Cheryl Burke and Matthew Lawrence Are Adorable on Romantic … – E! Online

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Cheryl Burke and Matthew Lawrence are the cutest!

The twolovebirdsare on a tropical Caribbean island vacation inSt George's,Grenada and have been sharing adorable photos from their trip on social media.

Matthew, 37, posted a sweet selfie of him and Cheryl, 33, standing on the beach near their resort,Sandals LaSource Grenada.

Cheryl posted a photo of the two standingon a pier, with her wearing apink satin gown. Shealso shared a photo of her relaxing in a private pool on the balcony of their hotel room.

Matthew also made a new friend; He shared a video of himfeeding a wild green iguana a hibiscus flower.

Instagram

"Life's a beach @cherylburke @sandalsresorts #SandalsResorts #SandalsLaSourceGrenada," Matthewwrote.

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"Island getaway," Cherylwrote.

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"Paradise," she wrote.

Instagram

Matthew makes a new friend.

Twitter

Not a bad view at all...

Twitter

"Why yes that is a private pool on our balcony. What the what??!!" Cheryl tweeted.

E! News had learned in February that theDancing With the Stars pro andthe actor, who may or may not have been your '90s crush, aredatingagain following a 2008 split.

"Cheryl is really happy,"a source said at the time.

The couple met in 2006 through Matthew's brotherJoey Lawrence, who competed that year onDancing With the Stars, and datedfor about a year.

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Cheryl Burke and Matthew Lawrence Are Adorable on Romantic ... - E! Online

Familiar spaces take shape on Royal Caribbean Symphony of the … – Orlando Sentinel

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Some familiar spaces are coming into focus on board what will become the worlds largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas.

New construction photos show progress on the 230,000-ton, 1,188-foot-long ship being built at the STX France shipyard in St. Nazaire, France.

Those photos show the signature Boardwalk area at the aft of the ship as well the Royal Promenade on Deck 5 in the ships interior.

Particularly recognizable is the development of the AquaTheater, which is home to the lines productions that combine music, high diving and acrobatics.

Also shown are the two 40-foot-tall rock climbing walls as well as the stateroom balconies that rise up from Deck 6 of where the open-air Boardwalk neighborhood will be.

Whats not show yet is the ships version of the Ultimate Abyss dry slide, the 10-deck twin twisting slide that debuted on sister ship Harmony of the Seas. While the line has promised it will be on this ship as well, it also has promised it will have a new twist, but details on what that twist will be have yet to be revealed. Also not in place are any of the signature features that make up the Boardwalk, such as the carousel.

On the ships interior, the shells that will become restaurants, bars and shops of the Royal Promenade are continuing to get attention.

On Harmony of the Seas, the Royal Promenade is where you find the ships signature centerpiece sculpture, the twisting giant metallic human head. Its also where the line parks the vintage cars that can be found on Voyager, Freedom and Oasis-class ships.

As far as venues go, Harmonys Royal Promenade is home to the Bionic Bar, which is promised for Symphony as well. Its also a stop for the Rising Tide bar, which moves up and down multiple decks. Also on Harmony in the Royal Promenade are Sorrento's, Bolero's, the English pub Boot and Bonnet, On Air karaoke club, guest services, shore excursions and more.

Symphony of the Seas' gross registered tons will be more than Harmony of the Seas, which comes in at 226,963 tons, but they will be the same length. Harmony of the Seas currently holds the title for world's largest cruise ship, slightly larger than the original ships, 2009's Oasis of the Seas and 2010's Allure of the Seas.

Symphony will feature 28 more staterooms than Harmony of the Seas with a Royal Suite class, neighborhood balconies overlooking Central Park, virtual balconies on inside staterooms, and the highest number of ocean-view cabins at sea.

Other notable previously announced features include the Perfect Storm water park, FlowRider surf simulator, ice skating rink, Vitality at Sea spa, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's Italian dining venue, Mexican offering Sabor, Japanese cuisine at Izumi, the Chops Grill steakhouse, Vintages wine bar and Solarium bistro. More than 20 dining options are promised, but details on any new venues have not been released yet. Also not revealed yet is one other adventure offering with no details other than "A new scale of daring. Adventure hits a high note with a whole new challenge.

The ship is set to debut April 21, 2018 with an inaugural sailing from Barcelona as it spends its first season of cruising in the Mediterranean. It then repositions to PortMiami on a 12-night transatlantic voyage that departs Oct. 28 and begins Caribbean sailings on Nov. 9.

More details can be found on http://www.royalcaribbean.com/symphony-of-the-seas or by calling 1-800-769-2522.

rtribou@orlandosentinel.com, 407-420-5134

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Familiar spaces take shape on Royal Caribbean Symphony of the ... - Orlando Sentinel

Norma G’s Caribbean restaurant starts construction in Jefferson Chalmers – Detroit Metro Times

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Norma G's food truck is the only in the city rolling out Caribbean cuisine and Trinidadian comfort foods, and for that, it has quickly established itself as a favorite.

But owner Lester Gouvia says there's a lot more he can do with his native cuisine when he opens a casual fine dining restaurant in the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood.

"A lot of the dishes I want to offer are hard to do in the food truck, or do in a takeout container," he says. "This is really about being able to provide food in more of a comfortable setting. A lot of dishes I do that don't translate well on the food truck, we'll do here."

Construction is underway and Gouvia says he's targeting a fall opening at 14700 E. Jefferson Ave., but he stresses that there's no firm date in place.

When Norma G's does open, expect traditional Caribbean and Trinidadian dishes - Gouvia was born in Trinidad - like coo coo with stew fish, callaloo, or codfishballs. The latter is made with dried codfish that's sauted with herbs, vegetables, other seasoning, and mashed potatoes. It's blended together into a ball, fried, and served with a garlic or chipotle mayo.

Gouvia says Norma's menu will be vegan friendly, and notes that the flavors of Trinidad are influenced by a range of cuisines from the island's colonizers like the French, Spanish, Dutch, and English. Even Chinese populations made their way through the Caribbean and left their prints on some of the recipes.

Though Gouvia says most Detroiters aren't familiar with plates like coo coo or codfish, he suspects that they'll warm up to the flavors.

"There are

all these flavors and influences from all over the world ... Codfish is a Spanish thing. It's not a dish that's strange to the world, but it's a dish that's strange to people here. But

my son eats it, so if he does, believe me other people will like it," Gouvia jokes.

"I'm not knocking that, but when I think about Caribbean - it's about the food, atmosphere meeting other people, and I want to make the restaurant comfortable. Colorful and casual, but not tacky," he says. "There will be nice

furnishing going in and colors will be key. Hopefully I can deliver an atmosphere where people want to hang out."

A job in the financial industry led Gouvia to metro Detroit. He only intended to stay a few years, but never left. Jefferson-Chalmers appealed to him more than downtown, Midtown, or other neighborhoods because he feels that Norma's will have a greater impact there.

