Sunrise: September 4, 1963 – Sunset: November 20, 2025
Elroy Morris
It is with deepest sorrows that the family announces the passing of Elroy Morris, a beloved father, brother, uncle, grandfather and friend. Elroy departed peacefully and transitioned to his heavenly home on Nov. 20, 2025, in St. Croix U.S. Virgin Islands.
He is survived by his loving children Euroy Morris,Shenique Morris-Joseph, S’anyah Morris, and Kai Thomas. Elroy leaves behind his beloved siblings George Morris, Philpert Morris, Earl Eugene Morris, and Genevieve Morris-Peets.
Elroy was also a loving nephew of Cardella Morris-Cuthbert, Camella Nisbett, Audrey Lewis, David Crawford, Denton Crawford, Kenworth Crawford, and Abel Morris. Elroy was cherished by the numerous nieces, nephews and grandchildren and will forever be in their hearts.
A viewing for family and friends of Elroy Morris will be held at Divine Chapel, 129 Peter’s Rest on Dec. 11, between 3-5 p.m.
A celebration of life will be held at the Apostolic Faith Church Barron Spot on Dec. 12, viewing at 10:00 a.m. and service at 11 a.m. Interment will follow Kingshill Cemetery.
With profound sadness, the family of Carmen L. Ventura announces her passing on Nov. 22, 2025, at the age of 87.
Born on Oct. 5, 1938, Carmen lived a life defined by love, resilience, and unwavering dedication to her family. Her warm spirit and gentle presence brought comfort to everyone around her, and her memory will forever remain a blessing to those who knew her.
Carmen L. Ventura
Carmen is survived by her loving daughters, Migdalia Suliveres and Maria Ventura; her brothers, Hipolito Santiago and Bernade Santiago; her sister, Gladys Santiago; and her devoted son-in-law, Angel L. Suliveres. She also leaves behind cherished family friends, the Torres family, the Schjang family, and the Lawets family, who held a special place in her heart.
Family and friends are invited to attend a family viewing on Dec. 12, at Divine Chapel. Church viewing and services will follow on Dec. 13, at Hermonos Unidos en Cristo (Zion), with viewing beginning at 9 a.m. and the funeral service commencing at 10:00 AM. Interment will take place at Kingshill Cemetery.
This map gives a description of historic sites within the newly established Maroon Sanctuary Territorial Park and sites bordering the outside of the park. (Courtesy George B. Hartzog Jr. and Thomas W. Richards)
This is the fourth and final article in my series on the northeast central region of St. Croix — Maroon Country, where runaway slaves used the forests, deep valleys and cliffs as a refuge to protect themselves from the Danish soldiers and planters of the surrounding plantation villages. Mount Eagle, the highest point on St. Croix, continued to be a periodic refuge or shelter for runaway slaves until slavery ended in 1848.
Olasee Davis, Ph.D. (Submitted photo)
In these remote rugged terrain regions of St. Croix’s northeast central woodland forest areas, runaway slaves used militant skills and the knowledge of their surrounding environment to fight off Danish soldiers and others from being captured. For example, in 1822 there was a report from the Danish government of a Maroon camp on Mount Eagle. Government troops were sent out, but no Maroons were caught. On Feb. 3, 1816, a police report in Christiansted noted two plots where runaway slaves tried to flee from St. Croix to Puerto Rico.
One plot involved eight runaway slaves from Estate Diamond and Queen Quarter. According to the report, some runaways were captured and others were believed to have escaped to Puerto Rico or St. Domingo by boat, from Limetree Bay. The second plot involved enslaved men and women on Estate Cane Bay and La Vallee, which is next to Estate North Star and Mount Eagle. The runaway slaves were never captured.
