CNMI Department of Labor Secretary Vicky I. Benavente on Friday said she had informally requested that the U.S. DOL consider expanding the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program for the Commonwealth.

GRACE Kalen told the court Friday morning that three-year-old Kody Fitial started shaking and crying when Stacey Laniyo called out his name.

THE Rota Legislative Delegation on Wednesday last week passed three local appropriations for medical referral assistance and scholarship programs.

DEPARTMENT of Fire and Emergency Medical Services Commissioner Dennis Mendiola said there is a need to “centralize” 911 emergency calls.

ALTHOUGH school is out, the Marianas High School Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Dolphin Battalion cadets continue to carry out their duties and responsibilities.

A GROUP of Japanese volunteers last week completed the renovation of a World War II memorial at Suicide Cliff in Marpi.

(Office of the Governor) — In coordination with the Governor’s Covid-19 Task Force, Commonwealth Healthcare Corp., Gov. Ralph DLG Torres on Friday announced the official cancellation of curfew hours and termination of reduced business hours for the CNMI, effective Friday, June 18, 2021.

(Office of the Governor) — On Thursday, June 17, 2021 (Eastern Daylight Time), President Joseph Biden Jr. signed S. 475, also known as the “Juneteenth Bill” designating June 19th, Juneteenth National Independence Day and a legal federal holiday.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) — U.S. Congressmen Tim Walberg, R-Michigan, and Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, Ind.-MP, on Wednesday introduced H.R. 3957, “Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act.” The bipartisan bill ensures Department of Labor employees receive the proper training t…

THE CNMI will move to Community Vulnerability Level Green beginning today, June 18, 2021, the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. and the Governor’s Covid-19 Task Force announced yesterday.

THE House of Representatives on Wednesday unanimously passed House Bill 22-54, which will raise to $4 from $3.75 (not $2.75 as earlier reported) the excise tax per 20 cigarettes, and impose a 75% levy on vaporizers that contain nicotine.

DOZENS of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance applicants staged a rally at Kilili Beach on Beach Road Thursday.

(Office of the Governor) — The CNMI Department of Labor is providing updates regarding the federal programs it administers such as the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation and Lost Wages Assistance programs.

YET another groundbreaking ceremony was held on Thursday, this time for Phase II of Route 36 Windward Road/Chalan Kalabera Road improvements.

THE nine firefighters who were terminated for refusing to take the Covid-19 vaccine have asked the CNMI Superior Court for an order reinstating them in their previous jobs until a decision is reached in their lawsuit.

THE Marianas Public Land Trust has extended the deadline to June 24, 2021 for the Department of Public Lands to remit a total of $5,620,461.

“I’M not resigning,” said Chief Prosecutor John Bradley of the Office of the Attorney General’s criminal division when asked regarding his planned departure.

(Office of the CNMI Congressional Delegate) — U.S. Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan thanked U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for extending parole for long term resident applicants through the end of 2021 or until their applications are adjudicated, whichever comes first. U…

(BECQ) — The Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality analyzed water samples collected from Rota's recreational beaches and storm drainages this week.

LYNN Fitial on Wednesday told the court that the Department of Public Safety investigator “mixed up” her statement to the police.

IMPERIAL Pacific International LLC has petitioned the Superior Court to conduct a judicial review of the Commonwealth Casino Commission’s decision to suspend indefinitely its casino license.

THE chair of the House Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations plans to call at least 15 witnesses, including Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, to testify before the panel.

THE Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center or IC3 released a 2020 Elder Fraud Report that included statistics for Guam and the CNMI.

SUPERIOR Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho has voluntarily recused himself from hearing the case of 17-year-old Kenneth Thomas Blas Kaipat who was charged with sexual assault.

THE Division of Customs Services has approved the applications of 294 importers who want to be considered “low-risk” importers, Customs Director Jose Mafnas said on Wednesday.

THE House minority bloc members, in separate joint letters, are asking U.S. Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan and Gov. Ralph DLG Torres to “impress upon” the federal government the need to include CNMI-only permanent residents who were “inadvertently” disqualified from the Pandemic …

DEPARTMENT of Fire and Emergency Medical Services senior drill instructor Robert Cruz said the 14th Fire Academy has high expectations for its fire cadets.

