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CSU Predicts Slightly Below-Average Hurricane Season as El Niño Becomes More Likely

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CSU Predicts Slightly Below-Average Hurricane Season as El Niño Becomes More Likely

Colorado State University is calling for a somewhat below-average 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, with El Niño expected to play a major role in limiting the development of tropical cyclones across the Atlantic basin.

CSU’s First Outlook for 2026

In its first outlook of the season, which was released on Thursday, the Tropical Cyclones, Radar, Atmospheric Modeling, and Software Team at Colorado State University predicted 13 named storms, including six hurricanes and two major hurricanes of Category 3 strength or higher. That is below the long-term seasonal average cited in the university’s release of 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

Colorado State University’s initial 2026 Atlantic hurricane season forecast calls for 13 named storms, including six hurricanes and two major hurricanes, with activity projected below the 1991–2020 average. (Photo courtesy CSU)

CSU explained that multiple environmental factors are anticipated to influence this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, including ocean water temperatures and the amount of dry Saharan dust that may arrive across the region. However, one of the chief reasons for the quieter outlook is the expected evolution of an El Niño weather pattern.

“We anticipate that the 2026 Atlantic basin hurricane season will have somewhat below-normal activity,” CSU said. “Current weak La Niña conditions are likely to transition to El Niño in the next few months, with the potential for a moderate to strong El Niño for the peak of hurricane season. Sea surface temperatures in the western tropical Atlantic are warmer than normal but slightly cooler than normal in the eastern and central tropical Atlantic. We anticipate El Niño being the dominant factor for the upcoming hurricane season, driving increased levels of tropical Atlantic vertical wind shear,” CSU explained.

How El Niño Could Suppress Atlantic Activity

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “Scientists call the two opposing climate patterns of El Niño and La Niña the ‛El Niño-Southern Oscillation’ cycle. El Niño and La Niña can both have global impacts on weather, wildfires, ecosystems, and economies.” An ENSO-neutral phase typically occurs between phases of a La Niña or an El Niño event.

A NOAA graphic shows the typical influence of El Niño, which can suppress Atlantic hurricane activity by increasing wind shear and atmospheric stability across parts of the basin. (Photo courtesy NOAA)

El Niño, which involves a warming of the equatorial Pacific Ocean, usually helps to increase wind shear — a change in wind direction and velocity with height in the atmosphere. In the Atlantic Ocean, the increase in wind shear from El Niño helps to rip apart storms and prevent hurricane formation and intensification. This is the opposite of a La Niña cycle, when the ocean waters across the equatorial Pacific cool significantly. During La Niña, wind shear typically decreases in the Atlantic, and a reduction in wind shear can favor cyclone development.

The latest update from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, which was released on April 9, adds additional context to the development of El Niño this year. In its most recent ENSO Diagnostic Discussion, NOAA/CPC said ENSO-neutral conditions are now present and favored through April and June, with El Niño likely to emerge in May-July and persist through at least the end of the year. CPC said the range of possible outcomes still stretches from neutral to a very strong El Niño.

Signals of a Below-Average Season

A press release included with CSU’s report provided additional details about what could be in store for this year’s season, including referencing years in the past that could be comparable to this year’s season:

“So far, the 2026 hurricane season is exhibiting characteristics similar to the 2006, 2009, 2015 and 2023 seasons,” said Phil Klotzbach, a senior research scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at CSU and lead author of the report.

“Our analog seasons ranged from well below-average Atlantic hurricane activity to somewhat above average,” said Klotzbach. “While the average of our analog seasons is somewhat below normal, the large spread in observed activity in our analog years highlights the high levels of uncertainty that typically are associated with our early April outlook.”

“The team predicts that 2026 hurricane activity will be about 75% of the average season from 1991–2020. By comparison, 2025’s hurricane activity was about 105% of the average season. The most significant hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season was Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane in Jamaica, resulting in nearly $9 billion in damage and causing 95 fatalities across the Caribbean,” CSU stated.