Nevertheless, at the close of the 1800s, the island of St. Croix reached its peak of sugar production with more than 30,000 acres under cultivation. This was profitable due to the high supply of enslaved African labor and the declaration of the slave trade in 1792. The Danish Crown abolished the transatlantic slave trade in 1803. However, the selling of slaves continued although it was illegal to do so. As the sugar industry begin to decline on St. Croix in the 19th century, the surrounding mountainous areas of the northwest, northeast central, and even as far as the rugged hills on the East End of St. Croix, became more attractive to runaway slaves. Such estates as Hermitage, River, Parasol, and Solitude, now part of the Territorial Park System of the Virgin Islands, Mount Eagle, Blue Mountain, and the northwest side of Maroon Country were havens still for runaway slaves. There were periodic expeditions sent to capture and disperse Maroons hiding in the northwest and other parts of St. Croix. However, flights of slaves to Puerto Rico continued.
Runaway notices in the Royal Danish American Gazette became common, specifying flight to the north side of St. Croix. Frequent expeditions by the Danish government were sent to capture and disperse Maroons living in the northwest and northeast central highlands of St. Croix. As with Mount Eagle in 1822 with Maroon camps being reported, there were disturbances on Estate Spring Garden near Maroon Ridge. According to historic records, most of the slaves ran into the Maroon Ridge area. Troops were sent, but not all runaways were caught.
At the close of the 1800s, the island of St. Croix reached its peak of sugar production with more than 30,000 acres under cultivation. (Drawing by Clark William, middle 1800s)
Although the island of Puerto Rico became a haven for runaway slaves from the Danish West Indies, the dense tropical forests and rugged terrain of the northwest and northeast central highland of St. Croix were looked upon as refuges. The Maroons on St. Croix, like others throughout the Caribbean region, had to constantly be on the move. The Danish government continued to send hunters and militiamen after runaway slaves. There were rewards for revealing runaway slaves’ whereabouts.
Mt. Eagle has a historic well. It is the highest well on St. Croix along with an old Danish slave road leading to the summit. (Photo by Olasee Davis)
In 1733 the Danish 19 Slave Codes, or laws, issued by Gov. Philip Gardelin of the Danish West Indies, mentioned there would be awards for those who “rat” on their fellow slaves. “The person who informs on a plot by Negroes shall get 10 piasters for every Negro found guilty, and his name shall remain secret,” noted the Danish code.
According to some historic documents, from the 1760s onward some 1,000 slaves ran away each year to Puerto Rico or other Caribbean islands and on any given day less than 100 of these Maroons were living in the rugged terrain of St. Croix. The Danish records are filled with documents where Maroons gone “maritime marronage.” This term was coined by the late historian Neville Hall to describe Maroons’ flight by sea. In other words, Maroons escaped to nearby islands like Puerto Rico, Vieques, and in the 1820s to the British Virgin Islands.
Beside the historic ruins of Estate Hermitage from the 1800s is a large freshwater pond with wildlife, especially rare and endangered species of birds. (Photo by Olasee Davis)
There are other terms describing Maroons like “grand marronage,” and “petit marronage.” All these terms refer to runaway slaves, whether it was temporal, establishing a Maroon community in remote areas, or in maritime environments escaping by sea. The term “Maroon” itself is derived from the Spanish word “cimarron,” which originally described cattle that had escaped and were living in the hills or mountains. There are also other descriptions of Maroon like “wild ape,” etc.
Seth Smith, who was a planter in 1801 on St. Croix, mentioned in his letter to the Danish government about his slaves running away. In 1801, six runaways belonging to Smith from a West End plantation escaped to Puerto Rico on a ship. The letter continues and says, “They were still absent in 1803.” This is what is termed as a “maritime Maroon.” The Maroons in the hills and mountainous areas of St. Croix lived in small temporal communities, or permanent escape known as “grand marronage.”
In 2010, the St. Croix Hiking Association led a hike to Estate Parasol, now part of the Great Northeast Central Maroon Country. (Photo by Dorothy Flash)
It is for this reason our newly established territorial park is known as Maroon Sanctuary. Estate Hermitage, River, Solitude, Parasol, and Mount Eagle, which are now part of the territorial park system of some 1,200 or 1,300 acres, are part of what I call northeast central Maroon country. Its geological formation is of the same northwest connecting Maroon Ridge to the central mountainous region of St. Croix. Secondly, historical documents pinpoint Maroons’ activities in the region until the Emancipation of 1848. And furthermore, the high peaks of St. Croix are in the central mountainous region of the island.
