ST. THOMAS — Virgin Islands lawmakers are poised to greenlight the construction of a 32-room, upscale boutique hotel in Estate Bakkeroe, St. Thomas, a development that could be the first hotel built in the territory in more than 25 years.

In keeping with his State of the Territory pledge, Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. on Friday submitted legislation to fund the completion of the long-delayed Paul E. Joseph Stadium complex in Frederiksted, St. Croix.

Federal investigators who stopped a man suspected of smuggling immigrants by boat say he allowed them to review messages in his cell phone, but then tossed the device overboard while they weren’t looking, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court.

Applications are available for the 2020 Community Development Block Grant, which provides funding to a groups that help the territory’s most vulnerable residents by addressing immediate, critical needs.

Jakwan Sweeney, Jr. pleaded guilty before District Court Judge Curtis Gomez on Thursday for his role in attempting to transport cocaine to the U.S. mainland in 2018.

WASHINGTON — Bill Taylor was driving home from work in New Hampshire last January when a chunk of ice the size of a shoebox broke off the top of a storage container hauled by a truck ahead of him, crashed through his windshield and hit him squarely in the forehead.

ST. THOMAS — In an effort to stymie the alarming abuse of government-issued credit cards, Virgin Islands lawmakers on Thursday advanced a bill to heighten the accountability — and penalty — of widespread credit card misuse.

Firefighters responded to two structure fires on St. Thomas within half an hour Thursday morning and quickly contained both blazes, according to V.I. Fire Service Director Daryl George Sr.

The Economic Development Authority is holding town hall meetings on all three islands so residents and business owners can learn more about economic opportunities in the territory, according to a news release issued Thursday.

CHICAGO — Robert Gorodetsky made a name for himself as a maverick in the Las Vegas sports betting scene, a brash 20-something with a seemingly bottomless bankroll and the guts to lay it all on the line.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida lawmakers are considering cracking down on cities and counties that file lawsuits against big corporations, a response to those communities that are suing drug makers and manufacturers over the opioid epidemic.

ATLANTA — Cobb County, Ga., Sheriff Neil Warren is denying allegations that he had copies of a newspaper removed from the county’s jail to prevent inmates and staff from seeing an article about the treatment of inmates at the jail.

WASHINGTON — Before Sen. Bernie Sanders jetted off from a Des Moines rally early this week to impeachment hearings that have him locked down far from Iowa, the candidate remarked on how prescient his presidential campaign slogan turned out to be.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial may be requiring senators to stay seated hour after agonizing hour, but there’s one group getting more exercise than they’ve seen in years: Senate pages.

DETROIT — Sauntore Thomas is reeling from a one-two punch.

BUDAPEST, Hungary — The U.S. posted its worst result in at least eight years in a global corruption index, as special interests and growing threats to checks and balances made it more difficult to tackle graft.

NEW YORK — An emotional Annabella Sciorra, her voice cracking and eyes tearing, delivered a devastating account Thursday of her alleged rape by hulking producer Harvey Weinstein inside her Manhattan apartment.

ST. THOMAS — Members of the Senate Rules and Judiciary Committee on Thursday unanimously voted to hold in committee a hotly contested measure to amend the Coastal Zone Management Act, insisting more public input and education were needed.

The Virgin Islands Education Department is touting an increase in student achievement via its 2018-19 “Report Card” and standardized test results. Educators, however, say more work needs to be done, as the majority of students continue to fall below national standards in both English and Mat…

ST. CROIX — Fort Christiansvaern is receiving a much-needed facelift as a 10-person team works to restore the historic structure.

Changes to the territory’s environmental laws are up for debate in the Senate again today, but few are satisfied that the legislation goes far enough to protect coastlines from potentially harmful development.

A federal jury has convicted a second man of helping to smuggle more than 1,307 pounds of marijuana by boat, according to U.S. Attorney Gretchen Shappert.

A St. Croix man was arrested Tuesday in connection with a Castle Coakley shooting that left three injured on Sunday and, according to witness statements, a second suspect may still be at large.

The circus is coming to town this weekend at Fish Bay’s Butterfly Beach Villa, complete with a fire dancer, hula hoop performers, and a pool full of real live mermaids for the Animal Care Center of St. John’s annual winter gala, with an “Under the Big Top” theme, Saturday at 6 p.m.

Choir welcomes newcomers for spring concerts

The future is uncertain for Lime Out, St. John’s floating taco bar, which has been ordered to leave Hansen Bay.

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. took action on 31 bills, approving 26, vetoing four and using his line-item veto on another, according to a Government House statement on Tuesday.

ST. THOMAS — The Virgin Islands Board of Elections convened its first meeting of 2020 on Tuesday, taking action on voting machines, polling places and the use of grant funding — all ahead of what Chairman Raymond Williams described as a “very busy election year.”

Local police and health officials have issued a joint statement saying they are “working to monitor the epidemic” of opioid abuse in the territory in the wake of four fentanyl-related deaths on St. Croix.

One of two men accused of attempting to smuggle more than 1,307 pounds of marijuana by boat has pleaded guilty, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court.

A judge has ruled that V.I. Police acted lawfully when they approached a man rolling a joint outdoors, and noted that while possession of small amounts of cannabis has been decriminalized in the territory, “possession of marijuana is still unlawful.”