Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Friday, October 10, 1997

More line-item defense
vetoes could hit Hawaii

WASHINGTON -- Still reeling from the first wave of presidential line-item vetoes, which included a prized military think tank in Honolulu, Hawaii lawmakers are worrying that the next wave could hit the islands harder.

Even as lawmakers plot to overturn President Clinton's veto of 38 items in the military construction bill, the White House is poring over the larger defense bill with an eye to issuing more vetoes.

Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye said several Hawaii projects are vulnerable.

Clinton has until Tuesday to reject parts of the defense bill, and White House aides said the president has not yet picked his targets.

Perhaps the most vulnerable spending item in Hawaii, observers agree, is also one of the smallest: $250,000 to set up a pilot project aimed at using defense technology to develop new luxury cruise ships.

Other possible vetoes include:

$35 million to continue cleaning up the island of Kahoolawe, which is being restored following decades of use as a military bombing target.

Unspecified funding for graduate medical education programs at Hawaii-based Army medical facilities.

$1 million to keep the brown tree snake out of Hawaii.

To that list, Inouye added the Pacific Missile Range Facility and the Pacific Disaster Center, both of which had their funding increased by Congress.

Police Chief Nakamura
to retire in December

Police Chief Michael Nakamura ended speculation about his future plans yesterday, saying he will retire at the end of December.

Nakamura has been with the department for 27 years. He was named chief in August 1990.

Nakamura walks with a cane because of a chronic neuromuscular condition that has weakened his leg and shoulder muscles.

"I hate to see him go," said Lt. Danny Sheldon of the Criminal Investigations Unit.

Sheldon said Nakamura made changes to the department that benefited families, adding a family-violence section and a child-abuse unit.

Kaneohe Desk Sgt. Gary Nihipali said he has seen three or four chiefs come and go during his time as an officer.

What makes Nakamura stand out is his "open-door" policy, Nihipali said.

"He was an open person. You could talk to him. He was a good listener," he said.

The chief said his health played no role in his decision to retire. He gave no specific reason as to what led him to decide to step down.

$1 million seized from man
accused of selling cable descramblers

FBI agents yesterday seized nearly $1 million cash from two safety deposit boxes belonging to a Salt Lake man accused of selling illegal television cable descrambler boxes from his home.

U.S. Magistrate Francis Yamashita revoked $20,000 bail posted by Michael Van Hohenstein, 42, who was arrested yesterday at his residence for violating conditions of his pretrial release.

Van Hohenstein allegedly provided false information by failing to disclose the cash he had to Pretrial Services in July.

State tax revenues down
0.7 percent from 1996

State tax revenues are continuing to lag behind those of last year, in part because of a decrease in the amount of state taxes withheld from paychecks, according to tax officials.

Tax Director Ray Kamikawa announced yesterday that in September, the tax take of $273.8 million was down 0.7 percent from September 1996.

Through the first three months of the fiscal year, revenues totaling $704.7 million are running 4.6 percent behind those of last year.

A key indicator of the state's economic health is the state general excise tax income, which in September was down 1.4 percent from the same month last year.

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Police/Fire


By Star-Bulletin staff

Ena Road pair accused
of threatening woman

Police arrested a woman, 36, and a man, 39, both of Ena Road, for extortion after they allegedly threatened to kill a woman.

Early yesterday the suspects entered the 51-year-old victim's store at 919 Keeaumoku St., and the female suspect threatened to kill the victim if she did not pay back money owed, police said. The male kicked the victim six times in the ribs, they said.

Later that day, the female suspect left telephone messages at the victim's home repeating threats to kill her, police said.

Two Laie men charged
with attempted murder

Police charged two Laie men with attempted murder after they allegedly beat a 34-year-old man Tuesday night.

Police said suspect Sale Olivi, 45, was arguing with the victim at Olivi's home on Wahinepee Street, then threw the victim to the ground and began choking him. The second suspect, Lupetau Atimua, then hit the victim over the head with a log, police said.

The victim was taken to Kahuku Hospital in critical condition and was later transferred to Queen's Hospital in serious condition.

In other news ...

KAILUA-KONA -- Police are looking for a motorcyclist who used his vehicle to drag a police officer 75 feet during an attempted arrest. The officer, James Jerrold, received scratches and bruises and did not require medical attention. Jerrold had tried to stop Mark Aukai, 27, of Kailua-Kona, as Aukai drove through an Alii Drive construction site. Aukai was wanted on bench warrants for revocation of supervised release and contempt of court. Aukai hit Jerrold with the motorcycle, then drove with Jerrold hanging on until he fell off, police said.

HILO -- Police have arrested 17 people in a raid on an old downtown Hilo hotel being used as a crack house, they said. The 2:37 p.m. raid yesterday on the Kilauea Hotel at 150 Kilauea Avenue also produced an ounce of crack cocaine, a minute amount of crystal methamphetamine or ice, 11.1 grams of marijuana, and $1,800 in cash.

See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
See our [Info] section for subscription information.