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WAPA Board Tables AMI Contract Vote, Approves Two STT Waterline Replacements

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WAPA Board Tables AMI Contract Vote, Approves Two STT Waterline Replacements
The V.I. Water and Power Authority Governing Board convened a regular meeting on Thursday in Sunny Isle to vote on contracts related to its overhaul of the territory’s advanced metering infrastructure and water system. (Screenshot from Teams Meeting)

The V.I. Water and Power Authority Governing Board decided Thursday that a project management contract overseeing the utility’s advanced metering infrastructure replacement needed more consideration.

WAPA customers have repeatedly complained of inaccurate and irregular energy bills, which the utility has attributed to old or malfunctioning meters. In February, the board approved a four-year, $30 million contract with Itron to replace the territory’s AMI system.

“This contract basically is to augment our team to be able to make sure that what we have contracted with Itron – and the way it has been designed and laid out — is the way it’s installed and implemented, and that it works in the manner that we expect it to work,” WAPA Chief Executive Officer Karl Knight explained Thursday. The project is 98 percent federally funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Mechanical engineer Star Matthew said the utility’s selection committee landed on Witt O’Brien’s and also considered bids from 4Liberty, Utilities One and Solved Engineering, which was disqualified for submitting an incomplete proposal.

WAPA evaluated the cost of its AMI replacement at $7,510,000, and 4Liberty quoted $3.42 million — less than half of WAPA’s estimate. Matthew said their proposal was strong with respect to the terms of the utility’s request for proposals but that the cost discrepancy “raised concerns that they may have overlooked key elements, resulting in unanticipated costs once the project commences.”

Utility One’s bid was dramatically lower at $200,000, but Matthew said their proposal did not cover the full timeline of the project and noted that the company’s past experience was in water, not electric, meter deployment.

Witt O’Brien’s bid was closer to $9 million, including nearly $1.34 million in travel costs.

“Overall, they had the most combined experience in project management and AMI subject matter,” she said. The company received a final evaluation score of 450, 11 points more than 4Liberty.

Board Secretary Juanita Young pressed Matthew on whether Witt O’Brien’s past experience with AMI deployment belonged to them or to their partnering firm, Z2Solutions. Matthew said both have project management experience and that Z2Solutions had worked in advanced metering infrastructure.

Witt O’Brien’s “didn’t specify any AMI projects that they have done — just project management in general,” Matthew said.

Young asked if the utility could find out from Witt O’Brien’s directly.

“My concern here is that they’ve chosen a partner that really is the one that has the skillset and has the history and has the street cred, and they’re just kind of tagging along for the ride,” she said.

At that point, Knight jumped in to note that Witt O’Brien’s had a long history of partnering with subject matter experts to tackle disaster recovery and emergency management projects in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“So a lot of the subject matter expertise does rely on their partners, but of course, they do bring to the table some of the general experience of navigating federal funding — and just the overall management — and navigating the landscape in the U.S. Virgin Islands,” he said. “They’ve had a presence here going back to Irma and Maria, and they’ve — when you look at their team, a lot of this portion of their team is actually based out of the U.S. Virgin Islands, so they have quite a bit of knowledge of the landscape.”

At least one former government official has intimated that Witt O’Brien’s might be a little too familiar with the landscape of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Darin Richardson, former chief operating officer for the V.I. Housing Finance Authority, was convicted in March in part for his role in awarding a lumber management contract to Island Services Group. Among the evidence the government presented at trial was a memo written by a U.S. Housing and Urban Development special agent following an interview with Richardson.

Asked during the interview about ISG’s inflated billings, Richardson said it’s “the same thing that Witt O’Brien [sic] does,” according to the memo. At one point during the interview, Richardson reportedly said that the only time he felt pressured to do something he was uncomfortable with during his tenure at VIHFA was when he was asked to sign off on a Witt O’Brien’s work plan. According to the HUD special agent’s notes, the request was made by V.I. Disaster Recovery Office Director Adrienne Williams-Octalien, who allegedly told Richardson that Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. would be upset if he refused to sign. Richardson went on to describe Witt O’Brien’s as “controlling” everything and said they were benefiting from the territory’s federal disaster recovery funding.

