ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY MARCH 30, 2016 BUSINESS | PAGE 10 REPORT HIGHLIGHTS MARKET RISKS OF BREXIT High of 87 Low of 74 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 MOVING TOWARD A HEALTHCARE POLICY OF ‘DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS’ #203 Alissta Towers, 85 North Sound Road, Grand Cayman KY1-1109, T: + 1 (345) 949-9744 E: Aleisha.Lalor@caribbeanalliance.com www.caribbeanalliance.com Police Commissioner Baines to leave by end of May BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Islands Governor Helen Kil- patrick announced the departure of Royal Cayman Islands Police Commissioner David Baines by the end of May in a surprise public statement Tuesday afternoon. The departure will come a year before the end of Mr. Baines’s contract, which ex- pires on May 31, 2017. “The recent barrage of unfair criticism and defamatory comments has undermined the commissioner’s authority to the ex- tent that his leadership of the RCIPS is no longer tenable,” Governor Kilpatrick’s state- ment read. “The commissioner continues to have my support and will do so until he leaves his post.” Deputy Police Commissioner Anthony Ennis will take over as acting commissioner until a new commissioner is appointed through a recruitment process. “I would like to take this opportunity to recognise the dedicated service that Com- missioner Baines has given to the Cayman Islands over the last seven years,” Governor Kilpatrick’s statement continued. “Crime statistics show that over this period the Cayman Islands have remained amongst the safest communities in the Caribbean. In addition to leading the RCIPS with pro- fessionalism, Commissioner Baines has made a significant contribution to policing in the wider Caribbean through his chair- manship of the Caribbean Chiefs of Police group and his leadership of work on fire- arms and gun crime for all of the Caribbean Overseas Territories. “Ensuring the security of the Cayman Is- lands is a responsibility we all share. The RCIPS needs and deserves the support of our community to do their vital work.” Mr. Baines will receive “what he is enti- tled to” under the remainder of his contract, according to the governor’s statement. Commissioner Baines, contacted by the Cayman Compass late Tuesday af- ternoon, declined to elaborate on the governor’s statement. Tuesday’s announcement came against the backdrop of two legislative motions that concern the effectiveness and management of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. Both motions are scheduled to be heard in an emergency Legislative Assembly meeting set for April 13. East End MLA Arden McLean’s mo- tion seeks an independent review of police management practices in which he says lawmakers have a “lack of confidence” fol- lowing a litany of complaints over the past few months, and further seeks the install- ment of a Caymanian police commissioner. Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush’s motion requests an independent review of the po- lice response to an incident on March 6 in which five Caymanian boaters – including two children – went missing and have not been found. The emergency legislative meeting was confirmed Tuesday by Speaker of the House Juliana O’Connor-Connolly’s office. It was due to be held 12 days before the assembly’s regularly scheduled meeting on April 25. Premier Alden McLaughlin criticized the opposition members in a statement late Tuesday. “It is unfortunate that the recent mo- tions filed by members of the opposition in the House concerning policing have put Kent ‘Biggie’ Rankin passes away at 71 KELSEY JUKAM kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com Businessman Kent Rankin passed away Monday evening at his home in Bodden Town after battling cancer for two years. He was 71 years old. Mr. Rankin, known to many as “Biggie,” was a successful self-made businessman and also a farmer, and was frequently recognized for his contributions to the Cayman Islands. “The government of the Cayman Islands regrets to learn of the passing of Mr. Kent Rankin,” Premier Alden McLaughlin said in a state- ment Tuesday. “Biggie, as he was known to us, was a giant of a man in business, playing a huge role in the Paramount Group of companies, construction and farming in the Cayman Islands. CHIEF HSA DOCTOR SAYS HEALTH CITY HAS UNFAIR ADVANTAGE BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com While praising the services and pro- fessionalism of the Health City Cayman Islands staff, the Health Services Au- thority’s top doctor said last week that the medical tourism facility has some unfair advantages over other local pro- viders with which it is now competing. HSA Medical Director Dr. Delroy Jefferson was asked about the issue in a meeting of the Legislative As- sembly’s Public Accounts Committee, which was reviewing a 2015 report from the Auditor General’s Office that examined certain aspects of the East End private hospital. The auditor general’s report, which alleged that government had “acted unlawfully” in negotiating two major PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Kent ‘Biggie’ Rankin Police Commissioner David Baines PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL WEDNESDAY MARCH 30, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. © y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - WEDNESDAY - Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) BATMAN V SUPERMAN DAWN OF JUSTICE 3D (PG13) 12:30 I 1:00 2D I 3:45 I 5:30 2D 7:00 I 9:30 2D ALLEGIANT - THE DIVERGENT SERIES (PG13) 1:10 I 4:10 I 7:10 I 9:55 MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN (PG) 1:30 I 4:15 I 7:10 I 10:00 ZOOTOPIA 3D (PG13) 12:45 I 3:30 2D I 6:45 I 9:20 LONDON HAS FALLEN (R) 1:20 I 4:00 I 7:20 I 9:40 Ex-president of Honduras took bribes in FIFA scandal NEW YORK (AP) – A former president of Honduras pleaded guilty to con- spiracy charges on Monday, admitting that he solic- ited hundreds of thou- sands of dollars in bribes in the wide-ranging FIFA soccer scandal over lucrative broadcast rights. Rafael Callejas, 72, who was a member of FIFA’s tele- vision and marketing com- mittee, entered the plea to racketeering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy in Brooklyn federal court. He also agreed to forfeit $650,000, payable within a year, for his role in a system so corrupt that hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal payments were made over the past quarter-century. “I knew it was wrong for me to ask for and to accept such undisclosed payments,” Callejas told U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy. He said he distributed a significant portion of his bribes to delegates of the Honduran soccer federation so he could remain its presi- dent, a position he held from 2002 to last August. Callejas, who was presi- dent of Honduras from 1990 to 1994, will be sentenced Aug. 5. He could face up to 40 years in prison. Callejas said he abused his powerful position in the soccer world to award con- tracts to Media World, a Miami, Florida, sports mar- keting company that paid bribes through U.S. bank ac- counts to the foreign bank accounts of Callejas and a co-conspirator. In return, Media World received media and mar- keting rights to the Hon- duran national soccer team’s home World Cup qualifier matches for the 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cups, he said. “Bribe payments totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars were sent to a bank account I controlled,” he said. Media World is affiliated with Spanish media com- pany Imagina Group. An at- torney for Imagina Group has declined to comment. Initial arrests in the case last May resulted in charges against 14 people, including seven top FIFA officials, Cayman’s Jeffrey Webb among them, arrested at a Swiss hotel. His surrender came after 