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Yet to be expelled by senate, Ayuyu out on $25,000 property bond

By Andrew O. De Guzman

SAIPAN, CNMI (Marianas Variety, August 6, 2013) – "I understand the consequences. It’s not going to happen," Rota Sen. Juan M. Ayuyu, 48, yesterday told U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona who granted the lawmaker’s request for release from jail pending his Nov. 8, 2013 sentencing hearing. The lawmaker had been detained since Dec. 17, 2012.

Manglona enjoined Ayuyu to have the "courtesy and decency to self-surrender" in the event he compromises or violates the court-imposed release conditions. A piece of prime beach-front property was submitted by his family to cover the $25,000 property bond.Manglona yesterday presided over an hour-and-a-half motion hearing, covering every detail of Ayuyu’s presentence release. He has yet to be expelled by the Senate.

Manglona reminded Ayuyu of the allegations of drug use against him...

Authorities cite needed infrastructure improvements

By Moneth Deposa

SAIPAN, CNMI (Saipan Tribune, August 6, 2013) – After standing firm on a proposal to reallocate public schools’ resources beginning this new school year, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Education Commissioner Rita A. Sablan, Ed.D., has had a change of heart and submitted a revised plan that postpones the proposed merger of Tanapag and Gregorio T. Camacho (GTC) elementary schools to school year 2014-2015.

Four days after Board of Education (BOE) members met with parents at the Tanapag campus on July 22, Sablan turned in a revised proposal that indicated new recommendations.

"The PSS management and the school leadership would like to postpone the GTC and Tanapag Elementary School proposal to Phase 2 to be effective [school year] 2014-2015. The purpose for delaying the timeline for GTC and Tanapag Middle School is to make some improvement with the school parking lot, the road...

Solomons’ Students In PNG Threaten To Boycott Classes Government has one week to release outstanding allowances

By Charley Piringi

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, August 6, 2013) – Government-funded Solomon Islands students, studying at the University of the Papua New Guinea’s (UPNG) Waigani campus, have given the government seven days to settle their outstanding allowances or they will protest and boycott classes.

A statement from the Solomon Islands students association (SISA) in Waigani yesterday said failure by the government will result in the students staging a protest.

The ultimatum was issued on Monday and will lapse in seven days time which is next week.

The students’ president Jack To’ofilu, on Monday in a statement reiterated his appeal to the Government once and for all to settle the students’ allowance issue within seven days.

He said the seven day’s notice is being issued as of today (yesterday) after the students have...

US shortage, procurement issues reportedly to blame

By Mark-Alexander Pieper

HAGÅTÑA, Guam (Pacific Daily News, August 6, 2013) – As many as 1,900 new students expected to enter the Department of Education (DOE) in the coming weeks may not be granted access because Guam’s public health department can't test all of them for tuberculosis.

Island health care leaders met in a round-table discussion at the Guam Legislature yesterday in hopes of finding a solution to problems resulting from the Department of Public Health and Social Services' shortage of the purified protein derivative (PPD) solution used in tuberculin skin testing.

A national PPD manufacturing shortage since April, combined with procurement issues, has left Public Health unable to meet the demands of providing free screenings for students prior to the start of the school year.

New hires to the government of Guam and hundreds of island employees in the education, health, food and...