The two school principals placed on leave late last year amid an internal investigation into the handling of child sex abuse allegations against former Charlotte Amalie High School track coach Bruce Smith have officially “retired.” “As a result of the investigation and the facts revealed, personnel changes have been implemented within the Department to ensure the integrity, accountability, and effectiveness of our operations. While specific details regarding these changes cannot be disclosed due to confidentiality protections under the collective bargaining agreement, we want to assure the public that decisive action has been taken to address this matter responsibly,” according to an Education email to the Source. VIDE has confirmed that CAHS principal April Petrus retired effective Jan. 16 while Alcede Edwards, a former CAHS principal who had most recently been serving at the Edith Williams Alternative Academy, retired effective Dec. 16, 2024, as the internal investigation was ongoing. Sources speaking...

Community members on Martin Luther King Jr. Day march through the Sunny Isles Shopping Center in remembrance of the civil rights leader. (Source photo by Diana Dias) Each year, across the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands, communities come together to honor the life of Martin Luther King Jr., whose tireless fight for civil rights and social justice changed the trajectory of American History. On Monday, residents of St. Croix came out in crowds of over 500 people to march in honor of the civil rights leader. Schools including St. Croix Educational Complex, St. Croix Central High School, John H. Woodson Junior High, Lew Muckle Elementary, Claude O. Marco Elementary, Alfredo Andrews Elementary, Eulalie Rivera Elementary, St. Mary’s Catholic School, and St. Croix Seventh-day Adventist School participated. Additionally, groups like the Girl Scouts of St. Croix, fraternities, sororities, and many others also took part. The St. Croix Educational Complex...

The family of the late Yvonne Lawrence Pogson is saddened to announce her passing on Jan. 10. Yvonne Lawrence Pogson Yvonne was preceded in death by her mother, Iris Richards Battiste; father, Charles Lawrence; husband, Ronald Pogson Sr.; son, LeVar Pogson; sister, Debbie Lawrence Guadalupe, and brother, Austin Battiste Jr. Yvonne is survived by her daughters, Sherilyn Pogson, Shermaine Pogson, and Yolanda Pogson; son, Ronald Pogson Jr.; sisters, Lorna Lawrence Johnson, Winifred C. Lawrence Beckles, Veronica Jenkins, Laurel Lawrence, Linda St. Louis, Rena Battiste, Marie Allison Battiste, Yvette Battiste Bermudez, Maureen Battiste; brother, Rhudel Lawrence Sr.; grandchildren, DeShaun Schneider, Yolissa Smith, Jaylen Smith; great-grandchild, DeShaun Schneider Jr.; godson, Ronald Watson; sister-in-law, Lynn Slater Lawrence; brother-in-law, Roy Beckles; nieces, Everlyn Beckles Peters, Barbara Lawrence, Natasha Guadalupe, Monique Jenkins, Keisha Woodley, Lisa Gardener, Cassandra Britton, Iris Battiste; nephews, Rhudel Lawrence Jr., Kenneth Lawrence, Ezekiel Johnson, Eleazar Johnson, Marzell Johnson Jr., George Parrish,...

Martin Luther King Jr. addresses a capacity audience at Riverside Church, New York City April 4, 1967. All of us have Dr. King’s traits in us, but are we displaying them sometimes without recognizing that we are doing so? I haven’t done a survey or a percentage check to get those figures, but I am certain that the King’s Philosophy is a part of our lives and that we display it from time to time because we are human beings. Peace and love today and something else tomorrow seems to be the trend nowadays. Just how that will change is a reality and one that is somewhat hard to deal with even as I think of Hamas and Israel, Russia and Ukraine, the South and the North in America, and the wars that have taken place elsewhere over the years. So, what was Dr. Martin Luther King’s philosophy, and what...

University of the Virgin Islands students contribute stories from Newswriting 1 class. (Shutterstock image) Editor’s Note: The following article is part of an ongoing series the Source will be publishing over the coming weeks to spotlight the work of student journalists at the University of the Virgin Islands.  Violence among youth is an ongoing issue everywhere but the violent incident of Central High School students attacking the bus driver on St. Croix Oct. 2, indicated that something in our local youth may have changed. Upon interviewing three high school teachers, Juanita Frett, Zenicque Fleming-James, and Chevell Simeon, there are some things one should consider: the effect of isolation, accountability, and compassion. All teachers agree that they observed significant behavioral changes among young adults after the pandemic. For example, many students’ tempers have been short compared to their responses before the two-year break and lack of social interaction from authorities and...

