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  • Long Islanders fed up with unreliable mailboats

    Long Islanders fed up with unreliable mailboats

    For months, residents and business owners across Southern Long Island have endured crippling disruptions to their only primary supply link to the capital, Nassau, amid sharply reduced and inconsistent mail boat operations that have put livelihoods and even public health at risk. What was once a consistent three monthly trips by M/V Mia Dean Ltd, the designated service provider for the southern portion of the island, has been cut to just two voyages per month for the past three months, leaving communities cut off from the essential goods that all aspects of daily life depend on.

    Erica Darville, a Clarence Town local who has lived on the island for decades and operates a local bakery, described the ongoing situation as completely untenable. “This is our lifeline – everything we need comes from Nassau, so these cuts affect every single person on the island,” she explained. For small business owners like Darville, the reduced schedule makes it impossible to stock up on perishable ingredients in advance, forcing constant last-minute scrambling to source what is needed for daily operations. “You can’t order extra lettuce, tomatoes or sweet peppers to stock up – they would spoil before you can use them. We have to get fresh supplies week to week, and right now, we can’t count on that,” she added.

    While a second mail vessel, the Island Link, operates in the broader Long Island region, it primarily caters to the northern end of the island and also dedicates most of its cargo capacity to deliveries for Exuma, making it an unworkable backup for southern residents. One local business owner, who chose to speak anonymously to avoid retaliation, noted that even when southern residents do manage to route shipments through Island Link, there is no financial protection for lost or damaged cargo, leaving too much risk for businesses to depend on the service. “That boat can’t handle the full demand of Long Island and Exuma,” the owner said. “We occasionally use it, but if goods go missing, we get no compensation. It’s just not a viable option.”

    Beyond economic disruption, the inconsistent service has created serious public health risks for residents who rely on regular deliveries of prescription medication. Darville shared her own family’s recent ordeal: her daughter, who lives with a seizure disorder, went five full days without her prescribed anti-seizure medication after a scheduled mail boat voyage was delayed. Because the medication is controlled by prescription refill rules that require patients to exhaust their current supply before a new order can be filled, any delay in delivery creates an immediate gap in care. “This isn’t an inconvenience, it’s a danger,” Darville said. “Why is M/V Mia Dean still holding this contract? They aren’t holding up their end of the deal. Cancel the contract and give it to an operator that can actually provide reliable service – we’ve put up with this for far too long.”

    Frustration over the quality and reliability of the island’s mail boat service is not a new issue. Local residents have raised complaints repeatedly over the years, but the recent cuts have pushed community patience to a breaking point. When contacted for comment, Long Island’s Member of Parliament Dr. Andre Rollins acknowledged that the current service is in a “deplorable state” and confirmed that the responsible minister has committed to addressing the crisis at an upcoming public meeting with residents.

    “Unless the minister fails to follow through on his commitment to fix this problem in a timely manner, any criticism of him right now would be premature,” Dr. Rollins said, “That said, the patience of the people and business owners in South Long Island has just about run out.” As of press time, officials from M/V Mia Dean Ltd had not responded to multiple requests for comment from The Tribune.

  • Kelly’s Back-to-School Giveaway winners

    Kelly’s Back-to-School Giveaway winners

    As millions of students across the country pack their bags and step back into school hallways for the 2026–2027 academic term, a small group of young learners gets to kick off their year with a joyful surprise, courtesy of a popular local home goods retailer’s long-running community promotion.

    Kelly’s House & Home, a leading retailer specializing in home and everyday goods, has wrapped up this year’s edition of its popular annual Back-to-School Giveaway, a promotion designed to add extra excitement to the annual back-to-school shopping rush for local families. The giveaway was structured to reward customers who were already purchasing essential school supplies for the new term, automatically entering any shopper who spent at least $25 on qualifying school supplies into the prize drawing.

