C M Y K
C M Y K
by Joyetter Feagaimaali’i-Luamanu Samoa News Staff reporter
The Department of Marine Wildlife Resources (DMWR) is looking into a mystery, as yesterday afternoon, dead fish and dead tur-tles were seen floating in the ocean behind the Marketplace in Fagatogo.
DMWR Assistant Biologist Ailao Tual-aulelei said they were made aware of the inci-dent when someone contacted their office yes-terday afternoon.
Tualaulelei said close to 50 dead fish (Aku) and three dead turtles were floating behind the market place and were floating into the larger bay area, which will be a health hazard to the members of the public, given the foul smell coming from the dead fish.
The Assistant Biologist said the DMWR enforcement crews are out in the ocean inves-tigating the cause.
Tualaulelei said they suspect the dead sea life came from a fishing vessel which was docked at the Marina Dock.
However, Samoa News was told by an unconfirmed source that the dead fish and tur-tles were net by- catches from a purse seiner unloading at one of the canneries. The by-catch was dumped into the bay, during unloading, which is not unusual.
Alden Tagarino, DMWR’s head wildlife Biologist, said the initial report they received said that there were three dead turtles; however when they went to the site, they found only one. (Samoa News witnessed three turtles floating earlier.)
Tagarino said when they found the dead turtle it appeared to have been dead for a while and it already had maggots on it. He said they took in the turtle, along with several fish, and
PAGO PAGO, AMERICAN SAMOA WEdNESdAy, JuNE 13, 2012 $1.00
Daily CirCulation 7,000
Two modifications to buses, passed as new regulations for buses by the government’s Transportation Commission in March, was that the bus driver must have a seat belt (not passengers), and that a second exit must be installed, in case of emergencies. Bus owners were given three months to come into compliance, and the DOC Transporta-tion Commission was at the Market Place yesterday for its first inspecTransporta-tion — and found only one business showed up for inspecTransporta-tion — “Le Samoa Matalasi Transport”.
The commission credited the hard work and compliance shown by Moli and Tamara Fa’alogo, owners of the two buses inspected yesterday. However, inspection of the two buses brought to light the need for specifications for seat belt attachment and the size and location of the emergency exit. A meeting is scheduled for this week to formulate these specifications.
The deadline for compliance is the end of this month, but will probably be extended due to the problems highlighted during this first inspection.
Le Samoa Matalasi Transport buses are shown here with two types of driver’s seat belt modifications — one has its seat belt mounted to the bus frame, the other is found on the seat itself — and the installed ‘emergency’ exit is at the rear of the bus, but its size will necessitate passengers crawling out.
Cost of modifications for each bus was $500, according to their owners. [photos: Leua Aiono Frost]
CCCAS hosts CWM
General Assembly
for the first time
by Joyetter Feagaimaali’i-Luamanu Samoa News Staff reporter
The Congregational Christian Church of American Samoa (CCCAS) will host the Council for World Mission (CWM) general assembly here for the first time. Held every four years, it will kick off on June 17 and finish June 22, says CCCAS Acting General Secretary Rev. Reupena Alo.
He said the CWM is a network of churches who participate in Christ, to mutually challenge, encourage, and equip churches to share their resources— money, people, skills and insights to carry out their missionary work.
“It was established in 1977 in its present form,” explained Alo. “It grew out from the London Mission Society, which was founded in 1795, the Commonwealth Missionary Society, founded in 1836 and the English Presbyterian Board of Mission, 1847.
“Most member churches have backgrounds in the reformed tradition, and many are united churches.”
online @ samoanews.Com
about dead fish and tur-tles floating behind the Fagatogo Marketplace.
The Dept. of Marine Wildlife Resources says it will test the dead fish and turtles to ascertain cause of death. [photos: AF]
sional seat…
Aua man fights
for his life after
assault…
14-year-old from
China makes uS
Open history
Mana’omia ona sii
totogi ae tele foi
sona lavelave
18
B2
3
6
(Continued on page 15) (Continued on page 15)
Dead fish and turtles found
floating behind marketplace
by Joyetter Feagaimaali’i-Luamanu Samoa News Staff reporter
dOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE NOW SET FOR JuRy TRIAL
The High Court has rescheduled a jury trial in the government’s case against a man accused of performing sexual acts upon his wife without her consent. The matter was heard yesterday before Associate Justice Lyle L Richmond who was accompanied on the bench by Associate Judge Mamea Sala Jr. for a change of plea.
However, the defendant told the judges that he was placed in custody and yet he was trying to correct his wife’s adulterous behavior (Sotoma ma Komoro). The defendant added that the laws need to be changed in the territory. Associate Justice Richmond noted that it’s clear from hearing the defendant, this matter should be scheduled for a jury trial.
The defendant in this case is charged with rape, first-degree sexual abuse, attempted kid-napping and false imprisonment. Samoa News is withholding the defendant’s name to protect the identity of the victim, who is the defendant’s wife in this matter.
According to the government’s case the defendant is accused of raping his wife and holding her against her will. The criminal charges are in connection with a domestic dis-pute that occurred last month, when the defen-dant accused his wife of having an affair.
The defendant confronted his wife about the affair at her workplace, according to the gov-ernment’s case. It’s alleged after the confronta-tion the woman was taken to the Social Services shelter and several days later she was released and she then went to live with her relatives.
Police affidavit says when the man visited his wife he allegedly forced her to have sex with him and because she was scared of her husband she just let her husband do what he wanted. It’s alleged when the couple agreed to go home and discuss their marital problems, while on the main road the defendant saw his friend and asked him for a ride.
According to court affidavit, the woman then screamed for help when her husband was trying to push her into the vehicle.
It’s alleged while the victim was screaming, the defendant placed his hand over her mouth and forced her into the vehicle.
The husband has since been in custody with bail set at $35,000. Jury trial is now scheduled on September 11, 2012. Prosecuting this case is Assistant Attorney General Celia Reyna.
3 FAMILy MEMBERS PLACEd ON PROBATION FOR PPd
Talaleu Fanene, Sarai Lemalu and Leniva Saifoloi who were arrested in February 2012 over a land dispute were sentenced to a one year probation term for public peace disturbance.
The incident occurred at Coconut Point. The defendants appeared before District Court Judge John Ward Monday morning. The defen-dants were initially charged with PPD and third degree assault, however during a bench trial last week they were found guilty of PPD.
District Court Judge John Ward sentenced Fanene, Lemalu and Saifoloi to one-year proba-tion with the condiproba-tion they undergo and suc-cessfully complete anger management.
The defendants were also ordered to not make direct or indirect contact with the vic-tims or go near their home and they were also ordered to pay a fine of $150 each.
According to the government’s case the three defendants were in a vehicle that parked on the victims’ land at Coconut Point. The gov-ernment claims the victims, a grandmother and her granddaughter, asked the defendants not to park on their land and that’s when the defen-dants assaulted both. Prosecutor for this matter was Assistant Attorney General Blake Hanley.
VICTOR LIWAN TACLOLOy PLEA HEARING CONTINuEd
A Filipino man charged in connection with a sex case has received a plea deal offer from the government. However the defense has asked the court for more time while they find a translator who will translate the offer for the defendant.
Victor Liwan Tacloloy is charged with sexual abuse, resisting arrest, third degree assault and public peace disturbance. This matter was heard before Associate Justice Lyle L Richmond who was accompanied on the bench by Associate Judge Mamea Sala Jr.
