A Virgin Islands jury has convicted 34-year-old Kertis Tonge Jr. of murder and six related crimes in the fatal shooting of 35-year-old Quanza Heath at Lorraine Village Apartments last year on St. Croix, Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea announced Wednesday.
Tonge was found guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree assault, third-degree assault, reckless endangerment, unauthorized possession of a firearm, and unauthorized possession of ammunition. Superior Court Judge Ernest E. Morris Jr. presided over the trial. Sentencing is set for Nov. 19, according to the press release.
Prosecutors said Tonge went uninvited to a Lorraine Village apartment shortly before noon on Oct. 23, 2024. After a dispute with occupants, he intentionally shot into the residence, striking Heath, who was inside with an adult woman and several children. Investigators said Tonge fired three shots into the apartment. Heath was rushed to Juan F. Luis Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds and later died, the press release stated.
“This victory for justice was made possible by the dedication of prosecutors Robert Pickett and Jasmin Griffin, the DOJ support staff, the VIPD, the witnesses who testified, and the jury members who upheld the law,” Rhea said in a statement. “Our communities are safer when people engage in the justice system, and the DOJ is grateful to those who step forward to build a safer, more just future. We remain committed to protecting our communities and pursuing justice for victims and their families.”
Rhea also thanked Assistant Attorneys General Pickett and Griffin, Assistant Director of Investigations Giselle Quinones, Special Agents Riquesha Williams and Sarah McFarlane, and Victim Witness Advocate Juliet John Hope of the DOJ Criminal Division on St. Croix. He credited Detective Naemah Daniel and Virgin Islands Police Department officers for their work on the case, the release stated.
Jeavon Sasso, a former member of the influential Awesome Jam Band, has died from injuries sustained in a horrific car crash Monday, police confirmed Thursday.
Sasso, 42, had been removed from a life-sustaining ventilator at Schneider Regional Medical Centeraround 4 p.m. Wednesday.
The other driver in the two-car crash on Rhymer Highway after 10:30 Monday night, was also at Schneider Hospital being treated for her injuries, police said. Her condition and the extent of her injuries were not immediately clear.
Police were still investigating the crash that turned one of the vehicles involved upside down.
Sasso, also known as UnkleMehn, was remembered by Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. as a voice of positivity, joy, and harmony in the Virgin Islands.
“It is with a heavy heart that I join the Virgin Islands community in mourning the untimely passing of our brother, Jeavon Sasso,” Bryan said in a written statement from Government House. “Sasso was more than a gifted musician. He was a spirit of joy, a voice of our islands, and a proud son of the Virgin Islands whose rhythm carried the heartbeat of our people and the promise of our future. His music brought people together, lifted our spirits and reminded us of the beauty and resilience that define us.”
Bryan said Sasso had been an ardent supporter, performing at several of his campaign events.
“He shared his talents freely, lending his voice and artistry to my gubernatorial campaigns. That support meant more to me than he will ever know. It was a gift of trust and friendship, and I will remain forever grateful,” the governor said. “Today, we remember him for the melodies he gave us, the kindness he showed, and the loyalty and light he shared with all who knew him. On behalf of Lt. Gov. Tregenza Roach and the entire Bryan-Roach administration, I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family, his loved ones and all who mourn his loss,” he said. “May his music live on in the hearts of our people, and may his soul rest in eternal peace.”
Awesome Jam Band posted on its social media that Sasso had an infectious spirit, sparking laughter that will echo long after his death.
“It feels like just the other day we were all together on The Awesome Jam Band’s Boat Ride; laughing, vibing, and watching you do your thing on the mic as only you could. The energy, the joy, the laughter, you lit up every space you entered,” the post read.
The Source will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
10 p.m. Wednesday
A man critically injured in the violent car crash on Rhymer Highway Monday night on St. Thomas was removed from life-sustaining treatment Wednesday afternoon, police confirmed.
Jeavon Sasso, a former member of the influential Awesome Jam Band, was removed from a ventilator around 4 p.m. Wednesday, police said.
Police were still investigating the crash that critically injured the celebrated performer, also known as UnkleMehn or simply Sasso.
Around 10:30 Monday night, police responded to a collision on the Rhymer Highway near the KLR entrance — near the turnoff to Caribbean Cinema and the Moravian church. One of the vehicles had flipped upside down. Witnesses speculated speed may have been a factor, police said, but cautioned that an investigation was still underway.
The other victim, a woman, was being treated for her injuries at Roy Lester Schneider Regional Medical Center, police said.
Jam Band posted on their Facebook page calls for support for their former singer.
“We want to take a moment to send our love and support to our brother, former Awesome Jam Band member Sasso. We’re keeping you and your family in our thoughts and prayers as you focus on healing, brother. Your energy, talent, and spirit have always been a part of our journey, and we’re standing with you now, wishing you a full and speedy recovery,” the post read.
