GIFF JOHNSONMarshall Islands police incinerated over 1,400 pounds of cocaine in Majuro on December 15 after the cache of drugs drifted into Ailuk Atoll last week. Police said it is the largest volume of cocaine to ever wash into the Marshall Islands, which has seen hundreds of kilos of cocaine wash into multiple islands over […]
GIFF JOHNSONAmata Kabua International Airport took on a festive air last Friday for the arrival of a special Fiji Airways charter flight.Virtually the entire local Fiji community was on hand to greet the plane and some were ticketed to fly back to Fiji on the return flight.The welcome was accompanied by ukulele playing, high spirits […]
GIFF JOHNSONIn the consultant-dependent world of the Marshall Islands, the Waan Aelon in Majel (Canoes of the Marshall Islands) program stands out.“Everyone who works at WAM is Marshallese,” said Director Alson Kelen in a recent interview. “WAM is about training,” he said. “It’s what we do.” While the program has relied in the past on […]
GIFF JOHNSON Although the Marshalls Energy Company’s engines are old, the biggest challenge it faces to providing stable delivery of power to Majuro is its distribution system, according to General Manager Jack Chong Gum. Aging cables and transformers are the cause of many of the power outages that have affected the capital atoll over the […]
The RMI government through Air Marshall Islands is chartering a Fiji Airways aircraft to bring in 49 people from Fiji this Friday. The Office of the Chief Secretary (OCS) said the purpose of the flight is to bring in workers essential to the Covid-19 response. This includes health care workers (destined for Majuro and Ebeye), […]
GIFF JOHNSONThree new Covid cases among the 27 Marshallese in managed quarantine at Kwajalein were confirmed by testing November 15.President David Kabua, following a Cabinet meeting with a briefing on the development by National Disaster Committee (NDC) officials, took to V7AB Tuesday late afternoon to announce the news. To reassure the public, the President said […]
GIFF JOHNSON A completed suicide and several follow on attempted suicides this month on Ebeye underline ongoing mental health issues and needs in communities in the Marshall Islands. The visit last week to Ebeye by Majuro-based mental health program staff working for the Ministry of Health and local NGOs generated wide community engagement on the […]
A big turnout of people, replete with creative handicraft-style hats and snazzy outfits, highlighted last week’s Third Annual Breast Cancer Pink Tea Party held at RRE’s Tide Table. Over 100 people packed into the restaurant for the breast cancer awareness program that included music, dancing, speeches, door prizes, a photo booth and high spirits. WUTMI […]
GIFF JOHNSONThe five Micronesian leaders have drawn a line in the sand over their support of the nomination of Marshall Islands Ambassador Gerald Zackios to head the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. Palau and the FSM have taken the lead, saying if the Forum does not support the Micronesia area nominee, they will consider pulling out […]
GIFF JOHNSON An emergency medical situation the first week of September involving a patient from Mili Atoll with dengue fever has increased concern at the Ministry of Health and Human Services about a possible resurgence of the illness on the outer islands — in line with an uptick of cases in Majuro in recent weeks. […]