Acting Public Defender Leslie Cardin asked the court for a brief continuance while her office locates a Filipino translator to translate the plea offer to the defendant, who has been in custody since his arrest.
Richmond granted the request and scheduled another plea hearing next week Monday.
According to the government’s case the defendant engaged in a drinking session with a young girl and it’s alleged after the party, which occurred in October 2011, he touched the minor inappropriately.
Deputy Attorney General Mitzie Jessop Folau is prosecuting in this matter.
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kidnapping & ransom
HAGATNA, Guam (AP) — Police on Guam have arrested a man for pretending to be kidnapped so that his mother would pay ransom money.
According to court documents, Justin Roy Jacosalem Santos told his mother he was being held hostage by a man with a gun. The mother paid $1,730 in four payments.
An anonymous source told the FBI about the ransom demand. Court documents say Santos then admitted he fabricated the story and used the money for gambling. He was charged with theft by deception and terrorizing.
The Pacific Daily News reported Tuesday the 31-year-old is being held on $3,000 cash bail.
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by Joyetter Feagaimaali’i-Luamanu Samoa News Staff reporter
A 32-year old man from Aua is fighting for his life at the LBJ hospital, receiving medical treatment at the Intensive Care Unit, after he was assaulted over the weekend.
The Criminal Investigation Division with the Department of Public Safety is conducting an investigation into this brutal assault that occurred early Sunday morning.
Commander of CID Captain Lavata’i Taase Sagappolutele said the investigation is continuing, however once the police report is complete, it will be forwarded to the Attorney Gen-eral’s office for prosecution. Samoa News understands that no one has been arrested in connection with this matter.
One witness told Samoa News that on Sunday morning he passed by and saw a group of people surrounding the victim, who was lying unconscious near an abandoned store.
He stopped and saw that the victim’s face was covered with blood. A few minutes later an Emergency Medical Services ambulance arrived and took the victim to the hospital.
A family member of the victim told Samoa News that her family had a birthday party Saturday evening and following that party her cousin was assaulted by a group of men.
She said their family thought the victim was already asleep; however, the victim’s wife went looking for the victim and found him lying unconscious in the bushes near the main road in Aua.
She said her cousin had been assaulted with beer bottles. The family member said the victim suffered severe head injuries, and once he stabilizes and can be taken on the airplane, the family will take him off island for further treatment.
Aua man fighting for
his life after assault
Update: Investigation
into the death of a
Chinese man ongoing
by Joyetter Feagaimaali’i-Luamanu Samoa News Staff reporter
The Criminal Investigation Division with the Department of Public Safety has identified the Chinese man found dead at his residence and place of business early Sunday morning, as 56-year old Zhang Qi Hui.
Commander of the CID, Captain Lavata’i Ta’ase Sagapo-lutele told Samoa News that an autopsy has been requested with the Attorney General’s office; and the investigation is continuing, with this matter being treated as a homicide until evidence comes up proving otherwise.
Samoa News inquired if there are any signs of foul play, but the CID Commander declined to further comment on the case.
The man was found dead inside his residence early Sunday morning by the landlord according to a neighbor, Tiana Tamaseu, who lives behind the house and store.
Tamaseu said the man had health problems and she saw the landlord of the residence, at the house, knocking on the door last Friday and Saturday. She said the landlord went there to pick up the rent from the man, and there was no answer.
The neighbor said the third time the landlord came to the door— early Sunday morning — there was still no answer, and it was then the landlord contacted police, who arrived and found the man dead on his bed.
Tamaseu told Samoa News she moved to Satala in 1982 and the man’s family was already living there. She said the man has two children, who currently reside in the United States.
© OSini FAleAtASi inC. reServeS All riGhtS.
dba Samoa News is published Monday through Saturday, except for some local and federal holidays.
Please send correspondences to: OF, dba Samoa News, Box 909, Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799.
Contact us by Telephone at (684) 633-5599 Contact us by Fax at (684) 633-4864
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tusia Eni F.H. Faleomavaega Sui Aoao i le Konekeresi
Ou te fa’afetaia saunoaga talu ai nei a le afioga ia Kovana Togiola Tulafono, ae tainane fo’i se finagalo fa’aali o le afioga i le Palemia o le Malo Tuto’atasi o Samoa ia Tuilaepa Sailele, e uiga i le tulaga o le faiga malo o lo’o iai nei Amerika Samoa. O lenei mataupu o se mataupu ma’ale’ale tele, ma ua loa tausaga o ta’oto pea i lona tulaga na sau ai mai le amataga e o’o mai nei lava. O le fa’agaoioina o lenei mataupu, e taua tele le iai o le fa’autaga loloto ma le tofa mamao, e iloilo malie ai ma le fa’aeteete se lumana’i mau-mau-tutu o le faiga malo a Tutuila ma Manu’a. Ua tolu nei Fono Fa’avae, tolu fo’i Komisi mo le Iloiloina o le tulaga tau Faiga Malo na feagai ma Amerika Samoa. Ae talu ai ona o ni mafuaaga e matua le manino lelei, e le’i mau a’a lava i finagalo o le atunu’u le fesili ‘autu, pe o fea o le a fai iai le faiga malo a Tutuila ma Manu’a.
E tasi se vaega ‘atoa o la’u tusi o le “Fa’afoeina o le Lumana’i” (Navigating the Future), na au’ili’ili ai le iloiloina o le tatou feso’ota’iga ma le Iunaite Setete. Ma e pei lava ona ou ta’ua i lea taimi, e tatau lava ona tatou taga’i toto’a, pe o tulaga lelei ma talafeagai pea mo tatou se faiga malo fa’a-teritori e le maopoopo ma le le faitaulia. Ia te a’u a ia, ou te matua le lagolagoina lava le tulaga o lo’o iai nei le tatou faiga malo. O le itu e sili ona ou popole iai, o le a’afia lea o fa’amoemoega o le lumana’i fai mai o le tatou teritori, i malosi’aga ma fete’ena’iga mai fafo e iai va fa’atagata soifua, faiga upu fai o malo, fa’apea mana’oga tau tupe ma tamao’aiga, ma o le a le maua ai e tatou tagata le agaga moni ma se ‘autu tonu e fa’asino iai le tatou aga’i atu i le lumana’i.
Na iai le fa’aeteetega i le amataga, ae maise ai se suiga e vave fai, ona o le talitonuga fa’a-le- atunu’u: “Aua le gagaua le laau a o mata.” Ae o lenei ua 112 nei tausaga talu ona iai pea Amerika Samoa i le tulaga lenei i le la va feso’ota’i tau faiga malo ma le Iunaite Setete, ou te talitonu ua o’o i le taimi ua talafeagai tonu lava ma se suiga o se isi tulaga tau faiga malo e fa’ama’ite mai e o tatou lava ta’ita’i, ae lagolago ‘atoa e o tatou tagata. E taua tele le tatou ‘amata tapena loa nei suiga, meanu e le’i suia fa’amalosi mai e ni tuleiga mai fafo.
