Local news

After teasing the public this year with mini events due to the pandemic, the 21st “A Taste of St. Croix” will begin Thursday with fewer attendees who will follow the Virgin Islands COVID-19 regulations, and show proof of vaccination against the coronavirus prior to the events.

Contract overruns are common but when the Water and Power Authority’s contract with Vitol to convert utility generating units to burn propane ballooned from $87 million to $150 million, many Virgin Islanders became concerned.

Jean P. Greaux, Jr., renowned broadcaster and journalist who served the Virgin Islands community for more than three decades, died on Tuesday near his home, V.I. Police Department officials said.

Kyle Christopher, who was slated to stand trial Monday in the 2019 death of 4-year-old Aaron Benjamin Jr., has been granted his request to delay the proceedings.

The U.S. Coast Guard medevaced a 66-year old man off the sailing vessel Orion, Monday, about 18 miles south of St. Thomas.

Closing out the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, the latest report from Colorado State University’s Tropical Meteorology Project confirms above average activity, with 21 named storms forming – the third most on record – with seven becoming hurricanes and four reaching major hurricane strength.

At a scheduled meeting held Monday by the Board of Elections, officials approved a measure that would require the head of the Election System to get prior approval for any purchases or payments totaling $5,000 or more. They also considered a bill that would return the option to voters of choosing a party symbol when casting a ballot.

Ensuring that several of its larger undergrounding projects can move forward without delay, the V.I. Water and Power Authority approved Tuesday changes to the payment terms of five contracts with no additional cost to the utility or public.

Data collection is pivotal for government operations and securing federal funding, but during Tuesday's Government Operations and Consumer Protection hearing V.I. Bureau of Economic Research Director Allison DeGazon said hotels are withholding tourism data.

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. marveled at how far the Virgin Islands has come as he gathered with fellow dignitaries on Tuesday to mark the reopening of The Battery on St. John.

A detainee at the Criminal Justice Center on St. Thomas has tested positive for tuberculosis, the Bureau of Corrections reported Tuesday.

A public-private partnership aimed at both the prevention and treatment of diabetes has been finalized with the launch of services – including outreach vans, education initiatives, and nutritional help – anticipated for the first quarter of 2022, according to Ganesh Prasad, founder of the V.I. Diabetes Center.

With information on the new omicron variant – including severity, transmissibility, and unique characteristics – still evolving, Gov. Albert Bryan, Jr. said Monday that the government will be keeping in place its existing COVID-19 restrictions for now, out of an "abundance of caution."

The St. Croix Career and Technical Education Center Aviation Academy is preparing the next generation of aviators. Carlos Alexander, a senior at the St. Croix Educational Complex High School, and Cylius Gordon, a senior at the St. Croix Central High School, have been enrolled in the academy for the last three and four years, respectively, and recently completed their first solo flights—an important step toward earning their private pilot’s license.

The University of the Virgin Islands, in partnership with USVI educators, announces the release of the USVI Marine Debris Curriculum.

After further investigating the cause of death and ensuring notification of next of kin, the Virgin Islands Department of Health is saddened to confirm the territory’s eighty-sixth death related to COVID-19. The deceased is a 61-year-old female on St. Croix.

The final day of 2021 Paradise Jam was once again filled with excitement. After this three-day event held in the University of the Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center, the University of Arizona and Texas A&M proved to be the best teams within their division. The final day featured four games.

St. Thomas motorists heading downtown on Veterans Drive discovered both east and westbound lanes open to traffic on Saturday after a paving project was completed.

Police are investigating two homicides -- one in which a man appeared to be ambushed outside his St. Croix home, and another where a man with multiple gunshot wounds was found dead at a St. Thomas accident scene.

Day 2 of Paradise Jam Women's Tournament featured the Island Division and Reef Division.