Local News
![[l-r] Local Homeland Security Department director Samana Semo Ve’ave’a, Attorney General Talauega Eleasalo Ale, Police Commissioner Le’i Sonny Thompson, and Hawaiian Airlines local station manager Tuli Fruean testifying yesterday in a Senate hearing on the Certificate of Identity and the federal REAL ID Act, involving territory-issued driver’s licenses. [photo: FS]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/senate%20witnesses%200768.jpg?itok=_WpSg4vg "[l-r] Local Homeland Security Department director Samana Semo Ve’ave’a, Attorney General Talauega Eleasalo Ale, Police Commissioner Le’i Sonny Thompson, and Hawaiian Airlines local station manager Tuli Fruean testifying yesterday in a Senate hearing on the Certificate of Identity and the federal REAL ID Act, involving territory-issued driver’s licenses. [photo: FS]")
Among the issues that American Samoa hoped to get cleared up with the US Department of Homeland Security (USDHS) during a conference call yesterday afternoon was allowing locally issued Certificates of Identify for US nationals traveling to Hawai’i.
Meanwhile, Samoa News understands that US...
![[SN file photo]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/DPS%20office_4.jpg?itok=M-6qFTqL "[SN file photo]")
A new case about alleged misconduct involving a male DPS officer assigned at the Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) has surfaced.
The matter allegedly happened around October of last year, and a reliable source told Samoa News that a report from the JDC supervisor, provided details of alleged “illegal...
![Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga [SN file photo]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/GovLolo_0766_22.jpg?itok=0rSnGKgj "Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga [SN file photo]")
American Samoa Government’s revenue collection during the first quarter of fiscal year 2018 was $2 million less than the quarterly forecast, while the government underspent its first quarter budget allocation, according to a FY 2018 first quarter analysis by the Governor’s staff.
The first quarter...
![Aerial view of Ofu and Olosega islands, America Samoa [SN file photo]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Ofu-Aerial-view-MAG.jpg?itok=MAQk4zsp "Aerial view of Ofu and Olosega islands, America Samoa [SN file photo]")
A separate Commerce Department survey, which shows the high prices of goods sold in stores on Ofu and Olosega in the Manu’a islands, has confirmed the long standing complaints from Manu’a lawmakers that food prices there are twice or even three times higher than on Tutuila.
The survey points out...
WASHINGTON, DC — Laast Thursday Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) introduced legislation to ensure more reliable air service within American Samoa to benefit residents within the territory as well as the substantial American Samoan community in Utah and the United States.
The proposal, S. 2348, will help...
![Tuesday was a busy day in Congress ahead of the State of the Union speech. [Courtesy photo]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Amata%20Jan.jpg?itok=11yLwarc "Tuesday was a busy day in Congress ahead of the State of the Union speech. [Courtesy photo]")
Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Aumua Amata welcomed an oversight hearing on Tuesday examining how recent veterans’ legislation passed by Congress in August of 2017 is being implemented by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Congresswoman Amata co-sponsored the bipartisan Veterans Appeals...
![DHSS director Muavaefa’atasi John Suisala [SN file photo]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Suisala%20DHSS%20director%200696_0.jpg?itok=WfZnKQb5 "DHSS director Muavaefa’atasi John Suisala [SN file photo]")
Department of Human and Social Services has sufficient money in its approved fiscal year 2018 budget for the American Samoa American Samoa Nutrition Assistance Program (ASNAP) — food stamps — for the rest of the fiscal year, while the federal grantor has been briefed on the latest development...
![[SN file photo]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/DPS%20office_3.jpg?itok=jQFL_5eT "[SN file photo]")
Police arrested a 66-year-old taxi driver from Pago Pago on Sunday night, for allegedly sexually abusing a 9-year-old girl. The taxi driver is one of the tenants at a rental house-building in Pago Pago, where the victim and her family also stay.
Pitone Sivatia made his initial appearance in...
![[Courtesy photo]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/MsSouthPacific87.jpg?itok=8A-seMwa "[Courtesy photo]")
This photo that is also being shared on Facebook, shows the former Ms. Juliette Spencer, after she was crowned the first Miss South Pacific during the pageant held in Apia, Samoa, in 1987. She was the Miss American Samoa at the time. The pageant was later renamed the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant....
![Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga [SN file photo]](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/Gov%20Lolo_0.jpg?itok=mfeaRhK3 "Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga [SN file photo]")
Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga believes another federal government shutdown towards the end of next week is inevitable and has urged cabinet members, whose agencies are funded by grants, to keep in close contact with their federal grantor.
Current federal funding, which became effective Jan. 23, after a...