As of print time, no further information was available on Sasso’s or the other victim’s condition. The Source will update this article when more is known.
Global shifts in renewable energy and AI are driving demand for new infrastructure. With its cables, location, and energy potential, the USVI can lead — if it moves decisively.
Here, I want to focus on one extraordinary — and largely untapped — opportunity already sitting beneath our feet: the undersea cables off the western end of St. Croix.
A Hidden Asset With Global Value
The Virgin Islands sits at one of the most strategic intersections in the world — connecting the Caribbean, Latin America, and Africa. Few places can claim such positioning, and fewer still are already wired into the global digital economy.
St. Croix hosts an extraordinary concentration of unused internet bandwidth. As a major landing point for numerous submarine fiber optic cables linking North and South America, the island is home to a vast surplus of “dark fiber.” When paired with the territory-wide Virgin Islands Next Generation Network (ViNGN), this capacity creates a rare opportunity to attract data centers, cloud hubs, and other bandwidth-intensive industries that form the backbone of the modern economy.
For too long, this capacity has been overlooked. But in today’s world, connectivity is currency — and St. Croix is sitting on a resource of global significance.
The AI Infrastructure Race
Across the globe, technology companies are racing to build AI-ready infrastructure. Data centers — the backbone of this new economy — require two things in abundance: connectivity and power.
Countries such as Ireland and Singapore have successfully leveraged their connectivity and policy frameworks to attract billions in investment, though not without strains on their energy systems. The Virgin Islands can learn from these experiences. We have the cables, but we must now match them with the energy and industrial ecosystem required to support next-generation facilities.
Energy as the Enabler
AI data centers are far more power-intensive than traditional industries. To compete, the Virgin Islands must look beyond today’s fragile grid and plan for scalable, reliable energy over the next decade:
Expanding solar, wind, and storage to industrial levels.
Using transition solutions like liquefied natural gas (LNG) to ensure stability.
Exploring advanced options like small modular reactors to anchor long-term growth.
Building toward 300–500 megawatts of generation capacity would make the territory competitive for AI data centers and advanced industries, while also stabilizing costs for residents and businesses.
A Transatlantic Gateway
What makes the Virgin Islands unique is not just cables and sunshine, but its position at the crossroads of three regions:
Caribbean neighbors seeking deeper digital and energy integration.
Latin America with its rapidly expanding markets.
Africa, projected to host one-quarter of the world’s population by 2050, with surging demand for connectivity.
By positioning St. Croix as a hub linking these regions, the Virgin Islands could anchor a transatlantic digital corridor — exporting not only connectivity but also expertise in clean energy and digital resilience.
The Choice Before Us
The cables and dark fiber capacity on St. Croix are among the territory’s most valuable but under-appreciated assets. In an AI-driven economy, they could form the foundation of a new era of growth. But timing matters. The global race to build digital and energy infrastructure is happening now, and the window will not stay open forever.
The Virgin Islands can choose to be a bystander, or it can step forward as a leader. With connectivity beneath us, energy potential above us, and geography in our favor, the opportunity is ours to seize.
This piece is part of the “Virgin Islands at a Crossroads” series, which invites Virgin Islanders at home and abroad to join the conversation on building a resilient, diversified future.
— Bernard Dyer is a Virgin Islander in the diaspora, technologist, and strategist with more than 25 years of public-sector experience, including 16 years with Booz Allen Hamilton supporting digital transformation at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He is also a monthly co-host on WSTX 970 radio’s Community Digest, where he highlights new ideas and best practices to help build a more diversified and sustainable Virgin Islands economy.
Editor’s Note: Opinion articles do not represent the views of the Virgin Islands Source newsroom and are the sole expressed opinion of the writer. Submissions can be made to visource@gmail.com.
The V.I. Water and Power Authority Governing Board approved amendments Wednesday to power purchase agreements for energy produced by two St. Thomas solar farms. (Screenshot from Teams meeting)
The V.I. Water and Power Authority Governing Board convened Wednesday and approved a pair of energy storage services agreements with STF Solar for the Fortuna and Bovoni solar farms.
WAPA Chief Executive Karl Knight said that “despite the efforts of the current Trump administration to disincentivize solar production, it’s still very advantageous to us here in the U.S. Virgin Islands.”
“It still makes good sense to us, because we do not have a lot of indigenous resources, and we’re still very much dependent on the importation of fuel oil — and now propane,” he said. “Having indigenous sources of energy are actually in our best interest for a variety of reasons. Foremost, we’re still a part of the country where we can produce solar power for less expense than our fossil fuel generation.”
Knight said the incorporation of solar energy also reduces the demand on generating units and frees up time to perform much-needed maintenance.
