Take a trip back in time to the Nassau of the 1950s. This promotional film from Pan American Airways shows the quaint beauty of the capital city including scenes from Government House, Bay Street, Montague Hotel, Cabbage Beach, the Straw Market and more. Click the video below to view.

a shooting outside a popular eatery in Grand Bahama on Saturday left one man dead and pushed the murder count in the nation’s second city to seven so far this year.

Up to press time Sunday police were withholding the identity of the victim pending notification of next of kin.

Chief Supt. Basil Rahming said it was around 4:05a.m. Saturday when the Duty Officer at the Police Dispatch Centre in Freeport received a telephone call, informing police that a young man had just been shot and had collapsed in the vicinity of the Pepper Pot Take-Away Restaurant on East Sunrise Highway.

Mr. Rahming said uniformed and plainclothes police units were dispatched to investigate.

"Upon arrival at that location, the information was confirmed as officers found the lifeless body of a dark male, clad in camouflage trousers, a white T-shirt and a pair of black shoes, lying face down on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds to the head and back," he said.

Mr. Rahming said a preliminary investigation revealed that the nation’s 47th murder victim was at the take-away restaurant, along with a number of other persons, when he became embroiled in a heated argument with three other young men reportedly over a woman.

"This quickly escalated into an altercation, during which one of the young men reportedly pulled out a handgun and fired multiple gunshots at the deceased, hitting him about the head and body, right in front of the other shocked patrons," Mr. Rahming said.

After being shot, Mr. Rahming said the victim reportedly ran towards the car wash at the northwestern section of the parking lot, where he collapsed to the ground and died.

After police had processed the crime scene, Mr. Rahming said the young man’s body was transported to the morgue at the Rand Memorial Hospital, where an autopsy was to be performed.

He said Central Detective Unit officers have launched an intensive investigation into this matter.

Source: Bahamas Local News

Genymphas Higgs, 18, is the first Grand Bahamian to receive the All-Merit Scholarship.

Higgs, scoring an impressive 2210 on his SAT's and seven A's on the BDCSE's this year, has always been looked at by administrators as an intelligent young person. He even managed to really wow his parents by being honored as valedictorian of his graduating class of Bahamas Catholic High School in June.

Higgs has always loved biology and had some interest in engineering. when he began to mix these two interests he peaked an interest towards developing and enhancing agriculture.

He he plans on making his home Bahamas the first site for experimentation. By using bioengineering, Higgs says he can create crop seeds that could be disease and pest-resistant. Also, by modifying them the seeds could adapt and grow in sparse soil conditions.

Such work can allow the Bahamas to become more self-dependent with food and increase exports in produce to new markets. Higgs is very much looking forward to doing this but says it could take up to 10-15 years.

When asked if he feels pressure to succeed, he simply answered that his best isn't always reaching success, but knowing at the end of the day that he's tried his best. Higgs will be attending Pennsylvania University in September.

read the rest of the report at BahamasLocal.com

Russell Miller has been appointed General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Rose Island, Bahamas, announced Ezzat Coutry, senior vice president for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.


Mr. Miller will lead pre-opening operations for the $900 million project,set to open in 2009 on a private island in the Bahamas, just four miles from Nassau and reachable only by ferry or helicopter.


"I am thrilled to be part of this incredible project," said Mr. Miller. "The Ritz-Carlton, Rose Island will herald in a new generation of resorts for the brand through its secluded location, sheltered marina and private estate component. When Rose Island opens, it will be one of the finest
properties in the world," he added.


A native of Nassau, Bahamas, Mr. Miller's extensive experience in hotel operations began in 1979 when he joined Marriott International as a restaurant manager in Newport Beach, California. In 1987 he returned to the Bahamas where he worked in food & beverage at Divi Bahamas Beach Resort & Country Club, with subsequent positions at Carnival's Crystal Palace Resort & Casino and the Radisson Cable Beach Casino and Golf Resort. He later rejoined Marriott at the Crystal Palace Resort and Casino as Deputy General

Manager.


