As the sounds of Frank Sinatra rode the heat waves rising from the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park on Saturday, Che Pemberton click-clacked his tap shoes, encouraging anyone brave enough to join in his swaying dance moves. A few fair-goers rose to the occasion,...
September 29, 2023Erickson accused of helping run 2021 drug ring from HM Prison
After United States prosecutors decided to drop their four-year-old money-laundering case against Virgin Islander Nyron Erickson last month, he was released from house arrest on St. Thomas last week and sent back to Tortola via ferry. But his freedom was short-lived. When he returned to...
Waste boss visits incinerator company
As part of efforts to repair the incinerator in Pockwood Pond by the end of the year, officials from the Department of Waste Management recently visited the plant’s manufacturer in Richmond, Virginia, according to government. DWM Director Marcus Solomon described his trip to Consutech Systems...
Four House of Assembly committees appointed
Legislators approved appointments to four House of Assembly committees last week, but after a heated debate they failed to appoint a fifth as planned. Scheduled appointments to the Services Committee, the Committee of Privileges, and the Register of Interests Committee passed without much fanfare during...
Long-delayed tourism plan stalled for now
In March 2022, Cabinet decided to award a $1.9 million contract to a New York-based firm to create the national tourism plan that successive governments had been promising for more than a decade. Now, that contract has been put on hold and government is planning...
From pest to plate: VI eats invasive lionfish
With their fiery crimson and white stripes and ornate flared spines, lionfish are a striking inhabitant of many Caribbean coral reefs. However, the predatory fish is not native to these waters, and with their big appetites, they have become notorious for decimating delicate marine ecosystems....
Gov’t takes aim at harbour hazards
Rotting boats clogging harbours are one of the most common visual reminders of the 2017 hurricanes, and a new effort to get them removed is now under way, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said during a recent House of Assembly meeting. He provided the update...
Public crown land register promised
A public Crown Land Allocation Register will be created soon and posted online, according to Ronald Smith-Berkeley, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change. “Wherever crown land is available in the territory — who made the purchase; what they...
Government looks abroad to hire health workers
At a time when the territory is struggling with a shortage of doctors and nurses, government is recruiting health professionals from the United Kingdom and working to develop a comprehensive human resources policy for the sector, according to Health and Social Development Minister Vincent Wheatley....
Trade Commission still not operational
Although a board was appointed in May to oversee the new Trade Commission, the statutory body has not started functioning due to longstanding delays caused by a shortage of human resources and funding, according to Deputy Premier Lorna Smith. “The cost of running the [Department...
Huntums Ghut centre promised soon
After years of delays, the government’s Economic Zone project in Huntums Ghut is nearing completion, according to Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer. “As of September 2023, the project is approximately 65 percent complete and with an anticipated completion date of the first quarter in...