Visible satellite imagery obtained at 3:30 p.m. AST on Oct. 27, 2025, shows Hurricane Melissa as a powerful Category 5 cyclone just south of Jamaica. (Photo courtesy NOAA)

AccuWeather Also Sees a Less Active Season

The CSU forecast arrives on the heels of AccuWeather’s late March hurricane season outlook. As the Source previously reported, AccuWeather similarly called for a near- to below-average season overall. In its forecast, AccuWeather projected 11 to 16 named storms, four to seven hurricanes and two to four major hurricanes, while also stressing that a quieter overall season does not eliminate the threat of damaging impacts.

Only One Storm Can Create a Devastating Season

While the prediction of a potentially less-active Atlantic hurricane season comes as welcome news, forecasters emphasized that seasonal numbers do not tell the whole story for any one island or coastline.

In CSU’s update, the probability of at least one major hurricane tracking through the Caribbean region was forecast at 35%, below the long-period average of 47%.

Hurricane probabilities for the 2026 Atlantic season, shown in red, are compared with the 1950–2020 climatology in a chart released as part of Colorado State University’s seasonal forecast. (Photo courtesy CSU)

CSU also forecast a 32% chance of at least one major hurricane making landfall along the entire continental U.S. coastline, compared with the historical average of 43%. For the U.S. East Coast, including the Florida Peninsula, the probability was placed at 15%, below the average of 21%. Along the Gulf Coast, from the Florida Panhandle westward to Brownsville, Texas, the forecast probability was 20%, compared with the long-term average of 27%.

“We are forecasting a below-average probability for major hurricane landfalls along the continental United States coastline and in the Caribbean. As with all hurricane seasons, coastal residents are reminded that it only takes one hurricane making landfall to make it an active season. Thorough preparations should be made every season, regardless of predicted activity,” CSU warned.

Local Weather Information

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, and CSU plans to release additional tropical forecasts over the coming months. Residents can follow CSU’s updates on the organization’s official website and NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center for ENSO updates. Additionally, the local weather forecast for the U.S. Virgin Islands is regularly updated on the Source Weather Page. Individuals can also find helpful weather information, emergency preparedness, and alerts from the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency.

A NOAA graphic encourages residents to prepare before hurricane season by assembling supplies, protecting their homes, documenting belongings, and making evacuation and communication plans. (Photo courtesy NOAA)

Op-Ed: Change: Building a Better Future

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Op-Ed: Change: Building a Better Future
Change means making difficult, often uncomfortable choices, setting clear priorities, and avoiding the French formula for change: We demand fundamental improvement, with only one condition, that everything stays the same for me.(Shutterstock image)
Change means making difficult, often uncomfortable choices, setting clear priorities, and avoiding the French formula for change: We demand fundamental improvement, with only one condition, that everything stays the same for me.(Shutterstock image)

In recent weeks, The Source has carried a series of exceptional opinion pieces by Donna-Frett Gregory (“Why Hope, Backed by Action is Key to Our Future”), Janelle Sarauw (“The Quiet Exhaustion of Virgin Islanders”) and Hadiya Sewer (“Building a Resilient Virgin Islands in a Time of Conflict”).

Frank Schneiger
Frank Schneiger

These columns ranged from the physical environment to the social and normative, and the impact of global events on the Territory. If you consider them as a “package,” they can be seen as an action agenda for the future of the Virgin Islands.

Taken together, the columns are an invaluable guide to the “what” and “why” of a better future for Virgin Islanders. What follows is not an “on the other hand.” It is an “in addition to.” These are thoughts about the hard part of securing that brighter “what” and “why” future. The “how.” How do you get from what we “should” do, to execution, the discipline of actually getting things done.

What follows is grounded in two big assumptions. The first is to accept the sad wisdom contained in Tolstoy’s quote in Anna Karenina, that “There are no conditions to which a person cannot become accustomed, especially if they see everyone around them living in the same way.” The success of the action agenda will depend on the difficult process of Virgin Islanders getting unaccustomed to a number of things, a prevailing pessimism about the possibility for significant change being a critical one.

The second big assumption, the “in addition to” the substance contained in those important Source columns. That assumption is that any success in any of these areas will only be achieved through solid execution. Success = Execution.