16 additional defendants, most from Central and South America, were charged in the fall in a second wave of the prosecution that focused on a generation of soccer leaders in South America, a bedrock of FIFA and World Cup history. In that crackdown, five current and former members of FIFA’s ruling executive committee were arrested at the same Zurich hotel where the similar raid on FIFA of- ficials occurred a half-year earlier. In all, about 20 soccer officials have been in- dicted on charges related to the U.S. investigation of cor- ruption in the sport. The Justice Department has said that numerous guilty pleas in the case have resulted in agreements to forfeit over $190 million, and another $100 million has been restrained in the U.S. and abroad. The U.S. has sought to restrain assets in 13 countries. Students complete Red Sail internships Red Sail Sports said goodbye last week to four students who had been with the company as interns since September. The Year 12 internship program is designed to pro- vide unpaid work placement opportunities for students at- tending the Cayman Islands Further Education Centre. Red Sail Sports offered internships in different loca- tions across Grand Cayman in positions including scuba diving, water sports, working with catamarans, and the spa. Managers and mentors in the departments provided feedback to the young people throughout the program. The students who took part in the internship were Tatyana Bodden, who worked in the spa, Lej Bat- tiste and Tyler Watler in the dive department, and Nich- olas Ebanks in the cata- maran department. “In most cases, the result is a notable increase in work- place skills and confidence,” said Beth Hiryok, training manager with Red Sail Sports. “It has been a pleasure to work with these students and watch them grow over the course of the year. The partnership between the em- ployers, parents, Career Ser- vices and CIFEC staff truly does make a difference in these students’ lives.” Ms. Hiryok presented the students with certificates to mark the end of the intern- ship program at a ceremony at CIFEC. Quiet Easter weekend in Cayman While hundreds of people were camping and partying on Cayman’s beaches, it was a quiet Easter weekend, according to the Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service. George Town police re- ported no major incidents, only a few loud music com- plaints, and West Bay had only one noise complaint throughout the weekend. “West Bay officers wish to thank campers for their assistance in making this a safe and enjoyable weekend for all involved,” RCIPS spokeswoman Jacqueline Carpenter said. In the eastern districts, there were also some noise complaints, one trespassing incident and one theft, but no “major issues associated with the Easter weekend,” Ms. Carpenter said. The Marine Unit also reported no incidents of note on the water, while on the roads, there were only two DUIs. “All in all, I think we can say that we are grateful to see that people appear to have taken precautions to ensure their safety and those around them while enjoying Easter weekend ac- tivities,” Ms. Carpenter said. CORRECTION A story that ran in the Cayman Compass on March 23 titled “Chevaliers win St. Ignatius scramble,” included in- correct information on the amount of money raised at the golf scramble. Nearly $6,000 was raised at the event. The Cayman Compass strives for accuracy and is committed to correcting errors that appear in the newspaper. Those interested in contacting the paper for that purpose can email the editor at newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com. Former Honduran President Rafael Callejas From left, Tania Johnson, career advisor; Beth Hiryok, Red Sail Sports; interns Lej Battiste, Nicholas Ebanks and Tyler Watler; Jenine Stewart, career advisor; and Heather-Ann Cahill, manager, Career Services. Missing from the photo is intern Tatyana Bodden. “I knew it was wrong for me to ask for and to accept such undisclosed payments.” RAFAEL CALLEJAS BRAZIL’S PMDB PARTY ABANDONS ROUSSEFF, QUITS COALITION RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Bra- zil’s largest party is aban- doning President Dilma Rousseff’s government in a decision that dimin- ishes the possibility that she will survive mounting pressure in Congress for her impeachment. The Brazilian Demo- cratic Movement Party known as the PMDB said on Tuesday that its mem- bers are leaving Rous- seff’s governing coalition. The decision was reported by state news agency Agencia Brasil.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MARCH 30, 2016 Investment summit speakers donate signed books Actress Jamie Lee Curtis, notorious hacker-turned- computer-security-consul- tant Kevin Mitnick and other headline speakers from this year’s Cayman Alternative Investment Summit donated 160 autographed copies of their books. The authors dedicated the books specifically to schools and libraries, said Chris Duggan, vice president of Dart, one of the summit’s main sponsors and organizers. “This donation of books extends the potential im- pact of these speakers to our youth and community in general. Dart is committed to youth, education, literacy and the development of Cay- man’s future leaders and was delighted to be able to add such noteworthy titles to the shelves of our school[s] and public libraries,” Mr. Duggan said in a press release. The books include sev- eral titles by Ms. Curtis; “28 Thoughts on Digital Rev- olution” by Jonathan Mc- Donald; “Ghost in the Wires” by Mr. Mitnick; and “Row for Freedom” by Julia Immonen. The books will go to seven libraries, 22 primary schools, 12 high schools and five pre- schools, along with the Uni- versity College of the Cayman Islands and the International College of the Cayman Islands. “We are thrilled to receive so many high-quality books written by well-known au- thors,” Education Minister Tara Rivers said in a press re- lease. “The children and adults that visit our public libraries, and our schoolchildren and educators that will use these resources to aid instruction, are the true beneficiaries of this generous donation.” Grim year already in Cayman waters BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Four people have died and another five are missing fol- lowing incidents in Cayman Islands waters since Jan. 1, according to police records. Typically, the Cayman Is- lands has averaged between nine and 10 water-related fa- talities per year. So far, Cayman has al- ready reported more water- related incidents this year than in the first three months of 2015, when six people died and a seventh went missing and was presumed drowned. Search called off On Friday, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice reported it had ended its search and recovery opera- tion for five boaters missing at sea since March 6. Gary Mullings, Edsell Haylock, Nicholas Watler and two chil- dren, 11-year-old Kamron Brown and 9-year-old Kanyi Brown never returned from a fishing trip to 12 Mile Bank. “There were no significant discoveries or developments to report within that oper- ation with respect to those missing,” according to an RCIPS statement. The police will keep an open missing persons file on the boaters, according to a spokesperson. Snorkeling death On Thursday, at the start of a long Easter weekend, an elderly American man from Illinois died after get- ting into difficulty while snorkeling near Harbour Drive. Police identified the drowning victim as 79-year- old Delmer Nelson. It was the fourth swim- ming or diving related death reported since the start of the year, all of which involved tourists. The other incidents were: ■■ March 16 – On Cayman Brac, police officers re- sponded to a report of an unconscious man being taken to a dock during the mid-morning. Po- lice said the man had been scuba diving and lost consciousness. The victim, James B. Camp- bell, 65, of Kentucky, U.S., was pronounced dead at Faith Hospital. ■■ Jan. 27 – A 54-year-old tourist got into trouble during the early after- noon near the coast of North West Point in West Bay. Police said a dive crew attempted to resuscitate the man un- successfully. The victim, Michael D. English of Colorado Springs, Colo- rado, was pronounced dead at the Cayman Islands Hospital. ■■ Jan. 20 – A man snor- keling off Cemetery Beach in West Bay got in difficulty and at- tempts to revive him were not successful. Jo- seph Dieschbourg, 65, of Illinois, U.S. died at the Cayman Islands Hospital. From left, Paul Robinson, deputy director of the Cayman Islands Public Library Services, Christen Suckoo, chief officer for the Ministry of Education, Employment and Gender Affairs, Ramona Melody, director of the Cayman Islands Public Library Service, Naomi Law from Dart, Education Minister Tara Rivers, Chris Duggan, vice president at Dart, and Lyneth Monteith, acting chief education officer.