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Liberty V.I. Customers Demand Better Service

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Liberty V.I. Customers Demand Better Service
Public Service Commission holds a listening session for Liberty V.I. customers. (Photo taken by Diana Dias)

Liberty V.I. customers appearing before the Public Service Commission on Wednesday evening put out a call to action to address a laundry list of complaints against the company.

While at least 20 community members were expected to attend, in-person testifiers totaled about 10, while another five emailed testimonies that were read during the listening session.

 “We are having these listening sessions so that we can hear directly from customers what they are experiencing.  We see a lot of complaints on social media on a regular basis. Up to this week I saw a number of complaints, even though we mentioned the migration process was completed at the end of March. We are still seeing the complaints out there,” PSC Executive Director Sandra Setorie said Wednesday.

Some testifiers complained about having to spend three hours at the Liberty store and long call times, roaming charges when visiting the mainland, dropped wireless service when using a GPS while driving and businesses not being able to process credit cards because of poor service. One testifier said she must walk with a Mifi purchased from VIYA in order to get reception after changing her SIM card on several occasions.

Liberty V.I. announced on April 2, that it had concluded the migration process for its mobile customers.  Since then, there have been multiple complaints against the mobile company.

Sharing her concerns Wednesday, attorney Karabo Molyneaux-Molloy referenced the upcoming hurricane season. “If we are not having adequate coverage now with Liberty, what plan do they have to protect us during the hurricane season,” she said. “They are our only source of communication. I don’t know anyone else who has house phones anymore, especially the seniors. What’s going to happen when the season hits and it’s supposed to be a very active season?”

Resident Dedra Peterson Heath, who attended in person, and her daughter Imani Heath, tuning in by phone, spoke about not wanting to let go of their family plan with their U.S. Virgin Islands area codes. “I just want a phone to make calls,” said Peterson Heath.

Imani Heath, who lives on the mainland, had more of a concern given that she uses her phone services daily. “My phone number is the only phone number with a Houston area code. Being that it is now on the Liberty network when my doctor’s office tries to call me, they say the number is not working. I’m no longer receiving text messages from my daughter’s school because I believe what is happening is those platforms they are using are not recognizing the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico lines anymore,” she said.

“When we were told we were switching from AT&T to Liberty we were told it was going to be a seamless transition and I would have to beg to differ. I am trying to convince my parents for us to move back to AT&T. For me I cannot wait a year for it to be rectified because it is messing up my day to day,” Imani Heath added.

Liberty’s Country Manager Ravindra Maywahlall also submitted a letter on behalf of Liberty to put on the record.  The message, however, had a more positive and hopeful tone for the future.

“With the migration process now complete we have the opportunity to offer permanent enhancements to the customer experience.  This includes greater agility and flexibility in creating our own customized plans, offers and packages tailored to the V.I. market,” the letter read.

 “Some customers may have experienced temporary service interruptions usually resolved by updating the device operating system or restarting the device.  In some cases, it may have been necessary to change or reconfigure the device or have a SIM card change. To ensure the best migration experience possible, customers were urged to pay attention to the company’s communication which provided valuable information about the updates. Liberty worked tirelessly to address any unexpected hardware or software issues that can impact customers,” he said.

Maywahlall also referenced Liberty as the “most reliable mobile network in the U.S. Virgin Islands according to Virginia based testing company, Global Wireless Solutions.”

He also said that Liberty received top marks as the best network overall in St. Thomas and best voice and voice quality in St. Thomas and St. Croix.

PSC officials encouraged the public to continue submitting testimony to Kiara James on St. Croix at 340-778-6010 or Sasha Davis on St. Thomas at 340-776-1291.

“We are asking the public to not just share the complaints on social media.  We can document them and can in fact use them as part of our record, but we need customers to contact our staff so that our staff can register those complaints so that we can have concrete details and information to continue our investigation,” Setorie said.