“WOB is being overpaid for its services or work that could easily be done by USVI departmental employees,” the special agent wrote, adding that Richardson “thinks this is incompetence on the part of USVI executive leadership.”

The board’s decision to table the matter came after it approved two other contracts related to the utility’s AMI replacement. The first was a $427,350 purchase of 140 composite poles from Trideo and the second was a $242,500 cost increase with Barkley Technologies.

The board also approved two federally funded waterline replacement contracts.

One was a more than $2.72 million contract with Island Road Corp. to rehabilitate the waterline in Mahogany Estate on St. Thomas. Mechanical engineer La’ron Henry said the project entails replacing 2,705 feet of 60-year-old iron pipe with PVC. The rehabilitation is funded through a Drinking Water Capital Improvement Grant administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the V.I. Department of Planning and Natural Resources. The utility is also hiring a grant-funded archaeologist to ensure that a historic grave site just outside the project’s boundary limit remains undisturbed.

A $3,177,800 waterline rehabilitation project in Blackbeard Hill — also with Island Roads Corp. — was also approved. That project will involve replacing 3,240 feet of ductile iron pipe with PVC.

“That pipeline was installed in 1950,” Knight noted. “It’s 75 years old — older than any employee currently employed by the Water and Power Authority. So when people ask about water and ask about water loss in the system, it’s because I still have pipes that go back to the 1950s that we’re now changing out. So it’s not rocket science, it’s not Seven Seas, it’s not anything that we’re doing. It’s the age of the system, and the only solution is to replace these aging pipes.”

Each waterline services approximately one hundred WAPA customers and both projects are expected to take half a year.

The board also approved a no-cost time extension to its contract with Arcadis for consultant work related to an EPA consent decree mandating WAPA’s compliance with federal air pollution and control requirements at the St. Thomas power plant. The contract was set to expire on May 30 but was extended to Nov. 30.

Project Management Director Maxwell George said WAPA still has around $150,000 left to spend on the contract and that Arcadis’s services will be needed during upcoming negotiations with the U.S. Justice Department and the EPA.

“If things go well, which I’m confident that things are going to go well with the EPA and DOJ in the coming weeks, then we would come in below that one-fifty [thousand],” he said. “If, for whatever reason, EPA and DOJ feel that we need to extend that and show, demonstrate … more compliance with anything — currently I don’t see anything outstanding but … I can’t speak for the agencies — then I may be back here again in a couple of months asking you for more money. I just have to be straightforward.”

Appeals Court Affirms District Court Ruling that Caneel Bay Belongs to NPS

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Appeals Court Affirms District Court Ruling that Caneel Bay Belongs to NPS
An aerial photo of Caneel Bay Resort shows the destruction following the 2017 hurricanes. (Photo courtesy NPS)

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a V.I. District Court ruling that Caneel Bay on St. John belongs to the U.S. government and not EHI Acquisitions, the company that managed the property and its once-tony resort under an agreement with the National Park Service.

In a remarkably brief opinion — one paragraph total — the appellate court’s three-judge panel said Wednesday it could add little to the analysis of Judge Cheryl Ann Krause whose summary judgment last April prompted EHI’s appeal.

Krause, a circuit judge, was assigned to the case in December 2023 after V.I. District Court Chief Judge Robert Molloy was removed without explanation.

At issue in the lawsuit brought by EHI Acquisitions in June 2022 was whether the resort on 150 acres of prime St. John beachfront real estate belonged to EHI, which managed the property under an agreement known as a Retained Use Estate, or to the federal government after the RUE expired on Sept. 30, 2023.

The RUE was created in 1983 by Laurance Rockefeller, who donated some 5,000 acres of land to the National Park Service but reserved the Caneel Bay property for the Jackson Hole Preserve, the family’s land trust. Under the agreement, the preserved land was transferred to the NPS with the understanding the RUE — also known as the 1983 Indenture — would remain in place for 40 years. The resort has been managed by different entities since then, the latest being EHI Acquisitions, an affiliate of CBI Acquisitions.

