Washington (CNN) — Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer was robbed last week by an intruder armed with a machete while Breyer was vacationing on the Caribbean island of Nevis, court officials said Monday.

Breyer, his wife and two other guests were in the justice’s vacation home at the time, but officials said no one was hurt in the incident.

The male assailant took $1,000 in cash and fled the scene, according to court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg. The robbery was reported to local authorities shortly after it happened last Thursday night, and local media said no arrests had been made as of Monday.

It was unclear whether the intruder knew Breyer’s professional identity.

The U.S. Marshals Service provides protection for members of the high court when they are traveling, and agency spokesman Jeff Carter said Monday that the marshals service “is aware of the incident involving Justice Breyer on the Caribbean island of Nevis and is assisting the Supreme Court Police and local law enforcement authorities with the investigation as needed.” He did not elaborate.

Read the rest of the story here.

Aside from the limited facilities and resources on the RUSVM campus, there’s also concern that the school — a private institution owned by DeVry University, which itself is a proprietary, for-profit company — might be prioritizing net profit over the well-being of students.

Our previous post on the issue brought many comments arguing that all students remaining at the end of 7th semester will have a clinical spot found for them at a U.S. school. So while there are only about 90 established spots for RUSVM students to proceed into clinicals, we’ve heard that up to 108 have received a clinical placement in recent semesters.

RUSVM doesn’t publish an attrition rate, so most people — including current and prospective students — cannot be certain how many people actually make it through all 7 semesters.

But the school does publish the cost of tuition and fees to enroll as a veterinary student. The total charges per student, from vet prep to 7th semester, range from $16,190 to $16,614 USD per semester at RUSVM. If a student makes it through 7 semesters (without repeating any semesters), they will have spent about $113,330 USD.

And that’s fine, granted that they graduate and proceed onto a career, which would (hopefully) allow them to pay off all those loans. But not all students make it to the end of 7th semester.

If someone doesn’t proceed past 2nd semester, they will have spent $32,380 USD (usually from federal loans) but will then have no way of paying off the debt. If they stop at 4th semester, they will have paid $64,760 USD. If it’s 6th semester they don’t get past, the amount paid will have been about $97,140 USD. (These amounts don’t even include living expenses on St. Kitts — only tuition and fees.)

At this point some argue that this is the nature of professional school. Not everyone graduates. It has to be tough so that the school produces competitive veterinarians.

But all of this is undermined by a glance at just how much money RUSVM has made on this fall class. A class of 120 students would bring about $1,942,800 USD to the school each semester. A class of 165 students, like the current fall class, would bring the total closer to $2,671,350 USD. That’s about $728,550 USD, or 3/4 of a million dollars, more per semester.

If RUSVM published an attrition rate, it would be possible to evaluate exactly how much profit they gain from each new class. The school should make it clear to prospective and current students (and their families) how many students fail, repeat, or leave the program each semester — as well as how many Ross students enter and complete the clinical year at a U.S. school. They should also publish the number of RUSVM graduates who go on to get jobs as veterinarians.

Then we could tell whether RUSVM’s facilities, faculty, and other resources are adequate for the size of the student body, or whether they’re more concerned with making a profit than producing skilled veterinarians.

…SKNVibes received a press release from the Communications Unit of the Prime Minister, which stated that DPC Liburd said the operation was launched at 3:15 a.m., and after being rescued the victim was immediately taken to the Joseph N. France General Hospital where she was medically examined and later released.

In a text message, husband of the kidnap victim, Larry Vaughan said, “Thanks to everyone who had us in their prayers. Gilda was extracted from a raid this morning and four were apprehended.”

Information reaching SKNVibes yesterday indicated that criminals had kidnapped the Vaughans and demanded that the husband go to the FirstCaribbean International Bank where he is employed and return with an undisclosed sum of money before his wife would be released.

The release noted that the two men had entered the Vaughans’ Sea View Housing residence and removed them from the premises. And at about 5:30 a.m. [on Oct 28] the husband was released on the Kim Collins Highway.

“The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force expresses thanks to all those who have assisted in the investigation and the safe return of the victim. The Security Forces regret the action of the perpetrators and the stress caused to the victims and family as well as the unfounded speculations that ensued,” the release read.

When contacted, Assistant Commissioner of Police with responsibility for Operations, Joseph Richardson confirmed that the kidnapping incident did occur and that he could not provide additional details at the time.

He however declared that officers were at the couple’s home investigating the matter and a press release would be issued shortly.

With Halloween weekend at hand, it is extremely important to exercise caution in social activities. Don’t go anywhere alone, don’t lose control of yourself or your surroundings, and use common sense. Also, Dr. Burns, Dean of Factulty at RUSVM, released a list of safety tips in May that is still available on Eye on St. Kitts. Here are some important ones:

· Be alert and aware of your surroundings at all times. Don’t assume you are always safe. Your best protection is to avoid dangerous situations.
· Travel in groups.
· Trust your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable in any situation, leave.
· Vary daily routines; avoid predictable patterns.

Road Junky Travel has recommendations for how to avoid getting kidnapped in a country like St. Kitts and Nevis:

– Be wary of anyone who asks too many questions regarding your income, residence, professional and family situation. Not that you should get paranoid when making smalltalk but if it sounds like a list is being made then it’s possible you’re being sized up…

– If living somewhere high-risk…change your route into town on a regular basis so that your movements becomes that extra bit unpredictable and you become harder to apprehend.

