Deleted gambling ban upsets Lingle

Gov. Linda Lingle says she is unhappy that Democratic U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka removed a provision from his Native Hawaiian recognition bill that would ban gambling by the governing entity the measure would create.

Akaka introduced the legislation last week in hopes that it finally will pass Congress and be signed by a president who was raised in Hawaii. But one change he made from past Senate versions was to remove language that bars gaming.

Lingle said Friday she asked for that provision in previous bills and supported those measures. She said she will talk with Akaka about the latest change when she is in Washington, D.C., in two weeks. But she demurred when asked whether she will oppose the bill if a gambling ban is not reinstated.

A spokesman for Akaka said existing law already prohibits gaming in Hawaii and that gambling would continue to be illegal unless the state changes the law.

Magazine cites 8 state schools

Eight Hawaii public schools have won bronze awards in U.S. News & World Report's annual list of America's best high schools.

The bronze medal recognizes high schools with commendable performance on state tests. The national report analyzed 21,069 public high schools in 48 states using data from the 2006-2007 academic year. It looked at student proficiency and whether schools had a challenging curriculum that prepared children for college.

The Hawaii schools are: Education Laboratory New Century Public Charter School, Hana High and Elementary School, Kahuku High and Intermediate School, Waialua High and Intermediate School, and Keaau, Leilehua, McKinley and Roosevelt high schools.

Kauai prosecutor pays penalty

LIHUE » The Kauai Office of the Prosecuting Attorney paid last week an overdue fine of $500 that had been levied for a prosecutor's failure to appear in court in December.

The court fined the office when an unidentified deputy prosecuting attorney arrived an hour late for the 9 a.m. criminal calendar on Dec. 17 and failed to inform the court of the delay. The fine was due within 30 days but was paid six weeks after the incident.

Newly elected Prosecutor Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho says she took full responsibility for the issue by paying the fine. She says she wasn't personally fined.

Iseri-Carvalho said unforeseen circumstances prevented the office from making a timely appearance in court.

Recycler agrees to pay fine

LIHUE » The state Department of Health has settled with a Kauai recycler for violations of the Beverage Container law, officials announced yesterday.

Garden Isle Disposal has agreed to pay $41,110 in fines and fees for using an incorrect calculation for plastic deposit beverage containers when they sent in claims to the Department of Health from August 2005 until March 2006, state officials said yesterday. The payout includes a $15,216 cash penalty and $15,000 to fund a supplemental environmental project by the nonprofit Zero Waste Kauai.

State officials added that Garden Isle Disposal did not deny responsibility for the violations.

Practice SAT, PSAT exams offered

The University of Hawaii at Manoa will offer practice SAT and PSAT exams for interested high school students on Saturday.

The university's Health Careers Opportunity Program is partnering with Kaplan Testing and Admissions to organize the practice tests from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Art Building, room 132. A donation of $5 to Friends of Operation Manong to cover the cost of testing materials will be collected at the door. Test scores will not count or be recorded.

Results will be available one week after the practice exam. Students will have the opportunity to meet with a Kaplan advisor to review their SAT and learn how to improve their scores. Parents may also attend a special session on college admissions and take a tour of the UH-Manoa campus.

To register, e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with name, school, grade, address and a phone number, or call Angie Soloman at 944-7636.