Estate Hermitage has a small complex of sugar plantation ruins consisting of a windmill, two well towers, a poorly preserved factory, a slave cemetery, and other historical remains. Estate River is a sugar plantation remains, consisting of windmill, fan mill, villages, ruins of a great house, factory, and other plantation structures. Estate Parasol sugar plantation remains comprise a windmill, ruins of factory, village houses, stock pen, and several other historic structures.
Mount Eagle has a historic well. It is the highest well on St. Croix along with an old slave Danish Road leading you to the summit. As stewards of this newly established territorial park, we are responsible for the historic structures left behind by our ancestors and the protection of the forests and wildlife therein. I will leave my audience with the following slave song in Dutch Creole lyrics that were written down and translated by a Crucian plantation manager while fearful of the implications (Schmidt 1788). Enslaved Africans on St. Croix would sing this song when they were toiling in the cane fields under the hot Crucian sun.
— Olasee Davis is a bush professor who lectures and writes about the culture, history, ecology and environment of the Virgin Islands when he is not leading hiking tours of the wild places and spaces of St. Croix and beyond.
The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority advises the public that temporary repairs at the Richmond station service were completed on Monday, Dec. 8.
Crews were working to restore St. Croix water service. (Source file photo)
Customers in Christiansted and Mid-Island began seeing water return late Monday night and early Tuesday morning. Frederiksted customers have experienced delayed restoration due to needed repairs with the Concordia pump station.
Customers in higher elevations—Mars Hill, Concordia, Adventure Hill, Profit, and Paradise Mills—should see improved pressure once repairs are completed as inventory levels rebuild.
WAPA Water Maintenance crews have been advancing through pump stations across the island, including impact to customers in Louis E. Brown, Kings Hill, Calcahoun, Mon Bijou, and Croixville, among other surrounding neighborhoods.
As part of restoration, crews are pressurizing the system and flushing hydrants to remove trapped air, protect aging pipes, reduce the risk of leaks, and improve water quality. Teams are also working westward toward Frederiksted to clear isolated air pockets that may still be restricting flow.
Because water was stagnant for an extended period, temporary discoloration is expected. To improve water quality at home, please remove your filter, flush water for 2–3 minutes, and then reinstall the filter. To report an isolated outage, visit the WAPA website (https://www.viwapa.vi/customer-service/report-outage-or-problem) or call 340-773-2250 (option 4).
We know this interruption has been difficult, and we extend our sincere thanks to our employees, contractors, and partners who worked through the night to restore service. Special thanks to VITEMA for securing critical equipment that made these repairs possible.
The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority Communication’s department is committed to reaching, informing, and connecting with the youngest members of the community to the eldest, through meaningful, transparent and effective communication.
VIWAPA is alerting all customers to a scam currently circulating.
Individuals posing as WAPA representatives are calling customers and requesting personal information to “enter” them into a fake raffle to win a vehicle. This is not legitimate.
If you receive a call like this, do not provide your personal or credit card information over the phone. Hang up immediately. Your safety and privacy are our priority. Please stay vigilant and share this message with friends, family, and neighbors who may be targeted.
The University of the Virgin Islands Buccaneers men’s basketball team secured a 70-65 victory over Wilberforce University on Tuesday evening at the Elridge Blake Sports and Fitness Center in St. Thomas. The Buccaneers managed to hold off a second-half rally by the Bulldogs to clinch the win.
UVI needed strong defense to withstand Wilberforce University’s second half surge. (Submitted photo)
UVI asserted its dominance early and often, excelling on both ends of the court in the first half. The Buccaneers put on an impressive offensive performance, shooting 50% from the field and 40% from three-point range, establishing a commanding 45-25 lead by halftime. Defensively, they held their opponents to just 22% shooting from the field and 11% from beyond the arc. Junior guard Devin Binyard was instrumental in the Buccaneers’ early success, contributing 11 points in the first half during his first start of the season.
“We played exceptionally well in the first half,” remarked Head Coach Kevin Sheppard. “We minimized turnovers, shared the ball effectively, and held our opponents to under 30 points. However, in the second half, we became overconfident and were initially outhustled, allowing our opponents to close the gap. Eventually, we regained our composure and control of the game, but I was not satisfied with our performance at the start of the half.”
