National

Today In History: June 14

BAHAMAS – BEC, Café Skans and a suspected monkeypox case. See what events took place on this day in history.

Published

3 years ago

June 14, 2023

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – On this day in Bahamian history, in 2014, as tensions rose between the Bahamas Electricity Corporation and its workers unions, then Chairman Leslie Miller dared the bargaining agents who had been threatening industrial action to strike.

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In 2015 – Café Skans closed after 42 years. Located on Bay & Market streets, it was operated by George Skandaliaris and was one of several owned by the Skandaliaris family.

When it opened in 1973, Skans started off as a self-service, cafeteria-style restaurant and was renovated in 1996 to become a full-service restaurant.

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Then, in in 2016 we learned of a hot pursuit on the high seas, an investigation was launched after Defence Force marines exchanged gunfire with a group of suspected Dominican poachers while on routine patrol in the Great Bahama Bank. The Defence Force reporting the poachers managed to escape into Cuban waters.

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Those chanting protesters marched in Rawson Square opposing a proposed increase in value-added tax and a sliding scale tax for gaming operators.

Bay Street was shut down at one point as barricades were knocked down at some cabinet ministers booed.

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In 2019 – then Education Minister Jeff Lloyd came to the defense of then MICAL MP and Chairman of the Education Loan Authority Miriam Emmanuel who stumbled repeatedly in the House of Assembly while trying to say $7.41 million.

It’s a blunder that made its rounds on social media with tons of memes and comments mocking her performance. People we spoke with agreed the blunder could have been avoided while others called the criticism bullying.

Then June 14th 2021 – during debate on a new fiscal budget Member of Parliament for MARCO City Michael Pintard describing the execution of the controversial OBAN deal as clumsy.

In 2018, government held a ceremonial signing with OBAN Energies for a $5.5 billion oil refinery and storage facility on Grand Bahama.

Then Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis later admitted there were missteps.

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Finally 2022 – a patient who was suspected of having monkeypox was airlifted out of the country.

Health and Wellness Minister Dr. Michael Darville confirmed a foreigner in his forties who arrived in The Bahamas on a British Airways flight was displaying symptoms of the viral disease.