Check out our weekly weather forecast with Jesse Daley, covering Sunday, May 25, through Saturday, May 31. Our YouTube playlist is updated every week, AND check out Jesse’s daily weather updates here.
Celebrated Contractors Concentrate on Building a Better V.I.
When the 2017 hurricanes were done blowing the Virgin Islands apart, contractors Elizabeth Nurse and Tyler Rice made a pact to put it back together again, keeping their efforts as locally beneficial as possible. While much of their work focused on repairing buildings, the duo also hoped to calm frazzled nerves and lift trampled spirits through their meditation and yoga studio.
Earlier this month, the Small Business Administration’s Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands District Office honored Nurse and Rice’s company, TLC Unlimited, as Prime Contractor of the Year.
The administration also honored Merchants Commercial Bank as USVI Lender of the Year, and COFECC as USVI Certified Development Company of the Year.
The contracting award “recognizes outstanding performance and impact in federal contracting, celebrating TLC Unlimited LLC’s leadership and contributions to the contracting community in the Virgin Islands and beyond,” according to an SBA statement.
Rice, who was born and raised in the Virgin Islands, said it was far from a solo effort: “This recognition belongs to the mentors, government agencies and especially our hardworking team who made it all possible.”
At a time when federal contracts to rebuild after the storms were, out of necessity, going to mainland companies unharmed by the hurricanes, Rice and Nurse set up TLC to build back the local base of construction expertise and execution. Many of the mainland contractors are unfamiliar with the Virgin Islands’ unique attributes. They import labor where there is already local talent available who know the market better.
“We got into federal contracting work in 2017 after hurricanes Irma and Maria. Particularly, we got involved so we could give back to the island, and it turned into a business,” Rice said. “Our ethos has always been to support the local community, work as much as we can with locals. All of our subcontractors are always local. It’s both islands at the same time — in St. Thomas and St. Croix.”
While getting people to work on reconstructing physical damage to the islands, Nurse and Rice launched a nonprofit called Breathe St. Thomas. While both Nurse and Rice are yogis, their Havensight yoga studio and meditation center is there for anyone interested in taking time out, reconnecting with their breath, and finding a sense of peace. They do a lot of work with children, many of whom were traumatized by the storms.
“We do kids’ trainings there and are also in the public schools bringing mindfulness and breathing techniques to the youth,” Rice said. “That’s always our energy, to put more toward the nonprofit, but now that we have more and more federal work coming on the horizon, we’re pretty busy.”
With fewer private buildings in need of repair, TLC has moved on to government buildings. Their construction projects ongoing in May include courthouses on both St. Croix and St. Thomas, Nurse said.
“It’s obviously different than disaster relief but thankfully we don’t need to work in disaster relief right now,” she said. “A lot of the work we were doing before is already completed and people are back to their homes and back to some normalcy in their lives.”
A big part of TLC’s and Breathe’s existence comes from goal-oriented open-mindedness, said Nurse, who moved to the Virgin Islands two years before the storms.
“We just kept putting it out to the universe that if there was a way to help we would,” she said. “It was just immediately clear when our call had been answered and it gave us a lot of strength and purpose being in the community literally putting roofs back on homes, giving people that sense of safety again.”
She described the whole process as enriching — the construction element, the meditation studio, and personal growth and depth of engagement with a community in need.
“We just feel really full in that way,” Nurse said.
While the meditation studio was always an idea, the hurricanes put a fine point on its need, Rice said.
“We wanted to get a place open where people could have a safe place to land and breathe and gain some tools to make them feel a little bit more grounded and less anxious,” he said.
He hoped that both projects would help inspire young people to get involved in skilled trades like those used in the construction business, and do so with the sort of calm mindfulness found through meditative breathing techniques.
“There’s definitely a shortage, it seems like, of younger people getting into the trade. So that would be the hope, that there’s more opportunity and that we can continuously pick up more subcontractors — and provide even more opportunities for local people in the construction field,” he said. “There’s always construction happening.”
Historic Gathering of Caribbean Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbis Held in St. Thomas
In a historic first, 20 Chabad Rabbis from across the region convened this week on the island of St. Thomas for a landmark two-day conference.
Hosted by Rabbi Asher Federman, director of Chabad Lubavitch of the Virgin Islands, spiritual leaders from island nations gathered together under one roof to share ideas, unique challenges and triumphs, strengthen ties, and chart a unified vision for Jewish life in the Caribbean.