“Certainly … there’s an environmental benefit to these projects,” he added. “They reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Again, I’m going to throw a little barb: we know all too well here in the Caribbean region that the impact — although we don’t contribute much to … global greenhouse gas emissions — we are often the victims of some of that impact, whether it’s sargassum, whether it’s increasing intensity of storms. We can see the high water temperatures that make this time of year increasingly more risky for us. Whether you attribute it to climate change or not, the fact is there are things that are occurring in the climate that we have to adapt to … and we believe that this helps us do our small part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions on the global level.”
WAPA Board Chair Maurice Muia was the sole member to vote against the agreements. After the votes, he acknowledged that the territory’s investment in renewable energy “is one of the best decisions that we have made.”
“What I will say is that although that is important for the Virgin Islands and our partners — to be able to provide that for the authority and customers of the authority — we need to ensure that when we work through the financial aspect, the operational aspect, we understand the true costs, what it’s saving the authority, what it’s saving the customers, and ultimately, having good bilateral terms and conditions that benefit both parties,” he said.
After presenting the proposed agreements to the board Wednesday, Knight acknowledged past concerns that the utility could end up paying for the same energy twice — once for the lease and once for power discharged from the batteries. Under the utility’s power purchase agreement, Knight said, WAPA pays 11 cents per kilowatt-hour for energy from the solar farm and 5.45 cents per kilowatt-hour for excess power introduced to the energy grid from the storage system, “and those are metered separately and charged as separate line items by the solar farm.”
“We’ve looked at the total output from the solar farm, and we have come to the conclusion, along with our partners that have helped us do the analysis, that ultimately this is in the best interest of our ratepayers and has a positive economic impact on the authority and the ratepayers,” he said.
Wednesday’s votes came after the board spent approximately two hours in executive session discussing legal matters.
Some Ulla Muller Elementary School students share their excitement for hand-painting a portion of the mural at their school. (Source photo by Adisha Penn)
The excitement shared by students at the Ulla F. Muller Elementary School was palpable this week as they welcomed Chipper, the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority’s litter critter, to campus just before putting the finishing “touches” on the new mural at their school!
Students eagerly await the start of the V.I. Waste Management Authority’s mural presentation. (Source photo by Adisha Penn)
Recently, the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority painted murals on some of the walls at the Ulla Muller School in an effort to promote environmental stewardship. The project is a part of their Preserving Paradise Campaign.
Shena Ritter, from the VI Waste Management Authority, talks to the students at Uller Muller Elementary School. (Source photo by Adisha Penn)
“The teachers reached out to me and were ecstatic about beautifying the school,” said Shena Ritter, the environmental program coordinator at Waste Management. “All the schools are buzzing about our Gomez project,” she added, which is one of the reasons Uller Muller School Principal Thelca Bedminster said she advocated for her school to get a painting.
“I was trying to get a mural for the opening day of school. When I got to Gomez I was so jealous, because I want one just like the children,” said Bedminster.
Students sit under a portion of the freshly painted mural and wait for the start of the presentation. (Source photo by Adisha Penn)
Ritter said the message behind the mural encourages students to keep their school-based safe and clean, with the hope that the practices they learn in school will extend into the community.
“With these types of murals, it’s pretty, it’s big, it’s elaborate. But we made an ecosystem. It can be a lesson,” said Ritter. “It’s not just a painting, it’s an interactive piece as well.”
Jeffrey Labardy, a fifth-grade student in Ms. Kaleisha Agard’s class, adds his touch to the mural. (Source photo by Adisha Penn)
Alice Krall, the Waste Management Authority’s beautification coordinator, conceptualized the mural.
“We’re always choosing local flowers. We have a theme in each one,” said Krall. “I always put in Ginger Thomas. We wanted something bright that catches people’s eyes.”
Krall added that she likes to use bright colors to prevent people from throwing garbage on the ground.
The V.I. Waste Management also partnered with the V.I. Water and Power Authority to make the mural come to life.
Aariyah Athanase, communication specialist at WAPA, said the Ulla Muller School is their “adopted school.” She lent a hand in completing the painting.
Aariyah Athanase, from WAPA, addresses the students at Ulla Muller Elementary School. (Source photo by Adisha Penn)
For the project, Bedminster told Ritter, “Whatever you bring to the children, allow them to be engaged.”
To do this, they allowed the students to hand-paint the remaining portions of the mural. Each child personalized the wall by creating a flower and adding a thumbprint. When Krall and her team completed the murals, they did not put petals on the stems of the flowers.
Amiya Hansen, a fifth-grade student in Ms. Kaleisha Agard’s class, adds her touch to the mural. (Source photo by Adisha Penn)
Third, fourth, and fifth-grade students attended the presentation to officially introduce the murals. Ritter started the presentation by informing the children about VIWMA and its responsibilities.
“Do you love the mural?” she asked. The students resounded with a strong “yes!”