E tusa ai ma tala fa’asolopito, ina ua vaevaeina e malo tetele e tolu – Peretania, Siamani ma le Iunaite Setete – le atu Samoa i le maliliega sa faia i Uosigitone i le 1899 – sa le gata i le fa’atuina o ni faiga malo fou na vaelua ai le atunu’u, ae na toe vaevae fo’i i ni tua’oi na ta’ape’ape ai itumalo ma fa’atasiga masani fa’aatumotu. Na i’u ane ua vaeluaina motu o le atu Samoa i ni vaega tu valavala e lua, e tofu lava le vaega ma lana faiga malo, e ‘ese mamao a le tasi mai i le isi. Na i’u ina avea Samoa i Sisifo ma teritori tausi a Malo Aufa’atasi, i lalo o le puipuiga a Niu Sila, ma o le 1962 na avea ai Samoa i Sisifo ma ulua’i atu motu na ‘ausia le tulaga o le tuto’atasi i atu motu uma o le Pasefika.
O lea ua fa’ato’a uma atu nei lava le fa’amanatuina o le 50 tausaga o le tuto’atasi a Samoa, ma ou te toe momoli le fa’amalo ma le fa’amanuia i ta’ita’i ma tagata nu’u o Samoa ona o le aulia mai o lenei pine fa’amau taua ma le aloa’ia i la’asaga o le latou faiga malo.
Ae o le feso’ota’iga a Amerika Samoa ma le Iunaite Setete, e fa’avae tasi lava i ni maliliega se lua sa sainia ma malilie iai ta’ita’i o Tutuila ma Aunu’u i le 1900, ma le Afioga i le Tui Manu’a fa’apea Fa’atui i le 1904. E taua le manatua pea, fa’ato’a talia ma aloa’ia e le Konekeresi a le Iunaite Setete nei maliliega e lua i le tausaga e 1929!
Talu ai ona o le tu fa’asasa o Amerika Samoa o ia o le teritori e le maopoopo ma e le faitauina, o le fa’afitauli o lo’o feagai nei ma i tatou, o le fa’ata’amilomilo lea o le sa’ilia o ni tali e tau fofo ai fa’afitauli mai le Fa’avae o le Iunaite Setete po’o fa’afitauli mai maliliega nei e lua. O le tele o fa’ai’uga a le Fa’amasinoga Maualuga a le teritori i le fa’asolo mai o tausaga i mataupu e fitoi tonu i aia tatau a tagata lotoifale ma tagata sitiseni o le Iunaite Setete o lo’o aumau i Amerika Samoa, na fa’alagolago malosi lava i le Fa’avae o le Iunaite Setete ma fa’ai’uga a le Fa’amasinoga Maualuga a le Iunaite Setete, e fofo ai ia fa’afitauli. O lenei la faiga ua tu ai le mataupu tau ‘ele’ele ma fanua i Amerika Samoa fa’apea isi tulaga fa’aleaganu’u, i se tulaga fa’aletonu ma le ma’ale’ale. E iai vaega o le Fa’avae o le Iunaite Setete e pei o Le Auala e Fa’agasolo ai le Faiga o Mea (Due Process) ma le Puipuiga Tutusa (Equal Protection), a fai ae fa’aaoga i Amerika Samoa, o le a ono fete’ena’i ma aga fa’avae o le tatou fa’asamoa. O le fa’aaogaina o nei aiaiga o le fa’avae i Amerika Samoa ou te talitonu o le a fa’asolo ai ina lepetia ma mou atu ai le iloga o i tatou o Samoa, fa’apea le soifuaga masani na tatou ola mai ai.
O SE TERITORI E LE MAOPOOPO
MA E LE O FAITAUINA: O FEA O IAI
LE FINAGALO O AMERIKA SAMOA?
(Faaauau itulau 14)
Boy Scouts will
hold roundtable
on global theme
by Samoa News staff
Boy Scout leaders and committee members in American Samoa are being called to a Roundtable meeting tomorrow, June 14 at the LDS chapel in Malaeimi. Scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., the Roundtable is being held for leader-ship training covering the Boy Scout theme for the month of June— “Sports”.
It is a broad theme, but according to District Executive for the local scout council, Fiamatai Faitau, it is meant to encourage scouts to zero in on one sport which interests them, and learn as much as they can about that sport.
The scouts are working toward earning merit badges this summer, and the theme encompasses any sport which a young man can focus on to obtain his Sports merit badge.
Scouts are encouraged to choose a sport they are interested in — any sport at all — and learn as much as possible about it.
They are asked to research, observe, write about it, partici-pate in it, understand the rules and regulations, and be able to demonstrate their chosen sport.
Sport leaders throughout the territory — along with trainers and coaches throughout the world — have been asked to help out with this scouting focus.
The theme is a worldwide theme, according to Fiamatai Faitau, it is not just a local theme.
He said that scout leaders have been in contact with local sports trainers and coaches to help the youth in this endeavor. Sports as varied as Track and Field, Basketball, Volley-ball, FootVolley-ball, Rugby, Soccer, Swimming, Wrestling, Boxing and Baseball are possible fields of interest for the young men to choose from.
“We want the scout to look at the sport as a possible career for their lifetime,” Faitau told Samoa News. “We want our young men to focus on positive activities that build character, and sports is one of those things.”
He added, “Not everyone is meant for the academic world; there are many who can excel in the world of sports, and use it as a means to get an education, and some will become scholar athletes.”
Additionally, beginning July 16-21 the local scout troops will be holding an island-wide Summer Camp on the grounds of Fatu o Aiga parish hall in Ottoville.
The purpose of the Scout Summer Camp, according to dis-trict leaders, is to help scouts earn merit badges, experience outdoor life, and learn to be self reliant. It will focus on lead-ership skills and becoming good citizens.
“Summer camp is also held to build up brotherhood, make new friends, and yes, to have fun.” said Faitau.
The Summer Camp is open to any one who wants to join Scouting.
“But remember to be prepared with camping gear, tents, sleeping bags, first aid, flash lights, bath supplies and cooking supplies — and snacks, but we want to encourage healthy snacks” said Faitau.
Registration forms must be filled out before July 7, and there is a $15.00 registration fee.
There are currently 2,136 Boy Scouts on island which comprise 94 troops at numerous churches and schools on Tutuila and Aunu’u.
Plans are in the works for a scout unit in Ta’u, Manu’a as well a new unit in Sa’ilele.
For further information, please call the Boy Scout office at 699-4553 or 699-7611 or contact Fiamatai Faitau at fiaruda-kaki@yahoo.com
LONDON (AP) -- Diesel fumes cause cancer, the World Health Organization’s cancer agency declared Tuesday, a ruling it said could make exhaust as important a public health threat as secondhand smoke.
The risk of getting cancer from diesel fumes is small, but since so many people breathe in the fumes in some way, the sci-ence panel said raising the status of diesel exhaust to carcinogen from “probable carcinogen” was an important shift.
“It’s on the same order of magnitude as passive smoking,” said Kurt Straif, director of the IARC department that evaluates cancer risks. “This could be another big push for countries to clean up exhaust from diesel engines.”
Since so many people are exposed to exhaust, Straif said there could be many cases of lung cancer connected to the contaminant. He said the fumes affected groups including pedestrians on the street, ship passengers and crew, railroad workers, truck drivers, mechanics, miners and people operating heavy machinery.
The new classification followed a weeklong discussion in Lyon, France, by an expert panel organized by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The panel’s decision stands as the ruling for the IARC, the cancer arm of the World Health Organization.
