Storm Debris Pickup Begins Next Week Across Saipan, Tinian and Rota
SAIPAN — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin residential debris removal operations across all three islands next week and is asking storm-impacted residents to sort and stage their debris at the roadside ahead of crews, USACE announced Thursday.
Saipan Water Access Hits 75% as Tinian Boil Notice Lifts
SAIPAN — Customer water access on Saipan climbed from 49% to 75% over the past reporting cycle, with 6,582 of 8,758 customers now restored, the CNMI Joint Information Center said in its Thursday update on Sinlaku recovery operations.
Saipan Humane Society Operating from Casa Marianas; Reduced Consultation Fees Through May 31
SAIPAN — The Saipan Humane Society is operating from a temporary clinic location at Casa Marianas while its original clinic awaits restoration of power and water, the organization said in a community update.
Mother and Daughter Sentenced to Federal Prison for Defrauding CNMI Public School System
SAIPAN — A mother and daughter were sentenced in federal court Tuesday for their roles in a procurement fraud and money laundering scheme that targeted the CNMI Public School System, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands announced.
CUC Begins Pressuring Water Lines in Kannat Tabla; Service Not Yet Fully Restored
SAIPAN — Commonwealth Utilities Corporation crews are pressuring and filling water lines in Kannat Tabla as part of ongoing Sinlaku restoration efforts, and customers in the area may begin to see water return, the agency said in a Thursday evening advisory.
Op-Ed: Proa’s Promise: Why the Marianas Need Digital Rights, Renewable Power and Food Sovereignty Now
While Washington debates budgets and war games, people in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) are worrying about groceries, rebuilding homes and keeping the lights on. In April the U.S. Department of War acknowledged that the CNMI faces mounting fiscal strain and warned that economic instability in the islands could undermine America’s strategic posture in the Indo-Pacific. A month later, the Saipan Chamber of Commerce braced residents for a 20-hour workweek as the government struggles to stretch a FY2027 budget of just $101.9 million, leaving only $101.9 million for appropriations after fixed obligations. The CNMI’s precarious economy, still reeling from Super Typhoon Sinlaku and the lingering impacts of pandemic era tourism collapse, is threatening not only livelihoods but also the very infrastructure that supports U.S. power projection in the western Pacific.
6,000 Hygiene Kits Headed to Sinlaku-Hit Communities; 2,000 Bound for Saipan via Ayuda Foundation
SAIPAN — A Guam-based nonprofit will distribute 6,000 hygiene kits across Guam, Saipan and Chuuk for Super Typhoon Sinlaku recovery, including 2,000 kits bound for Saipan through a partnership with Ayuda Foundation, Be Heartfelt announced.
‘This Is the Longest Storm I Ever Had in My Life’: Ramon Dela Cruz Becomes First Operation STRONG Recipient
KAGMAN — Ramon Dela Cruz, 66, sat for coffee on the south side of his rented Kagman home Wednesday morning when he saw the trucks roll in.
Operation STRONG Launches in Kagman With First Temporary Roof; FEMA, USACE, JTFM Join Apatang at Kickoff
KAGMAN — Operation STRONG, the federal-territorial temporary roofing program for Sinlaku-damaged homes, launched Wednesday afternoon in Kagman with the first roof installation, Governor David M. Apatang and federal partners said at the site.
Sinlaku Exposes Long-Buried Bunker on Managaha, DPL Secretary Says
SAIPAN — Super Typhoon Sinlaku rearranged the eastern shoreline of Managaha Island and exposed a previously buried bunker not seen by living memory, Department of Public Lands Secretary Sixto Igisomar said in remarks shared from the island Thursday.