Archive - Feb 7, 2012

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM would say this: When two prospects from American Samoa are traveling to Washington State for an official recruiting visit it would be prudent to have them fly the leg from Seattle to Pullman. Think of the time being saved, right? Wrong, says Joe Salave'a. Last month, when Robert Barber and Destiny Vaeao tripped to WSU, Salave'a picked them up at Sea-Tac and drove to Pullman.

And when their weekend was done, the big defensive line coach drove them back to Sea-Tac. Round trip, we’re talking close to 600 miles and more than nine hours.

Making good on his threat made over the weekend, Gov. Togiola Tulafono has sent to the Fono legislation that seeks to repeal the law that established the American Samoa Medical Center Authority and return the LBJ Medical Center to the jurisdiction of the ASG Department of Health.

On his weekend radio program, Togiola said that if the hospital went ahead with the fee hikes (that went into effect at 8 a.m. yesterday) he would send a bill to the Fono to dissolve the hospital authority and return LBJ to the government.

As of 4 p.m. yesterday, satellite images showed an active monsoonal trough over the islands of American Samoa, and tropical cyclone Cyril located about 420 nautical miles south of Tutuila, according to the National Weather Service in Tafuna.

Weather Service officials said yesterday that the cyclone has moved away from the Tongan islands heading southeast, and was expected to diminish sometime last night, while the monsoon trough would remain over the islands last night and today.

Senate President Gaoteote Tofau Palaie has disputed Gov. Togiola Tulafono’s claim that the Fono is holding off on approving administration bills, which would address financial needs of the LBJ Medical Center.

The hospital yesterday implemented the facility fee hikes.

Members of the public are furious and disappointed with the LBJ hospital’s new fees. It is now $50 for any outpatient visit, $40 for each prescription, $250 for dialysis patients per visit, and admission to any ward is $100 per day, except the Intensive Care Unit which costs $200 per day.

 When Samoa News arrived at the pharmacy yesterday morning, a man in his 40’s was at the window complaining, saying that he cannot afford to pay the new fees.

MICHAEL LEATIGAGA & JOE LEOTA

The Attorney General’s office has filed charges against two men, in connection with over 200 cases of Wahoo that were removed from the StarKist warehouse back in August 2011.

The two men made their initial appearances before District Court Judge John Ward yesterday morning. The pair were arrested over the weekend.

Joe Leota has been charged with burglary and stealing, while his co-defendant Michael Leatigaga is facing stealing and receiving stolen property charges.

The federal court in Washington D.C. granted a “protective order” barring Sanford Limited from making public financial information that Tri Marine International had voluntarily turned over to the U.S. Justice Department as part of the federal government’s case against Sanford Limited.

Three former crew members from the fishing vessel San Nikunau are now seeking refuge in the U.S. for fear of retaliation.

PART ONE

By Deeds of Cession, our forefathers ceded our islands — Tutuila and Manu’a — in 1900 and 1904 respectively. In 1902 and 1904, the President of the US formerly recognized the deeds of cession, and the Congress followed suit in 1929.

The US was not prepared to be responsible for the newly acquired territory. The delayed recognition of AS (American Samoa) reflected the delayed and slow development of health care in AS.

A storm warning for Tonga has been lifted with Cyclone Cyril moving away from the country.

The tropical storm became a cyclone overnight and had threatened flooding on the main island of Tongatapu and gales in Vava’u.

Tonga’s acting director of Works, Leveni Aho, says it’s now moving away and appears to have had little impact.

Japan and the United States are reported to have reached a broad agreement to transfer 4,700 US marines from Okinawa to Guam.

Washington originally planned to move eight thousand marines and their dependants to the territory under a deal reached with Tokyo in 2006.

Japanese newspapers are reporting remaining troops will go to Hawaii and the Philippines instead of Guam.

China’s growing military activity and US budgetary constraints are factors reported to be behind the proposal to disperse the marines over a wider area.