The last time the agency considered the status of diesel exhaust was in 1989, when it was labeled a “probable” carcin-ogen. Reclassifying diesel exhaust as carcinogenic puts it into the same category as other known hazards such as asbestos, alcohol and ultraviolet radiation.
The U.S. government, however, still classifies diesel exhaust as a likely carcinogen. Experts said new diesel engines spew out fewer fumes but further studies are needed to assess any poten-tial dangers.
“We don’t have enough evidence to say these new engines are zero risk, but they are certainly lower risk than before,” said Vincent Cogliano of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He added that the agency had not received any requests to reevaluate whether diesel definitely causes cancer but said their assessments tend to be in line with those made by IARC.
Experts in Lyon had analyzed published studies, evidence from animals and limited research in humans. One of the big-gest studies was published in March by the U.S. National Cancer Institute. That paper analyzed 12,300 miners for several decades starting in 1947. Researchers found that miners heavily exposed to diesel exhaust had a higher risk of dying from lung cancer.
Lobbyists for the diesel industry argued the study wasn’t credible because researchers didn’t have exact data on how much exposure miners got in the early years of the study; they simply asked them to remember what their exposure was like.
Further restrictions on diesel fumes could force the industry to spend more on developing expensive new technology. Diesel engine makers and car companies were quick to point out emis-sions from trucks and buses have been slashed by more than 95 percent for nitrogen oxides, particulate and sulfur emissions.
“Diesel exhaust is only a very small contributor to air pollu-tion,” the Diesel Technology Forum, a group representing com-panies including Mercedes, Ford and Chrysler, said in a state-ment. “In southern California, more fine particles come from brake and tire wear than from diesel engines.”
A person’s risk for cancer depends on many variables, from genetic makeup to the amount and length of time of exposure to dangerous substances.
Some experts said the new cancer classification wasn’t surprising.
“It’s pretty well known that if you get enough exposure to diesel, it’s a carcinogen,” said Ken Donaldson, a professor of respiratory toxicology at the University of Edinburgh who was not part of the IARC panel. He said the thousands of particles, including some harmful chemicals, in the exhaust could cause inflammation in the lungs and over time, that could lead to cancer.
But Donaldson said lung cancer was caused by multiple fac-tors and that other things like smoking were far more deadly. He said the people most at risk were those whose jobs exposed them to high levels of diesel exhaust, like truck drivers, mechanics or miners.
“For the man on the street, nothing has changed,” he said. “It’s a known risk but a low one for the average person, so people should go about their business as normal ... you could wear a mask if you want to, but who wants to walk around all the time with a mask on?”
http://www.iarc.fr
WHO’s cancer
agency: Diesel
fumes are bad
Another happy winner of the American Samoa National Olympic Committee (ASNOC) Instant Bingo, Siaosi and his son, along with the Puapua Mart owner and daughter (far left) and
PHOENIX (AP) -- Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ hand-picked Democratic candidate won a special election Tuesday in southern Arizona to finish her term, defeating a Repub-lican who narrowly lost to Gif-fords in 2010.
The race was a hard-fought preview of the broader fall cam-paign as the two parties used the contest to hone and test their political arguments for the Nov. elections, when everything from the White House on down will be on the ballot.
Giffords had stepped down earlier this year to focus on her recovery from the gunshot wound she suffered in 2011 during a shooting rampage at a Tucson, Ariz., parking lot that killed six people and wounded 13. One of the wounded was Ron Barber, an aide to the congresswoman who will now serve the remainder of her term.
Republicans, sensing a chance to capture the seat, sought to make the special elec-tion a referendum on President Barack Obama and his handling of the economy. They argued that Barber, who was asked by the lawmaker to pursue the seat, would fall in line behind the White House. Democrats, in turn, played to the senior vote by contending that Republican Jesse Kelly would not protect Medicare and Social Security.
With 86 percent of precincts reporting, Barber was winning about 52 percent of the vote while Kelly had 45 percent. Both candidates have promised to run for a full term in the fall, setting up a possible November rematch in a redrawn district
that is friendlier to Democrats. Republican voters outnumber Democratic voters by about 26,000 under the current map. That edge will narrow to about 2,000 under redistricting.
Elsewhere Tuesday, Virginia, Maine, Nevada,
Arkansas and South Carolina held primary elections - with most of those states choosing Senate nominees - as did North Dakota, where voters decided to let the University of North Dakota scrap its controversial nickname, the Fighting Sioux.
In Virginia, former Sen. George Allen brushed aside three rivals in the Republican Senate primary. Allen’s victory set up a November clash with another former Virginia gov-ernor, Democrat Tim Kaine, in a campaign closely tied to the presidential race in a state both parties consider vital for victory.
In North Dakota, Rep. Rick Berg defeated businessman Duane Sand in the state’s Republican Senate primary. Berg now faces Democrat Heidi Heitkamp in the November race to replace retiring Sen. Kent Conrad. The election is expected to play a critical role in determining which party controls the Senate next year.
The vote concerning the Fighting Sioux nickname came about after the NCAA deemed it hostile and abusive, and placed the university under postseason sanctions. The state’s Board of Education is now expected to retire the moniker and Amer-ican Indian head logo.
In Nevada, Republican Sen. Dean Heller and Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley easily defeated a slate of political unknowns in their respective primaries. Their fall race will be one of the most competitive in the country.
In Maine, state Sen. Cyn-thia Dill won the Democratic primary in the race to suc-ceed Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe. Maine Secretary of State Charles Summers won the GOP nomination.
The front-runner, former two-term Gov. Angus King, wasn’t on the ballot because he’s running as an independent.
No statewide races were part of the Arkansas and South Car-olina primaries.
Of all the races Tuesday, the Arizona House race was the most closely watched, partly because of Giffords’ absorbing story and partly because holding onto the seat was important for Democrats if they want to regain control of the House.
The party needs big gains in November to grab the majority from Republicans, who now hold a 240-192 advantage with three vacancies, including Gif-fords’ seat.
Republicans, riding high after a decisive victory in Wiscon-sin’s gubernatorial election last
week, set their sights on Arizona. A victory would have given party leaders a chance to claim momentum five months before November and fine-tune their plan to link Democratic candi-dates to Obama, the incumbent at the top of the ticket.
Giffords, 42, largely shunned public appearances during the race, but in the closing days of the campaign she stepped out to help Barber.
Outside groups spent more than $2 million on the race. Barber, 66, had a sizable fun-draising lead in late May, but spending from conservative groups helped reduce the Dem-ocratic financial edge.
The Arizona 8th is a rare district that is competitive vir-tually every election. Giffords defeated Kelly by about 4,000 votes in 2010 when the election focused on immigration and when tea partyers rallied to the tough-talking former Marine. Now, the economy and jobs are voters’ top concerns.
Kelly, 30, spent the cam-paign arguing that Barber and Obama are out of touch with people in the district. He called for lower taxes and more energy production as ways to improve the economy. And he said he would roll back federal regulations and environmental protections in an effort to boost oil and gas drilling.
Barber tried to convince voters that he understands their concerns. He frequently talked about building up the solar industry and cutting taxes for the middle class. While Kelly made it clear he would not sup-port any income tax increases, Barber said the wealthy need to “pay their fair share.”
