🌱 Refinery Faces $250K In Fines + A Jam-Packed Weekend Of Events

Limetree Bay Refinery faces more than $250, 000 in penalties for OSHA violations, a bill that will likely be passed on to the new owners. Plus, the future of Estate Catherineberg is back in the news. Those stories and more are below.

Plus, there is a bonanza of events this weekend!

First, today's weather:

A passing shower or two. High: 84 Low: 76.

Here are the top stories in US Virgin Islands today:

1. Dr. Luis Amaro stepped down as acting CEO of Schneider Regional Medical Center on Thursday. He will be replaced by hospital legal counsel Tina Comissiong until a permanent CEO is named. Read more in The Source.
2. Limetree Bay Refinery faces more than $250k in penalties for 20 Occupational Safety and Health Administration violations. "The number and increasing severity of the release incidents at the Christiansted refinery shows us that Limetree Bay Refining LLC was putting workers at risk by permitting serious deficiencies to exist with its process equipment and inadequate process safety management programs,” said OSHA Area Office Director Alfredo Nogueras. Full story in The Source.
3. The Virgin Islands Healthcare Foundation will receive a $1 million government grant to open a dialysis center in St. Croix. Private donors already raised about half of the funding needed to open the center, said V.I. Healthcare Foundation board member Aminah Saleem. The additional $1 million, which comes from the American Rescue Plan Act and is intended to help medical facilities handle COVID-19 challenges, will enable the Foundation to complete the Center. Read more in The Daily News.
4. Governor Albert Bryan indicated on Monday that he would move into Estate Catherineberg once repairs are complete. The historic mansion is located in Charlotte Amalie and has been a residence for governors in the past (Charles Turnbull was the last inhabitant). Bryan told the Consortium that he would use the building for office space, but there's a hitch: according to a bill that became law in June 2018, Estate Catherineberg is actually supposed to become a museum. Get the full story from the VI Consortium.

Saturday Events:

• Gentle Yoga with Jane (7:30 a.m.)
• Cradle Literacy Project (St. Croix Location) (10:00 a.m.)
• Moko Jumbie with Waldemar Brodhurst Age 8-12 (10:00 a.m.)
• Crucian Coconut Festival (10:00 a.m.)
• Taste of St. Croix (11:00 a.m.)
• CMCArts: Seashell Ornaments for Teens (2:00 p.m.)
• Lots of Latkes (5:00 p.m.)
• A Holiday Musical Celebration (6:00 p.m.)
• VIMSIA's Las Vegas Night - "Mask"querade (7:00 p.m.)

Sunday Events:

• Crucian Coconut Festival (11:00 a.m.)
• Cruz Bay Menorah Lighting (5:30 p.m.)

Social Chatter:

• The Made in the USVI Pop-Up Shop in St. Croix is OPEN through Dec 11. Check it out for all your locally-made gifts this holiday season! Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-6pm; Sat 9am-1pm. Located in Dorsch Center in Frederiksted across from The Fred. (Facebook)
• Senator Plaskett responds to USDA Order to Allow Interstate Movement of Swine Products From VI and PR (Twitter)
• St. George Village Botanical Garden is raffling off a decorated Christmas tree with over $4,000 of gifts. Enter the raffle to win! (What's Going on St.Croix?)
• Looking for more USVI hand-made gifts? Check out the beautiful Christmas ornaments available at Barefoot Buddha in their boutique section. All hand-painted by a local artist. (Facebook)

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Have a great weekend, folks. I'll see you again on Monday morning.

— Ashleigh Baldwin

About me: I'm the Patch Community News Editor for the U.S. Virgin Islands. I'm here to provide news you can use. Do you have a news tip, question or feedback? Please contact me at ashleigh.baldwin@patch.com.