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The city clerk's office this year is operating three walk-in absentee voting centers for Oahu residents. Absentee vote centers open
They are located at Honolulu Hale, Pearlridge Center and Windward Mall. All registered voters may use the walk-in absentee service until Sept. 21, city clerk Genevieve Wong said.
Yesterday was the first day of absentee voting before the Sept. 23 primary election, she said.
"It was just buzzing this morning," Wong said yesterday.
Late afternoon tallies had 371 voters at City Hall, 171 at Windward Mall and 250 at Pearlridge.
About one-fourth of the Oahu residents the city government suspected of illegally registering to vote have proved they are eligible to cast ballots, city clerk Genevieve Wong says. 141 prove they have voting status
Wong said that of the 543 residents initially sent letters seeking to verify their voter eligibility, 141 have proved they are U.S. citizens eligible to vote, 61 have asked to be removed from the voter rolls, 229 have not responded and 112 letters were returned as undeliverable.
The city is preparing another letter, likely to be mailed today, asking residents who have not responded to verify their voting status.
The original 543 were identified when the city cross-checked voter registration lists against a list of people applying for state ID cards.
Four religious groups to set up lights display
Four religious organizations are among the five groups chosen by lottery to set up a display along King Street for the Honolulu City Lights program.The organizations are Mililani Hongwanji, American Lung Association, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Chabad Lubavitch of Hawaii and Lutheran Campus Ministry.
The city's Customer Services Department conducted a lottery yesterday involving the seven organizations that applied.
Each organization will be given the opportunity to set up a display between Honolulu Hale and the City Hall annex.
Since 1997, the city has allowed any nonprofit or charitable organization to apply for one of the five sites.
Door of Faith Church and Goodwill Industries of Hawaii were chosen as alternates.
3-year-old liver patient develops pneumatosis
Sesilia Tatofi, an Aiea 3-year-old who underwent successful liver transplant surgery last month, has been diagnosed with pneumatosis, an abnormal internal accumulation of air bubbles.The discovery was made after a feeding tube was put in to keep her nourished.
Her pneumatosis is in the lining of the large intestine, friends said.
The girl is in isolation in the Stanford University Hospital and not able to eat or drink anything.
She is expected to remain hospitalized for 10 to 15 days.
Her diagnosis was favorable last week, as she was being treated with antibiotics and said to be doing well.
The child received one-third of her mother's liver in transplant surgery Aug. 9 at the California hospital.
She was born with biliary atresia, the blocking of ducts that carry bile from the liver to the intestine.
A fund-raising committee is accepting donations. Checks may be sent to Friends of Sesilia, 811 Middle St., Honolulu 96819.
Campaign targets underage drinking
Households with children will receive educational brochures and videos about underage drinking in a campaign by the Honolulu Liquor Commission and Anheuser-Busch brewing company.The "Family Talk About Drinking" material was mailed to 23,000 Oahu families, according a commission release.
It was developed by the brewer 10 years ago. Information is available on the company Web site at www.beeresponsible.com
Tomorrow
Some events of interest
9 a.m., Honolulu Hale, second floor committee room: Budget and Economic Development Committee discusses Rene Mansho's resolution for the city to buy Waimea Valley Adventure Park.
Corrections
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHonolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
5 caught in escape try at youth facility
Five teen-age girls were arrested for trying to break out of the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility last night, police said.The girls, from 14 to 17 years old, allegedly attacked and overpowered two female guards at the Windward prison at about 10:30 p.m., police said.
Three of the suspects climbed out a window, but were captured on the facility's grounds. Two of the suspects didn't make it out of the building, police said.
All five were arrested for attempted escape, police said. They also face felony assault and terroristic threatening charges.
One prison guard complained of neck pains and the other had a cut finger. No major injuries were reported.
Neighbor scolds child; vengeful father arrested
A 29-year-old Kalihi man allegedly attacked his 78-year-old neighbor after the neighbor scolded the man's child for making too much noise, police said.The child's mother called the child's father at work. The father came home, went to the neighbor's apartment and assaulted him, police said. The suspect then went back to work where he was arrested.
He was booked for first-degree burglary for unlawfully entering his neighbor's apartment.
