Allow me to establish the already protocol and to also acknowledge the presence of my Permanent Secretary Mr. Jane’s Astwood, Deputy Permanent Secretaries Mr. Amin
McCartney and Mr. Edgar Howell. Your collective efforts continue to strengthen our Ministry and by extension our Departments.

It is with deep reverence, immense pride, and heartfelt gratitude that I bring greetings on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports, and Culture, as we come together in this sacred moment to honour the life and enduring legacy of a national hero, The Right Excellent James Alexander George Smith McCartney. It is fitting to honor not only the legacy of the nation’s first Chief Minister and only National Hero but also to remember his wife Mrs. Dorothy McCartney, children and family , who continue to uphold his vision and values.

Today is more than a wreath laying ceremony and unveiling of the Moseleum, it is a call to remembrance, yes, but more importantly, it is a call to purpose.

We gather not just to look back at what JAGS McCartney accomplished, but to look forward, inspired by the unshakable principles that he lived and died for justice, equity, education, cultural pride, and national unity.

JAGS was a young man, yet a visionary far beyond his years. At a time when the Turks and Caicos Islands struggled to find its footing in a world shaped by external control, he stood firm, bold, and unrelenting in his belief that we, the people, could define our own destiny.

He believed that the young had a voice, that the poor had worth, and that the voiceless could lead. Through the Junkanoo Club, he created not only a space for political thought but cultural expression. He taught us that freedom is not given, it is earned, it is demanded, it is built. Today, more than ever, we need to be reminded of that truth.

Our country is at a crossroads. We face threats to our cultural identity, social challenges that weigh heavily on our youth, and the global shifts that test the resilience of small island states like ours.

So, what would JAGS say to us now?

He would say: “Don’t wait for the change, be the change.”

He would challenge us to build a country where every child has access to quality education, not just in classrooms, but through the values they absorb in their homes, their communities, and their jobs. He would push us to value our heritage, to preserve our identity, and to champion the strength of unity over division.

We are proud that through the Department of Culture, the JAGS McCartney Memorial Site has been restored and transformed into a space that not only commemorates his life but also educates and empowers. It is now a living classroom, rich in historical insight, vibrant with cultural expression, and deeply rooted in the ideals he fought for. I encourage every family, every school, every citizen, visit the site. Let it speak to you. Let it awaken your purpose.

Let us applaud the efforts of Evina Brooks James, the designer of the Mausoleum and Information Center. Your creativity has brought much richness to JAGS Memorial Site and to our Minister of Technology we appreciate the incorporation of Technology within the mausoleum.

This year, on June 30th, JAGS would have celebrated his 80th birthday. And just recently, on May 9th, we marked 45 years since his tragic and untimely death. But his legacy lives on, not only in history books, but in the hopes and dreams of every young person in our schools today, in the voices of artists, in the advocacy of youth leaders, and in the actions of every citizen who still believes in building a Turks and Caicos Islands that is strong, sovereign, and united.

Let us live it, through our policies, through our parenting, through our education, through our cultural expressions, and through our courage to do what is right, even when it is difficult.

To the elders: continue to share your wisdom. You are the torchbearers of memory.
To the youth: be bold, be curious, be committed. The future belongs to you.
To every citizen: stand up. Speak out. Serve.

Let us honour JAGS, not just with flowers and speeches, but with action. We will continue to build a Turks and Caicos Islands that reflects the greatness he saw in us all. How fitting is it that on a day when we honor his legacy, we also recognize his daughter Yaa McCartney as Acting Attorney General.

Before I take my seat, I must express my sincere gratitude to the dedicated team at the Department of Culture. Acting Director Trazel Prospere, along with Karina Been and Ashanti Morris—your hard work and commitment have not gone unnoticed. You truly deserve a round of applause, as I’m sure your efforts today have JAGS smiling down with pride and joy.

At the Department of Culture, we remain committed to working in partnership with all relevant stakeholders to further enhance this space. Our goal is to ensure it continues to be a vibrant hub, embraced by students, the wider community, and the many guests who arrive on our shores by plane and cruise ship.

May JAGS legacy lives on in every classroom, in every festival, in every fight for justice, and in every dream that dares to shape a better tomorrow.

Thank you, and may God bless these Turks and Caicos Islands.

Organizers from across Arizona gathered at the state Capitol on
Monday to mark the start of Pride Month and push back against what they
called a continued onslaught of anti-LGBTQ+ bills passed by the state
Legislature.

While LGBTQ+ rights groups have often used Pride
Month to criticize Republicans for targeting trans and queer youth, two
Democrats were also named this year for advancing anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric
and legislation: U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego and Gov. Katie Hobbs.

Last week, The Dispatch
published an interview with Gallego in which he broke from fellow
Democrats on the issue of transgender youth athletes, saying they should
not be allowed to participate in youth sports.

