FLASHBACK June 23, 1999-2003

Ingram seeks pay increase for police[/B]

Public Safety Commissioner Charles Ingram made a strong pitch on the need for higher salary of police officers and revamp of existing anti-crime laws in the CNMI at the conclusion of the House oversight hearing yesterday on his department which he considered a “necessary evil.” Rep. Frank Cepeda, chair of the House Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations which initiated the hearing, likewise vowed to institute reforms in DPS through legislation.

Only five out of nine companies deemed qualified to bid on the Saipan power project have submitted their “best and final offers” for the second phase of independent evaluation being conducted by a U.S. engineering firm. Consultants Burns & McDonnell received the proposals Friday, the deadline set for submission, according to a statement from the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation.

Commonwealth Utilities Corporation Chairman Juan S. Dela Cruz, resigned yesterday from the Board of Directors, citing his desire to devote more time in his private job. “I have been proud to serve and believe that during my tenure the Board has achieved many accomplishments. We have paved the way for a new power plant for Saipan and have a new power plant up and running on Tinian,” he said in his resignation letter to Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio.

Kagman Elementary School opening hits snag[/B]

The scheduled operation of the new Kagman Elementary School on Aug. 1, 2000, may be hampered as the Public School System race to find additional funds to hire the needed number of staff for its operation. PSS is seeking the assistance of Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio to provide more money in time for the opening of the $6 million school facility.

Public Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez yesterday assured Tanapag residents that the department will carry out a thorough analysis of the effects of polychlorinated biphenyl contamination based on the medical evaluation conducted among the people in the village. Mr. Villagomez said he will send some blood samples taken from the residents for independent analysis and comparison to another laboratory, a recommendation which was earlier made by the head of the medical team currently handling the ongoing health evaluation in Tanapag.

A moderate earthquake shook islands in the Marianas in the early hours yesterday, but there was no report of casualty or damages, according to officials. The temblor, measuring 5.7 in the open-ended Richter scale, struck at around 2:25 a.m. and was felt by some Saipan residents, the Emergency Management Office said. Juan Camacho, EMO’s cartographic technician, located its epicenter at about 95 miles southwest of Saipan, 30 miles west of Rota or 50 miles north of Agana, Guam. It had a depth of 110 kilometers, he said.

Govt disconnection pushed[/B]

A member of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. Board of Directors has expressed support for a proposal to disconnect utility services to the CNMI government if it continues to fail to pay on time. Board member Velma Ann Palacios said this move should be considered in light of the current fiscal position of the utility firm.

The Division of Customs posted a combined $4.73 million in excise and user fee collections in May, reflecting a 25-percent increase in revenue collected compared with the previous month. May collections for the beverage container tax also reflected an increase-12 percent-compared with April figures, climbing from $87,575 to $98,057.