– Avoid making large payments by credit card as big spenders find their way onto kidnappers’ wish lists in a hurry. I’s a cinch for them to get hold of sensitive information as informants looking for a commission are everywhere.

– …travel only by day and preferably in company.

We’ll have more info as this story develops. But for now, take all necessary measures to keep yourself safe.

Faculty, Staff and Students:

As part of our Be in the Know efforts, I would like to share some significant information as it relates to crime in St. Kitts.  Over the past 24 hours there have been two fatal shootings in St. Kitts, which took place in two separate areas surrounding Basseterre (Newtown and St. Johnston).  The matter is currently under police investigation.

Because of the nature of the incidents, there may be other fallout or retaliation.  Although there is no indication that students, faculty or staff will be targets of this retaliation, we urge you to be very aware of your surroundings and each other.

Knowledge of these murders and your own situational awareness will be important as you make decisions about your activities in the coming days.

For more information about these incidents, you can visit any of the local news web sites.  I continue to encourage you to monitor crime by staying up-to-date through public media sources.

Lynell Nolan
Director of Safety & Security

SK News Sources
http://www.thestkittsnevisobserver.com/
http://www.sknvibes.com/
http://www.winnfm.com/

RUSVM Be In The Know Site
http://www.rossu.edu/veterinary-school/BeInTheKnow.cfm

The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens to the potential for retaliation against U.S. citizens and interests following the deaths of key figures in the terrorist group al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula on September 30. This Travel Alert expires on November 30, 2011.

On 30 September, U.S. and Yemeni government officials confirmed that dual U.S.-Yemeni citizen Anwar al-Awlaki, the external operations leader of Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), was killed in Yemen. Open source information also indicates that U.S. citizen and AQAP propagandist Samir Khan was killed along with him. Awlaki played a key role in advancing AQAP plots targeting the United States.

The death of Awlaki, in the near term, could provide motivation for anti-American attacks worldwide from individuals or groups seeking to retaliate against U.S. citizens or interests because of this action. In the past Awlaki and other members of AQPA have called for attacks against the United States, U.S. citizens and U.S. interests. Awlaki’s standing as a preeminent English-language advocate of violence could potentially trigger anti-American acts worldwide to avenge his death.

U.S. citizens are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). U.S. citizens without internet access may enroll directly at the nearest U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate. By enrolling, U.S. citizens make it easier for the embassy/consulates to contact them in case of emergency.

Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

Stay up to date by bookmarking our Bureau of Consular Affairs website, which contains the current Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts as well as the Worldwide Caution. Follow us on Twitter and the Bureau of Consular Affairs page on Facebook as well.

For information on “What the Department of State Can and Can’t Do in a Crisis,” please visit the Bureau of Consular Affairs’ Emergencies and Crisis link at: http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/emergencies/emergencies_1212.html

We’ll be developing an in-depth quiz in the coming weeks. Our goal is to provide a starter pack for prospective students who are considering moving to St. Kitts. But first, we want to get an overall idea of how your time as a foreign student compared to your expectations.

What was the hardest part of attending the University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, International University School of Nursing, or another school? Did your program suit your needs? How well did your property manager respond to maintenance issues? Were you the victim of any crimes? What enriching experiences did you have on St. Kitts?

Most importantly, if you knew all of this back then, would you have made different decisions?

Incidentally, we’re also looking for feedback from students who, for whatever reason, did not complete a program on St. Kitts. Remember, you can post comments anonymously. If you don’t feel comfortable commenting on the public thread, please email us at eyeonstkitts[at]gmail[dot]com.

The number of new students this semester comes to 165. Those students hope to finish their seventh semester at Ross in fall 2013, at which time they would proceed to the clinical year at a veterinary school in the United States.

However, at the present time there is only space in the U.S. cinical programs for 90 Ross students from each class. That means that 75 students–or 45 percent of the fall 2013 class–must fail out of Ross’s program.

Attending any professional school is a taxing experience, be it human medicine, veterinary medicine, or another kind. Ross prides itself on offering students an alternative to U.S. veterinary programs, whether those students had a “less competitive” application or the U.S. schools simply weren’t right for them.

Either way, students who go to Ross do so under the impression that, if they work hard enough, they will be able to graduate and get a DVM degree. Yet that’s clearly not the reality of the situation if 45 percent of the incoming class literally cannot proceed to the clinical year.

We’ve heard reports of “weeding” practices occurring not just in vet-prep or first semester, but in many semesters afterwards. Additionally, while students at U.S. vet schools would be allowed to repeat a semester as many times as necessary, Ross students are dismissed from the program if they fail more than a single class in a semester, or if they fail a semester more than once.

This doesn’t even take into account the extremely taxing nature of living on the island of St. Kitts, and the minimal information that incoming students are given about it (we’ll have further reports about this topic in the coming months).

Those who do fail out are left with a portion of the more than $200,000 USD in loans than it costs to complete the veterinary program at RUSVM–except they have no career to pay off that debt. Most of those loans originate from the U.S. government and remain with Ross faculty and the parent company, DeVry University. When these details are considered together, the whole operation starts to feel like a loan mill.

We’ll be following up on this subject as we gather more information. Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comment box below. Alternatively, you can send us an email at eyeonstkitts[at]gmail[dot]com.