NASSAU, Bahamas -- In observance of the U.S. Memorial Day Holiday, the United States Embassy will be closed on Monday, May 27, 2013. Please be advised that the Embassy will resume normal business operations on Tuesday, May 28 at 8:00 a.m.

For any emergencies involving U.S. citizens, please contact the U.S. Citizens Services Unit of the U.S. Embassy’s Consular Section via telephone: 242-322-1181.

General information on U.S. Consular services, including procedures for obtaining or renewing a U.S. passport or visa, is available on the U.S. Embassy’s website at http://nassau.usembassy.gov.

FREEPORT, Grand Bahama -- Their Excellencies Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes and Lady Foulkes were welcomed as they arrived on Grand Bahama Island for a weekend of festivities commemorating the country’s 40th Independence celebrations.

On hand to greet them were numerous government officials and private sector parties, including Sarah St. George, Vice Chairman, The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited (GBPA) and Vice President, Mrs. Ginger Moxey.

The Governor General will serve as patron and keynote speaker for Friday’s Youth Parade & Rally which is scheduled to leave from the Cornelius A. Smith Complex on The Mall at 10am Friday.  Parade participants will include students from all schools across the island, marching bands and civic groups, and will travel to Independence Park for a post-parade rally.  Special entertainment by the Royal Bahamas Police Force Band, Royal Bahamas Defence Force Band, and notable Bahamian entertainer ‘KB’ headline a fun-filled day of events.

On Saturday, GBPA and the 40th Independence Anniversary Committee will host a special Parliamentarian Luncheon at the Grand Lucayan Resort under the patronage of the Governor General.  Present and past parliamentarians on Grand Bahama will be honoured for their sacrifice of service to the country.  According to Ginger Moxey, who also serves as Deputy Chair for the Anniversary Committee, “We felt that the celebration of the 40th year of our Independence was the ideal platform to celebrate their contribution to the development of Grand Bahama Island, and The Bahamas.”

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.