Jurors hear testimony from DEA At the conclu- sion of her Student chemist during Day 2 of Stowers... Teaching experi- Page 4 ence at Manulele Tausala Elemen- Fa’ailoa Kovana lona lagolago i le tary as part of the ASCC Teacher fa’a a’upegaina o Leoleo Education pro- Le Lali gram, Mrs. Vanessa Velega gathers with Jets’ McCown still going strong, her students for a farewell photo. joining the likes of Thorpe [Photo: J. Kneubuhl] Sports ONLINE @ SAMOANEWS.COM C M Y K DAILY CIRCULATION 7,000 PAGO PAGO, AMERICAN SAMOA THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017 $1.00 Govt fi les additional charges in alleged Pago Pago hit-and-run case VICTIMS INCLUDE A MOTHER OF TWO AND HER NEPHEW by Ausage Fausia trict Court Judge Fiti Sunia last Friday, where the Samoa News Reporter Court issued a ‘no bail’ status for him. The driver of a pickup truck that was involved Fetoai waived his right to a preliminary exam- in an accident that allegedly injured two people ination hearing on Monday, and his case was last week in Pago Pago, is facing multiple crim- bound over to the High Court where he entered a inal charges. not guilty plea during his arraignment yesterday Falaniko Fetoai was initially charged with morning. traffi c violations including reckless driving and His pretrial conference is scheduled for Jan. careless driving; and public peace disturbance, a 05, 2018. Enjoy a Magical misdemeanor. According to court documents, an off-duty He made his initial appearance in the District cop contacted the DPS central station around Court last week and was released after he posted 7:35 p.m. on Nov. 28, 2017 to report a fi ght in a $3,000 surety bond. progress at a residence in Pago Pago. CHRISTMAS AT However, the government has fi led two addi- Two offi cers arrived at the scene 10 minutes tional charges: assault in the second degree — later and noticed a crowd in front of the resi- a class D felony — and third degree assault, a dence, and a female — one of the victims in the SSAB-PAGO INC. misdemeanor. case — lying on the sidewalk. SSAB Samoa Stationary And Books is celebrating its 9th Mag- This resulted in the defendant being re- After speaking to some bystanders, police ical Birthday and SSAB Pago Inc., in Tafuna, is holding Early arrested and thereafter, he appeared before Dis- (Continued on page 7) Bird Specials this Saturday, December 9th ONLY as part of the holiday celebrations! SSAB commenced operations in a small coffee size shop in Apia in 2008. Fast forward to 2017, and SSAB now has 7 locations! Their headquarters is based in Togafuafua, Samoa, with a total of 3 shops in Samoa, 2 in Savaii, 1 in New Zealand, and 1 right here in Tafuna, American Samoa! SSAB has answered the call to fulfi ll the lack of educational resources in Samoa and now currently supplies over 90% of both C M private and public schools in Samoa and Savaii. Y K They have also introduced Samoan Educational Resources to the New Zealand market and hope to continue to do the same right here on Tutuila, Aunu’u and Manu’a. SSAB has also branched out to offer a variety of goods to their customers, including Offi ce and Home Furniture, Electronics, Jewelry, Home-ware, and so much more. Their goal is to con- tinue to provide their customers with quality products at afford- able prices. This Saturday, all SSAB branches will be celebrating SSAB’s 9th birthday with the theme of “A Magical Christmas”. For SSAB Pago Branch, it will be a fun fi lled magical day with Early Bird specials, which are a part of SSAB’s goodwill to our community — they are reducing their prices even more. The fi rst 5 buyers to buy a 6ft folding table will pay only $30.00 instead of $65.00; the fi rst 3 buyers to purchase a writing table with 3 drawers will get the table for $75.00 instead of $135.00! SSAB will continue to have more specials in store from now until Christmas. Everything from 8-seater, 6-seater, & 4-seater dining sets, ArtPlace America is proud to announce that Queen Muhammad Ali has been chosen from fl ash drives, 14KT gold Tahitian pearl pendant (7mm-9mm) and nearly a thousand applications to receive funding — $500,000 — for a project that’s to take place bluetooth speakers, to folding tables, plastic chairs, mini fridges, in Fagaitua, through its 2017 National Creative Placemaking Fund. Read story inside for details. [Courtesy photo] (Continued on page 8) Page 2 samoa news, Thursday, December 7, 2017 Jurors hear testimony from DEA chemist during Day 2 of Stowers drug trial THREE ENVELOPES, THREE TESTS, ALL POSITIVE FOR METH by Ausage Fausia in his pockets, like sharp objects Samoa News Reporter or a weapon, Stowers stood up, A police offi cer in the