THE Public School System-Child Nutrition Program and the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs-Nutrition Assistance Program have extended the application deadline for Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer, or P-EBT, program.

THE House of Representatives on Wednesday unanimously passed House Bill 22-18, which will impose heavier sentences on crimes motivated by hate.

THE House of Representatives on Wednesday honored Micronesian Legal Services Corporation's directing attorney Jane Mack and paralegal Maria Palacios Muna for their many years of service.

DESIGNATED federal Judge David O. Carter has scheduled an in-person status conference for the parties involved in Stipulated Orders 1 and 2 regarding Commonwealth Utilities Corp. projects.

(Office of the Governor) — The Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. and the Governor’s Covid-19 Task Force announced that the CNMI will move to Community Vulnerability Level GREEN beginning Friday, June 18, 2021.

(CUC) — At  10:28 a.m. Wednesday,  the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.  experienced  an islandwide power outage due to the auto trip of Diesel Engine Number 6 at Power  Plant  1. This caused  Feeder  4,  Feeder  7, and  Kiya  2 to  trip.   Due  to  protective  measures  on  the  engine,  the re…

ATTORNEY General Edward Manibusan gave eight cabinet members and 11 other municipal officials on Saipan, Tinian and Rota until June 30, 2021 to “discuss the return of the amounts owed to the Commonwealth" pertaining to the 2.5 times overtime pay they received in the aftermath of Super Typhoo…

BECAUSE Lynn Fitial did not provide testimony that was similar to what she told police, the prosecution wanted to impeach her testimony.

EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD Timothy Villasis Vergara was arrested on Friday after he was accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in the restroom of Jesus Is Lord Church on June 2.

ATTORNEY Brien Sers Nicholas has filed a separate motion seeking the recusal of Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho from presiding over the case of a 17-year-old man accused of sexual assault.

A SENATE special committee on Tuesday began its oversight hearing on alleged discrepancies in the Office of Grants Management and State Clearinghouse report pertaining to some federal funding that the Commonwealth has received over the years.

SENATE Vice President Justo S. Quitugua on Monday prefiled Senate Legislative Initiative 22-9 to allow the Department of Public Lands to spend land lease revenue on homestead projects.

THE Public School System's former chief financial officer,  Richard Francis Waldo, passed away on June 10 at the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. after suffering a heart attack. He was 78.

REPRESENTATIVE Tina Sablan on Monday said the House Special Committee on Fiscal Review of Executive Expenditures of the previous Legislature did not complete its investigation and therefore had no special committee report.

DEPARTMENT of Public Safety crime scene investigator Lt. Mary Louise Tanaka was the first witness called by the prosecutor in the jury trial of Stacey Laniyo, one of the two women arrested following the death of a 3-year-old boy in March 2020.The other defendant is Lynn Fitial.

THE law firm of Banes Horey Berman & Miller has removed the wrongful death lawsuit against Jeju Airlines Company Ltd. to the federal court.

IMPERIAL Pacific International LLC served a second subpoena on the Bank of Guam on June 8, 2021 to obtain cashed checks for the payroll period ended Jan. 15, 2021, attorney Michael Dotts said in IPI’s 22nd status report to the federal court.

YOUTH Sen. Easton Joel C. Dela Cruz on Friday said the main goal of his Youth Congress Bill 18-1 is to make the Youth Congress a more organized body of the CNMI youth.

THE Department of Public Lands in its 2020 annual report highlighted its accomplishments, which included collecting $5.3 million in fiscal year 2020, $4.1 million of which was from land leases and permit fees.

(Press Release) —  The 16th Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council joins the community in expressing dismay and sadness on the recent scorching of the  Guma’ Higai Sakman, especially in view of its role as a sacred traditional canoe house located  at the traditional Chamorro village o…

THE House Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations on Friday reopened the investigation on Gov. Ralph DLG Torres' public expenditures.