The question in the District Court case, and that the appeals court pondered when it heard oral arguments May 2 on St. Croix, is whether language in the RUE obligated the federal government to pay EHI for its improvements to the property since 2004; whether it reverted to EHI because the Interior Department rejected its 2019 offer to relinquish the RUE for $70 million after the resort was destroyed by hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017; or whether it belongs to the NPS free and clear.

Krause was unequivocal in her 20-page Memorandum Opinion and Order granting the United States’ motion for a summary judgment that the language of the 1983 Indenture makes clear that the property and its improvements were to be given back to the government at the expiration of the RUE for a nominal consideration of $1.

Noting that the dispute between EHI and the United States hinged on the meaning of the word “offer” as it is used in the Indenture, she wrote that “Examining the plain language of Paragraph 8 in the context of the whole Indenture, we are convinced that this meaning was entirely philanthropic.”

On Wednesday, the appeals court agreed.

“In her well-reasoned and thorough opinion, Judge Krause explained why EHI is not entitled to relief and why the Defendant was entitled to judgment as a matter of law,” Judge Theodore A. McKee wrote for the panel that included Judges L. Felipe Restrepo and Arianna J. Freeman.

“As Judge Krause detailed, even if the relevant indenture is ambiguous, extrinsic evidence makes the result clear. We can add little to Judge Krause’s analysis and discussion, and we will therefore affirm the District Court’s order substantially for the reasons set forth in that opinion,” McKee concluded.

The Source reached out to Patrick Kidd, Caneel Bay’s marketing director under EHI, the National Park Service on St. John, and the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park and was still awaiting comment at press time.

NOAA Forecasts Above-Average Tropical Activity During Atlantic Hurricane Season

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NOAA Forecasts Above-Average Tropical Activity During Atlantic Hurricane Season
NOAA is forecasting an above-normal 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season. (Photo courtesy NOAA)

The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season is shaping up to be potentially busy, with forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicting above-average tropical activity during the organization’s official outlook released Thursday.

NOAA unveiled its forecast at the Jefferson Parish Emergency Operations Center in Jefferson, Louisiana, a site symbolically chosen to mark 20 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the region in August 2005. Representatives from NOAA and the National Weather Service provided remarks during Thursday’s briefing.

“NOAA’s outlook for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which goes from June 1 to November 30, predicts a 30 percent chance of a near-normal season, a 60 percent chance of an above-normal season, and a 10 percent chance of a below-normal season,” according to information posted to NOAA’s official website.

“The agency is forecasting a range of 13 to 19 total named storms with winds of 39 mph or higher. Of those, six to 10 are forecast to become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher, including three to five major hurricanes of category 3, 4, or 5, with winds of 111 mph or higher. NOAA has a 70 percent confidence in these ranges,” NOAA continued.

Why Does NOAA Expect a Busy 2025 Hurricane Season?

NOAA explained the following reasons for increased tropical development this year, such as anomalously warm water temperatures across the Atlantic Ocean and the potential for reduced wind shear due to the current cycle of the “El Niño-Southern Oscillation.”

A graphic from the National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico, shows the number of predicted cyclones this year and hurricane names for the 2025 season. (Photo courtesy NWS)

“The season is expected to be above normal due to a confluence of factors, including continued ENSO-neutral conditions, warmer than average ocean temperatures, forecasts for weak wind shear, and the potential for higher activity from the West African Monsoon, a primary starting point for Atlantic hurricanes. All of these elements tend to favor tropical storm formation,” NOAA said.

“The high activity era continues in the Atlantic Basin, featuring high heat content in the ocean and reduced trade winds. The higher-heat content provides more energy to fuel storm development, while weaker winds allow the storms to develop without disruption.

“This hurricane season also features the potential for a northward shift of the West African monsoon, producing tropical waves that seed some of the strongest and most long-lived Atlantic storms,” NOAA explained.

A previous Source article explained that, during a La Niña cycle, the ocean waters across the equatorial Pacific Ocean cool significantly, affecting global weather. During La Niña, wind shear – a change in wind direction and velocity with height in the atmosphere – also typically decreases in the Atlantic Ocean. A reduction in wind shear can favor cyclone development. This pattern is the opposite of El Niño, a warming of the equatorial Pacific, which usually increases wind shear in the Atlantic Ocean, helping to rip apart storms and prevent hurricane formation and intensification.