Plaskett And Bryan Calls For U.S. To Disavow Racist Rulings

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Plaskett And Bryan Calls For U.S. To Disavow Racist Rulings
Congressional Delegate Stacey Plaskett called on the Department of Justice to stop defending the Insular Cases Wednesday. (Photo: Screenshot of livefeed)
Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett and Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. sent letters to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland Wednesday asking he disavow and stop defending a series of overtly racist early 20th Century Supreme Court rulings known as the Insular Cases. Plaskett and others speaking on Capitol Hill Thursday afternoon said a denunciation by the Department of Justice would be an important step to a Supreme Court reversal of the cases, which bar residents of the five U.S. territories from full citizenship. Describing the people of the territories as “half-civilized,” “aliens races,” and “savage tribes,” the Insular Cases rulings block federal voting rights and birth-right citizenship, leaving Congress to decide if people born in the territories are Americans. “In 2024, no one should use the racist language from the Insular Cases to deny citizenship rights to people born in U.S. territories,” Plaskett said. Civil Rights activists and territorial representatives have been pushing for recognition and reversal of the rulings for more than 40 years, she said. A similar letter was sent in 2023 after the Supreme Court passed on hearing the Insular Cases in 2022. “This is not a one-time issue. This is a problem of all of our modern-day administrations,” Plaskett said. She called on President Joe Biden to apply his statement that there were no second-class citizens in the United States to the people of the Virgin Islands and other territories. “It’s a central principle of American democracy that Americans, through their votes, can have a say in their government,” Plaskett said. “And yet, there are 3.6 million people who reside in one of the five U.S. territories — American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Marianas, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands of the United States — who are denied their full constitutional rights and have been structurally disenfranchised for over 125 years.” Neil Weare, co-founder and co-director of civil rights advocates Right to Democracy, said 42 House and Senate leaders joined Plaskett in calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to condemn and cease its reliance on the Insular Cases. The congressional letter follows a filing by the Justice Department last month that stated “aspects of the Insular Cases’ reasoning and rhetoric, which invoke racist stereotypes, are indefensible and repugnant.” Weare, also on Capitol Hill, said he wanted to know which aspects of the Insular Cases the Justice Department continues to embrace. Rejecting the disavowing other, similar racist rulings has led to corrective Supreme Court rulings, he said. “DOJ action and recognition of a problem has then encouraged the Supreme Court to take action. And that’s what we’re hopeful of today,” Weare said. “Overruling the insular cases will not magically solve the colonial problems that the US has.” In his letter to the Department of Justice, Gov. Bryan said he vehemently denounced the continued reliance on and defense of the Insular Cases. “Virgin Islanders deserve to enjoy the full range of civil and political rights afforded by the U.S. Constitution,” he wrote. It was the second recent letter from Bryan on the subject, having written Garland in March to mark Transfer Day. “Unfortunately, upon our entrance to the United States, Virgin Islanders were not granted the full spectrum of constitutional rights afforded to other Americans. Instead, we were relegated to second-class status and treated as ‘possessions’ by the Supreme Court’s decisions in the Insular Cases,” Bryan wrote. “Following the 1898 Spanish-American War, the Insular Cases devised out of whole cloth the ‘doctrine of territorial incorporation,’ which allowed territories largely populated by people of color to be acquired and governed as colonies. These cases, decided by many of the same Justices who just a few years earlier blessed ‘separate but equal’ racial segregation in Plessy v. Ferguson, held that the Constitution did not apply in full to so-called ‘unincorporated’ U.S. territories, whose inhabitants could permanently be denied democratic rights and self-determination.”

EPA Slams Port Hamilton’s Bid to Dodge Consent Decree Mandate

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EPA Slams Port Hamilton’s Bid to Dodge Consent Decree Mandate
Limetree Oil Refinery (File photo)
The refinery on St. Croix, now owned by Port Hamilton Refining and Transportation. (File photo)

When it purchased the shuttered St. Croix refinery at a bankruptcy auction in December 2021, Port Hamilton Refining and Transportation was fully aware that, under a federal consent decree governing the facility since 2011, it must install a flare gas recovery system before restarting operations, the EPA said in a court filing Friday.

The agency was responding to a motion Port Hamilton filed last month seeking “judicial clarification” of the consent decree that was modified to include Limetree Bay Refining after it purchased the refinery in December 2015 from founding owner Hovensa, which had idled the refinery in 2012 and declared bankruptcy in September 2015. Limetree subsequently declared bankruptcy in June 2021, with Port Hamilton emerging as the successful bidder in a deal that was finalized on Jan. 21, 2022 for $62 million.

