Following two fatal shootings last week, the entire Virgin Islands community must take an unequivocal stand against violence and recommit to stamping it out over the long term with sustained …
EDITORIAL: Who’s afraid of human rights?
It is inexplicable that legislators once again failed to pass the Human Rights Commission Act this month. Various versions of the bill have been tabled in the House of Assembly …
EDITORIAL: Carriageway is a deadly hazard for pedestrians
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: A solution is urgently needed to allow pedestrians to safely cross the four-lane James Walter Francis Drive. Last week, another young …
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EDITORIAL: Kudos to Cabinet for releasing weekly updates
We are pleased that Cabinet has finally started publishing basic information about its decisions, many of which were previously kept under wraps. The promised weekly updates, which will keep the …
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In looking back at Irma, hindsight is 20/20
This article appeared in the Beacon’s “Irma Anniversary” special edition on Sept. 6. Sharleen DaBreo, the director of the Department of Disaster Management, is trained to think about all the …
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EDITORIAL: Bring on the plastic ban
Take a walk through Road Town, and you are likely to see Styrofoam and plastic littering the ground, the mangroves and the harbour. This sight is unacceptable anywhere, but it …
EDITORIAL: The broken record from the Throne
In the weeks after Hurricane Irma, elected leaders promised legislation designed to help the territory recover and prepare for future storms, including a new building code, consumer protection legislation, a …
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Plane, lasers to be used to map seabed
Starting Thursday, an airplane will be flying low over the territory using lasers to map the seabed, government announced. The survey, which is funded by the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, …
Government promises new roads, more water capacity
“World-class” new infrastructure, including better-built roads and expanded water storage, are in the works, according to Jeremy Hodge, deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Works. Remedial roadworks …
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One year after Irma, Virgin Gorda fights to recover
This article originally appeared in the Beacon’s Sept. 6 “Irma Anniversary” edition. The team of people who once served as Virgin Gorda’s de facto government now have their headquarters in …
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Irma, Then and Now: Photos from around Road Town
Road Town was devastated by Hurricane Irma, but the capital is building back in leaps and bounds. Scroll down to compare scenes captured shortly after Hurricane Irma to the same …
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EDITORIAL: A communications director is needed now more than ever
At this pivotal time in the hurricane recovery process, it is troubling that the government suddenly has no communications director. On Aug. 20, Arliene Penn, who formerly held the position, …
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Irma, then and now: Photos from around Tortola
Much has changed since Hurricane Irma struck the Virgin Islands on Sept. 6, 2017. In some locations, the recovery effort has transformed the landscape. Other areas, however, don’t look much …
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Isaac expected to pass 200-plus miles south of Virgin Islands
Hurricane Isaac is expected to pass about 206 miles south of the Virgin Islands as a hurricane or a strong tropical storm on Thursday morning, possibly bringing showers and seas …
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EDITORIAL: Virgin Islands strong, but must be stronger
“The Virgin Islands must build back stronger.” In the weeks after Hurricane Irma, this phrase was repeated like a mantra. A year later, is the territory succeeding? The answer varies …
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Classifieds (Sept. 6, 2018)
For rent Barbados Accommodation: Arjan Apartments- Quality air- conditioned rooms. Airport & embassy transfers, available. Group Specials. Tel: (246) 438-6112 or (246) 231-0595 or email: arjan@caribsurf.com. For Visa form assistance …
YEP links with Boys and Girls Clubs of America
The Youth Empowerment Project in East End announced last month that it has been accepted as an international affiliate of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. BGCA, a youth …
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EDITORIAL: UK Parliament snubs OTs again
It is troubling that the United Kingdom Parliament’s inquiry into the UK’s relationship with the overseas territories was launched without a comprehensive effort to solicit input from OT citizens. The …
EDITORIAL: All work permits, not just high earners’, should be processed much faster
Instead of launching expedited “executive work permits” for high earners, the Labour Department should concentrate on reforming its systems from the ground up in order to process all work permits …
Vote-counting machines could come by next election
Virgin Islands election officials are continuing to push for electronic vote-counting machines after observing the primary elections in St. Thomas this month. But before that can happen, Cabinet will need …
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EDITORIAL: Recovery plan is still too vague
Though the government’s new “Recovery to Development Plan” lists general spending projections and touts many laudable goals, it is disappointingly vague. Because the document does not include specific priorities and …
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Government wins $221k for cleanup after Vagabond wreck
The government was awarded $221,935.86 for cleanup costs as a result of an oil spill that occurred after the cargo ship Vagabond ran aground near Fallen Jerusalem in 2006. The …
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EDITORIAL: Post-Irma, scaled-back Festival with culture focus is a good plan
In the post-Hurricane Irma landscape, we welcome government’s plan to scale back the August Emancipation Festival while ramping up its emphasis on culture and history. As the celebrations get under …
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REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK (July 26, 2018)
Tourism problems, tourism solutions At a tourism stakeholder meeting hosted by the BVI Tourist Board on Tuesday morning, one attendee raised his hand and made an interesting point: Some of …
COMMENTARY — Postal system called ‘disgrace’
I read with a wry smile in your esteemed newspaper that the government is moving forward to establish physical addresses for all properties in the Virgin Islands, one of the …
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