News Articles

M.A. Dworkin St. Croix - After previous contractors withdrew from the process, the Virgin Islands Office of Disaster Recovery (ODR) has executed a contract for the demolition and reconstruction of the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center (JFL) on St. Croix.        The contract was awarded to Suffolk Construction and signals the start of the initial phase - including preconstruction services and early work packages - which are capped at just over $142 million (spe

M.A. Dworkin Caribbean Sea - As the Department of Planning and Natural Resources celebrates Coral Week in the USVI, by hosting a number of engaging events, the worldwide consensus of opinion seems to be we are killing off the planet one species at a time, with coral reefs in the early gunsights of the effects of climate change.       Think of Coral Reefs as the caged canary being led into the coal mine to act as an early warning system to detect poisonous gases like carbon mo

Neil Weare and Edoardo Ortiz  Public debate about U.S. territories is often shaped by unsupported assumptions or   even outright falsehoods—especially on the issue of taxes. Addressing these myths is   important to de-normalize the undemocratic colonial rule of more than 3.6 million people   in Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern  Mariana Islands.  Tax Day gives us a timely opportunity to address some common misconceptions, which   we

M.A. Dworkin St. Thomas - The weekly Government House Press Briefing was held at Government House on St. Thomas and Lt. Gov. Tregenza A. Roach provided an update on the Territory’s ongoing recovery efforts, the current stormy weather conditions, and the Administration’s continuing progress on issuing income tax refunds. Mr. Roach is acting-Governor, while Governor Albert Bryan Jr. is in Miami attending Seatrade Cruise Global 2026.       Lt. Governor Roach emphasized that reco

M.A. Dworkin St. Croix - Considered by many as the Poet Laureate of St. Croix, Richard Augustus Schrader, Sr. died peacefully at his home on St. Croix at 90 years young. A literary giant who was loved, adored and respected by all who knew him, Mr. Schrader blazed a trail of literary accomplishments over four decades that led him to record an intimate history of his beloved Virgin Islands.        “Buck,” as many knew him, was a poet and author of 28 books that told the tales a

M.A. Dworkin St. Croix - The VI Breast Cancer Project was founded in 2016 and is dedicated to supporting cancer survivors through creative expression, community connection, and the healing power of the arts. It is easy to underestimate art as a healing force. We often think of medicines, nature and time as the great healers that have the ability to turn a sick being back into a healthy one. It’s hard to imagine a work of art performing that wizardry task.        But the heali

A.J. Pike USVI - The automatic Military Draft registration will be instituted in December 2026. Those young men, ages 18 to 25, who are eligible in the USVI will be automatically registered for the military draft pool in the event a draft is required. The last time a draft was in effect was February 1973, during the Vietnam War.        Currently, in states that haven’t enacted automatic registration, men must register within 30 days of their 18th birthday. The agency accepts

M.A. Dworkin USVI - The Virgin Islands Department of Tourism is announcing record-breaking visitor arrival numbers for the first quarter of 2026, reinforcing the Territory’s continued momentum as a leading Caribbean destination.        March 2026 delivered strong performance with 121,716 total arrivals, representing a 23% increase year-over-year and 14% above the previous high set in 2024. St. Thomas led the growth with 95,284 arrivals, up 24% compared to 2025 and 17% over 20

A.J. Pike USVI - Following a directive by Governor Albert Bryan Jr. to prioritize cost-of-living relief, Commissioner Nathalie Hodge of the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs (DLCA) announced the launch of the 2026 Comprehensive Pricing & Inflation Report, a data-driven initiative designed to empower consumers through transparency, promote competition, and provide immediate tools to navigate rising market costs.        This new initiative is highlighted by Territori

M.A. Dworkin San Juan, PR - The Coast Guard and Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action air crews rescued three federal agents and two other boaters during a search and rescue response involving two capsized vessels off Isla de Cabras in Toa Baja, off the northwest coast of Puerto Rico.       All three of the federal agents and the two boaters are safe and there are no other missing people.        Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan received a communication f

DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS  Office of the State Chairwoman  NOTICE TO DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES  DPVI Requirements for Certification as a Democratic Party Nominee - 2026 Election Cycle  To: Prospective Candidates Seeking the Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands (DPVI) Nomination  From: Carol M. Burke , State Chairwoman, Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands  Date: February 20, 2026  Subject: DPVI Certification Requirements for Candidates Seeking to Run Under the DP

M.A. Dworkin Kennedy Space Center - Why it has taken over fifty years to finally decide it was time to go back to the Moon is the question that is sitting on most people’s minds nowadays. The official explanation has nothing to do with technology. It has more to do with funding, specifically cutbacks in the NASA budget over the years that moved away from deep space exploration towards operations in low-Earth orbit via the Space Shuttle and  the International Space Station (IS