Legislators still undecided on calling special session
Legislators are still circling around the issue of whether to call a special session one week from today to override Gov. Ben Cayetano's veto of a bill that would have raised the age of sexual consent to 16 from 14."It is all still up in the air," said Robert Bunda, Senate president. "We have a lot of senators open to an override. The question is what to override."
Both the House and Senate need a two-thirds majority to call themselves into a special session to override a veto. The deadline for overriding a veto is July 10.
"I think the chances are actually good. It is a question of who blinks first," said Colleen Hanabusa, Senate vice president.
Republican Sen. Fred Hemmings (R, Kailua) agreed there is support. He said the Legislature should not back away from the override simply because it would be opposing Cayetano, who is the leader of the majority party. House members met yesterday with Cayetano on the issue, but Sylvia Luke, House vice speaker, said no decisions were made.
Interested in becoming a White House fellow?
Prospective applicants for the presidential White House fellows program are being asked to attend an information session from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. today at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort's South Pacific Ballroom No. 2.Five of this year's fellows will be present, including Hawaii resident Roy Jefferson, a former Green Beret.
The program was established in 1964 by President Lyndon Johnson as a yearlong opportunity for extraordinary young Americans to serve the president as full-time, paid assistants to Cabinet members and senior White House staff.
Call (202) 395-7475/4522 for details.
Navy frigate USS Crommelin opens to the public tomorrow
The public is invited to celebrate Independence Day aboard the USS Crommelin from 2 to 6 p.m. tomorrow at Pearl Harbor Bravo Pier 26.The July 4 tours are free and require no reservations. For safety reasons, children under 8 are not permitted. Comfortable shoes and dress are recommended for climbing ladders and walking over gridded deck plates. Skirts are not recommended.
Visitors may park at Naval Station Pearl Harbor's Bloch Arena parking lot off Center Drive near Nimitz Gate. Vehicular access to the base is restricted to U.S. Department of Defense personnel with valid stickers and identification.
The USS Crommelin is a 453-foot-long guided-missile frigate. Its mission is to escort and protect carrier battle groups, amphibious landing groups and convoys.
The ship's crew of 220 Hawaii-based sailors recently returned to Pearl Harbor after completing a deployment to the Western Pacific and Persian Gulf.
Corrections and clarifications
>> Molokai grocer Mike Misaki is owner of Misaki's Inc. He and his store were misidentified in yesterday's Star-Bulletin.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Publisher and Editor in Chief John Flanagan at 529-4748 or email him at jflanagan@starbulletin.com.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHONOLULU Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
Police believe Palolo man was murdered
Honolulu police have opened a homicide investigation into the death of a 64-year-old man who was found dead in his Palolo home Saturday after the Honolulu Medical Examiner determined that the man died of "blunt head injuries."Police originally classified the case as "suspicious unattended" after they found the man's body in the living room of his Kupaa Drive home. The body was near the front door which was wide open, police said. Police went to the home after a friend told them he had not heard from the man for a week.
Public was not notified about hospital escapee
State health officials did not notify the public about a Hawaii State Hospital escapee, who had been committed there after a 1970 murder because he is not considered a danger to himself or others, said spokeswoman Janice Okubo."There was no violence or forced exit when he left either," she said. Stanley Santos, 64, was recaptured Saturday after a hospital employee saw him walking on Hotel Street in Downtown Honolulu.
He left the Kaneohe facility Friday. Santos was committed to the State Hospital after he was deemed mentally unfit to stand trial for a 1970 murder in Kalihi.
Hot air conditioner lands uncool pair in custody
Two men were arrested for allegedly stealing an air conditioner from a Pawaa business by putting it on an office chair and rolling it down the street this weekend. Police said the incident took place at 11:25 Sunday night at 1272 S. King Street.A 53-year-old female witness called police after she saw the two suspects pushing the air conditioning unit down S. King Street.Police said the a/c unit appeared to have come from a nearby building that had been broken into by way of a louvered window.
LEEWARD OAHU
Waipahu man arrested for assault on waitress
A 60-year-old Waipahu man was arrested for assault last night for allegedly throwing a beer bottle at a cocktail waitress and cutting her with a glass.Police said the man got upset with the 24-year-old waitress at Kuni Cocktail Lounge at 94-210 Leokane St. in Waipahu about 10:55 p.m., threatened her, and threw a beer bottle hitting her in the chest.
He then shoved a glass at her which broke and cut the woman on her leg.
Woman, 19, tells police her ex-boyfriend beat her
A 19-year-old female told police that her 38-year-old ex-boyfriend beat her through her car window.According to police, the victim went to the suspect's Waianae home yesterday to pick up some items that she had left behind when the couple broke up six months ago.
Police said when the victim attempted to leave her vehicle the suspect punched her several times through her open window.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Big Island woman dies after head-on collision
HILO >> A Hamakua Coast woman has died from injuries suffered in a two-car accident on the Hawaii Belt Road in South Kohala, police said.Rita Jose, 56, died at Queen's Medical Center yesterday following the Wednesday accident, police said.
Jose's car was hit head-on by a car driven by a 22-year-old Kailua-Kona man who crossed the center line.
The man was arrested for drunken driving, having an open liquor container in his car, lane use violation, lack of no fault insurance and three counts of negligent injury.
He was released pending further investigation.
Autopsy scheduled for man killed in crash
An autopsy is scheduled for today on a Pukalani man involved in a collision Friday on the Hana Highway.
Frank Alvarez, 50, and his wife Mona died when their car crossed the center line and struck a vehicle going in the opposite direction on Hana Highway near Hansen Road at about 7:45 p.m. Friday, police said.
A Wailuku woman who was in the other vehicle was listed yesterday between guarded and satisfactory condition at Maui Memorial Medical Center.
The woman's husband and her 7-year-old daughter were released from the hospital Sunday.
Acting police Sgt. Ricky Uedoi said the autopsy might answer why the car was driving on the wrong side of the road and why investigators found no evidence of the car trying to stop.
The deaths put the number of traffic fatalities on Maui this year at 11, compared with 14 for the same period last year.
Girl hiking with family hurt in Haleakala Crater
WAILUKU >> A 14-year-old girl was hiking with her Hawaii family in Haleakala crater when she stumbled and aggravated a previous neck injury.The girl was lifted by helicopter to Hosmer's Grove at about 1:40 p.m. Sunday, where she was taken by ambulance to the hospital, authorities said.
Assistant Fire Chief Alan Cordeiro said the girl was conscious but unable to walk.
