Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Wednesday, October 9, 1996

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But Republicans say it doesn't go far enough. While they agree the initiative will be a high priority for the Legislature next year, they fault Cayetano for proposing the work be paid for with tax dollars.

"He's still afraid of Gary Rodrigues and the 'P' word," said House minority leader Gene Ward, referring to the union leader who represents prison guards and to the alternative of private financing.

"He's reaching into the wrong pocket - the taxpayers' - when he should be privatizing," Ward said.

There is no need to float bonds to pay for prison expansion when private firms are willing to come to Hawaii to build prisons and operate them with or without unions, Ward said.

Senate minority leader Michael Liu said the Cayetano administration should aggressively pursue federally guaranteed loan programs in which private companies would provide the cash for prison expansion.

Yesterday, Cayetano announced that he would seek $10 million from the Legislature to build about 700 more prison beds, plus $8.1 million for annual operating expenses.

A bone marrow aspiration and routine lip and skin biopsy were done during her 80-day exam, Susan Edmonds reported from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

The biopsy was negative and she is disease-free, Edmonds said.

Alana has been battling a rare form of leukemia. A matching bone marrow donor was found after more than 30,000 volunteers were tested in Hawaii and elsewhere.

Police/Fire


By Star-Bulletin staff

The injured Marine, slashed on the chest under his left arm, was treated at Queen's Hospital and released.

The suspect, who suffered a cut to his hand from his own knife, was treated at Tripler Hospital.

Both men were leaving Club Rock-Za after 1 a.m. when they began arguing and both pulled out knives, police said. Both are believed to be stationed aboard the USS Tarawa.

Wesley Akama, who had served one year of a 1 1/2-year sentence for second-degree forgery, was arrested after boarding a flight to Hilo at Lihue Airport.

Aloha Airlines ticket agent Chantell Wright, a high school classmate of Akama, became suspicious when she saw a different name on his ticket. Wright was aware of Akama's conviction and Kauai prison officials were notified.

Akama was arrested for escape. He had a one-day furlough pass to drive his injured mother to a doctor's appointment, Warden Neal Wagatsuma said. Akama's girlfriend was arrested for being an accomplice to an escape.