“Each rabbi here brings a unique perspective, but we all share the same mission: to nurture and strengthen Jewish life, one community at a time, one soul at a time,” said Federman.
“The Caribbean, especially St. Thomas, is a place rich with Jewish history. It has gone through periods of life and vibrancy as well as times of unfortunate decline. We are of course filled with gratitude to our forebears who maintained Jewish life through thick and thin, natural disasters, population decline and weak economic conditions. Our historical synagogue is a gem and a beautiful historical landmark.”
The islands represented at the conference included Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Saint Lucia, Saint Barths, Turks and Caicos, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The rabbis and their rebbetzins (their wives) are inspired by the teachings of the rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson OBM, who was one of the most dynamic and influential spiritual leaders of modern times.
After the Holocaust, he embarked on a mission of Jewish revival through sending emissaries to every corner of the globe. He sought to embrace every single Jew regardless of background and affiliation, and to empower all of humanity to tap into the unlimited resources of their divine spark.
Beginning in the 1950s, the rebbe took great interest in the Caribbean islands and sent students to engage various communities.
Federman shared how the island communities, in particular, have special significance in the Bible. The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah talk of a time when remote islands will contribute to a global awareness of humanity’s purpose in making this world a kinder, better and more Godly place.
“This conference is a celebration of Jewish continuity, unity and the next frontier in global Jewish outreach. There is no such thing as a small person on a small island. Every human being is an integral part in the tapestry of creation, and our actions have the “butterfly effect” to tip the scale for a better future,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky of the Central Chabad offices.
The conference, which took place May 20–21, included collaborative workshops, Torah study, community-building discussions, and shared meals celebrating Jewish heritage and Caribbean culture. Sessions focused on strengthening education, outreach, holiday programming, and strategies for engaging the ever-growing number of snowbirds and visitors across the Caribbean.
“This gathering is a lifeline,” said Rabbi Mendel Zarchi of Chabad Puerto Rico. “We often work in isolation, separated by ocean and distance. Coming together like this brings new energy, perspective, and a sense of brotherhood that will uplift each of our local efforts.”
In Chabad tradition, the “rebbetzins” work hand in hand with their husbands and view their work as a lifelong partnership and privilege. The conference was a tribute to Federman’s wife, Henya, who was the driving force behind the growth and expansion of Jewish life on the island and a mentor to other representatives.
During the conference, Mendel Federman shared how, although his mother tragically passed away two and a half years ago, her life and legacy continue through her children and the community she lovingly built. “She left twelve Henyas in this world to continue and expand her life’s mission, and each of us are more committed than ever before.”
The historic meeting concluded with a warm community dinner and a joint resolution to enhance cross-island collaboration. The events mark a new chapter of unity, inspiration, and shared purpose.
Caribbean Community Theatre Celebrates 40 Years With ’40 Seasons of Love’ Cabaret
The Caribbean Community Theatre on St. Croix marked a significant milestone Friday with the opening of its 40th-anniversary cabaret, “40 Seasons of Love.”
This special production features a collection of songs and skits performed by some of CCT’s favorite performers from hit musicals like Chicago, Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, and Guys and Dolls. Directed by Michael Armendariz and Heather McRae, a talented ensemble of more than 20 brings to life St. Croix’s cultural landscape through theater.
The show, which runs for only three performances this weekend, offers audiences a nostalgic and entertaining journey through the theater’s rich history. Attendees can expect a vibrant showcase of music, dance and drama, reflecting the spirit that has defined CCT over the years.
Leslie Highfield, one of the lead soloists in the production and long-time performer, emphasized the importance of supporting the arts in the community. “Supporting the arts is vital for St. Croix’s cultural growth and unity,” Highfield stated. “It’s through performances like these that we connect, reflect, and celebrate our shared stories.”
“40 Seasons of Love” continues with performances on Saturday at 8 p.m and Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Caribbean Community Theatre. Tickets are available on Eventbrite. Please note that the production is not recommended for children under age 16.
Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of a landmark celebration honoring 40 years of theatrical excellence on St. Croix. This unique experience also includes a cash bar, raffle, and a silent auction!
