Saint Croix’s dominant Lady Rovers SC win 2024 Women’s Premier League Championships. (Photo courtesy Mackeish Taylor-Jones)
In the heart of St. Croix, Lady Rovers Soccer Club and St. Croix Kestrels Soccer Collective prove that progress does not require perfect conditions, just relentless commitment. Their mission is simple: grow the game for women and girls in the Virgin Islands.
Lady Rovers SC is building its legacy as a powerhouse after only two years. “Last year marked the return of a women’s league in the USVI for the first time in a decade,” said Mackiesh Taylor-Jones, club captain and cofounder. “We’re proud to say Lady Rovers and Rovers made history by winning both the Women’s Premier League and Men’s League and the Big Four Championship.” Both squads went undefeated — Lady Rovers allowing just one goal all season.
The St. Croix Kestrels bring a different kind of depth. “Our team is mostly made up of both high school girls and women in their 30s, 40s, and even 50s,” said player-manager Claudia Lombard. “The young ones came up through our club and the youth national team, but the older players — many of whom are moms and full-time professionals — never had those chances growing up.” Together, they’ve created a culture of shared responsibility, mentorship, and grit. In a league that is still rebuilding its foundation, their presence is critical.
St. Croix Kestrels unite local high school girls to form competitive teen team. (Photo courtesy Claudia Lombard)
Both clubs face the common challenge of player availability. “Finding one or two days a week when most of our players can train is tough,” Lombard admitted. “Schedules are packed. Some of our women are traveling, others are working and raising families.” Taylor-Jones nodded to broader cultural hurdles: “Women’s soccer isn’t always taken seriously here, and that impacts participation and support. But we’ve made it a priority to change that — on the field and off.”
Their efforts extend far beyond match days. Lombard, who played for the USVI national team until the age of 44, has coached youth teams for nearly a decade and now leads the U15 girls’ national squad. “I’ve organized beach soccer events, watch parties, and summer camps,” she said. “Anything to keep the game growing.” Taylor-Jones, who debuted for the U-19 national team at 12, now coaches the U14 girls’ national team and has helped build Lady Rovers into a pipeline for local and international talent. “We didn’t have this many girls playing three years ago,” she said. “Now the national team pool has over 40 players. That’s huge.”
Many players got their start on makeshift fields with no real infrastructure, only a love for the game and someone willing to coach them. Now, those same players are returning as mentors, building bridges for the girls behind them. “It’s about creating opportunity,” said Taylor-Jones. “Making sure they feel seen and know this space is theirs.”
Managing their roles as players, coaches, and professionals is no small feat. Lombard credits her ability to juggle responsibilities to planning, organization, and a supportive team environment. “Having a family that backs me and players who help carry the load makes a big difference,” she said. Taylor-Jones agrees but admits it’s not always easy. “I work full-time as Chief Legal Counsel at the Department of Health. Then it’s soccer in the evenings and weekends — sometimes even more than my day job. I’ve learned how to balance it, but this year has been tough. I know I need to make more space to rest.”
Kestrels’ Women’s Team of mothers, grandmothers, and full-time professionals who build a culture of shared responsibility, mentorship, and grit. (Photo courtesy Claudia Lombard)
Despite the hustle, the passion remains unshaken. “I bring experience and a smile to the field on most days,” Lombard joked. Taylor-Jones brings fire and focus: “I want young girls to know that they belong here. That they can do great things through this game. This is about more than playing — it’s about building confidence and creating opportunity.”
That long-term investment is already paying off. Lady Rovers contribute the most players to the U14 national team. Kestrels, meanwhile, offer something rare: intergenerational mentorship. “We have grandmothers who still play,” Lombard said with pride. “That kind of leadership matters. The girls see what’s possible in the long term.”
The presence of both teams has inspired a cultural shift across the island. Parents are more willing to commit their daughters to competitive play. Even spectatorship is growing. “When we hosted our summer tournament last year, the bleachers were full,” said Taylor-Jones. “People are starting to care — and that matters.”
Lady Rovers is currently hosting its annual Summer Kick-Off, a girls’ soccer tournament from June 19–22 at VIALCO.
