NMI News Service

We bring you the news when it happens! It also provides breaking news coverage during emergencies, natural disasters, and other major events.

The first all-digital media outlet in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands providing the latest news, sports, and weather from our home in the middle of the Pacific. The NMI News Service, or Northern Mariana Islands News Service, is a news organization based in Saipan, which is the largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands. The organization provides news and information about the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) to various media outlets, including newspapers, radio and television stations, and online news platforms. The NMI News Service covers a wide range of topics, including local and regional news, politics, business, sports, and cultural events. The NMI News Service is committed to providing accurate, timely, and objective news coverage to the people of the Northern Mariana Islands, as well as to audiences around the world who are interested in news from this part of the Pacific.

12/08/2026

Small Craft Advisory in Final Hours as Surf Danger Holds Into Friday

SAIPAN — The small craft advisory for Saipan and Tinian waters is down to its final hours, in effect until 5 p.m. Thursday, while the high surf advisory and rip current risk hold on for beachgoers, according to the National Weather Service in Guam and the CNMI Emergency Operations Center.

A significant west swell and localized wind waves are keeping combined seas at 7 to 10 feet around Saipan and Tinian through the afternoon, conditions hazardous to small craft. In a 5:10 a.m. special marine advisory issued through the EOC State Warning Point, Governor David M. Apatang advised all mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels, to avoid navigating in hazardous conditions.

Seas ease to 7 to 9 feet tonight and trend down to 5 to 7 feet over the weekend. Rota's waters run 7 to 9 feet Thursday, easing to 5 to 7 by Friday night.
Along the reefs, the high surf advisory remains in effect until 4 a.m. Friday along west facing reefs, with the high rip current risk holding through late Thursday night. HSEM warned in a separate pre-dawn advisory that rip currents will be life threatening, with breaking waves of 8 to 11 feet, and the governor is reminding the public to stay out of the water along west facing reefs.

Ashore, Thursday is mostly sunny with isolated light showers, southwest winds of 10 to 20 mph and highs around 87. Tonight is partly cloudy with lows around 78. Friday repeats the pattern with highs around 87 before isolated showers and thunderstorms work in Friday night, with lows around 77 and a 20 percent shower chance.
Only spotty light showers are expected over the next few days before showers increase early next week.

Thursday's low tide at Tanapag Harbor is minus 0.4 feet at 2:17 p.m., with the evening high of 2.3 feet at 9:16 p.m. Tinian's low of minus 0.1 feet comes at 1:46 p.m. and Rota's low of minus 0.3 feet at 2:03 p.m.

12/08/2026

Apatang Tours Rota Recovery as Federal Aid Opens for Typhoon Survivors

ROTA — Governor David M. Apatang met Wednesday with Rota Mayor Aubry Hocog and other local officials to review the island's recovery from Super Typhoon Bavi, on the same day federal disaster assistance opened for Rota residents.

The governor was joined by Governor's Authorized Representative Patrick Guerrero, CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management Special Assistant Clement Bermudes, Public Works Secretary Ray Yumul, Commonwealth Utilities Corporation Executive Director Kevin Watson and FEMA Power Restoration Task Force Leader Mark Wingate.

The delegation visited power crews working to restore Rota's electrical grid and toured the island's power plant to assess ongoing recovery operations.

The visit came as FEMA's Individual Assistance program and the U.S. Small Business Administration's disaster loan program opened to Rota residents recovering from Bavi.

12/08/2026

Deleon Guerrero: CW Program 'Failed the Commonwealth,' Pledges Reset Bill in First 100 Days

SAIPAN — Independent candidate for delegate Galvin Sablan Deleon Guerrero said the CW program has failed the Commonwealth and pledged to introduce legislation to overhaul it within his first 100 days in office if elected, speaking Wednesday on Good Morning Marianas.

Deleon Guerrero said proposed federal legislation to extend the CW program's deadline and remove its touchback provision amounts to too little too late, faulting its introduction right before the August recess and a polarized election-season Congress. He said the program has failed to meet the needs of CNMI businesses, the local population and workers who have made the CNMI home.

"The CW program has really failed the Commonwealth," he said, adding he would introduce a bill that would "essentially hit the reset button" and develop a program more realistic about workforce needs and more humane toward long-term workers.

He said the program's arbitrary caps were designed from the start to lower the foreign worker population, and that Government Accountability Office studies have repeatedly found the CNMI will continue to need a foreign workforce. Deleon Guerrero said investing in local workers and maintaining a reliable foreign workforce are not mutually exclusive, and tied the issue to bringing back the CNMI diaspora.

Asked what he is hearing most from voters, he said residents tell him costs are too high and opportunities too few. "People don't want a handout, they want a hand up," he said.