A sluggish start to the second half by the Buccaneers allowed their opponent to narrow the deficit as they found themselves on the wrong end of an 18-2 run. The two teams would trade baskets the remainder of the period, with neither team able to establish control of the game. With just over one minute remaining in the game, the Buccaneers’ lead shrank to two points, 66-64. However, four crucial free throws in two visits to the line by graduate forward Brandon Rasmussen would seal the victory for the Buccaneers.
UVI will now shift its focus to the USVI YES HBCU Classic at the Digma Wheatley Gymnasium in St. Thomas. UVI’s first matchup of the tournament will be against Virginia Union as they face off on Dec. 11 at 1:30 p.m.
“We’re excited to play in a tournament like this on our home soil. We have a tough matchup on day one of the tournament, facing a Division II opponent, Virginia Union, but we’re ready to take the floor against them and see what they’re made of.”
The STX Open Chess Tournament took place at Good Hope Country Day School Dec. 6 and 7, and was nothing short of spectacular!
Elias Ruderfer (left), GHCD chess club president and co-organizer of the event. (Submitted photo)
Sixty-one people, young and old, registered for the tournament, the biggest chess event ever held in the territory.
Seasoned chess players from St. Croix and St. Thomas reconnected and embraced. Gifted young players from schools on both islands met and engaged with each other. Players as young as 8 as well as special needs individuals were welcomed, encouraged and performed admirably.
Tournament prize winners, left to right, Adriana Galardo (3rd Place), Naitik Jhanwar (3rd Place), Mighty Fontanilla (1st Place), Patrick Miller (2nd Place). Darryl Allen (3rd Place). William Van Rensselaer (3rd Place). Adonai Smith (3rd Place), Bob Jensen (3rd Place)
As a result of this tournament, each participant will receive a “FIDE” ID. FIDE stands for “Fédération Internationale des Échecs,” which translates to International Chess Federation. It is the worldwide governing body for chess, responsible for regulating international competitions and promoting the game globally. With a FIDE ID, opportunities abound throughout the Caribbean and the Americas for our Virgin Islands young people and adults.
This is a new day for chess in the VI!The new officers of the USVI Chess Federation are hoping to establish our beautiful islands as a global chess destination that will bolster the VI economy and promote tourism. They are hugely grateful to Good Hope Country Day School for graciously inviting all chess players in the territory to use their Pavilion for this event and hopefully future events. It was perfect and the support GHCD staff and students gave to the VI chess community was awesome. Despite the current high cost of inter-island travel, 16 St. Thomians, students and adults, traveled to St. Croix for this long-awaited opportunity. The excitement, enthusiasm and especially camaraderie that was ignited by this event was priceless!
Lon Newman behind his beautiful hand-carved trophies. (Submitted photo)
Former V.I. Police Commissioner Ray Martinez walks toward the federal courthouse Tuesday morning on St. Thomas. (Source photo by Kit MacAvoy)
Ray Martinez, the former V.I. Police Commissioner on trial this week facing charges of wire fraud, bribery, money laundering and obstruction of justice, will tell a federal judge on Wednesday whether he intends to testify in his own defense.
After federal prosecutors rested their case against Martinez and former V.I. Office of Management and Budget Director Jenifer O’Neal Tuesday afternoon, U.S. District Court Judge Mark Kearney reminded the defendants of their rights either to testify in their own defense or invoke their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. O’Neal signaled that she would not take the stand.
Martinez said he needed more time to speak with his attorneys, Miguel Oppenheimer and Juan Martos De Juan. If Martinez does testify, O’Neal’s attorney will have the opportunity to call more witnesses and present more evidence in her defense.
The parties rested after four days of witness testimony and evidence presented by the United States, which charged Martinez and O’Neal with taking in thousands of dollars in kickbacks from a former government contractor and career felon, David Whitaker. Taking the stand Thursday, Whitaker stolidly answered U.S. Justice Department attorney Alex Dempsey’s questions about recorded phone calls and in-person meetings, text conversations, bank statements and other evidence the United States presented.
