Carib Scope

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  • Export Barbados pushes entrepreneurship to industrialisation

    Export Barbados pushes entrepreneurship to industrialisation

    Against the backdrop of long-stagnant economic transformation across the Caribbean small island developing states, Barbados’ lead trade and investment agency is calling for a fundamental shift in regional ambition: moving beyond small-scale entrepreneurship to build intentional, scalable industrial capacity that can drive sustainable growth and global competitiveness.

    The Barbados Investment and Development Corporation (BIDC), which operates under the Export Barbados banner, recently underscored this vision while presenting a US$5,000 sponsorship cheque to support the University of the West Indies (UWI) International Undergraduate Students’ Leadership Conference and Entrepreneurship Exhibition, scheduled to run in Jamaica from September 23 to 25. The total value of the commitment amounts to BBD $10,000.

    Mark Hill, Chief Executive Officer of Export Barbados BIDC, emphasized that the sponsorship is far more than a one-off charitable contribution—it is a targeted investment in advancing the regional shift from startup entrepreneurship to systemic industrialisation. Hill drew a clear distinction between the two roles that are often conflated, noting that while an entrepreneur identifies a market opportunity, takes calculated risks, and launches a new enterprise, an industrialist expands that work to build a large-scale productive system. “The entrepreneur creates a business. The industrialist builds productive capacity,” Hill explained. “We need both. But we have long needed more of the latter to transform our regional economy.”

    Hill pointed out that the Caribbean is not lacking in creative ideas or ambitious, enterprising people. The core gap, he argued, is a clear pathway to scale ideas out of small, individual operations and into large, sustainable production systems that generate high-level intellectual property, mass employment, specialized expertise, and growing export volumes. It is this gap that Export Barbados aims to close through initiatives like its purpose-built International Food Science Centre, and the new GIGA framework for green industrialisation.

    Hill reintroduced GIGA, his agency’s initiative designed to connect the next generation of innovators with the resources they need to scale. The framework acts as a bridging platform linking new ideas and entrepreneurial talent to critical inputs: financing, cutting-edge technology, dedicated production facilities, international product certification, affordable clean energy, and access to global consumer markets. Hill said he wants participating UWI students to imagine a different future for themselves—not just as future employees or small business owners, but as a new cohort of intelligence-driven industrialists. These future leaders, he noted, would be equipped to build factories and research labs, commercialize scientific breakthroughs, launch technology platforms, develop climate-smart intelligent farms, and grow globally competitive enterprises.

    The ultimate goal of this investment, Hill added, is to lay the foundation for a long-term collaborative industrial relationship between BIDC, the private sector, and the regional university system. “It is an investment in new intelligence, and in the possibility that the young entrepreneur benefiting from this conference can grow into a transformative industrialist,” he said.

    Professor Winston Moore, Deputy Principal of UWI’s Cave Hill campus in Barbados, echoed Hill’s call for more targeted investment, noting that small island developing states face unique structural barriers to research and development (R&D) that hold back economic progress. Unlike large economies, small states cannot compete on production volume—their competitive advantage lies in innovative ideas. However, Moore highlighted that regional R&D spending consistently falls below 1% of GDP, a level too low to foster consistent development of new, commercially viable ideas.

    Moore stressed that partnerships like this sponsorship point the way forward for Barbados and other small developing states. Outlining his vision for the university, he noted that UWI aims to create a dedicated portal that connects private sector challenges directly to student innovators, creating a structured pipeline for turning ideas into solutions that can scale into new industries. “This is exactly the kind of investment we need to be making to unlock our region’s potential,” he added.

  • Agriculture : Rehabilitation of the Arnaud rural road (Nippes Department)

    Agriculture : Rehabilitation of the Arnaud rural road (Nippes Department)

    Against a backdrop of persistent challenges to Haitian agricultural productivity and rural mobility, a critical infrastructure upgrade is underway in the commune of Arnaud, Nippes Department. Led by Haiti’s Ministry of Agriculture through the Resilient Agriculture for Food Security Project (known locally as PARSA), the rehabilitation of the Arnaud rural road seeks to address longstanding barriers that have held back local farming communities and restricted access to essential commercial hubs.

    The project focuses on a key 800-meter stretch of road that links Carrefour Azor to Chalumeau, passing through Morne Katina. A series of targeted infrastructure improvements are being carried out to transform this once unreliable route: 200 linear meters of reinforced concrete wheel tracks are being laid to strengthen the road surface, a 59.28-meter ford crossing is being constructed to simplify river passage, an 84-meter protective low wall is being built to prevent erosion, and full re-profiling of the existing 800-meter track is underway to smooth passage. Notably, drainage ditch work across the entire project site has already been finalized, addressing one of the route’s most persistent pre-rehabilitation flaws.