Deleon Guerrero said he would fight for a seat on the House Agriculture Committee, saying CNMI farmers are excluded from USDA subsidies available to mainland farmers and that the next farm bill is an opportunity to change that. With the CNMI importing 90 percent of its food, he said supporting local farmers and fishermen would cut food costs and address food security.

On the military buildup, he said the CNMI has not done enough to leverage construction into local jobs, local business contracts and infrastructure investment, echoing comments Tinian Mayor Edwin Aldan made at a recent Saipan Chamber of Commerce economic forum. He also pointed to economic diversification opportunities including digital nomads, back-office services and support for small businesses.

12/08/2026

Aydlett: El Niño Could Stretch Typhoon Season Into January, With Drought Looming Behind It

SAIPAN — The strong El Niño gripping the Pacific could extend the typhoon season through the Christmas holiday and possibly into January, National Weather Service Guam Warning Coordination Meteorologist Landon Aydlett said Wednesday on Good Morning Marianas, while drought conditions are expected to begin emerging across Micronesia as early as September.

Aydlett said the monsoon pattern that has soaked the Marianas for more than a week is finally loosening its grip, with winds and showers gradually decreasing through the weekend. The activity driving it, he said, has been a cluster of weak tropical systems well north of the region, which he described as a mosh pit of disorganized disturbances between the Marianas and Japan.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center has upgraded one nearby disturbance, Invest 91W, to a medium chance of development beyond 24 hours, Aydlett said, but he expects any system that forms to be short-lived and no threat to the Marianas as it tracks northeast. A separate weak disturbance near the Marshall Islands is expected to bring a wetter, more seasonable pattern to Chuuk, Yap and Palau.

Aydlett said the pattern matches what forecasters anticipated for an active August north of the region, and warned the bigger El Niño story comes later. As the season progresses, storm activity is expected to drop southward toward Micronesia, and classic El Niño offset years have produced January typhoons, including Ophelia in January 1958, which tracked through all four states of what is now the Federated States of Micronesia.

At the same time, he said, drought conditions are expected to emerge from the southwest near Palau starting in September and October, with 2027 likely to bring widespread, significant drought to the region. Passing storms may deliver rain relief, he said, but potentially with more than communities want.

Aydlett also announced the Tower for Humanity project begins Aug. 29 at the Micronesian Mall on Guam, with a goal of finishing construction by Sept. 9. The project anchors Hunger Action Month and National Preparedness Month events, including a Hunger Action Rally on Saturday, Sept. 5, and a remembrance marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Volunteers of all ages are welcome, he said.

Aydlett said he travels to Chuuk and Pohnpei next week for tropical cyclone preparedness and drought mitigation outreach, returning to Guam on Aug. 23, and that NWS staff hope to bring an outreach canvass to Saipan in late September.

For the rest of the week, he said, expect spotty passing showers, briefly heavy at times, with weakening southwest winds and an abundance of sunshine.

12/08/2026

High Surf Advisory Extended to Friday Morning as Rough Seas Hold Through Thursday

SAIPAN — The high surf advisory for west facing reefs across the Marianas has been extended until 4 a.m. Friday, the National Weather Service in Guam said in its 6 p.m. forecast Wednesday, with a high rip current risk holding through late Thursday night.

On the water, the small craft advisory for Saipan and Tinian coastal waters remains in effect until 5 p.m. Thursday. Southwest winds of 15 to 20 knots with frequent gusts to 25 knots are combining with a significant west swell to produce seas of 8 to 10 feet tonight, keeping conditions hazardous to small craft through at least Thursday afternoon.

In a special marine advisory issued through the CNMI Emergency Operations Center, Governor David M. Apatang advised all mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels, to avoid navigating in hazardous conditions. Rota's waters are forecast to stay just below small craft advisory levels through the end of the week, with seas of 7 to 9 feet easing gradually.

Ashore, the forecast stays quiet. Tonight is partly cloudy with isolated light showers, southwest winds of 10 to 15 mph and lows around 78. Thursday and Friday turn mostly sunny with highs around 87 and only a 10 percent chance of showers.

The pattern shifts heading into next week. Saturday brings a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms with highs around 86, and Sunday through Monday turn breezy and mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of showers as the forecast trends wetter across the Marianas.

Seas around Saipan and Tinian ease to 7 to 9 feet Thursday night and Friday, then 5 to 7 feet over the weekend.

Thursday's tides run high at 7 a.m. and again in the 9 p.m. hour at Tanapag Harbor, with an afternoon low of minus 0.4 feet at 2:17 p.m. Tinian sees its low of minus 0.1 feet at 1:46 p.m. and Rota's low of minus 0.3 feet comes at 2:03 p.m. Sunset Wednesday is 6:44 p.m., with sunrise Thursday at 6:08 a.m.