    This year’s promotion awarded six distinct prizes to six lucky winners, ranging from practical supplies to fun, useful gifts for student life. The full prize pool includes two themed back-to-school gift baskets packed with essential supplies, two new bicycles for commuting or after-school recreation, an Acer Aspire laptop that will support a winner’s schoolwork and digital learning, and a one-of-a-kind giant crayon stocking that has become a beloved signature of the annual promotion. For each young recipient, the unexpected win has turned the routine start of a new school year into a memorable milestone they will likely talk about for months to come.

    Beyond the immediate thrill of the prize draws, the annual giveaway also taps into the broader sense of anticipation that defines the back-to-school season for families across the country. Back-to-school shopping is far more than a routine errand; it is a key ritual that helps students get organized mentally and physically for the return to structured learning, equipping them with the tools they need to succeed in class and beyond.

    The start of a new academic year always brings with it a fresh slate: new chances to explore new subjects, set personal and academic goals, and build on the progress students made in previous terms. As final lesson plans are put together by teachers and families wrap up their last-minute preparations, students of all ages are looking ahead to a year of new discoveries, personal growth, and meaningful learning experiences.

  • Snack Attack gives 500 children school boost

    Snack Attack gives 500 children school boost

    As families across Nassau geared up for the 202X back-to-school season, a long-running community charity initiative stepped in to ease financial burdens and set local children up for academic success. The Rotaract Club of South East Nassau Centennial’s sixth annual Snack Attack project put 500 fully stocked supply kits directly into the hands of young learners, partnering with the organization’s parent body, the Rotary Club of South East Nassau, and a network of local business sponsors to make the distribution possible.

    Every kit assembled for the event combined practical educational tools and nutritional refreshments to address two key needs for returning students. Inside each bag, children found classroom staples including a bound composition notebook, a complete pencil case equipped with writing pens, graphite pencils, a measuring ruler, and a pencil sharpener. To keep students energized throughout the school day, organizers also added bottled water, fruit juice, and assorted shelf-stable snacks, blending academic support with basic nutritional assistance.

    Beyond the 500 kits distributed to the main group of participating children, the initiative extended its impact by donating an additional 20 kits to the Urban Renewal Kemp Road community program and another 20 kits to the Urban Renewal Centreville program. This extra donation expanded the project’s reach to support more young people enrolled in local community youth initiatives, ensuring no student was left without essential supplies as the new school year began.

    Snack Attack is far more than a one-off event for the Rotaract Club of South East Nassau Centennial: it is a core expression of the organization’s long-standing commitment to community service and intentional youth development. For working families stretched thin by the annual cost of back-to-school supplies, the free kits provide critical financial relief, while giving children the resources they need to participate fully in classroom activities from the first day of term.

    The project would not have been possible without the generous contributions of multiple local Bahamian businesses and community organizations. Rotaract officials publicly recognized the support of key partners including J-Co Trading Company Ltd, Island Wholesale, Milo Butler Distributors, Bahama Blu, Bahamas Wholesale Agencies, the d’Albenas Agency, and Caribbean Bottling Company, whose donations of goods and funding made the full kit distribution possible.

    This year’s event also underscored the enduring productive collaboration between the Rotaract Club of South East Nassau Centennial and its parent organization, the Rotary Club of South East Nassau. Leadership from both groups participated in planning and execution, with Rotaract president Trei Pinder and Rotary president Candice Hepburn representing their respective organizations throughout the initiative.

    As the new school year gets underway, the sixth annual Snack Attack stands as a model for community-driven collective action. By providing tangible, practical support to hundreds of children, the initiative not only meets an immediate need for local families but also reinforces how cross-sector partnerships between volunteer organizations and local businesses can create meaningful, lasting change for young people preparing to learn and grow.

  • Junkanoo season kicks off with $900K in seed funding

    Junkanoo season kicks off with $900K in seed funding

    The Bahamas’ iconic Junkanoo carnival celebration has officially opened its 2026 season, marking a major milestone as the newly established National Junkanoo Authority disbursed more than $900,000 in seed grants to participating groups across the archipelago.

    More than 50 competitive Junkanoo groups, spanning A, B, and D categories, alongside five recreational troupes and multiple collectives from the country’s Family Islands including Eleuthera, Grand Bahama, and Central and North Andros, signed formal participation contracts outlining event rules and funding terms ahead of the season’s kickoff. Funding amounts have been held steady from previous cycles, with top-tier A category groups receiving $40,000 each and B category groups awarded $20,000 each.