The Tucson region is home to a growing population of retirees who rely on Medicare and Social Security. Kelly said in 2010 that privatizing the programs was a “must.” He said he would pro-tect Social Security for current seniors but that the program needed to be “phased out.” Gif-fords assailed his comments with great effect, and Democratic groups employed a similar game plan for the special election even as Kelly said his words were taken out of context.
Democratic officials were thrilled that Barber won a seat in a district that President George W. Bush carried with 54 percent of the vote in 2004 and that John McCain carried with 53 percent of the vote when he ran against Obama.
Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Com-mittee, used the victory to make the claim that the election was a referendum on “the Republican plans to drastically cut Medicare and privatize Social Security, while giving massive tax breaks to millionaires, big oil and corpo-rations that ship jobs overseas.”
Sunday June 17
th
2012 10am-2pm
• Full Breakfast Buffet- including an Omelet
Station where you can create your own
delectable omelets!
• Honey Roasted Ham, Salads, Dessert with
Lemonade & Iced Tea & So much more
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$28.00
per person
Ages 16 to 5 $1 per year
Ages 4 & under FREE
For Reservations please call
633-5981
PRIME RIB
Brunch Buffet
Thompson I nnAT
Father’s Day
Father’s Day
Father’s Day
Father’s Day
BBQ Buffet
For Reservations please call
633-5900
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AT
Development Bank of
American Samoa
P.O. BOX 9 PAGO PAGO, AS 96799 TEL: 633.4031 FAX: 633-1163NOTICE OF INTENT TO
ADOPT OR AMEND RULES
Pursuant to the American Samoa Code Annotated (ASCA) 4.1001 et seq.,
the Development Bank of American Samoa (DBAS) intends to amend its
Bylaws and Personnel Manual. Interested members of the public may
review these proposed amendments or documents and/or present their
written comments on the same at the DBAS Administration Office
located on the second floor of the Lumana’i building at Fagatogo,
American Samoa from Friday May 25,2012 until Monday June 25, 2012.
Normal DBAS office hours are Mondays to Fridays, 8am-4pm. For
further information, please contact Ms. Mary Malauulu at telephone
number 633-4031 or email address Mary@dbas.org
Democrats hold on to
AZ congressional seat
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FORT STEWART, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia soldier was found guilty Tuesday of killing his two Army roommates in 2010 at a U.S. base camp in Iraq, where prosecutors said he opened fire hours after com-plaining that the victims had let their room get too messy.
A court-martial found Spc. Neftaly Platero guilty of two counts of premeditated murder and one count of attempted premeditated murder after a weeklong trial. The verdict was reached Tuesday by a five-member jury of Army officers and noncommissioned officers after 90 minutes of deliberations.
“We’re happy that he was found guilty,” said Desiree Car-rillo, mother of one of the slain soldiers, 20-year-old Spc. John Carrillo Jr. “We’ll never get our son back. It’s some closure, but he’s still gone.”
The sentencing phase of the case was scheduled to resume Wednesday. Platero faces an automatic sentence of life in prison, but the jury must decide whether he will ever be eligible for parole. Fort Stewart com-manders last year decided not to pursue the death penalty in Platero’s case.
Prosecutors said the 34-year-old s34-year-oldier from Kingwood, Texas, opened fire on his room-mates as they readied for bed at Camp Fallujah on Sept. 23, 2010. Pfc. Gebrah Noonan was fatally shot in the side and the back after having just returned to the room from a shower. Car-rillo was felled by the gunfire while rummaging through his backpack.
“He waited for the perfect opportunity to squeeze off these rounds and made a choice to kill his roommates,” Capt. Frank Kostik, an Army prosecutor, told the jury in his closing argu-ment earlier Tuesday.
Platero didn’t testify during his trial and members of his family declined to comment after the verdict.
His defense attorney, Guy Womack, had argued that Army investigators rushed to focus on Platero as their only suspect even after forensic evidence failed to point to him as the shooter. Eighteen spent bullet casings were recovered from the room, and several matched Platero’s assault rifle. But skin samples taken from his right hand soon after the shootings tested nega-tive for gunshot residue.
“The government lost their objectivity at the very start,” Womack said in his closing arguments. He declined to com-ment on the verdict after court concluded for the day, saying he preferred to wait until the jury had decided on a sentence.
A fourth soldier who shared the room, Spc. Jeffrey Shonk, survived after a bullet creased his skull while he was lying on his bunk. But he testified that he was unable to remember the
shootings, including who pulled the trigger. Noonan, 26, of Watertown, Conn., and Carrillo, 20, of Stockton, Calif., were both dead by the time help arrived.
No one else witnessed the shootings. Staff Sgt. Jhamaal Martin, who testified he was one of the first to rush into the room, said Shonk was able to speak and told him: “Platero shot us.” None of the medics who treated the wounded sol-dier could recall him speaking. Platero’s defense attorneys insisted Martin’s account was a fabrication.
The sentencing phase of the trial began Tuesday with prose-cutors calling the victims’ loved ones and Army colleagues to testify about how they had been devastated by the killings.
Noonan’s father, William Noonan, said he dreamed of his son trying to tell him something,
but being unable to speak, only to find out the next day that he had been killed. The soldier’s mother, Ling Noonan, told the jury it’s hard for her to remember her slain son in happier times. “The picture that’s in my head, that I’ll never get out of my head, is Gebrah in the casket,” the sol-dier’s mother said.
One soldier who served alongside Noonan and Car-rillo cried on the witness stand as he described the memorial service held for his two col-leagues in Iraq. And the officer in charge of the base where the killings occurred said his troops remained on edge throughout the rest of their deployment.
“This attack devastated the bonds of trust we had with each other,” Lt. Col. Eric Larson said. “It never occurred to me we would have a rogue soldier inside our own formations.”
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American Samoa Government
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN
American Samoa
Department of Education
Invitation to Teachers
Parents and Community Members
Would you like to make a difference in our education system?
The American Samoa Department of Education is developing a School Improvement Plan to reform our
schools. If you are a teacher in public or private schools in American Samoa, a parent or a concern ed
community member, you are invited to serve on one of the following committees:
• CORE CURRICULUM
- This committee is for those who wish to have input into how our current standards
align with the Common Core, and what strategies should the DOE use for implementations.
• SCHOOL EVALUATIONS
- This committee will be comprised of educators all levels (Teachers,
Counselors, VPs, Principals and DOE Administrative Staff) who wish to have input into the implementa tion
of school evaluations. This team will develop the measurements and ranking criteria for ASDOE schoo ls,
using the USDOE Blue Ribbon Schools Model.
• TEACHER DEVELOPMENT/CERTIFICATION
- This committee will be responsible for reviewing and
proposing content-driven degree and certification programs that will meet the needs of our teachers and
schools. This committee will have several content driven sub-committees comprised of educators all levels
(Teachers, Counselors, VPs, Principals, and DOE Administrative Staff) who wish to have input into th e
needs for specific content areas. Those with credentials in the core-content areas are strongly enc ouraged
to join this committee.
• COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS
- This committee will be comprised of individuals who wish to
have input into comprehensive reform strategies for vocational education to enable our students to
compete in a global workforce. The major objective of this committee will be a comprehensive needs
assessment and recommendations for future Career Readiness Curriculum.