“Scientists call [the two opposing climate patterns of El Niño and La Niña] the ‘El Niño-Southern Oscillation’ cycle. El Niño and La Niña can both have global impacts on weather, wildfires, ecosystems, and economies,” according to NOAA.

A neutral phase of ENSO occurs when neither El Niño nor La Niña is happening, and this phase may occur during at least part of this year’s hurricane season, helping to reduce wind shear and prime the atmosphere for cyclones to develop.

“ENSO-neutral refers to periods when neither El Niño nor La Niña is present,” according to information from the NWS. “These periods often coincide with the transition between El Niño and La Niña events. During ENSO-neutral periods, the ocean temperatures, tropical rainfall patterns, and atmospheric winds over the equatorial Pacific Ocean are near the long-term average,” the NWS explained.

A previous interview between the Source and Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather’s lead hurricane expert, provided more insight about how an ENSO-neutral pattern can influence weather across the Atlantic.

DaSilva explained the phases of ENSO, including how an ENSO-neutral phase could still result in favorable conditions for cyclonic development.

“La Niña conditions may still linger in the early part of the tropical season; however, a transition to ENSO-neutral by summer is expected,” DaSilva explained. “The neutral phase ENSO is then forecast to continue through most of the hurricane season,” he continued.

“While La Niña typically yields a more active hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean due to less frequent vertical wind shear, the neutral phase of ENSO can also contribute to an active season but to a lesser extent,” DaSilva cautioned.

“Research has found that La Niña and neutral years are usually very close in the number of storms that each phase can produce, with La Niña years typically producing the most cyclones,” DaSilva stated.

“At this point, we are leaning toward either ENSO remaining neutral for a majority of the season or a weak La Niña to form in the late summer or fall,” DaSilva said. “A transition into an El Niño this hurricane season seems unlikely,” he continued.

Preparing for Hurricane Season

NOAA’s press briefing emphasized the importance of hurricane preparedness. Ken Graham, director of the NWS, urged the public not to focus solely on a hurricane’s category but on the potential impacts. He noted that every Category 5 hurricane that struck the United States in recorded history was classified as a tropical storm or even less intense just three days before landfall as a major hurricane.

Hurricane season officially begins on June 1. Residents and visitors across the region are encouraged to act now to be prepared well ahead of any storms. (Photo courtesy NOAA)

“Every Category 5 storm to ever hit this country was a tropical storm or less three days prior,” Graham stressed. “The big ones that hit this country are fast,” he warned.

During Thursday’s press conference, NOAA provided information regarding updates to forecasting tools, including details about tropical outlooks that will now be issued up to three weeks into the future.

“NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center’s Global Tropical Hazards Outlook, which provides advance notice of potential tropical cyclone risks, has been extended from two weeks to three weeks to provide additional time for preparation and response,” NOAA stated.

A previous interview between the Source and Jamie Rhome, deputy director of the National Hurricane Center, included additional information about upgrades to forecasting products available from NHC and NOAA.

Weather Forecast Information

The NOAA forecast follows similar seasonal forecasts that were recently released by AccuWeather and Colorado State University’s Tropical Meteorology Project, who have also predicted a potentially busy season. USVI visitors are encouraged to prepare now, before any cyclones develop, especially with uncertainty surrounding federal cuts to weather service operations and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

In addition to obtaining weather information from the NHC, the NWS, and NOAA, the local weather forecast for the U.S. Virgin Islands is regularly updated on the Source Weather Page and VI Source YouTube Channel. Individuals can also find helpful weather information and alerts from the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency

Health and Wellness Fair, Measles Addressed During Inaugural Bimonthly Health and Human Services Briefing

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Health and Wellness Fair, Measles Addressed During Inaugural Bimonthly Health and Human Services Briefing
Territorial Epidemiologist Dr. Esther Ellis provides an update on measles during the first in a series of bimonthly news briefings centered on health and human services. (Source file photo)

Thursday marked the launch of a new, twice-monthly news briefing, which Government House Communications Director Richard Motta Jr. said the briefings will include updates from the departments of Health and Human Services.

