Finding enough impartial jurors to hear court cases in the territory has proved challenging in recent years, but a solution may be on the horizon as legislators this week debated …
Another primary school temporarily closes
Based on reports of a “significant number of students” feeling unwell, government closed Alexandrina Maduro Primary School in Baughers Bay on Oct. 6, according to the Ministry of Education, Culture, …
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After 20 years, public service compensation review starts
Asked to identify their primary job-related concern, 79 percent of Virgin Islands public officers who took a recent survey mentioned insufficient pay. Those concerns may soon be addressed with the …
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Kudos and ‘concern’: Governor reviews reforms
Governor John Rankin on Oct. 4 published his first quarterly report on the ongoing reforms recommended by the Commission of Inquiry, guardedly praising the overall progress while also noting a …
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Did Rankin okay Fahie sting in VI?
Nearly six months after then-Premier Andrew Fahie was arrested in Miami, new questions are arising about whether United Kingdom officials knew of the sting operation here that led to his …
Volunteers clean up 8,828 feet of coastline
Volunteers across the territory joined in a belated observance of International Coastal Cleanup Day last weekend, clearing piles of waste from shorelines at Salt Island; Spring Bay on Virgin Gorda; …
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Former minister lies in state in Sea Cows Bay
Former legislator Cyril Lewis Walters laid in state on Sept. 29 at the Sea Cows Bay Methodist Church following a House of Assembly resolution passed on Sept. 27 in his …
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Financial crimes council gets more members
Two new members will be added to the National Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Coordinating Council if a recently passed bill gets the governor’s assent. The House of Assembly passed …
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New HOA committee to push COI reforms
Legislators created a special select Reform Committee on Sept. 27 to help ensure that the House of Assembly meets its law-making obligations under the National Unity Government’s framework for implementing …
House of Assembly okays updates to nonprofit organisation rules
Legislators are aiming to find a better balance in regulating non-profit organisations based in the Virgin Islands, they said this week as they debated a proposed amendment to the Non-Profit …
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Work to start soon on Jost Van Dyke school
Construction on a new school at Jost Van Dyke is set to begin within the next few weeks, according to Recovery and Development Agency Director of Programme Strategy Dr. Neil …
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Premier, governor attend Queen’s funeral
The world watched this week as Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest following her death on Sept. 8, and Virgin Islands leaders joined in mourning both here and in …
Cane Garden Bay church hosting primary students
While students throughout the territory returned to school last week, officials continue to deal with infrastructure issues at multiple facilities. Faculty and more than 300 students from Althea Scatliffe Primary …
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Community reflects on passage of Irma
Amid rain and wind that lasted much of the week, leaders and other community members reflected on the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Irma, with a largely virtual remembrance of how …
Foreign secretary to PM: Liz Truss takes the reins in UK
Promising “bold” economic reform for the United Kingdom, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss won the seat of Conservative Party leader on Sept. 5 and subsequently became the new prime minister. Ms. …
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Students get ready for school
School will start back up on Sept. 12 for most students, and community members throughout the territory have been supporting them with supply drives and other activities. This marks the …
VI has come a ‘long’ way with recovery, but some still struggling
“I would say we have a lot to be proud of,” Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said during a recent press conference when asked about the upcoming fifth anniversary of …
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Leaders plan for upcoming COP27
Caribbean countries are working to learn the best ways to finance measures for mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said in a …
Lawyers explain benefits of a will
More than 90 percent of the attendees at an Aug. 19 forum about estate planning admitted they didn’t have an active will in place. But when asked at the end …
Food security law gets guv’s assent
Oversight of fishing and farming in the territory may be seeing major changes soon following Governor John Rankin’s recent approval of the Food Security and Sustainability Act, 2022. The House …
Jury reform is back on table after COI
Hoping to address long-standing issues with the territory’s jury pool that resulted in legal action in 2019, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley recently introduced a bill in the House of …
Water, sewerage authority in works
Legislators gave the green light last week to create a new statutory body to oversee water and sewerage, claiming the move will help rectify longstanding infrastructure problems that have plagued …
HOA okays gov’t contract for Vanterpool
Last week government backbencher Mark Vanterpool once again got permission to retain his seat in the House of Assembly while one of his businesses secures a government contract. To make …
Ghost busters: Discarded tackle cleaned up
A boat full of volunteers recently travelled from Tortola to the south side of Cooper Island, where they combed the sargassum-covered rocky shore for waste that had washed up on …
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Wreck Week to return next February
Hoping to highlight the Virgin Islands shipwrecks that draw divers from around the world, organisers are bringing back BVI Wreck Week next February. The event, which was last held in …