Committees have begun to convene so we encourage you to sign up today. Stipends are available
for qualified applicants. If you are interested in participating or would like more information,
please contact us by email at: 684schoolimprovementplan@gmail.com or call Dr. Amy Blizzard at
254-3135.
Soldier is found guilty of
murder in Iraq shootings
Jeb Bush: A
willing-ness to compromise
in Wash. DC ‘is gone’
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush says he believes that the willingness to compromise that allowed Presidents George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan to succeed no longer exists in Washington. He faults both parties for the problem.
“My father and President Reagan were successful because they were willing to put policy solutions above political wins. They recognized the president has a significant influence and ability to drive the agenda and used that to find common ground,” Bush said in an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday.
“Washington today is hyper-partisan with people speaking off political talking points rather than working together to find common ground to address the issues our country faces,” Bush said.
Bush’s comments came a day after several news organiza-tions reported that his father and Reagan would have a hard time winning the presidential nomination in today’s Republican Party. Earlier Tuesday, Bush used Twitter to say his remarks were taken out of context. He told the AP that he was talking about partisan-ship in Congress as a whole.
“Both parties are at fault. Rep. Paul Ryan is one of the few who has shown courage. He proposed a well thought-out budget as a starting place for real discussions,” Bush told the AP.
“What was he met with - incredible criticism from both par-ties. But, I hold Democrats more accountable because they con-trol two of the three offices - president & Senate. Over the last four years, they have had multiple opportunities and have opted to take the politically expedient route over working together to find a policy solution.”
Bush reiterated his view that the tone of the Republican Party often concerns him.
“I don’t believe it’s a party that doesn’t allow for disagreement among members - but that is often what it sounds like,” he said.
Bush also said the Republican Party needs to better express why its policies are better for the country.
“GOP candidates and leaders must communicate that clearly. How it is said - the tone - is important,” he said.
C M Y K
C M Y K
C M Y K
C M Y K
NEW YORK (AP) -- Hoax emergency calls like the one about a yacht explosion off New Jersey cost U.S. tax-payers millions of dollars a year, yet authorities who police the nation’s coastlines acknowledge there’s little they can do to prevent them.
Monday’s search operation about 20 miles off Sandy Hook took about five hours and cost rescue agencies, including the Coast Guard, more than $300,000 by the time authori-ties decided the person who reported the emergency had made it up.
The caller said in a calm, clear voice that “we have three deceased, nine injured” aboard a sinking yacht called the Blind Date after an explosion on board. He said that he was calling from a solar-powered radio and that “we have 21 souls on board, 20 in the water right now.”
The call made immediate national news and sent Coast Guard vessels and New York City police helicopters scram-bling to search for people and wreckage, only to turn up nothing.
From the Canadian border down to Sandy Hook alone, the Coast Guard received 300 sus-pected hoax reports last year. Officials have to take such calls seriously, especially those like Monday’s, which contained minute details, authorities said.
With other hoax calls, “you can tell immediately they’re from children,” Capt. Gregory Hitchen, deputy commander of the Coast Guard in New York, said at a news conference Tuesday. “This one was some-what calm but was giving a convincing story as to what the nature of his emergency was.”
Making a false call is a fed-eral felony, with a maximum penalty of six years in prison, a $250,000 fine and reimburse-ment to the Coast Guard for the cost of performing the search.
Last month in Texas, the Coast Guard launched a search for six people reported missing in the Gulf of Mexico, two days after a mayday call saying they were abandoning their sinking fishing boat in the waters off Galveston. Crews searched more than 2,800 square miles but found nothing.
In 2010, a man pleaded guilty to making a distress call in Winthrop Harbor, Mass., reporting a vessel was sinking with four people aboard.
The fruitless search cost almost $56,000, and the call-er’s sentence included pay-ment of that amount, plus three months in prison and two years of supervised release.
The Coast Guard and other state and local agencies responded to more than 60
sus-pected hoax calls last year in the northern New Jersey, New York City and Hudson River region. The maritime agency conducted about a half-dozen criminal probes, resulting in no prosecutions, authorities said.
The Coast Guard has a new command, control and com-munications network called Rescue 21, which aims to reach mariners in distress but also zeroes in on fake reports. The system operates on a very high frequency, which will provide for clearer playback of distress calls, including hoaxes.
But “we hope that informing the public about the dangers of hoaxes will keep people from making the calls,” Coast Guard spokeswoman Jetta Disco said.
We wish to acknowledge, with deep appreciation and gratitude, the
many expressions of love, kindness, sympathy & help from you, our
families & friends, during our time of sorrow. Words cannot express
how humbled we are by your generosity and affection for us & we pray
that our good Lord bless you as you have blessed us. Please know that
your kindness has meant so much to our family. Fa’afetai.
With Love: Uti, children & grandchildren
“Tenderly we treasure the past with
memories that shall always last”
Thank You - Fa’afetai Tele Lava
Thank You - Fa’afetai Tele Lava
Thank You - Fa’afetai Tele Lava
Lawrence Arthur Gandy
“LARRY”
December 2, 1931 ~ May 8, 2012
Hoax emergencies
cost Coast Guard
and the taxpayers
This undated photo released by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan shows the oldest galaxy, a red dot seen in the middle, that a team of Japanese astronomers said Monday, June 4, 2012, they’ve seen using telescopes on Hawaii, a discovery that’s competing with other “earliest galaxy” claims. The Japanese team calculates its galaxy was formed 12.91 billion light-years ago, and their research will be published in the Astrophysical Journal. The scientists with the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan used the Subaru and Keck telescopes on the summit of Mauna Kea. (AP Photo/The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan/Kyodo News)
C M Y K
C M Y K
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama admin-istration’s increasing use of unmanned drone strikes to kill terror suspects is widely opposed around the world, according to a Pew Research Center survey on the U.S. image abroad.
In 17 out of 21 countries surveyed, more than half of the people disapproved of U.S. drone attacks targeting extremist leaders and groups in nations such as Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, Pew said Wednesday.
But in the United States, a majority, or 62 percent, approved the drone campaign, making American public opinion the clear exception.
“There remains a widespread perception that the U.S. acts unilaterally and does not consider the interests of other countries,” the study authors said, especially in predominantly Muslim nations, where American anti-terrorism efforts are “still widely unpopular.”
The White House declined to comment on the report. The Obama administration considers drone strikes one of its most effective tools to combat al-Qaida - preferable to conventional war because the strikes produce fewer Amer-ican casualties and are intended to be more pal-atable abroad because the use of drones keeps U.S. troops on the ground to a minimum.
“In order to prevent terrorist attacks on the United States and to save American lives, the United States government conducts targeted strikes against specific al-Qaida terrorists, sometimes using remotely piloted aircraft, often referred to publicly as drones,” White House counterterrorism chief John Brennan said in April in a detailed and wide-ranging defense of the policy. He said targets are chosen by weighing whether there is a way to capture the person against how much of a threat the person presents to Americans.
The global drone campaign under President Barack Obama has killed a number of high-value leaders, arguably more than any other method including more than a decade of special operations raids inside Afghanistan. A strike in Pakistan this month killed al-Qaida’s most recent second in command, Abu Yahya al-Libi.
As conventional U.S. forces draw down from their missions overseas and drone strikes ramp up, the ire directed at invading armies is being transferred to the unmanned aerial devices.