Dr. Tai Hunte-Ceaser, chief medical officer for the Health Department, said DOH has two major initiatives planned “that speak to the mission of improving access to health care, not just for individuals and families, but for the broader community.”

“That includes the animals we care for and cherish,” she said.

First, the territory’s annual Health and Wellness Fair will return to offer Virgin Islanders free services, including:

  • Health screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, A1C, STIs and HIV

  • Pap smears, HPV screening and breast exams for women

  • Digital rectal exams for men

  • Vaccinations for children and adults

  • Back-to-school physicals for students

  • Behavioral health services like screening for anxiety and depression

The fair will run from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on the following dates.

  • June 2-6 at the St. Croix Educational Complex

  • June 9-12 at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School

  • June 13 at the Morris F. deCastro Clinic

Last summer’s fair was supported by the U.S. Defense Department’s Innovative Readiness Training Program, which brought more than 300 health care professionals and support staff to the territory. Hunte-Ceasar said Thursday that while the full IRT contingent will not be returning this year, they are sending a veterinary unit to provide services at no cost to pet owners at the Humane Society of St. Thomas from June 17-28. Appointments are required. The veterinary team is also expected to work with the St. Thomas Horse Racing Association and Coral World Ocean Park.

“This is truly a unique deployment that promotes health, compassion and collaboration across species, and we are deeply grateful to IRT and our local partners for making it possible,” she said. “We look forward to welcoming the IRT program to St. Croix in 2026 to continue this important work.”

Hunte-Ceasar said the Health Department is also planning to conclude Mental Health Awareness Month with a wellness walk at 2 p.m. on May 31, beginning at Claude O. Markoe Elementary School and ending at Buddhoe Park.

Territorial Epidemiologist Dr. Esther Ellis then took the podium to update the territory on efforts to safeguard the territory from the resurgence of measles in the continental United States.

To date, Ellis said there have been 1,024 confirmed cases reported across 31 states and 14 outbreaks in 2025. Three people have died, including two children. In nearly all cases — 96 percent — people who have contracted measles are either unvaccinated or their vaccination status is unknown, she said. Children under five account for 30 percent of reported cases.

“In the U.S. Virgin Islands, our greatest concern is the fact that more than 50 percent of the children under age six are unvaccinated for measles,” she said. “That leaves a large portion of our youngest population at high risk.”

That statistic, Ellis said, is what prompted the Health Department last week to mail 500 letters to parents who previously requested vaccine exemptions for their children, strongly urging them to reconsider.

“Why does this matter? Well first, measles is extremely contagious,” Ellis said Thursday. “One infected person can spread the virus to 10-12 others. Additionally, an infected person — once they leave a room, that room can be contagious to others that walk into it for two hours. It’s incredibly contagious.”

Ellis said measles is also potentially fatal, and complications include pneumonia, encephalitis, or brain swelling, hearing loss, and death. Measles is also preventable, Ellis said, and the MRR is 97 percent effective after two doses.

Ellis stressed that the territory has not had a confirmed measles case to date, “and with your help, we can keep it that way.”

Applications Due May 23 for STJ Summer Camp Funding

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Applications Due May 23 for STJ Summer Camp Funding
Children play at the National Park playground in Cruz Bay. (Source photo by Amy H. Roberts)

Love City Strong is partnering with six organizations to assist with tuition and fees for students hoping to attend summer camp programs on St. John. The deadline to apply is Friday.

Parents or legal guardians operating within a limited budget can apply at the Love City Strong office on the first floor of the Marketplace. “This program aims to reinvest in the community by focusing on youth development and equal access to enrichment opportunities,” according to a press release.

For more information, call 340-714-7744 or email kharid@lovecitystrongvi.org.

Camps which qualify for funding include programs offered by Sports, Parks and Recreation, Julius E. Sprauve School, St. John School of the Arts, Society 340 Little Ones, and Negus. The program at Gifft Hill School has already reached full capacity.

