Starting Thursday, Public Works Department contractor Island Roads Corp. is scheduled to have a single-lane closure between 3rd and 4th streets on St. Thomas to facilitate demolition on the curbs and gutters as part of the First Avenue drainage project.
Construction will continue between 4th and 5th streets (Work Zone 5) with a full road closure. Motorists traveling south on 5th and 3rd streets will be allowed to turn onto First Avenue. Vehicle access to 4th Street will also be allowed.
The Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs has released the latest territory-wide self-service fuel price survey findings that were conducted during the week of Oct. 6. Fuel surveys are designed to inform consumers of the most affordable fuel prices throughout the territory, said Commissioner H. Nathalie Hodge. The results are included for comparative viewing and transparency.
ST. CROIX SELF-SERVICE
Average Prices
Lowest Prices
Second-Lowest Prices
ST. THOMAS SELF-SERVICE
Average Prices
Lowest Prices
Second-Lowest Prices
ST. JOHN SELF-SERVICE
Average Prices
Lowest Prices
Second-Lowest Prices
Per 12A V.I.C.§ 202, fuel station owners are reminded “that it shall be unlawful for any person to offer to sell at retail and dispense or to sell at retail and dispense motor fuel into fuel supply tanks of motor vehicles unless there is continuously and publicly posted and displayed on or near each pump or other dispensing device the minimum octane rating, the retail price per gallon and, separately stated, the tax per gallon, on each blend of motor fuel dispensed therefrom,” the DLCA stated.
The Family Resource Center will be holding a march and candle light vigil on St. John on Thursday to increase awareness about domestic violence.
The entire community is welcome to attend the two-hour event that begins at 5 p.m. at Frank Powell Park in Cruz Bay. The evening will include guest speakers and performances by the Dynamic Dancers and the Love City Pan Dragons.
Children and their parents are invited to attend a free art class at the St. John School of the Arts starting at 4:15 p.m. to create artwork that will be used during the event.
In spite of a decades-long national campaign to decrease the number of incidents involving domestic violence, the facts remain alarming. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline:
— Over 1 in 3 women (35.6 percent) and 1 in 4 men (28.5 percent) in the U.S. have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.”
— 30 to 60 percent of intimate partner violence perpetrators also abuse children in the household.
— 1 in 10 high school students has experienced physical violence from a dating partner in the past year.”
— One study found that children exposed to violence in the home were 15 times more likely to be physically and/or sexually assaulted than the national average.
Stigma still prevents survivors of domestic violence from seeking help, according to Annette Small, a counselor on St. John who works with the St. Thomas-based Family Resource Center.
“Overall, people still believe in taking care of their own problems,” she said. “They don’t want to report because of fear, financial instability, threats, and other factors. But those that seek counselling do benefit,” she said.
Those who do report crimes of domestic violence sometimes become frustrated with the time it takes for supporting agencies to process their complaints, she added.
Small said she has sent in a request to the Superior Court to get accurate statistics about the rate of domestic abuse in the community.
The roots of the problem are deep, Small said. “In some people’s minds, [abuse] is what ‘love’ looks like because that’s what they grew up with. They choose partners because that’s what their fathers were like. That’s why I like to start with the young. They can grow up with a different mindset.”
The Family Resource Center provides a variety of services, including counseling, shelters, programs for survivors and perpetrators of abuse, and court advocacy for victims of crimes.
Events to build awareness of domestic violence will be held on Thursday, Oct. 17 on St. Thomas, sponsored by the Family Resource Center, and on St. Croix by the Women’s Coalition.
For further information, call the Family Resource Center at 340-776-3966 or the National Hotline at 340-776-STOP (7867).
The District Court of the Virgin Islands now offers new options for making payments. Effective Oct. 8, online payments will be accepted for miscellaneous fees, bankruptcy miscellaneous fees and criminal debt fees.
www.Pay.gov provides a secure government-wide portal for the collection of funds electronically. The Pay.gov link may be found in two locations on the District Court’s website. It will be on the ‘Programs and Services Page’ and the frequently used links.
The authorized methods of payment are:
Anyone who will be making multiple payments can save time by creating a www.Pay.gov account at www.pay.gov/public/login; however, it is not required. Please note that tickets issued on federal property are different from criminal debt and miscellaneous fees and should be paid directly on the Central Violations Bureau website at www.cvb.uscourts.gov.
If there are any questions about online payments, contact Financial Services at 776-0221.
