The V.I. Police Department has been awarded more than $17 million in federal funds to reimburse emergency work performed after hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.
The $17,451,154 award comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agencyâs Public Assistance Program, according to a statement from the V.I. Office of Disaster Recovery.
âWith this reimbursement, the men and women of the Virgin Islands Police Department can continue its business of protecting and serving our community,â said V.I. Police Commissioner Trevor Velinor in the statement. âWe are grateful for this resource and will continue to protect and serve.â
After the storms, V.I. police officers led patrols and participated in search and rescue, conducted traffic and crowd control and monitored curfews in an effort to reduce immediate threats to life, public health, security and safety, according to the statement.
COVID relief deal includes billions for schools to improve ventilation, address learning loss during the pandemic
Updated Dec 22, 2020;
The $900 billion COVID-19 stimulus deal approved by Congress includes billions for elementary and secondary schools, including dollars to help with improving ventilation and air quality during the pandemic.
A total of $54.3 billion has been secured for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. This will send formula funding to states and school districts so they can respond to the coronavirus crisis.
Those dollars can be used for school facilities repairs and improvements, like heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems projects to improve indoor air quality, as well as addressing learning loss among students, including low-income students, children with disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students experiencing homelessness and children and youth in foster care.