Space is still available to enroll in the St. John School of the Arts Summer Arts Intensives programs, including tumbling, photography, art, cheer, and dance.

The SJSA Summer Arts Intensives are designed to challenge students by pushing their creative boundaries, refining their technical skills, and encouraging artistic risk-taking. For further information, call the St. John School of the Arts at 340-779-4322.

U.S. Department of Interior Approves Historic Preservation Tax Credit Part 2 for Fifteenand9Main

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U.S. Department of Interior Approves Historic Preservation Tax Credit Part 2 for Fifteenand9Main
(Photo courtesy Fifteenand9Main)

U.S. Department of Interior approves Part 2 for Fifteenand9Main’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit, marking a key step in revitalizing Virgin Islands’ heritage.

On May 12, 2025, we achieved a significant milestone. The US Department of the Interior approved Fifteenand9Main’s submission of Part 2 in the three-part process for receiving the Historic Preservation tax credit. This approval not only underscores the credibility and viability of our project but also fills us with pride and accomplishment.

Part 2 outlines the condition of the building and the renovations needed. Part 1 confirmed that the structure is historic and located in a historic zone. (We received approval under Part 1 on 9-04-24)

(Photo courtesy Fifteenand9Main)

Team Collaboration Drives Success in Historical Building Renovation

We began the work with permission from the local historical representative and Washington, DC officials before receiving approval under Part 2. This early action was necessary to secure the building, as the roof and other parts of the historical structure needed replacement. Sean Krigger, the territory liaison for the US Virgin Islands, provided essential support and understanding of the project’s urgency, which was instrumental in our early start.

Our Part 2 submission, a thirty-two-page PDF documenting the work and renovations made to the historical structure, is a testament to our collective effort. This collaborative endeavor, which involved all four managing partners—Michael Donohue, Catarina Donohue, David Shear, and Carol Shear—showcases our value and integral role in this project.

It’s important to acknowledge the significant role of our partner, Carol Shear. Her experience securing grants from her previous profession has been instrumental in getting us to this point. Her unique expertise has greatly contributed to our success.

Engage in Preserving and Enriching the Virgin Islands’ Historic Districts

While this approval is a significant achievement for us, it also serves as a call to action for the St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John communities. Your active involvement is not just welcomed but crucial. Together, we can further enrich the Charlotte Amalie and Christiansted Historic Districts, the Charlotte Amalie district containing 165 acres, approximately 500 contributing buildings, three contributing structures, and one contributing object.

The Christiansted Historic District, a 135.9-acre (0.550 km²) area in Christiansted, St. Croix, Virgin Islands, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. It was home to 253 contributing buildings and two contributing sites, many of which hold significant historical value.

(Photo courtesy Fifteenand9Main)

Virgin Islands Excluded from $35 Billion in Tax Credits, New Legislation Proposes 30% Boost for Small Projects.

The Virgin Islands have not yet benefited from the widely acclaimed program that offers tax credits. Bipartisan legislation has been proposed to increase the credit for smaller projects, most of which would likely apply to those in the Virgin Islands, from 20% to 30%. From 2019 through the most recent National Park Service annual report, 2024, a total of $35,215,551,365 in tax credits was approved nationwide. Still, investors in the Virgin Islands received none of these tax credits.

Qualifying Criteria for the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit for Historic Buildings

1. The building must be listed in the National Register of Historic Places or certified as part of a registered historic district. 2. The project must meet the “substantial rehabilitation test.” 3. Rehabilitation must follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. 4. After rehabilitation, the building must be used for business or income-producing purposes for at least five years to qualify for the federal rehabilitation tax credit; owner-occupied residential properties do not qualify.

Part 3: Request for Certification of Completed Work

After finishing the rehabilitation work, the owner must submit a Part 3 application form to request final approval. The National Park Service will evaluate and compare the completed project to the work proposed in the Part 2 application form. If the completed project meets the required standards, the National Park Service will certify the rehabilitation, making it eligible for the 20% rehabilitation tax credit. This is the next step in our project timeline.