"I didn't see myself having a big impact Midtown or downtown, and financially it doesn't make sense because the price points are too high," he says.

"I'm in business, I've got to generate revenue, and pay people well, but I ... want to help generate traffic and be a part of the change, and I think this is still one of neighborhoods that has potential for that."

Gouvia worked with SWOT City to pull together funding for the roughly $450,000 project from a variety of sources, including a $60,000 Motor City Match Grant. He's leasing the building from the Jefferson Inc. Stay tuned for more details.

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Norma G's Caribbean restaurant starts construction in Jefferson Chalmers - Detroit Metro Times

The Hottest Caribbean Trends, According to Classic Vacations’ President – Travel Agent

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Travel Agent recently caught up with David Hu, president of Classic Vacations, to find out the hottest trends and news in the Caribbean.

Here's what we learned.

While all the focus on new, hot Caribbean Islands has mostly been given to Cuba, Hu tells us that interest hasnt necessarily equated into dollars.

For many new emerging islands, we see a disconnect between interest and actual demand, Hu tells Travel Agent. Take Cuba for example, we see a lot of people researching the destination, but actual volume has not materialized.That can be said for many of the other possible islands."

In fact, Hu says Cuba may be getting most of the attention, but it's the core Caribbean Islands that are getting the business for Classic.

Were actually seeing more inquiries about the core islands that we sell in the Caribbean, such as Anguilla, Aruba, etc, says Hu. As the Zika scare tapers, we hopefully will start seeing some of that volume materialize.

Hu says the Zika scare that kept many romance-focused clients from visiting couples resorts in the Caribbean has since subsided, and the lack of media coverage has a little something to do with it.

The Zika impact tended to be greater for properties catering to the honeymoon and romance market, more-so than being destination specific, says Hu. A few islands with a larger share of the high-end romance market paced behind the Caribbean overall.

But after the Rio Olympics concluded, Hu says the media coverage dropped off. And now with all of the political headlines floating around, Zika is barely even mentioned.

However, since the end of the Rio Olympics, Zika has been fairly quiet on the media front, and the continuing onslaught of political headlines has helped Zika fade into the background, says Hu. We see this reflected in our 2017 booking trends, with solid year-over-yeargrowth in our primary honeymoon markets like St.Lucia, and Anguilla.

As far as the islands that performed the best for Classic in 2016, Hu says the company saw some impressive growth Jamaica, St. Barths, Bermuda and Barbados.

And so far this year?

This year we are seeing Anguilla, Aruba, Barbados, the Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico and St.Lucia really take off, says Hu.

Classic Vacations, like most operator who specialize in the Caribbean, has been exploring the idea of selling the once forbidden destination. But since President Trumps announcement on May 30 declaring he would reverse many of former President Barack Obamas policies toward Cuba, many operators are now taking an even longer wait-and-see approach.

Cuba has been the hot destination for some time now, and we are sure [the recent]announcement will come as a huge disappointment to the many Americans that were excited to finally experience the beautiful island-nation, says Hu. We have been monitoring Cuba closely for a while, taking a careful and conservative approach to ensure that we can guarantee the same excellence in service levels in Cuba that we provide to all destinations in our global portfolio. While Trumps reversal on Cuba will undoubtedly dampen our Caribbean expansions plans, we will continue to focus our efforts to support our partners in existing Caribbean destinations until we hear anything different on the political front.

When it comes to luxury getaways, Hu says Turks and Caicos tops the list and recommends COMO Parrot Cay and Amanyara for couples while the Grace Bay Club and the newly-opened TheShore Club Turks and Caicos are both excellent options for families looking to be pampered.

Turks and Caicos, with its combination of world-class beaches and excellent five star properties, is one of our strongest destinations, says Hu. With direct flights from a wide range of U.S. gateways, and luxury properties that cater to practically any type of traveler, its truly a wonderfully multi-faceted island.

The Caribbean has no shortage of hot niche markets from girls and guys getaways to romance to action and adventure, but the one that is all the rage currently is wellness, says Hue.

Wellness has been a trending theme in the luxury segment, and properties built around wellness, such as The BodyHoliday have thrived this year, he says. We have seen more and more properties move in that direction, like Blue Waters Antigua, with their Living Retreats program designed to refresh the mind and body, incorporating specialized testing, along with meals, and activities to realign and rebalance guests physically and mentally.

Visit http://www.classicvacations.comand keep visitingwww.travelagentcentral.comfor all your latest travel news. Be sure to followTravel AgentsJoe PikeonTwitter@TravelPikeandInstagram@pike5260.

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The Hottest Caribbean Trends, According to Classic Vacations' President - Travel Agent

‘Life’s a Beach’ for Cheryl Burke and Matthew Lawrence During Romantic Caribbean Vacation — See the Pics! – Entertainment Tonight

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Cheryl Burke and Matthew Lawrence are living it up in Grenada!

The Dancing With the Stars pro and the Melissa & Joey star jetted off on a romantic Caribbean getaway to St. George's and have been documenting every juicy detail from their stay at a Sandals resort.

Burke, 33, enjoyed a dip in their balcony pool overlooking the beach (yes, there's a pool on their private balcony), captioning the snap on Instagram, "Paradise."

EXCLUSIVE: Cheryl Burke Explains Her Bloody Head Injury, Reveals the Only Way She'll Return to 'DWTS'

The dancer was just as surprised as us over the private pool. "Why yes that is a private pool on our balcony," she tweeted, alongside video proof. "What the what??!!"

While the Dance Moms star was enjoying a little R&R, Lawrence, 37, was making friends (and checking off "bucket list" items) with a wild green iguana.

The cute couple, who rekindled their romance in February, also posted a series of snaps together. Lawrence captioned one selfie, "Life's a beach," while Burke captured a snap of the two during an evening out.

EXCLUSIVE: Cheryl Burke Opens Up About Taking Over 'Dance Moms,' Filling in for Abby Lee Miller

Burke, who recently announced that her Love on the Floor tour would be postponed until 2018, recently took over for Abby Lee Miller on Dance Moms and will make her debut when the series resumes its seventh season Aug. 1 on Lifetime.

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Fans Missing Out On Great Games As Bahamas Lands Two Silvers – Bahamas Tribune

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By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

DESPITE reports of low attendance at some events associated with the Commonwealth Youth Games being hosted in the capital this week, federation representatives for the games yesterday applauded the Local Organising Committee for enduring gracefully.

Commonwealth Games Federation CEO David Grevemberg, in an interview with The Tribune, said the success of this years games should be qualified by the quality of the events put on and not tickets sold or given away.

On Thursday, the opening ceremony Tuesday night at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium was sparse, and the stadium appeared to be a quarter filled.

The beach soccer games were poorly attended on Wednesday, however, officials said there were larger crowd at indoor events like judo.

