Archive - Dec 23, 2011

The LBJ Medical Center has delayed the fee hikes until the middle of next month, to give the Fono and the administration time to come up with a financial package to assist the hospital, whose board chairman says LBJ reserves the right to implement the new fees if nothing changes in the financial picture for the government owned facility.

Merry Christmas American Samoa! And, especially good news for the financially strapped LBJ Hospital: the U.S. Congress has approved the FY 2012 appropriations bill for the Department of Interior, which includes the budget for the Office of Insular Affairs.

According to a press release from Congressman Faleomavaega’s office in Washington, D.C., dated December 22, 2011 — both the House and the Senate passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012, an omnibus bill that provides appropriations for most federal government operations in FY 2012.

Through a new executive order, Gov. Togiola Tulafono made it official for the Treasury Department to pay in January next year increments for employees of the Executive Branch as long as the increments are already budgeted in the current fiscal year 2012.

The ASG FY 2012 budget was approved by the Fono in late September and signed into law by the governor, just before Oct. 1, the beginning of the new fiscal year for the government.

The ‘Pualele’ Organization held a forum yesterday afternoon at the malae in Fagagtogo for the public to discuss and figure out ways of help solve the fee hikes that will take place at the LBJ Tropical Medical Center this coming Christmas Eve.

SOPI SENIO

A man who allegedly used a vehicle to hit another man has entered a not guilty plea to the charges of property damage and assault in the first degree with pre trial conference set for next year.

Sopi Senio entered the plea when he was arraigned in High Court last Friday after his case was bound over from District Court, where the defendant waived his rights to a preliminary examination hearing.

The Statistics Department has done their first counting of Samoa’s population for 2011 and they have come with their preliminary result. The total population of Samoa is 186,340, an increase of 5599 from the 2006 census.

This is a growth rate of around three per cent.
Statistics ACEO, Malaefono Taua, stressed that the figure is only the preliminary count.

American Samoa Government has asked the federal court in Honolulu to dismiss an age discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and for ASG to be awarded legal costs and other appropriate remedies.

Counting down to midnight Eve!

The list continues, and you’re adding on — you just saw Aunty Fia, she’s come in with the 4 kids for the holidays and they’re going to be at the “toana’i”… oka oka — add 5 more to your shopping list, add 5 more to your eating list.

O se vaaiga lena i nisi o totino o le Autalavou EFKAS mai Fagatogo ao sauni atu mo le latou pesepesega i le porokalama kerisimasi a le Arts Council i le Aso Sa ua mavae atu.
 

O le vaiaso nei na faailoa aloaia mai ai le mae’a aloaia o le galuega sa fitaituga i ai le afioga i le Agai o Tupu ma le Falefa o le Aiga Salemalama, i le fausiaina lea o le Maota Samoa o le malo, i le malae o le Su’igaula o le Atuvasa i Utulei, lea na amata mai i le masina o Iulai na tea nei.

O le galuega na taualuga i le asiga mai le itumalo o le Maoputasi, i lalo o le taitaiga a le afioga i le Maoputasi ia Senatoa Mauga Tasi Asuega atoa ai ma taitai o le itumalo.