Butterflies, flowers, birds, the school’s and Waste Management’s mottos were hand-painted into the murals.
“How to keep the campus clean,” asked Ritter. By “not littering,” replied the students.
“You will keep the campus clean. Your principal is going to keep us updated. If the campus is clean, you’re going to get more,” Ritter responded as she encouraged the students to maintain good sanitary practices.
The VI Waste Management Authority’s logo is painted into the school’s mural. (Source photo by Adisha Penn)
Athanase spoke to the students and asked if they knew what WAPA does. Most students shared responses related to the interrupted power outages associated with the power plant, but Athanase informed the students that WAPA does more than provide electricity.
“WAPA provides not only electricity, but also water,” shared Athanase. “WAPA provides majority of their water from [filtered] ocean water,” she added, and asked, “How can you conserve water?”
“Put it in a water bottle,” and “turn it on, wet your toothbrush, and brush your teeth,” were shouted by students.
Before getting to the interactive portion, Krall also told the students to “do the right thing, keep your campus clean, keep your community clean. This is critical for keeping our beautiful islands as nice as they are.” Afterward, Ritter introduced the Waste Management mascot, Chipper!
Chipper, the litter critter, appears for the students at Uller Muller Elementary School. (Source photo by Adisha Penn)
Chipper danced into the school’s courtyard to get the students excited about focusing on their environmental goals. The children were super thrilled and swarmed Chipper the Litter Critter, looking for high-fives and hugs. After the interaction, students lined up by classes to literally add their imprints to the mural. The students were given the opportunity to use their thumbs and create flowers. Colors such as red, blue, yellow, purple, and white were used.
Of the interaction, Bedminster said she is “excited about it. I believe it’s a cause we need to reverse. It’s a practice over time that we have not been teaching our children,” she said of the ill-treatment of the environment. “We have to do a better job of the product we place our children in.”
Chipper, the litter critter, high-fives students at Ulla Muller Elementary School. (Source photo by Adisha Penn)
Bedminster added that she is also looking forward to more projects like this in the future.
“One of the things I also asked Waste Management was to get started on our gardening,” she said. “Teaching them about connecting, coming outside,” Bedminster added, hoping to get her students into the practice. “I don’t think they realize the value.”
Ritter highlighted that she hopes the project will change the mindsets and perspectives of the students and make school more fun.
For more information on the Waste Management Authority’s Preserving Paradise, contact them at 340-715-9100.
As of Wednesday, the Atlantic basin was quiet. However, the NHC is watching a tropical wave expected to emerge off the west coast of Africa in the coming days. (Photo courtesy NHC)
As was reported by the Source on Sunday, former Invest 91L, the most recent tropical wave that had been under investigation by the NHC, succumbed to dry air and wind shear, which prohibited the system from organizing.
Meteorologists point to persistent Saharan dust, dry air, and strong upper-level wind shear as the main factors suppressing tropical cyclone formation, even as sea surface temperatures remain well above average.
While the Atlantic remains quiet at the Sept. 10 peak of the hurricane season, forecasters don’t expect the lull to last. AccuWeather points to exceptionally warm waters and the eventual easing of dry air and wind shear as factors likely to spark renewed tropical activity later in September. Experts caution that once conditions turn more favorable, storms could form quickly.
Indeed, the National Hurricane Center is highlighting a tropical wave expected to move off the coast of Africa in the next couple of days, giving it no chance of development in the next 48 hours and a low chance in the next seven days.
AccuWeather noted in a recent article that having no tropical storms or hurricanes in the Atlantic on Sept. 10 has only happened three times in the past 30 years. Since 1950, there have been just eight years in total without a named storm on that date.
Colorado State University’s Tropical Cyclones, Radar, Atmospheric Modeling, and Software Team released its latest two-week outlook on Sept. 3, and the report also points to a likely increase in activity. Researchers at CSU assigned a 65% chance of near-normal cyclone activity through mid-September and a 20% chance of above-normal activity during this time period. However, CSU noted that improving atmospheric conditions favoring cyclones could support more frequent storm formation during the second half of the month.
Among the environmental conditions that could aid in tropical cyclogenesis is the possible approach of a Madden-Julian Oscillation wave in the coming weeks, enhancing development potential across the Atlantic basin.
The National Weather Service defines the MJO as “an eastward-moving disturbance of clouds, rainfall, winds and pressure that traverses the planet in the tropics and returns to its initial starting point in 30 to 60 days on average.”
“The MJO is forecast to propagate eastward towards the Western Hemisphere and then Africa over the next two weeks,” the CSU report said. “When the MJO is enhancing convection across Africa, Atlantic tropical cyclone activity tends to be above average. Vertical wind shear anomalies are forecast to become more conducive as the two-week forecast period progresses,” CSU added.