In response to the report Thursday, Mr Grevemberg said the challenges endured by the Bahamas in the lead up to and during the games have been nothing short of horrendous.

Mr Grevemberg stated: We gave this country 18 months. During that time frame the country endured a massive storm and changed governments. With all of that, facilities have been prepared and are up to competition standards, infrastructure is in place and most of all, the athletes are here, comfortable and happy.

Again, it must be noted, this was all done in an 18-month window.

In 2011, St Lucia was awarded the 2017 CYG, but backed out of the commitment in September 2015 due to concerns with fundraising and its ability to create suitable venues to stage the overall event.

The Bahamas officially submitted a bid to host the games in January 2016.

Once the bid was awarded, the Bahamas was pressed to assemble the necessary physical and immaterial infrastructure in place to host the games.

In 2015, Louise Bell was appointed as chef de mission for Samoa 2015 in April of that year, roughly four and half months prior to those games.

Derron Donaldson was named chef de mission for the Bahamas 2017 in early June, roughly a month to go before the start of this years games.

Now while the position doesnt cover the day-to-day developments or the status of the games, the appointment of someone in this role normally signifies that organisers have shifted their focus to the promotional aspects of the games.

Two weeks after this appointment, local officials erected billboards and disseminated other promotional material across the country.

On the coverage and promotion of this years games locally, Mr Grevemberg stated: There has been tremendous work to get the word out there to the audience and persuade them to come out and support, those attempts are evident.

With that noted, we recognised the Bahamas is a small island state. A large percentage of the population is at work during the week, as in the case in other countries these have been held in.

He added: But, both local and global coverage has been absolutely brilliant and we are satisfied. We expect as we head into the weekend, I think the Bahamians will come out in droves for the athletic competitions, which the country is known for, and with all the other events.

There is no need to panic over this, these are tremendous games thus far and as the days go on, you can see it on the faces of the locals and the visitors, these games are something special.

On Wednesday, Romell Knowles, managing director of the games, told The Tribune that outdoor events were not as crowded as indoor ones, something he chalked up to the intense summer heat.

Given a chance to reflect on these comments yesterday, Mr Knowles maintained outdoor events were having issues, but added indoor events like judo on the initial two days of competition and boxing as of yesterday, have made up for the low numbers for the outdoor events.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the judo events were sold out. As a matter of fact, on Wednesday we had to add more seats to Kendall Isaacs Gym. We had 300 to 500 people there throughout those two days, and we are expecting similar numbers (Thursday) and (Friday) for boxing, stated Mr Knowles.

We meet with team leaders every day, their individual reports, like our overall reports show that people are turning up at these events. Are they world-record numbers? I am not saying that, but for a country the size of the Bahamas, for events through the day, scattered across five sites, we are getting quality turnouts, he added.

The CYG is the latest international sporting event hosted here, flowing from the former Christie administrations efforts to boost sports tourism. The event was agreed to by the former government.

According to Minister of Youth Sports and Culture Michael Pintard, the event will cost the Bahamas about $7m to host.

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Bahamas ranks on low on Cybersecurity Index – Magnetic Media (press release)

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Nassau, Bahamas July 21, 2017 Of 164 countries, The Bahamas ranks 129th on the most recent Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) published by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and Deputy Prime Minister Peter K Turnquest has said the country continues to fall too far behind in this area of safety.

Turnquest also said the low ranking could negatively affect the financial sector and curb the expansion of the local IT industry.

The Index assesses 25 indicators and ranks countries based on commitment to and effectiveness in fighting cyber crime. The Bahamas received high scores on only two of 25 indicators. Turnquest said that the Bahamas ranked too low overall on International reports and that even though these studies can be subjective, they influence perception. He added that it was critical that the Government put protocols in place for dealing with cyber crime and that these matters would be addressed soon.

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Bahamas ranks on low on Cybersecurity Index - Magnetic Media (press release)

Bahamas ‘falls too far’: 129th on cyber security | The Tribune – Bahamas Tribune

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By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Deputy Prime Minister yesterday conceded that the Bahamas "continues to fall too far down the scale", after this nation was ranked 129th out of 164 countries for its commitment and effectiveness in fighting cyber crime.

K P Turnquest acknowledged that the Bahamas' ranking in the bottom third of the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI), published by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), could "undermine" the financial services industry and this nation's desire to expand its information technology (IT) capabilities.

Of the 25 indicators on which countries were rated, the Bahamas scored highly on just two - cybercriminal legislation and its participation in efforts to combat the problem globally.

This resulted in the GCI placing the Bahamas among 96 nations said to be in the "initiating stage", meaning that they have just "started to make commitments in cybersecurity".

The GCI placed the Bahamas below 'economic powerhouses' such as Gabon, Nauru, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Niger when it came to the commitment, strength and effectiveness of cybersecurity systems, agencies and supporting legislation.

The Bahamas' 129th ranking is also lower than the 121st spot it currently occupies in the World Bank's 'ease of doing' business rankings. On a regional basis, this nation was placed below Jamaica, the leader, who came in at 85th spot, and the likes of Barbados, St Vincent and the Dominican Republic. It did, though, finish ahead of Trinidad & Tobago.

"How did we get there," Mr Turnquest asked, when Tribune Business disclosed the Bahamas' GCI ranking. The survey was conducted by an international regulatory body, the ITU, whose members just held their annual conference in the Bahamas.

The Deputy Prime Minister said the Government needed to better understand the basis for the Bahamas' ranking by the ITU's GCI, but admitted: "In all these rankings we continue to fall too far down the scale.

"There's some things we have to do, not only to be more secure, but put in place the required protocols to give actual and perceived security, as well as improve the overall ease of doing business.

"We have to address them as priority to recover our standing, but this particular issue comes as a bit of a surprise as I'm not sure what the basis of it is. As we look at it, we'll see what we have to do to respond."

Mr Turnquest said that while the Bahamas' rankings in international indices were often "subjective", the Government was aware that international investor perceptions of this nation could be easily influenced by them.

And, given the Bahamas' reliance on financial services and other data-based industries, plus its hopes for further economic diversification via IT, the GCI index ranking could be particularly damaging.

"It's absolutely critical that we have very effective and proactive cyber security measures," Mr Turnquest told Tribune Business. "If we are perceived to be weak in the area of data protection and transaction protection, it does have the potential to undermine our financial services industry."

The Deputy Prime Minister suggested that the Bahamas' GCI ranking was likely based "more in theory than in fact", but acknowledged that perception was everything.

"We'll need to address it," he told Tribune Business. "We have to get facts. Certainly, to the extent there are perceived weaknesses, we'll have to do what is necessary to ensure we negate it."

With IT now an essential part of commerce, Brahima Sanou, the ITU's telecommunications bureau director, emphasised why the growing cyber criminal threat meant awareness and security measures were essential.