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. WEDNESDAY MARCH 30, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Thanks to healthcare visionaries from the Cayman Islands, the United States and India, we can boast that our country is home to one of the Caribbean’s premier medical facilities. Health City Cayman Islands is saving many lives, and improving many more. It is creating new career paths for Caymanians and bringing much-needed diversity to Cayman’s economy. And it’s just getting started. It took years of courtship, negotiations and deal- making in order to attract Dr. Devi Shetty’s Narayana Health and U.S.-based Ascension to our shores; but now, it seems there are public officials who are doing their utmost to chase them away … in the name of (get this) “competition.” Now, when anyone in government employs the word “competition” — as Health Services Authority Medical Director Dr. Delroy Jefferson did repeatedly during a recent hearing before lawmakers — we put up our guard. When they utilize it in the phrase “unfair competition,” we head for higher ground. As we report in a news story in today’s Compass, Dr. Jefferson expressed concerns that Health City appears to be competing with local doctors for patients (against the hospital’s stated purpose as a medical tourism facility for international patients), and has an advantage due to duty concessions that other medical providers do not enjoy. Since Dr. Jefferson broached the subject, let’s briefly discuss unfair advantages, specifically the ones that apply to HSA: • Section 12: The HSA Law contains an “immunity” provision that prevents people from suing HSA or its staff (including physicians and nurses) for wrong- doing except in limited instances where “bad faith” can be demonstrated. • Group insurance: The authority has corporate insur- ance that covers its doctors as a group, giving it superior leverage to individual private doctors. • CINICO: The public insurance company funnels its policy holders, including thousands of civil servants, to HSA. • Unpaid bills: The authority has failed to collect some $120 million in debts since 2005, in effect drawing a subsidy from the public coffers to the tune of $15 million per year. • Public sector HR practices: The authority, like all public entities, operates under a different set of regu- lations than does the private sector, including work permits, pensions and healthcare benefits. Need we continue? Generally speaking, Dr. Jefferson may have a point about unevenness in the competitive landscape of Cayman’s healthcare environment. Here’s our proposal: Level the playing field, open it up to real competition, and see who’s left standing. We mean exactly that. Any incentives and exemptions granted to Health City should be extended throughout the private medical sector. Health City doctors should be allowed to practice anywhere, and treat anyone, that other doctors can. Section 12 should be excised from the HSA Law. CINICO clients should be able to visit any physi- cian of their choice. Anyone who knows of Dr. Shetty knows that he has become world-renowned for providing the highest-quality healthcare to patients at the lowest possible cost. That is the model that Health City has adopted and HSA should be studying and emulating. Specifically in regard to HSA, the government’s goal should be to empower the private sector to such a degree that it effectively puts the Cayman Islands Hospital out of business altogether — not to shore up an institution that is widely perceived to be inefficient, if not ineffective. When it comes to the delivery of healthcare, the con- sequences of policies aimed at “protecting” local pro- viders aren’t just damaging to the economy, they are potentially harmful to the health of the population. Moving toward a healthcare policy of ‘doctors without borders’ Investors in denial about China’s slump CHRISTOPHER BALDING As you’ve no doubt no- ticed, companies and inves- tors around the world are feeling the pain of China’s economic slowdown. They’re worried about all the layoffs, cuts to surplus capacity and deleveraging to come on the mainland, which will fur- ther depress demand. The natural temptation is to blame China for the world’s woes. But outsiders should focus just as much on their own missteps – starting with the widespread misper- ception that “this time” would be different. Back in 2009, as China un- leashed a massive fiscal stim- ulus and investment spree in response to the global fi- nancial crisis, the rest of the world was all too willing to believe the impossible. Aided by consultant research pre- dicting decades of explosive growth, companies placed huge bets on China and ex- pected to ride the never- ending boom to riches. Amid the gold rush, they bulked up to sell China T- shirts or tons of iron ore. They urged their govern- ments to sign free-trade deals with Beijing. Com- modity producers heedlessly expanded capacity, believing that 10 percent growth would continue indefinitely. Con- sumer brands rushed to set up flagships in third-tier Chi- nese cities. Shipping compa- nies scrambled to build new fleets to meet an expected ex- plosion in global trade. However, as with so many previous bouts of irra- tional exuberance, this time wasn’t really different. The ruthless rules of supply and demand still applied. And now, the longer that painful decisions are delayed, the harder they’ll become. Commodities firms, in particular, are learning that lesson the hard way. As prices rose with Chinese de- mand, they made large up- front investments financed by borrowing – often on a 20-year timeline, in the ex- pectation that growth would last and last. Now, with Chi- na’s economy slowing and the prices of everything from oil to metals plummeting, the bills are coming due. Major iron ore firms, which had predicted that Chinese steel demand would keep rising until about 2030, are now looking at substan- tial overinvestment and de- teriorating credit. Dairy farmers, who increased their herds with future Chinese consumer demand in mind, are feeling the pinch as milk prices plunge. After years of ramping up production to fuel China’s ex- pected growth, oil-producing countries from Saudi Arabia to Norway are facing grim decisions about their public finances. Russia is rapidly draining its sovereign wealth fund. Venezuela is pleading with China for loans – on top of the nearly US$60 billion already doled out – to stave off collapse. Pundits are warning that the large debt load of U.S. shale-gas and oil producers could pose greater risks than sub-prime lending did a decade ago. No less so than China, the rest of the world needs to face up to some new realities. First, the golden age of Chinese construction is over. There’s now enormous sur- plus capacity in virtually every industry that requires fixed-asset investment. Com- panies