GIFF JOHNSON The death of Bethwel Henry in mid-December is truly the end of an era in the national development of the Federated States of Micronesia — and throughout the entire freely associated state area. While making a list can be troublesome — someone who should be on it is frequently left off — it […]
GIFF JOHNSON President David Kabua delivered a state of the nation address at Monday’s Nitijela opening ceremony, issuing a straightforward call for improvements in many areas of government operations.As is customary with ceremonial openings that do not involve the drama of an election, the chamber gallery evidenced many empty seats, save for the church singing […]
GIFF JOHNSONThe Marshall Islands became the first independent nation in the Pacific region to begin Covid-19 vaccinations as a group of high-ranking Marshall Islands leaders joined with Ministry of Health doctors and nurses to be the first to receive the United States government-provided vaccines on Tuesday.The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) delivered to Majuro […]
Churches were the place to be Christmas Day as they came alive with amplified keyboard tunes and energetic biit dancing to celebrate Christmas…with some of the Christmas celebration spilling over into Saturday.Each year, the audiences remember one or more special jepta performances, outstanding in some way. Each year, the Marshalls Christian High School jepta from […]
GIFF JOHNSONThe first batch of Covid-19 vaccines are scheduled to arrive within the next week, possibly as early as this weekend, according to RMI officials.The United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is providing an initial delivery of the Moderna-developed vaccine to the RMI, Federated States of Micronesia and Palau.The RMI Cabinet, Ministry of Health […]
GIFF JOHNSON At a time when most people’s focus has turned to jeptas, holiday parties, shopping and family gatherings, this December has featured an usual development. Nitijela and the Cabinet are in a dust up over several public hearings scheduled by chairmen last week, one of which the Cabinet cut off from V7AB radio broadcast […]
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 […]
