Category: Business News

FEMA Approves $418.5 Million For Contractors Who Fixed Hurricane-Damaged Homes

CHRISTIANSTED — Contractors who repaired damages so Virgin Islanders could remain in their homes after the 2017 hurricanes are a step closer to being paid as the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved $418.5 million for their invoices. FEMA has approved the payment under its Sheltering & Temporary Essential Power program. In a recent letter […]

DPNR Puts Fuel Delivery Ban On ‘Gas For Less’ And ‘Freedom City’ Service Stations

CHRISTIANSTED — Commissioner Jean-Pierre L. Oriol of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources announces a fuel delivery prohibition against the owner and/or operator of Gas For Less Service Station located at 1 AR Estate Diamond, Christiansted; and Freedom City Service Station located at 41-59 Estate Concordia, Frederiksted.   This prohibits the facilities from having regulated substances, including but not […]

SOCIAL SECURITY COLUMN: What You Need To Know About Internet Security

With more people learning online, we would like to highlight some of the digital resources we have for educators. Chances are a student will know someone who receives retirement, disability or survivor’s benefits. This could be a way to relate our many programs to a new audience. Showing young people that our programs also help […]

Coast Guard Investigates Tug Boat And Deck Barge, Vessel Grounding In Culebra

CULEBRA ISLAND — Coast Guard marine and facility inspectors were in Culebra, Puerto Rico on Wednesday conducting a preliminary assessment as part of a marine casualty investigation into a reported pier allision and vessel grounding involving the tug boat Don Jaime and the deck barge Marilin H. At this time, the tugboat and barge have […]

Blinken To Meet Virtually With All 15 Caribbean Foreign Ministers Today

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet virtually today with 15 foreign ministers of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), State Department spokesman Ned Price said. “They will discuss a number of issues affecting our region, including climate change and disaster resilience and reinforce the deep bond we share with our Caribbean neighbors,” Price […]

U.N. Wants $29.2 Million To Help St. Vincent Citizens Displaced By Volcano

NEW YORK—- The United Nations launched an appeal on Tuesday for $29.2 million to help some 15,000 people displaced when the La Soufriere volcano on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent erupted earlier this month. “We are in a dire situation frankly … We’re not out of the woods,” St. Vincent and the Grenadines […]

Governor Bryan Ends Beach Curfew, Eases COVID-19 Restrictions for Restaurants

CHRISTIANSTED — During the Government House weekly press briefing today, Governor Albert Bryan ended the curfews at all of the territory’s beaches, which had been ordered closed by 5 p.m. on weekends and holidays to help mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The existing curfew will be lifted beginning Friday, April 23; however, the restrictions […]

UVI School of Agriculture Research Bears Fruit: ‘Festival’ And ‘Midnite’ Sorrel

The University of the Virgin Islands School of Agriculture unveiled two new varieties of sorrel to the public on Thursday, April 8, via Facebook Live. Sorrel varieties “Festival” and “Midnite” are a combination of Caribbean and African varieties (from Nigeria and Ghana), crossed with a Trinidad variety of Black Sorrel. For 11 years, Thomas Zimmerman, […]

Op-Ed: Cruise Travelers Are Still Backbone of U.S. Virgin Islands Tourism Revenue

In Mark Wenner’s article entitled “Time to rethink cruise tourism strategy” he ends with the question: “Given the low expenditure of cruise ship visitors ($165 per head) in the U.S. Virgin Islands, does it make sense to continue to bet heavily on the mass market cruise ship segment?” To answer that question, let’s look at […]

Fugitive Florida Fashion Designers Won’t Be Extradited After Squatting In Apartment

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A couple who came to St. Thomas from the mainland on a one-way ticket have both been charged with squatting in and damaging a vacant apartment on St. Thomas and each have active warrants for their arrest in Florida, authorities said. Venessa Blanco and DePaul Hendrix, also known as Jamil Ahmad Bryant-Perry, […]