Local News
![God Bless our Veterans [courtesy photo]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/amata%20n%20vets%20copy_0.jpg?itok=896bmXjs "God Bless our Veterans [courtesy photo]")
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Aumua Amata issued the following statement in recognition of Veterans Day 2017:
“Thank you to everyone who has served in our nation’s armed forces, and thank you also to every family of those who served.
“Veterans Day is particularly important on our beautiful...
An American Samoan woman accused of filing false tax returns with the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for local residents intends to change her plea, according to her attorney in recent court filings at the federal court in Anchorage, Alaska.
Coriana Ifopo, 54, was arrested in Honolulu on July 11...
![Samoa Police Commissioner, Egon Keil, and DPS Commissioner, Le’i Sonny Thompson during last year’s PTCN conference in American Samoa. [photo: AF]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Commissioners_0811.jpg?itok=e70Fn_Jb "Samoa Police Commissioner, Egon Keil, and DPS Commissioner, Le’i Sonny Thompson during last year’s PTCN conference in American Samoa. [photo: AF]")
DPS Commissioner Le’i Sonny Thompson is attending the Pacific Transnational Crime Network Conference (PTCN) in Honolulu this week, representing the American Samoa Department of Public Safety at the annual event.
The workshop provides an important opportunity for PTCN team leaders to collectively...
![The "Most Creative Female Polynesian" tattoo at this year's Tisa's Tattoo Fest is a goat, by Otto Jonigkeit. [photo: courtesy]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Most%20Creative%20Female%20Poly%20Winner.jpg?itok=wMw8Ta5f "The \"Most Creative Female Polynesian\" tattoo at this year's Tisa's Tattoo Fest is a goat, by Otto Jonigkeit. [photo: courtesy]")
Alega Beach, AS —It was indeed another successful year of the Tatau celebration for Tisa’s Tattoo Fest 2017. And a major part of this success came from our long time local businesses and new sponsors, who continue to give their Tautua to maintain and celebrate the famous Tatau Art of Samoa. Our...
![[SN file photo]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/AM%20Samoa%20HC_56.jpeg?itok=-pr9Pmy9 "[SN file photo]")
A six-member, all-female jury delivered a 'not guilty' verdict in the case against a former Coleman Elementary School teacher this week, who was charged with one count of child abuse, a felony, and one count of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor. The charges stem from an incident...
![[SN file photo]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/AM%20Samoa%20HC_55.jpeg?itok=604eEmEg "[SN file photo]")
The 11-year-old victim in the government's case against former Coleman Elementary schoolteacher Tony Leatualevao told the jury yesterday that the defendant used a wooden paddle to strike him five times last year.
This is according to testimony provided during Day 2 of Leatualevao's jury trial in...
![National Weather Service Office meteorologist Elinor Lutu-McMoore with local Department of Homeland Security officials Fale Ulufale and Vinnie Atofau. [photo: FS]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/cyclone%20presenters.jpg?itok=Vi_iS_be "National Weather Service Office meteorologist Elinor Lutu-McMoore with local Department of Homeland Security officials Fale Ulufale and Vinnie Atofau. [photo: FS]")
With American Samoa now in cyclone season — which runs through Apr. 30, 2018 — the National Weather Service Office in Tafuna and the local Department of Homeland Security/TEMCO have reached out to local media outlets to help keep people informed as part of preparations before and after a storm.
...
![The American Samoa Government (ASG) Office of Archives & Records celebrated this year's American Archives Month with various activities. [photo: courtesy]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/archives%20month.jpg?itok=J3QCpaPt "The American Samoa Government (ASG) Office of Archives & Records celebrated this year's American Archives Month with various activities. [photo: courtesy]")
The 7th night following the 3rd quarter full moon in October and November are generally the predicted dates for palolo spawning in the territory. That means the slimy worms are expected to rise during the late evening hours tomorrow, Nov. 10th, early morning hours of Saturday, Nov. 11th - although...
![ASCC President Dr. Rosevonne Makaiwi Pato congratulates this semester's recipients of the College's in-house scholarships. (l-r) Dr. Pato, Jin Lin Du, Louaivasa Laulu, Jingling Jiang, and Rianna Lafaele. [Photo: J. Kneubuhl]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/ascc%20scholarhips9053.jpg?itok=jMNuHrrj "ASCC President Dr. Rosevonne Makaiwi Pato congratulates this semester's recipients of the College's in-house scholarships. (l-r) Dr. Pato, Jin Lin Du, Louaivasa Laulu, Jingling Jiang, and Rianna Lafaele. [Photo: J. Kneubuhl]")
Most students at the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) are US citizens or nationals, which gives them access to federal financial aid, particularly the Pell Grant which covers the majority of a student’s college expenses. ASCC also serves a number of young men and women who do not qualify for...
![BUYERS BEWARE: There are “Gatorade” drinks being sold locally that are allegedly not authentic. The sole distributor of Gatorade products is Pago Pago Trading Company (PPTC) and they are currently suing an Asian owned business for parallel shipping. According to PPTC, the Gatorade being brought in by this other company appears tainted and is not the real thing. [photo: courtesy]](https://www.samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/gatorade.jpg?itok=zU4PdrlK "BUYERS BEWARE: There are “Gatorade” drinks being sold locally that are allegedly not authentic. The sole distributor of Gatorade products is Pago Pago Trading Company (PPTC) and they are currently suing an Asian owned business for parallel shipping. According to PPTC, the Gatorade being brought in by this other company appears tainted and is not the real thing. [photo: courtesy]")
The folks at Pago Pago Trading Company (PPTC) are urging the community to be on the lookout for Gatorade products that are being sold in local stores, because some are allegedly not authentic and "could make people sick."
Currently, PPTC is suing Pacific Mini Mart in Tafuna for parallel shipping...