Local News
![[photo: Costa Cruise Line]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/cruise%20ship%20today.png?itok=HSqrZrpn "[photo: Costa Cruise Line]")
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — This screen shot from the Costa Cruise Line website shows the cruise ship Costa Luminosa, which is docking at 7a.m. today from Hilo, Hawai’i with 2,260 passengers and 1,050 crew members. It departs at 5p.m. for Suva Fiji.
The Costa Luminosa is on a 102-day cruise...
![[SN file photo]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/EOB_1web_39.jpg?itok=QKpCvxkV "[SN file photo]")
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — ASG Treasury Department has scheduled three public forums next month with the business community to discuss the 1% alternative business minimum tax (AMBT), which went into effect on Jan. 1 this year, after the bill was signed into law, on Oct. 30 by the governor.
The...
![The five member Southern Oregon University delegation that arrived last week Friday and returns to Oregon tonight, talking to local students and parents about what SOU offers in academic and ROTC programs. [l-r back row] Lt. Col. Travis Lee; Sgt. First Class Joe Watson; ROTC Cadet Alyssa Moutsatson. [l-r front row] SOU director of admissions Kelly Moutsatson; SOU admissions counselor Erin Doering. [photo: FS]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/SOU%20delegation.jpg?itok=XWll6jxw "The five member Southern Oregon University delegation that arrived last week Friday and returns to Oregon tonight, talking to local students and parents about what SOU offers in academic and ROTC programs. [l-r back row] Lt. Col. Travis Lee; Sgt. First Class Joe Watson; ROTC Cadet Alyssa Moutsatson. [l-r front row] SOU director of admissions Kelly Moutsatson; SOU admissions counselor Erin Doering. [photo: FS]")
Southern Oregon University (SOU) is reducing the out-of-state tuition for students from American Samoa, for the Ashland, Oregon based university, where a student has “a sense of belonging, a sense of community,” according to SOU’s Director of Admissions, Kelly Moutsatson.
The university, which also...
![Police Commissioner Le’i Sonny Thompson [SN file photo]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Lei_0413_4.jpg?itok=TYruC7Qb "Police Commissioner Le’i Sonny Thompson [SN file photo]")
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — In two cases held over from December, Police Commissioner Le’i Sonny Thompson and former KHJ Radio reporter Tauva Esera were ordered by District Court Judge Fiti Sunia to appear yesterday for Show Cause hearings.
In the hearing regarding Le’i, a driver of a vehicle was...
![Dr. Ruth Matagi-Tofiga [SN file photo]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Matagi-Tofiga%206477_5.jpg?itok=_RQWpCSs "Dr. Ruth Matagi-Tofiga [SN file photo]")
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The local Department of Education is adding one more week to the current school year after public schools were closed for 8 school days before and after Tropical Storm Gita. ASDOE is also changing official graduation dates for the public high schools.
Public schools were...
![[SN file photo]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Pago%20Dist%20Court%20014_92.jpeg?itok=uA7Bl50K "[SN file photo]")
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Alcohol continues to be a contributing factor to many of the new cases involving public peace disturbance that come before the District Court for initial appearances.
And during Tuesday’s court proceedings before District Court Judge Fiti Sunia four new cases involving...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Continued decline in population for some insular areas means a loss of federal monies, which are awarded based on population count, according to the US Department of Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) which made the observation in its proposed fiscal year 2019...
![[photo: ASPA]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/ASPA%20poles%20.jpg?itok=GazV5vGa "[photo: ASPA]")
Pago Pago, American Samoa — A new shipment of poles for the American Samoa Power Authority arrived on island on Tuesday via ocean transportation. ASPA managing director, Paul Young explained that this order of poles was made sometime back before Tropical Storm Gita and that ASPA has pole inventory...
![Pictured are child cancer survivor Eliana Feliciano and Zsofe Renette Del Mundo, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. According to local stats, Pediatric Cancer is on the rise in American Samoa. [Courtesy photos]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/composit_1.jpg?itok=oSbMALMR "Pictured are child cancer survivor Eliana Feliciano and Zsofe Renette Del Mundo, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. According to local stats, Pediatric Cancer is on the rise in American Samoa. [Courtesy photos]")
Pago Pago, American Samoa — Pediatric cancer — cancers found in children between the ages of 0 to 19 years old — is on the rise in American Samoa.
The Cancer Coalition has experienced an increase in the number of stipend applications submitted on behalf of children with cancer. During the last five...
![Police Commissioner Le’i Sonny Thompson [SN file photo]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Lei%20Thompson%206463_10.jpg?itok=tDX2CeE0 "Police Commissioner Le’i Sonny Thompson [SN file photo]")
Pago Pago, American Samoa — Two inmates that escaped from the Territorial Correctional Facility (TCF) two weeks ago were found by police last weekend, according to Police Commissioner Le’i Sonny Thompson, who also confirmed there is an ongoing investigation into alleged misconduct involving a...