For more information, contact:
Glenda L. Lake, Esquire
Clerk of Court
District Court of the Virgin Islands
5500 Veteran’s Drive, Suite 310
Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands 00802
Phone: 774-0640
Fax: 775-8075
Email: glenda_lake@vid.uscourts.gov
The Incident Command team announces the activation of a turnaround company to oversee the stabilization and restructuring of the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (WAPA). This critical action is part of an ongoing effort to address financial and operational challenges at WAPA, ensuring that WAPA can meet its obligations while improving service delivery for the community.
Selected to lead this effort, the turnaround company is working in close coordination with the Water and Power Authority’s leadership team to ensure that critical reforms are implemented across financial oversight, infrastructure modernization and operational efficiency.
The turnaround company’s scope of work includes reviewing and fortifying fiscal oversight measures, and ensuring that financial operations align with long-term sustainability goals. Ernst & Young (EY), a consulting firm with expertise in financial restructuring, has been enlisted to support the effort by providing a detailed assessment of WAPA’s financial standing. Their findings will inform the strategic steps required to stabilize WAPA’s finances, with a focus on delivering reliable water and energy services to the community.
Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. declared a “State of Energy Emergency” on April 22 to address energy production shortfalls that have been impacting the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Incident Command team is comprised of Incident Commander VI Director of Finance Kevin McCurdy, Chief of Staff Kevin A. Williams Sr., WAPA CEO Karl Knight, managers within the Water and Power Authority financial and operational areas, VITEMA Director Daryl Jaschen, and key government policy advisors.
The Incident Command continues to work with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that Water and Power Authority’s financial recovery and infrastructure enhancements progress in alignment with the community’s needs. By taking control of these efforts, the turnaround company is leading a comprehensive approach to deliver a more resilient and sustainable utility structure for the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The recent obligation of $3.2 billion for projects to rebuild the potable water distribution system, repave roads across St. Croix and replace the utility’s metering infrastructure in the U.S. Virgin Islands, highlights the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) continued partnership with the Government of the Virgin Islands in strengthening critical infrastructure damaged during hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017.
The St. Croix island-wide potable water distribution system replacement project with a FEMA obligation of $1.25 billion provides the territory the funding to replace pump stations, water tanks, piping and fire hydrants in Christiansted and Frederiksted. The prudent replacement of St. Croix’s potable water distribution system paves a path for the transformation of this critical service to be approved to industry standards.
In addition to the St. Croix potable water distribution system replacement project, FEMA’s partnership with the USVI has led to an obligation of $2.5 million to replace the intake and bubble screens for the Richmond East Potable Water Distribution Sector. The fully automated bubble screen system will be built to improve the quality of the Estate Richmond Desalination Plant’s desalinated water and capture foreign particles such as sargassum.
The St. Croix Island-Wide Unified Road Paving project with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s obligation of $1.75 billion consolidates public assistance funding to allow the territory to repair over 481 miles of the island’s roads, including curbs, culverts and ramps that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), where required by code. The road paving project would start after the replacement of St. Croix’s potable water, wastewater and electric undergrounding systems are completed.
Other obligated projects to support the transformation of the U.S. Virgin Islands’ utility infrastructure include the electrical metering system replacement across the territory and the placement of additional composite power poles on St. Thomas. The Federal Emergency Agency Management Agency has committed $173.9 million for the territory to remove and replace 58,660 electric Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) meters in the USVI.
As well, the Federal Emergency Management Agency continues to invest in hazard mitigation measures for the territory to strengthen the resilience of the USVI’s electrical distribution system with an obligation of $57.8 million to replace an additional 934 composite power poles on St. Thomas.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency continues to focus on collaboration with territorial and other federal partners on recovering from Irma and Maria by providing the Government of the Virgin Islands the technical and financial resources to replace infrastructure built to withstand future storms.
“FEMA’s commitment of $3.2 billion to the U.S. Virgin Islands’ recovery is an unprecedented commitment from a valued partner that the territory celebrates,” said Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. “This much-needed financial support allows the U.S. Virgin Islands to forge ahead with essential infrastructure projects including potable water delivery, energy distribution, repaving efforts and repairs to educational institutions that our community will benefit from for years to come.”
In addition to the utility and road paving projects, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has obligated $3.5 million for repairs to five buildings and grounds damaged by Hurricane Maria at the Virgin Islands Department of Education’s St. Croix headquarters.
FEMA also continues to partner with the University of the Virgin Islands to repair and harden the power grid at the Orville E. Kean Campus on St. Thomas. A federal share of $6.3 million will go toward the university’s lighting and power project, which includes the removal and replacement of solar panel LED light poles, transformers and generators at its St. Thomas campus.
