Local News
![A breadfruit tree standing with a lot of damage to its fruit and leaves caused by Tropical Storm Gita last weekend. Concerns about food security have caused the Department of Agriculture to put two teams on the ground to do assessments about crop damages from the storm. [photo by AF]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Ulu%20tree%20after%20stormDSC_0771.jpg?itok=OKbn5jG1 "A breadfruit tree standing with a lot of damage to its fruit and leaves caused by Tropical Storm Gita last weekend. Concerns about food security have caused the Department of Agriculture to put two teams on the ground to do assessments about crop damages from the storm. [photo by AF]")
While the main focus of Tropical Storm Gita recovery efforts are on water and power, damaged houses and lost homes — with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on the ground doing assessments — the devastation to agriculture crops could actually be one of the biggest problems Gita has...
![Starkist president and chief executive officer, Andrew Choe [SN file photo]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Starkist%20Andrew%20Choe.jpg?itok=eIIoCOQb "Starkist president and chief executive officer, Andrew Choe [SN file photo]")
StarKist Co. has commended the US Congress for passing federal legislation, which includes a provision reinstating the American Samoa Economic Development Tax Credit (30(A) for the 2017 tax year.
The company’s president and chief executive officer, Andrew Choe, said StarKist is “especially...
![[SN file photo]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Pago%20Dist%20Court%20014_87.jpeg?itok=4uxxVUfI "[SN file photo]")
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES IN COURT
Another domestic violence case came before District Court last week for sentencing and District Court Judge Fiti Sunia told the male defendant that he court doesn’t take these cases lightly. He told the defendant that a week doesn’t go by without these cases...
Specific “direct federal assistance” requests sent by Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga to US President Donald J. Trump following last Friday’s Tropical Storm Gita includes generators, medical supplies and first aid kits.
And in the wake of the damage caused by the storm, all public schools will be closed...
![O nisi fo'i o le aufaigaluega a le Koluse Mumu, o e na ofo mai le tautua, ua latou fa'amaumauina uma mea ua fa'aleagaina a aiga na vala'au mai mo se fesoasoani, ae maise ua latou fa'amaumauina fo'i mea na foa'i atu, mo lea lava taimi. [ata: Leua Aiono Frost]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/fale%20pau%20laau.jpg?itok=0SpuIK0U "O nisi fo'i o le aufaigaluega a le Koluse Mumu, o e na ofo mai le tautua, ua latou fa'amaumauina uma mea ua fa'aleagaina a aiga na vala'au mai mo se fesoasoani, ae maise ua latou fa'amaumauina fo'i mea na foa'i atu, mo lea lava taimi. [ata: Leua Aiono Frost]")
Gita Restoration Update: 12 February 2018, 6pm
POWER:
- All Feeders (Primary lines) are energized 100%
- Total of 7,200 out of 12,000 (60%) customers have power now
- Aunuu has power to all customers
- Manua has power to all customers
Facilities on Generators:
- Masefau Water Wells
- Coconut Pt. 1...
![[Photo by Barry Markowitz]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/cool%20stuff_0010.jpg?itok=3cM61TLE "[Photo by Barry Markowitz]")
Catalyst cases are the new standard for our island environmental issues and our human tendency to drop anything not permanently connected to our hands.
Catalyst iphone X Waterproof Case ($89.99) is 33- ft (10 meters for water, dirt, snow, & sand) submergible safe, 6’ 6” (2 meters) drop safe,...
![[SN file photo]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Pago%20Dist%20Court%20014_86.jpeg?itok=aDy42gqS "[SN file photo]")
Twenty-two people were arrested by police since Thursday of last week and appeared in District Court yesterday morning for their initial appearances. Of the cases in court, 15 of them were in court for private peace disturbances, 3 were arrested for domestic violence, 2 were arrested for stealing...
![Commerce Department director Keniseli Lafaele [SN file photo]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Lafaele%206495_8.jpg?itok=IHQ17VDH "Commerce Department director Keniseli Lafaele [SN file photo]")
Assistant Attorney General, Jedidiah Bigelow is reminding stores that it’s illegal to raise by 10% the price of certain consumer goods after the governor declares a state of emergency following a disaster.
However, a provision of the law states that raising the price by 10% is not unlawful if the...
![[SN file photo]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/AM%20Samoa%20HC_92.jpeg?itok=me9fYRwh "[SN file photo]")
POLICE ARREST CO-DEFENDANT IN THE POLICE CAR SHOOTING
Police have arrested the second suspect in the alleged incident that happened in Dec. 2017, where a police unit was shot at, while two police officers were outside the vehicle, investigating a possible break-in at the Tony Solaita Baseball...
![A US Coast Guard C-130 airplane crew from Air Station Barbers Point, Hawai’i, landed Saturday afternoon at Pago Pago International Airport, after conducting an aerial post-storm assessment. [photo: THA]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/CG%20Plane.jpg?itok=26Pa6Phd "A US Coast Guard C-130 airplane crew from Air Station Barbers Point, Hawai’i, landed Saturday afternoon at Pago Pago International Airport, after conducting an aerial post-storm assessment. [photo: THA]")
The state of emergency declared by Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga who submitted over the weekend the official request to the US President for an emergency declaration, which now has been approved — paves the way for federal assistance to Tutuila, hard hit by Tropical Storm Gita.
A full assessment is...