WTJX NEWSFEED: January 13, 2026

On today’s WTJX Radio NewsFeed: A financing deal tied to the future ownership of Frenchman’s Reef on St. Thomas has been finalized, setting a path for the hotel to eventually become a publicly owned asset. Lawmakers unanimously approve a bill that increases the territory’s minimum wage over the next several years. And historic preservation officials on St. Croix are moving to address unauthorized construction in downtown Christiansted, sparking a wider conversation about the preservation of historic buildings in the territory. We speak with Stephanie Chalana Brown, a self-described budding historian and the director of cultural education at the Virgin Islands Department of Education, about the history living in these structures. Listen to these stories and more.