Check out our weekly weather forecast with Jesse Daley, covering Sunday, Jan. 19, through Saturday, Jan. 25. Our YouTube playlist is updated every week, AND check out Jesse’s daily weather updates here. Previous articleUVI in the Spotlight: V.I. Teachers Speak Out About School Violence

Virgin Islands Track and Field Team member Michelle Smith, competed in the Virginia Showcase 2025 in Virginia Beach, Virginia on Jan. 12 and 13 where she was part of the record-breaking 4x400m relay team. The relay time of 3:37.63 has now been ratified as a World Indoor Record for the Under 20 age group. Adaejah Hodge, Michelle Smith, Alivia Williams, Skylar Franklin Michelle helped her team in the 4 x 400m relay to a first place finish and a new National High School record and World U20 record of 3:37.63. The Montverde Academy team broke a 20-year old record previously held by Long Beach Poly High School out of California. The team was led off by BVI’s Adaejah Hodge with a 54.10 split, followed by Michelle with 53.79, Alivia Williams with 54.75 and anchored by Skylar Williams with 55.00. The Interscholastic Track and Field Series will...

Officials cut the ribbon to celebrate the commissioning of four Wärtsilä generators Friday at the Randolph Harley Power Plant on St. Thomas. (Source photo by Kit MacAvoy) Crown Bay got a little louder recently when four long-awaited Wärtsilä generators came online. During a ribbon-cutting ceremony at St. Thomas’ Randolph Harley Power Plant Friday morning, V.I. Water and Power Authority Executive Director and CEO Karl Knight called the commissioning a “significant evolution” in the territory’s power generation — four nine-megawatt engines, utility-scale battery storage and the “full embrace of smaller, more nimble” generating units. Officials and media were granted a walking tour of the Randolph Harley Power Plant Friday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for newly commissioned Wärtsilä generators. (Source photo by Kit MacAvoy) “On any given day,” he said, the generators can run entirely on liquid petroleum gas or on diesel. “And we can switch that on a dime.” Friday’s ceremony came...

Anna Emelda Brewster, aka “Lil Ann” of Grove Place transitioned into eternal life Jan. 6. She was 55 years old. Anna Emelda Brewster She was preceded in death by her aunts, Letticia Brewster, Irene Brewster, Mae Agnes Brewster, Marie Sealey; uncles Elroy Brewster, Maxwell Brewster; godchildren, Tyree Rentas, Akil Braffith. She is survived by mother, Gwendolyn E. Brewster; father, Eric A. Sealey Jr.; daughters, Dinah-Lee M.L. Brewster, Diniqua M. Brewster, Melissa Willie (adopted), Chasidy Robinson (adopted), Melinda Jeffers (adopted), Kimberly President (adopted), Bria Roberts (adopted); son, Elroy W. Frorup (foster son); grandchildren, Avanae Hurtault (adopted), Zayden Nestor (adopted), Na’dejhia, Za’dejhia, and Ja’dejhia Francis (adopted), Raheem Christian Jr.(adopted); sisters, Sharon Samuel, Elizabeth Robinson, Vicky Brow; nieces, Kennika Walker, Keyondra Walker; nephew, Gaston Walker; aunts, Sherrill Richardson, Doreen Sealey; uncles, Alfred Gardner Sr., Curtis Brewster, Kenneth Brewster; godchildren, Natasha John-Lewis, Maurice Greenidge Jr., Kamal Greenidge, Laniqua Brow, Jaynilah Williams, Nyarah McMillan; cousins...

Detectives from the Virgin Islands Police Department’s Economic Crimes Unit arrested Danley N. McIntosh Thursday on St. Croix in connection with allegations of unauthorized use of a First Bank Visa debit card. The investigation, initiated on April 1, 2024, revealed that McIntosh allegedly found the debit card belonging to the complainant and used it to make several unauthorized purchases at multiple businesses, including Gas for Less & Mini Mart, My Lord Variety Store, Super Dollar, Wendy’s, Pollo Tropical, Jordan Supermarket, Falcon Gas Station, and Den’s Jewelers and Repairs, according to the police report. McIntosh turned himself into detectives at the Wilbur H. Francis Command Police Operating Building at approximately 1:11 p.m. He was served with an arrest warrant and taken into custody without incident. He was charged with obtaining money by false pretense, grand larceny, and access to computers for fraudulent purposes, the police report stated. Bail was set at...