Former V.I. Management and Budget Director Jenifer O’Neal exits the Ron De Lugo Federal Building Monday afternoon on St. Thomas. (Source photo by Kit MacAvoy)
Throughout the trial, attorneys for the defendants have repeatedly sought to tar Whitaker as an unreliable witness due to his lengthy criminal history and prior convictions. Whitaker began cooperating with federal investigators in September 2023 after they approached him about a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan and about his company’s supposed finding of recording devices in multiple Virgin Islands government offices. Whitaker has admitted that he planted most of the bugs himself and “found” them to secure work with the V.I. Police Department for his company, Mon Ethos Pro Support.
On Tuesday, jurors heard from the law enforcement side when the United States put Kiernan Whitworth, an FBI special agent, on the stand.
Whitworth testified that he was the case agent who handled Whitaker during the bureau’s probes into public corruption in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He recounted the FBI’s initial interest in Whitaker — spurred by the “open case file” related to bugged government offices and, later, a series of payments to the former police commissioner and his wife, Diana Martinez. Asked about the trustworthiness of people who have been confronted with evidence of their own crimes, Whitworth said cooperating witnesses are “the most effective way to gather evidence.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cherrisse Amaro (nee Woods) walked Whitworth through the FBI’s investigation, asking questions about what directions, if any, they gave to Whitaker. Whitworth testified that Whitaker was instructed to sit back and “if there was a scheme to play out — let that scheme play out.” Amaro also asked Whitworth about O’Neal’s involvement and reintroduced a Jan. 20, 2024, text exchange between Whitaker and O’Neal in which the former asked if a $216,000 invoice had been processed.
“Ray may never speak to us again if we leave before he gets the 70k for his food shop,” Whitaker texted, adding that Martinez would be even more mad if he found out about “Encore” and “the game” — an apparent reference to the Encore Boston Harbor luxury resort where Whitaker and Martinez stayed during three trips to Boston.
“lol,” O’Neal replied. “I’ll check with my staff.”
The prosecution also showed jurors a text O’Neal subsequently sent to OMB’s federal grants manager, Jamie Gaston.
“If you guys have ARPA payments pending to be processed, please get them entered so they can make Tuesday’s check run,” O’Neal allegedly wrote.
Gaston offered brief testimony Tuesday regarding her role at OMB.
After the United States rested, Martinez’s attorneys called Anthony Thomas — a former V.I. Property and Procurement commissioner who later worked for Whitaker’s company, Mon Ethos Pro Support, and who now works as chief administrative officer for the V.I. Water and Power Authority — to the stand. Thomas offered spare testimony regarding his role in finding work for Mon Ethos through the Virgin Islands government’s procurement portal, the unfortunately-named “GVIBuy.”
Asked by Dempsey if it would be appropriate for someone to give a commissioner money in exchange for a contract, Thomas said no.
“It goes against the principles of public finance and ethics, and it’s fraud,” he said.
Martinez’s attorneys also called the former commissioner’s former assistant, Police Sgt. Ludrick Thomas to the stand. The latter Thomas testified that Martinez was a “hands-on” commissioner who “led from the front” and that the digital forensic services Mon Ethos provided were “superb.”
Derrik Miller Jr. holds a glass plaque during the 2025 American Airlines Circle of Excellence award gala. (Photo courtesy Derrik Miller Jr.)
In November, Virgin Islander Derrik Miller Jr. was recognized by American Airlines and awarded a Circle of Excellence Award for his leadership in managing air traffic control training at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The CLT airport, a hub for American Airlines, is one of the busiest airports in the world. The Circle of Excellence Award is the highest award an employee at American Airlines can receive. Each year, only 100 employees in the company are eligible to receive it, and Miller, a Crucian, earned the award for creating a pilot program that assists new employees with understanding airspace, safety procedures, and traffic flow in the hub control center.
“I think there’s 133,000 people that work at the company,” Miller said. He added that in terms of movement, Charlotte has the sixth busiest airport in the world.
Miller is a hub control center coordinator and assists in managing the airline’s gate taxiing. Typically, he trains new employees with a “formal training” that allows them to engage with pilots for ramp taxiing. But Miller found that training needed a precursor, and thus created a two-week pre-ramp control training program.