Legal Review Underway Amid Senate Outrage Over Governor’s Pay Hike
Senate President Milton Potter announced Saturday that the Legislature has begun a formal legal review of the salary increases recently processed for the governor and lieutenant governor, saying the move raises serious constitutional questions about executive authority and legislative oversight.
The announcement comes the morning after Senate Vice President Kenneth Gittens called the raises “shameful and unjust,” demanding immediate legal action to stop what he described as an illegal pay hike carried out without legislative approval. At a heated Senate Budget Committee hearing Friday, lawmakers confirmed that the raises were processed last week and made retroactive to Dec. 2, 2024 — increasing the governor’s annual salary from $150,000 to $192,000 and the lieutenant governor’s from $125,000 to $168,000.
“This is simply unconscionable,” Gittens said in a statement Friday night, pointing to long-standing delays in retroactive wage payments to government workers and retirees, as well as emergency funding for hospitals that has yet to be disbursed. “We have debts to our employees, our vendors, our hospitals. And now, the top two executives are getting pay raises? It’s indefensible.”
In January, the Source first reported that Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. had accepted the recommendation of the now-defunct Public Employees Compensation Commission to increase executive salaries. But a legal opinion issued weeks later by the Legislature’s chief legal counsel concluded that such raises would violate Virgin Islands law, which requires legislative action to adjust the compensation of the territory’s top elected officials.
Despite the opinion, Personnel Director Cindy Richardson testified Friday that the raises were implemented — retroactive to early December — without any legislative appropriation or debate. Months ago, the governor said there would be no additional appropriations, or supplemental, to the government’s already-approved budget, but rather adjustments from personnel cost savings.
Gittens and others called for the immediate filing of a temporary restraining order to block the payments.
Meanwhile, a separate bill passed Friday seeks to rein in the long-term cost of the raises by capping the retirement annuities of future governors and lieutenant governors. Under current law, the annuity is calculated as 80% of the sitting salary after two terms. With the new pay scale, that would push the annual pension for a two-term governor to more than $150,000 — a scenario Senate Majority Leader Kurt Vialet called financially reckless.
The bill passed 6-1 but drew criticism from the administration for targeting only two positions instead of pursuing broader retirement reform. Still, for many senators, Friday’s developments were the last straw.
“If we can’t control executive compensation, we’ve lost our power as the first branch of government,” said Sen. Hubert Fredericks. “This whole thing makes the public question whether we’re really serving them at all.”
The Legislature’s legal review is expected to be swift, Potter said Saturday.
Bill Capping Retirement Annuity for Governor, Lieutenant Governor Passes Senate Committee
A measure limiting retirement payments to future governors and lieutenant governors passed the Senate Budget, Appropriations and Finance Committee Friday despite pushback from testifiers.
Senate Majority Leader Kurt Vialet, who sponsored the bill, said the existing law entitles those who have held the territory’s highest offices in the executive branch to 40 percent of their annual salary if they served one term and 80 percent if they served two.
Vialet said the bill seeks to control that amount, because “monies that are utilized for the governor and lieutenant governor annuity comes from the General Fund. It’s a line item in the budget, and funds are appropriated not from GERS but from the General Fund to pay this particular obligation.”
“There was never any language that had a cap as to what you could use to be able to apply that 80 percent to,” he said. “So if the salary increased to $192,000 — like proposed in the Compensation Commission study — the retirement package of the governor would raise to $153,000 per year for the rest of their natural life.”
Responding to questions from Vialet during Friday’s committee meeting, V.I. Personnel Division Director Cindy Richardson said the raises proposed by the VIPOCC were processed last week and retroactively took effect beginning on Dec. 2. If enacted, Vialet’s bill would cap the salary used to calculate future governor and lieutenant governor’s retirement annuities at $150,000 per year or $125,000 per year, respectively. Vialet repeatedly stressed that current and living former officeholders would not be impacted by the change.
“We’re going through frugal times. We’re looking for austerity measures. The government is not now one of plenty, and while many might say ‘this is minuscule,’ every little bit adds up,” he said.
Richardson testified on behalf of the central government, which opposed the measure’s targeted scope.
“Good public policy should be rooted in evidence, designed to solve specific challenges and develop through structured processes,” she said. “In this case, it has not been clearly communicated what urgent or systemic issue this bill addresses. If the issue before us is retirement reform or long-term fiscal responsibility, then those are valid and important goals; however, such reform must be approached holistically and equitably, not through legislation targeting a single class of individuals.”
