The United States Coast Guard and regional partners are searching waters between the Virgin Islands and St. Maarten for a 58-year-old Dominican man who failed to arrive at his destination after departing Tortola. The Coast Guard identified the missing boater as Peter Baron, who reportedly left Tortola on Sunday as the sole person aboard the … Continued
The Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) is facing mounting staffing pressures as employee departures continue to outpace hiring, dozens of positions remain vacant and nearly 100 employees approach retirement eligibility. Presenting VIPD’s fiscal year 2027 budget Tuesday, Police Commissioner Mario Brooks said the department recorded 33 employee separations during the current fiscal year, including 21 … Continued
The U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) has recorded 32 homicides so far in 2026, with 4 lives lost to gun violence in a matter of 3 days on St. Croix and St. Thomas. On Sunday August 9th, the island of St Croix was shaken by an early morning homicide that claimed the lives of brothers 30-year-old … Continued
The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission has taken another step toward strengthening the Eastern Caribbean Liaison Service (ECLS) Programme following a week-long mission to Canada aimed at advancing the Programme’s transition to a revised governance framework. The July 5-12 mission was led by Chief of Staff and Head of Strategic Diplomacy Dr. Kisha … Continued
U.S. Virgin Islands Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett says the British Virgin Islands’ charter vessel fees have cost the USVI more than 800 jobs. Speaking on the Caribbean Currency podcast, Plaskett said the impact of the BVI’s new licensing regime for foreign-based charter vessels has been severe, with the USVI’s marine tourism sector suffering significant economic losses. … Continued
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has suspended the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority (VIHFA) from receiving additional federal funding and barred the agency from future federal procurement while an investigation proceeds, citing years of adverse audit findings, weak financial controls, slow disaster recovery efforts and the criminal conviction of its former … Continued
The Caribbean must urgently transform the way it prepares for disasters by shifting from reactive emergency response to proactive, people-centred risk management, according to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). Addressing the agency’s annual Comprehensive Disaster Management Conference, CDEMA Executive Director Elizabeth Riley said the region can no longer rely on traditional disaster management … Continued
CARICOM Heads of Government have pledged to strengthen regional cooperation and implement a range of measures aimed at easing the rising cost of living, which continues to affect households across the Caribbean. The issue featured prominently at the conclusion of the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, where regional leaders discussed … Continued
The Virgin Islands has emerged as the top-performing education system among eight participating Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) member states after Grade 2 students achieved the highest scores in both Reading and Mathematics in the 2026 OECS Programme for Educational Advancement and Relevant Learning (PEARL) Regional Assessment. Preliminary results from the assessment show that … Continued
CARICOM Reparations commission is in the United Kingdom for the second time as it continues its campaign for reparatory justice. As the first round of constitutional negotiations between the Virgin Islands and the United Kingdom gets underway, the CARICOM Reparations Commission is on its second visit to the UK to advance its campaign for reparatory … Continued
