Bahamas Daily Briefing: Davis proposes one governing framework for all of Grand Bahama; police investigate Lincoln Boulevard killing

lol242.com Bahamas Daily Briefing · Thursday, October 22, 2026

Here is your Bahamas Daily Briefing for Thursday, October 22. The Prime Minister has put a plan on the table to change how Grand Bahama is governed, police are investigating another killing in New Providence, and the Opposition is preparing for a closed-door look at why it lost in May. Here is the rest of today’s news from Nassau to the Family Islands, including what the parties and May’s candidates are saying. Reports first published by other outlets are credited in each item.

Top Stories

Davis: “The present way of governing Freeport will come to an end”

Speaking at the Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport on October 21, Prime Minister Philip Davis said his Government intends to replace Freeport’s divided system of public administration with a single, accountable framework covering the whole of Grand Bahama. Today, people and businesses inside the Freeport Port Area live under national law and also under licences, approvals and bye-laws administered by the Grand Bahama Port Authority, a private company. The proposals are set out in a Green Paper titled “Grand Bahama: A Framework for Stability and Growth,” according to the Office of the Prime Minister.

The Green Paper has three main parts: a Government-led Grand Bahama Development Council to coordinate development across the island; a review of the 1955 Hawksbill Creek Agreement, function by function, directed by the Attorney General; and a new law, a proposed Grand Bahama Development Act, with investment concessions extended island-wide and possibly richer incentives in East and West Grand Bahama. Public consultation runs from November 1, 2026, to April 30, 2027, with meetings in Freeport, East and West Grand Bahama. The Government is aiming to publish a White Paper on July 1, 2027, finish draft legislation by the end of 2027 and pass it in the first quarter of 2028. The Prime Minister’s office said publishing the Green Paper does not change anyone’s legal position, that rights lawfully held will be identified and respected, and that no changes will be applied retrospectively. The documents are posted at gbframework.com.

“Whether we change is settled. How we change is yours to shape,” Mr Davis said. In his address, he said Grand Bahama’s population fell from 51,368 in the 2010 census to 46,740 in 2022, and invited the Port Authority, its staff and licensees to take part: “I would rather build this future with you than around you.” He also described the Freeport arrangement as colonial in origin and character, said no private institution would hold a veto over the island’s development, and noted that the Government and the Port Authority have been through an arbitration whose award is public. He said concept design for a new airport terminal is due to be finished by the end of October, with construction to start before April 2027 and completion targeted for early 2029. He said demolition has begun at the Grand Lucayan, where MSC plans to open a cruise beach club in November 2028. He said residential power bills on the island have fallen by at least 35 percent since June, after the Government bought the Grand Bahama Power Company in May.

Before the speech, Opposition Leader Michael Pintard challenged the Government to show what it has achieved in Grand Bahama, Our News reported; lol242 did not find an Opposition response to the Green Paper itself by the time of publication. lol242 did not find a public response from the Grand Bahama Port Authority by the time of publication.

FNM to review its election defeat behind closed doors

The Free National Movement will hold a two-day conclave starting Friday, October 23, its first formal review since it won eight of 41 seats in May. More than 300 constituency representatives, officers and senior members are expected. Party chairman Dr Duane Sands said the meeting will be closed so members can speak frankly (“How am I going to have a confidential discussion with a PLP sitting in the room?”) and will look at voter turnout, outreach and whether the party needs to modernise. He said he believes it can re-energise the base, The Tribune reported. Mr Pintard called it a “family discussion,” and said the party intends to speak with one voice once it ends, Bahamas Latest reported.

COVID cluster “resolved,” Health Minister says

Health Minister Dr Michael Darville said the COVID-19 cluster linked to a church retreat in Grand Bahama is resolved and the one person admitted to hospital has been discharged. He said most of those who tested positive were vaccinated and had mild symptoms, and urged anyone with cold or flu symptoms to wear a mask and wash their hands. A pharmacist in Eight Mile Rock reported more customers with respiratory symptoms but said it was unclear whether they were COVID-19, while a Freeport pharmacist saw no unusual rise, The Tribune reported.

SpaceX booster landing draws criticism

Environmentalist Joseph Darville of Save the Bays and Waterkeepers Bahamas said the October 20 Falcon 9 booster recovery showed “total disregard and disrespect” for Bahamians, saying it came after officials had recently signalled that landings in Bahamian waters were over. He called for public disclosure and said he would not support future operations without a referendum, The Tribune reported. lol242 did not find a new Government statement on the landing.

Politics and the Parties

Where things stand

In the May 12, 2026, general election, the Progressive Liberal Party won 33 of 41 seats and the Free National Movement won eight. The Coalition of Independents and the 17 independent candidates won none, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Progressive Liberal Party

The Government’s main message was the Grand Bahama Green Paper. On his X account, Mr Davis wrote that the Government is “already moving forward with major investments in the airport, harbour and Grand Lucayan,” but must also “change a system that has been in place for more than 70 years.” The Ministry of Education also promoted the BEST Foundation, a new independent non-profit to channel private support to schools, as part of its goal of an 85 percent graduation rate by 2030. Education Minister Chester Cooper said the foundation is “not about giving to government. It is about giving to our children,” The Tribune reported.

