Friday March 13 was a big day for the Utrok community: It marked the first distribution of food purchased through the Compact of Free Association’s Extraordinary Needs Distribution program. Known as “END,” the Compact Trust Fund-funded program is injecting $20 million to 11 atolls and single islands, including Utrok. Utrok Nitijela Member Hiroshi Yamamura and […]
GIFF JOHNSON There is often a disconnect between international donors and the potential recipients who need development aid which makes it impossible for funding to be delivered. This can be for a variety of reasons, but often — particularly for small island nations such as RMI — the donors may have one set of priorities, […]
Power consumers money will now buy less each time they purchase cash power, following MEC’s third tariff increase over the past 18 months. The latest rate hike went into effect on February 9. It was not announced in a public way other than a post on the MEC website. While the company puts out media […]
GIFF JOHNSON A modest new photograph book featuring images of the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau has been published by the prolific photojournalist Floyd K. Takeuchi of Honolulu. The book, “7 Degrees North,” is the author’s “love letter to…a time when nature’s beauty defined the day, and to a proud people, who lived pretty much […]
GIFF JOHNSON The multiple drug busts and discovery of “narco boats” washed into Pacific Islands demonstrates that the Pacific — and in particular the South Pacific — is a highway for drug distribution to Australia and New Zealand. From the beginning of January through February 12, law enforcement officials have confiscated over 14 tons of […]
A dispute involving land at Laura High School is moving toward a possible trial later this year. At a hearing Monday this week in the High Court, Judge Anne Bodley set out a schedule for preparations for a trial over the next two months with a hearing to address motions filed by either or both […]
GIFF JOHNSON Where to start a conversation about Professor Andrew Garrod, who died at age 87 last week in New Hampshire after an extended illness? Andrew touched quite literally thousands of people in the Marshall Islands over the nearly 30 years that his presence was felt here. And hundreds of those were the young people […]
GIFF JOIHNSON Two new Japan International Cooperation Agency volunteers who arrived earlier this month in Majuro bring to 17 the total number of Japanese volunteers working on Majuro and Ebeye. Sachiko Kutsuma, a Japanese language teacher, and Yasuhiro Fukuda, a food processing and manufacturing specialist, are mid-way through their orientation program before heading to their […]
GIFF JOHNSON Eight years ago, following passage by Nitijela of container deposit legislation, Majuro Atoll Waste Company launched recycling of aluminum cans, and plastic and glass bottles. Now it’s embarking on a new pilot project to improve and expand its recycling and export program and is asking for community support to make it happen. The […]
The United World College National Committee of the Marshall Islands has been offering scholarships to Marshallese high school students to attend UWC international schools around the world since 2012. They got together for their annual “selection day” program at the College of the Marshall Islands conference room last week with six students from four high […]
