U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS – On behalf of Governor Albert Bryan Jr., Government House Communications Director Richard Motta welcomed students, teachers and parents to the first day of school Monday during the weekly briefing from Government House on St. Croix.
“Governor Bryan extends his heartfelt welcome to all our students,” Motta said. “To our dedicated teachers, faculty, and staff, your unwavering commitment to our students’ success is the cornerstone of our educational system. Governor Bryan deeply appreciates your hard work and passion for fostering an environment where creativity, curiosity, and collaboration can thrive.”
Motta said Governor Bryan visited several schools on Monday to personally wish students a successful and productive school year.
“His visits highlight our administration’s unwavering commitment to education and the belief that our students are the key to a brighter future for the Virgin Islands,” Motta said.
Motta extended congratulations to Virgin Islander Ian Barrows from St. Thomas, who won a bronze medal in sailing at the 2024 Paris Olympics for Team USA.
Additionally, Motta congratulated five Olympians representing Team ISV at the 2024 Paris Olympics:
- Nicholas D’Amour in archery
- Eduardo Garcia in the marathon
- Kruz Schembri in fencing
- Natalia Kuipers in swimming
- Maximillian “Max” Wilson in swimming
In a Democratic primary election wrap-up, Motta extended congratulations to all the candidates who were successful and recognized the effort of all who campaigned.
VI Police Department Chief Sean Santos Sr. updated Virgin Islanders on the VI Police Department’s Traffic Violation focus, which will include ticketing vehicles with overly tinted windows, unregistered vehicles and enforcing child occupancy protections. Santos said VIPD will continue to focus on illegal ATVs, which are unregistered and being driven on roadways. Chief Santos thanked Virgin Islanders whose social media tips helped VIPD locate missing persons and apprehend perpetrators.
VITEMA Director Daryl Jaschen provided a weather update and reminded Virgin Islanders to make hurricane preparations. Sandbag distribution has been completed under Operation Blue Skies. VITEMA is monitoring the National Weather Service to forecast potential impending storms and reports that Sahara dust will continue to impact the territory by the end of the week.
In closing, Motta announced the release of more than $5.1 million in tax refunds to 1,260 taxpayers who filed prior to June 27, 2022. This is in addition to the $5 million in tax refunds that were released last week.
The Bryan-Roach Administration is investing in the Territory’s people, infrastructure and future through transparency, stabilizing the economy, restoring trust in the government and ensuring that recovery pro-jects are completed as quickly as possible. Visit vi.gov for more information.
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