Community Affairs

Virgin Islands GOP National Committeeman Jevon O.A. Williams Returns From Washington After Meeting With President, Vice President and French Ambassador
WHITE HOUSE ACCESS: Vice President Mike Pence (left), Karen Pence (middle) and Virgin Islands GOP National Committeeman Jevon O.A. Williams meet for the Christmas holidays. [ad name=”HTML-68″] [wpedon id=”23995″ align=”left”] WASHINGTON — Virgin Islands GOP National Committeeman Jevon O.A. Williams returned to the territory Sunday after spending a week in

OPINION: Puerto Rican Americans Can’t Be Second-Class Citizens Forever … Now’s The Time To Do The Right Thing By Its People
[ad name=”HTML-68″] [wpedon id=”23995″ align=”left”] By JACQUELINE N. FONT-GUZMAN SPECIAL TO THE V.I. FREE PRESS SAN JUAN — Hurricanes do more than destroy homes, daily routines, power lines, agriculture, communication systems and levees. Hurricanes unveil unequal power dynamics, crush souls and create narratives, such as: “Puerto Ricans are American

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Governor Please Reconsider Your Order To Burn Tree and Plant Debris Because It Is Dangerous To The Health Of The People
By POLLY HOPPIN As health professionals with expertise in the links between air pollution and human health, we are writing to express our grave concern about and opposition to the proposed plan to dispose of wood debris on the Virgin Islands by burning them in air curtain incinerators. Burning of

REPORT: Slavery Ended In The Caribbean When It No Longer Made Good Business Sense
PORT OF SPAIN — IN ITS 18th-century heyday cane grown in the Caribbean and cut by African slaves provided Britain with nearly all its sugar. The masters of this brutal trade made enormous fortunes. But it has seen 200 years of decline, accelerating after slavery ended in 1838. Now the

Mapp-Potter Administration Goes Forward With ‘Test Burn’ On The South Shore of St. Croix Over Objections Of Environmentalists, Senators
CHRISTIANSTED — The Virgin Islands Free Press has confirmed that the local government conducted a “test burn” on the South Shore of St. Croix Wednesday. The test burn took place for at least two hours and maybe longer, the V.I. Free Press has learned. Yet Patrick Loch of the U.S.

OBITUARY NOTICE: Rita Mahoney In St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
[ad name=”HTML-68″] Relatives and friends are advised of the passing of Rita V. Mahoney, who passed away on Dec. 3, 2017. She was preceded in death by her children, Leo C. Mahoney, Kelvin Mahoney, Elston Mahoney. Rita Mahoney is survived by her children, Delores Parker, Edna Mahoney Sanders, Adelso Mahoney,

Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) Invites Residents of St. Thomas To Clean-Up Downtown With ‘Rock City Clean Streets’
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Department of Planning and Natural Resources Commissioner Dawn Henry invites the residents of the St. Thomas community to volunteer their services for a clean-up drive of downtown Charlotte Amalie on Saturday, December 16th. Groups leading the charge in the “Rock City Clean Streets” initiative include the Virgin Islands Marine Advisory

5 Names of People Who Died In Plane Crash At Henry Rohlsen Airport On Thursday Released
TRAGIC FLIGHT: Killed five people on St. Croix, including soca singer Kyle “Kylo” Sylvester of the Stylee Band and the pilot David Richardson of St. Thomas. FREDERIKSTED — The Virgin Islands Department of Justice, Office of the Medical Examiner released the names of five men who died during a plane

FEMA Extends Deadline To Apply For Disaster Aid Until January 8 … ‘Encourages Everyone Affected By The Hurricanes To Register’
TIGHT FIT: A car carefully navigates around and under obstacles on a road one week after Hurricane Maria raked St. Croix. REUTERS/Jonathan Drake CHRISTIANSTED — U.S. Virgin Islanders affected by hurricanes Irma and Maria now have until Jan. 8, 2018, to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The

Reckless St. Croix Motorist Drives Into Utility Pole Near Gallows Bay Early Sunday Morning … No Injuries Reported
[ad name=”HTML-68″] CHRISTIANSTED — An errant St. Croix motorist drove into a utility pole early Sunday morning downtown and when it fell it knocked down part of an abandoned building. No injuries have been reported so far. Motorists in the westbound land were forced to go into the eastbound lane