Mr. Miller joins The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company from Kerzner International's Harborside Resort at Atlantis on Paradise Island, where he served as senior vice president and general manager. His previous executive
experience with Kernzer includes positions as senior VP and GM for exclusive properties such as The Residences at Atlantis and the One & Only Ocean Club.


A graduate of Cornell University's prestigious School of Hotel Administration, Miller holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Hotel Administration. He is married with two children and resides in Nassau.


ABOUT THE RITZ-CARLTON, ROSE ISLAND, BAHAMAS

Scheduled to open in 2009, The Ritz-Carlton Rose Island, Bahamas will be an integral part of a private Ritz-Carlton-branded 230-acre enclave, which will eventually include, in addition to the hotel, a sheltered marina for yachts, estate homes, condominiums, and townhouses. Reachable only by ferry or helicopter, the hotel will be on the western side of the island with a north facing beach. The guestrooms and suites will average 550 square feet and feature large balconies. Other planned amenities include a
swimming pool, lavish spa, gourmet restaurant, and intimate meeting space.It will provide a new level of luxury in one of the Bahamas' most idyllic vacation settings.


For further information and reservations, please call (800) 241-3333, access the web site at http://www.ritzcarlton.com or contact a travel professional.

Where are the prosititues?


How many prostitutes are there in Nassau? Where do they parade their wares? Do they have conventions, unions, vacations? Is there a retirement plan for elderly prostitutes? Do they have Pimps? Are clear heels the new call girl uniform? Why do they do it?


These are just some of the questions I considered asking some of these independent "entrepreneurial young ladies of the night" if I found them. As it turned out the only thing I did learn is that their intrinsic radars- which seem to be able to detect intrepid ambitious journalists from miles away- enables them to either blend into the gritty streets which they have been rumored to traffic or simply disappear at the drop of a hat.


It is ten p.m. and my friend Bodine and I are on the prowl for prostitutes. This is my first time (tongue in cheek) so I pack my charm, my wit and my carefree spirit in with my camera and tape recorder and strap myself into my friend's passenger seat in preparation for our search. Our friend Robert is attending classes till 10:30 and will not be joining us as planned. I am a little disappointed because I feel that with a guy in the car we would probably get the ladies to approach the car more readily- go figure! Still we are both starved for adventure and the night awaits us.


Two minutes into our search the phone rings and it is Bodine's pesky (according to her) little sister. She needs a ride home. We are on the Cable Beach Strip, and she needs a ride all the way across town into the Eastern District. Bodine and I consult and decide that we have more than enough time to find prostitutes. After all, they are ladies of the "night".


We take the scenic route and soon Bodine's sister and her two friends are ensconced in the back seat eavesdropping as we gossip about everyone we know. I think the people in the backseat can sense that we are both showing off just a little bit (ok we are showing off a lot,) but we feel we are entitled; after all, we had not invited them along. Meanwhile, Bodine is valiantly trying not to go off on her sister for not first asking her about playing taxi to her friends.


It is 10: 45 pm, we are finally on our way (again) after making stops at the dressmaker (my friend is very annoyed and her claws are showing) and finally dropping her sister and her friends off. By this time we are both starving so we head down to Oaksfield looking for food.


Kentucky is still open so we join the queue and place our orders. The woman who takes our order still manages to mix them up but we just say thanks and leave thanking God for small mercies.


We realize that we are running short on gas so we pull into a service station. I see my friend Andre' Chapelle, and we chat for a while. He checks the oil and the coolant for us and we tell him about the mission that we are on. He tells us of the most likely place that we will find prostitutes, and warns us to take off all our jewellery, and to keep the doors and windows locked. We show him the baseball bat and my friend's high heels which could seriously hurt someone if applied to the right spot. Hopefully we won't run into this type of trouble I pray silently. I am so not about the drama tonight, I think to myself.


With every distraction finally out of the way, we make our way to Dowdeswell Street. This is the place to find prostitutes I have been told. I glance at my watch and it is 11:15pm. They should be out in full force I think to myself.


I feel my journalistic juices beginning to churn. I am very excited.


Read the rest of the report here




By Ann Marie-Smith, Newslinebahamas.com