Local News
Jost Van Dyke resident receives home under recovery programme
Mr. Dalvin “Din-Din” Callwood, a resident of Little Harbour Jost Van Dyke, has become the latest homeowner under the Ministry of Health and Social Development’s Housing Recovery Assistance Programme.
With great excitement, Mr. Callwood received the keys to his new studio unit home and expressed his gratitude to the ministry for making his dream of homeownership a reality.
“I am extremely proud of my new home and I promise to take good care of it. I have never been happier. I would like to thank the minister and everyone involved for assisting me,” Mr. Callwood said.
Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley, the Minister for Health and Social Development, commended the Housing Unit in the ministry for their efforts in ensuring that residents of the Virgin Islands, like Mr. Callwood, can afford a home.
“We are six years post-Hurricane Irma, and while some are still in the recovery stage, I am pleased to continue this program with the ministry. We currently have at least four homes under construction, and we will strive to continue this program for our residents who were displaced by the hurricanes. I am glad we can hand over yet another house in 2023,” Honourable Wheatley stated.
Mr. Marquese Maduro, the Project Manager at Project Management and Construction Solutions, provided insights into the quality of the house built for Mr. Callwood, highlighting its unique features compared to other houses constructed under the program.
According to Mr. Maduro, the house is a wooden structure, while the bathroom is made from concrete, serving as a hurricane bunker in case the Territory is impacted by future hurricanes.
“This demonstrates the government’s commitment to building better, more efficient homes and protecting the residents who receive them. Hopefully, in the future, if we face anything like Irma, more of our residents will be safeguarded,” Mr. Maduro explained.
Mr. David Fonseca, a representative of Construction Engineering Systems (B.V.I) Ltd., expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Health and Social Development for giving their company the opportunity to construct a home for Mr. Callwood. Mr. Fonseca emphasized that the house was built in an efficient and resilient manner to withstand natural disasters.
Since the inception of the Housing Recovery Assistance Programme, more than 25 homes have been constructed and over 200 have been repaired.
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Tola Radio Battles Legal Dispute Over Shutdown, Calls for Public Support
Tola Radio VI 100.5 FM, known as “the people’s radio,” has been off the air for 14 days amidst a legal standoff with Caribbean Cellular Telephone Limited (CCT). Managing Director Floyd P. Burnett, also known as “Heritage,” is urging public support as the station navigates what he describes as a targeted attack on freedom of speech and locally-owned businesses.
Mr. Burnett alleges that despite meeting all payment requirements and deadlines, CCT refused to accept Tola Radio’s payment and later disabled the station’s broadcasting equipment. “They physically touched our equipment and locked them off, despite written legal letters asking and instructing it not to be done,” he stated.
The dispute follows CCT’s October announcement terminating its service agreement with the radio station. CCT clarified that Tola Radio could retain its services if it became a paying customer, but according to Burnett, his payment was rejected without justification.
The controversy escalated when Burnett claimed an attempt was made to have him arrested and charged with attempted murder. “The public was to wake up and hear the radio off along with hearing I was arrested and charged, but God is greater than man!” he said.
Efforts to secure an extension for relocating Tola Radio’s equipment were also denied, Burnett said. Additionally, an urgent injunction filed in the High Court was postponed by a visiting judge until November 22 without hearing any arguments.
The ongoing shutdown has left eight employees without income, caused significant financial losses, and breached client agreements. Burnett criticized government officials for their lack of action, accusing them of failing to address the issue despite the government being a major client of CCT.
“Like most problems facing the BVI, they can’t [find] no way to help us! Even though the government is the tower people’s biggest client,” Burnett remarked.
Burnett is calling on the public to boycott CCT in protest. “Plug out the phone, plug out the chip, don’t pay your bill! We need to make a statement to corporate BVI today!” he urged.
He framed the situation as a broader fight for “freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of information,” asserting that the attack on Tola Radio sets a dangerous precedent for other local businesses.
Despite the challenges, Burnett assured Tola Radio’s listeners and partners that the station will resume broadcasting soon. “We will be back on air shortly, hopefully before the day is out,” he promised.
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