"In 2016, nearly 1 per cent of all e-mails sent were essentially malicious attacks, the highest rate in recent years," he wrote in the GCI report. "Ransomware attacks increasingly affected businesses and consumers, with indiscriminate campaigns pushing out massive volumes of malicious e-mails.

"Attackers are demanding more and more from victims, with the average ransom demand rising to over $1,000 in 2016, up from approximately $300 a year earlier. In May 2017, a massive cyber attack caused major disruptions to companies and hospitals in over 150 countries, prompting a call for greater co-operation around the world."

Bahamians, and local businesses, have also become increasingly familiar with hackers and the senders of malware, adware, spyware and various forms of computer viruses. The Clearing Banks Association (CBA) has recently taken out a series of advertisements to warn Bahamians about the threats from 'phishing' e-mails and other tactics designed to obtain their bank account details.

Stephen Bereaux, the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority's (URCA) chief executive, yesterday said the regulator was not responsible for cybersecurity in the Bahamas, and did not provide any data in response to the survey the ITU issued for the GCI index rankings.

He added, though, that based on talks at last week's ITU conference in the Bahamas he was "confident a number of things are going on" to protect the Bahamas against cyber criminals.

"There were a number of discussions last week on cybersecurity and the impact on the financial services sector in the Bahamas," Mr Bereaux told Tribune Business.

"Clearly, cybersecurity is an issue for any country, but that said, based on the discussions at the conference, a lot of effort is going on in the country to ensure the issue is addressed."

Mr Bereaux said care had to be taken in interpreting indices such as the GCI, because they sometimes did not reflect what was taking place in a particular country."

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Bahamas 'falls too far': 129th on cyber security | The Tribune - Bahamas Tribune

Missing mom’s husband sought ‘presumed death’ letter days after … – ABC News

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The newlywed husband of a mother who vanished while the couple was sailing in the Bahamas had asked the Coast Guard for a letter of presumed death a day after the agency called off their search, and within four days of their boat overturning, according to court documents.

Isabella Hellmann's sister has accused her husband Lewis Bennett of killing her, according to a police report issued after her disappearance. Bennett has not been formally named as a suspect in her disappearance.

Authorities have also never said that they suspect the disappearance of the 41-year-old mother was the result of foul play, and the investigation into her disappearance is still being treated as a missing persons case by the Coast Guard and the FBI.

A May 19 letter from the Coast Guard to Lewis Bennett, Hellmann's husband of just three months and father of their 9-month-old daughter, informed him that it isn't authorized to issue a letter of presumed death. The letter is included in documents related to an action Hellmanns sister, Adriana Difeo, filed in the Palm Beach County court in June in an effort to take over Hellmanns finances.

The Delray Beach, Florida couple was celebrating their marriage by sailing the Caribbean. The boat was reported capsized on May 15 near the Bahamas, and the search for Hellmann was called off on May 18.

Bennett told the Coast Guard that Hellmann had agreed to take watch above deck. He awoke to the sensation of something hitting the boat, he told the Coast Guard, and the feeling that the vessel was starting to sink.

Bennett also told the Coast Guard that when he couldnt find Hellmann he jumped onto a life raft and sent out a distress call. He was found on the life raft on May 15, according to the Coast Guard.

Florida law states that a person can't be declared legally dead until he or she has been missing for at least five years.

Areva Martin, a legal analyst, told ABC News that Bennett's request from the Coast Guard doesn't add up, given the details spelled out by Florida's missing person law.

"There's not a clear indication as to why he would want this letter, particularly in light of Florida law, which says a person is not presumed dead that goes missing until after 5 years has elapsed," Martin said.

The letter from the Coast Guard notes that "a combined 137.77 hours spanning 4,980 square nautical miles with four types of aircrafts and three CG cutters" was dedicated to their search for Bennett, but they were unable to find her.

Friends of Hellmann have told ABC News that the couple had gotten into a fight about the possibility of moving to Bennett's native Australia.

"She was set on, 'no, I'm not moving,' and he was upset [about] her not wanting to go with him," Sarah Cortes, a friend of Hellmann's, told ABC News. "The family is destroyed, the family is extremely hurt."

ABC News Ben Stein contributed to this report.

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Missing mom's husband sought 'presumed death' letter days after ... - ABC News

A Bahamas Babymoon: Seven Things to Do Before the Baby – TravelPulse

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PHOTO: Breezes Bahamas Resort & Spa. (photo courtesy of Breezes Resorts & Spas)

Todays couples know that when it comes to preparing for a baby, theres more to it than selecting a nursery theme and having a car seat and crib at the ready. In fact, savvy parents-to-be realize that once baby arrivesespecially if its Baby No. 2 or No. 3being alone together will soon be but a distant memory.

Enter the babymoon:a time to relax and reconnect before that sweet bundle of joy makes an appearance and sleep deprivation and diapers settle in for a spell.

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Most couples head for the beach when it comes time to plan a babymoon, and with so many things to do and see its no wonder that the Bahamas are a popular destination.

For couples wondering where to stay, Breezes Bahamas Resort & Spa, the only super-inclusive resort in the Bahamas, is offering a babymoon add-on package for just $200 (minimum three-night stay). The package offers such extras as a room upgrade based on availability (first-floor rooms available upon request), extra pillows to ensure that the mom-to-be can rest comfortably, breakfast in bed one morning and more.

Looking for ideas on how to enjoy your stay? Here are seven of our favorites:

Pamper yourself

Expectant parents should take advantage of every opportunity to pamper themselves before the focus shifts to the baby. Guests of Breezes Bahamas who opt for the Babymoon Add-on Package can enjoy complimentary his and her facials at the resorts full-service Blue Mahoe Seaside Spa. The spa offers a full range of a la carte services, all carried out just steps from the ocean.

Enjoy a romantic oceanside dinner

Carpe dinner!Seize the chance to have a special dinner for two (and a half). What could be more romantic than an oceanside table, personalized service and twinkly stars overhead?

Explore the water

Whether its floating in a freshwater pool (Breezes Bahamas has three) or bobbing in the gentle waves off the white-sand Cable Beach, mamas-to-be know that cool water is the great equalizer. More adventurous couples can try their hand at kayaking or even sailing with their doctors permission, of course.

WATCH Dream Weddings by Breezes Resorts & Spas

Lounge in a private cabana

Want to feel special? Then rent a beachside cabana for the day. Better yet, Breezes Bahamas offers daily beachfront cabana and waiter service (a value of $50 a day) as part of their babymoon add-on package.

Take in a show

Once thebaby arrives, heading out for the night will mean a late-night run to the store for diapers. Couples should make the most of the chance to catch a live show, perhaps one featuring a local steel drum band, or relax at an intimate spot.

Shop till you drop

Pick up a few souvenirs or even something for the babys room. Nassau offers a host of shopping opportunities from high-end boutiques to markets showcasing the work of local artisans.

