The Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority informs the community that the Cancryn Pump Station is currently offline due to a disruption with the discharge line.
This situation may lead to sewer system issues in the downtown area, potentially causing manhole overflow. VIWMA advises residents to avoid standing water in the affected areas.
For more information, contact the Division of Education and Communications Management at 340-474-2811 or email communications@viwma.org.
The trial of a former V.I. Housing Finance Authority executive charged in connection with a multimillion-dollar fraud is slated to start in late January.
The trial of Darin Richardson, former VIHFA chief operating officer, was originally scheduled for Nov. 24. Prosecutors asked U.S. Magistrate Judge Emile Henderson for a 30-day continuance on Oct. 30 after the government’s lead counsel withdrew from the case. The new lead counsel, Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasir Sadat, will be on preapproved leave during parts of November and December, and an unspecified number of the government’s essential witnesses will be unavailable during the week of Nov. 25 due to family, travel and medical reasons, according to the government’s motion to continue.
Richardson initially opposed the continuance and maintained his right to demand a prompt and speedy trial, defense attorney Darren John-Baptiste wrote in a Nov. 1 response to the government’s motion.
Following a Nov. 4 hearing on the matter, Richardson agreed to not oppose the motion if the government handed over early Jencks material or the evidence the government plans to use in its prosecution. Both parties filed a joint notice of that agreement last Wednesday.
Henderson wrote in Friday’s order that continuing the trial until the week of Jan. 20 will give the government time to confirm the availability of its lead counsel and witnesses, and it “avoids the scheduling problems attendant on seating a jury during the holiday season.”
Richardson was indicted on charges of criminal conflict of interest and making material false statements in June. Simultaneously, Davidson Charlemagne was charged with government program fraud and wire fraud. He and his wife, Sasha Charlemagne, were charged with money laundering conspiracy.
The charges came after an investigation into a government contract to manage and store lumber shipped to the territory after hurricanes Irma and Maria and earmarked for disaster recovery projects.
Prosecutors alleged that Davidson Charlemagne, then head of maintenance for the V.I. Education Department, had the owner of company ISG submit a bid for the contract with Charlemagne’s company, D&S Trucking, listed as a subcontractor.
Richardson oversaw that bid process during his tenure at VIHFA, and the three-year, $2.9 million contract ballooned to nearly $4.4 million in less than a year. VIHFA paid ISG more than $3.6 million, and $3,177,000 went into bank accounts controlled by the Charlemagnes, prosecutors alleged in the indictment, “while the St. Croix and St. Thomas woodpiles have remained almost entirely unused — stacked on pallets outdoors, and exposed to the elements for over three years.”
In a superseding indictment filed on Oct. 23, prosecutors added nine counts of making false claims upon the United States against the Charlemagnes. Those counts correspond to nine timesheets they submitted to VIHFA “knowing that said claims were false, fictitious and fraudulent,” according to documents in U.S. District Court.
The charges against Richardson stemmed from a $107,000 payment he received from the owner of ISG while Richardson was still at VIHFA in February 2022. One year later and after he resigned, Richardson told a special agent with the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Inspector General’s Office that he had recused himself from all matters related to ISG because he was pursuing a business relationship with the company’s owner.
Both Charlemagnes filed motions to sever Richardson’s case in July, arguing that none of their charges overlapped, they were not alleged to have aided and abetted one another and there was no alleged conspiracy. The U.S. Attorney’s Office opposed those motions and sought to connect Richardson to the Charlemagnes through the owner of ISG — referred to in court documents as “Individual One.”
U.S. District Judge Wilma Lewis granted the motion to sever in September.
Mutineers came out in numbers Thursday evening at the Sion Farm Distillery to “Throw Cancer Overboard” in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The event was a community “jam” with dozens of “pirates” decked out in costumes.
Folks came early and stayed late for the costume judging, the raffles, the silent auction, and Kyle’s Scary-oke. There was also a photo booth available for remembrance pictures.