    Before construction began, this road was a source of constant difficulty for local residents and producers, particularly during the annual rainy season. Decay of the original road surface, paired with the insufficient original drainage system, led to widespread mud buildup and long-lasting stagnant puddles. By the height of wet seasons, passage for motorcycles—the primary form of rural transport in much of Haiti—became extremely challenging, and in some segments, entirely impossible. Previously, the route also forced travelers and produce transporters to cross the Grande Rivière des Nippes, a dangerous and time-consuming obstacle that disrupted travel and put shipments at risk.

    Once completed, the upgraded road will serve as a reliable vital link between local farming communities and the region’s key commercial outlets, most notably Gros-Bassin, the Nippes Department’s primary regional market. By eliminating the travel delays and damage to harvests caused by poor road conditions, the project directly targets one of the most costly issues facing local smallholder farmers: post-harvest loss. Producers will be able to move their crops to market faster and in better condition, while residents will gain more consistent access to essential goods and services supplied from urban centers.

    Beyond immediate mobility gains, the rehabilitation project is a core investment in the long-term resilience of Haiti’s agricultural sector. The new infrastructure is designed to withstand heavy rainfall and extreme weather events, reducing the need for frequent repairs and ensuring consistent access even during wet seasons. By closing the infrastructure gap between isolated production zones and formal commercial distribution networks, the project creates new economic opportunities for farming households that previously struggled to get their products to buyers at competitive prices.

    The Arnaud road project is just one component of PARSA’s broader ongoing work across Haiti. The initiative’s overarching goal is to expand and upgrade rural infrastructure across the country, strengthen the ability of farming communities to adapt to climate and economic shocks, and improve conditions for both agricultural production and post-harvest marketing. These targeted infrastructure investments are framed as long-term strategies to boost food security across rural Haiti by cutting waste, connecting producers to markets, and supporting sustainable local economic growth.

  • Labour shortage ‘challenges’ construction boom

    Labour shortage ‘challenges’ construction boom

    As Barbados undergoes an unprecedented wave of construction activity driven by large-scale tourism and infrastructure investment, the island nation is grappling with a critical shortage of trained skilled workers, according to Minister of Technological and Vocational Training Sandra Husbands. Speaking at the launch of the Barbados Annual Construction and Design Conference (BACDC) hosted by the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Council, Husbands detailed how the current construction boom—fueled by a surge of hotel expansions, new builds, road upgrades, renewable energy installations, commercial developments and public infrastructure projects—has stretched the local construction labor force far beyond its current capacity.

    Husbands highlighted the massive scale of ongoing investment, pointing to the $800 million Beaches Barbados Sandals Heywoods development as a centerpiece of the current activity, alongside dozens of other residential and hospitality projects across the country. While this wave of investment has created widespread opportunity, generating future jobs not only in construction but also in hospitality and local supply chains, it has simultaneously exposed deep gaps in the skilled labor market that impact even small-scale projects.

    “When you look around our country, what is it you’re seeing? We are seeing hotels being refurbished and expanded. We are seeing new hotels being built. And then there’s some that are still to come,” Husbands told reporters. She added that ordinary homeowners are among the groups most affected by the shortage, as they struggle to find available tradespeople for small home repairs and renovations. “The people who may be experiencing the most pain will be householders who are struggling to find a carpenter to do something in their home or a mason to come and do some repairs because we simply do not have sufficient labour to be able to meet the demand in Barbados,” she said.

    Despite the challenges, Husbands characterized the labor shortage as “a good problem to have”—a byproduct of strong economic growth after years of stagnation. She explained that the current gap has roots in decades of economic decline, when prolonged downturns forced small contractors out of business and discouraged young people from pursuing careers in the skilled trades. The COVID-19 pandemic further delayed planned investment, leading to a backlog of projects that all launched at the same time once global restrictions lifted. Today, the country is managing nine major construction projects simultaneously, putting unprecedented strain on every segment of the construction labor market.

    “So instead of coping with one or two hotels at a time, we now find ourselves with having to manage nine, all wanting foreign exchange, staffing, and supplies in order to get their investment to work,” Husbands said. She outlined the core policy dilemma facing the island: whether to allow investment to shift to neighboring competitor countries like Saint Lucia, Guyana, and Jamaica, or to permit temporary foreign labor while accelerating vocational training to ensure Barbadians can capture the long-term job opportunities created by the boom.

