Community members are invited to participate in a National Civility Month Social Media Campaign throughout August, the Virgin Islands Justice Initiative, in partnership with the Governor’s Millennial Council, announced. This campaign will feature various content designed to raise awareness about the importance of civility, according to the press release. Spotlighting the three pillars of civility: Respect, Empathy, and Open Communication, the VI Justice Initiative will explore how these principles can be cultivated daily through a series of social media posts, the press release stated. The community is encouraged to engage social media prompts on Facebook and Instagram to amplify voices within the community, share insight and promote civility within the Virgin Islands, the release stated. Throughout the campaign, the VI Justice Initiative will collaborate with community leaders and local influencers to inspire meaningful conversations about civility. Virgin Islanders are invited to join the initiative on this journey by sharing personal experiences. Towards the end of the month, the campaign will address the importance of conflict resolution and community building, drawing on local wisdom and cultural celebrations embodying civility, it said. Follow the prompts and engage with the posts throughout August for a chance to win one of three bracelets generously donated by Crucian Gold, it said. For more information, contact the VI Justice Initiative at 340-774-6504 or cpayton@vijustice.org. The VI Justice Initiative is a non-profit 501(c)(3) law firm EIN: 66-1012841.  

After months of speculation, the V.I. Water and Power Authority board officially announced they had signed a contract with Karl Knight as the utility’s new chief executive officer, effective Monday. The announcement came out of executive session at the board’s regular meeting Thursday, though no other details about Knight’s contract were released at the time. A vote to begin negotiations with Knight was approved at an executive session at a previous board meeting in June, but no announcement was made at the time as the board finalized the paperwork. The board also reported out that it had approved a memorandum of understanding with Ernst and Young, which the Public Finance Authority Board authorized in June as the turnaround management company for the utility. The PFA’s decision followed Gov. Albert Bryan Jr.’s State of Energy Emergency declaration in April, which aimed to address WAPA’s financial challenges. Key to the emergency declaration is the ability for the government to tap into the Budget Stabilization Fund for approximately $11 million to cover outstanding utility bills owed by the territory’s two hospitals and V.I. Waste Management Authority, along with funding for the turnaround management agency, which was mandated in a bill-turned-law by the Senate without a designated funding source. The contract was approved by the PFA board unanimously for an amount not to exceed $500,000. According to officials, five proposals were submitted and vetted by an Evaluation Committee, to include Berkeley Research Group, PA Consulting Group, Inc., Ankura Consulting Group, LLC and FTI Consulting. Ernst & Young’s initial report, due within six months, will focus on VIWAPA’s financial condition and will include assessments of ongoing projects, organizational structure, energy plans, debt management, water quality, and service quality standards, as laid out by law. Read more about the requirements here. Meanwhile, reached after the meeting Thursday, Knight outlined his initial vision for the authority, drawing not only upon his most recent work with the Incident Command Team for the energy State of Emergency and the governor’s chief of staff but from his previous work at WAPA – five years as an engineer and three as a strategic planning manager. Knight said he was the first recipient of WAPA’s Alva McFarlane Scholarship Program, which offers up to $60,000 to local high school graduates or University of the Virgin Islands freshmen and sophomores studying engineering. “WAPA made an investment in me many years ago – this is my opportunity to give them a return on that investment,” he said. Embracing Decentralized Energy Knight said his vision includes a strong focus on decentralized energy sources, integrating solar and wind power into the grid. “We want to work with community and federal partners to explore these options,” he said. Community solar projects, residential solar installations, and advancements in battery storage technology are central to the strategy. “Battery storage is now at a price point where it’s affordable, with available tax credits and rebates. Just like residents have cisterns to store water, they should be able to store electricity,” Knight explained. He emphasized that battery storage could provide critical backup power during outages, which are inevitable on tropical islands. “Having battery storage that can buy you two to three hours is something that is an increasing trend and something we can embrace,” he said. Knight also highlighted the importance of managing load on the grid. By turning batteries on and off and employing other demand-side solutions, the utility can better control power distribution during peak times. “This approach allows the utility to work hand in glove with customers,” Knight said. He acknowledged that small island grids face unique challenges, often leading to frequent outages. He pointed to similar issues faced by islands like Puerto Rico and Guam. “We’re all fighting to figure out the best solutions for small islands,” Knight noted, mentioning the support from the U.S. Department of Energy in addressing these problems. “I want to go in with an open mind and not take anything off the table. We need to find the right solutions, especially given our financial bind,” Knight said. He expressed a desire to learn from other similarly situated utilities to understand what works and what doesn’t. An advocate for public ownership, Knight emphasized that WAPA’s assets must remain with the people of the Virgin Islands. “I won’t compromise on that. It’s a public utility, and the assets need to be owned by us,” he asserted, noting the importance of public assistance from agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which announced in June plans to fund the full replacement of St. Croix’s Richmond Power Plant. In her report to the board Thursday, WAPA interim CEO Ashley Bryan said the utility is finalizing a scope of work and fixed costs for the project so that the grant can more quickly be approved. Two generators – Units 14 and 15 on St. Thomas – are also expected to be replaced, she said, adding that the deadline to submit the paperwork to FEMA is the end of September. Meanwhile, Knight promised to keep the public updated on progress as it unfolds. “It can be rough, but if we can show progress, it gets better and better,” he said. He welcomed public scrutiny, believing it would strengthen WAPA’s operations and build community trust and said he is clear-eyed about the challenges ahead. “I’m not naïve,” he said. “I understand the challenges and concerns. But I believe I have the experience, connections and relationships that will bode well for WAPA to achieve the ambitions that it has. It’s going to be a heavy lift, but if we have the support of the entire community, we can turn this ship around and get the utility on solid footing.”            