    The launch caps a year of major governance restructuring for the beloved cultural tradition. The National Junkanoo Authority was created by parliamentary legislation passed in March 2026, but only became fully operational three weeks ago, when board members received their formal appointment documents and held their inaugural meeting. The restructuring followed a bitter dispute between the Bahamian government and the long-standing Junkanoo leadership community in October 2025, when the government transferred oversight of that year’s parades from the Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence (JCNP) — the historic self-governing body for the event — to an interim National Junkanoo Committee. The JCNP had previously criticized the new governing legislation as an attempt to centralize state control and erode the community’s long-standing autonomy.

    Speaking at the official launch, Culture Minister Leslia Miller-Brice outlined the government’s new long-term vision for Junkanoo, centered on expanding access to the tradition beyond its traditional holiday parade dates by integrating it into school curricula and year-round tourism programming. The Ministry of Culture has already begun collecting data to assess the cultural event’s long-term financial sustainability and map the condition and support needs of the iconic Junkanoo shacks where groups build their elaborate parade costumes and floats.

    Miller-Brice called for unity across the Junkanoo community as the new season gets underway, urging groups to compete with passion while upholding values of mutual respect, public safety, and collective care for young participants and behind-the-scenes workers. She emphasized that historic legacy organizations like the JCNP remain critical stakeholders in the new governing structure, noting that the new authority stands to benefit from decades of institutional knowledge built by long-time community leaders.

    “Those organizations have done a fantastic job. I think we stand on their shoulders,” Miller-Brice said. “It’s important for us to feed from them, to learn from them, and to gain the wealth of knowledge that they’ve gained over this time. To those persons who were a part of those organizations, we welcome the collaboration. Mr. Dion Miller, he is a part of the National Junkanoo Authority, and so he will be there to guide us, to help us, just to ensure that any mistakes that they would have made in the past, moving forward, that those same mistakes will not be made again.”

    National Junkanoo Authority Chairman Dr. Christopher Curry confirmed that the board has moved quickly to set up operations in the three weeks since members received their appointment letters, holding two full board meetings to date. The authority has already formed specialized subcommittees to oversee core responsibilities, begun drafting its first annual operating budget, and taken key steps to build long-term financial stability as a formal government entity. It has also completed a full strategic plan for the 2026–2027 fiscal year and begun the process of assembling a full-time management team.

    This week, Junkanoo group delegates will elect six group representatives to fill seats on the new authority’s Management and Planning Committee. Two delegates from each registered group will take part in ongoing parade planning, with the first working session scheduled for this Friday.

    JCNP Chairman Dion Miller, who holds a statutory permanent seat on the new authority’s board, said the 2026 season marks the first time the new overarching governing body is fully functional. Under the new structure, the JCNP and former interim National Junkanoo Committee will operate as sub-committees under the authority’s umbrella, with most of their existing functional structures for parade rules and operations remaining intact.

    Despite the heated tensions of 2025, Miller said he is ready to move past past disagreements to advance the shared goal of growing and protecting Bahamian Junkanoo culture, noting that collaboration and communication with Minister Miller-Brice has been “stellar” to date.

    “It is what it is. My focus now is moving forward, moving Junkanoo forward, united, and to push the culture forward. So any grievances that would have occurred in the past is in the past. My focus now as the chairman and as someone who is on the authority is to move the culture forward,” Miller said.

    A minor early misstep saw Miller not receive meeting invites for the authority’s first two sessions, a mistake Dr. Curry and Miller-Brice have already moved to correct. Dr. Curry said the oversight was not intentional, and that he has since spoken with Miller to share full meeting minutes and bring him fully into ongoing work. Miller-Brice echoed that framing, confirming the issue has been fully resolved and all stakeholders are now aligned to deliver a successful 2026 season.

    To inform long-term planning, the Ministry of Culture has also collected public and stakeholder input via two separate surveys: the National Junkanoo Cost, Sustainability, and Economic Impact Survey, and the Junkanoo Shack Location Survey, which will help guide future investment in core Junkanoo infrastructure.