See the sights

Theres a lot more to do in the Bahamas than sun and swim. Couples shouldnt miss the chance to visit Ardastra Gardens & Zoo, Fort Charlotte, the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas, Clifton Heritage National Park and the Graycliff Chocolatier where moms-to-be can learn to make their own chocolate treats while reveling in the knowledge that theyre eating for two.

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NC Gov. Cooper: No offshore oil drilling in the Atlantic Ocean – News & Observer

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WRAL.com
NC Gov. Cooper: No offshore oil drilling in the Atlantic Ocean
News & Observer
North Carolina's Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said Thursday that his administration will oppose the Trump administration's efforts to open Atlantic Ocean waters to offshore oil and gas drilling. Cooper's decision reverses the state's policy under former ...
'Not off our coast,' Cooper tells feds about offshore drillingWRAL.com
North Carolina Joins Offshore Drilling OppositionNatural Resources Defense Council
Cooper: Offshore drilling is 'a bad deal'Havelock News
Business Insider -WITN
all 71 news articles »

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Offshore Drilling Safety – New York Times

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Photo BPs Deepwater Horizon drill rig exploding in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Credit Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

To the Editor:

Re Trumps Risky Offshore Oil Strategy, by Bob Graham and William K. Reilly (Op-Ed, July 5):

As co-chairmen of the National Oil Spill Commission, Mr. Graham and Mr. Reilly concluded in 2014 that offshore drilling is safer than it was at the time of the Gulf of Mexico incident in 2010. Its even truer today because of technological innovation, stringent new safety standards and strong coordination between federal and state governments and industry.

A top-to-bottom review by federal regulators and operators resulted in more than 100 new or revised standards for well design, blowout prevention equipment and other elements of offshore safety.

Advanced systems to cap wells at the ocean floor are in the Gulf of Mexico as a safety precaution, and independent third-party auditors and government regulators evaluate progress and update operational practices through the Center for Offshore Safety, created in 2011.

Effective safeguards are in place so Americas abundant offshore resources can be retrieved safely. Our industry works toward responsible development and a goal of zero incidents.

JACK GERARD, WASHINGTON

The writer is president and chief executive of the American Petroleum Institute.

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Offshore Drilling Safety - New York Times

How Teekay Offshore Partners LP Got Into This Mess – Seeking Alpha

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Last year, Teekay Offshore Partners L.P. (TOO) reached a financing arrangement with the banks that resulted in a significant equity raise.

Source: Teekay Offshore Partners June, 2016, Equity Raise Presentation

The company raised about $200 million in preferred and common equity, and combined that with some new bank loans to fund the major commitments through the end of 2017. As shown above, there was some extra liquidity projected above the minimum requirements of the banks.

But a "straw in the wind" was the "at the market" sales of common units that persisted for months after this arrangement. So as definite as management sounded, the financing was not quite as secure as management was stating in the presentation. Persistent at the market sales of common units can be used for many reasons. But a company that has just patched together a financing initiative should not have needed more financing. That method of financing breaks even if it works and loses when it does not. This company needed a few things to go right for this solution to hold. Management needs a much better binary choice.

Source: Teekay Offshore Partners June, 2016, Equity Raise Presentation

Stock market valuations and capital market pricing have a strong correlation. Debt pricing and market favoritism appear to go together. The more out of favor a company appears to be, the more costly will be the debt (and probably equity). Therefore, the company needs to plan ahead and have a sizable cushion when conditions deteriorate. Banks often expect companies to solve their own problems when an industry is out of favor. At the very least the banker will demand more security, possibly more covenants, and probably a higher loan rate.

One example of this outside the industry would be Kinder Morgan (KMI) and Buckeye Partners L.P. (BPL). Kinder Morgan needed to delever the balance sheet. Many subsequent articles covered that process as the company struggled to maintain its credit rating. This company announced a debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio of 5.2. That ratio was ahead of many expectations on the way to 5.0 while the company found a way to finance the Trans Mountain Expansion project. But there was a distribution cut initially as well as some material asset sales to get the job done. Management had to get moving to solve the problem and did get moving.

Source: Buckeye Partners L.P. Annual Meeting Presentation, June 6, 2017

Buckeye Partners, on the other hand, has run things a little bit differently. The key ratio (long term debt to EBITDA) was well under the goal that Kinder Morgan management worked all year to achieve. As a result, the credit markets were open to Buckeye. Buckeye was fairly choosy for awhile, but as the markets opened up, Buckeye was a prime beneficiary and made a decent acquisition. Equity was sold by means of a shelf registration and the debt was negotiated without much fanfare. Mission easily accomplished. The partnership had no distribution cut nor did management worry about the deteriorating debt market conditions.

There is an article out about Teekay Offshore competitor Knot Offshore Partners L.P. (NYSE:KNOP). Knot is not as diversified as Teekay. But right now that diversification does not appear to be much of an advantage to Teekay. The debt markets appear to be wide open for Knot while Teekay Offshore appears to be on the outside looking in. Right now Knot is more profitable and banks love profits. So if a company is going to be dependent on the debt market, then the company needs financial cushions for those cyclical deterioration periods. In Knot's case, the company just avoided any weak markets completely so far.

Teekay Offshore management could have accomplished the same thing by selling the interests in all the relevant ships. Management could have decreased the partnership exposure to less desirable areas.

Source: Teekay Offshore Partners June, 2016, Equity Raise Presentation

Source: Teekay Offshore Partners Fourth Quarter, 2016 Earnings Presentation

The top slide shows the original schedule. But some of the projects began to show cost overruns. Plus, the Arendal Spirit contract payments ceased with a performance dispute. This was happening while the capital markets deteriorated for the company. That Arendal Spirit contract would later be canceled in the current year. But even before that, management had a priority of some asset sales and joint ventures to raise money and decrease risk.

To maintain its credit rating, Kinder Morgan management promptly started selling assets and achieving goals set to get to the final objective. Teekay Offshore management has been noticeably silent about raising cash through joint ventures and partial asset sales despite an announced priority a few months back. That is going to make Mr. Market wonder if those methods of raising cash are available.

One thing that always crosses industry lines is the signals sent by management through inaction. Here those signals may be critical. Martin Midstream (MMLP) sold some assets with investors screaming about the low price. Then came an equity offering and now the company appears to be on the road to recovery. The fact is that Teekay Offshore partners have had several months to show the market that the financing issues can be resolved.

Last June was a start. But management treated it officially as the end of the problem. There is no way so much debt should be due within a year at the current time after last year's solution. The debt due within a year represents about 20% of the total partnership debt. That is plain crazy when management stated that the capital markets were deteriorating.

So the recent market reaction to management silence is more than understandable. Teekay Offshore partners has now had several months to reassure the market and it has not happened. Management could have demonstrated a proactive strategy last year but did not. The end of the "at the market" sale of common units combined with the recent price decline of those units embodies the market fears due to management inaction.

