WTJX NEWSFEED

On today’s WTJX Radio NewsFeed: The Virgin Islands joined nationwide observances marking 25 years since the September 11 attacks, remembering seven Virgin Islanders among those killed.

Police are investigating a three-vehicle collision that occurred Thursday on Weymouth Rhymer Highway that claimed the life of 26-year-old Darlin Arias.

 

A seven-hour planned outage Sunday will affect eastern St. Thomas and St. John as WAPA completes work on a new backup transmission route.

 

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Pictured: A 9/11 memorial monument stands along the waterfront in Frederiksted, St. Croix, honoring the seven victims from the Virgin Islands of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Source: WTJX/Marcellina Ventura-Douglas

On today’s WTJX Radio NewsFeed: Senator Marvin Blyden is urging the three branches of government to establish volunteer placements for SNAP recipients who need to meet new federal work requirements.

 

DLCA consumer protection inspectors found recalled Mistolin and Lestoil cleaners still being sold at 13 Virgin Islands retailers, removing more than 600 products from store shelves.

 

The fatal shooting of 22-year-old Thymothy Rodriguez at the Titan Service Station in Estate Princess on St. Croix has brought the territory’s homicide count to 35 for the year, including 20 on St. Croix.

 

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Pictured: Senator Marvin Blyden

Source: Legislature of the Virgin Islands  

On today’s WTJX Radio NewsFeed: CBP says multiple vessels have been seized in the Virgin Islands for allegedly failing to properly report their arrival, as the federal agency reminds boaters that violations can bring significant fines and vessel forfeiture.

 

WAPA customers will continue paying the current 22.2-cent LEAC through December while the Public Services Commission reviews whether the utility’s actual energy costs support a change in the rate.

 

Underground electrical work on St. Thomas will bring lane closures and traffic delays around Subbase Road and Nisky Lane beginning Thursday as WAPA continues its Feeder 9A project.

 

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Pictured: A vessel seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in St. Thomas after authorities say its operator submitted an arrival report through the CBP ROAM application but refused required video calls, resulting in the submission being denied. CBP says the vessel then failed to report to a designated Port of Entry as required and was subsequently seized and transported to Puerto Rico.

Source: CBP Office of Field Operations Facebook page  

On today’s WTJX Radio NewsFeed: DLCA inspectors are checking local retailers for recalled Mistolin and Lestoil cleaners after millions of bottles sold in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands were pulled over concerns they may contain potentially harmful bacteria.

 

Miguel Cotto, 45, is facing first-degree murder and other charges after police say he fatally stabbed his 53-year-old brother, Jose Antonio Cotto, on St. Croix while on pretrial release in a separate domestic violence case involving an alleged stabbing earlier this year.

 

DOH has partnered with Protocol Services Inc. to establish a dedicated 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline call center in the USVI, connecting residents with crisis counselors and resources specific to the territory.

 

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Pictured: 6.3 million bottles of scented Mistolin Dilutable Cleaners and Lestoil Heavy Duty Multi-Purpose Cleaners manufactured in Puerto Rico have been recalled over concerns they may contain potentially harmful bacteria. The recall applies to products with date codes beginning PR01, followed by a five-digit number ranging from 25091 through 26168, representing products manufactured between April 1, 2025, and June 17, 2026.

Source: WTJX/Glenroy Roberts  

 

On today’s WTJX Radio NewsFeed: Mario Felix has been sentenced to five years in federal prison in a fentanyl trafficking case involving 800 pills concealed inside a book mailed to the Virgin Islands.

 

Amid the investigation into the shooting death of 21-year-old Gerrel Reed and the arrest of J’Vonte Mercer, VIPD is warning that people suspected of helping violent-crime suspects evade authorities could also face prosecution, with warrants potentially coming soon.

 

UVI has met a key deadline in its effort to address accreditation concerns by submitting its show-cause report to Middle States, while work continues to complete years of outstanding financial audits ahead of an upcoming evaluation.

 

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Pictured: The Kingshill Post Office on St. Croix, where federal authorities say the package containing 800 fentanyl pills connected to the Mario Felix trafficking case was shipped.

Source: WTJX/Glenroy Roberts  

On today’s WTJX Radio NewsFeed: Senate Education Committee Chairman Kurt Vialet is questioning the Bureau of School Construction and Maintenance’s heavy reliance on contractors, after a Senate hearing raised concerns about how the agency is spending its limited resources while significant repairs remain unfinished at public schools.

 

A federal jury has found 73-year-old James Lealand Johnston, known as “JJ Rocks,” guilty of possessing child pornography in a case stemming from a 2017 investigation on St. Croix.

 

Virgin Islands court officials are investigating the extent of a cybersecurity breach involving their C-Track case-management provider, while stressing that the intrusion did not originate from the Judicial Branch’s own computer networks or security systems.

 

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Pictured: Senator Kurt Vialet (left) and BSCM Director Craig Benjamin

Source: Legislature of the Virgin Islands

On today’s WTJX Radio NewsFeed: VIPD arrested brothers Deshawn and Shawn Henley as investigators work to determine whether they and other suspects are connected to a surge of roughly 40 burglaries reported across St. Croix over the past two months.

 

For the second time, Banco Popular is seeking to dismiss Brett “Mac” McClafferty and Social Hospitality Group’s lawsuit stemming from McClafferty’s February arrest. The bank is now challenging an amended complaint that includes a new federal civil-rights claim.

 

VITEMA will host its first in a series of hurricane preparedness town halls for St. John tomorrow, focused on shelters, curfew passes, generator safety, emergency alerts and other preparations for the height of hurricane season.

 

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Pictured: Brothers Deshawn and Shawn Henley have been arrested on burglary charges in connection to a string of burglaries over the past two months on St. Croix.

Source: VIPD

On today’s WTJX Radio NewsFeed: Senator Carla Joseph is pressing for more details on the emergency that prompted a $3 million transfer to the Waste Management Authority without prior legislative approval, pointing to a 2025 emergency allocation for SNAP benefits when authorization was sought prior to using $2.7 million from the Budget Stabilization Fund.

 

Horse Racing Commission chairman Hugo Hodge Jr. says lawmakers also bear responsibility for the impasse surrounding the canceled Labor Day races, while Senate Majority Leader Kurt Vialet maintains the Legislature’s decision to further review the Southland Gaming agreement should not have prevented the race day from moving forward.

 

A State of Emergency is now in effect on St. Croix as the government keeps additional resources in place while WAPA works to stabilize the island’s potable water system and restore service.

 

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Pictured: Senator Carla Joseph

Source: Legislature of the Virgin Islands