Local News
![Four Department of Public Safety officers who completed and passed the Police Motorcycle Instructor Final earlier this year. The training was overseen by two Arizona State Troopers (pictured, center) who were part of a delegation that arrived earlier this month to conduct DUI courses for over 30 local cops. The police motorcycle instructor course was an add-on to the ARIDE training course and resulted in the off island instructors staying a week longer. [SN file photo]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/DPS%20cops_0.jpg?itok=dlDk0ayc "Four Department of Public Safety officers who completed and passed the Police Motorcycle Instructor Final earlier this year. The training was overseen by two Arizona State Troopers (pictured, center) who were part of a delegation that arrived earlier this month to conduct DUI courses for over 30 local cops. The police motorcycle instructor course was an add-on to the ARIDE training course and resulted in the off island instructors staying a week longer. [SN file photo]")
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Adding another layer to the Territory’s fight against alcohol and drug abuse, a Department of Public Safety motorcycle squad is currently being trained to establish a DPS DUI Task Force.
Police Commissioner Le’i Sonny Thompson told Samoa News, “… DUI is a person who is...
![[photo: THA]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/house%20no%20roof%20from%20inside_0574.jpg?itok=S53e-jLR "[photo: THA]")
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The joint preliminary damage assessment (PDA) following Tropical Storm Gita is completed and the data has been turned over to the Governor’s Office to Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga, who makes the final decision for requesting a major disaster declaration to the federal...
![[photo from Facebook]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/red%20cross%20american%20samoa.jpg?itok=NgCu83nS "[photo from Facebook]")
Here is an update from the Emergency Operations Center as of 6pm Feb. 22 for families with homes that have major damage or were destroyed in the following villages to report to these Points of Distribution (POD) for American Red Cross emergency supplies:
Friday – February 23, 2018
POD – Taveuveu...
![[SN file photo]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/AM%20Samoa%20HC_96.jpeg?itok=EMB4OICF "[SN file photo]")
DHSS CASE: VINCENT TOEAVA
District Court Judge Fiti Sunia has bound over to the High Court the case against one of the defendants in the Department of Human and Social Services (DHSS) alleged food stamp fraud case, after the defendant waived his right to a preliminary hearing (PX) this week....
![The late Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin and his wife Hinanui Hunkin. [SN file photo]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/ENI%2CHINA_0.jpg?itok=uWr48zBK "The late Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin and his wife Hinanui Hunkin. [SN file photo]")
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Before the advent of social media and the ease of access to information on events beyond our reef, the late Honorable Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin, was championing the causes of his beloved homeland throughout the corridors of Washington, D.C.
The impact and...
![[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...