“As a parent of a daughter, I think it’s legitimate that parents are
worried about the safety of their daughters, and I think it’s legitimate
for us to be worried also about fair competition,” Gallego said. “And I
think the parents of these trans children also are worried legitimately
about the health and wellness of their kids. There are some sports that
some of these trans children should not be playing.”

Gallego said there should be separation based on biology, adding:
“Hey, listen, we love you. We want you to be part of our community, but
this is just the one place you can’t play, and let’s find other
activities for you to be involved.”

His comments echoed “separate
but equal” arguments once used to justify banning gay and lesbian people
from teaching or serving in the military—language that LGBTQ+ advocates
say has no place in progressive politics.

Still, Gallego appears to be applying similar logic to trans youth.

Following publication of the interview, LGBTQ+ advocates and progressive groups in Arizona—and nationwide—voiced their dismay, saying Gallego has abandoned the values that won their support during his Senate campaign.

“Senator
Ruben Gallego’s recent remarks targeting transgender youth have left
many of us in Arizona, and across the nation, feeling disheartened and
outraged,” said a petition issued by Scott Blades,
executive director of the Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network. “These
comments serve to perpetuate harmful stereotypes and discrimination
against an already vulnerable community, undermining the principles of
equality and inclusion that are fundamental to our society.”

At the Capitol, youth leaders and young people directly called out Gallego’s shift.

“We
must ensure our schools are safe spaces,” said Kado Stewart, a program
director at Phoenix-based LGBTQ+ youth organization one•n•ten, which
operates statewide. “That means ensuring our transgender students have
the ability to participate in school athletics, which are proven to
improve mental health, reduce anxiety and depression, and build teamwork
skills. Those who want to participate in sports shouldn’t have to find
other activities.”

Violet DuMont, a transgender student from Tucson, addressed Gallego directly.

“Hey
Ruben, if you can’t stand up for trans kids, maybe Congress isn’t the
right place for you—and let’s find another activity for you to make fair
competition,” DuMont said.

Gov. Katie Hobbs, a longtime LGBTQ+
ally who has vetoed numerous anti-trans bills, was also criticized for
signing HB 2112—a sweeping anti-pornography law that has been used in
other states to label LGBTQ+ content, such as books and sex education
materials, as “adult content.”

“Few organizations across Arizona
actually supported this piece of legislation, and the governor still
decided to sign it,” said Harrison Redmond, a community organizer with
the ACLU of Arizona. “LGBTQ+ youth deserve to be seen, heard, and have
access to medically accurate, identity-affirming, and life-saving
information readily available online. HB 2112 risks taking that away—and
Gov. Hobbs was wrong to sign this bill, full stop.”

The statements challenging Hobbs and Gallego were made at a youth day
for LGBTQ+ people at the Capitol. The event is an annual gathering on
the start of Pride month hosted by Rep. Lorena Austin of Mesa with the
help of LGBTQ+ advocacy groups such as Human Rights Campaign of Arizona,
ACLU of Arizona, the Greater Phoenix Equality Chamber of Commerce, and
Education Action Alliance, formerly known as GLSEN-AZ.

Youth are
given a chance to speak confidentially to Democratic lawmakers
face-to-face on how legislation and politics affect their daily lives.

But
more than an opportunity to express grievances publicly, the day is a
celebration for queer youth to show up for each other in numbers. One
Tucson student, Mya Figueroa, urged her fellow trans youth to stay
hopeful and positive: “I’m proud of myself and my siblings,” she said.
“Don’t forget that you are not alone, you are loved, and needed in all
spaces. You are whole just as you are.”

Vivien Palmieri hit a home run as Warren Music Conservatory beat Jones Chevrolet 23-12.

Peytynn Kirby and Alliesun Woodin each had a double in the win.

Khloe Morse was the winning pitcher and Brooke Scott took the loss.

——

Katelyn Krall was the winning pitcher for I.O.O.F. in a 16-3 win over Superior Plus Propane.

Gianna Blankenship doubled and Alexis Campman took the loss for Superior Plus Propane.

Izzy Sullivan, a rising junior on the Nevada women’s basketball team, was named Monday to Ireland’s under-20 national team.

The squad led by coach Karl Kilbride named its final 12-player roster, which includes only two new players who will make their EuroBasket debuts, including Sullivan.

The Irish team will compete at the FIBA Youth EuroBasket in Miskolc, Hungary in Group B in August along with Great Britain and Ukraine. Ireland will play Ukraine on Aug. 3 and Great Britain on Aug. 4. Sullivan is the only Division I college player to make Ireland’s roster.

A 5-foot-10 guard, Sullivan has averaged 9.1 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in 25.5 minutes per game in two seasons at Nevada. She’s shot 38 percent from the field, including 35.5 percent from three, in 59 games with 38 starts. Sullivan was born in Dublin but moved to the Seattle area in her youth when her father got a job with Microsoft. It’s in the Pacific Northwest where Sullivan found basketball.