Source: Teekay Corporation First Quarter, 2017, Earnings Results

One thing the parent company, Teekay Corporation (TK) has done is allowed Teekay Offshore to pay the limited partner interests, general partner interests, and preferred dividends shown above in the form of common units. These units should be saleable (or other equivalent units in the holdings of Teekay should be saleable) for the units to show on a cash flow statement above. However, it should be pointed out that Non-GAAP statements have no standard meaning within the accounting world and may not even be audited. So they can be used for whatever purposes the reporting company wishes. Comparisons of Non-GAAP statements needed to be very carefully done.

As shown above, Teekay Corporation has so far elected to keep the new shares received. That in-effect decreases the cash flow shown above. But it also means that at some point Teekay Offshore will have to begin paying all those distributions in cash. That is an extra $5 million or so that will need to be recovered in more cash flow above and beyond future cash flow needs.

"As of March 31, 2017, the Partnership had total liquidity of $216.7 million (comprised of $193.4 million in cash and cash equivalents and $23.3 million in undrawn credit facilities), excluding $60 million included in restricted cash relating to amounts deposited in escrow to pre-fund a portion of the remaining Petrojarl I FPSO upgrade costs. "

Source: Teekay Offshore First Quarter, 2017, Earnings Results

Banks hate missed forecasts. The very first slide forecast more liquidity than this. Admittedly, this liquidity is above the required minimum, but not by much. It appears to fit in with the management attitude of planning financing needs "almost exactly" without a sufficient cushion. This latest liquidity reflects something that is satisfactory at best but does not show a desire to excel. Banks like customers such as Kinder Morgan. Kinder Morgan management stated their deleveraging goals and then beat those goals.

The Teekay Offshore equivalent would have been to raise some money and stop running to the banker with every little financing need. Management appears to depend upon the banks too much. That attitude of depending upon the banks for financing could reverberate throughout the organization and have some unintended (and unfavorable) side effects.

Source: Teekay Offshore First Quarter, 2017, Earnings Results

The change in non-cash working capital accounts caused cash flow to surge the year before. Otherwise, both cash flow and earnings showed improvement over the previous year. It should be noted that an unrealized gain in derivative instruments accounts for the earnings posted for December 2016. An earnings increase combined with a cash flow decrease can be a sign of aggressive (but legal) accounting that can be anathema to lenders. Here, the relation of cash flow to earnings should allay any such fears.

Even so, cash flow of $98 million is not sufficient for a company with more than $3 billion in debt. $620 million of that debt is due within a year. At some point, total cash flow to total debt matters. That point may be now. Sometimes new construction or renovations no longer qualify as an excuse. The financing last year should have foreseen that debt coming due and proactively solved that refinancing. This partnership needed to skate through the capital market deterioration without financing needs. Capital markets were deteriorating as noted at the beginning of the article. Management further stated that no debt markets needed to be tapped until 2018 or so.

But management never considered that the banks might get a little antsy as the markets deteriorated. So not only is debt coming due in excess of the cash balance and expected cash flow, but cost overruns and a contract cancellation have to be dealt with as well. But management knew a year ago that the bankers attitude could be less than helpful. That is part of what deteriorating capital markets mean.

If there is a pattern here, it is a lack of proactive management action to prevent some of these challenges. That is how the company got into this mess. That is also how companies such as Kinder Morgan, Buckeye Partners, and probably competitor Knot Offshore Partners have managed to avoid these kinds of problems. Things happen to well run companies also, but because they have thought ahead, shareholders do not even realize there was a problem. That is good management. Teekay Offshore management needs a few lessons in proactive management. Until then, this stock is not going anywhere long term except maybe down.

Disclaimer: I am not a registered investment advisor and this article is not advice to buy or sell stock in any company. The investor needs to do his own independent investigation that includes reading the company governmental filings and press releases, as well as anything else relevant to determining if this company fits the investor's risk profile.

Disclosure: I am/we are long MMLP.

I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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How Teekay Offshore Partners LP Got Into This Mess - Seeking Alpha

Tax Avoidance: Nike Just Did It Again, Moving $1.5 Billion Offshore Last Year – Just Taxes Blog (blog)

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The Nike Corporations annual financial disclosure of income tax payments is always notable for two recurring trends: the Oregon-based companys steady shifting of profits into offshore tax havens, and Nikes apparent effort to conceal how its achieving this tax avoidance. This years report, released earlier this week, is no exception.

Nike now holds $12.2 billion of its profits offshore as permanently reinvested earnings, up from $10.7 billion last year. Designating its profits this way allows the company to avoid paying even a dime of U.S. income taxes on these profits until they are repatriated to the U.S.

This ability to postpone paying U.S. income taxes, known as deferral, isnt quite as troubling when the companies are clearly doing real business abroad and paying a reasonable amount of taxes in other countries. If these profits are repatriated to the U.S., the federal tax on foreign income is the statutory U.S. corporate tax rate of 35 percent minus whatever has already been paid to foreign governments.

But if a corporation reports that it would pay nearly 35 percent of its offshore profits in U.S. taxes upon repatriation, that means the company must be paying almost nothing in taxes in the foreign countries where it claims to earn these profits.

And that appears to be exactly what Nike is doing. The company estimates that if its $12.2 billion was repatriated to the U.S., it would owe $4.1 billion in U.S. taxes, for a tax rate of nearly 34 percent. The clear implication is that the company has paid a foreign tax rate of almost zero on this $12.2 billion, including the $1.5 billion the company shifted offshore in the last year.

In the past, its been easy to identify a likely candidate for the destination of this offshore cash: Bermuda. As we noted in 2013, Nike disclosed owning a dozen subsidiaries in this tiny (and income-tax free) country, almost all of which were named after specific brands of Nike shoes. Since it seems unlikely that the company needs all those subsidiaries to help it sell flip-flops to the good citizens of Bermuda, a highly plausible alternative explanation is that Nike has been shifting its intellectual property to its Bermuda subs, where the income generated by its patents and technology wont be taxed.

But Nike appears to have wised up to the negative publicity this stunt could create. In each year since 2013, the company has disclosed fewer and fewer Bermuda subsidiaries. The most recent report whittles down the list to just two, Nike Finance Ltd and Nike International Ltd. Has Nike abandoned its tax-sheltering ways and eliminated its other Bermuda subsor has the companys leadership decided to simply stop reporting the existence of these subsidiaries? The lax disclosure requirements governing subsidiary reporting make it impossible to know for sure. But the hard fact is that Nikes offshore cash is now even more tax-free, in 2017, than it was before its Bermuda subsidiaries started disappearing.

Nikes apparently tax dodging illustrates the problem with Trumps proposal to lower the federal corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 15 percent. Nikes continuing offshoring of profits is a sobering reminder that if deferral is allowed, the tax rate Republican leaders are really trying to compete with is zero. Nothing short of ending deferral will stop Nikes tax-avoiding ways.