“We continue to trend toward a La Niña phase,” DaSilva said. “Even if one isn’t officially declared this fall, it is looking more and more likely that conditions will still behave like a La Niña. This means fewer periods of wind shear across the Atlantic, especially in October and November. This is what happened last year, and it led to a very active end to the season. I think we can see a very busy end to the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season.”
The Source again connected with DaSilva on Wednesday for an update on what was occurring across the Atlantic. He maintained his prediction of a potentially busy end of the season and noted that — while the next five to seven days may remain relatively quiet —there may be an uptick in tropical activity during the latter part of September.
“We have to monitor the tropics closely as we go toward the second half of the month,” DaSilva said. “I believe some of the wind shear and the dry air that have been holding things back are going to back off a little bit, and that could potentially allow for some development as early as the middle of the month. Meteorologists at AccuWeather have highlighted an area out in the Atlantic for possible development around Sept. 13-16. There is a low risk that it could develop, and then I think we’re going to be seeing more tropical waves emerge after that,” DaSilva noted.
AccuWeather forecasters also highlighted a second area off the east coast of the U.S. mainland during Sept. 13-16, also with a low risk of possible development.
Possible USVI Impacts During the Second Half of Hurricane Season
When asked about the possibility of the U.S. Virgin Islands potentially being affected by a cyclone during the second half of hurricane season, DaSilva said that much will depend on factors including how much dry air remains across the Atlantic.
“The Bermuda High should help to steer any developing storms toward the west, so there is a risk of impacts in the Virgin Islands over the next couple of weeks,” DaSilva predicted. “The big question is going to be the dry air, which could allow for tropical storm formation. I think we will see some reduction in that dry air, so we have to monitor the Virgin Islands very carefully,” he said.
“We expect activity to really pick up in the Atlantic as we go toward the second half of September,” DaSilva continued. “We expect an MJO wave coming through during the middle to second half of September, so that should help to induce additional showers and thunderstorms across the Atlantic basin, which can then develop into named tropical systems. And then, of course, we’re also watching the Gulf and Western Caribbean as well.”
DaSilva told the Source that sea surface temperatures across the basin are very warm, and he added that residents and visitors in the U.S. Virgin Islands should remain prepared for possible tropical systems and avoid letting their guard down as the season progresses. The Atlantic hurricane season will end on Nov. 30, and there is plenty of time remaining for a tropical disturbance to potentially affect the local islands.
“As far as the U.S. Virgin Islands go, you typically need to watch tropical waves through about mid-October,” DaSilva stated. “By late October, it becomes harder for waves coming off Africa to survive that journey. Around mid-October, attention shifts closer to the United States mainland. Cyclones can still develop east of the Lesser Antilles toward the end of hurricane season, but usually after October 15, we focus more on the U.S. coast. So, for the islands, the window of greatest concern generally goes through about mid-October.”
“The key message is that we don’t want people to become complacent,” DaSilva concluded.
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center released its weekly Global Tropics Hazards Outlook on Tuesday. NOAA highlighted areas near the Western Caribbean Sea, the Gulf, and within the Main Development Region— the zone between the west coast of Africa and the Caribbean — as having increased chances for tropical activity in September. (Photo courtesy NOAA)
In its latest update, NOAA said that areas across the Main Development Region of the Atlantic basin — the zone between the west coast of Africa and the Caribbean — may experience a 20-40% chance of tropical development, with up to a 40-60% chance of cyclogenesis in the far eastern Atlantic during the “Week Two” outlook period, which runs from Sept. 17 until Sept. 23.
A 20-40% chance of development is forecast across the Main Development Region in the “Week Three” outlook, running from Sept. 24 through 30.
Areas across the Western Caribbean Sea and the Gulf are also likely to see an elevated chance of cyclones. Additionally, the Eastern Pacific basin, which continues to remain active, is also expected to experience an increased risk for cyclonic development in the coming weeks.
“Across the Atlantic Main Development Region, tropical waves are predicted to continue to emerge off of Africa, which will have the potential to spin up into tropical cyclones, supporting a broad 20-40% region for Weeks Two and Three, in accordance with an active climatology,” according to the NOAA report.
Environmental conditions are forecast to be favorable for more cyclonic development next week as more tropical waves are expected to emerge off the west coast of Africa. AccuWeather meteorologists have focused on two areas that may develop during mid-September. (Photo courtesy AccuWeather)
“The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model depicts a particularly strong wave coming off of Africa around Sept. 20, which may have the best chance of quickly developing into a tropical cyclone. Therefore, odds of tropical cyclone formation are increased to 40-60% across the eastern Atlantic during Week Two,” NOAA said.
The latest wave that the NHC says will soon emerge off the west coast of Africa serves as a reminder that even during quiet stretches, conditions in the tropics can change quickly, and new systems may materialize with little notice.
