Gabbard, Hirono react to budget impact on Hawaii Gabbard, Hirono react to budget impact on Hawaii ADVERTISING HONOLULU — Two members of Hawaii’s delegation in Washington are expressing reservations about parts of President Barack Obama’s budget proposal. U.S. Rep. T
Gabbard, Hirono react to budget impact on Hawaii
HONOLULU — Two members of Hawaii’s delegation in Washington are expressing reservations about parts of President Barack Obama’s budget proposal.
U.S. Rep. T ulsi Gabbard says she’s concerned about cuts to missile defense as Hawaii and the rest of the country face direct and heightened threats from North Korea.
U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono says she doesn’t support Obama’s plan that would change how some benefits are calculated, including Social Security and benefits for veterans.
Obama on Wednesday sent Congress a $3.8 trillion budget plan that aims to slash the deficit by a net $600 billion over 10 years, raise taxes and trim popular benefit programs, including Social Security and Medicare.
Gabbard and Hirono both praise the proposal for its potential to create job growth.
Washington man dies while swimming
WAILUKU, Maui — A man from Washington possibly drowned while swimming with his wife at Maui’s Kamaole Beach Park.
Officials say that the couple from Vancouver, Wash., was swimming Tuesday morning when the wife turned around and saw that her husband was face down in the water. The 50-year-old man was pulled to shore where bystanders began CPR.
Ocean Safety Lifeguards and fire personnel arrived and continued CPR before a medical team took over. However, efforts to revive the man were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The man’s identity has not been released.
UH Regents aim for more transparency
HONOLULU — An advisory task group conducting an accountability study of the University of Hawaii system says the Board of Regents knows there needs to be more transparency.
The task group is comprised of regents and members of the public. It conducted interviews in March and will sit down next with the governor’s office and key legislators.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that task group chairman Lawrence Rodriguez says regents feel the public misunderstands their duties to formulate policy and oversee the university president. And, he says, they understand the need for more transparency.
Concerns over university operations arose following the last year’s botched Stevie Wonder concert fundraiser. The event was to raise money for the athletic department but ended up costing the school more than $200,000 in an alleged scam.
Man accused of pushing visitor pleads not guilty
LIHUE, Kauai — A man accused of pushing a Japanese visitor off a Kauai cliff has pleaded not guilty to an attempted murder charge.
The Garden Island says 37-year-old Justin Wynn Klein appeared in 5th Circuit Court on Tuesday with a public defender at his side. The Kilauea man is accused of throwing a 31-year-old woman off a cliff in Kalalau Valley on Dec. 16, 2012. The woman, Asusa Ino from Fukuoka Prefecture, was critically injured and spent 10 days in Wilcox Memorial Hospital before returning to Japan.
Klein remained a fugitive until his arrest Saturday at Lydgate Beach Park. He is currently being held on $1 million bail at Kauai Community Correctional Center. Judge Kathleen Watanabe set trial for Aug. 5.
