"The light that comes from wisdom never goes out"
The Court of Appeal recently ruled that a small subsection of the BVI Jury Act is unconstitutional, and, in the process, overturned a murder conviction almost half a decade old. …
Continue reading “Alcedo Tyson’s life sentence for murder is set aside”
Premier Dr. Orlando Smith supports Dr. Henry Jarecki’s plan to develop Norman Island. In a message delivered to the Beacon last week through government Communications Director Arliene Penn, Dr. Smith said …
Continue reading “Premier gets behind planned Norman Island development”
Three weeks after it began, a fire continues to burn deep within the towering piles of garbage at the Coxheath dumpsite. But completely extinguishing the flames — and therefore staunching …
Continue reading “Water pumps brought from sister islands to fight Coxheath blaze”
The Tortola Pier Park hosted its second annual Jazz and Style Festival over the weekend, showcasing a range of local musicians, food and fashion. On Saturday, the park was also …
Continue reading “Pier Park officially reopens with ‘jazz and style’”
The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins tomorrow, and government officials are evaluating the territory’s readiness after last year’s devastating storms. Governor Gus Jaspert assured the public in a press …
Continue reading “Hurricane season starts tomorrow, as Alberto makes landfall in US”
Two Virgin Gorda residents were charged with firearm-related offences in relation to a robbery over the weekend, police reported on Tuesday. Richard Creque, 44, of North Sound, was charged with …
Continue reading “Virgin Gorda men charged in armed robbery”
Yacht Shots photographer Dan States depends on a dinghy to get back and forth between his home on Great Camanoe Island and Trellis Bay. But lately, he’s been finding it …
Continue reading “Seeking solutions to sargassum as quantities increase”
The prices of some of the world’s most high-profile cryptocurrencies have dropped significantly in the past two weeks due in part to cooperation between a cryptocurrency trading platform and the …
Continue reading “Cryptocurrencies slump after VI trading platform requests tax info”
The BVI International Arbitration Centre is processing its first Virgin Islands-based arbitral dispute, according to BVIIAC CEO Francois Lassalle. The case, which landed on the centre’s desk at the end …
Continue reading “Arbitration Centre processing first dispute”
Lily Pierce learned how to surf in the Virgin Islands when she was about 5 years old — with her father, a competitive surfer, as her instructor. “I was pretty …
Continue reading “Lily Pierce: High school student, surfing champion”
More than 1,000 people marched from the Sunday Morning Well to the Governor’s Office on Thursday to protest the recent passage of a bill in the United Kingdom requiring the …
Continue reading “1,000-plus protest UK public registers decision”
No one currently calls Norman Island home. Though the roughly 600-acre island has two restaurants and is visited by thousands of tourists and residents each year, none of them — …
Continue reading “Initial details about Norman Island development revealed”
The United Kingdom bill that will force the overseas territories to implement public company registers became law when it received a royal assent on Wednesday afternoon. The amendment requires the …
Continue reading “Public registers bill receives royal assent”
Before a massive fire broke out at the Coxheath dumpsite two weeks ago, many measures that are typically used to prevent fires at landfills were not implemented — including monitoring …
Continue reading “Few, if any, fire precautions were taken at Coxheath before blaze”
Carwill Potter, 72, was recently sentenced to two and a half years in prison after allegedly smuggling 21 migrants into the territory last year. During a hearing on April 23, …
Continue reading “Senior gets prison time for smuggling migrants”
This is the fourth story in a series on the public company registers amendment passed in the House of Commons on May 1. The first piece looked at the background behind the …
Continue reading “UK House of Lords backs public registers amendment”
Duran Greaves, 23, is the food and beverage coordinator at Village Cay Resort and Marina. He spends most of his time there tending the bar — a role he resumed …
After previous general elections in the Virgin Islands, votes were counted by hand late into the night — and often well into the following day. That method could be a …
Continue reading “Machines may help count votes next election”
The territory will celebrate the Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday with a parade on June 9, according to Government Information Services. The marching route is set to begin at 4 p.m. …
Continue reading “Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday parade scheduled for June 9”
Charter captain and marine engineer Tim Dabbs cracked open the door to the engine room on the catamaran Zingara, which was moored at Nanny Cay. “These need to be serviced …
Continue reading “Students get a taste of marine industry with Nanny Cay short courses”
Three men were charged last week for burgling local businesses, police reported on Wednesday. Michael Ashby, of Road Town, and Reynaldo Hewlett, 36, of Huntums Ghut, were charged separately for …
Continue reading “Three charged in relation to local burglaries”
The Road Town ferry terminal, which had been closed to the public since Hurricane Irma, reopened on Sunday. After divers and contractors helped survey the territory’s port facilities following the …
This is the third story in a series on the public company registers amendment passed in the House of Commons on May 1. The first piece looked at the background behind …
Continue reading “Premier: No public register here until it’s a global standard”
Late last year, government selected the unregistered company Kausina VI to haul hurricane debris to Coxheath before separating recyclables and shipping them off island. But the firm — whose founder and …
Continue reading “Government-backed waste company hasn’t removed any trash from Coxheath or VI”
Last week, a fire engulfed the mountain of trash that has been piled in Coxheath since Hurricane Irma, spewing plumes of thick, black smoke as far as St. Thomas and …
Continue reading “Dumpsite fire is VI’s biggest ever, DWM says”