These women are building more than teams – they are building blueprints. They are proving, one pass at a time, that the future of women’s soccer can be bold, inclusive, and unstoppable.
Despite the archery range’s official closure for summer camp traffic, walk-ins are unofficially welcomed on Saturdays. (Photo by Mat Probasco)
St. Croix bow enthusiasts can still use the public archery range, but before notching an arrow, they’ll need to first pick up the phone, officials from the Department of Planning and Natural Resources said Friday.
DPNR announced the archery range would temporarily close May 14 but may still be open to summer camps and special events. Several anxious, avid archers contacted DPNR to plead for time at the range, said Nicole Angeli, director of the Division of Fish and Wildlife, which oversees the archery program.
Angeli agreed to open the range Saturdays — when no summer camps were scheduled — for those who had called or emailed. Although no announcement was made, walk-ins were welcomed on Saturdays too.
“We had it open on Saturdays for whoever wanted to come because there were multiple archers that had been coming regularly. And then we weren’t turning away anyone who walked in,” Angeli said. “We didn’t have a good schedule for the summer. We also needed to do all the administrative work, which is quite a bit.”
The archery range hosts some 800 young people each year, many of whom come as part of six or seven annual summer camps, DPNR officials said.
Confusion about the announced closure led archery enthusiasts to contact the Source. Some complained that the range was already closed too often. With just one dedicated employee — responsible for safety at the field and looking after the equipment — the range could be open three or more days a week when not on summer hours, they said.
Angeli confirmed the new regular hours were still a work in progress and might not be official until late summer.
For now, walk-ins are welcome on Saturdays, but checking ahead might be a good idea. Beyond that, a special request would be needed, she said.
“If folks want to request a time, they can email,” Angeli said.
Kaley L. Lund, a 32-year-old fugitive convicted of involuntary manslaughter, was apprehended in Texas and returned to the Virgin Islands to face sentencing, according to a statement issued Friday by Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea.
Lund appeared in V.I. Superior Court before Judge Yolan Brow-Ross for an advice of rights hearing after being formally arraigned on a new charge of failure to appear in a criminal proceeding. She must post $5,500 bail and secure a third-party custodian and an approved St. Croix address to be released pending further proceedings, according to the statement.
Lund’s return follows her extradition from Corpus Christi, Texas, where she was arrested Thursday by U.S. Marshals with assistance from the Corpus Christi Police Department. The arrest was based on a tip received by Assistant Director Gisselle M. Quinones of the V.I. Justice Department’s Special Investigations Division. Her now-husband, David Keith Hightower, who served as her third-party custodian, was also arrested and charged with hindering apprehension, the statement said.
Lund pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in March 2020 in connection with a fatal crash that killed 25-year-old Marvin Barton and injured another passenger. At the time of the incident, Lund, then 27, was driving under the influence and lacked a valid license. She was initially released after posting $5,000 bail and permitted to reside in Florida while awaiting trial, it said.
Rather than proceed to trial, Lund entered her plea via Zoom on March 7, 2024. Her sentencing, originally scheduled for May 31, 2024, was postponed to June 28, 2024. When she failed to appear, her defense attorney and the Office of Probation reported being unable to contact her. Judge Jomo Meade issued a bench warrant on July 1, 2024, and authorized her entry into the National Crime Information Center database, it said.
Attorney General Rhea praised the efforts of law enforcement and DOJ personnel who secured Lund’s return.
“This arrest highlights the commitment of both the Virgin Islands Department of Justice and our federal partners to ensuring that fugitives are held accountable, regardless of how far they try to escape,” said Rhea. He credited Assistant Director Gisselle Quinones, Director Jerry Inniss, and the Special Investigations teams on both islands, as well as DOJ acting Deputy Attorney General Patricia Lynn Pryor and Criminal Division Chief Amie M. Simpson, for their roles in the operation.
Lund remains in custody while awaiting sentencing.
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Jeanne Mary Joseph who died June 2, 2025.