Free National Movement

Beyond the conclave, the Opposition pressed the Government on several fronts. Deputy leader Shanendon Cartwright asked why the Ragged Island All Age School is not fully operating, and whether qualified teachers are posted there and children are getting face-to-face lessons. The Ministry of Education said in March that the school had five enrolled students and new solar-powered facilities, The Nassau Guardian reported. St Anne’s MP Adrian White said the country should have had its “ducks in a row” before the October 21 House debate on a Companies Act amendment that would ban bearer shares for domestic companies, a change being made while Caribbean Financial Action Task Force examiners are in Nassau. The bill is designed to bring The Bahamas into line with Financial Action Task Force standards, The Tribune reported. lol242 did not find a Government response to Mr White’s comments.

Coalition of Independents

lol242 did not find a new COI statement on the party’s website or on leader Lincoln Bain’s X account in the past 48 hours. The party’s most recent newsroom posts, from August, oppose the rollout of a Bahamas Identification Number.

Other parties

lol242 did not find statements from other registered parties in the past 48 hours.

What the Candidates Are Saying

This section tracks public statements by people who ran in May, winners and losers. It draws on X posts, official releases and published interviews. Statements already reported above are not repeated here.

Winners

Philip Davis (PLP, Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador): on X, he wrote that he first came to Grand Bahama in 1974 and has “never stopped believing in its future.”

Leon Lundy (PLP, MP for Central, Mangrove Cay and South Andros; Minister of Transport): apologised for a break in the Central Andros ferry service after the boat broke down, and said a replacement vessel was sent from Nassau, The Nassau Guardian reported. A Davis Creek business owner and a PLP supporter have called on him to ensure the Fresh Creek Bridge is properly repaired rather than patched, The Tribune reported.

Candidates who lost

Wayne Munroe (PLP, lost Freetown; now Attorney General and a senator): said the Government’s lawyers are not involved in the latest legal battles of Jonathan Eric Gardiner, who was convicted in a US federal court in 2006 of conspiracy to import cocaine and has pleaded not guilty to new US charges, because “the litigation isn’t before our courts,” Our News reported. Separately, community advocate Howard Bowe, a Justice of the Peace and himself a gunshot survivor, delivered an open letter to the Attorney General’s Office urging it to drop proposed deductions from the nearly $942,000 damages award to Thorne Clarke, who was shot and paralysed by police in 2016. The letter follows reports that the Attorney General plans to seek a smaller award unless Mr Clarke accepts a deduction for National Insurance benefits, Bahamas Latest reported. lol242 did not find a public response from the Attorney General’s Office.

Courts and Crime

Man shot dead on Lincoln Boulevard

Police are investigating the shooting death of a man in his 30s at an apartment complex on Lincoln Boulevard in New Providence on October 21. Police press liaison officer Chief Superintendent Leonard Ramsey said two men approached the victim and opened fire, and that he died at the scene, Our News reported. Police have not publicly identified the man, and no arrest has been announced. EyeWitness News listed it as the country’s 65th murder of the year; The Tribune‘s count stood at 64 after a killing off Carmichael Road on October 17. Police have not released an official count. Anyone with information can call police at 919 or 911, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS (8477) in New Providence or 1-242-300-8477 from the Family Islands, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

In the courts

A 48-year-old former credit union clerk pleaded not guilty to 18 charges, among them 11 counts of stealing that allege a total of about $1.27 million was taken from 11 accounts at Bahama Islands Co-operative Credit Union between 2016 and 2026. She was granted $300,000 bail. A 68-year-old woman charged jointly with her with money laundering also pleaded not guilty and was granted $30,000 bail. Trial is set for January 28, 2027, The Tribune and Bahamas Latest reported.

Bimini drowning

A 36-year-old British woman died in Bimini on October 20 after being swept away by a strong current while trying to reach her two sons as the family snorkelled near the island’s southern point. Police said foul play is not suspected and an autopsy will be done, The Tribune reported.

Plane crash report

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority released a progress report on its investigation into the July 10 plane crash near San Andros, in which ten people died, ZNS reported. Its preliminary report in August said no probable cause had yet been determined.

Business and Tourism

Fuel: a quarter of the pump price is tax, dealer says

Service station owner Bernard “Porky” Dorsett said Government taxes make up about $1.89, or 25 percent, of an average $7.52 gallon of gasoline in New Providence, while the retailer earns a fixed 76 cents a gallon. He called for fuel taxes, including VAT, to be cut, and dismissed as “nonsense” former Cabinet minister Leslie Miller’s proposal to cut wholesale and retail margins until gasoline falls to $6.50 a gallon. Press Secretary Keishla Adderley said last week the Ministry of Finance has been meeting to look at relief for consumers, with no decision yet, The Tribune reported.