Later, Richardson noted that the legislation targeted two offices without proposing to similarly reform other high-cost pension positions like territory judges and senators.
“It is inequitable to address fiscal concerns by capping retirement for only two positions without a standard or plan to address a broader retirement reform and raises legal and ethical concerns with respect to fairness in governance. Moreover, the proposed caps fail to account for fundamental economic considerations,” she said, like inflation and cost-of-living adjustments.
The measure eventually passed 6-1.
Several lawmakers used Friday’s meeting to revisit long-simmering grievances, including failed previous attempts to payout funds appropriated for retroactive wages and the implementation of raises recommended by the Compensation Commission. Senate Vice President Kenneth Gittens called the raises “shameful and unjust” and questioned why millions appropriated last month to keep the territory’s struggling hospitals afloat hadn’t been received. Finance Commissioner Kevin McCurdy said that money would be going out “either today or … definitely before May 30.”
Gittens said it should have already happened and called on his colleagues to take the administration to court.
Sen. Hubert Fredericks said he was “set back” by Friday’s discussion before endorsing the bill, noting that if the Legislature couldn’t oversee executive compensation “as per statute,” at least it could control their annuities.
“Right now we seem like we’ve lost control as a body, the first branch of government, to limit or to control the compensation for the governor and lieutenant governor,” he said. “That was our task, and now I see this Compensation Commission — that’s now defunct — and that the former head of it, who’s Dr. [Haldane] Davies … he’s now part of the Cabinet.”
Fredericks said it’s no wonder that Virgin Islanders are so frequently upset with their government.
“Because everything we do makes people question the legitimacy of us professionals,” he said. “And this does not look good. I am very, very, very disappointed that it came out looking like this.”
Addressing the Compensation Commission, Richardson said that its members became “null and void” once the report was submitted, “so the hiring of Haldane Davies — that was definitely done within the Governor’s purview … I don’t see any relation in regards to the compensation study versus his qualifications for that position.”
VIWMA Details $3B Sewer System Overhaul as Payment Dispute With Contractor Comes to a Head
More than $3 billion in federal funding is in motion to overhaul the territory’s aging wastewater infrastructure, according to Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority Interim Executive Director Daryl Griffith — part of a long-term plan that includes the replacement of pump stations, underground sewer lines, and critical emergency bypass systems across St. Croix and St. Thomas.
On St. Croix, the first phase of pump replacements is set to begin following board approval in June. Griffith said the goal is to order equipment immediately, with delivery expected within two months and installation to follow, starting with the most vulnerable stations. St. Thomas is following closely behind, with funding secured in January and a full inventory of pump systems now being compiled in preparation for a request for proposals. The agency is also working with the Office of Disaster Recovery, Public Works, and the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority on a unified “one-dig” strategy, bundling design and construction contracts to limit disruption and accelerate progress. Another key priority is separating stormwater from wastewater lines to protect pump infrastructure during heavy rains, which often send rocks, debris, and runoff into the sewage system and trigger equipment failure.
The need for long-term investment came into sharp focus Friday, when months of behind-the-scenes tension between VIWMA and one of its main contractors boiled over. Tony Adibe, president of SD&C Inc., had threatened to pull rented bypass pumps from active sites on St. Thomas by 5 p.m. Friday if the government failed to make good on more than $6 million in unpaid invoices, some dating back years.
The equipment, which keeps raw sewage from backing up into populated areas while infrastructure remains in flux, had become a financial burden SD&C said it could no longer carry without compensation. Adibe said earlier Friday that he had reached his limit after years of delays and unfulfilled promises from VIWMA. But by late afternoon, Adibe confirmed he had been working throughout the day with Public Works Commissioner and VIWMA Board Chair Derek Gabriel, who committed to having a partial payment released next week.
Bypass pumps remain in place, according to Adibe, who spoke with the Source after 5 p.m. Friday. He credited Gabriel for stepping in directly and opening the lines of communication to help move things forward. “Derek reached out and got people talking,” Adibe said. “It made a difference.”
In emails sent to Griffith and other officials, Adibe outlined $6.1 million in outstanding payments — including $1.5 million for Savan Gut work that VIWMA says has FEMA approval and is currently being processed, and $1.3 million more pending a final walk-through scheduled for Monday. Griffith also said questions surrounding the Krause Lagoon project are close to being resolved and added that all outstanding items are tied to federally funded programs that require additional processing steps, including drawing from a line of credit and reimbursement by the central government.
