Police still chasing after escaped prisoner Pati Chong Nee who continues to remain elusive.

This is the reassurance from the Minister of Prisons Taialavea Tionisio Hunt.

Tialavea told Newsline in an interview that police are doing their best to locate the escaped prisoner, Pati Chong Nee.

Congregational ‘faifeau’ or church ministers of the EFKS Church on the south side of the island at Safata, Siumu and Falealili, can look forward next month to driving around in brand new pick-up trucks.

They have been promised the vehicles as part of the annual church ‘ fa’amati’ when each  congregation must provide for the care of the ‘faifeau’s’ home to make sure it is well furnished.

Gusting winds and heavy rains grounded ferry travels between the main islands today, Thursday 16 January 2020.

Safety concerns for the travelling public and the crew forced the Samoa Shipping Corporation to cancel all travels.

The 5.00am weather advisory from the Met Office for the day noted an  ‘….active convergence zone continues to remain within the vicinity of Samoa with heavy downpour and gusty activities.’

The Seventh Day Adventist Church College, Lalovaea, school dux award of 2019 went to 18-year-old Commerce student, Angellyn Fa’aleiua.

Her coveted academic award was presented at the school prize giving today at Lalovaea.

 The annual end of the year event was postponed from last year 2019 by the measles epidemic and it was combined from primary up to the college levels.

Samoa Rugby Union is determined to increase women’s participation in rugby around the country, in keeping with World Rugby edict of actively promoting and improving women’s rugby around the rugby playing world.

With that in mind, SRU rugby development division, has this week called for entries for its first women’s tournament for the start of the decade.

After twenty years, Brother Kevin O`Malley returns to Samoa. He has been appointed President of St. Joseph`s College, as well as the CEO of the College`s Governance Board.  Initially the positions will be on a part-time basis until his current contract with the Catholic Education Office in American Samoa is completed in early July, 2020.

A combined team of Samoan overseas general practitioners, surgeons and anesthetists, mostly from New Zealand, are rounding up their final week of a two weeks voluntary help out at the TTM Hospital to give the local staff a working break.

Consulting surgeon in Adelaide, Australia, Leafitaitu Dr Jimmy Eteuati is at the 7-member team

His team is the second to follow in on a two weeks voluntary work arrangement under the Samoan Doctors Worldwide Volunteer Service (SDWVS).

Schools will simply close down and all exams cancelled in any future health epidemic similar to the measles outbreak of last November and December 2019.

There is no Plan B to be set for major exams as far as the Education Minister, Loau Keneti Sio, is concerned, when it comes to any deadly disease that kills children.

Key end of year exams like the SSLC and SSC were cancelled and schools closed early for health safety reasons when the measles virus turned viral.

...where the sight of a car being pushed out of the inter-island ferry is not new.  Happens all the time when vehicles, for as many reasons as you care to count with your fingers will stall inside the boat. 

Usually the poor sailors are the ones to try and push it out and it will be doing them a huge favour if it's not too big.

The Samoa Shipping Maritime Academy is closing its doors in a planned merge with the National University Maritime School to get underway with start of the first semester for the New Year.

The NUS deputy Vice Chancellor, Peseta Desmond Lee Hang confirmed the merge.

A Mt. Vaea resident, is not giving up protest at safety risks for families in the vicinity of the mountainside location of the fireworks, during the recent New Year midnight celebration.

Logona Paul Meredith, lives at his family home next to the selected location of  the fireworks.

He circulated a protest petition from families on the mountain-side to stop the fireworks but was unsuccessful in doing so.

PRESS RELEASE :  The Ministry of Health had not authorized the $40 tala fee and was also not aware that staff had unilaterally impose the fee to acquire the vaccination records for school enrolment.

As a result, Director General of Health, Leausa Dr. Take Naseri had instructed staff members to cease any fees immediately charged when informed of the situation last Friday.

Deidre Fanene

Registered transgender nurse and midwife, Tiara Tuulua, will never forget dealing with pregnant women during the measles outbreak

The 33 year old who had been a registered nurse since 2009 added the measles epidemic as a second lifetime experience, of a natural disaster she was directly involved with.

The holiday season shortage of cooking gas in Savai’i ended during the week with the scheduled monthly shipment by the Samoa Shipping Corporation for the big island.

One of the regular suppliers from Apia, BOC Gas, explained the shortage on only one special trip a month scheduled by the Shipping Corporation for cooking gas.

A supplier spokesman said there are other reasons that include peak sales at this time of the year, always for the months December and January.

Deidre Fanene

A street vendor is looking forward to what this year has for him.

Jay Semo has had a tough life at a young age and is no stranger to most of the people in Apia especially the businesses.

There was also a time when the Samoa Victim Support Group took him into the shelter and offered him a place to live, after he ran away from home because he was being abused.