Jeanne Mary Joseph
She was preceded in death by her mother, Leah Jeanne Benjamin; father, Clifton Edward Joseph; three sisters; and three brothers.
She is survived by her sons, Troy Thompson Sr. and Clifton Joseph; daughters, Charise Raymond and Natasha Forbes; daughter-in-law, Paola Joseph; grandchildren, Jenee’ Garcia’, Camisha, Je’Quan, Dante,Chante, Chimoy and Camraun Joseph; great-grandchildren, J’Nia George, Jay’Dah Thomas, Amir Knighton, Zy’air Adams, Cy’elle Adams, Je’Quan Jr., Je’Karie and Je’Ya Joseph; sisters, Marrisa and Susie Joseph; Sybil Farrington, Morita Warr; nieces, Kesima Parry, Jeanne, Delia, and Sandra Thomas; Chesna Trotman, Daphne Thomas Sanders, Cherise Hewitt, Jaliya and Jareese Anderson; Leah Pickering, Annette Jacobs, Germaine Edwards; niece-in-law, Cindy Paris; nephews, Kevin and Kyron George, Jareem Anderson, Clyde McBean, Sybrey Callwood, Aluwyn Jacobs Jr., Darell Thomas, Alton Thomas Jr., Arthur Paris; 12 great nieces; 9 great nephews; special friends, Donna Wesselhoft and Claudette Charleswell; and many other relatives too numerous to mention.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the first viewing on Friday, June 27 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Blyden Chapel Memorial Chapel, located across the Western Cemetery .
The second viewing and service will be held at the Frederick Lutheran Church downtown on Saturday, June 28th. Viewing starts from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and the church service starts at 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Interment Private. Funeral arrangement by Turnbull’s Funeral Home and Crematory Services
A motion filed Tuesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court signals a major turning point for Seaborne Virgin Islands, with the airline securing a qualified “stalking horse” bidder who has committed to taking over operations and preserving its legacy in the region.
Unlike the controversial sale of sister company Silver Airways to Wexford Capital, the bidder for Seaborne — identified as STK I US LLC, affiliated with Nella Airlines — has agreed to assume post-petition liabilities and ordinary payroll obligations, ensuring business continuity for employees, vendors, and customers. According to bankruptcy filings, the bidder has already placed a 10% deposit and intends to close the sale immediately following court approval.
“This is a huge step forward,” said Philip Lambrechts, a restructuring adviser to the case. “We’re encouraged that Seaborne has attracted interest from investors who not only want to preserve service in the U.S. Virgin Islands but help it grow. That’s not something we saw with Silver.”
The emergency motion requests an expedited timeline, with a sale hearing set for July 1 at 2 p.m. in the Southern District of Florida. If approved, the deal would close within days, freeing Seaborne from its financial dependence on Silver Airways, which entered Chapter 11 along with Seaborne in December.
The motion outlines a competitive auction process that allows other potential bidders to step forward by June 30 at noon, but any new offers must beat the stalking horse bid by at least $100,000 and assume the same obligations, including employee payroll. A sale objection deadline is also set for June 30 at 4 p.m., with an auction (if necessary) scheduled for the morning of July 1.
Court documents show the bid includes a $200,000 purchase price and a commitment to cover Seaborne’s outstanding administrative liabilities — estimated at $625,000 — along with ensuring a smooth operational transition away from Silver’s infrastructure. Notably, the bidder has waived many of the typical closing conditions to allow for a faster restart under new ownership.
The motion also notes increased interest from other prospective bidders, suggesting that Seaborne’s value as a stand-alone regional carrier is gaining attention.
“If more investors step forward, it only strengthens the process,” Lambrechts said. “But either way, we expect to emerge from this sale with a new owner committed to revitalizing Seaborne’s role in the Caribbean.”
Department of Planning and Natural Resources tests this week found St. Thomas’ Lindqvist Beach and Secret Harbor contained excessive Enterococci Bacteria and were ruled unsafe for swimming and fishing.
The weekly Beach Water Quality Monitoring Program monitored 25 beaches June 16 – June 20.