The Honorable Ernest E. Morris Jr. has been appointed to serve a six-year term as Judge of the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands for the District of St. Croix, the Honorable Debra S. Watlington, Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands, announced Thursday. Morris is a native son of the territory and specifically the island of St. Croix. As valedictorian of the 1996 graduating class of St. Joseph High School, he went on to earn two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and Spanish from Yale University. In 2005, he earned his Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law, according to the press release. Upon completion of law school, Morris returned home to the Virgin Islands, where he worked as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Edgar D. Ross and the Honorable Julio A. Brady before serving as appellate law clerk to Associate Justice of the Virgin Islands Supreme Court, the Honorable Maria M. Cabret. A consummate public servant, Morris has worked as a territorial public defender, assistant legal counsel of the Legislature of the Virgin Islands, and chief legal counsel of the Legislature of the Virgin Islands, the press release stated. His work in the private sector included serving as corporate counsel for Viya and opening his own law practice, the Morris Legal Group. Effective Nov. 10, 2019, he returned to public service upon his first appointment to a 4-year term as Magistrate Judge of the Superior Court in the District of St. Croix. He was re-appointed to a second term effective Nov. 11, 2023, the release stated.  

The Virgin Islands Fire Emergency and Medical Services responded to a fire at philanthropist Donald Sussman’s residence on St. John Wednesday, the agency announced.

At approximately 7:08 p.m., the Zulu Company of the Virgin Islands Fire and Emergency Medical Services received a call to go to Sussman’s residence in the Great Cruz Bay area. The initial response involved two units – a pumper and a tanker, with a team of six firefighters who quickly started to put out the fire, according to the press release.

Given the intensity of the fire, Romeo Company requested additional support. This led to the arrival of an extra pumper unit, a tanker, and an ambulance unit at the scene, along with six more firefighters to assist in the firefighting efforts, the press release stated.

Recognizing the need for a more substantial water supply, Water Hauler B&C Transport was called to the scene to provide additional resources, the release stated.

This swift coordination allowed firefighters to manage and extinguish the fire effectively, it said.

Under the leadership of Lt. Doug Walters, who served as the Incident Commander, the fire was brought under control within 14 minutes. All hot spots were completely extinguished within 35 minutes. The firefighting efforts involved two tanker units, two pumper units, one water hauler, 12 on-duty firefighters, and one off-duty firefighter, according to the release.

The Arson and Investigation Team arrived shortly after the fire was contained, and an investigation into its cause is currently underway, it said.