The Senate Committee on Economic Development and Agriculture discussed credit card surcharges added to bills by businesses to cover processing fees Wednesday. Some senators expressed concern that eliminating the 3 percent charge could result in higher overall costs for consumers.

For good or ill, distilled spirits have been woven inextricably into the fabric of the Virgin Islands. Before there was calypso or quadrille or kallaloo in the territory, there was rum — or “kill devil” as an 18th-century West Indian might call it. For a few hours each Good Friday, however, local laws in both the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands restrict alcohol sales.