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When the 2017 hurricanes were done blowing the Virgin Islands apart, contractors Elizabeth Nurse and Tyler Rice made a pact to put it back together again, keeping their efforts as locally beneficial as possible. While much of their work focused on repairing buildings, the duo also hoped to calm frazzled nerves and lift trampled spirits through their meditation and yoga studio.

Earlier this month, the Small Business Administration’s Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands District Office honored Nurse and Rice’s company, TLC Unlimited, as Prime Contractor of the Year.

The administration also honored Merchants Commercial Bank as USVI Lender of the Year, and COFECC as USVI Certified Development Company of the Year.

The contracting award “recognizes outstanding performance and impact in federal contracting, celebrating TLC Unlimited LLC’s leadership and contributions to the contracting community in the Virgin Islands and beyond,” according to an SBA statement.

Rice, who was born and raised in the Virgin Islands, said it was far from a solo effort: “This recognition belongs to the mentors, government agencies and especially our hardworking team who made it all possible.”

At a time when federal contracts to rebuild after the storms were, out of necessity, going to mainland companies unharmed by the hurricanes, Rice and Nurse set up TLC to build back the local base of construction expertise and execution. Many of the mainland contractors are unfamiliar with the Virgin Islands’ unique attributes. They import labor where there is already local talent available who know the market better.

“We got into federal contracting work in 2017 after hurricanes Irma and Maria. Particularly, we got involved so we could give back to the island, and it turned into a business,” Rice said. “Our ethos has always been to support the local community, work as much as we can with locals. All of our subcontractors are always local. It’s both islands at the same time — in St. Thomas and St. Croix.”

While getting people to work on reconstructing physical damage to the islands, Nurse and Rice launched a nonprofit called Breathe St. Thomas. While both Nurse and Rice are yogis, their Havensight yoga studio and meditation center is there for anyone interested in taking time out, reconnecting with their breath, and finding a sense of peace. They do a lot of work with children, many of whom were traumatized by the storms.

“We do kids’ trainings there and are also in the public schools bringing mindfulness and breathing techniques to the youth,” Rice said. “That’s always our energy, to put more toward the nonprofit, but now that we have more and more federal work coming on the horizon, we’re pretty busy.”

With fewer private buildings in need of repair, TLC has moved on to government buildings. Their construction projects ongoing in May include courthouses on both St. Croix and St. Thomas, Nurse said.

“It’s obviously different than disaster relief but thankfully we don’t need to work in disaster relief right now,” she said. “A lot of the work we were doing before is already completed and people are back to their homes and back to some normalcy in their lives.”

A big part of TLC’s and Breathe’s existence comes from goal-oriented open-mindedness, said Nurse, who moved to the Virgin Islands two years before the storms.

“We just kept putting it out to the universe that if there was a way to help we would,” she said. “It was just immediately clear when our call had been answered and it gave us a lot of strength and purpose being in the community literally putting roofs back on homes, giving people that sense of safety again.”

She described the whole process as enriching — the construction element, the meditation studio, and personal growth and depth of engagement with a community in need.

“We just feel really full in that way,” Nurse said.

While the meditation studio was always an idea, the hurricanes put a fine point on its need, Rice said.

“We wanted to get a place open where people could have a safe place to land and breathe and gain some tools to make them feel a little bit more grounded and less anxious,” he said.

He hoped that both projects would help inspire young people to get involved in skilled trades like those used in the construction business, and do so with the sort of calm mindfulness found through meditative breathing techniques.

“There’s definitely a shortage, it seems like, of younger people getting into the trade. So that would be the hope, that there’s more opportunity and that we can continuously pick up more subcontractors — and provide even more opportunities for local people in the construction field,” he said. “There’s always construction happening.”

In a historic first, 20 Chabad Rabbis from across the region convened this week on the island of St. Thomas for a landmark two-day conference.

Hosted by Rabbi Asher Federman, director of Chabad Lubavitch of the Virgin Islands, spiritual leaders from island nations gathered together under one roof to share ideas, unique challenges and triumphs, strengthen ties, and chart a unified vision for Jewish life in the Caribbean.

“Each rabbi here brings a unique perspective, but we all share the same mission: to nurture and strengthen Jewish life, one community at a time, one soul at a time,” said Federman.

“The Caribbean, especially St. Thomas, is a place rich with Jewish history. It has gone through periods of life and vibrancy as well as times of unfortunate decline. We are of course filled with gratitude to our forebears who maintained Jewish life through thick and thin, natural disasters, population decline and weak economic conditions. Our historical synagogue is a gem and a beautiful historical landmark.”

