CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The USVI on Tuesday created a new territorial parks system that protects more than 30 areas from commercial development and reserves them for activities including hiking and beaching. Properties that total hundreds of acres were identified in St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas, including Great Salt Pond, Oppenheimer Beach, Cas Cay […]
Category: At VIFreep
Dry Air, Saharan Dust Shutting Down Tropical Wave’s Chances of Blossoming
MIAMI — The tropical wave in the eastern Atlantic is beginning to show its limitations, causing the National Hurricane Center to lower its odds of development. A wave that emerged off the coast of Africa early Monday is continuing to produce a large area of disorganized cloudiness and thunderstorms a few hundred miles southwest of […]
DPW Gets $2M Grant For Estate Thomas Road Project
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Estate Thomas neighborhood roads will receive a facelift in the very near future, thanks to a $2 million dollar grant from the Department of Interior. The Department of Public Works previously prepared designs for the Estate Thomas Infrastructure Road Repairs and Rehabilitation project, however the appropriated funding from the Public Finance Authority was […]
Bryan Commends Education For Opening Classrooms On Time
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Governor Albert Bryan hailed the successful first day of school as an “unqualified success” and thanked the hard-working staff, teachers and administrators of the Department of Education for their efforts to provide a quality learning experience for students across the territory. As I visited schools today on St. Thomas and St. Croix, I […]
Pile of Petroleum Coke Burning Doesn’t Fret New Owners of Refinery
CHRISTIANSTED — A pile of petroleum coke at the idled St. Croix refinery was found smoldering early Thursday morning, and the facility’s new owners did not issue a public notice until Sunday. The petroleum coke, “a solid fuel that resembles charcoal,” is still burning, according to the press release from Fermin Rodriguez, vice president and refinery […]
Coast Guard Cutter Crashes Into Fishing Boat, Killing 1 Fisherman Off Dorado
SAN JUAN — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Winslow Griesser and the 23-foot commercial fishing vessel Desakata were involved in a collision Monday afternoon, approximately four nautical miles north of Dorado, Puerto Rico. Following the collision, the crew of the cutter Winslow Griesser recovered the two fishermen aboard Desakata, identified as Carlos Rosario, who was […]
Oil Facility Fire Jeopardizes Cuba’s Frail Electric System
HAVANA — A deadly fire that began at a large oil storage facility in western Cuba spread today, threatening to plunge the island into a deeper energy crisis as it forced officials to shut down a key thermoelectric plant. Flames around dawn enveloped a third tank that firefighters had tried to cool as they struggle […]
‘Fierce’ Tropical Depression Expected This Week In Atlantic
MIAMI — People in the Eastern Caribbean don’t expect severe tropical weather in August, but the Atlantic Basin could have a new tropical depression later this week. Satellite observations show a fierce tropical disturbance has emerged off the western coast of Africa and is moving west-northwestward at 15 to 20 mph across the tropical Atlantic. […]
Fire at Cuba Oil Facility Spreads as 3rd Tank Ignites
HAVANA — A deadly fire that began at a large oil storage facility in western Cuba spread today after flames enveloped a third tank that firefighters had tried to cool as they struggle to fight the massive blaze. At least one person has died and 125 are injured, with another 14 reported missing ever since […]
Coast Guard Rescues Man From Capsized Vessel 69 Miles East of Smyrna Beach
JACKSONVILLE — The Coast Guard rescued a 60-year-old man, Friday, after his sail vessel capsized and sank 69 miles east of Smyrna Beach, Florida. Rescued was: Steven Hicks. The Coast Guard Cutter SkipJack crew rescued the man from a life raft and brought him back ashore in stable condition. “It’s important for mariners to keep their life-saving […]