On Wednesday, September 4, United States Chargé d'Affaires John Dinkelman accompanied by senior U.S. Embassy officials made a special visit to the Royal Bahamas Police Force's (RBPF) headquarters to participate in the formal handover ceremony of four new custom-made sport utility vehicles to the RBPF's Drug Enforcement Unit. This latest donation marks the continuation of a longstanding partnership in law enforcement and public security between the United States and The Bahamas.

The custom-made sport utility vehicles, valued at over $158,000, are part of ongoing, joint anti-crime fighting efforts. The funding was made possible through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) to combat the drug trade and other transnational crimes that threaten regional security.

Minister of Tourism the Hon. Obie Wilchcombe on September 3, accepted from His Excellency Hu Shan, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to The Bahamas, a gift of two laptop computers on behalf of Bahamas Information Services, a department of the Ministry of Tourism.

Pictured from left: Anthony Capron, Deputy Director, BIS; Minister Wilchcombe; Ambassador Hu; Mrs. Frederica Lightbourne, Acting Executive Director, BIS; and Liu Haitao, 2nd Secretary, Embassy of China.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology hosted an orientation session for sixteen new Cuban teachers who will be posted in schools in New Providence, Grand Bahama and other Family Islands. This group of educators will give service in the areas of Mathematics, Science, Technical and Vocational Studies and Special Education at the high school level.

Mrs. Patricia Collins, Deputy Director of Education responsible for Management and Administration was present to welcome the newcomers and explained that the orientation exercise was designed to acquaint the teachers with the Bahamian curriculum. She described past Cuban teachers as diligent, hardworking, and persons who became a real part of the communities where they taught.

In a profound assertion that challenged citizens to look past the mere trappings of emancipation and independence, well known writer and cultural advocate Mrs. Patricia Glinton-Meicholas asserted recently that The Bahamas is neither truly free nor independent, providing a critical assessment of economic, educational and social evolutions.

In her presentation entitled: "A Modest Proposal Towards A Truer Emancipation and Truer Independence", Mrs. Glinton-Meicholas offered recommendations for national development and social advancement. They included the passage and enforcement of an Environmental Protection Act and setting aside more nature reserves; the provision of training programmes for new parliamentarians to familiarize them with the Constitution; and the promotion of greater Bahamian ownership in the principal areas of the economy through the extension of incentives to qualified entities and individuals.

Summer time is a time school age students and teachers look forward to. One student with a heart for children used his summer to not only have fun and travel, but also to develop his leadership skills and pursue his interests. As school re-opens, he is gearing up to share his experiences and embrace new opportunities.

The name Sean-Ryan Thomas may be very familiar to some. Sean-Ryan and his sister Channing Thomas were previously in the news for their support of the Sir Victor Sassoon (Bahamas) Heart Foundation. This summer, Sean- Ryan attended the Global Young Leaders Conference (GYLC) in Europe; Prague, Vienna and Berlin.

Two subscribers to Cable Bahamas REVON broadband Internet service got a hefty reward last week when they were randomly selected as the winners of the telecom company's giveaway promotion. Cable Bahamas launched the promotion in May of this year to encourage more people to sign up and experience their REVON broadband Internet speeds, which had been upgraded to as much as 70Mb/s in April, at no additional cost.

As an incentive for new customers and a reward to existing customers, Cable Bahamas offered two identical prize packages, each worth more than $5,000. Francyss Pratt recently signed up for REVON and she was randomly selected from the thousands of new subscribers.

Join Conchservation! It's not how big it is ... It's how THICK it is!

Queen conchs take up to five years to reach sexual maturity. But when it comes to knowing if a conch is mature, size doesn't matter. It's the thickness of the conch's lip. You know a conch is sexually ready if its lip is at least 15 mm (~1/2 inch) thick.

While Bahamian regulations allow any conch with a lip to be taken, recent research shows that thin lipped conch are still juveniles and haven't mated yet.

A new health group is being formed in Grand Bahama, but this one deals with the head and mentality. Following speaking with the Rotary Club of Grand Bahama Sunrise, member Billie Bowe, Behavioural Health Activist, said that a small core group for The Family: People Helping People Programme, met this past Friday at the YMCA and they have already gained some corporate support and they are looking at an official launch soon.