AG Rhea Joins National Plea to Congress: Fund 9/11 Health Program Now

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AG Rhea Joins National Plea to Congress: Fund 9/11 Health Program Now

Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea has joined a bipartisan group of 38 attorneys general urging Congress to take swift action to prevent a looming funding crisis that threatens the World Trade Center Health Program — a critical lifeline for thousands of 9/11 first responders and survivors, the Justice Department announced.

In a letter sent this week to congressional leadership, the coalition called on lawmakers to address the program’s growing financial shortfall before it jeopardizes care for the more than 135,000 Americans enrolled. Rhea emphasized that the federal government has a duty to provide continued medical care to those suffering long-term effects from the Sept. 11 attacks, according to the press release.

“The heroes and survivors of 9/11 put their lives on the line for our country, and we owe them more than gratitude — we owe them lasting care,” Rhea stated in a press release Wednesday. “The World Trade Center Health Program is a vital resource for thousands living with the long-term effects of that tragic day, and its funding must be protected. Congress must act now to ensure these brave individuals continue to receive the support and medical care they were promised.”

Established by the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, the WTCHP provides no-cost medical monitoring and treatment to individuals exposed to toxins in the aftermath of the attacks. Its patients include firefighters, police officers, construction workers, volunteers, and civilians who lived or worked near ground zero and are now experiencing serious health conditions, including cancers, respiratory illnesses, and mental health disorders, the press release stated.

Though the program was reauthorized in 2015 and 2019 with bipartisan support and is slated to operate through 2090, the attorneys general argue that rising demand for specialized care has pushed funding to its limits. Roughly 400,000 individuals were exposed to toxic dust and debris, but only a third are currently enrolled, and new diagnoses continue to emerge each year, the release stated.

The coalition warned that without increased funding, the program could be forced to cut services, halt new enrollments, or place patients on waitlists. They described the threat not just as a policy failure, but as a broken promise to those who risked their lives, the release stated.

Rhea and the other attorneys general are calling on Congress to pass legislation that both resolves the immediate shortfall and secures the program’s long-term stability, it said.

In addition to Rhea, signatories include attorneys general from California, New York, Florida, Texas, and the District of Columbia, as well as representatives from U.S. territories such as American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands, it said.

Plaskett Releases Statement On House Passage Of Reconciliation Bill

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Plaskett Releases Statement On House Passage Of Reconciliation Bill

Early this morning, the House of Representatives passed the Republican reconciliation package (H.R. 1) with a vote of 215-214-1. Every Democrat in the House voted no.

The 2 Republicans who voted against the bill, Congressman Thomas Massie (KY-4) and Congressman Warren Davidson (OH-8), opposed the legislation as they wanted to see further federal funding cuts. They held out hoping for full dismantlement.

This bill includes the largest cuts to healthcare in American history. This loss of funding – nearly one trillion dollars – will eliminate healthcare coverage for at least 13.7 million Americans and make it harder for people to access vital medical services. 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.

Medicare funding was cut by more than $500 billion and vital programs, including the Social Services Block Grant – which provides more than $4.2 million to the Virgin Islands – are eliminated until 2034. With 20,000 Medicare enrollees in the U.S. Virgin Islands, services are sure to be impacted.  Federal funding for the Virgin Islands’ Meals on Wheels Program and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) has also been eliminated until 2034.

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. The requirements for ‘full-time’ students are increased from 12 to 15 credits, which will decrease the maximum award for any student taking 12 credits by $1,479. In addition, students that are enrolled less than half-time will no longer receive Pell aid.

This bill harms efforts to lower energy costs, increase clean energy manufacturing and jobs, and eliminate economic assistance for communities on the frontline of the climate crisis. Unobligated funds will be rescinded from Inflation Reduction Act programs, including Environmental Justice Block Grants, State-Based Home Energy Efficiency Contractor Training Grants, and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.  One of these programs already in place in the Virgin Islands is the Solar for All Program, which provided $62.5 million for homes and businesses.

Republicans voted to cut $35 billion in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (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 $35 billion cut includes a $1 billion decrease in funding for the Nutrition Assistance Program in Puerto Rico despite tremendous efforts and advocacy from their lobbyists, led by Republican Governor, Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon and Congressman Pablo Hernandez.