The tests, which evaluate weekly water quality at popular swimming beaches throughout the territory by sampling for Enterococci Bacteria and turbidity, a measure of water clarity, found the following beaches met water quality standards and are considered safe for swimming and fishing:
St. Croix
Buccaneer Beach Ha’Penny Beach Stony Ground, Cane Bay New Fort Louisa Augusta, Chenay Bay Protestant Cay, Cramers Park Rainbow Beach, Dorsch Beach Shoy’s Beach, Frederiksted Public Beach Sprat Hall
St. Thomas
Bluebeard’s Beach Hull Bay, Bolongo Bay Lindbergh Bay, Brewer’s Bay Magens Bay, Coki Point Sapphire Beach, Frenchman’s Bay Vessup Bay
The following beaches do not meet water quality standards because they exceed the established Enterococci Bacteria threshold and therefore are not considered safe for swimming or fishing:
• Lindqvist Beach on St. Thomas
• Secret Harbor on St. Thomas.
Please note: Samples were not collected at the following beaches, therefore, the water quality at these beaches is unknown.
• Columbus Landing on St. Croix
• Grapetree Bay Beach on St. Croix
• Pelican Cove (Comorant) on St. Croix
• Princess Condo Row on St. Croix
• Water Bay on St. Thomas
• All the beaches on St. John and Water Island.
For additional information regarding water quality, call the Division of Environmental Protection at 773-1082 in St. Croix or 774-3320 in St. Thomas.
Alpine is proud to announce its sponsorship of Charlotte Amalie High School student Jonathan Tucker, who has once again been selected to participate in the nationally acclaimed STEMM Prep Project.
(left to right) Vernon Araujo, Director of Philanthropy at Alpine Securities, Naitik Jhanwar, Jonathan Tucker, and Allena Clifford, Business Support Manager at RapierMed
Jonathan, a rising 10th grader, will spend seven weeks this summer conducting advanced scientific research at the University of Pennsylvania. His participation in the competitive STEMM internship is part of a long-term academic track offered by the nonprofit Distance Learning Center (DLC), designed to prepare high-achieving, underrepresented minority students for leadership in STEMM fields.
“Supporting Jonathan isn’t just about this summer—it’s about investing in the future of the Virgin Islands,” said Vernon Araujo, Director of Philanthropy at Alpine Securities. “We are committed to creating opportunities for young people to realize their potential and lead in the spaces that matter most—science, innovation, and community development.”
Last year, Jonathan’s work focused on cutting-edge cancer immunotherapy, comparing Killer Immunoglobulin-like Receptor Chimeric Antigen Receptor (KIR-CAR) T cells with traditional CAR-T cells. This year, he’ll build on that experience with new mentorship from university researchers and continued hands-on lab work.
The STEMM Prep Project begins as early as seventh grade, and students return annually through college, conducting research at major institutions across the country. The program boasts a 100% college matriculation rate, with over 80% of alumni pursuing careers in science or medicine. Its graduates have gone on to prestigious institutions like Stanford University and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
“STEMMPREP has one of the highest success rates in the country,” said Dr. Moses Williams, founder of the program. “Our goal is to build a national pipeline of talented minority students ready to lead in STEMM fields.”
Alpine’s sponsorship ensures that Jonathan has access to this transformative experience, alongside fellow Virgin Islands student Naitik Jhanwar of All Saints Cathedral School, who is supported by RapierMed. “Our investment in these students is part of our long-term commitment to science, innovation, and the Virgin Islands,” said Allena Clifford, Business Support Manager at RapierMed. “Naitik represents the kind of visionary thinking that will define the next generation of medical and scientific leaders.”
Naitik’s project focused on the Enterococcus bacteria found in the human gut and their role in infectious disease. “It gave me a lab experience that I can never forget,” said Naitik.
Founded in 2008, Alpine is a financial firm based in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, specializing in investment management services. Beyond finance, Alpine is deeply committed to supporting education, youth development, and community advancement throughout the territory.
