Local news

Virgin Islands legislators expressed dismay Tuesday at Gov. Albert Bryan Jr.’s declaration of emergency over the dire financial situation at the Water and Power Authority. 

A commitment of $384.8 million to demolish and replace three elementary schools on St. Croix, one on St. Thomas, and repair a school lunch warehouse on St. Thomas marks the latest milestones in FEMA’s collaboration with the territory to rebuild school infrastructure across the U.S. Virgin Islands, which was damaged during hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017, the agency announced Tuesday. 

Carnival on St. Thomas celebrates 72 years in 2024, and the celebration is on! In the early days of April, crowds gathered for pageants choosing Carnival royalty. Musicians struck up the band for calypsonians at the Ruth Thomas Auditorium for the Buoy Ah Buoy, Man a Big Man showcase. And Monday night was a time for friends and family as the annual Carnival Hospital Show played out on the grounds of the Roy L. Schneider Hospital.

The complaints continue as Liberty went before the Public Services Commission on Tuesday to address customer complaints both in person and via Zoom. 

The 35th Legislature held a Perma Plaque Ceremony to honor Virgin Islanders for their outstanding contributions to the territory's growth Monday.

Aubrey Artworks will present "Expansion and BEcoming," a pop-up art show Friday, from 5 – 9 p.m. at the St. John School of the Arts in Cruz Bay.

Throughout the world, one million plastic bottles are bought every minute; each one can take up to 100 years to degrade. Five hundred billion plastic bags are used each year. Eight million tons of plastic enter oceans and wash up on beaches every year. Unless we change our ways, by weight there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish in the year 2050.

A man wanted for aggravated rape involving a minor turned himself into the authorities Monday, the V.I. Police Department reported. 

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. declared a local State of Emergency to tackle the territory's energy crisis andprevent further rotational power outages from crippling the the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will send $62.45 million to the territory for residential community solar and power storage projects, federal officials announced Monday.

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. announced Monday at the weekly Government House press briefing, his nomination of Gordon Rhea to serve as the next V.I. Attorney General.

Caneel Bay Resort on St. John belongs to the U.S. government, the V.I. District Court has ruled, ending a long-running lawsuit by EHI Acquisitions, the company that had operated the luxury hotel property since 2004 and sought to take title to the land and its improvements.

The Friends of Virgin Islands National Park held its annual Earth Day fair in Cruz Bay, St. John Monday.

Police say a heated argument between a toddler’s parents led to the apparent shooting death of the child’s mother. According to court records, the incident was reported to 911 just after dawn on Friday.

Virgin Islands Republican Chairman Gordon Ackley will resign effective the election and qualification of a successor at a special meeting of the party’s State Committee on May 3, according to a news release from the party’s executive director, Dennis Lennox, on Monday. Ackley announced his resignation to party faithful in an email Friday, citing the need to leave the territory to care for his ailing father.

The Virgin Islands Department of Education St. Croix District announced that Pearl B. Larsen PreK-8, John H. Woodson Jr. High School, and St. Croix Central High School will transition to remote instruction April 22 due to inclement weather.

In her bi-weekly column, “State of the Territory,” former Sen. Janelle K. Sarauw delves deeper into issues of concern for V.I. residents.

Majestik Freedom Estrada-Petersen, a student at the University of the Virgin Islands, stole the show at the St. Thomas Ambassadorial Queen Competition held Saturday night at the Eldrige Blake Sports and Fitness Center. Estrada-Petersen was crowned queen, and also took home the awards for Miss Intellect, Best Swimwear, People's Choice and Queen's Raffle, sponsored by Viya.

Editor's note: Republished as the Zoom link information has changed. The St. Croix Environmental Association held its 31st Annual Eco-Fair Friday at the St. George Village Botanical Gardens.

Watch now: Check out our weekly weather forecast with Jesse Daley, covering Sunday, April 21, through Saturday, April 27.