The islands represented at the conference included Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Saint Lucia, Saint Barths, Turks and Caicos, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The rabbis and their rebbetzins (their wives) are inspired by the teachings of the rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson OBM, who was one of the most dynamic and influential spiritual leaders of modern times.

After the Holocaust, he embarked on a mission of Jewish revival through sending emissaries to every corner of the globe. He sought to embrace every single Jew regardless of background and affiliation, and to empower all of humanity to tap into the unlimited resources of their divine spark.

Beginning in the 1950s, the rebbe took great interest in the Caribbean islands and sent students to engage various communities.

Federman shared how the island communities, in particular, have special significance in the Bible. The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah talk of a time when remote islands will contribute to a global awareness of humanity’s purpose in making this world a kinder, better and more Godly place.

“This conference is a celebration of Jewish continuity, unity and the next frontier in global Jewish outreach. There is no such thing as a small person on a small island. Every human being is an integral part in the tapestry of creation, and our actions have the “butterfly effect” to tip the scale for a better future,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky of the Central Chabad offices.

The conference, which took place May 20–21, included collaborative workshops, Torah study, community-building discussions, and shared meals celebrating Jewish heritage and Caribbean culture. Sessions focused on strengthening education, outreach, holiday programming, and strategies for engaging the ever-growing number of snowbirds and visitors across the Caribbean.

“This gathering is a lifeline,” said Rabbi Mendel Zarchi of Chabad Puerto Rico. “We often work in isolation, separated by ocean and distance. Coming together like this brings new energy, perspective, and a sense of brotherhood that will uplift each of our local efforts.”

In Chabad tradition, the “rebbetzins” work hand in hand with their husbands and view their work as a lifelong partnership and privilege. The conference was a tribute to Federman’s wife, Henya, who was the driving force behind the growth and expansion of Jewish life on the island and a mentor to other representatives.

During the conference, Mendel Federman shared how, although his mother tragically passed away two and a half years ago, her life and legacy continue through her children and the community she lovingly built. “She left twelve Henyas in this world to continue and expand her life’s mission, and each of us are more committed than ever before.”

The historic meeting concluded with a warm community dinner and a joint resolution to enhance cross-island collaboration. The events mark a new chapter of unity, inspiration, and shared purpose.

More than $3 billion in federal funding is in motion to overhaul the territory’s aging wastewater infrastructure, according to Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority Interim Executive Director Daryl Griffith — part of a long-term plan that includes the replacement of pump stations, underground sewer lines, and critical emergency bypass systems across St. Croix and St. Thomas.

On St. Croix, the first phase of pump replacements is set to begin following board approval in June. Griffith said the goal is to order equipment immediately, with delivery expected within two months and installation to follow, starting with the most vulnerable stations. St. Thomas is following closely behind, with funding secured in January and a full inventory of pump systems now being compiled in preparation for a request for proposals. The agency is also working with the Office of Disaster Recovery, Public Works, and the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority on a unified “one-dig” strategy, bundling design and construction contracts to limit disruption and accelerate progress. Another key priority is separating stormwater from wastewater lines to protect pump infrastructure during heavy rains, which often send rocks, debris, and runoff into the sewage system and trigger equipment failure.

The need for long-term investment came into sharp focus Friday, when months of behind-the-scenes tension between VIWMA and one of its main contractors boiled over. Tony Adibe, president of SD&C Inc., had threatened to pull rented bypass pumps from active sites on St. Thomas by 5 p.m. Friday if the government failed to make good on more than $6 million in unpaid invoices, some dating back years.

The equipment, which keeps raw sewage from backing up into populated areas while infrastructure remains in flux, had become a financial burden SD&C said it could no longer carry without compensation. Adibe said earlier Friday that he had reached his limit after years of delays and unfulfilled promises from VIWMA. But by late afternoon, Adibe confirmed he had been working throughout the day with Public Works Commissioner and VIWMA Board Chair Derek Gabriel, who committed to having a partial payment released next week.

Bypass pumps remain in place, according to Adibe, who spoke with the Source after 5 p.m. Friday. He credited Gabriel for stepping in directly and opening the lines of communication to help move things forward. “Derek reached out and got people talking,” Adibe said. “It made a difference.”

In emails sent to Griffith and other officials, Adibe outlined $6.1 million in outstanding payments — including $1.5 million for Savan Gut work that VIWMA says has FEMA approval and is currently being processed, and $1.3 million more pending a final walk-through scheduled for Monday. Griffith also said questions surrounding the Krause Lagoon project are close to being resolved and added that all outstanding items are tied to federally funded programs that require additional processing steps, including drawing from a line of credit and reimbursement by the central government.

“We’ve gotten some relief – we’re working to get him some of the payment he’s been requesting,” Griffith said Friday. “It’s not instantaneous, but the approvals are there.”