Mom finds unfairness, but pays $19 library fine
Manoa resident Linda Wong sent a collection agency $19 after receiving a notice that her daughter owed overdue book fines dating back to 1991.Her daughter had returned the books before she left the state that year, Wong said, but was not told then that any fines were owed.
"I went ahead and paid it off," said Wong, upset that the library hadn't notified her daughter six years ago.
Instead, it turned the account over to a collection agency. "But I still don't think it's right what they're doing."
Since April, the Hawaii State Public Library System has sent 91,710 overdue accounts totaling more than $5 million to Medcah Inc., a collection agency contracted to recover unpaid fines. Of the 91,710 accounts, 7,660 have been cleared to date.
The library so far has netted $174,560 - to be used to buy books and other library materials - after paying Medcah commissions and expenses.
Drivers licenses going instant
Beginning sometime in January, motorists will no longer have to wait up to six weeks to receive their drivers licenses.NBS Imaging Systems has been awarded a five-year statewide contract to issue over-the-counter licenses.
City officials say the new system will be able to crank out a license in about a minute, or at a clip of about 50 an hour.
The main driver licensing center at City Square in Kalihi will be the first to issue the same-day licenses, followed by the Fort Street satellite city hall and other license substations.
Neighbor island service will begin later, with counties picking up their own share of costs.
The city currently pays $1.57 per license. The new system will increase the cost to $1.78.
NBS Imaging is the same company that provides same-day senior passes for TheBus.
Kapiolani Medical Center disputes alleged problems
A phony press release alleging staffing and patient-safety problems at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children is inaccurate and untrue, says the hospital's chief executive officer."It's just unfortunate the letter was done to misinform and malign," Fran Hallonquist said yesterday.
"It has the ability to damage 107 years of legacy and commitment here and the lives we impact daily. We have so many fine doctors and staff."
The letter was sent out Saturday under the name of the Hawaii Nurses' Association, which represents more than 3,000 registered and licensed practical nurses in 20 private-hospital bargaining units statewide.
The nurses' union didn't write the letter and doesn't know who did, Marion Marsh, the association's collective bargaining director, said yesterday.
However, it has filed a class-action grievance to determine if any of the allegations are true, she said.
Students: Tuition outruns UH services
HILO -- The University of Hawaii's quality of education and student services have not kept pace with increases in the cost of that education, say some University of Hawaii-Hilo students.Those sentiments -- plus a petition signed by 400 students against proposed tuition increases -- came at a public hearing last night, the first in a series of public meetings statewide to get input on increases planned for next year.
The next meeting will be at 3 p.m. Monday at the UH-Manoa Campus Center.
UH Vice President for Planning and Policy Colleen O. Sathre termed the UH system's proposed 1998-99 tuition increases "very modest."
For a resident student attending UH-Hilo full-time next fall, it would mean a 6 percent increase in tuition. That's on top of a 14 percent jump this year.
The proposed 1998-99 rate adds $36 a semester to the cost of tuition for full-time students at UH-Hilo and UH-West Oahu, $24 for community college students throughout the state, and $48 for undergraduates at UH-Manoa. The increases are the same for resident and out-of-state students.
Sathre said if the UH Board of Regents accepts the proposal, the tuition "across the board will remain below the national average."
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Police/Fire
By Star-Bulletin staffTwo dead, one injured in one-car Makua crash
A one-car crash in Makua yesterday killed two people and sent one to the hospital.Speed appears to have been a factor, said police vehicular homicide investigator Sgt. Dan Kwon.
Witnesses told police the 1980 Mazda RX7 was speeding toward Yokohama Bay on Farrington Highway at about 5:30 p.m. when one of its tires blew out.
"The driver lost control and was observed weaving," Kwon said.
The car struck a utility pole on the mauka side of the roadway about two miles from Yokohama Bay.
"The car then went over an embankment, flipped over and caught fire," Kwon said.
The car was split in half, and its three occupants were ejected. A Makaha man and woman were pronounced dead at the scene.
A 33-year-old woman was transported to Queen's Hospital by helicopter and is in guarded condition.
Alcohol is a possible contributing factor to the accident, Kwon said.
Driver of stolen car arrested after crash
Police arrested the driver of the minivan that struck a fire hydrant and utility pole yesterday, cutting power to 1,400 homes and blocking Kamehameha Highway for hours.The Hauula woman, 27, was arrested in connection with drunken driving and auto theft immediately after she was released from the hospital, police said.
The 1997 Dodge Caravan she was driving was allegedly stolen from Cutter Dodge.
The woman's uncle, 45, also was arrested when he came to pick her up from the hospital.
The Punaluu man, who is an employee at Cutter Dodge, was also allegedly driving a stolen minivan with fraudulent license plates, police said.
Maui accident victim identified
WAILUKU -- The woman who died in a traffic accident Saturday in Lahaina has been identified as Yvonne Tanigawa of Maui.Tanigawa, 58, an employee at Napilikai Beach Club was driving north in her vehicle when it swerved into oncoming traffic and was struck broadside by a pickup truck.
She died at Maui Memorial Hospital less than an hour after the 7:20 a.m. crash.
Her identity was confirmed by relatives who lived outside of Maui.
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