If success = execution, here, from the 2002 book Execution, is the checklist for what success will require if the changes that the columnists foresee are to become a reality. The starting point, the “front end,” is a clear and effective strategy for change, one that is broadly shared and that mobilizes people. Mobilizes them in the sense that there is an emotional commitment, well beyond “This makes sense,” that will sustain action over time.  And, along with that strategy, a vision for what we want to be and look like in the future.

Then the hard part, the keys to successful execution. Here is the execution checklist.

– Do we have a solid strategy for change?

– Do we have the right people in the right roles/jobs?

– Do we have effective systems and work processes?

– Do we have solid internal and external communications? and, finally

– Do we have core values of trust, clarity, mutual accountability for achievable goals, problem solving as opposed to blaming/blame avoidance and a set of short-term visible wins, the fuel that sustains progress?

It should not come as a news flash that the Virgin Islands needs improvement in each of these critical areas. Or that, without these improvements, substantive change, whatever its value, is unlikely. Addressing these execution requirements is — must be — the starting point for substantive positive change.

Positive change will also have to be achieved in an age of reaction, during which, at least for the present, the government of the United States has become openly racist and white supremacist. A nation in which cruelty and its attendant violence are accepted norms by a significant portion of the American population. At least for the immediate future, that means that Virgin Islanders will be on their own in seeking to do positive things.

Returning to Tolstoy and what people naturally become accustomed to, a critical issue on any agenda for the Territory’s future is reducing the extraordinary levels of violence that currently exist. And that, like many other things, have become normalized. Applying the execution equation to this challenge would seem to be a natural. (Note: A television interviewer once asked a football coach whose team was losing 49-0 at halftime what he thought of his team’s execution. The coach’s response: “I’m in favor of it.” Just to be clear, that is not the “execution” we’re talking about. Once again, it’s the discipline of getting things done.”)

Whatever the issue, social life, the economy, the environment/climate change, or education, the starting point is that the execution equation represents the pathway to success. The first indicator of success will be a willingness, as part of an effective strategy, to address the deficiencies identified in that execution checklist.

That means making difficult, often uncomfortable choices, setting clear priorities, and avoiding the French formula for change: We demand fundamental improvement, with only one condition, that everything stays the same for me.

An achievable vision for the Territory’s future. Using the goals identified in these recent columns, along with the execution goals, to be able to look back and say, “We did it.” Going back to Tolstoy, the good news is that people also become accustomed to — and take great pride in — “We did it” and “We can do it.” Healthy, peaceful, thriving, trust-based communities can become the new thing that everyone becomes accustomed to.

Another way in which execution = success.

— Frank Schneiger has built and led three public sector organizations: The City of New York Assistant Health Commissioner and first Director of Prison Health Services; Executive Director of the HEW/HSS Region II Family Resource Center; and as the organizer and first Director of Department of Children and Family Services in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, each recognized as national leader in its sector. Co-founded and built a $20 million specialty health care organization, and founded and sustained 40-year management consulting firm devoted to planning and execution, organizational change and building and sustaining healthy organizations. Frank holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and dual Masters Degrees and a Ph.D. from Columbia University.

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. 

Coral Conservation Festival Set for Sunday on St. Croix

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Coral Conservation Festival Set for Sunday on St. Croix
A coral restoration practitioner adds newly fragmented coral arrays to a nursery table for grow-out. The community is invited to learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s programs at the Coral Conservation Festival on Sunday. (File photo courtesy TNC)

The St. Croix community is invited to enjoy a Coral Conservation Festival on Sunday, hosted by The Nature Conservancy U.S. Virgin Islands Program in collaboration with government agencies and community partners.

The festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Coral Innovation Hub, Estate Little Princess on St Croix. It is a free public immersive youth and family experience celebrating community, connection and the protection of St Croix’s natural resources, according to a press release announcing the event.

Visitors to the festival can learn, play, explore and engage with more than 19 exhibitors as they participate in a variety of activities and tours of the Coral Innovation Hub, the release stated.

During the festival, there will be an Unplugging Ceremony to mark the addition of a renewable energy system to help power The Nature Conservancy’s coral restoration facility.

The ceremony takes place at 1 p.m. and will include remarks by dignitaries including Lt. Gov. Tregenza A. Roach; Dr. Rob Brumbaugh, executive director, TNC Caribbean Division; Darren Vanterpool, V.I. regional manager of Banco Popular; Kyle Flemming, director, Virgin Islands Energy Office; and Jessica Ward, TNC Virgin Islands program director.