Local Weather Information and Staying Informed
Finally, the National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico, reminded residents and visitors on Wednesday of ongoing weather-related threats for Puerto Rico and the USVI. Very warm temperatures could prompt heat alerts across the region, while scattered showers and thunderstorms are also expected. In addition, a plume of Saharan dust is forecast to cause a hazy sky across the region until approximately Friday.
The forecast can change very quickly, and USVI residents and visitors are encouraged to continue to remain prepared. Weather information is available from the NWS, the NHC, and NOAA.
Community members attend Tuesday’s town hall at CAHS, discussing the institution of the Virgin Islands Technical College. (Source photo by Adisha Penn)
On Tuesday, half of the auditorium at the Charlotte Amalie High School was filled with students, education administrators, teachers, and community members interested to learn more about the creation of the Virgin Islands Technical College, with two campuses being fabricated, one on St. Thomas and one on St. Croix.
The VI Technical College is currently in development. Through Bill BR25-0642, the school will offer hands-on skill courses for students. The town hall Tuesday was held to address community questions, concerns, and ideas about technical education and workforce readiness, and to share information about the programs and opportunities at the Virgin Islands Technical College.
Sana Joseph-Smith, policy adviser to Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. for education and workforce development, Sen. Avery Lewis, Lavern Richardson, project director, and V.I. Education Department Commissioner Dionne Wells-Hendrington sat on the town hall panel to address the audience. The Education Department, the University of the Virgin Islands, the Raphael O. Wheatley Skills Center, and the St. Croix Career and Technical Education Center are also collaborating to ensure the success of the school.
From left, Sana Joseph-Smith, Sen. Avery Lewis, Commissioner Dionne Wells-Hendrington, and Lavern Richardson, are on the panel to address the town hall about the VI Technical College. (Source photo by Adisha Penn)
According to Joseph-Smith, the institution will be for secondary (high school) and postsecondary (adult) students. She also shared with the audience that the funding will be provided from a congressional grant through the delegate to the Congress’s office to establish the school.
“Why should we have to go someplace else when we have the skills and the ability to do that right here? Why do we have to spend so much money when they can do that right here?” asked Joseph-Smith to the audience. She added that the school will “give our students and our community the opportunity to skill-up.”
“For far too long our young people have faced a difficult choice, whether to leave the Virgin Islands in pursuit of opportunity, or to stay and struggle with limited options,” Lewis said.
The VI Technical College will be housed at the Raphael O. Wheatley Skills Center campus on St. Thomas and the St. Croix Career and Technical Education Center on St. Croix. Courses such as welding, electrical, cosmetology, hospitality, millwright, child care, business, computer engineering, culinary arts, and phlebotomy will be offered, similar to those already available at both technical school campuses. The licensed practical nurse and elementary education courses, however, will offer associate degrees as opposed to certificates.
“What’s missing, Dr. Francis will always tell me ‘a lot’, is the resources,” Smith said.
Currently, the pro forma for the legislation to establish the schools has been created. Once the legislation passes, the school will undergo an accreditation process with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Lewis said that the bill is not complete or final, but needs to be strengthened and added that the entire process to establish the college will take between 10 and 12 months.
A ROWSC student asked about how funding will be managed at the college. (Source photo by Adisha Penn).
Before opening the floor to questions from the in-person audience and those viewing online, Richardson, project coordinator, addressed frequently asked questions.
Will the instructors continue to be members of the American Federation of Teachers, are there going to be salary changes, will instructors have 10 or 12 month schedules, are the programs going to change? These questions were addressed.
Teachers “will be able to form their own union,” replied Joseph-Smith. “We’ve met with the unions and they’ve decided that there’s another branch they can use for instructors at a technical college.”
She added that at this time, there will be no changes in salaries and schedules will remain at 10 months.
Working closely with the panel, Monique Faulkner, state director of Career, Technical and Adult Education, responded that the CTE programs will be revisited to enhance the offerings, such as allowing associate degree programs. She added that a free electric vehicle certification program will also be offered.
Joseph-Smith noted that although Faulkner said the program is free, it will only be free to those who obtain scholarships.
The audience had many questions concerning the school’s operations, the impact of courses now offering associate’s degrees instead of certificates, funding, and opportunities for continuing education.
Earlyn Edwards, cosmetology instructor at the Raphaelo O. Wheatley Skills Center, inquired about the board structure at the VI Technical College. (Source photo by Adisha Penn)
Joseph-Smith informed the audience that there will be a chancellor heading the college, and according to Lewis, a 14-member board will be established, comprising 11 voting and three nonvoting members, who will manage the school. According to the pro forma, the nonvoting members must be appointed by the governor and “actively teaching in the career technical educational field.”
Regarding funding, because the school will operate under the education department, “VIDE will be its fiduciary, its financial backer,” said Joseph-Smith. “We are not using any new local funds. We are using our resources that we currently have at Wheatley and CTECH,” she said, and shared that money will come from congressional funding and another unconfirmed source.