About RapierMed
RapierMed is a global investment firm committed to restoring compassion in healthcare through strategic investments in life sciences and medical technology. Its broader portfolio spans multiple sectors, driven by a disciplined approach focused on delivering consistent, risk-adjusted returns
It is tremendous sadness that we the family announce the passing of our beloved Rosetta “Lakie” Fleming, who passed on May 4, 2025.
Rosetta Fleming
Rosetta is survived by her Husband Stanley Fleming; her sons Dwight Liburd and Delroy Fleming; sisters Yvonne and Emerald Liburd; grandchildren Kaiela Liburd- Francis, Jamoi King, Keneisha Liburd, Ne-Quann Liburd, Ne-Queira Liburd, Saint Fleming, Tiffany Allen, Tanet Fleming; nieces Symrah Christopher, Sherla Liburd, Shackera Christopher, Shackia Christopher, Shenay Liburd, Sasha Liburd, Sacari Liburd, Junie Allen, Rachel White; nephews Kerwin Liburd and Jamal Walker; greatgrandchildren Kymani Lewis, K’mya Francis, Kiana Francis, Kamron Liburd, Zyaire Liburd, Saiyomi Liburd, Kvonte Francis, Eliyah, Ka’Myah,Kyree, Joy and Janelle King; daughters in law Carmen Liburd and Joede Grant Fleming; great necies Haddisha Christopher, Amaiyah Peters, T’Kera Aska, Orecia White, Shaniqua Williams ; special great nieces Carin Thomas and Lucina Peterson; great nephews Shamoy Burton, Mehkai Royer, Jayden Christopher, Jamari Rivera, Jamarli Rivera, Lyam Webber; special friends Theona Archibald, Luella Hermon, Era Hermon, Harriett Williams, Beave Williams, Rosie Rodriguez, Julia Meyers, Jeanette Halliday, Sheryl Smith, Kimo Crooke, Kim Rollins, Amos Peters Sr., Avery Lewis, Turkey, June Heyliger, Malcolm Grant, Gwendolyn Ryan, Jahlima Industrious, Nixon Hodge, Marver Browne, Lucie Donovan, Laurie Venzen, Lavern Isaac, Raphael George, Victoria George, Jolly Joseph, Terese Joseph, Denzel Halliday, Annette Smith, Elma Young, Dorecia Guzman, Angelo Pancho Guzman Jr., Winston Herbert Jr., Marcel Callwood, Shawn Hayden, Hyacinth and the family at the St Andrews Episcopal Church.
She is survived by many other family members and friends.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the Funeral services that is scheduled for Saturday June 28 at the St Andrews Episcopal Church. First viewing will be held at Turnbull Funeral home on June 27 from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. 2nd viewing will be on June 28 from 9 a.m.-10 a.m. at St Andrews Church with service at 10 a.m. Interment will follow at the Smith Bay Cemetery. Arrangements are by Turnbull’s Funeral Home and Crematory Service.
Corrections Bureau Director Wynnie Testamark addresses the Senate Budget, Appropriations and Finance Committee Wednesday on St. Thomas. (Photo courtesy V.I. Legislature)
With few treatment options available in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the burden of housing and treating people with mental illness falls substantially on the V.I. Corrections Bureau.
BOC Director Wynnie Testamark told lawmakers on the Senate Budget, Appropriations and Finance Committee Wednesday that the BOC — one of the territory’s primary providers of mental health care — spent close to half a million dollars on psychological and psychiatric support services in 2024 and nearly $350,000 in 2025. Approximately 40% of the inmates housed in the territory receive some form of mental health treatment.
“These investments are essential to meeting the behavioral health needs of the incarcerated population, including those facing serious mental illness, substance use disorders and trauma-related conditions,” she said.
Incarcerated people who require specialized treatment are frequently remanded to the custody of the Health Department, which bears the cost of placing them in off-island treatment facilities. Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion told the Source in May that it costs $250 to $1,000 per day to house these individuals, and the territory spends close to $14 million per year to do so, up from approximately $10 million just three years ago.
According to Wednesday’s hearing, the cost to the territory is even higher.
Testamark said during Wednesday’s testimony that the bureau spent close to $5 million on overtime in 2024. As of this week, the BOC has spent nearly $3 million on overtime in 2025, which Testamark said was largely driven by officers having to accompany those being sent for behavioral health treatment on the mainland.