“We continue to see the public thinking Obama has not fulfilled his promise that he would seek international approval for military force, and that’s related to displeasure with the
drone strikes,” Pew Research Center President Andrew Kohut said Tuesday in advance of the release of the survey, titled “Global Opinion of Obama Slips, International Policies Faulted.”
This is the first year Pew has included a question about the use of drones in its survey on the Obama administration, Kohut said. “It’s now a global issue,” he said.
The polls were nationally representative sur-veys conducted by telephone or in-person inter-views in 21 countries in March and April.
In Pakistan, CIA drone strikes targeted ter-rorist suspects for years, with the Pakistani government publicly condemning them but privately continuing to work with U.S. intel-ligence on joint counterterrorist operations. That changed after the U.S. Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden inside Pakistan last year - carried out without Pakistani permission or knowledge. Pakistan considered that a viola-tion of sovereignty and has demanded the U.S. either end the drone program or give Pakistan control of the aircraft, something U.S. officials say they will not do.
After a lull in strikes as the U.S. and Paki-stan tried to mend fences, strikes have picked up again in recent weeks because U.S. officials believe they have nothing to gain diplomatically with the Pakistanis by holding back, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe highly charged strategic negotiations.
In Yemen, both military and CIA drones have stepped up the campaign against al-Qai-da’s branch there, considered the most deadly threat to U.S. interests. Those strikes are carried out in coordination with Yemeni officials, with Yemenis signing off on the targets, Yemeni and U.S. officials say.
In Somalia, drones are used less frequently. With no formal government in the war-torn, failed state, there is no one for the U.S. to ask permission, but officials have been careful to keep both CIA and military strikes focused on suspects considered to be high-value targets, rather than targeting large training camps where dozens of would-be militants are learning their trade.
The idea is to remove the leaders rather than killing large numbers of trainees and pulling their extended families into battle of revenge against the Americans.
Pew Research Center: www.pewresearch.org
NUUULI PLACE CINEMAS
699-3456
$5.25 - Bargain Matinees All Shows Before 6pm
$5.25 - Senior Admissions All Day
$4.25 - All Day For Kids
$6.75 - Adults
Friday: 1:15 4:15 7:00 9: 20
Saturday: 1:15 4:15 7:00 9: 20
Sunday : 1:15 4:15 7:15
—
Mon-Tues-Wed-Thurs: 1:15 4:15 7:15
—
MADAGASCAR 3:
Europe’s Most Wanted
–
Rated: PG
Cast: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinket Smith, David Schwimmer
Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple and of course, King Julien, Maurice and the Penguins are all along for the comedic adventure. Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent - Madagascar style.
SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN
–Rated: PG-13
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize TheronSnow White is the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen, who is out to destroy her. But what the wicked ruler never imagined is that the young woman threatening her reign has been training in the art of war with the huntsman
Friday: 1:00 4:00 6:45 9: 20
Saturday: 1:00 4:00 6:45 9: 20
Sunday : 1:00 4:00 7:00
—
Mon-Tues-Wed-Thurs: 1:00 4:00 7:00
—
Afghan President Hamid Karzai gestures during a press conference at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, June 12, 2012. President Hamid Karzai is taking a defiant stand against NATO airstrikes, saying the military coalition can no longer fire on homes from aircraft in any circumstance even in defense of Afghan and foreign forces. (AP Photo/Ahmad Jamshid)
Survey: US drone program
very ‘unpopular’ overseas
American Samoa
Department of Homeland Security
TERRITORIAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATING OFFICE
EARTHQUAKE
PREPAREDNESS
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- California voters will soon decide whether to require spe-cial labels for food made from genetically modified ingredi-ents, in a closely watched test of consumer attitudes about the merits of genetically engi-neered crops.
Advocates collected more than half a million signa-tures supporting the stronger labeling requirements, and the secretary of state this week certified the measure for the state’s November ballot.
If it passes, California would be the first state to require labeling of such a wide range of foods containing genetically modified organisms, or GMOs.
The proposal would require most processed foods by 2014 to bear a label telling shoppers that they contain ingredients derived from plants whose
DNA was altered with genes from other plants, animals, viruses or bacteria.
Many backers of similar legislation in more than a dozen states say the intent is to give consumers more infor-mation about what they’re eating, and foster transparency and trust in the food system. Major agricultural groups and the processed food industry oppose stricter labeling, saying it risks sowing fear and confu-sion among shoppers.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says geneti-cally modified foods pose no greater health risks than tra-ditional foods. Opponents of labeling rules say they could prompt hikes in packaging costs.
If the measure passes, most raw or processed food made from plants or animals
with engineered genetic mate-rial would need to be labeled, although certified organic foods and alcohol would be exempted. Meat and dairy products also would not require a label if the animals are fed with genetically engi-neered grains, which the initia-tive’s opponents say amounts to a loophole.
“Consumers have a funda-mental right to know what is in their food and make choices, so I think everyone should be working toward this,” said Albert Straus, president of the Straus Family Creamery, a popular organic dairy in Petaluma. “Our labeling costs do not go through to the consumer.”
Straus avoids using geneti-cally modified feed for his herd. His creamery became the first in the country to be volun-tarily certified as GMO-free in 2010.
Organic farmers say they stand to benefit from more informed consumers who may reject genetically modified products and instead choose organic food.
The Food and Drug Admin-istration is considering a peti-tion to label genetically engi-neered foods nationwide.
The Organic Consumers Association has said labeling GMO ingredients in the U.S. also would make domestic markets more competitive with markets in the European Union, which imposes guide-lines on informing consumers about genetically modified food.
Labeling opponents in California, however, say the measure could spark frivolous lawsuits brought by citizens who believe a product is misla-beled, even if they don’t claim to have been harmed.
“This could become a law-suit magnet well beyond the borders of California,” said Tom Scott, executive director of the Sacramento-based Cali-fornia Citizens Against Law-suit Abuse. “You’re just going to see trial lawyers walking up and down grocery store aisles saying this doesn’t meet the labeling requirements.”
The change could also place a new financial burden on farms, said Jamie Johansson, an Oroville farmer who is second vice president of the California Farm Bureau Federation.
“Then, of course, there are the legal concerns about veri-fying that you are GMO-free,” he said.
California Secretary of State Debra Bowen also certi-fied seven additional initiatives for November, including a pro-posal to modify California’s strict three-strikes sentencing law by making a life sentence on a third strike possible only when the new conviction is serious or violent.
FOR RENT
JULY 1
ST
, 2012
Approximately 1,150 square feet of prime retail/office
space on the ground floor of this building in Nu’uuli.
The space is currently occupied by Origin Energy but they
will be moving out in June and the space is available for
rent on July 1st.
If interested please call 699-2100.