At issue is whether Port Hamilton must install a flare gas recovery system, or FGRS, before it may restart the refinery. The company claims that under the modified consent decree, Limetree Bay was allowed to resume operations with the caveat that it would have two years to install an FGRS if it exceeded Clean Air Act emissions standards — and Port Hamilton should be allowed to do the same.

Without that guarantee the facility might not reopen “because the purchase, installation, and operation of a flare gas recovery system would require a substantial expenditure of resources that could prevent Port Hamilton from restarting the refinery or, upon restart without such a system, would expose Port Hamilton to enforcement proceedings, including significant penalty claims,” according to its motion.

The EPA argues that Limetree was given that latitude because the modified consent decree was still being drafted when it proposed restarting operations in April 2018 after 18 months of mandated evaluations of the plant, and under the original decree, the deadline for installing an FGRS was less than two months away.

It’s not an uncommon approach in such cases, given that “[t]he alternative of requiring a defendant to stand still until a consent decree is entered at some future unknown date creates too much uncertainty,” the EPA said in its response.

The first modification of the decree was lodged with the court on Aug. 25, 2020, and after numerous hearings was entered by the court on Dec. 30, 2021, after Limetree Bay’s restart efforts that proved disastrous.

“LBR’s operations between December 2020 and May 2021 resulted in at least six significant air emissions events, including emissions from Flare 8. On May 14, 2021, after determining that the Refinery operations presented an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health or, welfare, or the environment,” the EPA issued an administrative order for the refinery to temporarily cease operations.

On June 12, 2021, the United States filed a complaint against Limetree Bay in V.I. District Court for violations of the Clean Air Act, and that same day the company filed for Chapter 11 protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.

Port Hamilton now contends in its filings that since the two-year deadline for installing an FGRS was not in effect when Limetree restarted, it should be allowed to restart to prove it can operate without such a system and then have two years to install one if it exceeds Clean Air Act standards.

In its response, the EPA called Port Hamilton’s argument a “red herring because when they (and West Indies Petroleum Limited) purchased the Refinery in the LBR bankruptcy, Port Hamilton knew full well 1) that they would be governed by the First Modification, 2) that the enforcement of the FGRS mandate in the First Modification would take into account the post-lodging activities occurring prior to the effective date, and 3) that if the First Modification does not govern on this issue, then Port Hamilton is bound by the original Consent Decree which clearly requires installation of the FGRS.”

Regardless of whether it is the first modification or the original consent decree that governs, “the FGRS must be installed and operational before Port Hamilton restarts the refinery, the EPA said.

“Paragraph 50B [of the modified decree] gave LBR the opportunity to demonstrate that it could operate the Refinery without the need to install FGRS. However, it also made clear that if LBR exceeds the gas flow rate threshold, as specified in Paragraph 50B.a.i, during the first year of operation, then FGRS must be installed on the FCCU Flare. Once the obligation is triggered, Paragraph 50B.a.i provides two years for the installation and operation of the FGRS,” it said.

Moreover, despite titling its motion as one seeking clarity, “Port Hamilton’s Motion is a motion for relief under F.R.C.P. 60(b). Port Hamilton has neither alleged nor met the standard for such relief. Port Hamilton’s Motion should be denied,” the EPA argued, citing federal rules of civil procedure governing relief from a judgment or order.

As a stand-alone flare, Flare 8 is a safety device used to burn off excess gasses to prevent the dangerous buildup of pressure in refinery equipment, the EPA said.

“Flare 8 is also an air pollution control device that destroys volatile hazardous air pollutants, volatile organic compounds, methane, and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The burning of excess gasses in Flare 8 results in the emissions of air pollutants, including carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and H2S, into the environment,” it said.

“The purpose of the FGRS required under the Consent Decree is to recapture and repurpose the excess gasses as a fuel to produce usable energy, thus reducing emissions from the flare and ensuring compliance with emission limits that apply at the flare. This also enables the Refinery to use less of other fuels at the Refinery, resulting in reductions in the amount of CO2, SO2, H2S, and other air pollutants being emitted into the environment from the Refinery,” according to the EPA’s motion.