“We have a lot of new people who come into the tower. There’s a need for a good system where people can absorb the knowledge. So I created a two week training initiative program which in that two weeks, they learn a lot of the language for air traffic control. They can understand and identify safety factors. They’re able to minimize risks, and it allows for the ultimate goal, [which is] to provide safe, efficient, and expeditious flow of traffic in and out of the ramp,” Miller said.
Regarding the program he created, Miller said it aids in getting new hires familiar with their roles.
“A lot of people who come up to the tower, they’ve never done any type of air traffic. Some people haven’t even talked to an airplane. So in two weeks, I get them up to speed, get them familiarized, and then we start a formal training on the floor,” Miller said.
According to Miller, working as an HCC, you have to be very proficient and knowledgeable. He felt it was necessary to create his training program.
“You’re talking to like 90 planes an hour, and we control all the traffic that comes in and out of Charlotte in terms of commercial Aviation,” he said.
Derrik Miller Jr., right, and his mom during the Circle of Excellence award gala. (Photo courtesy Derrik Miller Jr.)
He added that part of his job also allows him to participate in meetings with the Federal Aviation Administration to discuss construction projects and ways to mitigate congestion on and off the ground. As a result of his commitment to creating an efficient workspace, Miller was nominated for the Circle of Excellence Award.
Nominees for the award are selected based on their accomplishments. Before Thanksgiving, Miller was invited to Dallas, Texas, along with 99 other employees from around the nation, to the awards dinner. He was nominated with three other employees from his airport- his senior manager, a pilot, and a customer service representative.
When asked if this was a goal he always aspired to achieve, Miller said no.
“Well, it wasn’t something that I had set out. When I started, it wasn’t something I had aimed for, set out to get. It was people nominating me, apparently ten plus people nominated me, and they saw the work that I did, and I guess numbers showed improvement. People started noticing things outside of the HUB and it kind of just went from there,” he said.
Though employees are able to receive the award more than once, according to Miller, “It’s a career milestone if you receive it at all. It’s the highest honor the company has to give.”
Miller attended the award gala and will receive a personalized glass plaque. He has been working with American Airlines for seven years. Working in aviation is something he has wanted to do since he was a child, after being inspired by his family.
Derrik Miller Jr., left, and his father, Derrik Miller Sr., on a family cruise. (Photo courtesy Derrik Miller Jr.)
“As a kid, my grandmother used to take me to the airport and I would stand by the runway to watch the only American Airlines flight we had take off to go to Miami, a 727,” said Miller.
He added that his cousin, Darren Essannason, had a flight simulator he would play. These events inspired him to get into aviation, and his parents encouraged him to pursue a career in the field. However, he said that with limited opportunities on St. Croix, he moved to the mainland to achieve his goals.
“To climb the ladder of aviation, you have to step outside to achieve what you want,” Miller said.
He encourages others to work toward their goals, even if that means leaving their comfort zone.
“Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t become something. Never let your current circumstance keep you from a greater opportunity,” Miller said.
A man died Sunday night after police found him with multiple gunshot wounds in the Hospital Ground area of St. Thomas, the Virgin Islands Police Department reported.
The Major Crimes Unit has opened a homicide investigation.
Police said the Shot Spotter Detection System recorded gunfire at about 10:47 p.m. Patrol officers responded and found a Black male lying in the roadway. He was taken by ambulance to Schneider Regional Medical Center, where he died from his injuries, according to the police report.
The man’s identity is being withheld until his family is notified, the police report stated.
His death marks the territory’s 27th homicide of the year, and the 14th for St. Thomas, according to the Source Homicide List.*
The VIPD is asking anyone with information to contact the department at 340-774-2211, the Major Crimes Unit at 340-642-8449, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or 911.
* The Source Homicide List is a chronological log of the homicides recorded in 2025 in the U.S. Virgin Islands, as reported by the VIPD. Cases are broken down by island. While this listing is based on VIPD reports, the Source does not include suicides or vehicular homicides in its listing, which the police and some other media do. This can lead to a discrepancy in the number of incidents reported.
