Where do we turn when the police feel threatened? Last month the members of the Special Operations Bureau (SOB) learned they would now be working in two thinly staffed shifts of seven members each because they’ve generated too much overtime expense as an intact unit of 15. Police operations officials have said that the...
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You knew it was going to happen, but that doesn’t diminish the outrage we should all feel at the intensity of the response of this Administration to the July 12 shootout at Coki Point. Now that a tourist has been killed by the crime and violence we have been forced to endure on a...
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Editorial By CIF President Michael J. Springer, Jr. Have we had enough yet? There have been 44 murders in the Territory this year. Forty four deaths resulting from violent crime. The latest – the deaths of 15-year-old tourist Lizmarie Perez Chapparro and 18-year-old Shadid Joseph of St. Thomas – were both victims in what is...
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(Editor’s Update: Princess Cruise Lines has joined Carnival in canceling tours to the Coki Point area. It is not known whether this action will be extended to all shore excursions on St. Thomas. Royal Carribbean, Celebrity and Norweigan have not yet determined policy in this area. We will keep you posted.) Carnival Cruise Lines...
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(Update: Steve Tyson, 22, turned himself in on Tuesday and was charged with several offenses in connection with the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old tourist and a local man at Coki Point on Monday. Tyson was accompanied by his attorney at the time of his surrender. Tyson, a resident of the Smith Bay area...
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Now we know there is no dignity even in death. We learned today that a St. Croix family was forced to contact the media to report that a deceased loved one was left in the home for more than 8 hours after the death was reported because the coroner’s van had no gas. No gas?...
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It’s an emergency in Williams Delight and Miss Phyllis Blackman isn’t going to stop talking about it until somebody listens. And, as difficult as it is to believe, there are actually public detractors who are trying to minimize these disgraceful living conditions, and who are encouraging this community crusader to quiet her campaign. Miss...
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Editorial by CIF President Michael Springer A gunman walks into the D.C. Canegata Ball Park on Friday night and opens fire in multi-island crowd attending a softball tournament. Before it’s all over, a 12-year-old girl was huddled in a fetal position on the ground, begging not to be shot, just before the 17-year-old gunman...
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It’s like talking about a war zone. Cease Fire. Retaliation. Radio host Mario Moorhead described this past weekend, which ended with five fatalities, as the “Mother’s Day Massacre.” And with 32 homicides recorded to date since the beginning of the year, the Territory is on track for a record 78 homicides in 2010. In...
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More than 1,300 marchers braved the hot Transfer Day sun to march across St. Croix on Wednesday in support of the “Reclaiming Our Streets, Uniting Our People” initiative spearheaded by WDHP radio personality Jamila Russell. Share on Facebook
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The “Reclaiming Our Streets – Uniting Our People” anti-crime march and rally drew a large and reflective crowd this morning as it began its march through St. Croix. The rally, conceived and spearheaded by WDHP-1620 AM Radio Personality Jamila Russell, was organized to pay tribute to those lost to violent crime and to emphasize the...
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There’s finally an ambulance in Frederiksted – some of the time. From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. over the weekend, an ambulance will be available for residents of the West End. Its arrival came on the heels of a very visible death – a death many...
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Perhaps the greatest tragedy is that he didn’t have to die. Let us begin by offering our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and community that is now mourning the senseless death of Hernan “Puchy” Santos, 43, who was gunned down late Saturday night in the Marley Homes in Frederiksted, St....
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Crime Stoppers is asking your help to solve the following crimes. If you know something, please report it. Even information that seems insignificant may be just what law enforcement needs to solve these cases. St. Croix: Detectives need your help to identify two or three black males, approximately 18 to 25 years of age,...
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New laws aren’t the only solution to the problems of violent crime facing the territory and Sen. Adlah “Foncie” Donastorg plans to introduce legislation that will help the Virgin Islands “update its approach” to this growing issue. The legislation is part of a youth outreach program that will start with a reception at 8...
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More than half of the contributions Delegate to Congress Donna Christensen has received in the current election cycle are linked to a Washington contractor who is the subject of a federal inquiry.
According to an article today in the Washington Post, Christensen has received at least $37,000 from contractor Jeffrey Thompson, who is suspected of using “straw” or phantom donors to evade contribution limits that are set for candidates running for office. His operations have drawn the attention of Federal authorities.
According to the article, Thompson’s accounting firm Thompson, Cobb, Brazilio and Associates, has 189 contracts with the federal government, worth $17.1 million. The company has done some business in the Virgin Islands, auditing grant funds awarded by the U.S. Department of Education and the Federal Highway Administration. TCBA recently advertised for an accounting position based in Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands.
Recently, Christensen has urged the Federal Election Commission to investigate the election system of the Virgin Islands, citing public discontent with the way the Board of Elections in operating. Perhaps this current development will hasten their acceptance of her request.
As many of you heard recently, CIF President Michael Springer, at left, delivered the first in a series of radio announcements that will target specific issues and offer analysis on our most pressing concerns.
The feedback on the comments was extremely positive, so CIF will sponsor then as often as possible, and we thank those of you who have already donated! But airtime costs money and we're seeking your help.
If you'd like to help keep our voices on the air, please donate whatever you can using the PayPal button below. We thank you in advance for your support.
