Archive - May 10, 2012 - Article (News Story)

(FFAS press release) — Faga’itua took home the ASHAA Boys Soccer championship after defeating the Samoana Sharks 3-2 in a dramatic and thrilling back-and-forth final at Pago Park Soccer Stadium on Monday, May 7, 2011.

It was dramatic from the start with the two top contenders for the Player of the Year Award — Samoana’s Elama Fa’atonu and Faga’itua’s Shalom Luani — trading goals in the first half of the match. Fa’atonu would go on to win the award due to his superior goal scoring numbers to that of Luani.

Calling it “grossly deficient” the Appellate Division of the High Court denied the American Samoa Veterans Association (ASVA) application to stay the writ of restitution by the Trial court in the American Samoa Government’s case involving the government land in Tafuna leased to ASVA.

The property and current structure is now home to the American Samoa Career One Stop Center (ASCOSC).

As of early this year, American Samoa, is not listed as one of the nine insular area governments that have consistently “received unqualified — clean — opinions from... respective independent auditors” who have reviewed their financial statements, according to a report by the U.S. Interior Department’s Office of Insular Affairs.

It was presented to this year’s meeting of the Interagency Group in Insular Affairs (IGIA), held in February in Washington D.C.

FOUR MEN IN STONING INCIDENT ENTER GUILTY PLEA

The defendants charged in connection with the stoning of three police vehicles last year in Nu’uuli—Vani Atafua, Siaosi Laulu, Benjamin Maybir and Iosefa Falealo — have entered into plea agreements with the government.

All four defendants pled guilty to conspiracy to commit property damage, amended from the original charge of property damage, first degree.

In plea agreement with the government, the public peace disturbance charge has been dismissed.

The Trial division of the High Court has scheduled a trial for June 27, 2012 on a lawsuit filed four years ago, against JKL Inc, JLK Inc., Wilfredo Alamani, Lidavia Alamani, American Samoa Government, Attorney General Fepulea’I Arthur Ripley, Chief Immigration Officer Ufuti Ieremia, Immigration officers, Vaialega Jake Iakopo and Philo Maluia and Correction officers, Fofoa Asi and Siaosi Pona Laea. Two other defendants named in this lawsuit are deceased.

The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is currently enhancing American Samoa’s Emergency Alert System (EAS) through the implementation of an auxiliary Primary Entry Point station in the territory.

The American Samoa Organization on Aging (ASOA) would like to invite all the Seniors of the territory, along with their families and other interested persons, to the upcoming events and programs that will be taking place in the organization within the near future.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— As part of a major efficiency initiative that will leverage modern technology to save up to $500 million in taxpayer dollars by 2020, the Department of the Interior this week announced a contract award for Department-wide cloud email and collaboration services using "Google Apps for Government". This award is part of Interior’s IT Transformation initiative to provide employees with 21st century IT and support good government practices by reducing waste, cutting costs and integrating services.

The Department of Public Safety Marine Patrol is at this time working with marathon swimmer Bruckner Chase, who is helping the officers improve their swimming, water safety and water life saving skills.

Samoa News spoke with the Administration Assistant for the Marine Patrol Education Unit, Marlena Ieremia about the unit working with Chase.

These teachers have much to smile about during an informal dinner to celebrate their achievement: they are Masters Degree candidates who have successfully completed a rigorous cohort program from one of the most highly ranked teacher’s colleges in America, the University of Hawaii, Manoa.