The reconciliation bill does not provide the increased rum cover over rate. Rum cover over is the rebate of federal excise taxes on distilled spirits produced in or imported into the rest of the United States from the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Despite Congresswoman Plaskett’s success in securing a Republican lead for the rum cover over legislation (H.R. 1378), Congressman Ron Estes (KS-4), and the support of 24 of her colleagues – 16 Republicans and 8 Democrats – the extension for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands was not included in the bill.

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.

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. “I will continue to work with my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, to secure the increased rum cover over rate of $13.25, both retroactively and with an extension, for the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.”

While Congresswoman Plaskett cannot support the bill in its entirety, Plaskett’s legislation, the Restore Economic Vitality and Investment in the Virgin Islands (REVIVE VI) Act is included in the Republicans’ bill – one of only four Democrat Ways and Means provisions. REVIVE VI fixes an unintentional consequence of the Global Intangible Low Tax Income (GILTI) regime which, as a practical matter, inadvertently overrode the U.S. Virgin Islands’ economic development program that was previously authorized by Congress. This provision restores the Virgin Islands’ right to have an economic development program which will benefit our economy and workforce.

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.

Congresswoman Plaskett shared, “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%–working- and middle-class Americans will be 4% poorer in household wealth under this bill, with most of the benefits going to the top 10% of Americans. Not only does the bill make the largest healthcare 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% of Americans. This bill is cruel, shameful, unfair and unamerican.”

Flemings’ Transport Helps Deliver Car Seats for Virgin Islands Children

Source staff
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Flemings’ Transport Helps Deliver Car Seats for Virgin Islands Children

Flemings’ Transport Company, Inc. has partnered with the Virgin Islands Police Department and the Office of Highway Safety to boost child passenger safety across the territory by helping provide car seats for families in need, a press release announced.

The company covered port-to-port shipping costs, allowing the Office of Highway Safety to expand its inventory of child safety restraint systems — devices that have become increasingly difficult to find locally since the COVID-19 pandemic. The partnership enabled the purchase and distribution of 300 car seats per district, spanning a range of sizes for different developmental stages, according to the press release.

“Child passenger safety is of paramount concern,” said VIOHS Director Daphne O’Neal in a May 22 press release. “With an average of 14 crashes logged in the territory daily, we cannot continue to gamble with the lives of these young passengers. With Flemings’ Transport’s generous partnership, we are pleased to assist caregivers with safeguarding their children’s lives while complying with VI laws.”

Under Virgin Islands law, car seats or booster seats are required for children under age eight or shorter than 4 feet, 9 inches. But with many retailers unable to maintain stock of the devices, the burden has fallen on families to find alternative sources — often at high cost. Import fees for bulky car seats can exceed 50 percent of the purchase price, making affordability a key barrier, the press release stated.

By absorbing the transportation costs, Flemings’ helped the department stretch its funding further, ensuring a wider distribution of seats to households at no or low cost, the release stated.

Residents seeking more information about child passenger safety or traffic safety programs can contact the Office of Highway Safety through Director O’Neal at daphne.oneal@vipd.vi.gov or Program Manager Denise Gomes at denise.gomes@vipd.vi.gov, or by calling 340-473-7383.

Earley Charles Dies

Mat Probasco
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Earley Charles Dies

The family of the Earley Charles is saddened to announce his passing on May 14, 2025.

Earley Charles

He is survived by his wife: Marilyn Charles, brothers: Valdemar Rochester, James Rochester, aunts: Rosamond Tyson, Althea Charles, nieces: Sherika Rochester, Valdecia Rochester, nephews: Zion Rochester, Jameel Rochester, Jamaine Rochester, special friends: Edgar Jeffers, Anderson Williams. 

A friend and family viewing are schedule to be on May 22, at Divine Chapel, 129 Peter’s Rest between 3-5 p.m.

Funeral services are scheduled to be on Friday, May 23, at St. John’s Anglican Church, Christiansted. The viewing will begin at 9AM and service 10 a.m.

 Interment  follows to the Kingshill Cemetery.

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