The ceremony will also include recorded remarks from Jennifer Morris, The Nature Conservancy’s chief executive officer.

“The addition of a solar energy and battery storage system to The Nature Conservancy’s Coral Innovation Hub at Estate Little Princess is remarkable in two ways,” said Brumbaugh. “First, by pairing clean renewable energy with coral restoration, we can lead by example and share what we learn to help others adopt a nature-positive model for reef-restoration facilities worldwide. And second, it is a significant step toward meeting the organization’s global sustainability goal of reducing emissions across TNC’s global operational footprint” he said.

“Thanks to the generous support of our donors, the new solar system is now providing more than 50% of the energy needed to power our Coral Innovation Hub on St Croix,” said Ward. “This reduces our dependence on fossil fuels, lowers operating costs, and allows us to redirect those savings to conservation.”

This work was made possible through funding provided by Popular and Honda, the release stated.

The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, it creates innovative, on-the-ground solutions to the world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together, according to the release.

“We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more resilient,” it said.

The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 83 countries and territories (39 by direct conservation impact and 44 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners.

VIUCEDD to Host Free Virtual Training on Accessible Social Media

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VIUCEDD to Host Free Virtual Training on Accessible Social Media
VIUCEDD will host a free virtual training April 14 focused on helping community members create more accessible and inclusive social media content. (Source file photo)

The Virgin Islands University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities is inviting the community to a free, live virtual training designed to make social media more inclusive.

Scheduled for April 14, from 4 – 5 p.m. via Zoom, the session titled “Creating Accessible Social Media” will be presented by CAST, Inc., a national leader in inclusive learning design.

This initiative reflects VIUCEDD’s core mission, which, as part of the University of the Virgin Islands, is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for individuals with disabilities and providing them with the tools necessary for independence, productivity, and full inclusion into community life.

The organization is part of a national network of 68 UCEDDs and has been serving the territory since its establishment in 1994, focusing on interdisciplinary training, community service, and information dissemination to support individuals with disabilities and their families.

This training comes at a crucial time when digital spaces are central to communication, yet many online posts remain inaccessible to people with visual, auditory, or cognitive disabilities. The one-hour session will teach practical skills such as using clear fonts and colors, ensuring that content on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn is perceivable and operable for everyone, including those using assistive technologies like screen readers.

Khalifa Thomas, the assistant director for Research, Community Engagement, and Grant Writing at VIUCEDD, emphasizes the practical impact of the training. “When community members learn to make their online content accessible, they are directly removing barriers that prevent people with disabilities from fully participating in civic and social life. This session empowers everyone, from small business owners to educators, with simple tools needed to ensure their message reaches every single person in our community,” said Thomas.

Interested participants can register for this workshop by following this link. For more information about this opportunity, email viucedd@uvi.edu.

“Accessibility shouldn’t be an afterthought. It is a fundamental part of how we build a stronger, more connected community. Our goal is to move beyond awareness and into action, giving people the skills they need to make inclusion a daily reality,” Thomas said.

Broken Pipe Knocks Christiansted Pump Station Offline

Mat Probasco
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The Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority informs the community that the LBJ Pump Station is currently offline due to a broken force main pipe, resulting in manhole overflows in the downtown Christiansted area.

VIWMA staff and contractors are working diligently to complete the necessary repairs and restore normal service as quickly and safely as possible.

Motorists and pedestrians are urged to exercise caution, as runoff may contain contaminants or pollutants that pose potential health risks. Residents should avoid areas with visible runoff, including gutters, puddles, manholes, drainage basins, and any locations that appear discolored or emit foul odors.

The Authority understands the inconvenience this situation may cause and appreciates the community’s patience and cooperation as we work to resolve the issue. VIWMA remains committed to providing reliable wastewater services and safeguarding public health and the environment.

For more information, please contact the Division of Education and Communications Management at 340-474-2811 or email communications@viwma.org. Stay connected with us on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn for updates.

