🌱 Help The Horses, 83rd COVID Death + A Weekend Full Of Events

Good morning and welcome back to the Virgin Islands Daily. The good news: Queen conch season is open, again.

Even better news: a St. Thomas native is paving the way for patients with sickle cell anemia to access better care.

All the good news - and the not-so-good news - is rounded up and ready to read.

And if you're into these newsletters, consider bringing some of your friends and neighbors into the fold. You can send them this link to subscribe.

First, today's weather: Mostly sunny with a shower. High: 86 Low: 78.

And get the weekend weather forecast on Patch.

Here are the top stories today in US Virgin Islands:

1. St. Thomas native Beverley Francis-Gibson helped create and an online tool that will help people with Sickle Cell Disease find clinical trials close to home. It is a breakthrough in connecting patients with cutting-edge therapeutics. The Daily News has the full story. (Virgin Islands Daily News)
2. A 50-year-old St. Croix woman is the 83rd person in the territory to die from COVID-19. St. Croix has seen a marked increase in new cases and fatalities lately. The Source has more (St. Croix Source)
3. The Consortium has a video of Governor Bryan and his team touring a marijuana grow facility in Colorado. You won't get any insight on legalizing marijuana in the USVI, but hey, maybe you just want to see what a marijuana facility looks like. So enjoy! (V.I. Consortium)
4. Let's end with some good news: there is a lot going on this weekend! Dion Parson and the 21st Century Band are playing Friday and Saturday night at Antilles School. If you're feeling sporty, there's 25th annual St Croix Coral Reef Swim on Sunday, or join the 9th Annual Paddle The Park on St. John. And let's not forget there is a weekend-long music festival happening at The Fred, The Virgin Islands Shakedown. Get it all on Patch. (Patch USVI)

Today's US Virgin Islands Daily is brought to you by our friends at Verizon. They're building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G is going to change life for you and your community — and to get access to this amazing technology — click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in US Virgin Islands!

There's a lot going on this weekend, but let's look at today's events:

• USVI Small Business Webinar: Starting or Growing a Veteran-Owned Business (8:30 a.m.)
• Friday Hobie Racing (4:30 p.m.)
• Dion Parson & 21st Century Band (9:00 p.m.)

See what else is happening this weekend on Patch: Full Weekend Calendar

As seen on social:

• Queen Conch Season Reopens: Harvesting of queen conch is allowed from November 1, 2021, and will remain open until midnight, May 31, 2022, or until the 50,000 lb. quota per district is reached, whichever comes first. (Facebook)
• Golden Age Ranch is asking for help for the horses. It's a great cause! (Facebook)
• The Humane Society has opened up its Christmas Toy Sale. From Nov. 3 through Nov. 14, stock up on everything you think Santa might forget :) (Facebook)
• "Governor Albert Bryan Jr. extends deep greetings to the India Association of the Virgin Islands on the celebration of Diwali, Festival of Lights..." (Facebook)

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That's it for today! I'll see you tomorrow morning for the weekend update.

— 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.