John McCarthy is primarily known for his investigative reporting on the U.S. Virgin Islands. A series of reports beginning in the 1990's revealed that there was everything from coliform bacteria to Cryptosporidium in locally-bottled St. Croix drinking water, according to a then-unpublished University of the Virgin Islands sampling. Another report, following Hurricane Hugo in 1989, cited a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) confidential overview that said that over 40 percent of the U.S. Virgin Islands public lives below the poverty line. The Virgin Islands Free Press is the only Caribbean news source to regularly incorporate the findings of U.S. Freedom of Information Act requests. John's articles have appeared in the BVI Beacon, St. Croix Avis, San Juan Star and Virgin Islands Daily News. He is the former news director of WSVI-TV Channel 8 on St. Croix.
SPANISH TOWN — A minor earthquake registering 5.1 on the Richter Scale occurred about 183 miles east of Virgin Gorda at 5:50 a.m. Atlantic Standard Time today, the National Weather Service…
WASHINGTON — A coalition of advocacy groups is suing the federal government’s disaster response agency, claiming it is making Puerto Rico less resilient to storms and more vulnerable to power…
KINGSTON — The Earthquake Unit at the University of the West Indies reported that a 5.2 magnitude earthquake was felt across eastern sections of Jamaica on Saturday afternoon. It was…
TEAGUE BAY — A St. Croix hotel worker was charged with murder after detectives say he intentionally ran over a co-worker with his vehicle and killed him on Friday morning.…
FREDERIKSTED — Police are investigating after a teenager broke down the door to get to a gun locked in her parents bedroom and then shot herself fatally, authorities said. An…
HAVANA (AP) — Cuba plans to resume accepting deportation flights from the United States this month, a Cuban official said, echoing U.S. concerns about the highest levels of Cuban migration in six…
SANTO DOMINGO (AP) — A judge in the Dominican Republic ordered an ex-presidential candidate held under house arrest and two former high-ranking officials jailed while awaiting trial in a record…
SAN JUAN (AP) — Puerto Rico’s governor declared a state of emergency this week to fight worsening coastal erosion across that officials blame on climate change. The government is setting…
KINGSHILL — An employee of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles is accused of stealing $14,772.37 in government funds dating back to 2021 authorities said. Jenae Almestica, 34, was arrested and…
SAN JUAN (AP) — Two cousins of Puerto Rico’s Gov. Pedro Pierluisi pleaded guilty Thursday for embezzling an estimated $3.7 million in federal funds earmarked for the management of public…