Last year, legislators quietly defied former governor John Rankin on a key governance reform, ignoring his request to boost transparency by scrapping stringent rules that restrict public access to their …
No-confidence vote still in works
On Friday, opposition members repeated a claim they have been making for four months, insisting that Premier Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley should be ousted over his alleged failure to tackle rising …
VI marks 75 years since Great March
Hundreds of residents marched down Main Street on Sunday afternoon, following in the footsteps of some 1,500 protestors who took the same route 75 years earlier to demand greater political …
Books take centre stage at Lit Fest
On Saturday morning, children lined up in the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College Learning Resource Centre according to their age group, waiting patiently to pick out a book to take …
Confidence vote could be delayed to next year after gov’t walkout
A no-confidence vote the opposition has been pushing for more than two months may now be delayed until as late as next March following a government walkout last week in …
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Legislators okay extra spending
Last week in a Wednesday meeting that started after 5 p.m. and continued into the night, the House of Assembly approved a schedule of additional provisions, a code of conduct …
Trellis Bay centre to be ready soon
Government ministers provided updates on hurricane recovery projects, Jost Van Dyke public works, the Belle Vue gym and other efforts in response to questions from the opposition during the Oct. …
Financial services reforms continue
The House of Assembly suspended its usual rules on Monday to introduce and pass two financial services bills designed to avoid international sanction by bringing the territory in line with …
House tackling last COI reform
The House of Assembly began tackling its final Commission of Inquiry reform this week as legislators debated the first of five bills designed to improve the governance of five statutory …
A $13 million mistake
In the 2024 Budget Address last November, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley announced a Cabinet decision to include about $10 million in this year’s budget to ensure that all public …
HOA votes to amend 2021 integrity act
The House of Assembly voted Friday to amend a 2021 integrity law that never took effect and strengthen an Integrity Commission that was never established. The Integrity in Public Life …
Crown land legislation passes with amendments
After six days in closed-door committee, the House of Assembly passed a law on Monday that aims to provide a transparent framework for the acquisition, management and disposal of crown …
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Burt Point sewage plant back online
The Burt Point sewage treatment plant is operational again for the first time since it sustained major damage during Hurricane Irma in 2017. Extensive repairs on the facility were completed …
HOA votes to change Register of Interests
House of Assembly members voted this week to make changes to their Register of Interests, but the extent of those changes is not clear because a bill they passed Tuesday …
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VIP-led government announces ministries
The new House of Assembly is taking shape. The past week saw the appointment of Progressive Virgin Islands Movement leader Ronnie Skelton as opposition leader and the setting of ministerial …
Election: What made the difference?
The at-large race in the general election proved a challenging arena for the incumbent Virgin Islands Party, which secured only one of the four seats available in a blow to …
Three of four party leaders field questions
For more than 20 years, a party system has dominated Virgin Islands politics, and this year may be no different. As in 2019, four parties are contending the general election, …
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Interview: Wheatley says turmoil strengthened VIP
This interview is one of three conducted with party leaders ahead of the 2023 general elections. To read the others, click here. It was a baptism of fire. Dr. Natalio …
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ESHS rebuild to be under two-part plan
Government is working with the Recovery and Development Agency and two United States-based nonprofits to finalise designs for a rebuilt Elmore Stoutt High School, according to Deputy Premier Dr. Natalio …
Legislators’ interests declared late, or not at all
Concluding hearings for the first of six major topics it plans to investigate this summer, the Commission of Inquiry called legislators from the present and past to answer for their …
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$300k contract signed for EE centre
Community centres in the Virgin Islands serve as gathering spaces in good times and as vital shelters during storms, but many of them have sat in ruins since taking severe …
Caricom leaders slam UK over VI inquiry
Following a virtual meeting attended recently by Deputy Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley, leaders from the Caribbean Community expressed “dismay” with the way the United Kingdom went about launching its …
National library, museum promised this year
Public libraries have been mostly closed in the territory since Hurricane Irma hit the Virgin Islands in 2017, but they were struggling even before then. That will change this year, …
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More students head back to class in person
More students are filtering back into in-person classrooms under the phased approach to school re-openings that began in October as Covid-19 numbers fell, though some are still attending primarily or …
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78 percent of CXC exams written earn passing grade
Though they faced unprecedented challenges caused first by Hurricane Irma and then by the Covid-19 pandemic, a total of 358 students in the Virgin Islands registered for at least one …
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