The university’s project on St. Thomas includes a $49,000 hazard mitigation proposal to protect critical campus infrastructure from water infiltration in the event of catastrophic weather.
As of today, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has committed $15 billion through its Public Assistance program toward emergency and permanent repairs for infrastructure damaged during the 2017 hurricanes. Of the $15 billion, about $1.2 billion is approved toward hazard mitigation measures to help break the cycle of disaster damage and reconstruction.
Senatorial hopeful Michael Smith says he loves to help – and shares more about his plans to provide a boost for the community in this episode with host Imani Daniel. The Fish Fry is produced by VI Crawl, powered by Mad Hot Media and the VI Source – there’s always something new!
The territory has secured $9 million in federal funding to eliminate lead pipes in homes and schools as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s urgent push to replace all lead pipes across the country within the next 10 years, the Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday.
This funding, delivered under the Lead and Copper Rule Improvement (LCRI) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will allow the territory to address the threat of water contamination, particularly in disadvantaged communities that have long been neglected. It marks a critical step forward in the fight to provide every resident with access to clean, safe drinking water, according to an emailed news release.
Although the Virgin Islands has not historically faced widespread lead contamination, this federal funding ensures that any lingering non-compliant pipes are removed before they become a public health crisis. “Parents should never have to worry about their children consuming water contaminated with lead, regardless of where they live,” EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia said in Tuesday’s statement.
This initiative complements the recent announcement of a Prudent Replacement Plan, an ambitious FEMA-funded overhaul by the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority, which is designed to modernize the crumbling water infrastructure. WAPA’s plan, according to a recent release, will replace outdated pipes, upgrade failing pump stations and refurbish aging storage tanks that have left residents vulnerable to water quality and reliability issues. Following the approval of the plan for the St. Thomas-St. John district, WAPA is now positioned to launch similar projects across both districts, according to the release.
“With the support of FEMA and our diligent planning, we are working toward a future where water outages and quality issues are a thing of the past,” said WAPA Chief Executive Officer Karl Knight, framing the effort as essential to the long-term sustainability of the territory’s water systems.
WAPA has already made progress, he said, completing waterline rehabilitation projects in critical areas such as downtown Christiansted and Frederiksted. These projects represent a small piece of broader initiative to bring the territory’s water system in line with modern industry standards—efforts that WAPA officials have said are long overdue. The Prudent Replacement Plan promises to prevent further infrastructure failures that have plagued the islands, ensuring a more reliable water supply for all residents.
The EPA’s new lead and copper regulations, announced on Tuesday, mandate the identification and replacement of lead pipes within a decade. This includes more aggressive testing standards and requires water systems to inform the public about lead contamination risks and the steps being taken to mitigate them. With $9 million now in hand for the U.S. Virgin Islands, the territory can begin the urgent work of removing any remaining lead pipes while simultaneously rebuilding its failing water infrastructure, according to the EPA.
This action comes about a year after testing results in a range of neighborhoods on St. Croix revealed elevated levels of lead and copper, later found to be caused by improper sampling methods. WAPA’s Prudent Replacement Plan, coupled with this new round of federal funding, aims to eliminate the conditions that could lead to similar issues in the future, according to officials.
Beyond the immediate replacement of aging pipes, WAPA is taking steps to ensure that the territory’s water infrastructure is built to last, Knight said in the release. The plan includes critical upgrades to pump stations and storage tanks, which have long been weak points in the system, and others that are necessary to avoid ongoing service disruptions and prevent public health risks.
The fifth annual Governor’s Workforce Development Summit drew large crowds to the Caribbean Cinema on St. Croix on Tuesday.
The theme this year is “Sun, Sand, and Success,” said one of the moderators and a member of the Workforce Summit Asiah Clendinen Gumbs. The summit allows professionals, innovators and leaders a place to gather to discuss strategies for achieving work excellence in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Also moderating the event, Michael Fazio, president of “Workforce 180,” said that this year’s summit saw the largest registration and a record number of students present. “The students are here to hear from all our great speakers and learn why life in the Virgin Islands goes beyond schooling.”
Present in the audience were Gov. Albert Bryan Jr., senators, commissioners, directors, entrepreneurs, and other professionals. “We are giving out strategies for work excellence today,” said Gumbs.
“Success means something different for everyone, so I want you to develop your definition of success by the end of the day,” she continued.
Some topics discussed included education and training in the transportation industries, the future of the workforce with AR/VR and AI and charting a course in entrepreneurship and business opportunities in the maritime sector.