Port Hamilton’s actions for the first 17 months after acquiring ownership of the refinery made it clear that it understood the obligation to install an FGRS, the agency said, citing the company’s weekly progress reports that stated as much.

However, after that time Port Hamilton changed its position, filing a motion for an information status conference in which it alleged for the first time that “[t]here is no obligation to install a flare gas recovery system,” according to the EPA. U.S. Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson III denied that motion.

“Port Hamilton is now looking for a loophole that will allow it to restart the Refinery without installation of the FGRS as required by the First Modification and the original Consent Decree,” the EPA states in its motion.

“Port Hamilton … made strategic decisions to purchase a refinery, that LBR invested $4.1 billion into over a five-year period, for $62 million. Those decisions were made with the full understanding of the FGRS obligation under the Consent Decree and the First Modification, with the full understanding that LBR had triggered the requirement to install the FGRS, and the full understanding that the FGRS was required to be installed by March 14, 2023,” according to the EPA.

“Despite 1) taking initial steps (including hiring engineers to develop the design basis and the mechanical design for the FGRS) to comply with the FGRS obligation; 2) making representations to the United States from February 2022 through April 2023 that the FGRS design work continued; and 3) having 26 months (and counting) to design and install an FGRS, Port Hamilton’s Motion argues that the company is under no obligation to install the FGRS and that requiring it to install the FGRS prior to restart would be inappropriate and inequitable,” it said.

“The primary purpose of the Consent Decree to protect public health and safety from excess air emissions would not be served by a delay in the requirement for installation of the FGRS,” the EPA concluded, urging the court to reject Port Hamilton’s motion.

V.I. District Court Chief Judge Robert A. Molloy is presiding over the case, USA et al v. HOVENSA LLC et al, and had not ruled on the motions as of Wednesday afternoon.

Cannabis Board Approves Rules and Regs, Announces New OCR Executive Director

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Cannabis Board Approves Rules and Regs, Announces New OCR Executive Director
Cannabis Advisory Board Approves Rules and Announces New Executive Director (Photo: screenshot of board meeting)

The Cannabis Advisory Board (CAB) convened on Wednesday to finalize the approval of published rules and regulations and to announce Joanne Moorehead as the Office of Cannabis Regulation’s new executive director.

“I’d like to extend my gratitude to the board for having the confidence in me and the job that I will be doing as the new executive director,” shared Moorehead, who has 15 years of experience in non-profit administration and fundraising. “I would also like to echo the board’s comments that the former executive director did an amazing job, and I look forward to continuing that trajectory so that we can finally realize the vision that started with the Cannabis Use Act and the Office of Cannabis Regulation.” Five candidates had applied for the position, board members shared.

The published rules and regulations, meanwhile, were released on Feb. 14, marking a significant milestone in the Virgin Islands’ cannabis industry. The board’s decision to approve them, made in a unanimous vote, solidifies the framework for the Office of Cannabis Regulation (OCR) and signals a pivotal moment in the evolving cannabis landscape.

Chair of the Cannabis Advisory Board, Catherine Kean, expressed her satisfaction with the outcome, stating, “This is a historical moment. I have been on the board for five years and I am just really happy that we remained dedicated to going through multiple versions of these rules and regulations to where we can finally approve them and move forward.”

The newly approved rules and regulations, which have been in development for over a year, will serve as a foundational framework for the OCR. Terrence Positive Nelson, a board member, remarked, “I am very pleased that we’ve made it to this point. I’m looking forward to the day when I can join the general public in walking to a public dispensary and purchasing some V.I. produced cannabis.”

During the meeting, board member Richard Evangelista provided an overview of public comments received during the 30-day comment period. Two areas that received the most feedback were: Section 777-14E1, which addresses the amount of product that a cannabis manufacturer must purchase from unaffiliated third parties monthly, and Section 777-14F, which eliminates the requirement for a manufacturer to purchase or acquire 15 percent of the cannabis in its inventory for manufacturing.

In response to the comments, Kean stated, “We thank the public for the comments given to us, they are all very insightful and at some point, we will try to address most of the comments in a manner that befits rolling out the product safely.”