Mrs. Bowe told the Rotary Club last Wednesday during their regular weekly meeting at Geneva's that there is a growing concern among the citizens of The Bahamas regarding the steady increase in violent crimes facing our communities.

The dive industry in Grand Bahama is a large part of the economy, and obviously relies on the ocean to sustain it. As part of the Underwater Explorers Society's (UNEXSO) on-going effort to preserve the sensitive aquatic environment in Grand Bahama, a campaign to provide and maintain mooring systems on the island's oceans has been implemented. Unfortunately, UNEXSO is increasingly finding that their moorings are being damaged, missing and unfortunately, it appears to be intentional.

Jarvis Rolle, Senior Diver with UNEXSO, stated "UNEXSO solely maintains these systems in Grand Bahama, even though we allow other people to use them for diving. Lately we've noticed a lot of vandalism and missing moorings. We provide contact information for people to return them, but only some are ever returned."

Rex and Ginger came to the Humane Society of Grand Bahama shelter in October of 2011 as young dogs. Their family had taken them in as small puppies and raised them with love and treated them as family members. They even house-trained them, and they lived both inside and out. Sadly, their landlord realised the dogs were living inside and told them the dogs had to go. Many people surrender their pets and never look back. Rex and Ginger's family were an exception. They visited often and they called, too, to check on them ...

Some of you may have seen posts on our Facebook page recently about a little potcake named Snowflake. She was brought to us in June after having been hit by a car. Her spine was fractured and her back legs were not working. The owner surrendered her, as they didn't have the resources to deal with a handicapped puppy who obviously, could not continue to be a yard dog. While she was obviously handicapped, she was not in pain or suffering, and this little dog's spirit and will to live was amazing.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Emrick Seymour along with Superintendent Taylor and his team of Officers were at various schools in Grand Bahama on opening day passing out flyers and assisting the motoring public with tips.

They are pictured at the Bishop Michael Eldon School and at Maurice Moore.

Ordinarily, the only necessary vag. exam in labor is the one that determines if the mother is indeed in active labor. It is true, that in cases of arrested labor, additional exams may become necessary, however, since 80-85 % of most labors are uncomplicated and progress as nature intends, one exam will suffice most labors.

The essential information obtained from this exam is the degree of effacement (thinness of the cervix which is important because a thin cervix will dilate more efficiently than does a thick one) and dilation (opening) of the cervix, the place of the baby in the maternal pelvis (how low in the pelvis the baby is) and the position of both the cervix (forward-directed is labor friendly) and the baby (how compactly is the baby coming).

The Bahamas National Trust (BNT), along with several other special interest groups are looking to expand the number of national parks in Abaco. Recently, a meeting was held with Renardo Curry, MP for North Abaco, as well as the Parliamentary Secretary with the Office of the Prime Minister in Abaco to discuss these proposals.

Present at the meeting were representatives of the BNT, Friends of the Environment, and the Abaco Fly-fishing Guide Association. The BNT stressed the importance of the marine ecosystems in Cross Harbour (South Abaco) and The Marls (Central Abaco). Proposals have been prepared to have both of these areas become a part of the national park system. The two areas are connected, as bonefish from The Marls aggregate into Cross Harbour before moving to deeper water for spawning. As a result, the protection of these areas is essential for the fly-fishing industry.

The endangered and elusive Great Hammerheads-the second largest predatory shark in the ocean- will be returning to the sand banks off the tiny Bahamas out-island of Bimini starting in January.

Bimini is one of the best places in the world where divers can encounter the fabled Sphyrna mokarran, a species that can reach 20 feet in length and is easily recognized by its unusual and distinctive head, which is flattened and extended into a "hammer" shape. A favorite food is spotted eagle rays in the shallows near the island. The rays, according to divers, will often jump high into the air in an attempt to escape the Great Hammerheads Sharks.

The United States Embassy commemorated the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington and the "I Have a Dream" with two official observances on August 27 and 28.

On Tuesday, August 27, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires John Dinkelman made his first official visit to the historic and beautiful island of Bimini where he was given a unique opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Martin Luther King Jr. The highlight of the visit was a meeting with Bimini's bonefish guide and boat builder, Ansil Saunders.

