We’re back on Saipan but before leaving Hawaii, MP’s Thomas Manglona sat down with founder and CEO Aimee Elise Keliʻi Barnes of Hua Nani Partners, a Hawaiʻi-based company focused on seeding and scaling the next generation of equitable climate solutions through policy, strategy, and advisory services. They hosted the inaugural Pacific Climate Summit along with Pacific Civic Exchange. Watch to learn more.

The CNMI University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities recently held an American Sign Language concert on Saipan. This year’s theme was “Stronger Together: Through Every Sign.” Video by contributor Leo Tsukagoshi.

An additional 30 military personnel arrive on Rota this past weekend in preparation for pre-deployment movements out of the Benjamin T. Manglona International Airport in the coming months. Residents can expect a continued military presence on the island as they continue to cargo in and set up equipment. Rota Mayor’s Office spokesperson Ivan Mereb shares with MP that a community event is being scheduled that would allow Rota residents to view various military aircraft’s and interact with military personnel. The event’s tentative date is on Father’s Day, June 21st. Updates will be made as soon as they are available. MP Rota Correspondent Joy Atalig reports.

The Marianas’ Frank “The Crank” Camacho has opened his own martial arts academy at the Leo Palace Resort in Guam, finally bringing a longtime dream to life. The academy, called Crank Martial Arts Academy, is his way of giving back to Guam and the CNMI for the support he received over his more than 20-year fighting career. Now retired from professional competition at 37 after his UFC run from 2017 to 2022, Camacho said he wants to pass on what he learned training with top coaches and athletes around the world. In partnership with the Leo Palace team, he plans to grow the academy with classes for all ages, along with grappling and MMA events, sports tourism opportunities, and self-defense programs for the community. Listen more as Camacho talks about opening the academy, reaching a longtime goal, and giving back to the islands that supported him. Eliseo Silverio III reports from Guam.

Saipan Senator Corina Magofna discusses her current term and why she is seeking re-election. Thomas Manglona II reports on The Election Desk. This interview was conducted on June 04, 2026.

A motion seeking permission for defendant Jeremy Guillermin to leave Saipan while awaiting trial has been withdrawn, according to a Superior Court minute order issued following a hearing last June 10. The hearing was held before Superior Court Presiding Judge Joseph N. Camacho. The government was represented by Chief Prosecutor Chester Hinds, while Guillermin was represented by defense attorney Brien Sers Nicholas. According to the court order, Guillermin moved to withdraw his motion to modify his bail conditions. The court then scheduled a pretrial conference for Sept. 2, 2026, at 10am, in Courtroom 220A and confirmed a jury trial date of Oct. 19, 2026, at 9am in the same courtroom. All parties were ordered to appear. Court records show the withdrawn motion had sought permission for Guillermin to travel to Palau while his criminal case remained pending. The Office of the Attorney General had opposed the request during earlier proceedings. The criminal case stems from an incident that allegedly occurred outside Relox Bar in western Garapan on Nov. 16, 2025. According to the information filed by prosecutors, Guillermin is charged with one count of voluntary manslaughter, one count of aggravated assault and battery, and one count of obstructing justice. The voluntary manslaughter charge alleges that Guillermin unlawfully caused the death of Alvin Rebamba during a sudden quarrel or heat of passion. The aggravated assault and battery charge alleges that Rebamba suffered serious bodily injuries, including a subdural hematoma, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and a temporal bone fracture. The obstructing justice charge alleges that Guillermin interfered with a police officer's lawful duties following the incident. The charges are allegations, and Guillermin is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

Recovery from Super Typhoon Sinlaku took center stage as the United Filipino Organization held a scaled-down observance of the 128th anniversary of Philippine Independence Day last June 12 at the UFO Pavilion in Garapan. UFO president Carlito Marquez said the community deliberately opted for a simpler ceremony this year out of consideration for residents still rebuilding their lives after the devastating storm. “You might wonder why this year we are here at the UFO Pavilion celebrating our Philippine Independence Day,” Marquez said. “Unlike the other years where we are doing this somewhere in the hotels. Last year we were in a resort. I guess obviously the reason why we are here, everybody knows that we are still recovering from the devastation of the typhoon.” Marquez noted that many residents continue to deal with the storm's aftermath, including power issues and damage to homes. “Because we are still suffering from the aftermath of the typhoon, we decided to suspend the celebration of Pistang Pinoy,” he said. “It is very hard to gather all our kababayan when some of them are still fixing their houses and some of them have lost their jobs.” The annual Pistang Pinoy celebration, one of the Filipino community's biggest cultural events, was canceled this year as families and businesses focus on recovery efforts. Marquez said the modest gathering was intended to show solidarity with those still struggling. “We don't have much breakfast for this morning activity,” he said. “Unlike last year that we have good chow at the hotel. Now, we are good for coffee and, I guess, pandesal.” Gov. David M. Apatang thanked the Filipino community for its contributions to the CNMI and praised workers who have helped the islands recover from Sinlaku.

