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CNMI College Resolves Important Accreditation Issues

Submitted by admin on Thu, 10/31/2013 - 00:00

School of Education’s federal aid eligibility no longer at risk

By Mark Rabago

SAIPAN, CNMI (Saipan Tribune, Oct. 31, 2013) – Students enrolled in the Northern Marianas College’s School of Education need no longer worry about their eligibility for federal financial aid such as Pell grants.

On Tuesday, Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) vice president Susan B. Clifford notified NMC president Dr. Sharon Hart that the commission has approved NMC’s proposal to include the School of Education’s four-year baccalaureate program under the commission’s accreditation purview.

"The Committee on Substantive Change at their meeting on Oct. 24, 2013, acted to approve the NMC proposal," Clifford’s Oct. 25 letter reads.

Hart said this positive response to NMC’s request lifts the air of uncertainty that surrounded the college’s School of Education after the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) came out with a ruling in July that the...

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Thu
31
Oct
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Footpath Vendors Evicted From Fugalei Market In Samoa

Submitted by admin on Thu, 10/31/2013 - 00:00

Sellers reportedly unhappy with charges for nearby stalls

By Pai Mulitalo ‘Ale

APIA, Samoa (Samoa Observer, Oct. 29, 2013) – The footpaths near the Fugalei market are now cleared with Samoa’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) evicting the last of the farmers and vendors yesterday.

The decision follows a deadline issued by the Government for all vendors to vacate the footpaths by the weekend, citing safety reasons.

The issue of famers setting up shop on the side of the road was brought up by the Samoa Observer last week.

Members of the public were concerned with sellers choosing the rent-free footpaths over the private markets which would cost them WST$10 [US$4.24] plus a day to use.

However, the footpaths fall under the jurisdiction of the LTA, from which these farmers should have sought permission if they wanted to sell their wares there.

Lacking such permission has meant that for the past week, LTA officers have been clearing the...

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Thu
31
Oct
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Fanalei Village Divided Over Dolphin Hunting In Solomons

Submitted by admin on Thu, 10/31/2013 - 00:00

Local leader says negotiations over payment to stop hunts stalled

MELBOURNE, Australia (Radio Australia, Oct. 30, 2013) – A Solomon Islands village is reportedly divided over whether to continue its controversial traditional dolphin hunt.

In January, the village of Fanalei on Malaita sparked international outrage when it threw out an agreement to stop its annual traditional dolphin hunt in return for development assistance.

Over three months, more than 1,000 mammals were killed, many of them juveniles.

The village's chief, Wilson Filei, who was removed from office after pushing for villagers to stand by the agreement, has told Pacific Beat the people remain divided.

"As far as a I'm concerned, the Fanalei community... there are divisions between them, the community itself...

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Thu
31
Oct
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Samoa National Bank Asserts Cash Power Options Available

Submitted by admin on Thu, 10/31/2013 - 00:00

Retail manager: Apia 24-hour kiosk offers low-cost purchases

By Deidre Fanene

APIA, Samoa (Samoa Observer, Oct. 29, 2013) – The National Bank of Samoa (NBS) yesterday set the record straight over claims made about the new system of purchasing cash power.

The Bank also confirmed that it has opened a 24-hour Kiosk in Apia on the weekend where customers can purchase power from as little as WST$5 [US$2.12].

That disqualifies claims that the minimum cash power purchase available now is WST$20 [US$8.47].

According to the Bank’s Retail Manager, Kapeneta Sului, says claims that a member of the public must be a customer of the National Bank to purchase cash power are incorrect.

In fact, at their kiosk during the weekend, anyone can purchase electricity just like when the Electric Power Corporation’s (EPC) cash power outlets were opened during the weekend.

Mr. Sului said the National Bank of Samoa is...

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Thu
31
Oct
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Vanuatu PM Visits Paama After Flooding, Landslides

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Carcasses ‘visibly distressed’ while touring affected communities

By Jonas Cullwick

PORT VILA, Vanuatu (Vanuatu Daily Post, Oct. 30, 2013) – Vanuatu Prime Minister Moana Carcasses on Sunday toured the communities on Paama Island affected by last week’s disastrous flooding and landslides caused by heavy rain that have left nearly ten families without homes and garden crops including their main root crops – wild yams, destroyed.

Villagers in all the areas affected were awaken to thunderous sounds of the approaching walls of water at around 2 o’clock in the morning of Wednesday of October 23 2013, which made everyone ran from the disaster and prevent the loss of lives, though livestock including pigs and chicken in the path of the floods, were lost.

Observers accompanying the Prime Minister’s delegation said in all the locations visited the country’s leader was visibly distressed and in tears on seeing the devastation and its effects on the lives of the...

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Thu
31
Oct
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Australian Conman ‘Paid’ Fiji Immigration To Lift Ban

Submitted by admin on Thu, 10/31/2013 - 00:00

Australian Conman ‘Paid’ Fiji Immigration To Lift Ban Foster also wants government to grant him ‘protection visa’

By Nasik Swami

SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Times, Oct. 30, 2013) – International and wanted con artist Peter Foster, who claims to be in the country after escaping Australian immigration on Saturday, wants the Fijian Government to remove all warrants against him.

In an electronic correspondence with this newspaper yesterday, Foster said he had applied to the Department of Immigration seeking the lifting of his ban in the country.

"I applied for the prohibited person ban to be uplifted in May and followed the correct procedures including filling out the application form and paying the fee of $190," Foster said in his e-mail.

He also claimed that he spoke to Suva lawyer Mehboob Raza before he left Australia to deal with his legal issues here.

But...

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Thu
31
Oct
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OPA Voids Guam Airport’s Custodial Service Contracts

Submitted by admin on Thu, 10/31/2013 - 00:00

GIAA awarded contract while protest by vendor was pending

By Mar-Vic Cagurangan

HAGÅTÑA, Guam (Marianas Variety Guam, Oct. 31, 2013) – The Office of Public Accountability (OPA) has voided the Guam International Airport Authority's (GIAA) custodial service contracts, and admonished them for awarding the contracts while a protest was pending.

The OPA’s decision was based on a protest filed by K Cleaning Services, which contested the airport’s rejection of the company’s bid proposal for custodial services.

Although K Cleaning lost the argument that the bidding documents and instructions were "confusing and ambiguous," the OPA admonished the airport authority for "its disregard of the automatic stay."

The OPA said the airport violated the automatic stay when it issued the notice of award to other bidders on May 2 "prior to final resolution of K Cleaning’s protest procedures."

Out of nine bidders, four companies received purchase orders. The...

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