    The shortage touches nearly every skilled trade in the sector, from plumbers, tilers, welders, and masons to heavy equipment operators, refrigeration technicians, and construction supervisors. The gap is particularly acute for licensed heavy-duty truck drivers, where companies are offering weekly salaries ranging from $700 to more than $1,100 to attract qualified candidates—yet still struggle to fill open roles. “Without drivers, materials don’t move, equipment does not move, and projects will slow down,” Husbands noted. She added that Barbados is far from alone in this challenge, with neighboring Caribbean nations including Antigua and Barbuda, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica reporting similar skilled labor gaps in their construction sectors.

    To address the crisis, Husbands argued that Barbados must dramatically accelerate its technical and vocational training programs while shifting long-held cultural perceptions that only traditional academic qualifications lead to successful careers. For too long, skilled trade occupations have been overlooked, even as demand for certified, practical workers has continued to grow.

    “Today, the realities of the labour market are telling us something different. The skilled trades matter, technical expertise matters, and certification matters,” she said. The Ministry of Technological and Vocational Training was created in part specifically to help the Barbadian workforce pivot toward these high-demand, lucrative careers available through the TVET system.

    Beyond attracting new entrants to the trades, Husbands noted that the industry also faces challenges around workforce soft skills, with many employers reporting concerns about work ethic and professional conduct among existing employees. “Many employers express concern not only that young people are not entering the construction sector in numbers, but also they are concerned about the work attitudes that our labor force now bring daily to the workplace,” she said. “The technical skill is insufficient; the attitude with the skills will make them unstoppable.”

    As part of the government’s comprehensive response, the ministry plans to launch a targeted skills upgrade program for existing contractors, giving them access to training through local institutions like the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute (SJPI) and the Barbados Vocational Training Board (BVTB) to learn modern construction technologies and update their professional capabilities. “One of the things we’re looking forward to is establishing a programme where we specially target the existing contractors and provide space and opportunity for them to get the necessary training… so that they can upgrade their skills and use those modern technologies and stay in the game,” Husbands explained.

    The minister also emphasized the critical role of formal certification, particularly for experienced workers who have developed advanced skills through on-the-job experience but lack formal credentials. She framed prior learning assessment recognition as a transformative tool to unlock career mobility for thousands of Barbadians who have the talent and experience but no formal certification. “Certification is becoming the passport to opportunity,” she said. “Prior learning assessment recognition is a powerful passport to accelerating the career opportunities and mobility of thousands of Barbadians who have talent, who have experience and expertise, but never had a certificate in their life.”

    Husbands stressed that the TVET Council and local training institutions must prepare both new entrants and incumbent workers for a modern construction industry that is increasingly shaped by digital innovation. Today’s construction sector is far removed from outdated perceptions of manual labor, she noted, now requiring expertise in digital tools, modern project management systems, precision surveying, building diagnostics, sustainable design, smart building technologies, and drone operations.

    The newly launched BACDC will serve as a collaborative platform for industry stakeholders, policymakers, and training providers to discuss the sector’s most pressing challenges and opportunities as Barbados continues to see sustained development activity. Ultimately, Husbands said, the country must leverage the current boom to build a resilient, future-ready skilled labor force that can meet immediate project demand while adapting to the evolving needs of the global construction industry.

  • Florida Law Revives Death Penalty Debate Over Child Sexual Abuse

    Florida Law Revives Death Penalty Debate Over Child Sexual Abuse

    A new wave of legal and ethical debate has swept across the United States after Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, signed into law a groundbreaking bill that permits state prosecutors to pursue the death penalty against adult perpetrators convicted of sexually assaulting children under the age of 12. This move directly defies a 16-year-old precedent set by the U.S. Supreme Court, and it is widely expected to trigger a new constitutional showdown in the nation’s highest court.

    In the 2008 landmark case Kennedy v. Louisiana, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that barred the use of capital punishment for non-homicidal child rape. The court’s majority concluded that imposing the death penalty when a victim survives such an offense violated the Eighth Amendment’s constitutional prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. For nearly two decades, that ruling has stood as a binding standard across all U.S. states.

    Florida’s new legislation upends that long-standing precedent. Under the terms of the new law, juries are granted the authority to recommend a death sentence after a guilty conviction is handed down. Proponents of the policy have pushed back hard against the Supreme Court’s 2008 ruling, arguing that the most heinous sexual violations of young children demand the most severe penalty available under the law. Governor DeSantis has been a leading voice in this camp, repeatedly stating that violent, devastating crimes against young children deserve nothing less than the harshest punishment the state can impose.