  • Lightning strike kills R M Bailey student

    Lightning strike kills R M Bailey student

    A sudden and devastating tragedy has left the Bahamian education community reeling after a 16-year-old male Grade 11 student was killed by a lightning strike on the grounds of R M Bailey High School in New Providence yesterday morning, triggering panic among parents and an outpouring of grief across the nation.

    The fatal incident unfolded just after 9 a.m. as a severe thunderstorm system moved across the island. Initial police accounts detail that a school security officer had completed a routine check of the student and watched him walk away before the strike occurred. Moments later, the student was knocked motionless by the lightning bolt, which left clear burn injuries on his body. The security officer quickly alerted the school’s on-site resource officer, who rushed to the scene to administer first aid and found the teenager unresponsive. Emergency Medical Services was called immediately, and crews transported the victim to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 9:30 a.m.

    Law enforcement investigators have since attended the campus to interview witnesses and review the circumstances of the incident, and they remain in close coordination with the school’s principal and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, which is supporting the ongoing investigation.

    As word of the student’s death spread rapidly across local communities and social media, panicked parents immediately descended on the Robinson Road campus to retrieve their children, many voicing deep fear for their own kids’ safety and frustration over a perceived lack of official communication from the school. Joyce Brown, a parent of a student at the school, told reporters she learned of the incident by chance while shopping for her son’s school uniform. “I couldn’t function anymore. I am sad because it could have been my son. When they said it was a male, I just stopped everything I was doing. I’m still anxious right now – it’s so scary, it could have been anybody,” Brown said, adding that she never received an official alert from the school about the tragedy, a concern shared widely by other parents on social media.

    Education officials have pushed back on that criticism, explaining that their first priority was addressing the acute trauma experienced by students and staff rather than immediately dismissing students or contacting families. Education Director Dominique McCartney explained that the student’s homeroom teacher was particularly distraught in the wake of the event, so school leaders prioritized bringing in counsellors to provide immediate emotional support before any students left campus. “Our children and our team members are distraught. We did not want to send our children home without talking to them and offering them comfort. That had to be our first step,” McCartney said.

    Once crisis counselling was initiated, parents were allowed to collect their children, and all school staff were permitted to leave early. C H Reeves High School, a close partner and “sister school” to R M Bailey, also dismissed students early out of respect for the close ties between the two school communities, while other schools across the district will continue operations with adjustments assessed on a case-by-case basis.

    Education Minister Chester Cooper traveled to the campus yesterday to meet with school leaders and offer official condolences. He shared that he had spoken directly with the student’s aunt and guardian – who works as a teacher at the school – and extended sympathy on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, and the entire Bahamian government. “We are all saddened and all in grief. This is a heartbreaking loss for the entire R M Bailey School family,” Cooper said.

    Grief support services have been organized for students and staff, and will continue throughout the week as long as they are needed. Additional counselling sessions led by trained counsellors and local pastors are scheduled for today, with group sessions held under R M Bailey’s pavilion and at C H Reeves, and one-on-one support available for any community member that needs it. School leaders are also planning a formal memorial service to honor the student’s life and allow the community to grieve together.

    Top political figures across the country, including Prime Minister Davis and Opposition Leader Michael Pintard, have released statements offering their condolences to the student’s family and the entire R M Bailey school community.

    In the wake of the tragedy, the Ministry of Health and Wellness has issued a public reminder about thunderstorm safety, as The Bahamas faces variable and often extreme weather during the annual hurricane season. Officials urged residents to always seek sturdy shelter during thunderstorms, and to avoid exposed areas, windows, exterior doors, and open bodies of water. They also warned against walking or driving through floodwaters, and urged extra caution for anyone near coastal or marine areas when weather conditions turn hazardous.

  • Search on for missing family

    Search on for missing family

    A large-scale coordinated search operation is ongoing for four remaining members of a family whose small aircraft vanished over waters off North Andros, the Bahamas, on Monday, following an in-flight emergency that left one person already confirmed dead, according to local authorities and family statements.