“So once the officer leaves the territory, they have overtime until they get back,” she said. “So a lot of that is attributed to that — those special details — or if we have someone in the hospital, you know, special details.”
Besides being expensive, court filings show that the system frequently leaves incarcerated people — many of whom have not or cannot be convicted — languishing in prison.
In May, Corrections, Health and Justice officials scrambled to find a legal path to treat a nonverbal 18-year-old with development delay, autism spectrum disorder and a traumatic brain injury who had already been found unfit to stand trial earlier this year. Arrested again in April and denied treatment at Luis Hospital, Kyjauni Joseph was taken to the John A. Bell Correctional Facility, where he remained in a catatonic state. He was later transferred to Schneider Hospital.
On the same day BOC leadership testified before the Senate, a V.I. Superior Court judge ordered the V.I. Health Department’s Behavioral Health Division to perform a mental health evaluation for a man who was arrested for violating a restraining order two years ago, and who had already been found unfit to stand trial by a psychologist in March 2024. The man was accepted by a Florida treatment facility last May, according to Wednesday’s order.
“However, the Defendant remains at the Bureau of Corrections and has been waiting for over a year to be transferred to the Larkin Community Hospital Behavioral Health Services,” Judge Denise Francois wrote. “While the parties and the Court were waiting for the Defendant to be transferred to Larkin, the competency hearing was delayed. Hence the need for an updated evaluation.”
Ahjara Francis was arrested and charged with murder in November 2022, and three months later, a judge ordered that he receive a psychological evaluation. That evaluation was performed at some point before May 2023, but, in a familiar pattern, had to be redone because the report’s author was not available for a competency hearing. Francis was eventually found unfit to stand trial and committed to the custody of the Health Department in February 2024.
Over the next year, it appears the government struggled to place Francis at a treatment facility. Health Department leadership then skipped a May 8 review hearing, prompting Judge Kathleen Mackay to order the officials to show cause on May 20 as to why Francis remained in BOC custody. According to a status report filed in court Wednesday, Francis was transported to Larkin on May 23.
Superior Court documents show that the Health Department, Corrections personnel and prosecutors have repeatedly been ordered to explain delays in providing mental health evaluations and placing incarcerated people in treatment facilities abroad.
Akeal Wilkins was arrested in November and charged with arson after setting fire to an office inside the Wilbur Francis Command Center on St. Croix. Wilkins was found unfit to stand trial, and in January Magistrate Judge Venetia Velazquez ordered that the “Bureau of Corrections and the DOH must coordinate the use of their staff and resources to safely deliver the Defendant to a behavioral health facility either in or out of the Territory for mental health treatment as soon as is practicable.”
Four months later, officials were summoned to court to explain to Velazquez why that never happened. Court documents offer a detailed look at the precarious arrangement — and how it can be derailed by miscommunication between government agencies and delays.
According to a lengthy email thread, the government filed by way of explanation, Wilkins and one other person were set to be taken to a South Carolina facility on May 9 after several delays.
Presciently, Assistant Attorney General Chad Mitchell wrote to Health and Corrections on April 29 seeking information about the travel arrangements and urging compliance with the court.
“I do not want to turn the new and friendly Judge Velezquez into a judge who will start threatening sanctions and fines,” he wrote. “Let’s do our best to follow her orders and keep her informed and involved if there are legitimate reasons for delays.
“All other details and behind the scenes maneuverings are not my concern, but please play nice. Whoever is on the hook for paying for the transport, please pay and get [it] set up today,” he added.
A May 2 email by Behavioral Health Director Gesil Ramos outlined the difficulty in even making the arrangements due to “severe limitations in available crew and flight options.”
“From St. Croix … there is only one viable flight with a single stop, a requirement due to the condition of the patients and the protocols for assisting officers,” she wrote to the Columbia Regional Care Center.
