John F. McCarthy is a veteran journalist in the Caribbean, writing from the "Decision Space" where survival meets the surreal. His reporting steel was tempered by a lineage of legendary editors and broadcasters, including Ed Wynn Brant (The Bomb), Owen Eschenroder (Ann Arbor News), Lynelle Emanuel (BVI Beacon), and Charles Thanas (WSVI-TV).
Alongside longtime colleague Kenneth C. "Casey" Clark, McCarthy has navigated the front lines of the territory’s history—from the 1997 volcanic "snow" to every major hurricane since Hugo. Known for leaning out of doorless helicopters to capture the "money shot," McCarthy now edits the V.I. Free Press, providing the essential link between the island's colonial past and its SpaceX future.
MIAMI — Milton became a hurricane today. It is expected to arrive near Tampa on Wednesday as at least a Category 3, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). As…
HAVANA — More than half of Cuba was without power on Thursday evening as fuel shortages and broken-down power plants left the government with little choice but to black out…
CHRISTIANSTED — Diabetes continues to be a growing health crisis in the Virgin Islands, with the Department of Health calling it a "silent epidemic" affecting over 11,600 adults. The Virgin…
APPLE VALLEY, Minnesota (AP) — A pair of rare Amur tiger cubs are making their public debut at the Minnesota Zoo, raising hopes for preserving an endangered species that's native…
BEDFORD, N.H. (AP) — Police and firefighters in New Hampshire responded to an unusual call Thursday morning — a moose was trapped in a backyard swimming pool. A video shot…
PORT-AU-PRINCE (AP) — The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to extend the mandate of the Kenya-led multinational force helping to tackle gang violence in Haiti, after brushing off a call…
MIAMI — Tropical Storm Milton formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday and is forecast to bring “life-threatening impacts” to Florida — a state just ravaged by Hurricane Helene…
CHRISTIANSTED — The Virgin Islands Department of Health is urging the public to avoid traversing Watergut and King Cross streets where a sewage spill has been reported on St. Croix. The…
MIAMI — Leslie has strengthened into a hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean and isn’t threatening land, forecasters said. The storm was located Saturday about 725 miles (1,170 kilometers) west-southwest of…
DES MOINES (AP) — The owner of a water buffalo that ran loose in a Des Moines, Iowa, suburb for days pleaded guilty for having an animal at large. The owner was…