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The state Legislature's five-day special session will take longer to conclude than planned. Lawmakers add 2 more
days to special sessionHouse and Senate members agreed yesterday to add two more recess days to make sure the Legislature complies with the 10-day notice requirement for proposed constitutional amendments.
The session that began Monday to fix a term inequity between incumbents and challengers in the 2002 Senate elections and to delay the confusing medical information privacy law for one year was supposed to conclude Aug. 17.
However, the attorney general's office informed legislative leaders late Tuesday that the planned 11-day period, including six recess days, didn't meet the requirement that the governor get 10 full days of notice of the final language of a proposed amendment before it gets final legislative approval.
Because Aug. 18 is Admissions Day and a state holiday, the final two days of the five-day session will be Aug. 21-22.
Meanwhile, the Senate Labor and Environmental Committee recommended confirmation of Gov. Ben Cayetano's appointment of Gil Coloma-Agaran as the state's new labor director.
Doctors say girl's liver transplant goes well
Three-year-old Sesilia Tatofi was reported in fair condition this morning after liver transplant surgery yesterday at Stanford University's Lucille Packard Children's Hospital.She received one-third of her mother's liver in a living-donor procedure. Sesilia was born with biliary artesia, blocking of ducts that carry bile from the liver to the intestine.
Doctors said the surgery went smoothly and the child and mother are doing well, Bettylu Smith, hospital spokesperson, said today.
Sesilia was in surgery about four and a half hours and her mother, Leilani, was in surgery seven hours, Smith said.
"The liver worked right away," she said. "There was a bit of a setback last night when Sesilia experienced some bleeding. That was corrected right away and they made a decision to take her back to the operating room this morning, doing some follow-up."
Leilani and Feliuaki (Fetcho) Tatofi relocated temporarily to Belmont, Calif., for Sesilia's surgery and care.
Industrial crane accident crushes man
A 27-year-old man was seriously injured as a result of being crushed by an industrial crane in an accident in Waipahu today.The man was injured while working around the crane near 93-065 Waipahu Depot Road at about 9:26 a.m., said an Emergency Medical Service official. He was transported to Queen's Hospital, where he is in guarded condition.
City to pay $1 million to contractor, firm
The city has agreed to pay a contractor and its bonding company $1 million in settlement in connection with improvements at Salt Lake District Park.The City Council voted unanimously to approve the settlement yesterday to Haitsuka Brothers Ltd. Haitsuka was seeking compensation after it lost an arbitration to Bateman Construction, its excavation subcontractor on the project. Bateman encountered extremely hard rock during drilling, which resulted in dramatic cost overruns.
A federal judge already granted partial summary judgment for Haitsuka and ordered the city to pay $700,000 in connection with project change orders. "During the course of the litigation, we realized in all likelihood we would probably lose," said Council Chairman Jon Yoshimura.
Media Council maps survey on info office
The Honolulu Community-Media Council has sent out surveys to measure support for the Office of Information Practices among candidates for the State Legislature.The Office of Information Practices administers the state's public record law and monitors compliance with the "Sunshine Law" on open government meetings. Since 1994, the office's budget has been cut 60 percent.
The survey asks candidates their position on public access to government records and meetings, and whether the Office of Information Practices budget should be restored to pre-1994 levels.
Tomorrow
Some events of interest
5:03 p.m., Honolulu International Airport: Alyshia Shimizu, victim of the "flesh-eating" infection, returns on United Airlines Flight 59.
Correction
A graphic that accompanied a story yesterday on the Lalakea fishpond mislabled the Lower Hamakua Ditch as Hiilawe Stream.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHonolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
Maui driver critical after his pickup hits a tree
WAILUKU -- A 33-year-old man was in critical condition this morning at Maui Memorial Medical Center after the pickup truck he was driving went onto the right shoulder and struck a tree in Waihee northwest of Kahului.David W. Tallant III of Wailuku suffered a number of injuries, Police Sgt. Dean Rickard said.
Rickard said police are investigating the crash , which occurred at about 10 p.m. yesterday a fifth of a mile north of Kohomua Street.
Man arrested in holdup of Nuuanu flower shop
Police arrested a 19-year-old man for allegedly robbing a Nuuanu flower shop yesterday.The man entered the store at about 2:27 p.m. and said he wanted to buy roses, police said. After he was told the price, he reportedly placed a knife at the cashier's throat and demanded money.
He ran away with money but was located nearby. Police recovered $208 from his pants pocket.
