A Neighbour Holds a Burglar, a Quake Diverts Bahamian Travellers, and the Girls’ Brigade Turns a Page: Late-Night Edition Across The Bahamas

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 · 10:50 PM Bahamas time

It was a quiet night across the islands, but not an empty one. In Nassau, a neighbour held a home invader until police arrived, and he is now serving eight years. Foreign Affairs says no Bahamians in Panama were hurt in the 7.7 earthquake, though some travellers were diverted to Colombia. The Girls’ Brigade, led by a woman who founded its first Andros company, is modernising, St. Anne’s students are learning to prepare for disasters, SAC honours a trailblazing public servant, and Atlantis gets spooky.

Listen to the full briefing

Exuma and the southern islands: a quiet night

We checked the local outlets on Tuesday night and found no new Exuma headlines since our 8:40 PM briefing. There is still no ruling in the Supreme Court fight over the Rosewood Exuma project on Sampson Cay; we will report the decision as soon as it comes down.

From Inagua up through Long Island, Cat Island and San Salvador, the same was true: no new local headlines we could confirm in the last few hours. Sometimes a quiet night is a good night.

Andros: a Brigader comes home to lead

The Girls’ Brigade of The Bahamas and The Turks and Caicos Islands has a new National President, Candice Turnquest, The Tribune reports. She joined the 16th Nassau Company at age seven and later founded the very first Girls’ Brigade company on Andros.

The new leadership, introduced at the organisation’s annual general meeting at Girls’ Brigade House on Dolphin Drive, plans online training platforms for leaders and youth across the islands, uniforms updated for the local climate, and a refreshed curriculum covering modern challenges such as online safety and mental wellness.

Archdeacon Keith Cartwright was installed as National Chaplain, and immediate past president Jennie McDonald, who guided the Brigade through the pandemic, continues as Executive Director to the Board of Trustees. The Brigade is inviting former members, parents and community partners to reconnect through its Facebook page for programmes and volunteer opportunities.

Grand Bahama: still searching

No new Grand Bahama headlines since our last update. The family of Lynda Pinder of Lewis Yard is still searching for her. If you have seen her, please call the police.

Nassau: a neighbour stops a home invader

A man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for a 2024 home invasion, Our News reports. Bradley Moss pleaded guilty to burglary and robbery as part of a plea deal.

The court heard that on April 27, 2024, at about 1:50 a.m., Moss broke into Roseline Pierre’s home on Balfour Avenue and demanded money. Believing he was armed with a gun, she handed over $240. Her neighbour held Moss outside the home until police arrived and arrested him at the scene.

National: Bahamians safe after the Panama earthquake

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says no Bahamians in Panama were reported affected by Friday’s magnitude 7.7 earthquake, which injured at least 27 people and destroyed hundreds of homes, Bahamas Latest reports. No deaths have been reported.

Some Bahamian travellers were caught up in it after their flights were diverted to Barranquilla and Cartagena, Colombia. The ministry says it is coordinating consular help between Nassau and the Bahamas Consulate General in Miami and working with Copa Airlines on onward travel. Panama has declared a state of emergency, with more than 200 aftershocks recorded, and The Bahamas says it stands ready to support recovery.

Education: students learn to prepare

St. Anne’s School students are being encouraged to help keep their communities safe through a proposed Disaster Risk Reduction Club, The Tribune reports. It was launched at the school’s Social Club Development Symposium by student Cahya Smith, a contestant in the Disaster Risk Management Authority’s Disaster Risk Reduction Youth Ambassador programme.

The club would introduce students to weather monitoring, hazard identification and mitigation, extreme weather safety, fire awareness and disaster preparedness. The DRM Authority’s Youth Ambassador, Gabryel Saunders, also attended.

And a lifetime of public service is being honoured. Lorraine Symonette-Armbrister, a 1977 St. Augustine’s College graduate, has spent almost 44 years in the Public Service and was recently appointed Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation. The Tribune notes she was The Bahamas’ first female Chief Housing Officer and served three separate stints in the Ministry of Education. She will be honoured at the SAC Alumni Lighthouse Awards and Gala Ball on Saturday, October 24, in the Atlantis Ballroom.

Paradise Island: spooky season at Atlantis

Atlantis is decorating from the Coral Lobby to the Royal Towers for Halloween, Our News reports. The 18-and-older Auraween costume party is held at Aura Nightclub. For children six and up, the Cave of Horrors returns on October 30 at the Predator Tunnel in The Coral, and teens get Fright Night Reloaded at Club Crush on Saturday, October 31.

Weather and our advice

For New Providence on Wednesday, the forecast calls for a high near 85°F, a low around 76°F, light east-northeast winds and about a 30 percent chance of a shower. The National Hurricane Center says no tropical cyclone formation is expected over the next seven days.

Get to know your neighbours. As tonight’s court story shows, a good neighbour can stop a crime before police even arrive, so swap phone numbers and look out for each other. If you are travelling, keep copies of your passport and airline details on your phone, and save the number of the nearest Bahamas embassy or consulate before you leave. And ladies, it is still Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Book that screening.