GIFF JOHNSON Offshore storm surges supercharged waves Saturday night, causing flooding and some damage at Roi-Namur Island in Kwajalein Atoll, resulting in evacuation of 80 people from the island. Flooding caused by the waves also hit an airport at Ailinglaplap Atoll, leaving rocks, coral and debris in their wake that will keep the runway closed […]
GIFF JOHNSON The first order of business for President Hilda Heine’s new government is expected to be declaring not one, but two states of emergency: One for Kili Island, where “people are starving,” according to one Cabinet minister; the other order to put focus on Majuro’s power crisis. These moves were in the discussion stage […]
GIFF JOHNSON The final unofficial election results were issued by the Electoral Administration Tuesday December 12 this week, confirming that 13 Nitijela seats will change hands. Most postal absentee votes either didn’t arrive in time or were rejected for technical reasons, muting their impact. It appeared that only one Nitijela race — Likiep — was […]
GIFF JOHNSON The number of postal absentee ballots that made it back to RMI in time to be counted were fewer than 40 percent of the number mailed to Marshallese overseas — demonstrating the problems inherent in this voting system. On top of only 40 percent arriving — 1,469 ballots of 3,752 mailed out — […]
WILMER JOEL Election day in the Marshall Islands saw a varied turnout of voters. From seven in the morning until seven in the evening on Monday, young and old Marshallese voters waited at the polling stations. Throughout the day, there were fluctuations in voter turnout, but some polling stations, such as Maloelap, Namo, Aur, Arno, […]
GIFF JOHNSON In the still preliminary and unofficial vote tabulation, Majuro Mayor Ladie Jack was outpolling main challenger Margaret Alee Bigler by more than two-to-one and three of the four incumbent Majuro Nitijela members were showing the highest numbers. Incumbent Stephen Phillip and candidates David Kramer and Yolanda Lodge-Ned were locked in a battle for […]
GIFF JOHNSON We don’t use the word “resurrection” lightly. But in the non-religious sphere of the Marshall Islands, we believe it is fitting to use that term for two events that took place largely out of the view of most local residents in Majuro. Twelve-and-a-half-years after the roof collapse halted use of the ECC national […]
GIFF JOHNSONThe lack of a national budget for the fiscal year that starts October 1 is worrying Nitijela leaders, one of whom is calling on RMI leaders to solve the current uncertainty over US Compact funding by introducing a “continuing resolution” that authorizes the same level of funding as presently budgeted to continue after September […]
An unusual discovery was made earlier this month in Majuro: A bag loaded with high-caliber bullets. To be precise, the bag of bullets was found in the small boat channel by the bridge by people swimming in that location. It was turned over to Majuro Atoll Local Police for further investigation. The bag containing hundreds […]
GIFF JOHNSON The policy driving high schools to focus on educating young people to meet college requirements has been so all-encompassing that island school systems neglected the idea of preparing young people to be contributing members of their local communities whether or not they make it to college. As Marshall Islands public high schools embark […]