Virgin Islands Breast Cancer Project cofounder and advocate Diane Hampton worked tirelessly with the help of board members, volunteers, and Mutiny Island Vodka staff to get the party rolling after last week’s postponement.
The room overflowed with patrons for the cause. It was a visual testament of a community coming together to raise funds to send Virgin Islands cancer survivors to advocate at the National Breast Cancer Coalition Summit in Washington, DC, in May 2025.
Joining Hampton were the Yvonne Ashley Galiber Foundation and the American Cancer Society/Relay for Life of St. Croix USVI. The two organizations set up tables on the porch with information pamphlets about the disease.
“The ‘Throw Cancer Overboard’ event was absolutely fabulous. The costumes were stunning and I was really impressed by the creativity they displayed. The talent was phenomenal. The energy was so positive, and it was wonderful to see everyone come together for such a meaningful cause,” Hampton said.
“I must agree with volunteer hostess Charlotte Tranberg, Hampton added. She said, ‘It felt like being on one big ship with the crew all in perfect harmony.’”
Pirate Costume Prizes were awarded to the following:
First Prize Pirate Couples to Joel and Dee White
Second Prize Pirate Couples to Drew and Bob Quarles
Third Prize Pirate Couples to Annette Scott and Redford Schuster
First Prize Pirate Male to Will Watson
First Prize Pirate Female to Beverly Anderson
Second Prize Pirate Female to Thelma Lang
Third Prize Pirate Female to Julia Manns
Contributions for raffles, costume prizes and auction items. These items are a continuation of the first documented list:
Home Depot, microwave and spinning mop bucket
Pueblo Supermarket, gift certificate
Mr. Cheap Community Grocery Store, Frederiksted
Eleanor G. Latimer, donation
Stop and Shop Supermarket, Frederiksted
Gas Away & Deli, Christiansted
For more information or to donate:
Diane Hampton: 340-277-3879
Fundraiser / direct link to donate: https://support.stopbreastcancer.org/fundraiser/5873724
The United States Virgin Islands Women’s Basketball National Team (ISV) ended the 2024 International Basketball Federation by achieving a historic victory by defeating Cuba 80-75 at the 2024 FIBA Centrobasket Women’s Championship in Irapuato, Mexico.
ISV women’s suffocating half-court defense held Cuba to just 15 first-quarter points, while the Virgin Islands ladies dropped 27. This set the tone for the rest of the game, as ISV had to work hard to secure the win in this game. Anisha George led the way with 22 points and 11 rebounds. This multi-talented center for ISV nailed a three-point shot from five feet beyond the arc as time expired in the opening quarter. Imani Tate also registered a double-double for the winning team with 22 points and ten boards. This is the first time the ISV women have beaten Cuba in an international competition.
ISV women started this tournament with a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Dominican Republic, 95-88. George recorded her first double-double in the tournament with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Teammate Taylor Jones contributed 22 points and snagged ten boards in a losing effort.
The Virgin Islands women next faced host Mexico. The Mexican team handed ISV its worst defeat of the tournament, 85-57. George was the top scorer for ISV, with 17. Tate contributed 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Virgin Islands.
ISV ended the tournament with three straight wins. The first was an 87-58 beating of Guatemala. Costa Rica also fell to the Virgin Islands by a score of 81-47. ISV’s win over Cuba earned them a fifth-place finish.
Anisha George had herself an outstanding tournament for ISV as she finished tied for first in the tournament in double-doubles with three, tied for second in rebounds per game with 10.4, second in blocks per game with 1.4, fourth in steals with 2.2, and fifth in scoring with 17.2. Lanese Bough was also one of the tournament’s top performers, as she dished out 5.2 assists per game.
A 21-year-old man died Monday after being pulled from the waters near Peterborg Point on St. Thomas. The 911 emergency call center received a call reporting the man in distress, prompting a swift response from St. Thomas Rescue, the V.I. Police Department and the U.S. Coast Guard.