The Chairman of the Workforce Development Board, Michael Carty, shared a success story that highlighted the positive impact of the summit. He mentioned an employee he discovered during a community employment outreach in 2016. Carty provided an opportunity to Shalana Charles, who went on to become the employee of the year. He applauded her dedication and recognized her achievements.
“With success you need three things. Number one you have to make a promise to somebody, Number two you have to make a promise to yourself, and number three you have to convince somebody to make you a promise,” Carty said.
Commissioner of the V.I. Labor Department Gary A. Molloy, who was also present, provided some insightful statistics and numbers relating to unemployment.
“Just to talk specifically about St. Croix I looked at the Virgin Islands workforce system and in the St. Croix workforce there are 18,000 strong and about 17,000 employed and 750 showing unemployed. The unemployment rate on St. Croix is about 4.1 percent, down from 4.5 percent last month,” said Molloy.
Molloy stated that these numbers were consistent with the goals outlined in “Vision 2040” by the administration. He mentioned that the study projected that achieving a 4 percent unemployment rate would essentially mean reaching full employment statistically.
Molloy also acknowledges that there are still many people who are unemployed. “We are working to make sure in conjunction with our partners we are working to fill those gaps.” Currently, Molloy stated that there are 321 vacancies, including 57 in government positions and 16 specifically at Frederiksted Healthcare. “This is an opportunity to network like a professional,” he said.
A variety of job opportunities and employers were present at the summit. Representatives from the V.I. Labor Department, V.I. Energy Office, USVI Division of Personnel, USVI American Job Center, and others attended.
The governor also gave plenty of advice to the attendees. “When you are networking you better know what you want. Define your success. The hardest thing to figure out is what you want,” Bryan said.
Bryan also referenced a popular movie, “The Matrix,” while discussing how some of us are programmed. “Public assistance is the Matrix. Your job is the Matrix,” he said.
“What did you sign up for?” the governor questioned the audience. “Are you drifting aimlessly through life hoping that something is going to come, or do you have your hand on the rutter and guiding your ship to where you want to be,” Bryan said.
“This is the time when it is up to the individual to decide what your destiny is going to be,” he said.
The Governor’s Workforce Development Summit 2024 will continue on St. Thomas at the Caribbean Cinemas from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday and on St. John from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday at the Cleone H. Creque Legislative Conference Room. The events are free, but attendees are encourage to reserve a seat by registering at https://viwdb.vi.gov.
The Water and Power Authority agreed Tuesday to pay down millions it owes to two St. Croix solar farms for electricity, which it then resells to Virgin Islanders. WAPA has also ordered replacements for malfunctioning meters that sometimes give wildly inaccurate readings, officials told the Public Services Commission.
WAPA had already made its first new payment to BMR Energy in months, including extra to go toward its roughly $5 million debt, said the utility’s Interim Chief Financial Officer, Lorraine Kelly.
BMR Energy’s two companies, Spanish Town Estate Solar on St. Croix and Donoe Solar on St. Thomas, sell solar-generated electricity to WAPA at between 17 cents per kilowatt hour and 13.9 cents per kilowatt hour — far less than it costs WAPA to generate a kilowatt-hour, CEO Bruce Levy said in September.
Levy and BMR’s attorney, Adam Marinelli, had said the solar farms would likely cease to exist unless WAPA started making regular payments.
“This is a positive first step and hopefully they can continue to keep making payments,” Marinelli said Tuesday.
The long embattled utility runs a monthly deficit of between $5 million and $8 million as it struggles to keep old, inefficient diesel generators working and bring new, more efficient propane-powered generators online.
Virgin Islanders had been complaining on social media platforms about bills suddenly skyrocketing from less than $200 a month to more than $700. A St. John customer said in July their WAPA bill went from an average of between $175 to $300 to more than $3,000.
Since July, 178 Virgin Islanders had contacted WAPA to complain about billing or other service issues, Kelly said. Normally, less than five or so complaints come in each month, she said.
“The customer service teams are working hastily each day,” Kelly said. “Our customers are absolutely critical to our being able to survive.
To address the issue, WAPA ordered thousands of new meters — some correctly functioning automatic meters, some traditional manually-read meters. Kelly said the first shipment of 2,500 was due to arrive by the end of October and 7,500 more by the end of the year.
Reading the meters in person requires more vehicles and staff, she said. Currently, WAPA has eight meter readers in each district. They want to add four more territory-wide, Kelly said.
Kelly asked for the PSC’s support undoing another vexing billing oddity. WAPA is required by law to read meters every 30 days. This leads to difficult and confusing billing cycles in months with 31 days — or 28. Kelly said WAPA would ask the Legislature to change the law to say meters were to be read once a month, not a specific number of days.
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