American Samoa Government
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES
PAGO PAGO, AMERICAN SAMOA 96799
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
This is an Employment Opoprtunity Employer
Job Title: Administrative Technician Posting Date: June 05, 2012 Serial No.: 116-12
Department/Division: Governor’s Office/ Medic aid/Directors Office Closing Date: June 18, 2012 Announcement N o.: 061-12 Type of Position: Posting Type: Pay Grade and Salary Range:
Full Time/Permanent Appointment Employment Opportunity/Open to the Public GS 09/$9,317-$28,167
Note: Note: This is exempted from the freeze as per the Governor’s General Memorandum
General Description:
The Administrative Assistant assists the Director in the general operation of the Medicaid Program. Admin Assistant provides
assistance in the logistics and support services to the Medicaid office including the HIT Staff.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
• Develop and implement procedures for expediting the flow of clerical work for the office
• Maintain office records and important documents
• Prepare reports, invoices, letters, financial statements and other documents, using Word Processi ng, spreadsheet,
database, or presentation software
• Open, sort and distribute incoming correspondence, including faxes and email
• Receive and record requests for information and publication
• Receive visitors and explain Medicaid policies and procedures
• Assist the HIT team in developing and implementing outreach surveys, special studies and research es
• Assist in making preparations for meetings with stakeholders and Medicaid Coordinating Council
• Perform office errands and pick up office mail at post office
• Assist in carrying out assignments
• Maintain office equipment and run periodic inventory of the office physical assets
• Perform other duties as required by the Medicaid administration
• All other duties and responsibilities as assigned
Knowledge Skill and Ability:
• Knowledge of:
Health Information Technology
HIT Communication
Medicaid HIT program
Medicaid program state plan
Computerized data system
Electronic health records
• Ability to:
have excellent communication
and client relations skills
communicate effectively, both
orally and in writing
interpret policies and regulations
• Skills in:
graphics
power-point presentations
multitasking
problem solving
team building
Academic and Experience Requirements:
• Applicant must have an Associate’s degree in related field from an accredited college/university plu s 4 years of work
related experience. Years of progressively responsible working experience may be substituted for po rtion of the
academic requirement. Salary will be adjusted according to experience.
Complete information concerning this vacancy may be obtained from the Personnel Division of the Depa rtment of Human
Resources, or please contact the Recruitment unit at 633-4485/633-4000.
‘Genetically modified’ foods
may get special label in CA
LOVELAND, Colo. (AP) — A northern Colorado wild-fire 60 miles away wrapped Denver in a pungent cloud of smoke for several hours Tuesday and complicated the aerial offensive against the spreading mountain blaze, which has killed one person and destroyed more than 100 structures.
In southern New Mexico, a 56-square-mile wildfire threat-ening the village of Ruidoso damaged or destroyed at least 224 homes and cabins, and that number was expected to increase. Lincoln County workers found only heaps of burned metal and other debris on home sites hit hardest by the Little Bear fire.
“It’s truly heartbreaking to see the damage done to this beautiful part of the country,” New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez said after touring the area.
With at least 19 large fires burning in nine states, Presi-dent Barack Obama called Colorado Gov. John Hick-enlooper to assure him that the federal government stood ready to provide personnel, equipment and emergency grants for Colorado and other states battling fire.
Obama also tried to reach Martinez, but her office said poor reception in the fire zone kept the two from connecting.
The 68-square-mile High Park Fire in Colorado shrouded downtown Denver, some 60 miles south, in a smoky haze early Tuesday.
The smoke temporarily grounded the air attack on the fire, but helicopters and tanker planes took to the skies by midday. The fire was 10 per-cent contained Tuesday.
Larimer County authori-ties allowed some residents to return home but issued 25 more evacuation notices near the west side of the fire because of limited escape routes. Among those affected by the new evac-uations were up to 100 people at a camp, plus Colorado State University’s mountain campus at Pingree Park, Sheriff Justin Smith said.
The wildfires in the drought-stricken West have tested fed-eral resources.
U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell announced late Monday the agency was con-tracting eight heavy air tankers to increase the aging national fleet to 17.
Still, Colo. U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet urged Presi-dent Barack Obama to sign a bill that would allow the Forest Service to buy as many as seven large air tankers outright. The U.S. House and Senate passed the bill last week.
In Colorado’s Larimer County, authorities and family said Linda Steadman, 62, per-ished inside her mountain
cabin. Her home received two evacuation warnings that weren’t answered, and a fire-fighter tried to reach the cabin before fire overtook the site, Sheriff Justin Smith said.
Across the West:
➤ California: A wildfire that briefly threatened homes in Kern County was fully contained.
➤ Colorado: The 68-square-mile High Park Fire is 10 per-cent contained. More than 600 people are assigned to the fire.
➤ New Mexico: Nearly 1,000 firefighters and more than 200 National Guardsmen are battling the 56-square-mile Little Bear fire. Containment is 35 percent. More than 500 fire-fighters bolstered lines around the Gila fire, the country’s largest at 438 square miles.
➤ Utah: Two wildfires blackened 4,000 acres in
Fishlake National Forest in southern Utah.
A third fire believed to have been sparked by target shooting near Centerville, 15 miles north of Salt Lake City, was quickly contained late Monday.
➤ Wyoming: A 4-square-mile blaze at Guernsey State Park is 80 percent contained. Six helicopters and 600 fire-fighters are deployed. Fire-fighters contained 95 percent of a 13-square-mile fire in Medi-cine Bow National Forest and completely contained a 1,700-acre fire in Weston County.
➤ Arizona: A wildfire has charred nearly 2,700 acres but is now 40 percent contained; it began Sunday in the Tonto National Forest northwest of Phoenix.
In northern Arizona on the Navajo Nation, a wildfire has burned about 600 acres.
P.O. Box 6107 Pago Pago American Samoa 96799 Cell: (684) 733-0868
PICED IN COLLABORATION WITH KIP McGRATH
ARE NOW OPEN FOR REGISTRATION FOR THE 2012
SUMMER PROGRAM for ages 7 – 13 years:
KIP McGRATH ENGLISH & AT ALL LEVELS
$75
- if eligible for subsidy, Tues/Thurs only
$150
- if eligible for subsidy (every day Mon-Thurs)
HIGH SCHOOL WRITING:
a specialized Piced Class for high school students only:
$75
on a first come first serve basis.
Class Times: 8am - 12noon or 12:30 4:30pm
NOW OPEN FOR REGISTRATION AT PICED HEADQUARTERS IN
NUUULI from 9am – 4pm, MUST REGISTER IN PERSON!
Limited spaces available
ASSESSMENT DATES:
Thurs 14, June –Fri June 15 10am – 2pm/ Mon. 18 June –
Thurs June 21 10am – 2pm
A 2012 SUMMER PROGRAM PARTNERSHIP
For more information, please call Piced 699-6094
SHIPYARD SERVICES AUTHORITY
Ronald Reagan Railway, Satala American Samoa 96799
Phone: 684-644-4123 • Facsimile: 684-644-2529
Employment Opportunity
GENERAL MANAGER
The Ronald Reagan Marine Railway represents an important asset of the American Samoa Government. It also represents an essential element of a healthy and thriving fishing industry which accounts for over t wo thirds of private sector economic activity of the territory.
The authority is governed by a Board of 5 Directors appointed by the Governor and the serve for a pe riod of three years.
The Board seeks to employ a full time GENERAL MANAGER for the Shipyard who will exercise all executi ve functions and all other powers not inconsistent with the laws and rules of America Samoa which are r easonably necessary to the administration, management and operation of the authority and the board.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITY:
• Reports to the Chariman and Board of Directors of the Shipyard Authority
• Plans, directs, coordinates and supervises the functions and activities of the Shipyard • Responsible for the Operation and Maintenance of government facilities and equipment • Develops materials, equipment and staffing requirements
• Works with other ASG agencies and departments
• Develops and implements policies, procedures, standards and evaluates the work performance of personnel and initiates personnel actions
