Local News
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The High Court has accepted a motion filed by Taoto Lagatonu through his attorney, Assistant Public Defender Rob McNeill, to waive his right to a jury trial, and let a panel of judges decide the matter in a bench trial.
Lagatonu told the court last week that after he...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — DOI Assistant Secretary Doug Domenech has announced nearly half a million dollars in federal funds for the public health emergency response to the Pacific measles outbreak.
Specifically, the Department of Interior is awarding $490,000 in federal funds for American Samoa...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Pursuant to new information and data that has continued to be collected since the Declaration of Continued Public Health Emergency was issued by Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga on Dec. 8, 2019, Dept of Human and Social Services (DHSS) director Muavaefaatasi John Suisala,...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A 28-year-old man convicted of raping a young girl in his vehicle will serve 7 years in jail. Ioane Alataua Jr appeared in court last week for sentencing where he apologized and begged for a second chance to return home to care for his mother, who lives alone.
Alataua Jr...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Readers have been asking Samoa News: Has the “short amnesty” program been extended an additional 15 days or is the cut off date still Jan. 8th? And how successful has it been so far?
Samoa News responds:
The “short amnesty” program was declared by provisions of the...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man who was found sleeping at a bus stop in Tafuna last week is facing drug charges, after police allegedly found drugs and paraphernalia on him, when they went wake him up.
Douglas Silipa, a.k.a. “Douky” is charged with unlawful possession of methamphetamine and...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The motor accident death of a staffer of American Samoa's Department of Agriculture has prompted the director to submit his resignation.
The worker died in a traffic accident on New Year's Eve in the village of Failolo.
She was allegedly riding in the back of a DoA truck...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The driver of a vehicle that was pulled over during a traffic stop last week is now in custody after police allegedly found drugs in the vehicle. Tuli Savea made his initial appearance in District Court last week.
He is charged with unlawful possession of methamphetamine...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Three female employees of the Dept of Agriculture were involved in a deadly traffic accident New Year's Eve.
The driver has been jailed, one woman has died, and the other is reportedly in critical condition at the LBJ Hospital.
It is alleged that the accident was...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — American Samoa Power Authority acting executive director, Wallon Young provided to Samoa News an ASPA report on what caused the power outage just after 9a.m., Monday.
The outage caused concerns among businesses, which were already busy with closing out books for 2019,...