Local news

Watch Now: 20V1 concludes with Independent gubernatorial candidate Gustav James, who sits down for an unscripted conversation with 20 Virgin Islanders from different backgrounds, professions and generations. From government accountability and the economy to public safety and the territory's future, community members ask the questions that matter most — without moderators, prepared speeches or pre-screened answers.

V.I. Water and Power Authority Chief Executive Officer Karl Knight told the utility’s governing board Thursday that WAPA “has not yet been made privy” to any impacts related to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s recently announced suspension of disaster recovery funds to the territory. 

Drought conditions persist across the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, where prolonged dry weather has stressed vegetation and placed increasing strain on farms and household water supplies. Although rain chances may increase in the coming days, longer-range forecasts suggest below-normal rainfall could continue into the fall.

“We want to hear directly from the people most affected by this proposal,” Neil Weare, co-director of Right to Democracy, said Wednesday in a press release announcing the initiative. “This is not an abstract legal debate. It is about whether Congress or the president have the power to unilaterally decide that children born under U.S. sovereignty will no longer be citizens.” Weare added, “The proposed legislation is poorly crafted and written, increasing uncertainty about its impacts. All of which makes understanding its details even more important.”

The curtain came down on Good Hope Country Day School’s ENCORE summer theater program as students concluded a weekend run of "Roald Dahl's Matilda Jr." after five weeks of rehearsals and theatrical training.

Nine burglaries were reported on St. Croix in a single day as police investigate a recent increase in business break-ins, residential burglaries and home invasion robberies.

The Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute is 99% reconstructed and targeted for full operational occupancy by November, with officials saying its reopening could expand cancer treatment and reduce off-island care.

Untreated sewage spilling into the streets, despite a $3.2 billion federal effort to overhaul the wastewater system, drew sharp questioning from senators Wednesday at an oversight hearing.

A Virgin Islands real estate lender has structured the territory’s first-ever USVI-only mortgage-backed security, which could eventually help push down local lending rates and build more buying assistance programs.

An alleged human smuggler ferrying 10 people from St. Thomas to Culebra abandoned the undocumented migrants on tiny, uninhabited Culebrita Island with no food or water before dawn Monday.

The Department of Planning and Natural Resources Division of Comprehensive and Coastal Zone Planning held public hearings for rezoning requests from two individuals in the St. Thomas-St. John district on Wednesday.

A visiting attorney specializing in matters affecting the elderly will help AARP-Virgin Islands explain how seniors and their families can best protect property handed down through the ages. Beginning Thursday on St. Croix and Friday on St. Thomas, AARP-VI will host the second part of its Elder Justice series.

The University of the Virgin Islands Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities concluded its free, three-part virtual wellness series, "The Art of Living: Sustainable Practices for Daily Living," by equipping participants with practical strategies to promote emotional well-being, resilience and balance in everyday life. 

Contour Airlines will begin offering twice-weekly nonstop flights between St. Thomas and St. Maarten this fall, providing a new regional travel option for residents and visitors.

The Virgin Islands Senate postponed a vote Tuesday on a racetrack and gaming bill, scheduling August hearings amid disputes over St. Croix’s 10-year wait and Southland Gaming’s long-term gaming provisions.

The Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority said Tuesday it has already taken significant steps to correct many of the issues cited by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development after the federal agency moved to immediately suspend the authority from participating in future procurement and non-procurement transactions pending an investigation.

The National Park Service's revised plan for Caneel Bay shifts the focus from conservation to commercial development, placing the entire resort property under a developer's control with fewer public access guarantees. In Part 2 of this Reporter's Notebook series, the Source examines how changing federal priorities under the Trump administration are reshaping the future of one of St. John's most iconic properties.

The Virgin Islands Board of Elections met on Monday for an emergency meeting in which it voted 8-1 to retain independent counsel in Brett “Mac” McClafferty’s lawsuit against the body. Following the vote, the board opted to consider agenda items originally slated for its July 22 regular meeting.

Stonehouse Junction LLC is seeking a zoning change to allow construction of a new 68-room hotel at Mount Welcome on St. Croix, a project the company says would expand the island's lodging options while creating jobs and generating additional tax revenue.

Two St. Croix men were under arrest Tuesday for separate alleged gun crimes. One, police said, faked being the victim of a robbery after accidentally shooting himself while attempting to assault someone else. Serving a warrant, police broke down the door of another man — who was on probation after two separate June firearms convictions — to find yet another handgun.