    The doomed flight, a US-registered five-seat Piper PA-34 with registration number N212ML, was carrying experienced pilot Mario Lamar, his wife Lili, and their two grandchildren Sofia Sosa and Christian Sosa. The group was heading from Great Harbour Cay, where they had finished a holiday at their second home, to Opa-locka, Florida, when the aircraft ran into trouble mid-flight.

    The family’s last communication was a text message sent Monday confirming the group had departed for home. When hours passed with no further contact, relatives grew alarmed. In an official statement released Tuesday, the family confirmed one person on board had been found dead but declined to release the victim’s identity, requesting privacy to process their loss.

    Preliminary flight tracking data confirms the aircraft departed just after 10 a.m. local time, and contact with air traffic control was lost roughly 13 miles west of Andros. Before radar contact was lost, the plane was recorded circling near Red Bay, North Andros, before beginning an uncontrolled descent.

    Multiple agencies have been activated for the search: the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF), the Bahamas Air Sea Rescue Association, and the US Coast Guard all deployed assets to the region within hours of the plane being reported missing. Local commercial fishermen have also joined the operation to assist with scouring the search area, and additional civilian vessels organized by family friends are en route from Florida to boost search capacity, alongside another private vessel already staging in Bahamian waters.

    Initial sweeps of the plane’s last known position off North Andros’ west coast returned no trace of the aircraft or remaining passengers as of late Tuesday night. Search efforts were temporarily paused after worsening weather created unsafe conditions for crews, but operations resumed once conditions stabilized. RBDF Public Relations Officer Lieutenant Darius Adams confirmed late Tuesday that search teams would continue scouring the area overnight, despite ongoing choppy sea conditions that had delayed the start of operations.

    “ We have another flight that’s going out first light,” Adams said, adding that difficult sea conditions would not stop teams from continuing their work.

    Bahamas police have stated that locating the aircraft and its remaining occupants remains their top priority, and officials have committed to releasing new public updates as more information becomes available. For their part, grieving family members have issued a public appeal for additional assistance from anyone in the region who can help, saying they are desperate to bring their remaining loved ones home. Relatives also emphasized that pilot Lamar had extensive training and decades of flying experience, and that the Piper aircraft was well-maintained, fully inspected, and outfitted with all required safety equipment before takeoff.

  • Freeport Health Campus now 30 percent complete

    Freeport Health Campus now 30 percent complete

    On a Friday site visit led by Bahamas Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis and Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville, top government officials confirmed that the long-awaited Freeport Health Campus project is back on track and currently 30% complete, with substantial finishing of the facility’s first phase scheduled for July 2027.\n\nJoined by Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey, West Grand Bahama MP Kingsley Smith, and senior hospital and project management officials, the tour revealed that construction work has fully restarted after the government secured critical financing via a loan from CIBC. The 80,000-square-foot first phase facility, being built by general contractor ABC Construction with Veritas Consultants Limited acting as owner’s representative and project agent for the Public Hospitals Authority, has expanded significantly from its original 62,000-square-foot design. Nearly 18,000 square feet of additional space has been added to the facility’s basement, a modification that will serve two key community needs: a designated hurricane shelter and a new training hub for the Public Hospitals Authority Academy.\n\nDr Darville outlined the current construction timeline, noting that crews are now pouring the facility’s main roof slab. Once this step is complete and the entire building envelope is sealed, internal construction work will commence. The government remains committed to opening the first phase by the end of 2027, with full commissioning expected no later than September of that year, according to John Michael Clark, president and managing director of Veritas Consultants. Clark added that all foundational work and the main building superstructure are already in place, and construction has also begun on the campus’s Central Utility Plant, a critical infrastructure component for the facility’s long-term operation.\n\nLooking ahead to the project’s second phase, Dr Darville confirmed that design work for the planned multi-story inpatient tower – which will house the majority of the new hospital’s patient beds – is nearly complete. Lead architects and structural engineers The Beck Group have finished the bulk of the design, and the government will launch a public tender bidding process for the second phase construction in the near future.\n\nPrime Minister Davis praised the project team for advancing the development after previous setbacks that caused significant delays. He noted that the additional hurricane shelter space holds particular resonance this week, as the nation marks the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Dorian, the devastating storm that exposed critical gaps in emergency safe shelter infrastructure across Grand Bahama. “To see that you will now have somewhere where people feel safer than they were then is also what I say is a sign of progress for us,” Davis said during a press briefing after the tour.\n\nBoth Davis and Dr Darville emphasized that the new health campus is being built to meet both current and future demand for healthcare on Grand Bahama, where the existing Rand Memorial Hospital has operated beyond its maximum capacity for 15 to 20 years. Davis framed the $project as a forward-thinking investment aligned with projected economic and population growth across the island, saying “we expect Grand Bahama to be thriving in a way that this hospital will be able to accommodate that exponential growth in the economy that we have here.” Dr Darville added that the Freeport Health Campus will become the new hub of tertiary healthcare for Grand Bahama, designed to serve generations of residents as the island develops.

