By B. Chen blue@samoanews.com Last Wednesday, the residents of Tutuila and Manu’a had the chance to watch the top six contestants of Le Leo Season 2 battle it out for a spot in the Top Four — and they didn’t disappoint. From the original pool of 32 contestants, only six — four females and two males — were left standing as of last week. Rosetta Maiava got...
By Joyetter Feagaimaalii-Luamanu joy@samoanews.com Former instructor at the American Samoa Community College, James Barlow has sued the American Samoa Government for negligence, HIPPA violation, negligent infliction of emotional distress and intentional infliction of emotional distress. According to the seven-page complaint filed last month by Barlow’s attorney Mark Ude, the plaintiff...
By Fili Sagapolutele fili@samoanews.com Families of two of the three fallen police officers who served with the Department of Public Safety, looked on yesterday during the official dedication of a wall at the main DPS station in Fagatogo: ‘In Memoriam of our Fallen Officers” The brief ceremony was attended by Lt. Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga, who is also acting governor. Based...
By Fili Sagapolutele fili@samoanews.com The citizenship lawsuit appeal, now pending before the federal appeals court in Washington D.C., is getting more interesting with former governors of three U.S. territories seeking to participate in the appeal’s process through amicus curiae (or friend of the court) briefs. The request was filed last Friday at the federal appeal’s court by...
By Joyetter Feagaimaalii-Luamanu joy@samoanews.com “Our office is doing its best to move ahead in investigating your complaint. However, Bluesky is not the only organization that we are looking at and we need to be consistent and fair once we start charging those who violate the law,” said Assistant Attorney General, Asaua Fuimaono, in response to a call by ASTCA Board Chairman Roy Hall...
By Teri Hunkin reporters@samoanews.com The artistic talent so readily seen in our youth was once again on display as the Lions Club of Pago Pago held a brunch for the student winners of their Peace Poster contest, an annual event which asks young people to consider the yearly theme—always centered on some aspect of peace— and depict an artistic rendering of their thoughts on the subject....
By Fili Sagapolutele fili@samoanews.com Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga has extended the privilege to the Fono leadership to represent American Samoa at the United Nations Decolonization Committee regional seminar later this month. Also known as the Special Committee of 24, the regional seminars are rotated between the Pacific and Caribbean. Last year’s seminar was held in Guayaquil, Ecuador...
Washington, D.C . — Congressman Faleomavaega hosted this year’s Close Up participants from American Samoa during their visit to Washington, D.C. recently. This year’s group represented the high schools of Faga’itua, Iakina Adventist Academy, Leone, Manu’a, Nu’uuli Vocational Technical, Samoana, South Pacific Academy and Tafuna. The group of 26 participants,...
By Fili Sagapolutele fili@samoanews.com Church bells rang out across the islands of American Samoa around 8a.m. today, Sunday, as the territory joins the rest of the nation to mark Mother’s Day 2014. Scattered rain overnight into early morning didn’t put a damper on Mother’s Day spirit in the territory. Mothers of American Samoa dressed in their best, unique, outstanding and...
By Fili Sagapolutele fili@samoanews.com Three additional scholars of constitutional law and legal history will be joining two others in filing ‘amici curiae’ (or friends of the court) briefs in the citizenship lawsuit appeal now pending before the federal court of appeal in Washington D.C. The appeal is by five American Samoans, with local resident Leneuoti F. Tuaua as lead plaintiff....
By Samoa News staff reporters@samoanews.com An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) found that the government owned American Samoa TeleCommunications Authority failed to pay overtime wages to more than 30 employees. USDOL says in a news release late Thursday afternoon that ASTCA owes $26,836 in overtime to 36 workers at the Tafuna branch and other...
By James Kneubuhl, ASCC Press Officer Wittenberg Mariner, a fall 2013 graduate of the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) and member of the prestigious Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) honor society, has been chosen as one of the recipients of the New Century Scholarship, sponsored by Coca-Cola Foundation, Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, Phi Theta Kappa, and the American Association of Community Colleges....
By Samoa News staff reporters@samoanews.com In the administration’s Mother’s Day message, released Thursday, Lt. Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga, who is also the acting governor, said “Mother’s Day is memorialized and celebrated each year to honor all mothers and to express our gratitude for the hardships they suffered silently as they tirelessly nurtured our growth and vigilantly...
By Samoa News staff reporters@samoanews.com In the administration’s Mother’s Day message, released Thursday, Lt. Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga, who is also the acting governor, said “Mother’s Day is memorialized and celebrated each year to honor all mothers and to express our gratitude for the hardships they suffered silently as they tirelessly nurtured our growth and vigilantly...
By Fili Sagapolutele fili@samoanews.com Department of Youth and Women’s Affairs (DYWA) kicks off the Mother’s Day weekend with a ‘night at the movies under the stars’ set to begin this evening, as American Samoa joins the rest of the nation is honoring our mothers this Sunday. Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 8, 1914, designated the second Sunday in May each...
By James Kneubuhl, ASCC Press Officer Teacher Education student Ms. Fa’aletaua Saili, 23, of Nu’uuli is on course to receive her Bachelor of Education degree during the 60th American Samoa Community College (ASCC) Commencement on Friday, May 16. Saili completed the required student teaching portion of the B.Ed. program in early May when her students in Level-4 at Pavaia’i...
By Cadet 1st Lieutenant Christina Laban Tafuna High School JROTC will host the 2014 Annual JROTC Drill Meet on Saturday, May 10, at Tafuna High School gymnasium. Cadets from five high schools are competing in the event, including Tafuna, Leone, Samoana, Kanana Fou, and Faga’itua. The five High Schools participating will be sending their finest teams to compete in this unparalleled weekend...
By Joyetter Feagaimaalii-Luamanu joy@samoanews.com The woman who sustained 26 stitches on her forehead after her face was hit with a drinking glass outside of the Bowling Alley last year December told the court that she has forgiven Henry Satila who was convicted of the incident. Satila was charged with second-degree assault, public peace disturbance and two counts of third degree assault....
By Fili Sagapolutele fili@samoanews.com A senior U.S. Census Bureau official says budgetary issues were the primary reason that the federal agency opted not to include non-employers — which are businesses without paid employees — in the 2012 American Samoa Economic Census. According to the Census Bureau, the economic statistics for 2012 are not comparable to 2007 because only firms...
By Fili Sagapolutele fili@samoanews.com Another 100-plus public school teachers will be sitting the Praxis I test this summer, while the local Department of Education is awaiting results for those who took the same test earlier this year, says DOE director Vaitinasa Dr. Salu Hunkin-Finau. In March this year, 500-plus public school teachers took the Praxis I test, which Vaitinasa told Samoa...