FLASHBACK- August 26, 2011

DPH needs $3M for medical referral[/B]

With a month to go before the current fiscal year ends, the Department of Public Health will need additional $3 million to provide assistance to residents under its medical referral program. DPH Sec. Joseph Kevin Villagomez attributed the shortfall to drastic 50 percent cut in the amount appropriated by the government in FY 1999 as well as to the costly medical expenses incurred by patients who have been referred to off-island hospitals. “Actually we will be in a hole more but the Legislature gave me the flexibility to use some of those accounts,” he told reporters. “So it’s been good, but right now we just have a lot of very sick people and we can’t (help them) no matter what system you put in place.”

A Y2K project team composed of local and federal computer experts has identified four government offices as the most critical agencies which must receive the federal government’s million grant for computer system upgrading program. Identified as Y2K critical agencies are the Commonwealth Health Center, the Commonwealth Utilities Corp., the Department of Finance, and the Public School System. The CNMI is receiving a total of $1.38 million from the Y2K grant, which will come from the Office of Management and Budget. The Department of Interior said that upon instruction from OMB, it will have to monitor and scrutinize the disbursement of Y2K funds, which are given only to US. insular territories.

OIA asked for tech support[/B]

Gov. Juan N. Babauta has asked the Office of Insular Affairs for technical assistance to enable not just the CNMI but all insular territories to more effectively tap available federal grants. In a letter to OIA Deputy Assistant Secretary David B. Cohen, Babauta asked the OIA to provide the insular governments with the technical assistance that will lead to more effective ways in which the insular areas can readily have knowledge of the vast amounts of grants available in the federal government. This includes the process of accessing these grants and the most effective way of tapping into these monies. This comes even as Babauta expressed support to the OIA’s continued assistance to the CNMI and other U.S. insular territories in support of FEDFACTS and the Federal Grants Review publications.

After a four-year assignment on Saipan, Japan Airlines’ District Manager Yukiharu Enomoto will be leaving the CNMI tomorrow and going back to Japan to rejoin his family. Shinichi Yoshida will take over Enomoto’s duties. He has already arrived from Japan and will officially takeover tomorrow. To recognize the valuable contributions that Enomoto made to the CNMI, the Commonwealth Ports Authority and the Airport Operators Committee hosted a farewell luncheon for Enomoto last Thursday, August 22, at the Pacific Islands Club. Enomoto will leave Saipan for Japan tomorrow, where is he being reassigned to the JAL operations at Haneda Airport.

Counsel: Atalig to appeal conviction today[/B]

Sen. Ricardo Atalig intends to appeal his federal conviction on wire fraud charges before the U.S. Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit today, his lawyer disclosed yesterday. But Stephen Woodruff, Atalig’s counsel, said the senator would surrender to the U.S. Marshal’s Office by Thursday pursuant to an order by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Alex R. Munson, unless the court order is modified. Woodruff also divulged that he would file appropriate legal pleadings to have the August 28 surrender deadline changed, but he refused to describe what specific request he would ask the court for.

A CNMI Department of Commerce employee filed a formal complaint against four juveniles who allegedly snatched his handbag while he was closing the office on Capitol Hill Friday night. The victim, whose identity was withheld by the Department of Public Safety, told investigators that he was closing his office at the Commerce Department building on Capitol Hill around 10pm Friday after working late to finish some paper works when four unidentified young males grabbed his bag from behind. DPS spokesperson PO2 Jason Tarkong said the complainant, identified only as a 35-year-old DOC official, was leaving his office around 10:15 pm when the suspects grabbed his bag and fled.