The Commonwealth Development Authority has prodded the utilities company to include a refinancing clause in the future power plant construction contract with a Japanese conglomerate in order to ensure that power rates are maintained at the lowest possible level.

The House committee on Public Utilities, Transportation and Communications is set to conduct a public hearing on the new 80-megawatt power plant on Saipan to determine whether the government should back up the project that has been mired in controversy.

Off-island students who are recipients of the local scholarship and educational assistance grants are required to take at least 60 credits at the Northern Marianas College and maintain a grade point average of 2.0 prior to enrolling in a college or university abroad.

With the intensified inspection of the Division of Environmental Quality on various water companies on the island, officials of the agency have assured the public they will continue to carry out their job to ensure the safety of the bottled water distributed in the CNMI.