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Tax Avoidance: Nike Just Did It Again, Moving $1.5 Billion Offshore Last Year - Just Taxes Blog (blog)

Two teens disappeared fishing offshore. Now one family blames the other in a lawsuit – Miami Herald

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Miami Herald
Two teens disappeared fishing offshore. Now one family blames the other in a lawsuit
Miami Herald
Before 14-year-old boys Perry Cohen and Austin Stephanos headed out on a boat one Friday morning in July 2015, Perry's mother, Pamela, kissed and hugged her son goodbye, expecting that the two friends were just embarking on a fishing day trip.

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Two teens disappeared fishing offshore. Now one family blames the other in a lawsuit - Miami Herald

The Standard Club launches new offshore advisory committee – Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

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The Standard Club is driving developments in offshore P&I with the launch of the Standard Club Offshore Advisory Committee (SCOAC). SCOAC aims to analyse offshore trends, assist the club in further understanding and disseminating industry best-practice and develop new strategies to provide a focused direction for the benefit of the clubs offshore membership. The committee consists of leading offshore players including Allseas Group, Bumi Armada, Floatel International, Nortrans Offshore, Saipem, SBM Offshore and Subsea 7 all members of The Standard Club.

The members of the committee are senior figures in the offshore industry with extensive experience and knowledge allowing them to provide invaluable insight to the committee which in turn will be shared with the wider membership.

SCOAC will review the current issues and emerging challenges affecting key sectors in the offshore industry including production, drilling, accommodation, constructions/installation, support/supply and other specialist operations. The focus is on ensuring that the clubs response is the most appropriate and supportive for its members given the challenging market conditions that they currently face. SCOAC will also consider the implications of new regulations coming into force, offshore contracting trends and other topical subjects affecting the offshore industry.

The Standard Clubs board fully supports this initiative, recognising not only the importance of cultivating collaboration between offshore members but also in continuing to be innovative and create a formal platform in which industry issues can be discussed to further support its members.

James Bean, Managing Director, Standard Europe commented:

The Standard Club is a leader in the offshore P&I sector and has unparalleled experience having reviewed and underwritten a wide range of offshore risks for more than 40 years, supported by first class claims service and loss prevention advice. Through its broad range of covers and diverse membership supported by high limits of cover, the club is well positioned to launch an Offshore Advisory Committee bringing together leaders in this sector to work collaboratively on industry issues affecting our members.

Our committee members are established figures in the offshore world and being able to call upon their considerable expertise is invaluable. I would like to thank them for the enthusiasm with which they have greeted this initiative and to Claire Bromley from Subsea7 for kindly accepting the committees nomination to take on the role of chair.

Claire Bromley, Head of Insurance, Subsea 7 SA Chairman commented:

SCOAC reinforces The Standard Clubs commitment to understanding and appreciating the evolving needs of its members and in looking for ways in which to further support these. As chairman I am looking forward to working together with the rest of the committee to ensure SCOAC is a success.

Standard Club Offshore Advisory Committee: Claire Bromley, Head of Insurance, Subsea 7 SA Chairman Jonathan Cassidy, Group Risk Manager and Insurance Director, SBM Offshore Suchitra Narayanan, General Manager, Risk & Insurance, Bumi Armada Berhad Johann Preller, Insurance Lead, Allseas Group S.A. Bertrand Valentin, Offshore E&C and Drilling Insurance Manager, Saipem Group Trond Kyrkjeboe, CEO, Nortrans Offshore Pte Ltd Thony Lindstrm Hrdin, General Counsel, Floatel International Ltd Source: The Standard Club

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The Standard Club launches new offshore advisory committee - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

RSPB loses legal fight against 2bn offshore windfarm in Scotland – The Guardian

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The windfarm will have up to 64 turbines and will be capable of powering 325,000 homes. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

A 2bn offshore windfarm in Scotland looks set to go ahead after the RSPB lost a long-running legal challenge against the plans, which the conservationists said threatened puffins, gannets and kittiwakes.

The Scottish government gave its consent to four major windfarms in the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Tay in 2014, but the RSPB launched a judicial review, saying it was extremely concerned at the impact on seabirds.

The charity won an initial court victory against Scottish ministers but a judge overturned that decision in May, clearing the development and prompting the RSPB to seek an appeal in the UKs supreme court.

On Wednesday, the court of session ruled it was refusing the application for the case to be sent to the supreme court.

Mainstream Renewable Power said it now looked forward to starting construction next year on the Neart na Gaoithe windfarm, north of Torness on Scotlands east coast, which will be capable of powering 325,000 homes.

Andy Kinsella, the companys chief operating officer, said: After more than two years and two court hearings, we hope that the RSPB acknowledges a fair hearing and allows us to get on with delivering the very significant benefits this project brings to the Scottish economy and its environment.

The firm said it was confident it could build the windfarm without harming wildlife and said the rise of more powerful turbines meant it had reduced their number from 125 in the original planning application to a maximum of 64.

Mainstream Renewable Power has secured a subsidy contract for its windfarm but the other three, backed by different developers, would need to win subsidy deals to go ahead. The Scottish government has estimated the four projects would generate up to 1.2bn for the countrys economy.

Anne McCall, director of RSPB Scotland, said: While disappointed by the court of session decision it is not wholly unexpected. We will now take time to consider the details and determine our next steps.

The existing consents, if implemented, could have a significant impact on Scotlands breeding seabirds but we are hopeful that by continuing to work with all the developers we will be able to reduce those impacts.

Excerpt from:

RSPB loses legal fight against 2bn offshore windfarm in Scotland - The Guardian

A Former Credit Suisse Banker Has Pleaded Guilty in an US Offshore Tax Case – Fortune

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A sign sits on a glass entrance door to a Credit Suisse Group AG office building in Zurich, Switzerland, on Thursday, July 6, 2017.Michele LiminaBloomberg Bloomberg/Getty Images

A former Credit Suisse Group AG banker from Switzerland pleaded guilty on Wednesday to participating in a wide-ranging scheme to help Americans hide millions of dollars in offshore accounts to evade U.S. taxes.

Susanne Regg Meier, a former manager with Credit Suisse, pleaded guilty in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia to conspiring to defraud the United States through her work heading of a team of bankers, the U.S. Justice Department said.

Her plea came six years after the Swiss citizen was indicted in 2011 in what was one of a number of cases spilling out of a broad crackdown by the United States on offshore tax evasion by Americans.

The probe led to charges against several other bankers and resulted in Credit Suisse pleading guilty in 2014 to conspiring to aid and assist taxpayers in filing false returns as part of a $2.6 billion settlement.

Regg Meier faces up to five years in prison. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept 8.

A lawyer for Regg Meier did not respond to a request for comment.