can no longer rely on the “Beijing put” of new gov- ernment stimulus to boost growth. Iron ore producers and copper miners all need to begin a painful process of downsizing and dele- veraging – just as China’s bloated state-owned enter- prises do. Producers around the world haven’t faced up to the new normal. Second, companies of all stripes have to put in the effort to understand China better. Expectations of double-digit growth, re- gardless of how poor the performance, have vanished. Luxury brands that once hoped their Beijing flagships would smooth the balance sheets at European head- quarters need to recognize that different markets re- quire different strategies, and that shops in China won’t run on autopilot. They need to compete. Third, companies and countries alike need to face up to their own irrational exuberance. Whether it’s failing to diversify, spending recklessly on the back of high prices, or taking on too much debt, fundamental mistakes can’t be blamed on China. Doing so only delays the inevitable. Few investors seem to fully appreciate the bal- ance-sheet reckoning that is coming. Failing to address the global supply glut only increases the risk of a larger correction. We know that be- cause this time isn’t different: The bill always comes due. Christopher Balding is an associate professor of business and economics at the HSBC Business School in Shenzhen and author of ‘Sovereign Wealth Funds: The New Intersection of Money and Power.’ © 2016, Bloomberg View Now, with China’s economy slowing and the prices of everything from oil to metals plummeting, the bills are coming due. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway”5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MARCH 30, 2016 Free mouth, throat cancer screenings offered on Friday KELSEY JUKAM kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com Dental clinics and ear, nose and throat special- ists will be providing free mouth and throat cancer screenings on Friday, April 1, as part of Mouth Cancer Awareness Day. This is the second annual “Oral Cancer, It’s No Joke” community screening event in Cayman. Those interested in getting a free screening can walk in or call one of the participating clinics to make an appointment. People will be asked to complete a brief question- naire, then the dentist will provide a quick, five-minute oral cancer exam. Throat cancer screenings take a little longer, so patients are en- couraged to make an appoint- ment with the participating clinics for those exams. Dr. Andrea Campbell- Maitland, who will provide screenings at the Health Services Authority District Clinic in Bodden Town, said the screenings are quick and easy, and “pretty much just a look.” She said the screenings cause no pain or discomfort. “We evaluate patients and their health history, and we have a look on their lower head and neck area, out- side of their mouth for any- thing that looks a little dif- ferent from what it should look like,” Dr. Campbell- Maitland said. She said while it is a good idea for everyone to get checked, those who are smokers or have not seen a dentist in the last 10 years, in particular, should get screened. Kathy Corley, a nurse at Seven Mile Clinic said throat cancer screenings involve looking at the back of the throat with a camera. “Basically, it’s like taking pictures of the back of the throat, feeling nodules, and getting a good look at the different colors,” Ms. Corley said. “It’s not painful at all.” According to the Mayo Clinic, throat cancer refers to cancerous tumors that de- velop in the throat, voice box or tonsils, and often begins in the cells that line the inside of the throat. Symptoms can include coughing, difficulty swallowing, ear pain, a lump or sore that does not heal, a sore throat, weight loss and changes in the voice such as hoarseness or not speaking. Smoking or chewing to- bacco, excessive alcohol use, the human papilloma- virus (HPV), gastroesopha- geal reflux disease, and a diet lacking in fruits and vegeta- bles can all increase the risk for throat cancer. Mouth cancers can occur on lips, gums, the tongue, the inside lining of the cheeks, and the roof and the floor of the mouth. Symptoms in- clude a sore that does not heal, a lump or thickening of the skin or lining of the mouth, a white or reddish patch on the inside of the mouth, loose teeth, poorly fitting dentures, tongue pain, jaw pain or stiffness, sore throat, and difficulty chewing or swallowing. As with throat cancer, to- bacco use of any kind and heavy alcohol use increase the risk of mouth cancer, as does HPV and excessive sun exposure to the lips. Dr. Campbell-Maitland said doctors may also dis- cover non-cancerous condi- tions during screenings for oral cancer, such as prob- lems with cavities or with gum disease. Those who are unable to attend on Friday can call the Cayman Islands Cancer Society to obtain a voucher for a free screening at another time. “We’re hoping everyone comes out,” Dr. Campbell- Maitland said. “It’s your health and you don’t want to find out when it’s far gone.” PARTICIPATING CLINICS CAYMAN DENTAL SERVICES Unit 1, Mirco Centre, North Sound Road 945-4447 THE DENTAL CENTRE 2nd Floor, Fidelity Financial Centre, West Bay Road 943-7000 MY ISLAND DENTIST Governors Square 324-9500 SEVEN MILE BEACH DENTAL CLINIC Marquee Place off West Bay Road 943-7400 THE HSA DISTRICT CLINIC Bodden Town Clinic (9 a.m. to noon only) 244-7540 PASADORA FAMILY DENTAL CENTRE Pasadora Place, 94 Smith Road 943-2222 SMILES DENTAL CLINIC 10 Alexander Place, Dorcy Drive 949-7303 CAYMAN E.N.T. ASSOCIATES (Throat cancer screenings) 2 Alexander Place, Dorcy Drive 945-3822 7 MILE CLINIC (For appointments with free voucher throughout the year) Queens Court, West Bay Road 949-5600 Several dental clinics and ear, nose and throat specialists will be offering free screenings to check for mouth and throat cancer.6 DISTRICT DAYS WEDNESDAY MARCH 30, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS District Days Sister Islands Little Cayman National Trust boosted by Easter auction CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Little Cayman Na- tional Trust raised more than $45,000 at its annual Easter auction over the weekend, ac- cording to Betty Bua, chair of the island’s trust. “It went very well,” she said, adding that the final fundraising tally from the event is not yet complete. The auctions, first a silent auction and then a live auc- tion, featured art and jew- elry primarily made by Little Cayman artists and artisans. “It’s the biggest social event of the year, probably, on the island,” Ms. Bua said. She said it was impossible to know how many people came to the fundraiser: “People were inside and outside and you just couldn’t count them.” The annual auction, now in its 24th year, is the big- gest fundraiser for the Na- tional Trust on Little Cayman each year. The money goes to protect land and the island’s environment and habitat for species like the rock iguana. Ms. Bua said the highest- earning piece in the auction was a pearl ring made by Little Cayman’s Alan Walker. She said the ring is an 11.8- carat pearl set in 18-carat gold, and sold at the auction for more than $2,000. She said some of the other most pop- ular items of the night were a treasure chest and a blown glass wall hanging. The auction also included several Guy Harvey paintings and art from Gladys Howard’s collection. Ms. Howard, a longtime Little Cayman resi- dent and supporter of the is- land’s National Trust, passed away last year. The Little Cayman National Trust re- named its visitors’ center after Ms. Howard to celebrate her commitment to the island and the district trust. The trust committee uses the Land Reserve Fund to pro- tect land on Little Cayman. The trust has been working to pro- tect habitat for the local rock iguana in recent years. The district committee de- cides what land to purchase based on how important it is to rock iguanas for mating, nesting and feeding. Committee members also look at the proximity of land to other protected lands in hopes of creating a core area to protect the iguanas from losing their habitat to devel- opment. The committee also looks at how important the land is to other threatened or endangered flora and fauna on the island. 