“We’ve gotten some relief – we’re working to get him some of the payment he’s been requesting,” Griffith said Friday. “It’s not instantaneous, but the approvals are there.”
Senate Holds WSTA Lease, Moves on Weather Tower and Helicopter Pad
Members of the Senate Committee on Budget, Appropriations, and Finance approved leases for a helicopter pad and a weather tower fixture Friday, but held the one requested by the WSTA radio station in committee.
The lease for parcels the WSTA Radio station uses in Submarine Base substantially differs from the lease agreement the station previously had with the territory.
Sen. Kurt Vialet was among the senators who praised testifier Peter Ottley, president of WSTA Radio, for keeping the radio station on the air during hurricanes. Sen. Ray Fonseca said the station has comforted residents during storms.
However, senators disagreed on how to proceed with the lease of a third of an acre of government land at No. 121 Submarine Base, St. Thomas, for $30,000 annually.
According to the post-audit report presented to the senators, “The lease agreement presents several internal inconsistencies that warrant closer examination, particularly regarding provisions related to assignment, transfer, and subleasing. Subsection (a) of Section 3.01 stipulates that in the event the Lessee assigns or transfers the lease, the annual rent shall increase from $30,000 to $90,000 — a 200% escalation.” It added that this “appears to deviate from standard leasing practices historically administered by the Department of Property and Procurement”
As for the helipad lease, the post audit report said it “represents a forward-thinking initiative to enhance emergency medical response and interisland transportation within the Virgin Islands.”
Several senators question why Caribbean Buzz, an established, FAA-approved helicopter operator, did not already have agreements with local medical facilities regarding medical transportation.
Vincent Richards, assistant commissioner of the Property and Procurement Department, testified that though Caribbean Buzz might someday have such transportation agreements, that discussion “was not what we are here for today.”
Charlotte Van Heurck, whose parents founded Caribbean Buzz, testified, “This lease is more than a land-use arrangement – it represents a vital solution to a long-standing challenge faced by residents, visitors, and emergency responders on the island of St. John.”
The lease is for part of No. 3B Estate Susannaberg, Cruz Bay Quarter, St. John, to operate and manage a helicopter transportation service at the existing helipad.
Few questions were asked about the lease agreement between the government and NOAA for a portion of the telecommunications tower located on Parcel R-22 of tract 1, Estate Nazareth, No. 1 Redhook Quarter, St. Thomas. The lease is for 20 years, at an annual rent of $1,200. NOAA shall use it to receive and transmit weather information.
Sens. Novelle E. Francis Jr., Marvin A. Blyden, Angel L. Bolques Jr., Dwayne M. DeGraff, Alma Francis Heyliger, Hubert L. Frederick, Ray Fonseca, Kenneth L. Gittens, Marise C. James, Franklin D. Johnson, Milton E. Potter, and Kurt A. Vialet attended the hearing.
Cruise Industry Outlook is Strong, WICO CEO Ottley Tells Board
While 2025 numbers are down slightly, the cruise industry is going strong and on track to reach record highs in 2026, West Indian Company Ltd. CEO Anthony Ottley told a meeting of the agency’s board of directors Friday.
“I’m pleased to report that the cruise industry is healthy, booming and getting better. Fiscal year 2025 is projected to receive 280 ship calls with 938,000 passengers. To date, this season, 223 ships have brought 712,000 passengers — an expected 7% decrease compared to the same time last year,” said Ottley.
Much of the decrease is attributed to WICO’s regular high-capacity ships going to dry dock for public space upgrades, cabin additions and suite redesigns in the second quarter of the year, he said. However, “we see an immediate and significant rebound next fiscal year with a return of those ships to St. Thomas, along with added traffic,” Ottley said.
“We are projected to have 360 ship calls carrying over 1.13 million passengers,” in 2026, he said. That’s a projected 20% increase over this year and a 14% increase over fiscal year 2024, which Ottley characterized as “amazing news for the territory.”
“The last time we saw this many ships was in fiscal year 2016, prior to Irma and Maria,” he said, though he cautioned board members that the numbers could fluctuate depending on changes in ship calls during the year due to weather, operational challenges with vessels, or changes in itineraries.