“Linked by Genes. United by Hope.” Breast and Prostate Cancer Conference

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“Linked by Genes. United by Hope.” Breast and Prostate Cancer Conference

The Yvonne Ashley Galiber Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. is proud to announce its first Breast & Prostate Cancer Conference, inspired by the theme “Linked by Genes. United by Hope.”

Yvonne Ashley Galiber Breast Cancer Foundation

This admission-free community event planned for both women and men will take place on Friday, April 24, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday, April 25, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the University of the Virgin Islands’ Albert A. Sheen Campus Great Hall, St. Croix. 

Breakfast and lunch will be provided at no cost on both days.

While YAGF has hosted well-received breast cancer conferences since its founding in 2006, this one, with the theme–Linked by Genes. United by Hope– is intended to bring directly to the public the importance of understanding how our genetic makeup, family histories, and shared heritage shape the risks of both breast and prostate cancers, and how that knowledge can empower individuals and our communities to take action through prevention, early detection, informed care, and survivorship. 

Sponsored in part by the USVI Public Finance Authority, this two-day event is open to all and is dedicated to bridging the gap in cancer care, education, awareness, and support for Virgin Islanders.

The conference is held in loving memory of YAGF’s founder, Yvonne Ashley Galiber, who passed away in May 2025 at the age of 62. A survivor of both breast and thyroid cancer, Yvonne lived with a deep and enduring hope that the community she loved would one day have the tools, knowledge, and unity needed to confront cancer head-on.

As noted by the Foundation’s president, Cassandra Dunn, “Yvonne believed in closing the gaps—between diagnosis and care, between fear and understanding, and between those with access to health resources and those without. Cancer touches all of us, as patients, as caregivers, as neighbors, as family. We must talk about it.”

According to conference organizers, the full two-day agenda will feature presentations from local, regional, and national experts—each a dedicated leader in cancer care and survivorship. 

Attendees will learn about cancer risk factors, how to address the emotional impact of the disease, and the importance of understanding genetic inheritance as it pertains to breast and prostate cancer. Sessions will also highlight the role of nutrition, exercise, self-care, and caregiving. Included will be information about the latest research offering new hope and improved outcomes for individuals, families, and communities. Survivors will share powerful insights from their journeys, adding a deeply personal dimension to the experience.

Reserved men-only and women-only “chat room” sessions will provide space for more private conversations with presenters and fellow participants, and revitalizing chair yoga sessions will be offered to all attendees.

The conference will welcome participants from teens to seniors. All are urged to reserve a seat for the two-day free community event and closing reception at the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts as soon as possible by registering at https://yagfoundation.org. For more information, call 939-240-1257 or email: info@yagfoundation.org

About the Yvonne Ashley Galiber Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.

The Yvonne Ashley Galiber Foundation, Inc. (YAGF) is a 501(c)(3)nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by cancer in the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

Through education, advocacy, and community outreach, YAGF works to ensure that every person in the Territory has access to the information and resources they need to face cancer with strength, support, and hope. Tax-deductible donations assist in funding early detection services, including free mammograms and breast biopsies for the medically underserved and underinsured. For more information, visit yagfoundation.org

Lawmakers Press WAPA on Rolling Blackouts, Aging Infrastructure

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Lawmakers Press WAPA on Rolling Blackouts, Aging Infrastructure
WAPA CEO Karl Knight testifies at the Committee of the Whole hearing Thursday about recent blackouts and grid reliability issues. (Photo courtesy V.I. Legislature)

The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority was called before lawmakers Thursday as residents on St. Thomas and St. John continue to grapple with weeks of rolling blackouts that left homes in the dark, spoiled food in refrigerators and shuttered small businesses across the district.

Meeting as a Committee of the Whole, the 36th Legislature spent hours pressing WAPA officials, federal recovery partners and regulators for a clear accounting of what went wrong, why the grid remains so fragile and when reliable service will return. Senators called for a straightforward timeline of recent outages, an honest assessment of aging generators such as Unit 15 at the Randolph Harley Power Plant on St. Thomas, and answers about how a deliberately severed submarine cable was able to trigger an island-wide outage on St. John.