Tired of all the violence and social injustices of today? Then joining others in seeking solutions with spiritual foundations on a serene island is for you. Organizational heads, spiritual leaders and others for the promotion of peace and nonviolence are invited to join the wellness / peace retreat in Bimini, Bahamas this November 1st-3rd.

The purpose of the retreat is relaxation, rejuvenation, spiritual renewal and the contemplation of ideas to counter violence and social injustices. Retreat participants will also pay tribute to one of the greatest peacemakers of all times, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when they visit his memorial bust that was set up by the Bahamian government last year. Leaders will be able to network, exchange ideas and experience culture heritage tourism in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.

RBC Royal Bank recently provided sponsorship for the 6th Annual Summer Music Camp & Mentoring Program. RBC has supported this program from its inception. The Program's mission is the educational and cultural development of young Bahamian music students. It achieves this goal by incorporating a global approach and providing cost effective methods to expose young persons to a cadre of musical experiences that will further develop their national cultural identity.

Music and arts education plays a pivotal role in helping young persons to develop skills necessary for the 21st century workforce--creativity, collaboration and communication. "RBC is committed to national development through its support of youth development initiatives. As part of this commitment we support organizations that provide opportunities for young persons to gain in-depth knowledge and skills in music and the arts", said Jan Knowles, RBC Manager, Public Relations and Communication.

There's a new event on the horizon for triathletes of all levels in the Bahamas. The inaugural "Potcakeman" triathlon will be taking place at Jaws Beach, Nassau, on Saturday September 21st. The sprint distance race makes the event ideal for first-time participants.

The prizes are pretty amazing too. The first male race finisher will win a stylish Tissot T-Race Touch watch donated from John Bull and female racers will compete for a relaxing Resort Vacation Certificates 7-night stay in any of their worldwide locations. There will also be fantastic prizes for winners in each male/female age group categories from 16 to 60+.

As every year when the Barclays Premier League starts there are always questions and controversy coming into every season and that is what makes soccer the number one sport in the world. Five that come to my mind are:

1) Can David Moyes build on the success of Sir Alex Ferguson in Manchester United?

David Moyes was the former Everton manager but clearly he did not have as much pressure on him there as he has now at United. Manchester United is one of the strongest clubs in Europe today so it will be interesting to see how he handles the pressure. One of his latest decisions is to sign Narouane Fellaini, which he must believe will help build their mid-field.

Two up and coming Bahamian gymnasts are one step closer to fulfilling their dreams of competing at the highest levels in the sport thanks to Palm Cay, the popular 69-acre beachfront development on New Providence's southeastern shore.

The gymnasts, St. Francis Joseph's student Christamarah Brennen and Oakes Field Primary student Sydney Wells, both 9, are top performers at NassauNastics and the Bahamas Gymnastics Parents Booster Club, respectively. They will receive $1,000 each to aid with their gym memberships, travel costs and other related expenses.

In what sports fans described as a blockbuster game played in the world famous Arthur Ash stadium, at the US Open, former world number one and Bahamian resident Lleyton Hewitt beat ATP sixth ranked player Juan Martín del Potro.

What makes this win more exciting for Bahamians is the logo Hewitt is sporting on his right arm and the bright Bahamian colours on his shirt. "Hewitt has been promoting us since the Australian Open in 2012," said James 'Jimmy' Sands, CEO of the truly Bahamian Brewery & Beverage Company. "This year at Wimbledon he started sporting our logo on his shirts and now at the US Open. This win is both fantastic for him and has our logo showing up on the world wide press feeds and network television stations everywhere!"

To the novice watching an Empire Mixed Martial Arts (EMMA) Team training session, it may seem like brute fighting and violence. Upon closer inspection one will discover that the team is engaging in mixed martial arts, a sport where participants use exceptional skill and technique. Mixed Martial Arts is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, with more new professionals and new athletes per year than any other sport. The rules of the sport are very strict and all fighters are highly trained.

Empire Mixed Martial Arts has expanded to include a martial arts kids program. The discipline and self-confidence that children will acquire in the program will help them grow into well-rounded adults and empower them to more effectively handle problems, including bullying.