    But critics, including a wide range of legal experts and civil rights advocates, warn that the new law faces insurmountable constitutional challenges and carries dangerous unintended consequences. Opponents point out that the law’s explicit conflict with existing Supreme Court doctrine makes it almost certain to face legal challenge, and many note that the threat of a death sentence could create perverse incentives. For example, survivors of abuse may be discouraged from coming forward to report crimes out of fear that their testimony will lead to a capital conviction, or perpetrators may be more likely to kill their victims to eliminate evidence, since a potential death sentence would be the same regardless of whether the victim survives.

    Legal analysts broadly agree that the law’s ultimate fate will almost certainly be decided by the current Supreme Court, which has shifted significantly to the right on criminal justice issues in the years since the 2008 Kennedy v. Louisiana ruling. If the legislation is challenged, as expected, the high court will get a direct opportunity to revisit and potentially overturn its earlier 5-4 ruling that banned capital punishment for non-fatal child sexual assault.

  • Chair of OAS Development Council Calls for Development to Be Placed at the Centre of Hemispheric Stability

    Chair of OAS Development Council Calls for Development to Be Placed at the Centre of Hemispheric Stability

    On September 9, a landmark special meeting convened by Sir Ronald Sanders, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) and Chair of the Inter American Council for Integral Development (CIDI), brought together key stakeholders from across the inter-American system to reorient the body’s priorities around inclusive, sustainable development. The gathering, which included OAS Secretary General Albert Ramdin, representatives from 32 active OAS member states, and delegations from Permanent Observers including the European Union, China, Spain, Italy, France, Morocco and Japan, served as a platform to challenge existing hierarchies of priority within inter-American governance. At the core of Sanders’ address was a bold re framing of development’s role in the inter-American system: rejecting the common framing of development as a secondary, “fourth pillar” of the organization’s work, he argued that it is the foundational bedrock upon which the system’s other core priorities rest. Sanders elaborated on the interconnected nature of development and the OAS’ other core missions, noting that fundamental human rights cannot be fully realized when communities lack access to food, affordable healthcare, and quality education. He further explained that democratic institutions lose public legitimacy when citizens are blocked from accessing dignified work or pathways to upward mobility, while public security frameworks grow increasingly fragile when young people see no viable future in the formal, legal economy. Beyond eroding the system’s core pillars, Sanders linked chronic underdevelopment to the growing migration pressures that dominate policy debates across the Americas, noting that mass migration almost always originates in regions where economic hope and opportunity have collapsed. “When development fails, the other pillars do not stand untouched. They begin to fracture,” he emphasized. While Sanders acknowledged the critical, valuable support that Permanent Observers from Europe and Asia have extended to the OAS’ work in democracy, human rights and security, he pointed out that development cooperation has not received the same level of focus in the organization’s external partnerships. A key additional priority highlighted in his address is scaled-up support for climate-resilient development, a pressing need for small island developing states like Antigua and Barbuda, which are repeatedly forced to take on crippling public debt to rebuild critical infrastructure destroyed by intensifying severe weather events. Sanders pushed back against framing development cooperation as a peripheral charitable act disconnected from core foreign policy goals, arguing instead that it is a high-impact investment at the center of shared regional stability and collective prosperity. To turn this call into action, he proposed that this September 9 meeting be the first in an ongoing series of practical working sessions between CIDI and OAS Permanent Observers, designed to build tangible collaborative partnerships and deliver measurable, on-the-ground development outcomes for communities across the hemisphere.

  • Prime Minister Skerrit accuses UWP of confusing supporters over voter confirmation

    Prime Minister Skerrit accuses UWP of confusing supporters over voter confirmation

    In the wake of the closely watched September 7, 2026 Roseau North by-election, Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has launched sharp criticism of the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP), accusing the group of sowing confusion among its own supporters over the national voter confirmation process and creating internal leadership disarray. Speaking at an official government press briefing held Wednesday at the Financial Centre conference room, Skerrit argued that the UWP’s inconsistent stance on the national voter confirmation exercise directly suppressed turnout among the party’s backers, a factor he links directly to the opposition’s poor performance at the polls.

    According to the prime minister, UWP leadership spent more than a year publicly urging their supporters to boycott the Electoral Office’s mandatory voter registration confirmation process. That position, he noted, was only reversed roughly 10 months before the by-election was scheduled to take place. Skerrit emphasized that the last-minute policy shift came far too late to undo the entrenched attitudes the party itself had spent months cultivating among its base.