Senators also pushed the utility to move beyond technical explanations and address deeper, long-standing issues, including deferred maintenance, reliance on obsolete equipment, delays in renewable energy projects and the lack of any plan to compensate customers for losses. Lawmakers noted that despite years of legislative support and federal funding, residents continue to face some of the highest electricity rates in the United States alongside unreliable service.

Karl Knight, executive director of WAPA, told senators the crisis was not caused by a single malfunction but by “multiple compounding failures.” He said February thunderstorms brought lightning, high winds and vegetation into power lines on St. Thomas, blowing fuses and breaking insulators. As crews worked through those problems, an underground section of Feeder 13 on the Charlotte Amalie waterfront failed, forcing load onto Feeder 12 and triggering rolling outages of up to five megawatts to prevent a system collapse.

On St. John, Knight said, a transmission line between Red Hook and Cruz Bay tripped and plunged the island into a blackout. Subsequent testing showed the submarine cable had been “deliberately cut with a mechanical device,” not damaged by an electrical fault. WAPA temporarily revived an older, retired cable and spliced sections of both lines to restore service.

The most severe blow came March 19, when Unit 15, a turbine commissioned in 1980, at the Randolph Harley Power Plant suffered an electrical fault and tripped offline, destabilizing the system and triggering a district-wide outage. The failure led to nearly three weeks of rotational blackouts until another large generator, Unit 27, was repaired and returned to service.

“Our system is operating with aging infrastructure, limited redundancy and very little margin for error,” Knight said. “This was not neglect; this was a system under pressure responding to multiple compounding failures.”

Knight told lawmakers the authority is pursuing a three‑tiered plan to stabilize the grid in the short term while larger projects move forward.

In the next six months, WAPA expects to complete a FEMA‑funded bypass for Feeder 13 on St. Thomas and install emergency standby generation on St. John, where a vendor has been selected. Temporary repairs to damaged submarine and distribution lines are also planned, though some work remains unfunded.

Over the following six to 24 months, the plan relies heavily on federally supported projects, including temporary generation at the Randolph Harley Power Plant and new solar and battery storage installations on St. Thomas and St. John. Longer‑term efforts, expected to take several years, include replacing aging generators such as Units 14 and 15, rebuilding key transmission feeders and developing microgrids to allow parts of the territory to maintain power during major outages. “We are not standing still,” Knight said. “The authority has a clear path forward that will provide tangible improvements to our delivery of reliable service.”

Public Services Commission Executive Director Sandra Satori said the outages were “entirely foreseeable and preventable,” pointing to a management audit and integrated resource plan completed nearly a decade ago that warned WAPA to modernize its generation fleet and expand renewables or risk reliability problems.

She said only portions of that road map were implemented, leaving the territory dependent on aging and obsolete units such as Units 15 and 23 and with insufficient backup capacity when multiple failures occurred at once.

“WAPA needs to become an asset to the Virgin Islands, providing reliable and affordable power,” Satori testified, urging lawmakers to require a detailed “recovery and stabilization plan” with enforceable benchmarks and oversight. Without it, she warned, the territory could “find ourselves back in this place” even after new FEMA-funded projects come online.

Senators echoed that frustration, saying residents have heard similar assurances for years without seeing lasting improvements. “What we have been doing for decades is not working, and it’s destroying the fabric of this territory,” Sen. Alma Francis Heyliger said. “It’s disrupting the everyday lives of the people of this territory … we need to actually start having serious conversations about how we’re going to get this fixed, because the constant talking, talking, talking is not working.”

One issue senators repeatedly raised was how the deliberate cut to the St. John submarine cable was handled and whether federal law enforcement was properly engaged. Several members pressed Knight to clarify whether the FBI had been notified, questioning why the incident was initially treated as a local police and fusion-center matter after an entire island lost power. Knight later told the committee that the Virgin Islands fusion center director had referred the case to the FBI, and added that WAPA has taken steps to secure the site.

Lawmakers were also sharply critical that St. John remained vulnerable nearly seven years after a 2019 proposal to install standby generators and battery storage was shelved. Senators said the decision left the island dependent on a single critical transmission link and highlighted a broader pattern in which planned upgrades and funded projects have not translated into the redundancy needed to protect residents when major lines or generation units fail.