  • Loved ones honour Davis at memorial in Miami

    Loved ones honour Davis at memorial in Miami

    A site of sudden, senseless violence was transformed into a joyous tribute to a life well-lived on Saturday, as hundreds of loved ones gathered in Miami to honor renowned Bahamian artist and entrepreneur Stefan “Legend” Davis, who was killed in a fatal car crash the previous week. The memorial took shape along the roadside where Davis lost his life, filled with the upbeat, rhythmic sounds of traditional Junkanoo music, vibrant floral arrangements, handwritten birthday wishes, and glowing candles held by mourners from near and far.

    The gathering came just one day before what would have been Davis’ 56th birthday, turning a planned celebration of another year of life into a commemoration of the legacy he left behind. Friends and family remembered Davis not only as a gifted creative and successful business leader, but as a kind, generous soul whose warmth touched everyone he met.

    A father of two and the founder of iconic custom art brand Airbrush Junkies, Davis was one of The Bahamas’ most recognizable creative entrepreneurs. He had traveled to South Florida for what was supposed to be a personal birthday getaway when tragedy struck on Wednesday. According to law enforcement reports, 21-year-old Lewis Manuel Perez — a suspect wanted on an outstanding military desertion warrant — was fleeing police when he ran through a stop sign, slamming his vehicle into Davis’ car and a third vehicle in the collision. Davis was killed at the scene.

    At Saturday’s roadside vigil, Davis’ family opened up about the sudden, devastating shock of learning of his death. Bappy Davis, Stefan’s brother, shared that the family had been in the middle of a joyful moment when they received the fateful call: he was in Atlanta helping his daughter, who is also an artist, move into her college dorm. “We were so happy on Wednesday, setting her up in her dorm, getting her ready,” he recalled. “We went out to pick up one or two things, and then we got that tragic call. I didn’t understand that and it was so bittersweet. It was like the worst and best thing that ever happened to my life.”

    For the Davis family, there was no more fitting way to honor Stefan than through Junkanoo, the vibrant Bahamian cultural celebration that had been woven into the fabric of their lives since childhood. Their childhood home on Taylor Street sat directly adjacent to the One Family Junkanoo Shack, where Stefan spent countless hours honing his craft and connecting with his community. “We ate, slept, we woke up to junkanoo,” Bappy Davis said. “It was all in our house. Wherever we go. We couldn’t get rid of it. Some people liked junkanoo, loved junkanoo. We didn’t have a choice.” He vowed that his brother’s legacy would live on through the family and the creative community he loved, saying simply: “He’ll live through us.”

    During the vigil, loved ones wrote personal birthday messages to the late artist, draped the memorial site in the Bahamian flag, and watched as Junkanoo performers paraded through the gathering in Davis’ honor. Local neighbors also joined the crowd to pay their respects and offer support to the grieving family. Davis’ closest friend shared that the loss still feels surreal, even days after the crash.

