NASSAU, The Bahamas - - The National Emergency Management Agency is continuing to assess the damage caused by excessive flooding which impacted thousands of residents on New Providence over a 24-hour period.

The communities to be canvassed in the eastern area are Pinewood Gardens, Mt Tabor Estates, Elizabeth Estates, amongst others where a record 15 inches of rain fell between 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 21 to late afternoon on Wednesday May 22, 2013.

Director of NEMA Captain Stephen Russell at a press conference held Wednesday strongly advised residents to turn off their electricity supply if they have standing water in their homes, to avoid electrocution or other mishaps.

On Wednesday a rapid assessment team was dispatched to the flood impacted areas to determine the extent of the damage experienced by residents, and the level of assistance to be given.

The team was lead by Captain Russell and included Bradley King, Acting Chief Engineer and Henry Moxey, Civil Engineer of the Ministry of Works and Urban Development; Trevor Basden, Senior Deputy Director, the Department of Meteorology; Cyprian Gibson, Senior Engineer, Water & Sewerage Corporation; and Wrensworth Stubbs, Department of Social Services.

Moore Bahamas Foundation, BREEF, Cape Eleuthera Institute and SUNY make it possible for C.V. Bethel students to learn firsthand about sharks in The Bahamas.

NASSAU, Bahamas -- For 28 students from the C.V. Bethel Magnet Marine Science Program, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, a chance to learn about shark behaviour from experts and snorkel the world-famous waters of Clifton Bay, thanks in part to sponsorship from the Moore Bahamas Foundation and environmentalists with BREEF, the Cape Eleuthera Institute and Stony Brook University, State University of New York (SUNY).

The shark education day May 21 was a highlight of the education portion of a five-week shark tagging expedition that will help marine researchers understand the migration patterns of the marine animals. The expedition, sponsored by the Moore Bahamas Foundation, began May 7 and runs until June 15. It involves young people interested in marine science from C.V. Bethel, BREEF and the Island School's Bahamas Environmental Stewards Scholars (BESS) programme.

"This gives the word 'school' a whole new meaning," said one of the students, watching video footage shot during the tagging.

For the C.V. Bethel students, the presentation was an eye-opener -- and the praise for Bahamian shark conservation efforts by experts from as far away as New York was strong.  

NASSAU, Bahamas -- On Wednesday, May 22, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires John Dinkelman was the guest speaker at the Rotary Club of South East Nassau’s weekly luncheon meeting held at the East Villa Restaurant on East Bay Street.  The Chargé used the opportunity to discuss the strong U.S./Bahamas bilateral relationship as well as the role of the U.S. Embassy and its ongoing outreach initiatives throughout The Bahamas.

Chargé Dinkelman also highlighted his personal experiences as a father of two children affected by autism and noted the Embassy’s ongoing commitment to promote autism awareness through partnerships with Bahamian organizations such as the Resources and Education for Autism and related Challenges (R.E.A.C.H) that provide support for children with special needs and their families.  During the meeting, Rotarians also observed a moment of silence to remember the Americans impacted by the deadly tornado that occurred in Moore, Oklahoma earlier this week.

The Rotary Club of South East Nassau is part of a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provide humanitarian service. The club is a part of District 7020, received its charter in September 1976 and has approximately 60 members.

Photo: Mr. Lindsey Cancino, Rotary Club’s Assistant District Governor; Ms. Rochelle Wilkerson, Rotary Club President; Ms. Rema Martin, Rotary Club President-Elect and U.S. Chargé d’Affaires John Dinkelman.

NASSAU, Bahamas -- Commonwealth Bank announced today that its East Bay branch will re-open for normal business hours tomorrow, Thursday, May 23, while its Oakes Field branch will remain closed temporarily.

"The heavy rains that we had on Tuesday caused some flooding in the East Bay branch," said Commonwealth Bank President Ian Jennings. "We've been able to get in there and assess the situation, and we were fortunate. There was no significant loss of equipment. We remained closed on Wednesday to ensure that our customers would not be subjected to anything that would make them uncomfortable. We wanted to make sure it was completely dry."

Oakes Field -- the busy branch that is scheduled for renovation and expansion later this year -- was not so fortunate. Fire broke out after an apparent lightening strike hit the building. Firemen and police had to fight the fire during the height of Tuesday's stormy weather.   

"The police were there last night despite the weather so we were very appreciative," said Jennings. "We need to wait until they have completed their investigation and we can get in and do a full damage assessment."

In the meantime, customers are asked to visit any other Commonwealth Bank branch. There are eight others on New Providence and numerous off-site ABMs as well as those located at branches.

NASSAU, Bahamas -- A leading environmental group representing hundreds of supporters has filed an action in the Supreme Court, seeking a judicial review process that could force government to shut down dredging at Nygard Cay and allow it to reclaim what it called Crown Land at Simms Point.

The debate over what has been called "unauthorised dredging of the seabed" at Simms Point, the residence of fashion mogul Peter Nygard, has brewed for some time and in 2010, the celebrity designer was ordered by the government to return the land to its original state. Tensions in the Lyford Cay community built as the Nygard property did, but this is the first time a legal action related to construction activities affecting the seabed has been filed against Nygard.

The outcome of the action could cause the courts to decide what is to be done about what started out as a three-acre parcel that is now more than six acres with its expansion, detractors claiming, impacting Clifton Heritage Park, causing erosion and damaging the fragile coral reef that experts have said at one time was home to "the world's most beautiful elk horn coral."

The action was filed by Callenders law firm on behalf of Save the Bays (formerly Coalition to Protect Clifton Bay), the new umbrella organisation. Respondents include several government departments, the Town Planning Committee, Peter Nygard and Mr. Nygard's associate, former ambassador to the environment Keod Smith.

"We are seeking a judicial review on the basis that Save the Bays represents the collective interests of persons committed to protecting Clifton Bay and other parts of The Bahamas of particular environmental interest," said Fred Smith, QC, Callenders. In addition to judicial review, the action seeks an interim injunction restraining Nygard and Smith from continuing what it called "unauthorised construction and dredging."

NASSAU, Bahamas -- The public is advised that the Oakes Field and Grosvenor Campuses of The College of The Bahamas, including Chapter One Bookstore and the Harry C. Moore Library and Information Centre, are closed today (Wednesday, May 22, 2013). As a result, all classes are cancelled today.

However, essential service personnel – the Physical Plant and Security departments – are required to report for duty as normal.

The College is expected to resume normal operations on Thursday, May 23^rd, 2013.