Eyewitness News Bahamas

15/09/2026

EMPLOYEE AWARDS: Atlantis President and Managing Director Audrey Oswell says the resort’s second Employee of the Quarter Amethyst Awards for 2026 celebrated the dedication and success of its team members.
More than 100 employees from departments across the resort were nominated for the awards.
Oswell praised team members for helping to keep Atlantis operating for nearly 30 years, caring for the resort and bringing guests’ dreams to life.

15/09/2026

PRISON PRESSURE: Overcrowding continues to pose a major challenge for the Bahamas Department of Corrections, with more than 1,700 residents currently housed at the facility.
Commissioner Doan Cleare said the department has also been accommodating a significant number of undocumented migrants who were charged before the courts.
He said approximately 500 undocumented migrants have been deported so far this year after appearing before the courts. However, about 100 remain at the correctional facility.
Commissioner Cleare said the department is also working to ease overcrowding by facilitating the release of seriously ill residents, where appropriate.
He added that the cases of several inmates who have spent years in custody have been referred for consideration under the Prerogative of Mercy, which could result in their release.
Cleare said the measures form part of ongoing efforts to address overcrowding while maintaining the proper administration of the correctional system.

15/09/2026

CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS: Progress continues on the new Bahamas Department of Corrections facility, according to Commissioner Doan Cleare.
Commissioner Cleare said the major development is being undertaken in two phases, with construction of the new court facilities expected to be completed first.

He explained that the phased approach is designed to ensure the necessary court infrastructure is in place before the remaining components of the corrections facility move forward.

The project forms part of the government’s broader efforts to modernise the country’s correctional system and strengthen the infrastructure supporting the administration of justice.

The government broke ground in 2025 on the $90 million high- and medium-security correctional facility and judicial virtual complex at BDOCS.

15/09/2026

INTEGRITY MATTERS: National Security Minister Myles Laroda has underscored the importance of integrity within organisations, telling attendees at an empowerment seminar hosted by the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services’ Chaplaincy Unit that it must remain a non-negotiable standard.

Minister Laroda made the remarks during the seminar at St. Paul’s Parish Church in Fox Hill, where participants were encouraged to focus on faith, purpose, integrity, resilience and emotional well-being.

Addressing attendees, Minister Laroda said integrity is essential to maintaining public confidence.

15/09/2026

CAMPUS CONDITIONS: The Union of Tertiary Educators Bahamas (UTEB) is raising serious concerns about the condition of classrooms and laboratories at the University of The Bahamas as the 2026/2027 academic year gets underway.
According to the union, faculty and students continue to face excessive heat, leaking classrooms and laboratories, mold concerns, rodent infestations and inadequate maintenance despite repeated assurances that repairs and campus upgrades would be carried out.

UTEB says these conditions are directly affecting teaching and learning. Students are expected to concentrate in uncomfortable environments that may, in some cases, be potentially unsafe, while faculty members are required to teach under the same conditions.

The union says the situation has become so severe that faculty members and students have had to leave classrooms after water entered the learning spaces.

UTEB is particularly concerned about the Business and Culinary Blocks, where classrooms reportedly leak during periods of significant rainfall. The union says this is especially unacceptable during the rainy and hurricane seasons.

It warned that water entering classrooms and laboratories could disrupt instruction, damage equipment and learning materials, create slip hazards and raise electrical safety concerns.

UTEB is also calling for reports of mold and rodent infestations to be professionally investigated and addressed. The union says faculty and students have reported being adversely affected by mold and insists that the University has a responsibility to provide safe and suitable environments for its employees and students.

The union says the conditions are particularly troubling after President Blaine reportedly indicated that $25 million had been received, with improvements to the University’s campuses expected.

UTEB is now demanding accountability and visible results, maintaining that if significant funding was received for campus improvements, the University community deserves to know how it was used and when the promised upgrades will be completed.

15/09/2026

SHARK ATTACK: A 37-year-old Austrian woman was airlifted to New Providence after suffering serious injuries in a reported shark attack during a dolphin excursion off North Bimini.

According to preliminary police reports, the woman was transported to the Bimini Community Clinic shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Monday, September 14, 2026.

Police said the woman was participating in a dolphin excursion approximately three nautical miles off the coast of North Bimini when she was reportedly bitten by a shark.

She sustained serious injuries to her right ankle and was subsequently airlifted to New Providence for further medical treatment.

Police investigations into the incident are continuing.

15/09/2026

ROBBERY PROBES: Police are investigating two Yamacraw armed robberies in New Providence after gunmen stole a car and a motorcycle Monday night.
In the first incident, the operator of a transportation service told police that a client contacted him shortly before 9 p.m. and requested transportation from Carmichael Road.
The driver and a female companion later collected the male passenger in a white 2014 Nissan Note, licence plate DE9710.
The passenger requested transportation to an area off Market Street. However, upon arriving near Palm Tree Avenue, he allegedly produced a fi***rm and demanded the vehicle.
The driver and his female companion complied and exited the car. The gunman then sped away in the vehicle in an unknown direction.
In the second incident, a motorcyclist contacted police shortly before 11 p.m. and reported that he was travelling along Yamacraw Hill Road on a red and white 2023 Yamaha XC115B motorcycle when he was approached by two men riding a black motorcycle.
Police said the suspects, who were dressed in dark clothing, were reportedly armed with fi***rms.
One of the men allegedly struck the complainant from his motorcycle before demanding that he stop and hand over the keys.
The motorcyclist complied, and the suspects stole his motorcycle before speeding away in the direction of Elizabeth Estates.
Both matters remain under active investigation.
Police are appealing to anyone with information to contact 911, 919, the nearest police station or the Criminal Investigation Department at 502-9991. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS (8477).

15/09/2026

NASSAU, BAHAMAS: The Central Bank of The Bahamas has dismissed as “false” and “misleading” social media claims that a major domestic commercial bank faces impending United States sanctions, assuring depositors and businesses that the countr...

NASSAU, BAHAMAS: The Central Bank of The Bahamas has dismissed as “false” and “misleading” social media claims that a major domestic commercial bank faces impending United States sanctions, assuring depositors and businesses that the country’s financial sector remains stable.

15/09/2026

NASSAU, BAHAMAS: Opposition Leader Michael Pintard has accused the Davis administration of operating hundreds of millions of dollars outside the National Investment Fund’s legally mandated governance structure, demanding a full accounting o...

15/09/2026

Charges Loom in Ida Street Dog Attack