News Articles

M.A. Dworkin USVI - A federal audit does not need dramatic language to send a serious message. In the case of the US Virgin Islands, the message is clear enough: millions of dollars in federal spending were questioned, and multiple programs could not prove they followed the rules tied to the money. The findings matter because the territory has relied heavily on federal funds for recovery, health care, housing, child care, unemployment support, wastewater infrastructure, and p

Governor Bryan Takes Action on Bills Passed During 36th Legislature’s Latest Session Governor approves 15 measures addressing healthcare, infrastructure, public safety and economic development; vetoes legislation redirecting WAPA funding U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — Governor Albert Bryan Jr. has approved 15 bills passed by the 36th Legislature, including measures providing $2.5 million for behavioral health services, $1.8 million for improvements to the St. Thomas abattoir and

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Mr. JAMES CALLS FOR COMPLETION OF CHRISTIANSTED BOARDWALK TO GALLOWS BAY Christiansted, St. Croix — October 10, 2026 Raymond T. James, Esq., Republican candidate for the Senate in the District of St. Croix, calls for a renewed public commitment to complete the Christiansted waterfront boardwalk around Fort Christiansvaern and toward Gallows Bay, while repairing deteriorated docks, ramps and other waterfront facilities. The boardwalk is among Christia

A.J. Pike St. Croix - A small bay on St. Croix holds one of the earliest and most painful contact stories in the Caribbean. In November 1493, Christopher Columbus’s fleet reached the island during his second voyage across the Atlantic. What followed was not a peaceful meeting of two worlds, but a violent encounter between Europeans and Indigenous people that still shapes how Columbus Day is remembered. The event is often called the Columbus Landing at Salt River Bay. It matte

M.A. Dworkin St. Croix - According to a recent Bloomberg Report, operators and stakeholders involved in the St. Croix Refinery are targeting a 2027 restart. This optimistic vision is supported by interest from U.S. government entities, private investors, and an unnamed commercial partner lined up to supply crude oil and purchase refined products. Even though most permitting hurdles, involving the EPA, have been cleared, many questions remain to be answered before the shuttere

M.A. Dworkin St. Croix - A shipyard lift is not the flashiest piece of waterfront equipment, but it can change the kind of work an island economy is able to capture. That is why the recent $763,401 federal shipyard grant awarded to St. Croix Marine Center matters. The funding supports a major piece of marine infrastructure: a vessel lift package with a capacity of about 165,000 pounds, tied to a 75-ton variable-width Marine Travelift. In practical terms, that gives St. Croix

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 7, 2026 JAMES CALLS FOR PUBLIC REVIEW OF RECENT GASOLINE-PRICE INCREASES Requests initial public report within 15 days and findings within 60 days ST. CROIX, U.S. Virgin Islands - Raymond T. James, Esq., Republican candidate for Senate in the District of St. Croix, called on the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs to undertake a focused, publicly reported 60-day review of recent gasoline-price increases. “Residents need to see that

A.J. Pike USVI - A three-cent-per-kilowatt-hour rate increase may sound small until it lands on a monthly WAPA bill. For a household that uses 500 kilowatt-hours in a month, that request would add about $15 before any other charges, fees, or taxes. For restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, laundromats, and other power-heavy businesses, the added cost could be far larger. The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority’s request comes at a time when electric rates in the U.S. Virg

M.A. Dworkin St. Croix- Fine particles are tiny enough to pass deep into the lungs, which is why a technical air quality label can matter far beyond a regulatory filing. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to classify the U.S. Virgin Islands as attainment/unclassifiable under the annual fine particle standard is one of those technical decisions that deserves a plain-language explanation. At its core, the proposal says EPA does not see evidence that the Territo

Governor Bryan Signs Fiscal Year 2027 Budget, Ensuring Continued Funding for Government Operations and Essential Services Spending package funds healthcare, education, public infrastructure and government operations for the new fiscal year U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — Governor Albert Bryan Jr. earlier this week signed the Fiscal Year 2027 budget bills passed by the 36th Legislature, authorizing funding for government operations, healthcare, education, infrastructure and other

St. Croix Times Staff USVI - A one-time $90 Medicare payment may sound modest on paper, but for seniors watching every dollar of a fixed monthly budget, it lands in a very real place: the cost of staying insured. President Trump’s announcement of a one-time $90 payment to about 20 million U.S. seniors enrolled in Plan B Medicare, commonly understood as Medicare Part B, puts health care costs back at the center of the national conversation. The payments are set for early Octob

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 1, 2026 JAMES CALLS FOR URGENT CRIME RESPONSE, FEDERAL HELP AND ADDITIONAL FUNDING ST. CROIX, U.S. Virgin Islands - Raymond T. James, Esq., Republican candidate for Senate in the District of St. Croix, called today for immediate action and additional resources to protect residents, children, businesses and visitors from violent crime. James urged the Governor and Police Commissioner, if they have not already done so, to request additional as