50 YEARS AGO: Island visits, baby shower and livestock plans In the March 30, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, Cayman Brac correspondent Lilian Ritch wrote: “After an absence of 26 years, Mr. Henry Tomlinson paid a brief visit to his mother, Mrs. Almira and the family. Mr. Tomlinson is a leading cotton farmer of Nicaragua and resides in Managua, the capital. Mrs. Almira, a cheerful octoge- narian, has consented to a prolonged stay with him and she left on Thursday for Grand Cayman en route, where she will visit with another son and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Tony Tomlinson and family. “The directors of the Cayman Brac Power & Light Co. Ltd. in a circular to shareholders and con- sumers have reported their decision to declare divi- dend of 7½% and reduce rates effective April 1, 1966. “Members of the Cotton Tree Bay Church of God and many friends attended a baby shower for Mrs. Doris Wells at the par- sonage given by Mrs. Edna Tibbetts and Mrs. Jewel Scott. Rev. and Mrs. Wells were very appreciative of the varied and useful gifts. “Dr. D.C. Hague, accom- panied by Mr. Vernie Ber- nard, spent four days in the interest of the livestock industry formulating ideas on development. Dr. Hague thinks that quite a lot of progress has been made by various people both in milk, beef and pig meat production. More could be done and a number of people are obviously anx- ious to do it. With the ex- pansion of the tourist in- dustry there is a future fillable market. In terms of stock production, the basic problem is water.” Brac high school hosts career fair Students from Layman E. Scott High School took part in the school’s career fair ear- lier this month, where repre- sentatives from 11 local com- panies met with the students. About 120 students, from grades 7-12, participated in the annual careers fair at the school hall. The event served as an opportunity for the students to learn about the different organizations and what they had to offer. “The careers fair offers all students an opportunity to be exposed to a wide range of career options within the Cayman Islands,” said teacher Devon Bowen. “We’ve had careers day in various forms previously, but this format with a fair involving exhibitors set- ting up booths and doing displays, etc., started in March 2013,” he said. “This is our fourth annual ca- reers fair in this format.” Mr. Bowen said the fair had an “overwhelming response.” The 11 exhibiting organi- zations at this year’s fair in- cluded the National Work- force Development Agency, Scholarship Secretariat, Cayman Brac Beach Resort, Health Services Authority- Faith Hospital, Health City Cayman Islands, District Ad- ministration, Cayman Brac Power & Light Company, De- partment of Tourism, Cayman Islands Airports Authority, Charles Kirkconnell Inter- national Airport, Univer- sity College of the Cayman Islands’ Brac Campus, the UCCI School of Hospitality Studies and the Careers Ad- visory Service. “We hope,” said Mr. Bowen, “that in doing [this fair], students will be sup- ported and guided in making wise choices in their sub- jects, and identify the links between the subjects they study and their ultimate ca- reer goals.” Dianne Sherer-Fite shows off one of the items for sale at last weekend’s Little Cayman National Trust Easter auction. – PHOTO: JANET FREEMANTLE The Faith Hospital booth demonstrates the practice of first aid before students. Layman E. Scott High School students gather at a booth at the school’s recent careers day fair. - PHOTOS: ED BEATY7 LOCAL&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MARCH 30, 2016 Cash Advance FAST-LOANSFAST LOANS Monday - Friday: 7:30 AM-5:00 PM | Saturday: 7:30AM-2:00 PM 122 Elizabethan Square (beside Rainbow Photo in George Town) 947-5626/5627 | 325-5089 | 926-0590 | Email: fastloans@candw.ky LIFE HAPPENS AND PEOPLE NEED EXTRA CASH. We are here and o er small personal loans starting at CI$150 to CI$350. Loans are ready and waiting within 1-2 business days. No loan too small. No collateral, no assets, no hassle. It’s quick and its easy. Come in and see us to discuss how we can help. Teen robber gets three years Age important mitigating factor, judge says CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com For a robbery he com- mitted when he was 17 years and eight months old, Michael Aaron Bush was sentenced last week to three years’ imprisonment. Bush previously pleaded guilty to robbing Deliza’s Grocery and Variety Store in West Bay on Sept. 9, 2015 and possessing an imita- tion firearm at the time. A summary of facts set out by Crown counsel Ni- cole Petit and accepted by defense attorney Alice Carver indicated that the robbery occurred around 5:10 p.m. Two masked men entered the shop and one of them had what appeared to be a gun. They demanded and took an undeter- mined sum of money from the clerk. One of the men wore a rubbery “old man” mask, while the other wore a helmet, with a red bandana on his face. After leaving the store, the men got away on a small scooter. A relative of the clerk re- lated an incident earlier in the day that involved Bush, who was on a scooter and carrying a red bandana. With him at that time was a smaller man wearing a rubber “old man” mask. Police interviewed Bush the next day and he ad- mitted committing the robbery, but initially said he was forced to do it by the other man. Later Bush said it was because of his ganja problem and he needed help. Justice Robin Mc- Millan noted that Bush had been of good character, apart from one minor non- violent offense. He cited the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal, which in 2011 ruled that teenagers who entered a pizza house with a machete and threatened staff should have received a sentence of three years after pleading guilty. All four participants were 17 at the time. Justice McMillan said he also reminded himself of Cayman’s sentencing guide- lines that came into effect last year. “It is clear from the guidelines that the age of the offender is an im- portant mitigating factor where it affects the respon- sibility of the individual defendant,” he said. He pointed out that Bush was no longer a “young person” as defined by the Youth Justice Law, but he was “a very young man in- fluenced by an older male to commit the offenses.” There was no victim im- pact statement, but Jus- tice McMillan accepted that some psychological distress and harm must have inevitably ensued. He considered it to be in the interests of justice that the starting point for a pe- riod of imprisonment was at the bottom of the seven to 14 year range. He said the aggravating factors – two people op- erating together and the use of disguises – raised the period of custody to seven years and six months. Taking into account the mit- igating factors, he reduced that total to five years. Since Bush had pleaded guilty at the earliest op- portunity, a one-third re- duction was deemed ap- propriate and the judge arrived at three years and four months. The judge then reduced the sentence to three years for each offense, ordering them to be concurrent. He commented on Bush’s drug problem and pro- fessed wish to address it. “It is to be hoped that Mr. Bush will use the time in custody to take advantage of the opportunities offered to him in Northward to rec- tify his substance abuse problem and become a pro- ductive and law-abiding member of the Cayma- nian community,” Justice McMillan concluded. The judge