Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Thursday, February 13, 1997

Kaneshiro said last night he has asked the House Public Safety Committee to amend a bill so that there would be authorization for an emergency appropriation of $5 million for the transfer.

"We need a vehicle in case we need to do something fast," Kaneshiro said. "It's just something under consideration because of overcrowding. It's a backup plan."

As of Sunday there were 3,351 prisoners in the state's correctional facilities, which have an operational capacity of 2,760.

Kaneshiro said he has not yet decided how much higher the prison population must climb before he recommends to Gov. Ben Cayetano that more prisoners be shipped to Texas.

In December 1995, Hawaii sent 300 prisoners to the Newton County Correctional Center in rural east Texas under a three-

year contract with the Bobby Ross Group, which offers private correctional services.

The contract costs about $5 million annually. That's about $16,000 per prisoner per year, compared to Hawaii's cost of $28,000.

The emergency allocation would expand the existing contract, Kaneshiro said.

At issue in this suit, which could cost taxpayers in the six-figure range, is the judgment of a Kapaa High School soccer coach who did not have a trainer present in a medical emergency.

A freshman female player suffered a detached retina at a practice on Dec. 6, 1994, after being hit in the face by a kicked ball. Head coach Valerie Ornellas, who allegedly allowed the girl to continue playing, is named in the suit filed in Kauai's Fifth Circuit Court.

Also named are an assistant coach and the Department of Education.

Then, as now, there were only 15 full-

time positions authorized statewide for trainers properly certified by the National Athletic Trainers' Association. The only NATA-certified trainer on Kauai was assigned to Kauai High School.

One thing that plaintiff attorney Teresa Pico said she does not dispute is that Ornellas had no access to the services of the island's only certified trainer.

Last year the city passed an ordinance allowing it to tax property leased to the state. Previously private property leased or rented to the state government was exempt from city property tax.

When the city changed the rules, the state responded by lobbying the Legislature to override the city ordinance.

State officials say they will comply with the city tax rules next year, but they didn't put any money in the budget for the 1996 assessment. City officials, however, say the owners of the property owe the taxes, although they haven't started to enforce collections, valued at $2 million.

"We were already in the fiscal year, so we went to the Legislature to ask for a one-year delay so we can budget for it," Sam Callejo, state comptroller, said.

The city, however, isn't buying that. "Push is going to come to shove this next go-around when taxes are due," said Roy Amemiya, city finance director. Today the property isn't being listed as exempt, he said, and whoever is leasing property to the state is liable for the property taxes.

Both the city and the state claim to have the state constitution on their side.

Police/Fire


By Star-Bulletin staff

He claimed he had fallen off a ladder but later said he had been attacked by a man at South Beretania and Maunakea streets just before 12:30 p.m.

The Maia Street man turned himself in to police just before noon yesterday.

He is accused of entering the store with a pipe and demanding money from the clerk. When she told him she had none, he allegedly struck the glass case counter with the pipe and grabbed $93 from the register before fleeing, police said.

Dorian Guerpo, 20, is being held on $130,000 bail.

Just before 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, the couple were arguing when his girlfriend, 17, broke off their relationship.

He is accused of breaking down a locked door at her Kalakaua Avenue apartment. He allegedly hit her mother in the head with a hammer and forced his girlfriend downstairs, threatening others in his way. As he dragged her across the street, both were nearly struck by passing motorists, police said. He allegedly assaulted an officer who responded.