New Seven Flags Museum Features Antiques from Around the World

Marelise Beach
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New Seven Flags Museum Features Antiques from Around the World

Most people know Teddy Richards for his catering and elegant cooking, but after collecting antiques for 30 years, he opened the Seven Flags Museum a few months in downtown Christiansted. Now he can host events, cater and display elegant antiques at the same time.

Owner Teddy Richards poses in the front room of his museum, surrounded by scores and scores of antiques. (Source photo by Susan Ellis)
Owner Teddy Richards poses in the front room of his museum, surrounded by scores and scores of antiques. (Source photo by Susan Ellis)

He considers his ability to spot beautiful and valuable antiques, as a “gift from God.” Many of the items are not for sale because they are so unique.

“They’re one of a kind,” Richards said, referring to one of the large armoires he says is one of his favorite pieces. That wardrobe and other heavy furniture won’t be moved “until Jesus comes,” he added.

Richards’ collections include dozens of fine china plates from around the world. Around a dozen moko jumbies – adults and children – overwhelm the senses with color and size, at the entrance to the museum. There are clocks that run on batteries, representing each time zone, in the main room. They are reset before each event.

The collection of teapots, in another room, is extensive and includes a hot beverage receptacle from Egypt.

The collection of ceramic and porcelain teapots includes one made in Egypt. (Source photo by Susan Ellis)
The collection of ceramic and porcelain teapots includes one made in Egypt. (Source photo by Susan Ellis)

Other collections, displayed in highly-polished furniture cases and groupings, are from Denmark, England, France and America and were either donated or purchased on St Croix. One piece of furniture is identical to a cupboard seen in the historical-drama television series, “The Crown,” Richards told the Source.

The collection of shoes, in the back room, includes vintage boots, fashion heels, cowboy boots and antique shoe molds. There also are mugs shaped like shoes and a glass table set on an ornate black mid-sized heel from the last century.

A round table covered in gold is the focal point in one of the rooms at Seven Flags Museum. (Source photo by Susan Ellis)
A round table covered in gold is the focal point in one of the rooms at Seven Flags Museum. (Source photo by Susan Ellis)

A collector leaving St. Croix gave Richards “thousands” of ceramic hands and only about five percent are on display. He plans to rotate the statues.

The sugar mill room includes renderings from the sugar mill period. There is a big dinner bell that Richards uses to get attention during exhibitions.

One of the large pieces of furniture - an armoire - and other antiques at the Seven Flags Museum. (Source photo by Susan Ellis)
One of the large pieces of furniture – an armoire – and other antiques at the Seven Flags Museum. (Source photo by Susan Ellis)

A single statue – a large head – rests on top of one of the large armoires. Richards said it came from the iconic Violette Boutique, a local boutique that sold exclusive perfumes.

The Seven Flags Museum is open to the public. General admission to is a $7 donation. Adults with disabilities and senior citizens over the age of 60, are admitted free. People can also schedule private tours.

Annual memberships are $70 for an individual or $270 for a family. Members qualify for free admission, complimentary admission for a guest, quarterly newsletters, early access to exhibition tours and member-only events. Members also enjoy priority reservations for pop-up events.