Several senators focused on the human toll of the outages, recounting calls from constituents who lost televisions and refrigerators to power surges, small businesses forced to close during peak hours and elderly residents left without air conditioning or running water. Sen. Avery Lewis urged WAPA to halt disconnections while service remains unstable and to prioritize payment plans.

By the end of the day‑long hearing, senators said they were not convinced WAPA can avoid another crisis without clearer timelines and stronger oversight. Several senators said their anger was not only about broken equipment but about a lack of trust and oversight after years of similar hearings. They complained that WAPA still has no clear, written road map with deadlines that lawmakers and regulators can enforce.

PSC officials urged the Legislature to give the commission “full support and backing” to enforce its orders, while WAPA’s board chair, Maurice Muia, called for a standing “transformational leadership” committee that would bring lawmakers, regulators and utility executives into the same room to monitor progress.

Knight acknowledged that the system remains “on borrowed time” until new generation and grid projects come online, and said he does not want to ask residents to pay more. Instead, he told senators, WAPA must cut operating expenses to fit within existing rates — a path he described as difficult to walk without compromising service. “We will probably slip off the path every now and again, like we just did,” he said, “but I see a very positive future ahead.”

Editor’s Note: For an in-depth look at the history of WAPA’s issues, check out this series published by the Source in 2019.

Groundbreaking Marks New Beginning for Beloved St. Thomas High School

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Groundbreaking Marks New Beginning for Beloved St. Thomas High School
Officials turn the earth at groundbreaking ceremony at CAHS on Thursday. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)

Eight years after the ferocious winds of hurricanes Irma and Maria ravaged the Virgin Islands, officials gathered at St. Thomas’ Charlotte Amalie High School to celebrate a new beginning. Gov. Albert Bryan and Lt. Gov. Tregenza Roach joined officials from the Education Department and the Office of Disaster Recovery at a groundbreaking ceremony on a $334 million reconstruction project.

Government leaders welcomed members of the construction and management team chosen to carry out a four-year project to rebuild St. Thomas’ 106-year-old public high school. James Benton, principal-in-charge of Consigli/Benton, led the host of speakers appearing in the Ruth E. Thomas Auditorium Thursday morning. “I understand that a school is more than a building. It is a place where lives are shaped and futures begin. It is a school our people know, a school our families care about, and a school our community is deeply invested in seeing rebuilt with excellence,” Benton said.

Those in attendance had a glimpse of the campus concept. One of the architects who worked on the new school design shared some of the details. “It’s actually going to be a tiered series of buildings similar to what the original Charlotte Amalie High School was,” said Michael Reid from SMMA Architects. “It’s three learning forts; each one is a floor higher than the previous one, and the gymnasium and the dining facility are on the lower part of the facility.”

The academic learning forts are supplemented by dedicated space for Career and Technical Education in Cosmetology, Construction, Automotive Repair, Occupational/Physical Therapy, and Nursing. There is also a media center which incorporates the music suite.

Disaster Recovery Director Adrienne Williams-Octalien said the CAHS reconstruction was part of a project bundle, along with work to be done at the Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School. Getting the work done in the education sector is testing the capacity of everyone involved, she said.

Education Commissioner Dionne Wells-Hedrington called the groundbreaking “a great day.” Bryan agreed with both of his cabinet members, heralding progress made since the 2017 storms, and pointing to the anticipated ribbon-cutting of the reconstructed Arthur Richards School this summer on St. Croix.

But the governor added that moving the project through to completion will test and sometimes strain the efforts of those involved.

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. delivers remarks at CASH groundbreaking ceremony as Education Commissioner Dionne-Wells Hedrington looks on. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)

“As we rebuild Charlotte Amalie High School, we are strengthening public education, expanding the pathway to skills and workforce readiness, and making clear that our students must be ready not just to witness the territory’s transformation, but to help shape it. This school is an investment in their future and a declaration that we believe in what they can become,” the governor said.

Construction of the new Charlotte Amalie High School is expected to be completed by the end of 2030, according to a member of the contractor’s team.

To learn more about the New Charlotte Amalie High School and the Education Department’s plan to build new schools in the Virgin Islands, visit www.newschoolsvide.com.