pointed out that Bush was no longer a “young person” as defined by the Youth Justice Law, but he was “a very young man influenced by an older male to commit the offenses.” Pet food manufacturer Purina has is- sued a recall for a number of tubs of dog food, because the product does not meet quality standards. The recall includes Beneful and Pro Plan wet dog food products. Through Purina’s own testing, the com- pany discovered that the food may not con- tain the recommended level of added vita- mins and minerals. The recall includes the three aforemen- tioned brands with a “best before” date range of June 2017 to August 2017, and production codes with the first four digits of 5365 through 6054. The affected products are all varieties of Beneful prepared meals wet dog food 10 ounce tubs, all varieties of Beneful chopped blends wet dog food 10 ounce tubs, and five varieties of Pro Plan Savory Meals wet dog food tubs. The recall does not include any other Purina products or sizes. Dog owners should check both the “best before” dates and the production codes on the bottom of all 10 ounce tubs of the re- called products. According to Foster’s Food Fair, cus- tomers who have purchased the products from its stores are encouraged to return them for a full refund. DOG FOOD MAKER ISSUES RECALL Some Gerber baby food pouches have been pulled from supermarket shelves, after the manufacturer voluntarily re- called two types of the product after identifying a packaging de- fect that may result in spoilage during transport and handling. One affected product is Gerber Organic 2nd Foods pouches – pears, carrots and peas. The recalled 3.5 ounce pouch has the universal product code 15000074319 and the fol- lowing “best by” dates and batch codes: 12JUL2016 51945335XX and 13JUL2016 51955335XX. The other affected product is Gerber Organic 2nd Foods pouches – carrots, apples and mangoes. That product is also a 3.5 ounce pouch and has the uni- versal product code 15000074395. The affected products “best by” dates and batch codes are: 13JUL2016 51955335XX and 14JUL2016 51965335XX. This recall does not impact any other Gerber pouches. According to a Foster’s press release, consumers may notice in some case that the pouches are “bloated” and the product inside may have an off-taste or odor. There have been three con- sumer reports of temporary gastrointestinal symptoms, but there has been no confirmation that these are related to the re- called product. Consumers are encour- aged to check the “best be- fore” date and the produc- tion code on the bottom of any Gerber pouches they have. In a press release alerting customers to the recall late last week, Foster’s Food Fair said, “We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. “We encourage all customers who have purchased this product from any of our Foster’s Food Fair-IGA locations to return the affected product for a full refund. Please discontinue the consump- tion of the product.” Gerber baby food pouches recalled Consumers are encouraged to check the “best before” date and the production code on the bottom of any Gerber pouches they have.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 WEDNESDAY MARCH 30, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS us in this predicament,” said Mr. McLaughlin. “Essentially, government is going to have to pay Mr. Baines for the re- mainder of his contract while the Cayman Islands has no commissioner of police in place and, given the reaction of the opposition to Mr. Ba- ines, we may find ourselves in difficulty in filling the role quickly.” Mr. McLaughlin con- tinued, “Additionally, with Deputy Commissioner Ste- phen Brougham scheduled to leave the service in September, leadership of the RCIPS will present a real challenge until these vacancies in two of the top three positions are filled. “Although the irrespon- sible actions of the opposition have made the task more diffi- cult, the government will con- tinue to support the RCIPS, Deputy Commissioner An- thony Ennis who will act as commissioner in the interim and work with Her Excellency to ensure that the Cayman Islands remains one of the safest and most secure juris- dictions in the world.” Mr. Bush was adamant Tuesday afternoon, following the announcement regarding Mr. Baines’s departure, that the emergency meeting would still be held next month. “Of course, it is still hap- pening, there are matters that we need to expose,” he said. Mr. Bush indicated he sup- ported the appointment of Deputy Commissioner Ennis as acting commissioner. Mr. McLean was noncom- mittal about his intentions re- garding the April 13 meeting, in light of Mr. Baines’s de- parture. He had jointly called for an emergency meeting of the assembly, along with Mr. Bush and Bodden Town MLA Alva Suckoo, during a press conference last week. Premier McLaughlin said last week that he believed there was no need to hold an emergency meeting to hear the two private members’ mo- tions. The premier had agreed to hear the issues during the regular legislative meeting. However, the ultimate de- cision whether to hold the emergency meeting is the pur- view of the Speaker of the House, according to consti- tutional and parliamentary rules. Ms. O’Connor-Connolly is off island and was unable to preside over the meeting any sooner than mid-April. She could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Premier McLaughlin has suggested that an eight- member opposition bench, consisting of three members from Mr. Bush’s Cayman Is- lands Democratic Party and five independent members, would not be able to hold a meeting due to a lack of a quorum unless at least two other members of the gov- ernment bench showed up. In that scenario, Mr. McLaughlin said one member of the gov- ernment could show up and object to the House meeting with fewer than a majority of 10 members and no meeting could be held. Mr. Bush said he was dis- appointed that the emergency meeting could not be held this week, as he had requested. He also disagreed with Mr. McLaughlin’s legal interpre- tation regarding how many members are required to hold an assembly meeting. “We say otherwise,” Mr. Bush said. Mr. McLaughlin accused his longtime political rival of playing politics with the mo- tion regarding the disappear- ance of the boaters. “It is regrettable that the loss of five Caymanians at sea is being seized upon as an op- portunity by the opposition to score political points,” Mr. McLaughlin said. With regard to the police management issues, the premier said his ad- ministration was concerned about “recent failures” on a “range of matters.” “We believe a review of the services is necessary to ad- dress these issues,” said Mr. McLaughlin. “However, as a society, we cannot blame crime on the police service as a whole or on any individual within the service. Criminality is a problem of society and its causes are complex.” Last week, Governor Kil- patrick released a rare public statement unequivocally backing Mr. Baines, who has served as RCIPS commis- sioner since June 2009. Mr. Baines had previously indi- cated he would not seek an extension to his contract. There are many Caymanians who can credit Mr. Rankin with helping them get their starts in their careers.” From humble begin- nings, Mr. Rankin founded the multi-industry Para- mount Group more than 40 years ago, starting with a small hardware store. Over the years the Paramount Group became one of the largest family conglomer- ates in the Cayman Islands. The group’s entities range from construction, marine retail, media and aviation, to energy, agricul- ture, education, shipping and financial and profes- sional services. Mr. Rankin launched his first company in 1967, selling carpet and vinyl at Paramount Carpets. Over the years the company diversified and now includes Paramount Media and its two radio sta- tions (Vibe 98.9 and Spin 94.9 