DiasporaLink Act Could Save Internet Provider, viNGN Says

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DiasporaLink Act Could Save Internet Provider, viNGN Says
Stephan Adams, president of viNGN, testified at a Senate hearing Tuesday. (:Photo: Screenshot of livefeed)
The Virgin Islands Next Generation Network (viNGN), the company that provides internet access to providers like Liberty VI and Viya, has been in financial trouble since its inspection, officials told local legislators Tuesday. But a bill being considered by the U.S. Senate could both dramatically increase the territory’s digital global relevance and pave the way for cheaper, more reliable internet service. If Washington approves, the DiasporaLink Act would digitally connect the U.S. mainland with Africa via fiber optic cables stretched through the U.S. Virgin Islands. The plan would require exactly the kind of infrastructure the territory already needs, expensive high-tech hardware and an additional power plant, said Stephan Adams, viNGN’s president. Hardening the Virgin Islands’ internet resiliency was a key issue, Adams said. “If something falls off the pole in St. Croix, all of St. Thomas is down — the entire island, down,” he told the Senate’s Committee on Budget, Appropriations, and Finance. The issue was compounded as demand for online access expanded while the Virgin Islands population shrunk, Adams said. “Our population size is not big enough for the expense of our company,” Adams said. He acknowledged that, currently, Virgin Islands internet service is expensive compared to the mainland — a problem unlikely to change soon as federal infrastructure grants were going to Liberty’s build-out. The viNGN is a public corporation wholly owned subsidiary of the Virgin Islands Public Finance Authority. It was established in 2010 and promptly fell into financial trouble, Adams said, by running cables between St. Thomas and St. Croix before receiving an expected federal grant. The grant was not appropriated, leaving viNGN in the lurch. “We‘re still cleaning up a mess that’s existed for 10 years,” Adams said. “viNGN has never been in the black. It’s always been in the red and remains in the red.” Counterintuitively, were it not for the devastation wrought by the hurricanes of 2017, the situation at viNGN might be worse, he said. Federal disaster relief grants help steady the company’s financial footing. If all goes well, Adams said, the DiasporaLink Act could be passed by Senators in Washington before Summer and be on President Joe Biden’s desk soon after. The legislation, which the House of Representatives passed in March, is vital for reducing costs and improving service, he said. “There is no other way, operationally, we could get the price down to be acceptable,” he said, “unless half the staff were laid off,” he said. “We have to find a new battlefield, and that is DiasporaLink.”

Thursday Will Be Mostly Sunny, Scattered Showers , 83°F

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Updated 4/17/24 at 9:30 p.m. AST VI SOURCE WEATHER UPDATES ! A NEW Daily Weather Update video for Thursday, April 18, is available here! Article: Colorado State University Predicts Extremely Active 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season Article: La Niña Weather Pattern May Spawn an Active 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season Series: “Extreme Weather in the Caribbean”   THURSDAY’S WEATHER FORECAST: 4/18/24 Happy Thursday! According to the National Weather Service (NWS) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday will be mostly sunny with scattered showers. The high temperature will be approximately 83°F, 28.3°C, with winds out of the north-northeast at about 7 mph. The possibility of rain on Thursday is approximately 30%. Conditions may still be favorable for some heavy rain to develop across portions of the islands. However, overall, conditions will begin to improve. Thursday night will be partly-to-mostly cloudy, with a chance of scattered showers. The low temperature will be approximately 77°F, 25°C, and winds out of the northeast at about 6 to 9 mph. The possibility of rain on Thursday night is approximately 70%. Below: Infrared satellite imagery obtained at 9:10 p.m. AST on Wednesday indicates a partly-to-mostly cloudy sky around the USVI and Puerto Rico. Precipitation is possible. MARINE WEATHER UPDATE The NWS has noted that a northeasterly swell is expected to arrive around Thursday. According to forecast information, the swell does not appear to be very significant. However, updates will be posted as they become available. On Thursday, seas will be approximately 2 to 4 feet, occasional seas up to 5 feet, and with a swell period of 11 seconds. Winds will be out of the north-northeast at about 5 to 10 knots. On Thursday night, seas will be approximately 2 to 4 feet, occasional seas up to 5 feet, and with a swell period of 11 seconds. Winds will be out of the northeast at about 5 to 10 knots. The water temperature is approximately 83-84°F, approximately 28°C. Ocean Water Temperature Map from 4/16/24, courtesy of NOAA: Wave Height Forecast Map courtesy of NWS: HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS Rip Currents: The risk of rip currents is projected to be moderate across most of the region on Thursday. Clear = Low Rip Current Risk Yellow = Moderate Rip Current Risk Red = High Rip Current Risk Learn more about rip current safety in an interview between the NWS and the VI Source here. TROPIC WATCH Tropical Activity: The National Hurricane Center does not expect any cyclonic development. However, a possible La Niña Weather Pattern May Spawn an Active 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Read more here. Additionally, Colorado State University Predicts Extremely Active 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Click here to learn tips on being prepared for the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Days Until 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season: 44 Days  OBSERVATIONS Sunrise: 6:02 a.m. Sunset: 6:38 p.m. Ocean water temperature: Approximately 83-84°F, approximately 28°C. UV index: 10 out of 10 (VERY HIGH) Wednesday’s high temperature: 85°F, 29.4°C Wednesday’s low temperature:  78°F, 25.5°C Preparation for extreme weather events in the Caribbean, such as earthquakes and tropical cyclones, is important. Residents and visitors in the USVI are encouraged to stay updated on weather events on the V.I. Source Weather page and sign up for alerts from the National Weather Service and the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency.

