marshallislandsjournal.com
Subscribe today for just $1 an issue on an annual basis of $52!
  Home  • Subscriptions  •  Photo Library • Services  •  Advertise  •  About Us
Contact Us

E-mail:
   journal@ntamar.net

Phone:
   (692) 625-8143
   (692) 625-8146

Fax:
   (692) 625-3136

Mail:
   PO Box 14
   Majuro, MH 96960
   Marshall Islands

In Person:
   On the ocean road
   behind Formosa
   in Uliga, Majuro
Lightning hits hangar
If we needed a confirmation that Air Marshall Islands is fated to bad luck, there could be no better demonstration than last week’s lightning assault on the AMI hangar that blew out the brand new, just-installed generator. In last Wednesday's huge thunderstorm a bolt zapped the hangar that is situated midway on the Amata Kabua International Airport runway.
Army says
NTA can talk fiber now
The long-proposed submarine fiber optic cable project for Kwajalein has been delayed again. But while the bid is not expected to be awarded now until May 2008, the Army told the Journal this week that there is nothing stopping the National Telecommunications Authority from starting discussions immediately with the private contractor that is handling the cable implementation.
Note meets Kempthorne
in DC
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne met with President Kessai Note at Interior Headquarters in Washington last week. Note was in DC in connection with hearings by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources regarding RMI nuclear issues.
Vic Jones, Dave Allen, Mark Carey, Condor, Dave Humphries, Doug Burnsworth, and Mitch Edwards wow the crowd at Tide Table.
Photo: Karen Earnshaw
Friday, October 5, 2007
Mitch presented with award
The Royal Australian Navy’s most senior officer on Majuro, Lieutenant Commander Mitch Edwards, was last Saturday presented with the Medal of the Order of Australia in the Military Division. Australia’s Defense Attache for RMI, Captain Vic Jones, came from his Philippines office to Majuro in part to present the prestigious award at RRE’s Kibedrikdrik Room.
MISSA to the High Court: Help fix MALGov
Customs ties up containers
Dozens of containers are piling up at the dock as businesses hit a Custom’s enforced bottleneck. Without warning, late last week, Customs began a policy of opening and off loading containers at the dock in contrast to the previous system where containers were delivered to businesses and off loaded with a Custom’s agent present. Numerous business people complaining to the Journal said it now takes as much as four days to off load a container when in the past it would take one day. Secretary of Finance Jefferson Barton says the new policy is to “make it easier for everyone by providing a more level playing field. “We’re trying to increase control to improve, monitor and make sure people are paying taxes,” said Barton. But instead of making it easier many business people say it’s done the opposite.
MISSA has stepped up its push to get the court to order a financial takeover of Majuro Atoll Local Government, filing documents in court on Wednesday this week saying that “MALGov is a dysfunctional entity which is currently financially insolvent and unable to pay its debts. ”The new MISSA move says that MALGov now owes the retirement agency $3.1 million, and is violating agreements signed by Mayor Riley Albertter and various councilmen about debt payments. “Justice requires the appointment of a receiver who can take the required action necessary to pay off all of MALGov’s debts,” MISSA attorney David Strauss said in the motion filed Wednesday. MISSA’s new motion is a lead up to next Thursday’s hearing before High Court Judge Richard Hickson. Majuro Mayor Riley Albertter told the Journal on Wednesday that there were a number of reasons making it difficult to make payments to MISSA, including cash flow problems, and rising costs for fuel and other items. “We’re trying our best to pay,” he said.
Cabinet pardons Mudge, Yoster
The Cabinet has pardoned former Majuro Mayor Mudge Samuel and Yoster Harris, both of whom had previous felony convictions. The pardons were issued in mid-September, following recommendations from the government’s Parole Board. Samuel filed his nomination papers to run for Majuro mayor immediately after the pardon was approved. The pardon erases Samuel’s former felony conviction, which was about 20 years ago for threatening an individual with a .22 rifle.
Shown here are just a few of the stories that appeared in the September 14, 2007 issue of the Marshall Islands Journal.
Former Mayor Mudge Samuel
To read the full stories, subscribe to the Journal Online. Just $1 an issue on an annual basis of $52.