FM), Monster Media, Rankin’s Farm, Rankin’s Jerk Centre, Tech Marine Cayman, Supermix Concrete, The Achievement Centre, Phoenix Health Services, MoneyGram, and more. “We have grown organ- ically, really,” Mr. Rankin said in a 2014 Paramount Group prospectus. “As mem- bers of the community our- selves, when we see an op- portunity for fair trade that benefits the country we do our best to provide it in an accessible way.” In 2012, Mr. Rankin was awarded the Order of the Cayman Islands at the grade of Commander (CMH). The award recognizes indi- viduals who have rendered “eminent service of national importance to the islands. Mr. Rankin also had a deep love for the land and was passionate about agri- culture. He lived on his farm of more than 60 acres, and although farming began as his hobby, he turned it into a successful business. The Rankin farm raises livestock sold through Rankin’s Butcher Shop and supplies produce to local supermarkets. Mr. Rankin received many accolades for his contributions to ag- riculture, including “Farmer of the Year” at the annual agriculture show, an honor he received several times, and trophies for livestock farming, crop farming, and exhibiting pigs. On Tuesday, Mr. Rankin was also remembered by Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush in a tribute on Mr. Bush’s Facebook page. “Today we mourn the passing of Mr. Kent (Biggie) Rankin who was a lot of things to many people. To me, he was not only a trea- sured friend, he was a force of intellectual insight that I looked to for sound advice. He would tell me exactly what he thought and I trea- sured our discussions.” Mr. Bush said that over the years he watched as Mr. Rankin defied “all odds,” using “the power of ob- servation and his brilliant mind to become a very suc- cessful businessman.” “He knew how to make brilliant business deci- sions and was able to em- ploy many good people and residents of these islands,” Mr. Bush said. “His busi- ness savvy allowed him to educate and employ the ma- jority of his children who have become successful business persons in their own right. Biggie was a man of very many talents and he provided a security net for many, extended family, friends and so on, even if it meant sharing his infinite wisdom or in some other way. You could always count on him and if he gave you his word, he would be there until the end with you.” Mr. Bush said he most admired what Mr. Rankin built with his wife and family. “They are the true empire that was built and he loved them dearly,” Mr. Bush said. “I wish my friend peace in the arms of the Lord. His legacy will forever live through the empire he built with Mrs. Ruth Rankin in the form of their beloved children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and that is how success is truly measured.” Bodden Town MLA Os- bourne Bodden described Mr. Rankin as an “entre- preneur extraordinaire.” He added, “He has built a family empire with many different facets of busi- ness that worked well in the hands of his many sons. His large family served him well and he led by example, and I’m sure helped many along the way. I can think of many Caymanians who ply their trade after being employed by Biggie.” In addition to his wife Ruth, Mr. Rankin is survived by eight children, Gary, David, Kenny, Paul, Albert, Sophia, Haymon and Kendra, 16 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Cayman HospiceCare and/or the Cayman Islands Cancer Society. land deals (one of which in- volved Health City), concluded that the former United Dem- ocratic Party administration committed to “tens of millions” of dollars in concessions for the Health City project without “adequately researching the costs involved.” “There is a risk that, should Health City expand to its full size, the Cayman Islands gov- ernment could come under pressure to provide infrastruc- ture which it cannot afford,” auditors found. “While employ- ment of Caymanians would in- crease and there would be pri- vate benefits, there would not be a proportionate growth in tax revenues due to the conces- sions given the company.” Dr. Jefferson told the com- mittee that in his view, the duty concessions in the gov- ernment’s contract with Health City were fine if the facility’s purpose was to provide “med- ical tourism,” a service which did not exist prior to the hos- pital’s opening in February 2014. However, Dr. Jefferson noted that the hospital ap- peared, at least in some cases, to be competing with local doctors for patients. “There is a fear that it is going to hurt the local pro- viders who have not benefited from the same [duty] conces- sions,” Dr. Jefferson said. During the accounts com- mittee meeting, George Town MLA Joey Hew asked Dr. Jef- ferson whether the HSA was satisfied with the patient care of individuals who had been referred to Health City. “I am pretty satisfied with the level of care that’s coming out of Health City,” Dr. Jef- ferson said. “The level of care to date has not been a big problem at all.” Health City Cayman Islands local partner, businessman Gene Thompson, was contacted for a response to Dr. Jefferson’s comments in the committee. Mr. Thompson said he was still formulating a response by press time Tuesday. The issue of Health City competing with local private sector providers is one the Cayman Compass first identi- fied in mid-2014, following the revelation of internal govern- ment emails sent to Finance Minister Marco Archer. Ac- cording to one email sent in August 2014, CINICO officials noted a number of “challenges” regarding client referrals to Health City. “A number of these re- ferral requests are for services that are already provided lo- cally via existing providers,” according to an email sent by CINICO Chief Executive Lonnie Tibbetts on behalf of the in- surance company’s Risk and Appeals Committee to Min- ister Archer on Aug. 29. “As you may recall, one of the pledges of [Health City] was to not in- terfere with the existing ser- vices provided by local physi- cians/facilities, including the Cayman Islands Health Ser- vices Authority. As such, we all share the common under- standing that [Health City] would be used exclusively for tertiary services and/or sec- ondary specialty services not previously provided locally.” Those services included pul- monary treatments, pediatric endocrinology and orthopedics, among others, the email noted. Mr. Thompson said at the time that the hospital was in discus- sions with government about patient referrals and was es- sentially trying to head off po- tential situations where Health City was forced to turn away local patients who wanted to use its services. However, Mr. Thompson said the Health City Cayman Islands business model was not based on pro- viding local healthcare services. “Our hospital is de- signed and built to bring in international medical tourists from the Caribbean and other overseas jurisdictions,” Mr. Thompson said. “In the mean- time, if we can assist in pro- viding high quality healthcare at a lower cost to the Cayma- nian people … it’s our honor to do it and we are contractually obligated to do it.” According to Mr. Tibbetts’s August email to Minister Ar- cher: “The authorization and/ or support of a referral to [Health City] for services al- ready available locally pres- ents all of us with a number of dilemmas. This will likely re- sult in displeasing the existing local provider[s] and possibly causing irreversible damage to longtime relationships. “If we pledge exclusivity, or steer a significant amount of our members to one facility, we risk the financial viability of one or more providers/smaller competitors, who may, in turn, close, thus inadvertently cre- ating a monopoly in the long run or other challenges.” For instance, Health City provides both non-invasive and invasive cardiology techniques at its facility in East End. Local healthcare