St. Thomas Rescue deployed an incident commander and a drone unit equipped with AI-powered technology to assist in the search. A patrol vessel from VIPD located the man approximately three-quarters of a mile from the rocky coastline, according to a St. Thomas Rescue release.
According to responders, the man appeared to be among a group of three that were cliff-jumping off the point.
The VIPD patrol boat “that scooped him up might have already been on patrol with how fast they got there to scoop him up,” said St. Thomas Rescue Public Information Officer Chris Watson.
Officers began lifesaving measures immediately and transported him to Hull Bay Beach, where Fire and Emergency crews were waiting. Despite their efforts, the man could not be revived.
“We remind the public to avoid Peterborg Point, which has a history of incidents like this. It is especially crucial to exercise extreme caution around water, particularly during bad weather,” Watson said in the release.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed the water rescue to a Coast Guard patrol. It was the V.I. Police Department marine unit.
Sharing pens in Tortola immigration lines could soon be a thing of the past as the British Virgin Islands enacts digital entry and exit forms.
The embarkation/disembarkation forms called an ED Card System, were meant to replace cumbersome paper forms, speeding up the process and reducing paper waste. Travelers can fill out the forms up to 72 hours before entering the BVI, according to the Department of Immigration and His Majesty’s Customs.
The ED Card program launched Oct. 1 as an option for travelers. Jan. 1, however, it will be mandatory for all people entering and leaving the territory, BVI officials said. Digital kiosks at ports of entry will be available for people who were unable to complete the form ahead of time.
Soon-to-be travelers upload their travel documents, flight or sea arrival information, and customs declarations to bviedcard.gov.vg. They’ll then receive a confirmation email, according to the BVI Government Information Services. Travelers should be careful not to use www.bviedcard.gov.vg as it does not load a functional website.
The website is available in English, French, German, Dutch and Spanish.
The ED card, which is free of charge, is not a travel document, officials warned, and visitors were still required to present their passport and any needed visas.
Enzo Newhard achieved notable success at the Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club’s Annual Wahoo Windup Tournament, catching a 60.71-pound wahoo off the South Drop while aboard his 27’ Sea Hunt, “Morning Wood.” His catch earned him the title of Top Angler, just missing the $25,000 prize for the largest fish.
“We knew the wahoo were biting this week,” says the “Morning Wood’s” Captain Kai Holmberg. “We circled the spot where we caught the fish for an hour or two afterward. As they say, don’t leave fish to find fish. But we didn’t catch anything else.”
Meanwhile, St. Thomas’ AJ Cabrera, fishing off his boat “Mixed Bag,” secured the second largest wahoo at 53.5 pounds. In addition, Lauren Gewinner from St. Thomas weighed in the third largest wahoo at 37.0 pounds, according to the press release.
The Best Boat prize, determined by most wahoo by count, went to “Double Header,” with five fish weighing a total of 129.1 pounds, the press release stated.
“We left from Sapphire, headed south to French Cap, and then trolled west. The first two fish came between 8-9 a.m. There was nothing for a while. Around 1 p.m., we got the third one, our biggest fish. Then, we were back off French Cap, with 30 minutes left to fish in the tournament, and we hooked up and caught a doubleheader,” says Tyler Maltby, captain of the “Double Header.” “What’s fun about this tournament is seeing what the other boats catch and the camaraderie.”
Trophies, bottles of Cape Fear Distillery premium spirits, and cash prizes totaling over $7,000 were awarded to the winners, the release stated.
Fourteen boats from St. Thomas and St. John collectively caught 25 wahoo, weighing a total of 637 pounds, it said.
“The quantity and size of wahoo caught is something we haven’t seen in a long time, and that’s exciting,” says Kelvin Bailey, Jr., president of the Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club’s Board of Directors.