On the morning of May 9, Testamark’s executive assistant emailed the group advising that if the accompanying officers did not receive their cash advances by noon that day, they wouldn’t be traveling. A Health Department staffer replied that the payments were pending with the V.I. Finance Department. By 12:30, the trip was canceled.
“I am writing to express deep disappointment regarding the recent decision to cancel the travel arrangements for our patients,” Ramos wrote that afternoon. “It is disheartening to see that, in this instance, the treatment and well-being of the patients were not prioritized, especially when we all understand the immense effort it takes to get individuals into treatment.
Writing that the Health Department has “consistently worked to collaborate with our sister agencies in good faith, under the shared belief that we are one government, united in our mission to serve the people,” Ramos called on her colleagues to do better.
The last minute cancellation, she wrote, cost the Health Department $13,965.
“At the end of the day, it appears to be the position of BOC that DOH is to blame for processing the payments untimely,” Mitchell wrote in a May 22 informative motion after Velazquez threatened to hold the agencies in civil contempt. “It appears to be the position of DOH that BOC should have waited to cancel the travel, and that they would have had the per diem checks eventually.”
A Jan. 10 letter the Justice Department sent to Health indicates that the above are not isolated incidents.
“The criminal and family courts have recently been ordering the Department of Health to perform specific tasks by very specific date deadlines. When these deadlines are not met, the court has been inclined to impose sanctions, with the Department of Justice often caught in the middle,” according to the letter, which included a series of guidelines for DOH to follow.
Though court-mandated oversight of the territory’s prisons has shown some improvement in the Corrections Bureau’s mental health care capacity over the years, the most recent federal consent decree monitor’s most recent report still puts the John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility’s mental health and suicide prevention regimen at 68% sustained compliance with federal requirements.
“Over the last several years, it has been impossible to sustain the previously obtained level of compliance with the Mental Health provisions and build upon that success, largely due to staffing issues … i.e., an overall shortage of mental health staff following the resignation of half the staff, the hiring of staff who were not qualified for the position for which they were hired, the organization of mental health staff within the Medical Department, and also the shortage of security staff required to support all mental health programs,” monitor Kenneth Ray wrote in an April report. “However, within the last 6+ months, there have been efforts to address some of these staffing issues….”
Ray noted several areas of concern, including: timely and well-documented assessments; timely initial comprehensive, interdisciplinary mental health treatment plans; provision of mental health treatment and other therapeutic interventies; assessment, monitoring and provision to individuals in segregation and others; and internal compliance monitoring.
In May, Encarnacion told the Source that one solution to the mounting challenges could be a dedicated mental health facility adjacent to the prison.
“It wouldn’t be that we would be placing individuals in BOC,” she said. “It would mean that we would be negotiating a portion of BOC, separating it completely from BOC. But they have the space that would allow us to offer forensic medicine outside of BOC.”
A diver hunts for lionfish using special equipment, including a three-pronged spear and a “zookeeper” stash bag for storing venomous lionfish. (Photo courtesy CORE)
Divers are gathering on St. Thomas and St. John Saturday to slay as many lionfish as they can and compete for $8,000 in prize money during the second annual STTJ Lionfish Derby.
Captains of the participating boats must attend a registration meeting Friday at 6 p.m. at the Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club in Red Hook on St. Thomas. Participants may also register in advance online at the Caribbean Restoration and Education Foundation website, better known as CORE V.I.
On Saturday, boats with divers will head out to the waters around St. Thomas and St. John in an attempt to win prizes for catching the most lionfish, as well as for snagging the biggest and the smallest lionfish. Boats may go anywhere they like, according to CORE President Frank Cummings, but only those divers who have been certified and permitted to cull lionfish in the Virgin Islands National Park will be allowed to hunt in park waters. Other restrictions will be outlined at the Friday night meeting.
CORE President Frank Cummings (Source photo by Amy H. Roberts)
The event is being sponsored by CORE V.I., the Department of Planning and Natural Resources’ Division of Fish and Wildlife, and Reef Responsible. The entry fee is $50 per person.
