Flashback – Jan. 2003 – Jan. 2009

January 7, 2009

Student, 17, hurt after colliding with car
A 17-year-old student was injured after he collided with a vehicle as he was crossing near the intersection to Saipan International School in As Lito Tuesday morning. The victim suffered multiple abrasions and lacerations to the face. He also sustained abrasions and complained of pain in the right arm, right leg, and neck. Department of Public Safety spokesperson Lei Ogumoro said that no one was cited in the incident. Ogumoro said that, according to traffic investigators, the boy did not use the marked crosswalk to cross the highway and failed to yield the right of way to vehicles. “Speed and alcohol were not factors in this incident. The weather was cloudy and the road surface, including the shoulder, was wet,” Ogumoro said. DPS on Tuesday at 7:06am received a call about the accident that occurred along Martinez Road.

Woman allegedly stole, forged Tinian Municipal checks
The Attorney General’s Office has charged a woman who allegedly stole and conspired with other persons to steal and forge checks belonging to the Tinian Municipal Treasurer. Marla Cruz Sablan, 28, was charged with theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received and conspiracy. Sablan, a resident of Tinian, was summoned to appear and answer the charges in the CNMI Superior Court on Jan. 9 at 9am. Chief Prosecutor Kevin Lynch stated in the charging information that on July 22, 2008, Sablan purposely obtained Tinian Municipal Treasurer’s check written to Pacific Telecom Inc. in the amount of $931.04.

January 7, 2006

$6.9M food stamps issued
The Nutrition Assistance Program issued more than $6.9 million worth of food stamps in the CNMI in fiscal year 2005, based on the program’s recently issued summary of expenditures. The report also shows an increase of 695 in the number of households receiving food stamps during the fiscal year. The report showed that, in fiscal year 2005—covering the period from October 2004 to September 2005—the program released $6,955,411 worth of food assistance to needy members of the CNMI community. NAP administrator Walter I. Macaranas said Friday the outflow of benefits show an increase in the numbers every year.

Labor voids documents of fraud scheme victim
The CNMI Department of Labor has determined that an alien worker who is a victim of a fraud scheme have no legal basis to remain in the Commonwealth. Labor Hearing Officer Herbert D. Soll voided any memorandum, permit, and temporary work authorization justifying the presence of respondent Ji Hongyan in the CNMI. Soll said Ji has no legal basis to be in the Commonwealth, but she may have a grace period in which to complete personal business until Feb. 20, 2006. After that date, she should be referred to the Division of Immigration for appropriate action, Soll said. “The findings do not support the allegation that Ji had knowledge of the fraud committed by her agent, therefore she is eligible to be re-employed in the CNMI once she is repatriated,” the hearing officer noted.

January 7, 2003

Reduced work-hour bill axed
The legislative proposal to cut government work by an hour daily did not sit well with the House majority, who sought to buy more time to iron out areas that the bill purportedly failed to address. Among the concerns the majority raised were the fate of civil service employees and autonomous agencies that would be affected. Members voted 8 to 5 to thumb down House Bill 13-242 or the proposed Retirement Protection Act of 2003 that was authored by House Speaker Heinz S. Hofschneider.

Two women sue PMC, drug firm for diet pills’ ill effects
Two women have separately sued pharmaceutical giant Wyeth company, Pacific Medical Center, and its owner after taking diet pills that allegedly caused them serious heart ailments. Frances Sablan Benavente and Balbina K. Wabol filed the civil lawsuits against the drug company, PMC and its owner, Dr. Ahmad Al-Alou, yesterday at the Superior Court, according to their lawyer, Robert O’Connor. “Both these women were prescribed by a doctor on Saipan with ‘fen-phen’ diet pills,” O’Connor said, referring to Al-Alou. “When they took these two diet pills in combination, their heart valves were damaged. These are the valves that pump blood.”