    “Dr. Thomson Fontaine consistently saying we should not go and confirm. Now you want to tell we go and confirm. Not even to beg people to confirm. But in psychology, there’s a term called conditioning. We have conditioned people’s minds not to confirm. So to uncondition, it is going to take more than 10 months,” Skerrit told reporters during the briefing.

    Expanding on his point, the prime minister explained that cognitive conditioning makes reversing deeply ingrained behaviors and beliefs a slow, challenging process. Voters who had been consistently told over a long period to avoid confirming their registration, he argued, were far more likely to stick to their original stance than to abruptly adopt the party’s new, last-minute directive.

    Skerrit went on to frame the UWP’s missteps on the voter confirmation issue as more than just an internal party problem, calling the opposition’s actions a “huge national disservice” that carried consequences extending beyond UWP’s own political ranks. The prime minister’s public comments came after official by-election results showed a clear victory for the ruling Dominica Labour Party: the party’s candidate Ashma McDougall secured 1,473 votes, while UWP’s Daniel Lugay trailed behind with just 998 votes.

  • Haiti’s Contribution to the History of Humanity

    Haiti’s Contribution to the History of Humanity

    In early September, Haiti’s Embassy in France partnered with the Diplomatic and Consular Academy of France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs to host a multi-day event series celebrating Haiti’s impact on world history, as part of the second edition of the academy’s signature “The Making of Diplomacy” initiative. Held across September 5 and 6, the gathering brought together scholars, diplomats, and culture enthusiasts for three core components: an academic roundtable, an interactive dance workshop, and a beginner’s session on Haitian Creole. The event’s central mission was to reframe public understanding of Haiti, pushing back against one-dimensional narratives that often reduce the Caribbean nation to crisis and overlook its foundational contributions to global progress.

  • Five Colombians sent to Dominica under US arrangement have returned home, reports PM Skerrit

    Five Colombians sent to Dominica under US arrangement have returned home, reports PM Skerrit

    In a formal press briefing this Wednesday, Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has confirmed the successful conclusion of the first round of transfers under a landmark bilateral third-country national arrangement (TCNA) between the Commonwealth of Dominica and the United States, with all five individuals transferred already returning to their home country of Colombia.

    The non-binding agreement, first negotiated earlier this year between the Dominican government and the U.S. government via the U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados, outlines a framework under which Dominica may accept third-country nationals that the U.S. is seeking to remove from its territory, with full authority retained by the Dominican side to approve or reject any candidate. Per the terms of the deal, the U.S. is required to disclose full criminal and medical history for all proposed individuals to the extent permitted by U.S. law, grants Dominica the right to reject any candidate with a criminal record, and allows either party to exit the agreement at any time via formal diplomatic notice. All transferred individuals are also guaranteed treatment consistent with Dominica’s constitution, national immigration laws, and all international human rights conventions that Dominica is party to, including the UN Refugee Convention and the Convention Against Torture.

    Skerrit detailed the process of the first transfer to reporters, noting that the U.S. initially provided an initial list of candidates that Dominican authorities rejected, as the list failed to meet the information requirements set out in the agreement. After the U.S. submitted a revised second list that included all requested background details, Dominican officials selected five candidates, all Colombian citizens, for transfer. All five cleared background checks, with none holding any prior criminal records.

    Upon their arrival in Dominica, the five individuals were housed in a local hotel, provided with meals and basic care, and offered the choice to return to their home country or pursue other resettlement options. All five independently elected to return to Colombia, Skerrit confirmed. The U.S. government provided funding to cover all costs associated with the individuals’ stay in Dominica, and covered the cost of their repatriation flights. The entire process from arrival to departure was completed in an exceptionally short timeline, according to the prime minister, and no third-country nationals currently remain in Dominica under the arrangement.

    To ensure impartial and professional management of the process, the Dominican government has contracted the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to administer all logistics related to the TCNA on its behalf. Moving forward, the agreement outlines that Dominica will accept between five and seven third-country nationals per quarter, should the U.S. submit requests aligned with the terms of the deal. Skerrit emphasized that both sides have maintained mutual respect throughout the implementation of the first transfer, and any future U.S. requests will be reviewed in accordance with the existing agreement and agreed-upon conditions.