Invasive voracious lionfish were first identified in Virgin Islands’ waters in 2008. According to a 2015 story in the Source, “at least 40 species of fish in the Atlantic have declined in population since the appearance of the lionfish.” There are additional consequences beyond simply eating up our local fishes, according to experts; many of the species they eat graze on algae that grow on reefs, and “left unchecked, algae can smother reef systems.”
A 14-inch knife indicates the size of this mature lionfish. (Photo courtesy CORE)
As the major threat to local reefs, lionfish became the center of CORE’s work until the onset of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease in 2019. “Because of the rapid rate of mortality with the disease, we took our foot off the gas for lionfish,” said Cummings.
But now it seems the lionfish population is roaring back. Michael Funk, vice president of CORE’s executive board, has been organizing boats on St. Croix to go out once or twice a month to hunt for lionfish, and the data from that island are showing a consistent trend, said Cummings.
“For a while, they were getting only 10 or 15 lionfish during an outing,” said Cummings, “but in the last month they’ve been getting close to one hundred.”
CORE lionfish expert Mike Funk demonstrated how to remove venomous spines and filet lionfish before cooking at a lionfish derby held on St. Croix in 2023. (Source photo by Susan Ellis)
It’s not clear why the lionfish population has surged. Cummings thinks lionfish breed in the depths of the South Drop between St. Croix and St. John. “They’re down about 300 feet or more, too deep for recreational divers to go [to hunt them] without special certification and gear,” he said.
A single female lionfish releases into the current up to two million eggs a year, which then float up to the surface. Driven by the wind, the eggs settle along the shoreline on St. John from Ram Head to Rendezvous Bay, leading to the recent population boom.
Cummings doesn’t have the data to prove it yet, but he thinks the invasion of sargassum seaweed also plays a part in the recent lionfish resurgence. “Sargassum acts like a broom, sweeping the eggs toward the shoreline. When we get an influx of sargassum, a month later we often get an increase in small lionfish,” he said.
New technology is being developed to hunt lionfish in deeper waters, according to Cummings. “Robotics can go down there, and with AI, they are becoming autonomous and can kill lionfish by administering a shock or a spear.”
In the meantime, CORE continues to train and certify divers to hunt lionfish. The next training on St. Thomas will be announced soon.
CORE Continues Its Mission to Educate Public and Restore Reefs
CORE’s mission includes education, and this past year, they partnered with Low Key Watersports to certify eight students from the Gifft Hill School on St. John. Those students then worked with CORE to maintain an underwater coral nursery in Leinster Bay.
Low Key Watersports staff pose with CORE members and students from the Gifft Hill School. (Photo courtesy CORE)
“The underwater nursery is a great tool for education, and the students have been doing real work there,” said Cummings. The corals at the nursery are “fragments of opportunity” – pieces of coral that have been broken off by wave action or anchor damage and brought to the nursery by CORE divers. “Right now the fragments are happy and alive,” said Cummings.
A Gifft Hill School student poses after deploying a shade structure to protect a CORE coral nursery. (Photo courtesy CORE)
As the summer sun heats water temperatures to a point beyond which corals can survive, CORE divers plan to install a shade structure in the nursery as they have in the past.
Some fragments are especially precious. One piece of staghorn coral found at Henley Cay is thriving, while the “mother grove” died off during the intense bleaching event in 2024. “We’re trying to preserve the last of some genomes,” Cummings said.
Throughout the Caribbean, scientists are trying to grow and preserve coral in land-based labs, but Cummings said CORE is now trying another approach on St. John.
Gifft Hill School students ride a boat back to Cruz Bay after a successful mission. (Photo courtesy CORE)
He said a recent NOAA study showed that it was sometimes more effective to stabilize “fragments of opportunity” by cementing the coral pieces to a place in the reef structure close to where they’re found. This is in contrast to a common practice whereby divers bring the fragments back to a lab, stabilize them, and then take the fragments back out to the reef to replant.
“It’s 80% more efficient to put them right back where they came from where they have the right conditions for growth,” said Cumming. Now CORE has two teams of divers on St. John who travel with special cement that works underwater. “It takes a lot of training to do this,” he said. “You’ve got to blow a lot of bubbles before you get comfortable.”
