfield and Mr. Joshua Sears.

 

Group photo caption:

From Left to Right: Mr. Joshua Sears, Senator Hon. Darren Hendfield, Premier Hon. Charles Washington Misick, Bahamas Leader of the Bahamas Hon. Michael Pintard and Deputy Premier Hon. Erwin J. Saunders.

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