The V.I. Department of Health mailed nearly 500 letters to parents who received vaccine exemptions for their children. (Submitted photo) The V.I. Department of Health mailed nearly 500 letters to parents who received vaccine exemptions for their children Friday, according to a statement released Saturday. With more than 1,000 cases documented on the mainland across 31 states, and 14 active outbreaks confirmed, local health officials urged unvaccinated families to reconsider. More than 50 percent of Virgin Islands children under the age of 6 have not received the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine — dramatically higher than the mainland. More than 90 percent of children on the mainland have received the MMR vaccine by age 2, according to the Centers for Disease Control. “We are very concerned about measles reaching our shores, especially as individuals and families travel to and from the U.S. Virgin Islands for summer vacation,” Health Commissioner Justa...

Check out our weekly weather forecast with Jesse Daley, covering Sunday, May 11, through Saturday, May 17. Our YouTube playlist is updated every week, AND check out Jesse’s daily weather updates here. Previous articleMainland Measles Outbreak Prompts Parent Outreach by Health Department

Sen. Carla J. Joseph chairs the Senate Committee on Rules and Judiciary Thursday. (Photo courtesy V.I. Legislature) The Senate Committee on Rules and Judiciary voted Thursday to confirm three of the governor’s nominees and approved legislation that would require health care providers to share critical information when prescribing opioids. The committee, chaired by Sen. Carla J. Joseph, gave the green light to The Honorable Carolyn Hermon-Percell for the University of the Virgin Islands board of trustees, Winston M. A. Williams Jr. for the Virgin Islands Board of Contractors, Trades, and Crafts, and The Honorable Kirk Callwood Sr. for the Banking Board of the U.S. Virgin Islands. All confirmations and legislation will move to the full Legislature for final consideration, according to the press release. Hermon-Percell, an alumna of UVI, Georgetown University, and Case Western Reserve University School of Law, cited her passion for public service and education as motivation for...

Committee chair Sen. Kurt Vialet advocated for better educational services for students with disabilities (Photo courtesy V.I. Legislature) In a hearing that stretched across several hours Friday, senators on the Education and Workforce Development Committee confronted agency leaders with a wave of concerns over persistent gaps in special education services across the territory. At the heart of the discussion: a growing backlog of student evaluations, a critical shortage of specialized staff, and the long-term impact on students left without timely support. “We can’t just keep doing the same things over and over and expect different results,” said committee Chair Sen. Kurt Vialet. “Students are being streamed into general education classrooms with teachers who haven’t been trained in special education,” he continued. “And when the curriculum moves too fast, their behaviors are seen as acting out. That’s not fair to the teachers or the students.” Education Commissioner Dionne Wells-Hedrington and her...

Nnenaya Bedminster, a seventeen-year-old VI Native is now a Posse Foundation Scholar.  The Posse Foundation identifies, recruits and trains individuals with extraordinary leadership potential. Posse Scholars receive full-tuition leadership scholarships from Posse’s partner colleges and universities. The Posse model works for both students and college campuses and is rooted in the belief that a small, diverse group of talented students—a Posse—carefully selected and trained, can serve as a catalyst for individual and community development. Nnenaya Bedminster (Submitted photo) Bedminster was first nominated by her High School Counselor at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year and later underwent a rigorous 4-month selection process. The three-part process included group and individual interviews.  The DAP process used nontraditional forums to evaluate potential, offering nominated students an opportunity to demonstrate their intrinsic leadership ability, their skill at working in a team setting, and their motivation and drive to succeed. Posse staff and partner college administrators ultimately select a...

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor, The likely reason for Bryan’s anger against The Daily News is the publication of all the details of the Epstein, Whitaker/Martinez and Charlemagne scandals, which embarrass him. Also, he expects to be given credit for actions he plans to take, but either he never starts them or never finishes them. His State of the Territory messages are very thin on actual accomplishments, but heavy on planned projects. Read the full letter from The Virgin Islands Daily News here: https://bit.ly/4m91ciV #vilettertotheeditor #vinews #vidailynews #viopinions #viletters #vigovernment #govalbertbryan Facebook

Acting FEMA Director Cameron Hamilton was ousted Thursday after telling lawmakers that he did “not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” breaking from President Donald Trump. (Photo courtesy FEMA) Cameron Hamilton, acting Federal Emergency Management Agency director, was fired Thursday, multiple national media outlets reported. Hamilton’s ouster came one day after he testified before the House Appropriations Committee’s Homeland Security Subcommittee, where he advocated for “top-down reform” at the agency. “FEMA was established to provide focused support in truly catastrophic disasters. Yet at times, we have strayed far from that core mission and evolved into an overextended federal bureaucracy — attempting to manage every type of emergency, no matter how minor,” he said. “Instead of being a last resort, FEMA is all too often used by states and public officials as a financial backstop for routine issues that, frankly,...

The Virgin Islands Fire and Emergency Medical Services announces the immediate lifting of the territorial burn ban, which had been in effect since April 9, 2025. This decision follows careful consideration of current environmental conditions and the safety measures in place to help prevent brush fires.  As the territory transitions out of this burn ban, VIFEMS reminds residents and visitors of the importance of adhering to safety precautions when engaging in vegetative debris burning. Below are essential guidelines to follow:  • Obtain a Burn Permit: Residents are required to obtain the necessary burn permits before conducting any controlled burns.  • Check Weather Forecasts: Always review current weather conditions and forecasts before initiating any burning activities. Avoid burning on windy days, as strong winds can cause fires to spread rapidly.  • Create a Clear Perimeter: Clear the area of all non-vegetative debris. Burn small piles at a time and maintain a...

Frustrated residents along Hannah’s Rest Road are raising the alarm over deplorable and unsafe road conditions that continue to impact daily life, threaten property value and deter much-needed tourism revenue in the Frederiksted area. Despite repeated pleas to public officials and government agencies, homeowners like Lloyd Daley and Eileen Mann say their concerns have been met with broken promises, bureaucratic excuses, and a disturbing lack of action. They are calling on the Department of Public Works (DPW) and anyone who could help make temporary repairs to the severely deteriorated road accessible as they await long-promised repairs. Read the full story from The Virgin Islands Daily News here: https://bit.ly/4d8KID7 Daily News photo by Vernice Burgher. #vinews #vidailynews #frontpage #stx #stcroix #stxnews #stcroixnews #frederiksted Facebook

More than a decade after the Virgin Islands Inspector General flagged critical mismanagement of Education Initiative Fund dollars, a newly released audit reveals the problems not only persist, but have grown more severe. According to the Inspector General’s 2025 report, the Virgin Islands Education Department misused more than $5.1 million in EIF money between October 2019 and September 2022, directing funds meant to benefit public school students instead toward hurricane debris removal, promotional merchandise, office expenses, and unrelated contractor payments. Of the $6.3 million drawn from the fund during that period, only a fraction made it to classrooms. Auditors found that VIDE repeatedly failed to comply with the law requiring $50,000 annual allocations to each public school by October 15. Some schools never received their funds at all, while others saw disbursements delayed for months, undermining the purpose of the EIF, which was established by law in 1998 to channel...