🌱 $48.5 Million For Veterans Drive Project + A Peek At Lovongo

Hello and happy Friday. We've got the Friday forecast, a full weekend events calendar, a sneaky-peek of the new Lovongo resort....and the latest on the Veteran's Drive project.

First, today's weather:

Some sun, a shower; breezy. High: 84 Low: 76.

And check out the full forecast for the weekend ahead.

Top headlines:

1. Gov. Albert Bryan and Public Works Commissioner Derek Gabriel joined dozens of lawmakers and government officials to snip the ribbon on Veterans Drive. They celebrated the completion of phase 1 of the road improvement project, which resulted in an expanded roadway and a scenic promenade along the waterfront. The project took 4 1/2 years and cost an estimated $48.5 million, according to The Source.
2. Want a sneak peek of the newly-renovated Lovongo Resort + Beach Club? News of St. John has the scoop.
3. WAPA: a scheduled electrical service interruption will affect approximately 85 customers on Feeder 6A in the Columbus Landing area. The outage is scheduled to start at 8:30 am and service should be restored by 4:00 p.m.
4. Now it's not exactly in the holiday spirit, but if you're wondering about what's going on with the Ghislaine Maxwell Trial, the New York Times has daily updates. Their latest story is pure click-bait: The Photos That Ghislaine Maxwell Didn’t Want the Jury to See.
5. Let's end on a high note. Here's an obituary worth reading: bell hooks.

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Today's Events

• Mercy Child at Leatherback Brewing STX (5:00 p.m.)
• Christmas in the Garden (5:00 p.m.)
• Christiansted Mobile Lantern Motorcade (6:00 p.m.)
• Friday Movie Nights (6:00 p.m.)

Patch also has the full line-up of weekend events across the territory. Check it out.

From the social channels:

• The St. Croix Foundation for Community Development released the 2021 KIDS COUNT USVI data book, a collection of social, economic, health and educational data collected since 2017. According to The Source, "Examples of the type of information you can find in it include 12th-grade enrollment figures, public housing in the USVI, and public-school dropout rates, just to name a few." (Twitter)
• Friends of the St. Croix East End Marine Park launched a new website this week: www.eastendmarineparkfriends.org. It's filled with information about volunteer opportunities, park zones, events, plus guides and resources.
• There's a 5-mile Jingle Bell Run this Saturday at 7am at Cane Bay, St. Croix. The organizers are also hosting a 5k run "for those who can't run that far." (Me, that would be me.) There will be special prizes prize for holiday attire! $5 entry. "Arrive by 6:45am - with mask on - to fill out the waiver/entry form. For more info, please call 340-513-2707" (Facebook)
• CFVI awarded a grant to Leap and Learn Academy St.Croix to provide support for 17 low-income students ages 3-12 to attend their six-week summer camp for free...(Facebook)

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Have a good one!

— Ashleigh Baldwin

About me: I'm the Patch Community News Editor for the U.S. Virgin Islands. I'm here to provide news you can use. Do you have a news tip, question or feedback? Please contact me at ashleigh.baldwin@patch.com.