12/08/2026

Two Marianas Books Named 2026 Books of the Year, Headed to National Book Festival

SAIPAN — A Chamorro children's story about a mother's love and a wartime memoir by one of Saipan's most beloved storytellers are the Northern Mariana Islands' 2026 Books of the Year, and both are headed to the Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. this month.

The Northern Mariana Islands Center for the Book, a state affiliate of the Library of Congress' Center for the Book administered by the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library-NMI State Library, announced the selections this week.

"Guinaiyan Nåna: Mother's Love," written by Carmen S. Taimañao and illustrated by Rodante Guarda, is the 2026 Young Reader's Official Selection. Written in Chamorro with English translation, the book was published by the Children of Our Homeland A.N.A. Project through the Library Friends of the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library.

"Without a Penny in My Pocket: My Bittersweet Memories Before and After World War II," written by the late Marie S. C. Castro and published by the Northern Marianas Humanities Council, is the 2026 Adult Reader's Official Selection.

"Books are more than pages and words," said Library Director Erlinda C. Naputi. She said books are vessels that carry the memories, language, history and voices of the people from one generation to the next, and that the 2026 selections remind readers the stories of the Northern Mariana Islands are an important part of the larger American story.

The library will host Booth 320 in the Roadmap to Reading space at the National Book Festival on Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., showcasing the 2026 selections and the Marianas' literary heritage, Indigenous voices and cultural traditions. This year's festival, themed "It's Your Story," is part of the Library of Congress' America 250 celebration and runs from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The festival is free, though free tickets will be required for entry for the first time this year.

Both Books of the Year are available for checkout through the Pacific Collection at the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library. The community is also invited to join the library's Great Reads digital reading challenge by reading all 11 NMI Books of the Year and logging them through READsquared, accessible under the Online Resources tab online.

12/08/2026

Marianas Churisos Sells Out in First Hour at Garapan Soft Opening

SAIPAN — Local sausage maker Marianas Churisos sold out within its first hour of business Saturday, opening its doors at the former Grotto Restaurant in Garapan in a soft launch the founders called a milestone for the company and for local manufacturing in the CNMI.

The company, a Cohort 1 startup of Northern Marianas College's CNMI Innovation Incubator, produces Chamorro-style sausages inspired by the culinary traditions of the Marianas. The Garapan location gives the team a dedicated kitchen to serve customers directly and expand distribution to local retailers.

Marianas Churisos was founded by Stephen Sablan, Bill Torres, Ed Hofschneider, Dave Guerrero and Inas Hocog.

"This soft opening is a big milestone for all of us," said Sablan, a Cohort 1 innovator with the incubator. He said the community's turnout made the work more meaningful and thanked NMC and the incubator for the support that helped make the launch possible.

Sablan's participation in the incubator gave the company access to rental assistance, kitchen equipment and mentorship as the team prepared its operations and the new location.

"Marianas Churisos is a strong example of what can happen when local entrepreneurs are given the opportunity and resources to develop their ideas into viable businesses," said Cherese Palacios, program manager of the CNMI Innovation Incubator. She said the strong customer response marks an exciting achievement for the team and a meaningful accomplishment for the program.

The soft opening gave the founders firsthand experience in a live market, from engaging customers to gauging demand, with the first-hour sellout an early signal of interest in the product.

12/08/2026

Deleon Guerrero Dismisses New Marianas Bills as 'Too Little, Too Late'

SAIPAN — Independent congressional candidate Galvin Sablan Deleon Guerrero on Wednesday dismissed the legislative push coming out of the delegate's office as too little, too late, saying the people of the Marianas "cannot pay their CUC bill with a press release."

The release does not name Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds, whom Deleon Guerrero is challenging in November, but it responds to the package of utility cost, workforce and military buildup measures the incumbent announced this week, including the Affordable Power Act.

Deleon Guerrero said he welcomes any serious effort to lower utility costs, address the workforce crisis and leverage the military buildup, but said there is a big difference between introducing a bill and delivering results.

On utility relief, he said the proposed legislation would draw largely from existing Covenant funds rather than a new federal appropriation. He said the Marianas should be fighting for new federal investments, not simply moving money around.

On the CW program, Deleon Guerrero said the program has failed to meet the needs of the CNMI and that kicking the can down the road will not be enough. He said businesses need certainty, the economy needs workers and long-term workers who have contributed to the community deserve certainty as well, adding that the Marianas should push beyond the CW program and start fresh with a better deal.

On the military buildup, he said it is not enough to fund another study and expand service academy access for only three more students. Citing some of the highest per capita military enlistment rates in the nation, he called for investments in programs that serve hundreds of students, such as Army and Navy Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs.

