Flashback July 19, 1999-2001

[B]July 19, 1999

3 federal officials in CNMI row subpoenaed[/B]

WASHINGTON – A festering partisan battle over governance of the Northern Mariana Islands erupted anew this week, as a House committee claimed it had unearthed evidence that a federal official with responsibility for the U.S. territory tried illegally to launch political attacks against top House Republicans. The House Resources Committee served subpoenas on Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt; David North, public affairs officer for Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs; and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

[B]Takeover hearing pushed back[/B]

The U.S. Senate Energy and Resources Committee has delayed for a week the scheduled July 27 oversight hearing on the proposed federal takeover of CNMI in Washington D.C., rejecting an appeal by the business sector to hold it in September to coincide with the investigation by the House Resources Committee. Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio confirmed Saturday the decision of the Senate Committee which was relayed to him by CNMI Representative to Washington Juan N. Babauta. The local chief executive will fly today to the Federated States of Micronesia to attend the inaugural of FSM’s new president.

[B]Anti-prostitution drive launched[/B]

Responding to the federal government’s concern about the alleged proliferation of sex trade in the CNMI, the local government has stepped up its anti-prostitution drive by launching an operation last week that yielded eight suspected pimps and prostitutes. Three women and five men, all natives of China, were arrested by policemen during a dawn raid on Friday, a government lawyer said.

[B]July 19, 2000

Business gross revenue tax up 4.8%[/B]

Indicating a modest recovery of the Northern Marianas economy, the CNMI government reported substantial growth in business gross revenue tax collected during the first eight months of the Fiscal Year 2000 from last year’s figures. Department of Finance records disclosed a 4.8 percent increase in revenues generated from business gross to $42.7 million during the period covering October 1999 to May 2000, from last year’s $40.8 million.

[B]House rejects changes to Omnibus bill[/B]

The proposed Omnibus Labor and Business Reform Act heads into another round of review after the House of Representatives yesterday rejected amendments made by the Senate. Speaker Benigno R. Fitial, who sponsored the proposal under HB 12-39, said he will call immediately a bicameral conference meeting to iron out differences with the upper house. This is the second time in less than two months that the two chambers clash due to disagreement over legislation. The first was on the FY 2000 budget proposal that the governor later disapproved.

[B]PIA faces $3 million civil suit[/B]

Two Tinian residents are seeking payment of $1 million each from the Pacific Islands Aviation for alleged psychological trauma they have been experiencing since the PIA plane that took them to Guam crash landed in 1998. On top of this, Rosita C. Palacios and Carleen P. Mendiola are asking for punitive damages amounting to $1 million in a civil complaint they filed before the Superior Court through their lawyer Joshua A. Berger. They want the court to hold a jury trial on the island-municipality of Tinian.

[B]July 19, 2001

Schools plan anti-abuse lessons[/B]

Reported cases of child sexual abuse at Oleai Elementary School served as an eye-opener, pushing school administrators to plan for anti-sexual abuse lessons for students this coming school year. School officials said students may have to be educated on the difference between a “good” and a “bad” touch so they will be able to detect abuse and report it to proper authorities.

[B]Dilapidated treatment plant may be polluting the ocean[/B]

The Commonwealth Utilities Corporation admitted that overflow of wastewater from the sewer system hooked to the Agingan treatment plant actually occurs. This happens when the sewer’s pumping system fails to accommodate the volume of wastewater flowing through the sewer pipes.