Eleuthera Chamber of Commerce president Thomas Sands said gasoline is above $8 a gallon on the island and that some long-time business owners are deciding whether to stay open, as Tropical Shipping prepares to raise its bunker surcharge by 11.1 percent from November 8, The Tribune reported.

Exports, power and property

Bahamas Trade Commission executive chairman Barry Griffin said the Government is still examining a reported 75 percent drop in exports to the United States in July, adding that exports for January to July were only about 2.8 percent lower than a year earlier, The Tribune reported. BPL executive chairman Christina Alston said the utility has changed parts of its grid code and is studying how large solar plants react to grid disturbances, The Tribune reported. Treasure Cay homeowners said they are hopeful about the proposed $177 million redevelopment after the Bahamas Investment Authority said the sale is “well on the way” to closing, The Tribune reported.

Culinary festival opens at Baha Mar

The Bahamas Culinary and Arts Festival opened at Baha Mar on October 21, Our News reported. The resort said in September that its fourth hotel, on the site of the old Melia, will have 345 rooms and 77 luxury residences, ZNS reported.

Family Islands

Andros: Central Andros residents are still cut off by the closed Fresh Creek Bridge, and a local business owner said trade in her area has fallen by at least half. Works Minister Clay Sweeting said a structural part needed for the repair has arrived and the contractor will begin when the weather allows, The Tribune reported. After a video circulated of a Mangrove Cay patient being taken for care in the back of a car, Health Minister Dr Michael Darville said “I agree that I need to have an ambulance in Mangrove Cay,” and that a plan is in place to deal with sinkholes that delayed the island’s new $6.8 million clinic, Bahamas Latest reported.

Eleuthera: Mr Sweeting said resurfacing of the North Eleuthera Airport runway should be finished by the end of this week, with the runway ready for use next week if all goes to plan. Western Air has not flown to North Eleuthera since October 2, The Tribune reported. An $85 million redevelopment of the Glass Window Bridge is due to start in the first quarter of 2027 and be completed within two years, Our News reported.

Community and Culture

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs still could not confirm that all 54 Bahamians whose flights were diverted to Colombia after the October 9 earthquake in Panama have made it home. Director General Jerusa Ali said a consular task force tracked the travellers and that Panama’s ambassador pledged closer contact with Copa Airlines in future emergencies, The Tribune reported.

Vendors moved from Fort Fincastle to Fort Charlotte say a relocation meant to last four months has stretched to nearly two years and hurt their sales, Our News reported. King Charles III is due in The Bahamas from Tuesday, October 27, to Thursday, October 29, according to the Royal Household.

Sports

Gymnastics: The Bahamas will host the CARIFTA Artistic Gymnastics Championships for the first time, November 13 to 16 at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium, with a 36-member home team, The Tribune reported.

Softball: The Bahamas will send 16 players to the Under-18 Women’s Softball Pan American Championship in El Salvador, November 21 to 28, a qualifier for the 2028 World Cup, The Tribune reported.

Chess: Philip Hanna Jr won the New Providence Open on tiebreaks over Candidate Master Kendrick Knowles, with Abijith Nair taking the top junior award, Bahamas Latest reported.

Golf: Aden Jones, 13, was the only junior to advance a division at the Bahamas Golf Federation’s Operation 36 testing at Royal Blue, The Tribune reported.

Tennis: Mark Knowles and John McEnroe headline the free “Legends on the Court” exhibition at Baha Mar on Saturday, October 24, Our News reported.

Weather

The Bahamas Department of Meteorology has a Special Weather Statement in effect, with details and the full public forecast at met.gov.bs. Thursday should bring a mix of sun and clouds in the north and northwest, with a 10 to 30 percent chance of showers, and highs in the mid to upper 80s. Northeast winds in the Northern Bahamas will pick up to 15 to 20 knots.

Rough weather is coming. Forecasters expect a surge of Caribbean moisture to bring stronger thunderstorms, and possibly severe weather, from Friday. A low-pressure system is expected to form and linger over or near The Bahamas from Saturday, and together with strong high pressure to the north it could bring gale-force winds and dangerous waves to the Northern Bahamas by Sunday. There is a moderate to high risk of dangerous rip currents in all waters of the Northern and Northwest Bahamas; stay out of the water there. Large swells may wash over seawalls and coastal roads near high tide on north- and east-facing coasts, including at the Glass Window Bridge. Secure boats and follow official updates.

Sources for this briefing include the Office of the Prime Minister, The Tribune, The Nassau Guardian, Our News, EyeWitness News, ZNS, Bahamas Latest, the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Bahamas Department of Meteorology, the Royal Household and public posts on X. Statements by politicians are their own claims and are reported as such. People charged with crimes are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

This news was brought to you by one of our sponsors, PayDat LLC, and researched by Michael Elijah Muhammad Clare. To sponsor the next Bahamas Daily Briefing, send Michael a WhatsApp message at 242-817-9293.