Additionally, the global cruise fleet is poised to grow another 30% over the next eight years, said Ottley, which is great news for the Virgin Islands but also presents challenges as ships grow in size, he said.
“The larger ships entering the market continues to create challenges for many ports in the Caribbean with their limited berthing capacity and restrictions and St. Thomas is no different. This trend is evident with partners such as [Norwegian Cruise Line], which has ordered four ships that will be over 1,200 feet, beginning in 2030. This challenge, along with ship timing, conflicts, and the unfortunate delay of the Charlotte Amalia dredging project continues to cause incremental loss of ships for WICO,” said Ottley.
The long-awaited St. Thomas Harbor dredging project is critical to facilitating larger cruise vessels at the dock in Havensight. The project will be funded with $17 million from the V.I. Public Finance Authority via legislation submitted by Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. and $1.5 million from the Community Facilities Trust Fund.
Ottley has said previously that it’s important to get the project done as soon as possible. While St. Thomas might be Plan A, if a ship can’t safely navigate the harbor it will go to Plan B or C and the territory will lose out on additional revenue, he said at a V.I. Port Authority “Industry Day” last August.
Responding to questions Friday from board Chairman Jason Charles about canceled calls this fiscal year, Ottley said there have been 14, but only two were because WICO couldn’t accommodate berthing due to excessive lengths. Otherwise, two calls were canceled due to weather and 10 because of itinerary changes, he said.
Cruise lines generally book their berths 24 to 30 months in advance and cancellations — which can occur if there is a problem with a ship, or if they have to move the ship to the western Caribbean, for example — are a headache, said Ottley, “because now it opens a berth at our dock that we had closed off. There are challenges with that for us because it’s within maybe a year or 18 months, it would be hard to market that space to another ship that may have had interest in coming to St. Thomas,” he said.
To help mitigate the fallout from cancellations in the future, WICO is revising its new, upcoming contracts with wording “to utilize the space as efficiently as possible and be able to pivot to offer other lines that space in the interim,” said Ottley.
The CEO also gave a brief rundown of the agency’s participation at the Seatrade Cruise Global conference last month in Miami, considered the industry’s leading annual event.
“WICO and USVI government officials attended with 120 other countries and more than 70 cruise line brands. Pivotal and collaborative meetings were held between the USVI contingency and cruise lines to explore emerging trends, guest experience enhancements, infrastructure development, and strengthened partnerships with the cruise industry leaders,” Ottley told the board.
Among the agencies promoting the U.S. Virgin Islands to cruise partners and attendees were the Tourism Department, Port Authority and Government Employees’ Retirement System, which owns the Havensight Mall property, said Ottley.
“The U.S. Virgin Islands trade show presence was considered one of the most dynamic and culturally engaging with musicians, moko jumbies and traditional dancers. WICO also held a small reception to give our local senators the opportunity to meet with several of our crews and excursion partners. Representatives from Carnival Corporation, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Disney Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Virgin Excursions, among others, attended and were able to have fruitful discussions with our attending legislators, further strengthening our partnerships,” he said.
“Our executive team also met with our cruise partners to discuss operational challenges, berthing schedule conflicts, and possible property development opportunities,” said Ottley.
In other business:
- Finance Committee Chairman Hugo Hodge Jr. told the board that WICO is on solid financial footing, with revenues up and expenses slightly down, which he called “a good combination.” The company has seen an increase in operating profits and net income, though the numbers for fiscal 2025 are “still fluid,” and assets are unchanged and liabilities remain the same. “The company is heading in the right direction,” he said. “We are definitely on the road to getting the company to where we want it to be.”
- A project to replace the property’s water line infrastructure that is more than 60 years old, and an oil tank demolition project, should begin this summer, with permit approvals from the Department of Planning and Natural Resources and its Coastal Zone Management division expected “any week now,” said Ottley.
- The building that formerly housed the butterfly farm has been leased, WICO is in negotiations with a potential tenant for a vacant office space, and is also in talks to lease a portion of the company’s concrete yard for parking, Ottley said.
- WICO passed its 2025 Coast Guard inspection with no deficiencies and submitted its security plan, which is pending Coast Guard review. Routine camera maintenance is ongoing and replacement backup batteries have been ordered, he said.