THIS WEEK: -What Nai are Rota’s Bud Light champs -Break in reported at Ada Gym, police investigation underway -Jenisha, Daniel top V1 finals -Another 10K nat’l record for Tania -NMI women’s team wraps up stint in Guam -Two silvers for Song in blue belt debut at Marianas Pro Korea -NMA Open Track and Field Meet 2026 on June 18-19 -Maxine Lopez Named Overall Female Winner Of The 2026 Gold’s Gym Transformation Challenge #cnmi #marianas #sports #leighout #recap #highlights #sportsleighout

The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. is scrambling to reconnect water wells to the island power grid as the Federal Emergency Management Agency begins withdrawing emergency generators ahead of a July 9 deadline tied to the expiration of the current 100% federal cost-share arrangement. During the CUC board meeting last June 11, executive director Kevin Watson said the utility is working with FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to transition water wells and sewage lift stations back to grid power while avoiding major service disruptions. “The reason these discussions were held is because of the impact it will have on the financial health of CUC if we see the need and decide to keep the generators past July 9th when the 100% reimbursement or coverage would end,” Watson said. Watson said FEMA informed CUC that if generators remain after the reimbursement period expires, the utility could face costs of approximately $120,000 per day as a package. “Unless all the FEMA generators are decommissioned and packed up and off of our premises, it would be $120,000 per day,” Watson said. “We can't do that.”

The Marianas Visitors Authority board approved a $1.5-million sole-source contract with Jeju Air to support direct air service between South Korea and Saipan through Oct. 24, helping maintain the CNMI's largest tourism market following T'Way Air's withdrawal and the disruptions caused by Super Typhoon Sinlaku. The agreement, approved during a special board meeting last June 11, is intended to support direct scheduled air service between South Korea and Saipan from June 20 to Oct. 24, 2026. Acting managing director Judy C. Torres said the board approved revised terms and conditions for MVA's Sole-Source Justification for Korea Summer Air Service Continuity program. "One of the things that we got approved at today's board meeting is the revised terms and conditions with the air service continuity from Korea to Saipan," Torres said following the meeting.

The Marianas Visitors Authority will relocate its headquarters to the Mariana Lighthouse property atop Navy Hill and establish a visitor center there after receiving the site from the Commonwealth government, acting managing director Judy C. Torres excitedly announced. The move will allow MVA to leave its current leased office space at Gold Beach Hotel and operate from a public property that officials say will showcase the CNMI's culture while reducing operational costs. said the lighthouse property will serve both as MVA's administrative headquarters and a visitor center. "It serves two functions, the operations of the MVA office and a visitor center," Torres said during MVA’s special board meeting last June 11 at its soon-to-be-vacated office along Beach Road. The CNMI’s tourism body has been given six months to move into the property.

Panda House Waffles' new owners say they are determined to keep growing the popular Garapan dessert shop despite the challenges brought by Super Typhoon Sinlaku, crediting careful storm preparations, community support, and a steady stream of customers since reopening. Kim Ocampo, who co-owns the business with her brother Adrian Ocampo, said the cafe sustained only minimal damage during the typhoon after staff secured equipment, decorations, and glass windows before the storm arrived. The business has also applied for a U.S. Small Business Administration loan to help recover losses from spoiled inventory. "What we did is we put everything in to secure, and we secured all the glass windows," Kim said. "We did take a loan, and we are still waiting for the results. Hopefully, we get approved." The shop reopened on May 9 after power was restored. Kim estimated food losses at between $2,000 and $5,000 after ice cream, meat and other inventory spoiled during the extended outage that followed the storm.

The 269 fanihi counted during the first-ever simultaneous survey of Guam, Saipan, and Tinian likely represent only a fraction of the Marianas fruit bat population, according to wildlife officials, who are calling for more community volunteers to improve coverage during the annual count each April. Officials said the survey's results should be viewed cautiously because the count was based on a specific methodology and limited observer coverage, meaning more bats may have been present than were detected. Additional volunteers would allow survey teams to staff more observation stations and improve detection rates. A second major limitation was the exclusion of Rota, which was not included because of logistical and staffing constraints. Yet wildlife officials estimate the island alone supports roughly 1,100 fanihi based on monthly colony counts, far exceeding the number recorded during the April survey on Guam, Saipan, and Tinian combined. The survey, conducted last April, recorded 241 bats on Guam, 24 on Saipan, and four on Tinian. It marked the first coordinated count undertaken simultaneously across the jurisdictions.

With the community still in recovery mode and with the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium still not in use for sports due to Super Typhoon Sinlaku, an early morning break-in at the NMI Weightlifting Room at the gym in the Oleai Sports Complex is under investigation after an individual forced entry by throwing a rock through a glass window and climbing into the facility. According to facility management, the incident happened around 3:25am on Tuesday, June 9. MP’s Leigh Gases visited the site this afternoon and documented the damage, including video footage from the facility’s CCTV system. Facilities manager Nathan Guerrero said: “It’s very unfortunate this happened at a time where everybody’s struggling. The sports facility is used to give the public access so they can come here, enjoy sports, get their minds off everything. It’s just a shame that something like this has to happen. This is not acceptable at any time—but especially at a time like this where we use this facilities a lot to host games for adults, the kids—everybody,” he said. “Stuff like this is always going to set us back because now we have to worry about repairing this, seeing if anything was taken—something that could’ve been used towards games for the community or our local athletes.” After the break-in was discovered, management contacted the Department of Public Safety and filed a police report. They are also currently checking inventory to see if anything was taken. Management is asking the public for help in identifying the person responsible. They hope sharing information about the incident will help raise awareness and prevent similar incidents. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Department of Public Safety or NMI Crime Stoppers at (670)234-7272.

CUC board meeting on Thursday, June 11.