Tsunami Siren Tests Scheduled for Thursday, April 18.

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The Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Authority (VITEMA) informs the public that the U.S. Virgin Islands monthly Tsunami Siren Test is scheduled for 11 a.m., Thursday, April 18, for the St. Croix district. It is scheduled for 11:15 a.m. for the St. Thomas, St. John/Water Island district. No action is required.

Judiciary of the U.S. Virgin Islands Seeking Assistant Conflict Counsels

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JUDICIARY OF THE U. S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

OFFICE OF CONFLICT COUNSEL INTERNAL/EXTERNAL POSTING

Locations and Positions Available: St. Thomas/St. John District Assistant Conflict Counsel (2) St. Croix District Assistant Conflict Counsel (2) Salary:  $45.00 – $62.04 Required Documents:  Cover letter, Employment Application, Resume, Certificate of Good Standing for attorneys and other relevant documents. Opened:  Open Until Filled; Continuous Recruitment To view the full vacancy announcement,  please visit:  www.vicourts.org

To apply, submit all relevant documents in one PDF file to:

OFFICE OF CONFLICT COUNSEL Attention: Regina Petersen, Administrator of Courts Judicial Branch Administrative Office Superior Court of the Virgin Islands P.O. Box 590 St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands 00804 Tel: (340) 774-2237 E-mail: jobs@vicourts.org

Positions remain open until filled. Submissions that do not include the requested documents will not be considered. The Judiciary will only contact applicants selected for interviews. Any applicant who needs reasonable accommodation shall advise the Court’s ADA Coordinators at ada@vicourts.org.

St. Thomas Native Excels in U.S. Navy; Plans Return to Give Back

Marelise Beach
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St. Thomas Native Excels in U.S. Navy; Plans Return to Give Back
Senior Chief Petty Officer Asiem McBean (Photo courtesy U.S. Navy)
Senior Chief Petty Officer Asiem McBean (Photo courtesy U.S. Navy)

Senior Chief Petty Officer Asiem McBean, from St. Thomas, serves in the U.S. Navy and is assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106, which operates the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet, nicknamed the Rhino.

McBean, who joined the Navy 24 years ago, believes the skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in St. Thomas, according to a press release.

“Growing up, I learned to always work hard, no matter the limits or limitations put on you,” said McBean. “Some people see something is hard and they give up on it. I punch through and try all I can to get it done.” “I was recruited by the Navy to be on their track team,” said McBean. “I picked up rank quickly so I gave up the track team and decided to become an aviation machinist’s mate.” McBean currently works to support the Super Hornet demonstration team.  The mission of the Rhino demonstration team is to share the rich heritage of naval aviation and display the hard work and dedication of U.S. Navy service members to the public, the release stated. McBean has many opportunities such as this to achieve accomplishments during his military service, stated the release. “My proudest accomplishment is the personal relationships I have built,” said McBean. “When people treat you like family they become your family. When your time in the service is finished, you will still have those people you built those relationships with.””It means the world to me to serve,” said McBean. “To have the opportunity to be an ambassador for the Navy to the people in my community and the kids I coach in soccer is very rewarding.” According to the release, McBean is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible. “I have to thank my parents for the opportunity to join,” added McBean. “I was 17 and they had to give me permission to sign up. There have been so many mentors along the way and what they put into me in terms of time and caring has made me successful.” McBean has big plans for his future after military service, the release stated. “I want to return to St. Thomas and be a governor for the Virgin Islands,” added McBean. “I want to let people know there are opportunities out there and the military is one of those options that can be a stepping stone. I want others to see they can come back here afterward and change things that will help the people.”
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