gov- started emptying his pockets, ernment’s case against alleged and said no. Vaofanua said he drug dealer Falaniko Stowers saw Nicole reach into his left a.k.a ‘Nicole’ told the jury yes- pocket and remove something terday that 6 cut straws with he tried to conceal in his shirt. crystalline substance inside When asked by Paselio what were found in Nicole’s posses- it was, Stowers responded, “You sion when police met up with know what it is.” Vaofanua said him in front of the DPS central Stowers opened his fi st and station in Fagatogo on Nov. 28, showed them 6 cut up straws 2016. with crystalline substance. This was the testimony of During cross-examination, Det. Savelio Vaofanua yes- defense counsel Asst. Public terday, during Day 2 of Stowers’ Defender Kate Hannaher asked jury trial in the High Court. the witness why they stopped Altogether, the government the vehicle Stowers was riding called 5 witnesses to the stand: in that day. two cops, one of whom is the Vaofanua said they wanted At the conclusion of her Student Teaching experience at Matafao Elementary School as part of DPS evidence custodian; an to inform him about the search the ASCC Teacher Education program, Miss Georgina Laupola (back row, center) celebrates with expert from the Drug Enforce- warrant. Hannaher then asked if students and fellow instructors including Dr. Larry Purcell (back row, left ) of ASCC. ment Agency (DEA); and two it is normal practice for police [Photo: J. Kneubuhl] eyewitnesses. to inform people before they Det. Vaofanua, along with search their home, and the wit- Det. Johnny Paselio, were the ness said yes. ones who executed a search war- That day, Stowers was riding rant on the defendant’s home. in a vehicle with two other Vaofanua said that on their way people. When asked where the to house, he and Paselio saw the other occupants were when defendant in a vehicle, driving Stowers was taken in for ques- from the residence. tioning, Vaofanua said other The vehicle was stopped and cops were interviewing them. Stowers was asked to step out, DPS evidence room custo- so they could inform him about dian, Offi cer Jennings, when the search warrant. called to the stand, said it was According to Vaofanua, on May 18, 2017 that evidence when asked if he had anything (Continued on page 12) N. Korea says war is inevitable as allies continue war games SEOUL, South Korea (AP) when will the war break out,” — North Korea says a nuclear the spokesman said.“We do not war on the Korean Peninsula has wish for a war but shall not hide become a matter of when, not if, from it, and should the U.S. as it continued to lash out at a miscalculate our patience and massive joint military exercise light the fuse for a nuclear war, between the United States and we will surely make the U.S. South Korean involving hun- dearly pay the consequences dreds of advanced warplanes. with our mighty nuclear force In comments attributed to which we have consistently an unnamed Foreign Ministry strengthened.”The comments spokesman, North Korea also were carried by the offi cial claimed high-ranked U.S. offi - Korean Central News Agency cials, including CIA Director late Wednesday, hours after Mike Pompeo, have further the United States fl ew a B-1B confi rmed American intent supersonic bomber over South for war with a series of “bel- Korea as part of a massive com- licose remarks.”Pompeo said bined aerial exercise involving Saturday that U.S. intelligence hundreds of warplanes.South agencies believe North Korean Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff leader Kim Jong Un doesn’t said the Guam-based bomber have a good idea about how simulated land strikes at a mili- tenuous his situation is domes- tary fi eld near South Korea’s tically and internationally. eastern coast during a drill The North’s spokesman said with U.S. and South Korean Pompeo provoked the country fi ghter jets.“Through the drill, by “impudently criticizing our the South Korean and U.S. air supreme leadership which is the forces displayed the allies’ heart of our people.”“The large- strong intent and ability to scale nuclear war exercises con- punish North Korea when ducted by the U.S. in succes- threatened by nuclear weapons sion are creating touch-and-go and missiles,” the South Korean situation on the Korean penin- military said in a statement. sula and series of violent war B-1Bs fl yovers have become remarks coming from the U.S. an increasingly familiar show high-level politicians amid such of force to North Korea, which circumstances have made an after three intercontinental bal- outbreak of war on the Korean listic missile tests has clearly peninsula an established fact.