    Framing the arrangement as a humanitarian commitment, Skerrit noted that Dominica’s approach to the agreement is rooted in a broader philosophy of global solidarity. “We have a duty to humanity, and there are so many Dominicans who are living in other people’s countries that we see it beyond just a third-country national issue and a bilateral arrangement between ourselves and United States,” he said. “We have a higher philosophical view on humanity and the right for everybody to survive and to be regarded.”

    Work on detailed operating procedures to guide long-term implementation and monitoring of the agreement is currently in its final drafting stage. The forthcoming guidelines will formalize requirements for documentation that the U.S. must provide for each proposed transferee, as well as clarify the scope of U.S. financial and operational support for the arrangement.

  • Five top-10 drivers set to miss BMF Rally2

    Five top-10 drivers set to miss BMF Rally2

    The 2026 Barbados Rally2 Championship is bracing for a dramatic shake-up of its standings this Saturday, as the fifth round of the Barbados Motoring Federation Championship kicks off without five of the current top 10 drivers. The most high-profile absence comes in the form of series leader and 2022 title holder Stuart Maloney, who is stepping away from his usual driving seat to take on co-driving duties for his brother Mark at the iconic Sun & Stars Rally, launching on September 12.

    Heading into this weekend’s blue-riband event, the championship battle is already unusually competitive. Three different drivers have claimed victories across the opening four rounds, and an additional three racers have notched podium finishes, leaving the title fight wide open for contenders to seize momentum. The gap at the top is razor-thin: only 30 points separate current leader Stuart Maloney from his brother Mark, who sits in sixth place, meaning a strong showing this weekend could completely rearrange the overall standings.

    The potential for disruption does not end with the Maloney brothers. Third-placed Jamaican driver Kyle Gregg and fifth-placed Jeff Panton, a four-time winner of the Sun & Stars Rally, are also absent from the entry list, opening even more opportunities for lower-ranked competitors to climb the table. Currently sitting second and fourth in the overall standings are 2024 champion Josh Read and Adam Mallalieu, the youngest driver on the 2026 grid. Read already claimed victory at this season’s opening round at BRC Shakedown Stages, while Mallalieu is chasing his first ever Rally2 Championship win after taking second place behind Stuart Maloney at the First Citizens King of the Hill event earlier this year.

    This year’s Sun & Stars Rally, hosted as part of the MCBI championship, will see competitors cover 12 stages spanning 62 kilometres across the parishes of St John and St George. The on-track action is scheduled to get underway at 1:55 p.m., starting with the first of three runs along the 4.3-kilometre Society-to-Pool stage, which will alternate with three passes over the 6.1-kilometre Malvern-to-Sweet Vale route. Following a dinner break at the Service Park located at The Lodge School, crews will complete the remaining stages in reverse order. The first Sweet Vale-to-Malvern run is set for 6:30 p.m., with the final Pool-to-Society stage expected to wrap up by approximately 10 p.m.

    MCBI President David Williams shared insights into the lead-up to the event, noting that the cancellation of the 2025 Sun & Stars Rally dealt a significant blow to all involved. “Losing last year’s Sun & Stars was a big blow, not only in financial terms, but also for our competitors and volunteers. A lot of work goes into the planning of these events and it is disappointing for everyone when something out of our control means we can’t go forward,” Williams explained. Still, he expressed optimism about this year’s running, pointing to strong competitor interest as a positive sign. “It is encouraging to see such strong support from competitors again this year; with a couple of days before entries close, we are already in the mid-thirties — there are some close battles in the classes and just two double-header speed events to go after this, so the guys are keen to keep scoring points.”

  • Two Suspects Caught on Camera Stealing Quad Bike

    Two Suspects Caught on Camera Stealing Quad Bike

    A brazen quad bike theft from a private residential property has been caught entirely on home surveillance camera, with two suspects seen making off with the vehicle in what appears to be a surprisingly smooth and unchallenged heist. The released security footage, which was shared to local community outlets by a concerned follower, shows the two individuals completing the entire process of removing the all-terrain vehicle without any apparent struggle or delay, even as neighborhood dogs can be observed reacting to the intrusion with persistent barking nearby.

    What makes the incident particularly striking is the accounts from adjacent residents, who told community sources that they noticed nothing out of the ordinary during the time the theft was taking place. Despite the audible barking from dogs in the immediate area, none of the nearby neighbors reported seeing suspicious activity or hearing unusual noises that would have tipped them off to the crime unfolding right next door. Local community members are now calling on anyone who may recognize the two individuals from the surveillance footage to come forward with information to help law enforcement recover the stolen quad bike and hold the thieves accountable.