Aerial shot of Fort Mylner on Fire.
Welcome to the 7th edition of the Monday Digest, where we compile excerpts of the stories of consequence that occurred over the weekend to help you start your Monday informed.
Speaking of being informed, have you downloaded our app? You'll be a well rounded Virgin Islander if you do. Well, at least as it relates to news.
Anyway, here's your digest:
Men Force Cat to Smoke Weed
Police over the weekend issued a release calling for the community's assistance in identifying two men who were seen on video forcing a cat to smoke marijuana. Police got a copy of the video, which is available for viewing here.
Shopping Center on St. Thomas Burns
A fire at the Fort Mylner shopping center on St. Thomas has engulfed a significant portion of the strip mall. The blaze was still raging Monday morning, and at least one resident live-streamed the incident.
Senators Ready to Decouple Salary From Lowest Paid Commissioner's
Senators over the weekend told the Consortium that a session will be held on Tuesday to untie lawmakers' salary from the lowest paid commissioner's, after a firestorm erupted when Senator Javan James's surprise amendment to separate the two, failed during a Wednesday session.
President Trump, Eager to Project Strength, Makes Unannounced Drive-By
Mr. Trump has been at the Walter Reed Military Medical Center receiving care after contracting Covid-19. But to allay concerns that he has not been doing well, Mr. Trump made an unannounced drive-by to wave at supporters on Sunday. According to the Wall Street Journal, the president's doctors say he could leave Walter Reed as early as today.
Soon, Unmanned Bin Sites in the Territory Will be a Thing of the Past
The Waste Management Authority plans to replace unmanned bin sites with convenience centers like those found at Mandahl on St. Thomas and Peter's Rest in St. Croix. Community Development Block Grant Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) funds from the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority will be utilized to construct the new convenience centers, said WMA boss Roger Merritt.
Aside from the planned action, Waste Management is facing a myriad of issues, among them vacancies of critical positions, lack of enforcement officers, lack of hazardous pay, and wastewater issues.
Only 10 Covid-19 Cases Reported Last Week
The number may be low and encouraging, but testing has dropped and therefore an accurate account of the disease's impact on the territory remains elusive. Read the story here.
In other news, a 20-year-old woman shot through the front door of her neighbor's apartment during an altercation in Harbor View — putting children and other occupants at risk; a 26-year-old woman was arrested after attempting to cash her checks twice — once through app deposit and then at Plaza Extra East; the Dept. of Health said that in recent weeks there has been increasing reports of false positive Covid-19 cases locally. A false positive is when someone who does not have coronavirus, tests positive for it; and lastly, the territory has made its $85 million Internal Revenue Matching Fund debt service payment as part of its bond obligation, according to Government House.
Our previous Monday Digest is here.
