Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Friday, February 14, 1997

That move was advocated by the state Tax Review Commission. Yesterday, the Senate Ways and Means Committee agreed. But it did not go as far as the commission, which also recommended expanding tax brackets, reducing the number of tax rates and increasing personal exemptions.

Adoption of that package would have cost the state $232 million, which the Tax Department opposed.

The proposed changes in standard deductions include:

For married people filing jointly and for surviving spouses, the deduction would go from $1,900 to $2,600.

For heads of households, from $1,650 to $2,300.

For single taxpayers, from $1,500 to $1,560.

For married couples filing separate returns, from $950 to $1,310.

The proposed changes are nominal, said Ways and Means Co-Chairwoman Lehua Fernandes Salling (D, Kapaa). But she and the panel's other co-chairwoman, Carol Fukunaga (D, Makiki), believe it is best to begin by providing tax relief to as many people as possible, even if the assistance might not amount to much. That's better than providing more benefits to specific groups, they said.

OHA's Native Hawaiian Historic Preservation Council will meet at 9 a.m. at Maui Community College's student lounge to review the federal law and its impact on Hawaiian culture and preservation practices.

The law, enacted in 1990, provides a process to return to Native Americans and Native Hawaiians their ancestral human remains, funerary goods and religious and cultural objects held in museums that receive federal funding.

The act also makes the trafficking of those items illegal.

A contingent of cat lovers and veterinarians has volunteered for a Spay Day effort at Kalaupapa Hansen's disease settlement.

Cats are pets to many of the residents, but the growing stray cat population numbers more than 100, said Betty Rodrigues of Friends for Felines and Animal Rights Hawaii, sponsors of the effort. There are no veterinarians on the peninsula, which is home to about 60 patients.

The effort is part of "Prevent a Litter Month," a nationwide project to control the population explosion of stray animals. Feb. 25 is marked nationally as Spay Day with sterilization projects similar to the weekend effort. Friends for Felines is accepting donations for the programs at 3111 Pualei Circle, Apt. 104, Honolulu 96815.

Police/Fire


By Star-Bulletin staff

The crash, which occurred about 1:30 a.m. near Koali Road, forced police to close off Waialae Avenue from the old Oasis nightclub to the H-1 freeway on-ramp.

Initial reports show the moped rider was in the center lane when he was rear-ended by a car.

The rider apparently was thrown into the left lane where he was struck by another car.

He was taken by ambulance to Queen's Hospital, where he died at 2:10 a.m.

Neighbors called for help at 10:30 p.m. after noticing flames leaping from a mauka bedroom of the home at 1425 Brigham St., police said.

Cause of the blaze, brought under control 20 minutes later but not extinguished until just after 1 a.m., is under investigation.

The woman's body was discovered later in the bathroom of the home.

Damage was estimated at $185,000 to the structure and contents.

Also last night, firefighters responded to a fire at an old, abandoned tower at Sand Island Park.

The blaze, at 501 Sand Island Parkway Road, was reported around 7:20 p.m. Damage to the tower was estimated at $200,000.

The man was crossing the road around 5:47 p.m. when he was struck by the truck, which apparently was reversing from the entrance of the pier into a nearby work area, investigators said.