Archive - Apr 2, 2012 - Article (News Story)

The 2012 Flag Day official committee has appointed Pala’ita Tusi Suiaunoa as the new chairman of the fautasi committee. He replaces Senator Pagofie from Pava’ia’i who held the post for over three years.

Samoa News Sports is pleased to feature local teams that have been invited to play in the TMO Marist Pago International Seven A Side tournament scheduled for April 13-14.  This coverage is made possible through the sponsorship of TMO and host club, Marist Pago.

AVELE CLUB

 “We accept the challenge of playing against top teams from overseas as far as our strength and ability will take us, but it will be an uphill battle not only for Avele but other local clubs as well,” Avele coach, Tommy Elisara says.

Samoa News Sports is pleased to feature local teams that have been invited to play in the TMO Marist Pago International Seven A Side tournament scheduled for April 13-14.  This coverage is made possible through the sponsorship of TMO and host club, Marist Pago.

MARIST PAGO CLUB

 “This is our team motto,” declares Jerry Chang, head coach of the Marist Pago squad.  “Keep the score at 99 points.  Never let them reach 100 points against us.”

(BASED ON A PRESS RELEASE)--For years people with disabilities have not only been discriminated against,  but also bullied. Name calling is a significant sign of bullying, and a tool which is used to demean others. With hurtful names such as "Retard" or "Retarded" some of the most vulnerable members of our community are marginalized, and made to feel less than significant. 

The 44-year-old man who is accused of killing a 3-year-old Makaha boy and injuring other members of his family last week made his first court appearance this morning.

Potasi Uta is charged with first-degree negligent homicide, causing accidental death or injury and driving under the influence of alcohol.

Police said speeding may also be a factor in the crash following Wednesday night's accident, in which a car allegedly driven by Uta crashed into a bus shelter fronting Makaha Beach.

Approximately 500 National Emergency Grant participants attended the first job/ career fair in the territory by the Native Hawaiian Holding Company (NHHC), at the Gov. H. Lee Auditorium over the weekend.

NHHC local Projects Manager Paula Stevenson-McDonald and her husband Michael McDonald said the turnout was great and they are looking forward to the second career fair that will be held next month.

The Procurement Office approved last month the sole sourcing of a $4.7 million contract to the NHHC. 

Eliota Siaumau Sr. was fined and placed on probation for two years for driving under the influence and attempting to elude police following an incident which occurred last year during the holidays.

Siaumau Sr. was initially charged with resisting arrest — a felony — and driving under the influence, which is a misdemeanor.

However in a plea deal with the government earlier last month, the defendant pled guilty to a DUI and attempting to elude police, which was amended from the resisting arrest charge.

Sherri Brokopp Binder, a graduate student from University of Hawaii has worked with aid groups following natural disasters around the world. She was in New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina, in Mozambique and Guatemala following serious flooding in those countries, but according to the quiet and serious student of psychology, she has never seen anything like the aftermath of the Pacific tsunami of 2009, and the examples set by the people of American Samoa following that cataclysmic event.

Tafuna High School campus took on a gala, festive atmosphere on Friday as the school hosted the Annual Secondary Speech Festival for the second year in a row. Taking top honors this year and for the third time since 2006, gaining the most overall “first place" honors, is Kanana Fou High School.

The governor of the Northern Marianas, Benigno Fitial, wants a renegotiation of the United States military’s 100-year lease on two-thirds of the land on Tinian.

He says none of the promised development on the island has materialised in the past 35 years.

In a letter to the U.S. Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta, Mr Fitial says not a single element of the Department’s plan was ever implemented on the island.

Mr Fitial told Mr Panetta that as a consequence all the land the U.S. military is leasing on Tinian has sat idle and has caused direct and significant harm to the community.