For more about taxes, watch Fortune's video:

Prosecutors said that from 2002 through 2011, while working as the head of the Zurich team of Credit Suisse's North American desk in Switzerland, Regg Meier participated in a conspiracy to help U.S. taxpayers hide assets in secret Swiss bank accounts.

Prosecutors said she oversaw the servicing of accounts for over 1,000 to 1,500 client relationships.

She was also personally responsible for the accounts of 140 to 150 clients, almost all of which were U.S. citizens, which held about $400 million in assets under management, prosecutors said.

After Credit Suisse began closing U.S. customers' accounts in 2008, Regg Meier helped clients keep their assets concealed, in some cases helping them open new accounts at other Swiss banks, prosecutors said.

According to the Justice Department, Regg Meier admitted that the tax loss that resulted from her criminal conduct was $3.5 million to $9.5 million.

The case is U.S. v. Adami, et al, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, No. 11-cr-95.

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A Former Credit Suisse Banker Has Pleaded Guilty in an US Offshore Tax Case - Fortune

Offshore sportsbook releases NHL season win totals for 2017-18 season – Covers.com

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Jul 20, 2017 |

Jamie Benn and the Dallas Stars are projected to take a big step forward in the next NHL regular season according to oddsmakers.

Photo By - USA Today Images

Jamie Benn and the Dallas Stars are projected to take a big step forward in the next NHL regular season according to oddsmakers.

Photo By - USA Today Images

The start of the 2017-18 NHL season is just 75 days away and the options for hockey future bets are expanding as we get closer to the first puck drop.

BetOnline.com released win totals for all 31 NHL teams with the Washington Capitals tagged with the highest total (50.5) and the expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights at the low end (26.5). The Capitals have won the Presidents Trophy the last two years which is awarded to the NHL team with the most points accumulated in the regular season.

The teams with the biggest changes from last seasons result and the books projection for the upcoming season are the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche. The Stars won 16 fewer games than the 50 they totaled in the 2015-16 campaign while the Avs had 17 fewer wins last season than they did two years ago.

The Chicago Blackhawks are projected to take the biggest step back in the upcoming year according to the win totals. Chicago won 50 games in the regular season last year before being bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the eventual Western Conference champions Nashville Predators. The Blackhawks win total for 2017-18 sits at 44.5. Heres a complete look at the rest of the NHL Over/Under team win totals for the 2017-18 campaign.

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Offshore sportsbook releases NHL season win totals for 2017-18 season - Covers.com

A Mountaineer on the high seas – West Virginia MetroNews

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WVMetronews/Chris Lawrence

HATTERAS ISLAND, N.C. The south end of the Outer Banks of North Carolina is a long way from the hills of West Virginia, but no matter where you go, youll find Mountaineers everywhere.

I grew up in Webster County in the town of Cowen. My moms family are long time Webster County folks, said Captain Jay Kavanagh owner and Captain of Bite-Me Charters. I left the state and went to college in Virginia and then came back to Morgantown to go to graduate school.

Kavanagh still maintains deep roots in the Mountain State. He proudly explained the wood trim on the interior of the boats cabin was cut and custom milled on the Cherry River in West Virginia.

Armed with a Masters Degree in Forestry, Kavanagh headed for the Carolina Coast after graduation and went to work in the North Carolina fishing industry. He also married into a fishing family. Jays wife is a native of the Outer Banks. Her family has owned the best known gathering spot for sportsmen in the region Frisco Rod and Gun for many years. In 2000, Kavanagh took the plunge, bought his boat, and decided to try his luck in the charter business. Seventeen years later, hes still going strong.

We have great fishing all year round out of Hatteras and we do run charters 12 months out of the year, of course were not as busy in the winter time, he explained. Typically spring and fall are good fishing for your meat fish, tuna, dolphin, and wahoo. Summertime is good fishing for dolphin and bill fish. We have great fishing all year long, it just depends on what you want to try to catch.

I chartered a trip with Captain Jay on the Bite-Me as an added activity to an Outer Banks vacation in June.

We have a lot of people who schedule a trip around their vacation, he said. Late summer we move the boat up to Oregon Inlet because the marlin bite actually moves up there. This is a good place to catch a big blue marlin. Thats the largest of the bill fish species.

During 2017, as of our trip, the Bite-Me had boated 7 blue marlin, four of them above 400 pounds and two at more than 500 pounds. The blue marlin are released and anglers proudly display a marlin flag in the end of the day photo.

The day starts early with scenery only few get to enjoy. The sun made a dramatic rise on the Atlantic and seeped through a pallet of low hanging clouds. Boats began the run out of Hatteras Harbor for the Gulf Stream in a row. Its a short trip. Trolling starts 20 miles off shore less than an hours run from land.

Thats one good thing, were fairly close to the Gulf Stream, Kavanagh explained. Hatteras Island sticks way out into the ocean so were closer to the fishing.

First mate Catlin Cat Peele set various lines at various depths in hopes of raising fish. A mix of live bait, artificial streamers and chains of colorful teasers bounce along the surface in the boats wake trying to attract anything hungry. The sunrise continued to create a spectacular early morning backdrop.

Although finicky at first, after several hours Captain Jay found what he was hunting, floating grass.

Thats sargassum grass, sometimes called gulf weed. It grows on the surface out here in the Gulf Stream and its really the beginning of life, he said. If you can find that grass you can generally find life.

Kavanagh, from experience, noted the last large patch of grass on the downwind side is typically where the dolphin or mahi-mahi will school up to feed. His prediction was as solid as a bird dog pointing quail. Moments after the first pass there were more bites than there were people on board to handle a rod. As quickly as Cat unhooked a fish and tossed it into the ice chest, the same line would hit the water and immediately have another fish on.

Their schooling instinct is so strong, as long as you leave one hooked in the water, theyll stay with you, Kavanagh said. You saw that, they followed us around like puppy dogs.

The flurry of activity came in two waves. Both lasted 7 to 10 minutes and produced a total of 25 fish. Content with enough dolphin to satisfy our appetite and make a successful trip, we changed tactics in search of something larger. Kavanagh radioed other captains in the vicinity of his discovery and told them to have at it. Cat set different rigs and we pulled to the outskirts of our honey hole. The new goal was to find marlin, wahoo, tuna or sail fish.

Primarily this time of year were fishing for dolphin and bill fish species, he explained. But we could also possibly catch yellowfin tuna, blackfin tuna, wahoo, king mackerel, amberjack, just about anything that swims.

Those bigger fish werent to be for us on this day as my crew became sun weary. We headed for home with a mess of fresh fish and memories of a fantastic trip. A lot of West Virginians head for the Outer Banks on their vacation week, why not spent at least one day of your beach week aboard the Bite Me with a fellow West Virginian.

You can learn more about Bite Me Charters at their website or Facebook page.

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A Mountaineer on the high seas - West Virginia MetroNews