Government & Politics
Guam early voting surpasses primary turnout, election official says
“But of course after the storm that trend kind of took a little bit of a dip. But just as of yesterday, we did about 1,069, so you know, we're seeing a good trend,” he said.
By Jolene Toves ·
FEMA flags 10 open compliance findings in Guam Homeland Security grant review
FEMA looked at 20 awards across eight grant programs including Assistance to Firefighters, Emergency Management Performance Grants, Homeland Security Grants, Nonprofit Security, Crisis Counseling, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation, and Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, (BRIC).
By Jolene Toves ·
GPA gets approval to advance $3.9M underground power line project in Dededo
"This is a starting point," Benavente said. "We want to continue looking at ways to protect the remaining water wells and eventually extend these improvements to other critical facilities throughout Guam."
By Jolene Toves ·
Guam tax amnesty program waives interest, civil penalties for eligible taxpayers
“Taxpayers must complete the required clearance process and submit the applicable TAP26 application, along with full payment of any remaining tax principal, to qualify for amnesty,” Adelup said.
By Jolene Toves ·
Moylan outlines four-year record, priorities in final address to Guam Legislature
"Over these past four years in Washington, one lesson stands out: making progress for Guam takes persistence. There's no shortage of red tape, closed doors, and obstacles, some that take months, even years, to push through. But through every challenge, my mission has stayed the same: Guam first, and Guam always," Moylan said.
By Jolene Toves ·
OPA flags $1.7M spent from GEPA Environmental Emergency response and remediation fund
From fiscal 2020 through fiscal 2024, approximately $1.7 million from the Environmental Trust Fund was used primarily for GEPA salaries, utilities and contractual services, leaving limited resources available for environmental emergencies and remediation efforts, according to OPA Report No. 26-10.
By Jolene Toves ·
GPA pitches $1.5 billion power grid upgrade to congressional staff delegation
“During the briefing, GPA emphasized the direct connection between civilian power grid reliability and national defense readiness in the Indo-Pacific region, highlighting that the Island-Wide Power System (IWPS) allows the Department of War (DOW) facilities and assets to perform mission-critical functions,” GPA said.
By Jolene Toves ·
U.S. push to dismantle U.N. Decolonization Committee raises concerns over Guam’s Self-Determination
“They reflect our judgment that the Fourth Committee no longer needs to consider these questions through the filter of the Special Committee on Decolonization. The Special Committee has outlived its original purpose, with more than 80 former colonies having since joined the UN as member states,” she said.
By Jolene Toves ·
Port of Guam GM Respicio confirmed as AAPA’s first Americas Region director
“AAPA is proud to welcome him to the Board in this newly established role,” Yi said.
By Jolene Toves ·
GBA Survey: Tydingco leads in all five Attorney General Candidate questions
"The GBA takes no position for or against any candidate. The results reflect the opinions of respondents only and may not be representative of the entire membership. In total, 110 of 301 active members responded (36.54%)," the GBA said
By Jolene Toves ·
Guam Retirees to receive COLA Payments ahead of Nov. 1 deadline
“By processing these payments early, we are putting critical resources directly into the hands of our seniors when they need them most. This achievement highlights our ongoing commitment to managing GovGuam stable finances effectively for our community," Gov. Lou Loen Guerrero said.
By Jolene Toves ·
DOE selects Guam for $21.2 Million Electricity Transmission upgrade
“This collaboration culminated last month in San Francisco, where we met with over 100 representatives from across the federal bureaucracy — including leadership from the Department of Energy,” Leon Guerrero said.
By Jolene Toves ·
Port refers Oct. 2 Gantry Crane incident to Accident Review Board
"The ARB will independently examine the circumstances surrounding the incident, including crane placement and securing, supervisory instructions, communications, weather-related decisions, management responsibilities, and the adequacy of existing procedures," the Port update said.
By Jolene Toves ·
GovGuam Retirement Fund receives clean opinion in FY2025 audit
“The DB Plan’s FY 2025 net position of $2.6B increased by $216M from its FY 2024 net position of $2.4B. The increase was primarily due to a $215.7M rise in total assets, driven largely by market fluctuations in total investments,” the OPA said.
By Jolene Toves ·
Deadline to apply for FEMA assistance for Bavi recovery, Dec. 7
“Federal funding is also available to territorial and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by Super Typhoon Bavi,” the Federal Emergency Management Agency said.
By Jolene Toves ·
Port targets Saturday for Gantry Crane 6 inspection and recertification
“Operating with only one gantry crane has extended vessel working times by approximately one day compared with a typical call, and that has created some schedule movement in the vessel sequence,” Port General Manager Rory Respicio said
By Jolene Toves ·
Governor signs law directing $19.9M in excess Section 30 Funds to GMH for EHR system
“The full procurement and implementation timeline is projected to take 15 to 18 months. With the hospital’s current software contract set to expire in 2028, today’s bill signing ensures a seamless, timely transition to a secure and modern platform,” Adelup said.
By Jolene Toves ·
U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments over Tarague Beach open detonation
"NEPA is very clear that you have to undertake the analysis before proposing a major federal action. And it also talks about bringing entities like Guam EPA to the table as what NEPA calls cooperating agencies, and those are agencies who have jurisdiction by law over some part of the project or some environmental effects involved," Flynn said.
By Jolene Toves ·
Port launches review of Gantry Crane incident as recovery continues
On Wednesday, the Port said the internal review will also look at “weather information available throughout the day and evening, decisions made at the supervisory, operational, safety, and management levels and whether established procedures and specific management directions were followed.”
By Jolene Toves ·
All three Port Gantry Cranes back on rail system as recovery continues
"The Port reached another recovery milestone Tuesday with Gantry Crane 6 successfully returned to the rail system. Gantry Crane 5 was returned to the rails Sunday, meaning all three of the Port’s gantry cranes are now back on the rail system," the Port said in a release Oct. 6.
By Jolene Toves ·
Legislature passes amended Bill directing $19.9M to GMHA
"The entire amount shall support the Guam Memorial Hospital in the acquisition and implementation of a modern electronic healthcare health record system and related infrastructure improvement," Sen. Telo Taitague said reading the amended intent which reflected the evolution of the bill on the floor throughout Tuesday morning.
By Jolene Toves ·
NWS says 'powerful squall' contributed to Port Crane damage
"Definitely they did have a powerful squall go through blasting through the Port right around 9:30 that evening and so that was when everything happened. ... Something major happened and the wind was a factor indeed because we did have some powerful wind squalls," Aydlett said.
By Jolene Toves ·
Gantry Crane 5 returned to rail as Port Cargo operations continue
When asked whether repairs would be completed before the next scheduled vessel activity Monday, Respicio said, "I ordered that the same vessel line up remain for the coming week with some contingencies in place. We are working on the next critical steps."
By Jolene Toves ·
