COMMUNITY BRIEFS – December 14, 2021

Guma Hustisia temporarily closed

The NMI Supreme Court ordered yesterday the temporary closure of the Guma Hustisia in response to the recent surge in confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in the CNMI. The temporary closure is from Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021, through Friday, Dec. 17, 2021. Bail, initial appearance, arraignment, family protection, emergency and time-sensitive hearings may be set through either videoconferencing or teleconferencing means. Judiciary staff will be teleworking through the temporary closure. Kotten Tinian and Centron Hustisia will remain open, for limited purposes. To access the most recent Supreme Court COVID-19 Order, visit www.cnmilaw.org. (PR)

Power service interruption on Thursday

The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. would like to inform the public that there will be a scheduled power service interruption on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, from 8:30am to 2:30pm, affecting Lower Base (CUC Chlorination Storage only). The momentary outage will take place from 8:30am to 9:30am and 1:30pm to 2:30pm, affecting Lower Base (Wushin Corp.), Sadog Tasi, Capital Hill Homestead, Wireless, and Mt. Tapochau. This power outage is necessary so CUC could perform system and hardware maintenance in the Lower Base area. The traffic light in Sadog Tasi near the Mobil Gas Station will be affected. CUC water wells located on Capital Hill will be affected (affecting the areas of Capital Hill, Wireless Ridge, Talafofo, Mt. Tapochau, Chalan Galaide, China Town, Upper MIHA Housing, and As Falape) may be affected based on tank level. No wastewater facility will be affected. For more information, contact the CUC Customer Hotline (236-4333) or monitor our Facebook page for the latest updates (https://www.facebook.com/CommonwealthUtilitiesCorporation/). (PR)

Public warned of rip currents, rough seas

The high surf advisory has been cancelled but dangerous rip currents are expected to persist in east facing reefs of the Marianas through Wednesday. A small craft advisory is now in effect until 6pm today, Tuesday. Based on the information received from the National Weather Service in Guam and compiled at the CNMI Emergency Operations Center State Warning Point, the high risk of rip currents is expected to continue through Wednesday on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. Rip currents can sweep even the best swimmers away from shore into deeper water. The public is advised to swim near a lifeguard. If caught in a rip current, relax and float. Don’t swim against the current. If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help. East winds of 15 to 20 knots and seas of 8 to 10 feet are expected in Marianas coastal waters until 6pm Tuesday. Conditions will be hazardous to small craft. Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels, to avoid navigating in hazardous conditions. (Saipan Tribune)

Emergency water service interruption

There will be a series of emergency scheduled water service interruptions on Dec. 14-17, 2021 for Commonwealth Utilities Corp. customers in Papago, San Vicente, Laolao, Tuturam and Upper Dandan. Water services will shut-off based on the schedule below:

– Dec. 14, from 8am to 4pm, for installation of the bypass system for the pressure sustaining valve assembly
– Dec. 15, from 8am to 12pm, for filling and disinfection of the new tank
– Dec. 15, from 9:30pm to Dec. 16, 6am
– Dec. 16, from 9:30pm to Friday, Dec. 17, 6am

The emergency scheduled water service interruptions are to allow CLIC’s contractor for the San Vicente Water Tank Replacement Project to install a bypass system for the pressure sustaining valve assembly prior to disinfecting the newly constructed San Vicente Tank. Water service to the affected areas will resume on Friday, Dec. 17, at 6am. (PR)