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 …
September 9, 2022
September 1, 2021
September 23, 2020
April 15, 2020
COMMENTARY — Distancing seen as a ‘moral duty’
A statistical model of the unchecked spread of COVID-19 predicts that 85 percent of the Virgin Islands population would become infected, with more severe symptoms experienced by seniors and people …
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February 5, 2020
COMMENTARY — RDA CEO’s resignation imagined
I’ll start this week’s commentary by imagining the resignation letter that could have been penned by Recovery and Development Agency CEO Paul Bayly. Dear Sirs: Due to the …
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November 13, 2019
September 16, 2019
Irma’s mental health issues linger
Dr. Virginia Rubaine had plans to travel on Sept. 7, 2017. But on Sept. 6, Hurricane Irma swept through the Virgin Islands, devastating homes, businesses and livelihoods, and dashing any …
September 11, 2019
Two years after Irma, many still struggling
For about 10 months before Hurricane Dorian brushed the Virgin Islands last week, Wendy Hendricks would wake up each morning in the tattered tent in which she was living near …
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September 4, 2019
July 8, 2019
Premier asks UN committee to visit
As the territory struggles to recover from Hurricane Irma and to navigate an increasingly tense relationship with the United Kingdom, Premier Andrew Fahie has turned to the United Nations for …
July 3, 2019
June 12, 2019
EDITORIAL: Hurricane season is here, and VI is still vulnerable
If a major hurricane hits tomorrow, will the Virgin Islands be ready? We’re afraid not. Another storm season started this month, and the VI is simply not as prepared as …
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February 12, 2019
Commentary — PO woes seen to be worsening
Last July, I had occasion to write to your newspaper about the postal services in the Virgin Islands. I had hoped to be able to write a follow-up letter some …
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December 22, 2018
RDA head earning $350,000 per year
Recovery and Development Agency CEO Paul Bayly is earning $350,000 per year in compensation, Premier Dr. Orlando Smith revealed during a House of Assembly sitting on Thursday in response to …
November 19, 2018
EDITORIAL: Culture is key in hurricane recovery process
In light of this month’s Culture Week celebrations, the Virgin Islands should commit to vigorously incorporating heritage preservation and cultural projects into the hurricane recovery process. After sound recommendations from …
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November 5, 2018
Former Myett’s workers sue for severance
A dozen former employees of Myett’s are suing the company’s owners for refusing to provide them with severance or notice pay after their jobs were made redundant in the wake …
October 26, 2018
In their Words: Edward Childs
Mr. Childs is a director at Smiths Gore’s Virgin Islands office. Like many businesses throughout the territory, the real estate consultancy firm operated quite differently in the year after the …
October 4, 2018
Rooftop tapas, homegrown vegetables and brunch
This article originally appeared in the Beacon’s Sept. 6 “Irma Anniversary” edition. Though Irma’s destruction is still visible throughout Road Town, the capital’s new culinary choices don’t reflect the spartan lifestyle often …
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September 14, 2018
In their Words: Governor Gus Jaspert
Mr. Jaspert was sworn in as governor on Aug. 22, 2017, 15 days before Hurricane Irma decimated the territory. This is his account of the storm, condensed and edited by …
September 12, 2018
Virgin Islands economy takes new shapes after Irma
This article originally appeared in the Beacon’s Sept. 6 “Irma Anniversary” edition. Like many people throughout the Virgin Islands, Courdney Williams has a very different daily routine than he did 12 months …
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September 11, 2018
One year later, some still struggling
Kennard Malley is still waiting to get his electricity restored. But before he does, he needs a roof. Mr. Malley, who works as a security guard at Nanny Cay, lived …
September 10, 2018
Irma Anniversary: Seven unsung heroes of the storm
This article originally appeared in the Beacon’s Sept. 6, 2018 Irma Anniversary edition. It seems that everyone in the Virgin Islands knows at least one hero of Hurricane Irma. …
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August 31, 2018
In their Words: ‘Guess what? I locked myself out.’
Michael Masters, the founder of Nautool Machine Limited, recently sold his business and retired. Last September, he spent Hurricane Irma alone in his house in Cooten Bay — and found …
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April 20, 2018
Islands Adrift: As climate warms, Caribbean ill-prepared
PUERTO RICO CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM — Dinelle Henley fears for her native Cane Garden Bay, one of the most iconic and pristine beaches of the Caribbean. Like much of the …
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April 11, 2018
CDB $65.2m loan project launches
Douglas Fraser had just begun explaining the nuts and bolts of contract tendering: who is eligible, what constitutes a conflict of interest, what sets of rules dictate the selection process, …