providers do not perform invasive cardiology treatments, but currently non- invasive treatments are shared between the Cayman Heart Health Center and TrinCay. Those two agencies provide doctors to perform those ser- vices at the Cayman Islands Hospital in George Town on a rotating basis. If patients were sent to Health City instead, Mr. Tib- betts argues in the email, TrinCay might not offer such services in the future, forcing the Health Services Authority to shutter its emergency cardi- ology treatments. Health City doctors would not be allowed to substitute since their doc- tors are not licensed to prac- tice outside of the Health City Cayman Islands facility. Police Commissioner Baines to leave by end of May CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Chief HSA doctor says Health City has unfair advantage CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Kent ‘Biggie’ Rankin passes away at 71 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “Biggie, as he was known to us, was a giant of a man in business, playing a huge role in the Paramount Group of companies, construction and farming in the Cayman Islands.” PREMIER ALDEN MCLAUGHLIN9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MARCH 30, 2016 FIND YOUR BEST DEALS DREAM CAR AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE OVER 10,000 CARS IN STOCK Tel : +81 42 440 3440 | Email : top@beforward.jp www.beforward.jp Shipped to George Town Cayman Islands DREAM CAR AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE DREAM CAR AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE US orders diplomatic, military families out of south Turkey WASHINGTON (AP) – The State Department and Pentagon or- dered the families of U.S. diplomats and military per- sonnel Tuesday to leave posts in southern Turkey due to “in- creased threats from terrorist groups” in the country. The two agencies said dependents of American staffers at the U.S. consulate in Adana, the Incirlik air base and two other locations must leave. The so-called “ordered departure” notice means the relocation costs will be cov- ered by the government. Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said no specific threat triggered the order, but said it was done “out of an abundance of caution” for the safety of the families in that region. He said he was not aware of a deadline for the families to leave, but said “this will move very quickly.” In a statement, the mil- itary’s European Com- mand said the step “allows for the deliberate, safe re- turn of family members from these areas due to continued security concerns in the region.” The orders cover the Adana consulate, U.S. military dependents in Incirlik, Izmir and Mugla as well as family of U.S. government civilians at Izmir and Mugla. The State Department also restricted official travel to that which it considers “mission critical.” Cook said that the order does not affect about 100 family members who are based in Istanbul and Ankara. The move comes amid heightened security con- cerns throughout Turkey due to the ongoing fight against Islamic State militants in neighboring Syria and Iraq and was accompanied by an updated travel warning ad- vising U.S. citizens of an in- creased threat of attacks. It also comes as Turkey’s presi- dent is set to arrive in Wash- ington to attend President Barack Obama’s nuclear se- curity summit. “We understand this is disruptive to our mili- tary families, but we must keep them safe and en- sure the combat effective- ness of our forces to sup- port our strong ally Turkey in the fight against terrorism,” the European Command statement said. Incirlik is a critical base in the fight by the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group, and includes strike aircraft, drones and re- fueling planes. Turkey’s decision last year to allow the coalition to con- duct airstrikes with aircraft based at Incirlik shortened the time and distance re- quired to conduct airstrikes in Syria and Iraq, compared with strikes flown from bases in the Persian Gulf area. And it increased the number of U.S. personnel at the base. NATO’s Allied Land Com- mand is based at Izmir and there is a Turkish base at Mugla where some U.S. military personnel go for training and other missions. It was not immediately clear how many family mem- bers would be affected in total. The Pentagon said the order would affect about 680 military family members and roughly 270 pets. The State Department and Pentagon had begun a voluntary draw- down of staff at the two posts in September after Turkey said it would take a greater role in the fight against Is- lamic State militants. At the time, military of- ficials said they had recom- mended the voluntary depar- ture from Incirlik because of specific calls by militants for lone wolf attacks against the air base. On Monday, Secretary of State John Kerry met with Turkish Foreign Mevlut Ca- vusoglu. State Department spokesman John Kirby said the two discussed mea- sures to secure the Turkey- Syria border and disrupt extremist networks. According to a U.S. official, the decision to order families to leave stemmed from the ongoing assessment of secu- rity threats in Turkey. The official was not au- thorized to discuss the matter publicly, so spoke on condition of anonymity. The decision comes a day after Israel issued a new travel advisory for Turkey, warning its citizens to leave the country as soon as possible and avoid any traveling there. State Department and Pentagon ordered the families of U.S. diplomats and military personnel Tuesday to leave Izmir, pictured, as well as two other locations in the country’s south. Ebola no longer deemed world health emergency DAKAR, Senegal (AP) – The World Health Organization said Tuesday that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa no longer qualifies as an inter- national health emergency, although it cautioned that male survivors can infect their sexual partners for up to a year after recovering. The decision by WHO’s Ebola emergency committee comes following flare-ups that emerged in Guinea, Li- beria and Sierra Leone after authorities declared virus transmission over. The new cases some- times were publicized only hours after the public announcements were made. “Complacency at this stage would be completely wrong,” said Robert Steffen, the committee’s vice chair. The announcement puts an end to the inter- national emergency decla- ration that has been con- troversial. An Associated Press investigation found that WHO initially delayed making the declaration – similar to an SOS signal – on political, economic and religious grounds. Tuesday’s announcement also comes as the organi- zation fights the Zika virus that has prompted concern in the Americas. Steffen said the battle against Zika in no way dictated the committee’s decision to declare the Ebola emergency over. While there have been flare-ups of new cases, health authorities said Tuesday those were not linked to the original chains of transmission dating back to December 2013. “We know that little clusters will continue to flare up. That will be normal life just as in previous de- cades, there have been every now and then, outbreaks of Ebola in various parts of sub-Saharan Africa,” Steffen said. More than 11,000 people have died mostly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone since December 2013. There are currently no known cases in Liberia or Sierra Leone, though Guinea recently reported two con- firmed and three probable cases. Authorities are now monitoring nearly 1,000 con- tacts of the sick. The announcement comes as the World Health Organization fights the Zika virus that has prompted concern in the Americas. Margaret Chan, left, general director of the World Health Organization, and Bruce Aylward, executive director of WHO, speak to the media about the update on Ebola. – PHOTO: APNext >