Local News
![[photo: AF]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Felise_0894.jpg?itok=HplOyJ1n "[photo: AF]")
Pago Pago, AMERICN SAMOA — Fifty-five-year old Iakimo Felise exits a police van outside of the District Court last Friday. Felise waived his rights to a preliminary examination, and his case was bound over to the High Court for arraignment this morning at 9a.m.
District Court Judge Fiti Sunia...
![Chief Justice Michael Kruse [SN file photo]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Kruse_0723_17.jpg?itok=EfErs5QH "Chief Justice Michael Kruse [SN file photo]")
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Chief Justice Michael Kruse did not rest last week until the issue was resolved regarding the two separate reports the court had received from the local Immigration Office pertaining to an overstayer who apparently had two different sponsors — and whose name was spelled...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A California based Samoan organization, which is arguing for automatic US citizenship for persons born in American Samoa, is being allowed to file a “friend of the court brief” at the federal court in Salt Lake City, Utah, where a complaint is pending against the US...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The American Samoa Legal Aid (ASLA) has announced that it has received a clean or unqualified 2017 annual audit opinion from its external auditor, Deloitte and Touche.
ASLA executive director Fainu’ulelei Ala’ilima-Utu acknowledges God’s ...
![Congresswoman Aumua and Lt Governor Lemanu on a recent flight to Manu’a. [courtesy photo]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Congresswoman%20Aumua%20and%20LT.jpg?itok=spf1DLrC "Congresswoman Aumua and Lt Governor Lemanu on a recent flight to Manu’a. [courtesy photo]")
Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Aumua Amata welcomed House passage of legislation that includes her cabotage provision to promote reliable air service in American Samoa. This solution has passed the House before, but not yet in the Senate; however, this time the provision is included in a major...
![[ASLA Facebook page]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/ASLA%20.jpg?itok=raYNNb8n "[ASLA Facebook page]")
Pago Pago, AS — American Samoa Legal Aid, the American Samoa Bar Association, the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (ABA YLD), and other organizations are organizing to help provide free legal and recovery assistance to people affected by Tropical Storm Gita.
A legal...
![Congresswoman Amata and other members of the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs. [photo: courtesy]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Amata%20and%20Indian%20Affairs%20committee.jpg?itok=2oW8LaIv "Congresswoman Amata and other members of the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs. [photo: courtesy]")
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Aumua Amata and the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs examined two legislative solutions to localized concerns, one in Alaska and one on Native American lands throughout the country.
“Much like American Samoa, other Insular...
![[courtesy photo]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Bluesky.jpg?itok=X9Bt7trm "[courtesy photo]")
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Bluesky management team invited Special Olympics Amerika Samoa committee chairperson Tafaimamao Tupuola, as well as athletes Sina Falaniko and Hanipale, to accept a $1,000 cash donation at the Bluesky main office.
The money will assist athletes representing American...
![[SN file photo]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/AM%20Samoa%20HC_114.jpeg?itok=_dAxczO_ "[SN file photo]")
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Acting Associate Justice Elvis P. Patea has ordered the sponsor of a man from Samoa who was convicted of assaulting his girlfriend to come forward and fulfill his responsibility under ASG Immigration laws, by paying the defendant’s return airfare to Samoa and restitution...
![FEMA’s William “Billy” Penn, who lives in Texas is the author of this Op-Ed. He is seen in this photo drinking a cold ‘niu’. He has worked on countless disasters as an external affairs specialist throughout the United States and Alaska. This was his first trip to American Samoa for Tropical Storm Gita. [photo: FEMA]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Billy%20Penn%20OpEd.jpg?itok=MXBi2tw1 "FEMA’s William “Billy” Penn, who lives in Texas is the author of this Op-Ed. He is seen in this photo drinking a cold ‘niu’. He has worked on countless disasters as an external affairs specialist throughout the United States and Alaska. This was his first trip to American Samoa for Tropical Storm Gita. [photo: FEMA]")
MANU’A ISLANDS, American Samoa — What a pleasant surprise for a country boy from Texas to step into this island paradise. It hurt to see so many homes damaged and property destroyed but the people we saw seemed happy. Where were the ones who had lost so much?
FEMA came to help. With excellent...