The
August 16 -29, 2023
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Kaselehlie Press
The
August 16, 2023
Free bi-weekly publication
KASELEHLIE PRESS PO Box 2222 Kolonia, Pohnpei, FM 96941
Kpress@mail.fm
Vol. 23 Issue No. 19
www.kpress.info
FSM swimmers set new FSM national records at Fukuoka World Aquatic Championships By FSM Swimming August 14, 2023 Fukuoka, Japan—The road to the Olympics can be difficult, lonely, and full of sacrifice, but it can also be rewarding and victorious, as four of FSM Swimming’s top swimmers experienced in Fukuoka, Japan at the World Aquatics Championships. Team FSM saw five new FSM National Records in Fukuoka, a remarkable accomplishment for the team. The World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, held from July 14 to 30, included six different aquatics sports, culminating in swimming the final eight days of the competition. The swimming portion of the Championships was held in a 50-meter swimming pool and serves as an Olympic qualifying event for the Paris 2024 Olympics. FSM Swimming sent four athletes to the prestigious event. FSM Olympian Tasi Limtiaco competed in the Men’s 50 Meter and 100 Meter Breaststroke events. Limtiaco has been training in Coronado, California in preparation. His hard work in training paid off
with an astounding new FSM National Record in both of these events. FSM swimmer Kestra Kihleng has been training in Phuket, Thailand with a World Aquatics training scholarship since April 2023. Kihleng also set two new FSM National Records with her individual events in the Women’s 50 Meter Freestyle and the Women’s 50 Meter Breaststroke. Kyler Kihleng, who has been training in Pohnpei, FSM, competed in the Men’s 100 Meter and 200 Meter Freestyle events, accomplishing two personal best times. FSM Olympian Taeyanna Adams, currently training in Chapel Hill, NC, competed in the Women’s 50 Meter Butterfly and 100 Meter Breaststroke, finishing with a personal best time in the 50 Meter Butterfly. All four swimmers came together for two relay events - the Mixed 4x100 Medley Relay and the Mixed 4x100 Freestyle Relay. Relay events are always exciting to watch, and these were no exception. Team FSM walked away with a new FSM National Record in the Mixed 4x100 Freestyle Relay. Click here for continuation on page 6
ONPA says Caroline Islands air “lacks indications” of financial viability By Bill Jaynes The Kaselehlie Press August 13, 2023 FSM—The FSM Office of the National Public Auditor (ONPA) recently released a performance audit of the government-owned corporation, Caroline Islands Air (CIA). The corporation was established in 1997 with the passage of Public Law 19-072 with a multi-tiered mandate based on the primary mandate to provide air transportation services
throughout the FSM. The audit had three major findings: a) “Lack of indications to support that the Corporation is financially viable to sustain its current and future operations; b) Some of the requirements of the Board of Director By-Laws, Establishing Law and its amendments were not complied with; c) Due to lack of documentation, we
were not able to confirm when the Corporation $10,000, but the cash injections have largely has adequate and sufficient staff to administer been in the low six-figure range since then. its operations.” The largest listed operating loss was in 2020, The audit pointed out that while the when the corporation experienced a $676,945 beleaguered nationally held airline was loss. certainly affected by the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19, CIA has been forced to take To support its first finding of lack of CIA’s FSM subsidies in order to continue to operate. financial viability, ONPA listed five principal The audit showed significant annual subsidies findings, the first of which was “insufficient as high as $323,429 since 2015, the only years the audit listed. The subsidy in 2015 was only Click here for continuation on page 6