“They just put me into it for something to do, like the Parks and Rec foundation we had by me,” Sullivan said during a Q&A with NSN in January 2024. “And then I just fell in love with it, just watching NBA and WNBA and college sports. It just kind of grew from there and they kind of learned the game along with me.”

Sullivan, who played for Eastside Catholic High in Sammamish, Wash., still makes regular trips to Ireland.

“They’re a lot of fun,” Sullivan said. “It’s pretty busy. Everybody wants to see you, so you’re busy every day, but especially in the short break we have. I’ll probably have a week there, so I just try to make the most out of it and see as many people as possible. … They’re really just huge supporters even though they’re not close to America. I love it there. I love all my family there. They’ve just been a big part of my journey knowing that I have that support.”

Ireland’s under-20 roster includes Sullivan, Lucy Hynes, Aisling Moran, Ava Walshe, Caitlin Gloeckner, Emer Dunne, Emma Gribben, Emma Tolan, Grace Prenter, Katie O’Sullivan, Rachel Lynch and Rebecca Sexton.

“We’ve been so impressed by the intensity levels and commitment from the group over the last few months,” Kilbride said in a news release. “Over the course of two open trials and six training weekends, they’ve made our lives as coaches really easy on the court, but that makes these kinds of decisions all the harder. We’re in a really enviable position, where we have to leave players behind who are more than good enough to play for Ireland, but were just unlucky this particular year.

“We have an absolutely hectic summer ahead with six games against Iceland, Croatia and Switzerland before we kick off our EuroBasket campaign proper against Ukraine on August 3. We’re so excited to be working with the group we’ve selected and with the commitment levels and improvements shown so far we have a chance to have a really successful summer ahead.”

KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – It looks likely that Kalamazoo’s new $40 million youth sports tournament facility will be built in the city of Kalamazoo.

Discover Kalamazoo Director Jane Ghosh told the city commission last night that a selection committee will recommend 15-acres on the west edge of town near U.S. 131.

“Specifically in the Westgate area, between Drake Road and 131, North of the Holiday Inn,” says Ghosh.

The Kalamazoo County board will take the final vote, but they are expected to go with the recommendation.

That location was picked over sites in Portage and in Texas Township.

Ghosh says the location will help the facility achieve one of its goals, and that’s to provide a place for many young athletes who may not have a place to play.

“Local use of this facility will be prioritized Monday through Thursday, and that will significantly increase participation opportunities for underserved youth.”

She says its construction will be fully funded by a fee on hotel rooms, and its local operation will be funded by regional basketball and volleyball tournaments on the weekends.

There may be winners and losers in the games, but the facility will generate mostly winners, with tourism and hotel rooms up and the creation of over 600 new jobs.

“It means an annual economic impact of impact of almost $50 million.”

Ghosh say their current goal is to have it operational by 2027, about the same time that the new downtown arena could be ready to open.

Published on June 03, 2025

The Parks and Recreation Department today announced that registration is open for fall team sports, including adult volleyball, kickball, softball, and youth NFL Flag football. Adult leagues are for those age 18 and older. Youth leagues are for children in kindergarten through eighth grade. 

Online registration is available at teamsideline.com/lincolnne for the following leagues: 

• Adult volleyball – Coed leagues play Thursday nights, and women’s leagues play Monday nights. Recreational and competitive leagues include an eight-game season and a double-elimination tournament. Games are played September 4 through late November at the Calvert Recreation Center, 4500 Stockwell St. The fee is $311 for early online registration July 7 through July 13. Regular registration is $322 per team and the registration deadline is August 10. 

• Adult slow-pitch softball – Recreational and competitive coed leagues and men’s leagues include an a six-week regular season and single elimination tournament. Games will be played at Mahoney, Holmes, and Ballard fields beginning August 10. The regular registration fee is $306 per team until July 13, and late registration is $328. The registration deadline is July 20. 

• Adult kickball – Outdoor competitive and recreation leagues are scheduled on Sundays at the Lewis ballfield complex. The six-game season is from mid-August through October and includes a single elimination tournament. The fee is $253 per team and the registration deadline is July 20. Teams require a minimum of 10 players. 

• Youth NFL flag football – Five-on-five coed play is offered for children in kindergarten through eighth grade – as of the 2025-26 school year. Games are played on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays at Densmore ballfields from August 18 through mid-October. Registration fees through July 14 are $98 for the first child and $93 for each additional child in the same family. Late registration fees from July 15 through 21 are $108 for the first child and $103 for each additional child in the same family. Need-based scholarships are available.  

“Team sports are a great opportunity for friends, coworkers, and church groups to play a fun and friendly sport recreationally or competitively having a good time together for a night out,” said Monica Manning, Team Sports Supervisor. 

Official/referee positions are available for team sports games. Positions pay $26 per game. Contact the Team Sports office at 402-441-7892 for more information. 

For more information about adult and youth team sports, call 402-441-7892 or visit teamsideline.com/lincolnne. For more information about Lincoln Parks and Recreation programs, visit parks.lincoln.ne.gov.