Dam suit costs Kauai $7.5 million

Kauai County has agreed to pay $7.5 million for its portion of a global settlement of lawsuits filed in the wake of the deadly 2006 Ka Loko Dam break.

Of that amount, the county will pay $250,000, with the balance covered by insurance.

“;Since this case had potentially huge damages, well in excess of our insurance limits, the county and its insurance carriers believed that settling was in the best interest of the county,”; County Attorney Alfred Castillo said yesterday.

Kauai County had asked a state circuit judge to reveal the county's portion in the interest of public disclosure. Judge Kathleen Watanabe also granted a state request to unseal its portion of the confidential settlement reached in October.

The lawsuits were filed against the state, the county and other landowners, including James Pflueger, by the families of the seven people who were killed and by property owners.

Civil unions bill might get vote today

A vote on the civil unions bill could come up in the House today.

Majority Democrats in the chamber plan to discuss the proposal, House Bill 444, in caucus before the regular floor session, Speaker Calvin Say said.

If leaders decide to proceed, the bill could be pulled to the floor for a vote.

The measure would grant all the benefits and privileges of marriage to couples in a civil union.

Say has said he wants to decide quickly on whether to proceed with the bill.

But he also has stated that he only wants to proceed if the measure is supported by 34 of 51 House members—a two-thirds' majority that would be able to override a governor's veto.

The Senate passed the measure with a two-thirds' majority last week.

If the House agrees with the version of the bill, members could then vote to send it to Gov. Linda Lingle for consideration. Any changes would require the House and Senate to meet in conference to work out the differences.

The House passed its version of the bill 33-17 last year with one member absent. Say said support may have dwindled by a few votes because this is an election year.

Regents pick Amemiya as director

The University of Hawaii Board of Regents approved hiring Keith Amemiya yesterday as the interim executive administrator and secretary to the board.

Amemiya recently resigned as executive director of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association, a post he had held since 1998.

Amemiya's appointment is for a year, starting March 8, at an annual salary of $152,544.

Amemiya is a UH-Manoa graduate with a bachelor's degree in business administration and a law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law.

As executive administrator and secretary, Amemiya will be responsible for planning, coordinating and directing the administrative support services for the Board of Regents.

Gowadia is ruled competent for trial

A federal judge has ruled a Maui man accused of selling military secrets to China is competent to stand trial.

Chief U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway's Jan. 21 decision regarding former B-2 stealth bomber engineer Noshir Gowadia agrees with an earlier ruling by a magistrate judge.

Gowadia's trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 17 and is expected to last two to three months.

Prosecutors allege Gowadia provided China with information on making cruise missiles less visible to radar and heat-seeking missiles.

Gowadia has pleaded not guilty to charges that he communicated national defense information to a foreign government and to unauthorized persons, conspiracy, exporting controlled military information without a license, filing a false tax return and other counts.