Additionally, the panel discussed the job market and encouraged future students to seek careers that are currently in demand, rather than targeting oversaturated fields. Faulkner even spoke about the college’s intention to integrate programs into “employment” fields as opposed to “entrepreneurial” fields, such as aesthetician courses becoming medical aesthetician courses and massage therapy becoming medical massage therapy courses, to get funding for students in these programs.
Overall, though there were many questions raised by the audience, there appeared to be a hopeful outlook from community members.
A town hall is scheduled to take place on St. Croix this Friday, at 6 p.m. at the Educational Complex. For more information about the college, please contact Smith at sana.smith@geo.vi.gov or Lewis at avery.lewis@legvi.org.
The Old Barracks Property at 21, 22, 23 Hospital Street, Christiansted, when it served as the Island’s Public High School. (Photo courtesy VIAC)
The Virgin Islands Architecture Center for Built Heritage and Crafts, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community development organization, is transforming the Old Barracks Property on Hospital Street in Christiansted, St. Croix, into a hub for education, preservation, and cultural pride.
Board Chair and President Mary Dema said the vision is to create something “unique to the entire Caribbean,” with the potential to be incorporated into exchange programs with schools and universities in the U.S. and abroad. VIAC has developed five-year, 10-year, and 15-year plans, which will begin with trade schools once the buildings are restored.
“We hope to initiate the trade schools first, but we have to get our buildings redone,” Dema explained.
Project Manager Xavier Acevedo, who is overseeing the execution of the project, described the first phase as stabilizing the building shell through plastering, replastering, and installing a historically accurate rebuild of what was once the Christiansted High School. “It’s hard not to get deeply involved in the mission itself — preserving history, moving culture forward, and finding creative ways to keep that mission alive,” Acevedo said.
Manager of Operations and Finances/Director of Education Programming, Amanda Sackey, emphasized that the project is not only about skills but also about heritage. “This isn’t just about teaching a trade,” she said. “It’s about understanding the why behind the art form – the story, the history, and the refined craft of historic preservation.”
The Barracks Property, current day. (Photo courtesy VIAC)
A central mission of VIAC is to preserve the islands’ Afro-Danish architectural legacy. “When you drive through our towns, you’re looking at buildings built by our enslaved ancestors who came with incredible skills,” Sackey said. “These structures aren’t just Danish – they’re Afro-Danish. That completely changes the narrative and tells the fuller, more complete story.”
She also underscored the resilience of Virgin Islands architecture: “We have 300-year-old buildings that have survived hurricane after hurricane, earthquake, tsunami. They might look weathered, but they stand. There’s so much to be learned from those designs.”
Another key aspect is teaching proper preservation practices, the team emphasized. “You can’t paint limestone buildings with latex paint because it seals in the moisture,” Sackey explained. “There are very specific, intentional practices that aren’t well understood, and part of our role is to support the Historic Preservation Office in explaining why those guidelines exist.”
The office staff at the Virgin Islands Architecture Center for Built Heritage and Crafts. (Photo courtesy VIAC)
While construction aims to move forward, VIAC has already begun community programming thanks to federal and private funding. Some of the VIAC’s current projects include the rehabilitation of the Barracks building, college internships and summer programs, and storytelling and placekeeping at the old Barracks property.
Their four-week summer program and internship program have been “incredibly successful,” introducing students to masonry, woodworking, architecture, engineering, drone photography, and 3D printing. The program’s goal was “to foster an understanding of how modern tools and traditional crafts can work together to preserve and sustain our rich cultural legacy.”
“We’re seeing more of our groups coming together under the same overarching theme of preserving our culture — whether through the arts, furniture design, or other creative expressions,” said Dema. “At the same time, it’s about creating meaningful connections with our youth and giving them opportunities beyond the traditional paths. Programs like this open new doors and help them see different possibilities for their future.”
The students, working in groups of three, built a house to scale with furnishings, wall art, and landscaping. (Source photo by Susan Ellis)
“At the heart of it all, we want Virgin Islanders to have the opportunity to learn these incredible skills, to preserve our towns correctly, and to take pride in the history and resilience that’s been passed down to us,” she added.
Sackey emphasized that VIAC’s progress could not exist without the support of the wider community. “We can’t exist without our community members being able to see and value the work that we’re doing,” she said. “This work didn’t happen overnight — it’s been seven years in the making, behind the scenes.”
To find out more information and donate to VIAC’s mission, check out their website here.
Xiomy’s Boutique sells beautiful bows during the Cultural Extravaganza celebration on Labor Day weekend in Emancipation Garden on St. Thomas. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)
I am ecstatically blessed to live in a place where, despite the utterances by some to the contrary, we value and actively support tradition, heritage, culture and the ties that bind us as a Greater Virgin Islands community.
