When I speak of ancestral Virgin Islanders, I am referring to those persons whose ancestry goes back to the middle and late 1800s. I expect that such persons would have …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Former nationality rules draw scrutiny”
When I speak of ancestral Virgin Islanders, I am referring to those persons whose ancestry goes back to the middle and late 1800s. I expect that such persons would have …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Former nationality rules draw scrutiny”
It is disheartening that the long-delayed Human Rights Commission Act was removed from the House of Assembly’s agenda last week. For about a decade, legislators have been promising to pass …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Human rights law needed urgently”
Special kudos are due to this year’s graduates, many of whom have demonstrated remarkable perseverance to finish school after Hurricane Irma. Their challenges, we suspect, are far from over. Nevertheless, …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Kudos to post-Irma graduates, who now have much work to do”
News next door Sometimes Beaconites have to find the news; other times it finds them. On Monday, Virgin Gorda recycler Julie Swartz of Green and Clean VI was next door …
If the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport runway is extended and terminal upgraded, will major airlines from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and so on dash to start nonstop …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Will runway project bring enough planes?”
The United States economy is booming, and it is expected to grow 4.5 percent this year. This is a very strong growth rate, and it is unusual for the current …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Recession potential causes concerns”
The re-installation of disaster warning systems across the territory is in full swing, according to the Department of Disaster Management. “We have been able to source and purchase a number …
Continue reading “Work continues to restore emergency warning systems”
The Taddy Bay Airport on Virgin Gorda is likely to reopen in mid-September, the BVI Airports Authority announced Monday. The facility closed in April because officials were concerned that its …
Continue reading “Virgin Gorda airport likely to reopen in September”
Premier Dr. Orlando Smith should stop pointing fingers and explain exactly what happened to the $7 million of taxpayers’ money paid to BVI Airways, which to date has failed to …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: It’s time for answers in BVI Airways deal”
Public schools are closed across the Virgin Islands on Monday, but government offices remain open as the territory feels the remnants of Hurricane Beryl, which dissipated over the weekend into …
Continue reading “Schools closed, but government open, as Beryl’s remnants pass”
I am writing in response to Donald de Castro’s letter of last week, “Passport statement draws questions.” In June/July 2017, I needed to renew both my United Kingdom passport and …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Passport Office staff draws praise”
It is good news that legislators finally appear to be moving forward with the urgently needed national addressing system, which has been promised for more than 30 years. As early …
A High Court judge ordered on Friday that Earl “Bob” Hodge and Roberto “Tico” Harrigan, who are accused of participating in a Caribbean-based drug trafficking organisation, should not be extradited …
Continue reading “Citing race as a factor, judge denies third try to extradite Bob Hodge”
Politicians had one main message for the 2018 graduates of H. Lavity Stoutt Community College last Thursday: The territory needs you. Premier Dr. Orlando Smith and Education and Culture Minister …
Continue reading “With 93 graduates, HLSCC Class of 2018 less than half the size of last year’s”
Richard Henry is the owner of Marine Depot BVI. A Guyana native, he has lived in the Virgin Islands for 35 years. Below are his words, condensed and edited by …
Continue reading “In their Words: ‘We see a drastic decrease in business’”
Two people have been arrested in connection with recent robberies, police said. Donald Hanley, of The Valley, Virgin Gorda, was charged with robbery after he allegedly approached a woman on …
N’Khoy Stoutt listened intently as Akeem Lennard described his business. “Glass makes up 15 percent of our waste stream right now and it takes over 2,000 years for glass to …
Though the general election likely won’t be held until next summer, campaign season is already in the air, with politics increasingly driving public dialogue on the airwaves, social media and …
Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Keep the campaigns clean, please”
If a tsunami were to form in the Caribbean, several countries and territories would take very similar steps to respond. In the Virgin Islands and abroad, residents would know how …
Continue reading “Virgin Islands tsunami plan provides a blueprint in preparing for other disasters”
Shortly after Premier Dr. Orlando Smith returned from a visit to China this month, government lifted the visa requirement for nationals of that country. Chinese can now enter and remain …
Continue reading “Visa requirement lifted for Chinese tourists”
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”
A scaled-down, budget-friendly August Emancipation Festival will be the goal for the new Festivals and Fairs Committee Executive Board, whose appointment was announced April 25. Returning Chairman Trefor Grant will …
Continue reading “New committee takes charge of scaled-down Festival”
After finishing third overall and besting some of the pros in the April 14 KPMG Tortola Torture, Julius Farley wasn’t sure what to expect or how his legs would hold …
Continue reading “Farley victorious in Hauteville 5k on Beef Island”
A taxi driver was robbed by two men and received minor stab wounds late on Saturday night, according to Police Information Officer Diane Drayton. The victim, who was not publicly …