    Tributes have also poured in across social media from across the global creative and Bahamian communities. Leaders from One Family Junkanoo remembered Davis as a groundbreaking innovator who was never afraid to pursue new creative directions. “We are in shock and quite frankly lost for words,” said One Family chairman Vernon Rolle. “His connection to One Family was deeply rooted through Taylor Street where his entire family became part of our extended family and contributed to our organisation. He will be deeply missed.”

    Davis is survived by his two children and an extended network of loving relatives. As friends, colleagues, and creative community members continue to mourn his unexpected passing, his family confirmed that his body will be transported back to The Bahamas on Friday for final services.

  • Pintard presses PM on Ellis contracts

    Pintard presses PM on Ellis contracts

    A political controversy has erupted in the Bahamas following last week’s fatal shooting of prominent businessman Warren “Spy” Ellis, a figure long dogged by serious criminal accusations. Opposition Leader Michael Pintard has publicly pressed Prime Minister Philip Davis to release a clear, definitive answer on whether his ruling administration granted any government housing contracts to Ellis or business entities under his control.

    In an official statement released this week, the Ministry of Housing and Land Reform announced it had concluded a full audit of all contracting records dating back to the Davis administration’s inauguration. The review confirmed no official documentation exists showing Ellis, nor any company linked to his ownership or direct control, was awarded any housing development contract through the ministry. The ministry also used the statement to highlight the government’s progress on its housing agenda, noting the current administration has expanded the national housing programme since taking office, boosted private sector engagement, and partnered exclusively with Bahamian contractors to deliver new homes to qualified families across Abaco, New Providence and the country’s outlying Family Islands, with dozens more projects currently in development.

    Despite the ministry’s findings, key questions about Ellis’ alleged ties to government work remain unresolved. The statement did not address Pintard’s separate inquiry into unconfirmed reports that Ellis or his associates were contracted to demolish hurricane-damaged dome structures in Abaco and carry out final evictions of remaining residents from the site. Unidentified well-placed industry sources have previously connected Ellis to a 2022 housing construction project in Central Pines, Abaco, and multiple anonymous construction workers have confirmed they were employed by Ellis on that development, though none have agreed to comment further on the arrangement. Housing Minister Keith Bell confirmed last week he would launch an internal review of the claims and share updates with local media outlet The Tribune once completed.

    Pintard has doubled down on his calls for full transparency, reiterating in his own statement that the Prime Minister must address the public’s concerns directly. “Just answer the question, Prime Minister. Did you and your government give housing contracts to the recently slain Warren ‘Spy’ Ellis?” Pintard said. He drew a parallel between the Ellis allegations and a prior controversial government decision to award housing contracts to Eric “Player” Gardiner, a convicted drug offender who was arrested in May on new charges of cocaine trafficking and firearms conspiracy linked to a years-long cross-border smuggling operation alleged by U.S. prosecutors. Pintard questioned why Davis has appeared defensive on the issue, stressing that the claims demand accountability to protect public funds. “These are serious matters, Prime Minister,” he said. “Bahamian taxpayer funds must never serve as a vehicle for potential money laundering or the enrichment of people involved in illegality.”

    Addressing the demolition contract claims specifically, Pintard noted that when the opposition Free National Movement (FNM) traveled to Abaco to protest the planned evictions, no official government agency representatives were present at the site—only contractors hired to remove the remaining domes that still housed families resisting displacement. “Tell the truth, and shame the devil,” he added.

    When reporters first brought the allegations to Prime Minister Davis late last week, he dismissed the claims as unsubstantiated, pushed back against the line of questioning, and called on journalists to provide proof to back up their inquiries. “What is the factual basis to answer that question?” Davis asked. “Tell me where you got that information, and I will deal with it.” Expressing clear frustration with the press focus on the controversy, he added, “I am tired of these allegations, man. Why don’t y’all ask me about how Upskill Bahamas is impacting people, why don’t you ask me about how the Food Breakfast programme is assisting our people; why don’t you ask me about some initiatives that we have,”

  • Tributes paid to former Minister Neville Wisdom

    Tributes paid to former Minister Neville Wisdom

    The Bahamian political community and national public sphere are united in mourning this week, following the passing of former youth, sports and culture minister Neville Wisdom over the weekend at 76. A lifelong public servant and dedicated advocate for Bahamian youth, athletics and culture, Wisdom leaves behind a decades-long legacy of service that stretched from grassroots community work to the highest levels of national government.