Deleon Guerrero said the timing matters as much as the substance. With the 119th Congress approaching its end, he said introducing major legislation just before and during the August recess may generate headlines, but a bill still has to move through committee, build bipartisan support, pass the House and Senate and be signed into law.

"All of this work should have started in the first 100 days of a term, not the last 100 days before an election," he said.

The release echoes themes Deleon Guerrero raised Wednesday morning on Good Morning Marianas, where he pledged to introduce a CW reset bill within his first 100 days if elected.

The measure of an effective delegate, he said, is not how many bills they introduce but how effectively they turn the people's priorities into results.

12/08/2026

All Four CNMI Mayors Ask DEA to Deploy Agents Against M**h Epidemic

SAIPAN — The mayors of Saipan, Tinian and Aguiguan, Rota and the Northern Islands have jointly asked the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to send additional personnel to the Commonwealth, telling the agency's director that m**hamphetamine trafficking has grown beyond what local police can handle alone.

In a unified letter dated Aug. 10 to DEA Director Terrence C. Cole, Saipan Mayor Ramon "RB" Jose Blas Camacho, Tinian and Aguiguan Mayor Edwin P. Aldan, Rota Mayor Aubry M. Hocog and Northern Islands Mayor Valentino Taisakan Jr. described the m**h epidemic as "an urgent and escalating threat" to the health, safety and stability of their communities.

The mayors said m**hamphetamine trafficking and abuse have reached levels that local enforcement and community-support systems can no longer sustain alone, despite the efforts of local police, community organizations and government agencies. They said the scale and sophistication of distribution networks operating in the CNMI have outpaced available manpower and resources, pointing to rising addiction rates, increased property and violent crime, strained social services and the erosion of community well-being.

The letter requests the deployment of DEA agents, analysts and interdiction specialists to work directly with local law enforcement. The mayors asked the agency to strengthen intelligence gathering and investigative capacity, support joint operations targeting m**h importation and distribution and enhance interdiction at ports of entry and along maritime routes. They also requested training and technical assistance for municipal and CNMI law enforcement and expanded community-based prevention and outreach initiatives in partnership with local leaders.

The mayors said increased DEA engagement would significantly bolster the Commonwealth's ability to disrupt trafficking networks, protect vulnerable populations and restore safety and stability in the villages. They said they welcome the opportunity to discuss operational needs, timelines and coordination mechanisms.

The letter was copied to Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds.

12/08/2026

FEMA Individual Assistance Now Open for Rota Typhoon Survivors

SAIPAN — Rota residents recovering from Super Typhoon Bavi can now apply for direct federal disaster assistance, the CNMI Joint Information Center said Wednesday evening.

The Major Disaster Declaration authorizes FEMA's Individual Assistance program for the island of Rota, covering impacts from the typhoon that battered the Marianas from July 4 through 12. The program helps individuals and households with recovery costs not covered by insurance.

Survivors can apply by calling the local toll-free line at 671-735-1050 or FEMA's national helpline at 1-800-621-3362, online, or through the FEMA mobile app. The JIC said both phone lines are available 8 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ChST seven days a week, and registration is free.

Residents with homeowners or renters insurance should file a claim with their insurer as soon as possible. FEMA cannot by law duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance, but applicants whose policies fall short of their damage costs may be eligible for federal assistance.

The federal opening comes alongside Rota's emergency tent mission, which had installed 103 tents against 219 applications as of Aug. 10.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is also encouraging Rota homeowners, renters, businesses and private nonprofits to apply for low-interest disaster loans onlineor 800-659-2955. The deadline for physical damage loans is Oct. 3, and the deadline for Economic Injury Disaster Loans is May 3, 2027.

On the power side, Rota remains the recovery's hardest front. Roughly 15 percent of the island's 967 CUC customers were energized as of Wednesday, with crews working power pole installations in Sinapalo II and III near the Sinapalo Children's Park and BBQ Beast. Available generation on Rota has been restored to 3.8 megawatts against a peak demand of about 200 kilowatts, with the Cummins No. 3 generator online since Aug. 7 and the Mitsui No. 1 generator held in standby.

Saipan stood at 86 percent energized, with 12,688 of 14,687 customers restored. CUC said load testing of a diesel engine at Power Plant 1 raised Saipan's available capacity from 42.5 to 44.5 megawatts. Tinian reached 94 percent, with 993 of 1,059 customers restored, and crews scheduled a Wednesday afternoon outage in the District 1 area toward the Northern Marianas College areas to safely connect customers to the main line.

On water, the Tinian system remains fully online and Rota service has reached 99 percent, with about seven District 1 customers still without service. Rota customers without water can contact the CUC Rota office at (670) 532-9413. On Saipan, CUC's tank service area table lists 24-hour water in 13 of 14 areas, with Calhoun listed at 40 percent. Boil water notices for both Saipan and Rota were lifted in July.

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