Stop Work Order Issued For Controversial Beeston Hill Site Clearing

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Stop Work Order Issued For Controversial Beeston Hill Site Clearing
Heavy earthmoving equipment was unloaded at a controversial Beeston Hill property for three days of work before land-use officials ordered it stopped. (Submitted photo)

Owners of recently-rezoned St. Croix green space were hit with a stop-work order Thursday after three days of allowing heavy equipment to tear through virgin vegetation on the site without a permit, officials said.

The 15.9 acres in sleepy Beeston Hill had been the center of controversy for years as its owners sought to rezone it to allow for commercial interests. After several failed attempts, the Legislature eventually rezoned it for medium-density residential use, including a potential hotel, over the objection of neighbors and against the recommendation of the territory’s land-use experts.

Neighbors feared the landowners’ promises to only build housing were hollow, and the developers would disregard zoning guardrails to cause traffic congestion, noise pollution, and dismantle the area’s restive nature.

The Department of Planning and Natural Resources visited the site Thursday and issued a verbal order to stop the work, department spokesperson Jamal Nielsen said.

A wide road now cuts into the heavily forested property at 6a Beeston Hill. DPNR officials said the property owners had failed to apply for an earth-change permit. (Submitted photo)

Many people misunderstand the nature of an earth-change permit, Nielsen said, and don’t realize it’s needed for equipment like a mulching machine. In these cases, DPNR orders the work stopped, the owners apply for a permit, and a few days later, they are allowed to restart. The duration and scope of work at Beeston Hill without a permit, however, may be more serious, he said. DPNR officials were assessing the situation for a potential fine.

Generally, an earth-change permit will require safeguards against muddy silt runoff or even landslides that can occur when roots that hold earth together are removed, Nielsen said. A photo of vegetation removal at the Beeston Hill site shows a wide road cut through the dense foliage. No silt screen or other runoff mitigation devices were evident.

A property neighbor wrote to the Source reporting a mulching machine was at the site at least one day and a second, much larger earth mover arrived Thursday. They reported hearing trees falling over from their home and estimated four or five hours of vegetation removal work had happened each day.

Way Clear for Key Deposition in Woodpile Case to Resume

Source staff
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Way Clear for Key Deposition in Woodpile Case to Resume
(Shutterstock image)
Morris Anselmi and Kimberly McCollum have signed pretrial diversion agreements with federal prosecutors after being charged with theft of COVID-19 relief funds. (Shutterstock image)

The deposition of a central figure in the federal case against Davidson and Sasha Charlemagne is set to move forward after it stalled nearly a year ago amid questions about immunity.

The witness, Morris Anselmi, and his co-defendant, Kimberly McCollum, were themselves indicted in 2024 and charged with pocketing half a million dollars in federal Paycheck Protection Program funds. The case against the Charlemagnes stems from a V.I. Housing Finance Authority lumber management contract awarded to Anselmi and McCollum’s company, ISG, and subcontracted to the Charlemagnes’ company, D&S Trucking. Anselmi’s court-ordered deposition in the so-called woodpile case was abruptly halted last year after he exercised his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

During a telephonic status conference with U.S. District Judge Mark Kearney Thursday afternoon, attorney Annabelle Nadler said both Anselmi and McCollum have signed pretrial diversion agreements with the government. Following Thursday’s status conference, Kearney granted a request filed by prosecutors Wednesday to compel Anselmi’s testimony in the woodpile case.

Anselmi “may not refuse to comply based on the privilege against self-incrimination,” according to Kearney’s order, but he will be allowed to confer with his attorney about procedural matters. None of the compelled testimony can be used against Anselmi “in any criminal case, except for a prosecution for perjury, giving a false statement,” or otherwise failing to comply with the judge’s order.

The Paycheck Protection Program-related case against Anselmi and McCollum and the fraud case against the Charlemagnes have both languished in large part because Anselmi has been receiving medical care on the mainland since his indictment more than two years ago. U.S. Marshals formally processed his arrest last month in Texas, and the Charlemagnes’ trial has been scheduled for July.

In the meantime, a third person charged alongside Davidson and Sasha Charlemagne — former V.I. Housing Finance Authority executive Darin Richardson — has already been tried, convicted and sentenced.

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