Moleto A. Smith Jr.
These values were on full display at Emancipation Garden, St. Thomas on the Saturday of the Labor Day Weekend during the League of British Virgin Islanders 1st Annual Cultural Extravaganza. It was a great day filled with quelbe/fungi, steel band and DJ music, cultural dance presentations and dancers, including moko jumbies, storytelling, genealogy, local foods, drinks, clothing, arts and crafts, as well as local vendors from the BVI and here.
It was a wonderful time of friendship, rekindling of family ties and, most of all, family-friendly fun.
Thank you to our sponsors for supporting this endeavor: Virgin Islands Department of Tourism, Delegate Stacey Plaskett, Edgar “Baker” Phillips, Arian’s Restaurant and Sole to Soul Shoe Boutique.
I also extend special thanks to Mr. Aaron Parillon and the Razor Blades Band of Tortola, British Virgin Islands, as well as to Ms. Janice Stoutt and the culture bearers of the British Virgin Islands, along with each of the other participants in our program of activities — DJ Danielle, GenFusion Steel Orchestra, 340 Cultural Dancers, Mungo Niles Cultural Dancers, Sankofa Cultural Group, Ms. Nadine Marchena Kean, Glen “Kwabena” Davis and Mr. Leayle Robinson.
We are grateful to each participating vendor: Nibbs Cuisine on Wheels, Wizard Fish and Chips Inc., Motherland Expressions and Natural Origin, Ellie’s Afrocentric Collection, Devery Phipps, 3 Little Birds Bakeshop and Catering Services, Something and Everything, A-1 Tasty Ice Cream, Martha Lettsome Business, Arts and Craft, ED Sweets, Healthy Snacks on Wheels, Xiomy’s Boutique, Delegate Stacey Plaskett, Family Resource Center, and the League of British Virgin Islanders.
To those who provided additional support, you are appreciated greatly: Virgin Islands Police Department (Police Chief Deborah Hodge and Traffic Bureau), Department of Sports, Parks and Recreations, Department of Tourism, Mr. Ulric Ferrari, Robert Buscome, former Sen. Stedmann Hodge, Mr. Henry Thomas, Excel Pickup, LLC, WSTA Radio Station, “Pass It On” radio show, and the members of the League of British Virgin Islanders.
Most of all, we are very happy to have been able to share our Cultural Extravaganza with the hundreds of people who came out from throughout the Greater Virgin Islands, including St. Croix, St. John, Thomas and Tortola, to join in the fun.
On behalf of the members of the League of British Virgin Islanders, thank you to everyone who supported, participated or attended our 1st Annual Cultural Extravaganza. We eagerly look forward to seeing you at next year’s Cultural Extravaganza.
— Moleto A. Smith Jr., President, League of British Virgin Islanders
The Blackbeard’s Castle apartment complex in downtown St. Thomas after it was destroyed by fire early Wednesday. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation. (Source photo by Finn Sharpless)
An early morning blaze Wednesday destroyed the Blackbeard’s Castle apartments in downtown St. Thomas, with firefighters battling more than four hours to spare neighboring buildings from damage and bring the conflagration under control. No injuries were reported.
Crews from Hotel Company responded to the scene at 45-46 Prindsens Gade around 5:16 a.m. to find heavy smoke and flames, according to a report from the V.I. Fire and Emergency Medical Services.
“Due to the intensity of the blaze, additional units were quickly dispatched, prompting a full response from all available VIFEMS units on the island. Firefighters worked in coordination to contain the fire and protect surrounding properties,” the agency said.
All residents were safely evacuated, and no neighboring structures were affected, it said. The building, which included both office spaces and apartments, was destroyed.
Firefighters accessed the building from both the western and eastern sides and successfully brought the fire under control within 4 1/2 hours, according to VIFEMS, which said no injuries have been reported and the scene was cleared around 3 p.m.
Officers with the V.I. Police Department also provided support at the scene of the fire. (Source photo by Finn Sharpless)
The VIFEMS Arson Investigation and Prevention Team arrived after the fire was contained and conducted a thorough investigation. The origin of the fire remains under investigation, the report stated.
“I want to commend all of our firefighters for their tireless efforts in responding to this fire,” Director Antonio Stevens said in a statement. “Their dedication and professionalism ensured that all residents were safely evacuated, and the blaze was brought under control. I also thank the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) for their support with road closures and traffic control, which allowed our crews to operate safely and efficiently.”
All available VIFEMS units on St. Thomas responded to the early morning fire. (Source photo by Finn Sharpless)Firefighters responding to the blaze at the Blackbeard’s Castle apartments early Wednesday on St. Thomas encountered heavy smoke. (Photo courtesy VI Fire and Emergency Medical Services)Smoke billows from the scene of the fire early Wednesday. (Submitted photo)
