The destruction of the tree has sparked outrage in the Simpson Bay community.

PHILIPSBURG--Public frustration over the destruction of a mature sea grape tree on Halley Drive in Simpson Bay escalated on Monday afternoon when residents blocked access to the Simpson Bay Bridge with a large truck, temporarily bringing traffic to a standstill. The protest ended after police ordered the vehicle to be removed.

SANDY GROUND--A serious road accident occurred on the RN7 close to Sandy Ground, at around 20 minutes past midnight on Sunday morning, claiming the life of one person and critically injuring four others.

A scene from SMART 2024.

PHILIPSBURG--Sea Trek and Rainforest Adventures will jointly host the final networking event at the 2026 edition of the St. Maarten/St. Martin Annual Regional Tradeshow (SMART), which is expected to become the largest edition in the past decade.

Rocks and rubbish bins block the road in French Quarter (photo contributed)

FRENCH QUARTER--The RN7 in French Quarter was blocked Wednesday afternoon with rocks, tyres, pallets and rubbish bins after an earlier incident involving Gendarmes confiscating a scooter from an alleged private property caused an angry crowd to gather.

Some members of the Broker of the Year team accepting their award: From left: Devanand Singh, Lorraine Allen van den Berg, Samuel Morton, Paul Lalor, ICWI and Allenson Telford

PHILIPSBURG--The Insurance Company of the West Indies (ICWI) has named SUN Insurance Brokers its 2025 “Broker of the Year” during the company’s third annual Broker Awards ceremony held Wednesday, May 13, at La Perle Bleu in St. Maarten.