Gov. Bryan & Team Get Smart On Cannabis + USVI Hits 39 Homicides

Good Morning U.S. Virgin Islands! Our Governor is in Colorado learning about weed and our homicide rate is through the roof. But it's not all weird news. UVI names Dr. Tai Hunte-Ceasar as the first dean of the new medical school. Read on for more.

First, today's weather:

An a.m. shower; lots of sun. High: 86 Low: 78.

Here are the top stories in US Virgin Islands today:

1. A St. Thomas man was shot in broad daylight on Monday. The victim told police he was in Savan suspects in a gray vehicle approached him and fired multiple shots. He suffered a gunshot wound to the foot. (U.S. Virgin Islands Patch)
2. Kareem Smith, a 37-year-old resident of Salt River on St Croix, is the 39th victim of homicide in the USVI this year. Smith was shot on Saturday evening and died of his injures, say the V.I. Police Department. 26th homicide on St Croix. (St. Croix Source)
   It was the 26th homicide on St Croix since the beginning of the year, the 39th in the territory, according to the Source homicide list.*
3. Tiphanie Yanique, a VI native and celebrated author, will greet the public at book signings on St. Thomas and St. John on Oct. 28. Yanique won national acclaim with her first novel, “Land of Love and Drowning,” which was published in 2014.(St. Croix Source)

Today's US Virgin Islands Daily is brought to you by our friends at Ring, the home security company. Ring does a lot more than doorbells: check out their full suite of smart home products at Ring.com. And thank you Ring for helping to make local news happen in US Virgin Islands!

Today in US Virgin Islands:

• Balcony Tuesdays- A Taste of 3 Palms (9:00 a.m.)
• Downtown Walking Tour - St Thomas History (9:00 a.m.)

As Seen On Social:

• The University of the Virgin Islands announced the first Dean of the new UVI S. Donald Sussman School of Medicine. Dr. Tai Hunte-Ceasar, a Virgin Islander, most recently served as the Territorial Medical Director and Territorial Infectious Disease Specialist. (UVI Press Releas)
• Governor Bryan and his executive staff are in Denver, Colorado this week learning all there is to know about the cannabis industry. You can see the full agenda for the V.I. Legislative Cannabis Summit here, courtesy of the V.I. Consortium. Day 1 included talks on regulatory structure, banking, taxation, and the economic impact of the cannabis industry. (Facebook)
• Interested in a 3-night charter on a private sailboat? You could win it! News of St. John has the details (News of St. John)
• Government House - US Virgin Islands: "During Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2021, the Yvonne A. Galiber Foundation is offering financial assistance for biopsies to uninsured and underinsured women in the USVI..." (Facebook)

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That's all for today, folks. And if you're into these newsletters, consider bringing some friends and neighbors on board. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Ashleigh Baldwin

About me: Hi there! 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.