    Wisdom’s career in public office culminated in a five-year term in former Prime Minister Perry Christie’s Cabinet from 2002 to 2007, where he also served as the member of Parliament for the Delaporte constituency. Beyond his formal legislative and cabinet roles, his commitment to nurturing young talent began long before he entered frontline politics, rooted in his work as a track-and-field coach with the iconic Bain Town Flyers Track Club. Over decades of coaching, he guided numerous young Bahamian athletes who went on to achieve international acclaim, including Olympic medalists Pauline Davis and Frank Rutherford.

    During his time leading the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, one of Wisdom’s most notable lasting contributions was championing the renaming of Nassau’s Harold Road to Tonique Williams-Darling Highway, a move to honor the Olympic champion’s historic achievements and cement her legacy in national infrastructure. He also advanced foundational policy that continues to shape Bahamian sports today, including the passage of the Sports Authority Act, and expanded opportunities for young Bahamian baseball players by supporting the Bahamas Baseball Federation, opening pathways for athletes to compete at the collegiate and Major League levels in the United States.

    Tributes to Wisdom have poured in from across the political aisle, with both ruling party and opposition leaders highlighting his cross-partisan commitment to advancing the national good. Current Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, leader of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), honored Wisdom’s lifelong loyalty to the party and his dedication to expanding opportunity for all Bahamians.

    “Neville gave many years of his life to the Progressive Liberal Party and to public service,” Davis said in an official statement. “He believed deeply in the movement and in its responsibility to create opportunity, expand access, and improve the lives of Bahamians. As a member of Parliament, he carried the concerns of his constituents into national service and remained a respected part of the PLP family. His contribution to sports in The Bahamas will also be remembered with gratitude. As minister, Neville understood the power of sports to shape young lives, build discipline, create opportunity, and strengthen national pride.”

    Former Prime Minister Christie, who appointed Wisdom to his Cabinet, called the loss that of a close, trusted friend of many decades, describing him as a tireless nation-builder whose impact extended far beyond politics. “Neville and I shared a relationship that extended well beyond politics. We were friends before, during and after our years in government. I came to know him as a man of conviction, loyalty, profound honesty, strong views and a deep commitment to the development of young Bahamians,” Christie said. “When I had the privilege of serving as Prime Minister, it was a profound honor for me to appoint Neville to my Cabinet. He served with dignity and brought to public office the same passion he had demonstrated throughout his life: a belief that young Bahamians should be given every opportunity to develop their talents and fulfil their potential.”

    Reflecting on Wisdom’s legacy, Christie added: “Public office is temporary, and titles eventually pass from us. What remains is the measure of the lives we have touched, the service we have given and the relationships we have built along the way. By that measure, Neville lived a life of consequence.”

    Current Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg also paid homage to his predecessor, calling Wisdom a true patriot whose work laid the foundation for current efforts to advance Bahamian sports and culture. “As the minister now entrusted with responsibility for youth and sports, I have a special appreciation for the work of those who served before me,” Bowleg said. “Mr. Wisdom’s contributions helped strengthen the foundation upon which we continue to build today. Beyond the offices he held, he will be remembered for his love of country, his commitment to service and his belief in the potential of the Bahamian people.”

    Even opposition leader Michael Pintard, head of the Free National Movement, praised Wisdom’s cross-partisan record of service, highlighting a core principle that defined his policy approach: a fierce belief in investing in young people rather than punishing them. “What I always respected about Minister Wisdom was his refusal to accept the easy argument that our young people deserve more punishment than investment,” Pintard said. “He fiercely believed youth deserve to be challenged and assisted toward greatness, not managed through incarceration. That conviction shaped his approach to public policy, and this country still needs voices to carry it forward. Minister Wisdom and I sat on different sides of the aisle, but public service in The Bahamas has never been the property of one party. His service deserves to be saluted and remembered.”

    Wisdom is survived by his wife Manita, his children, and his siblings.