Local News
![[SN file photo]](https://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://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://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://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://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://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://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...
![[SN file photo]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Pago%20Dist%20Court%20014_92.jpeg?itok=uA7Bl50K "[SN file photo]")
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Alcohol continues to be a contributing factor to many of the new cases involving public peace disturbance that come before the District Court for initial appearances.
And during Tuesday’s court proceedings before District Court Judge Fiti Sunia four new cases involving...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Continued decline in population for some insular areas means a loss of federal monies, which are awarded based on population count, according to the US Department of Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) which made the observation in its proposed fiscal year 2019...
![[photo: ASPA]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/ASPA%20poles%20.jpg?itok=GazV5vGa "[photo: ASPA]")
Pago Pago, American Samoa — A new shipment of poles for the American Samoa Power Authority arrived on island on Tuesday via ocean transportation. ASPA managing director, Paul Young explained that this order of poles was made sometime back before Tropical Storm Gita and that ASPA has pole inventory...