Health Care, Clean Energy, Food Assistance on Chopping Block, Plaskett Warns
A bill passed by House of Representatives Republicans early Thursday slashing Medicaid health care could leave millions of Americans without insurance coverage, including roughly 21,000 Virgin Islanders, Congressional Delegate Stacey Plaskett warned.
Every Democrat in the House, hoping to preserve Medicaid coverage, voted against the measure. They were joined by two Republicans on the opposite end of the political spectrum, Rep. Thomas Massie (KY-4) and Rep. Warren Davidson (OH-8), who opposed the legislation because they wanted to see further federal funding cuts, Plaskett said in a written statement late Thursday.
“This bill includes the largest cuts to health care in American history,” she said. “In Medicaid alone, funding is cut by more than $730 billion, which will leave 7.6 million people uninsured. The Virgin Islands presently has 21,000 Medicaid enrollees presently, many of whom will be impacted through loss of service or disenrollment.”
The bill didn’t stop at Medicare cuts, targeting nearly $1 trillion in federal funding, including the Social Services Block Grant that provides more than $4.2 million to the Virgin Islands. The bill eliminates federal funding for the Virgin Islands’ Meals on Wheels Program and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program until 2034, Plaskett said.
The bill also cut $35 billion in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, which includes children, working families, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities. This includes a $1 million cut to the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT Program), which gives food assistance to children when they cannot rely on school lunches.
“This will impact the more than 15,000 Virgin Islands residents who rely upon SNAP for access to nutritious food for their wellbeing,” the delegate said.
Puerto Rico was hit even harder by the bill’s potential impact. The $35 billion cut includes a $1 billion decrease in funding for the Nutrition Assistance Program in Puerto Rico despite efforts from the island’s lobbyists, led by Republican Governor Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon and Congressman Pablo Hernandez,” Plaskett said.
“Republicans’ reconciliation bill will make everyday life more expensive for Americans and removes programs which gave opportunities and support for a better life. It is estimated that more than 4 million students will see a reduction, or elimination, of their Pell Grants,” she said.
The bill also took aim at efforts to lower energy costs, increase clean energy manufacturing and jobs, and economic assistance for communities facing the first wave of the climate crisis, Plaskett said. Funding could be yanked from the Virgin Islands Solar for All Program, which provided $62.5 million for homes and businesses.
The all-important rum cover over rate, needed to fund the Government Employees’ Retirement System, did not get a hoped-for increase. Plaskett has gathered bipartisan support for the program but it was ultimately not included in the bill.
“During an 18-hour markup in the Ways and Means Committee for the tax provisions of the reconciliation bill, Congresswoman Plaskett offered an amendment to increase the rate of the rum cover offer, to publicly demonstrate the bipartisan support for this provision. Both Democrats and Republicans emphasized the importance of the increased rum cover over rate. The Ways and Means Chairman, Jason Smith, publicly stated that he would work to advance this, and the Committee is expected to craft a bipartisan tax bill this summer,” Plaskett’s office said in a press release.
“It is unfortunate that at the last minute while trying to find additional funds, the Republicans attempted to remove duty drawback – an export-promotion program that American alcohol and tobacco companies rely upon for a refund of duties paid at the time of import when similar goods are exported. That program saves the alcohol industry alone approximately $30 billion. Because of that concern, the full push of the rum industry was not present for rum cover over as the industry prioritized its efforts on safeguarding duty drawback which represented direct dollars to their industry. It’s also important to recognize that many discretionary provisions that made it into the bill were included to secure the necessary votes to advance the legislation – which ultimately was not the case with the provision for an increased rum cover over rate.”
The U.S. Senate is anticipated to draft an entirely different bill that proposes fewer cuts to critical programs. Then, the Senate bill and House bill will likely be negotiated on a version that can be passed in both chambers of Congress and then be signed by the president, Plaskett said.
“This bill is a wholesale betrayal of the working class and the future of America. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that the bottom 10 percent — working- and middle-class Americans will be 4 percent poorer in household wealth under this bill, with most of the benefits going to the top 10 percent of Americans. Not only does the bill make the largest health care cut in our nation’s history, it also makes the largest cuts to food assistance, energy projects and Pell grants. All to give additional money to the wealthiest Americans – an average of $278,000 per year, $762 per day, to the top 0.1 percent of Americans. This bill is cruel, shameful, unfair and unamerican,” Plaskett said.