Bailey credited in part the club’s hosting of a “Free Lunch & Learn Fishing 101 – Wahoo Windup Prep Session,” taught by club members and Neptune Fishing Supply employees on Oct. 19. With the popularity of the clinic, plus the whopping tournament catch, the club plans to host another training next spring before its annual “Dolphin Derby,” the release stated.
The Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club appreciates the support of Cape Fear Distilleries, IGY’s American Yacht Harbor Marina, and its much-appreciated volunteers, it said.
For more information about the Club and its events, call 340-775-9144, email usvigfc@gmail.com or visit www.vigfc.com.
A selfie at Drakes Seat on St. Thomas was as close as cruise ship passengers Pat and Brenda Penailillo would get to Magens Bay Monday as the Magens Bay Authority closed the beach because of concerns about rough weather.
The authority initiated Red Flag Status as stormy conditions caused strong surf and hazardous currents. All swimmers were discouraged from entering the water and those that do were cautioned to take great care.
Vehicular access to the beach was temporarily restricted as a safety precaution. Foot access to all beaches remained open but was not encouraged, according to the authority.
“It is crucial to emphasize that swimming at these beaches is also discouraged, since lifeguard assistance will not be available and water testing is currently in process. The Magens Bay Authority further advises that persons that disregard this notice and enter the water, do so at their own risk,” authority officials said in a written statement.
The Penailillos, two of nearly 7,500 passengers arriving on three ships at the West Indian Company dock early Monday, weren’t letting the storm get them down, saying they were excited to be in the Virgin Islands.
The authority said it would monitor beach and sea conditions over the next 24 hours to assess when it would be safe to return to normal operations. They also planned to check the park’s infrastructure for damage.
“Rest assured, the Magens Bay Authority is committed to reopening the beach quickly, however the well-being and safety of all beachgoers and staff of the MBA is our priority,” the authority said. “The Magens Bay Authority advises that you follow local authorities’ instructions, and monitoring weather updates closely. Your cooperation is essential in ensuring everyone’s safety. Please stay safe!”
For more information, please call 340-777-6300 or email info@magensbayauthority.org or visit www.magensbayauthority.org.
Alpine Securities, USVI, is excited to announce the return of SAT Preparation Courses for students in the St. Thomas / St. John District of the U.S. Virgin Islands. University Bound (formerly Upward Bound) will be partnering with the team from Alpine to administer the program again. The program aims to help Virgin Islands high school students boost their SAT scores (a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States).
The first session will start with a practice SAT digital pre-test on Saturday, Nov. 23, and will continue with both Math and Language Arts lessons every Saturday through Feb. 22, 2025 (not including holidays). Training sessions will take place at the University of the Virgin Islands St. Thomas Campus and online.
Many Virgin Islands students do not take a mock exam before taking the real SAT. University Bound’s free SAT preparation program will incentivize students to familiarize themselves with the SAT test and practice regularly to ultimately increase their SAT scores. Past Alpine SAT Prep students have raised their SAT scores by an average of 90 points after participating in the program.
University Bound’s SAT Prep Program is open to Virgin Islands High School juniors and seniors in the St. Thomas-St. John District. The most driven participants will earn prizes, including gift cards, and the Texas Instruments TI-84, a graphic calculator that is commonly used during the SAT and in advanced math classes in college.
Students can register online using this link: https://forms.gle/XnL87eEyPuSjZzSa9. The registration deadline is November 21st. More information can be found at https://www.uvi.edu/student-success/upward-bound.html. They may also contact University Bound Director Rosalia Rhymer-Rohan at rrohan@uvi.edu or (340) 693-1133.
“Investing in youth programs is a vital component of Alpine’s corporate culture,” said Vernon Araujo, Alpine’s director of philanthropy and community relations. “We are excited to partner with University Bound and the University of the Virgin Islands to empower our high school students with the proper resources and opportunities to reach their full potential.”
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