St. John TW

Watch Now: From public safety and education to infrastructure and community news, we cover the stories shaping the U.S. Virgin Islands. This week: the University of the Virgin Islands responds after being placed on show-cause status by its accreditor; another homicide on St. Croix comes as the territory intensifies its response to rising gun violence; the Humane Society of St. Thomas suspends animal intake over delayed government funding; and WAPA explains the mechanical issues behind continued rotating outages on St. Thomas and St. John. Host Adisha Penn recaps these highlights and more.

A passing tropical wave may bring a brief chance of showers and thunderstorms to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands by midweek, though the wave is not expected to develop into a tropical system. Heat, Saharan dust, and breezy conditions are expected to remain the main weather concerns.

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. announced Monday that rotational power outages have ended on St. Thomas and St. John following repairs to the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority's Unit 27, while also highlighting the submission of a revised horse racing agreement to the Legislature and the completion of the government's Fiscal Year 2024 Single Audit during his weekly Government House press briefing.

St. John Celebration 2026 unfolded before the eyes of spectators who assembled on a Saturday afternoon. The occasion was the 4th of July, the 250th Anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, and the continued observance of Virgin Islands Emancipation Day.

A group of approximately 10 Iowa State University students volunteering in the U.S. Virgin Islands spent Tuesday and Wednesday helping sort recyclables and prepare materials for shipment at Island Green Living's Recycling Center at the ReSource Depot on St. John.

Upon learning of Scott Fagan’s submission of the story of Victor Antonius "Tutsie" Edwards’ daring Emancipation Day feat in 1985, he laughed, “Oh, Scott does that every year.”

The University of the Virgin Islands remains fully accredited but has been placed on "show cause" status by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, requiring the institution to demonstrate by Sept. 1 why its accreditation should not be withdrawn because of ongoing concerns related to its finances, governance, and delayed audits.

The Virgin Islands Board of Elections met Wednesday for a lengthy special meeting in which it upheld prior decisions that disqualified Brett “Mac” McClafferty and Ida Smith from the 2026 delegate to Congress ballot.

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. added peace officers to police ranks Monday as investigators scoured St. Croix for Janigh Gonsalves, a suspect in the shooting of a man and a woman at the Lorraine Village Apartments. Separately, court records reveal new details in another killing at a St. Croix gas station.

If you assumed the National Park Service was moving forward with its 2023 plan to rebuild Caneel Bay Resort on St. John, you may be in for a shock.

The opening of the Village for St. John Celebration 2026 began with a celebration of music, song and family tradition. On stage in what is normally the Cruz Bay Parking Lot, government officials, community leaders and royalty gathered to honor St. John Soca singer Tischelle Knight.

Virgin Islands Sports Ambassador Michelle Smith won the gold medal in the women's 400-meter hurdles Sunday at the inaugural Senior PANAM Championships, finishing in a championship record time of 54.93 seconds and qualifying for the 2027 PANAM Games in Lima, Peru.

Opening night of St. John Celebration 2026 promises a musical kickoff like no other. The ceremony honoring St. John’s own songbird — Tischelle Knight — is set to begin Sunday at 6 p.m.

Congressional Delegate Stacey Plaskett on Friday condemned the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Thursday allowing the Trump Administration to deport people from Haiti and Syria legally sheltering in the United States because it was unsafe to return to their country. The ruling could ultimately disrupt the lives of thousands of Virgin Islanders.

A week of events promoting health awareness on St. John capped off with a forum on diabetes — a chronic illness — contributing factors and ways the average person can fend off negative outcomes. A panel discussion featuring a doctor, a fitness coach, an agronomist, a specialist on tobacco abuse and a psychologist led their audience through their different points of view.

Celebrating the 10th year of its Community Challenge grant program Wednesday, the AARP announced $8.3 million in funding for 750 projects across the nation. Eight of those will support livability in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

A judge gave former V.I. Management and Budget Director Jenifer O’Neal a one-week extension to coordinate with her new attorney before surrendering to federal Bureau of Prisons custody on July 1. 

Would-be operators of Caneel Bay’s next iteration have more time to get their bids in. The National Park Service has extended bidding for the $442,462 annual lease from July 8 to Aug. 10.

The St. John Celebration Village was filled with African-inspired fashion, music and culture Saturday evening as contestants competed for the title of 2026 St. John Celebration Queen. By the end of the night, Contestant No. 3, Elizabeth Ferrell, captured the crown.

Sunday’s celebration of St. John Food Fair began with a promise — after a long, hot month of June, the gathering clouds released a brief and cooling rain.