Road work planned this week in West Hawaii
Road work planned this week in West Hawaii
Alternating single lane closures are planned this week in both directions on Mamalahoa Highway, between Uluoa Street and Old Kona Village Road, for pavement striping and guardrail installation, according to the state Department of Transportation.
In addition, alternating lane closures will be in effect on Mamalahoa Highway in both directions near, south of the Waikoloa Road intersection. Crews there are doing roadway widening work.
Crews will be working from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. However, all projects are weather permitting and lane closures may change at any time without further notice. Crews will not work Monday in observance of the Labor Day holiday.
Honolulu ethics commission fines councilwoman
HONOLULU — The Honolulu Ethics Commission said city councilwoman Ann Kobayashi has agreed to pay a $500 civil fine for failing to follow an ethics law.
The commission said Friday Kobayashi admitted she failed to disclose she was a director of six credit union service organizations when she introduced and voted on a bill to change the real property tax exemption for credit unions last year.
The commission said Kobayashi’s public and private duties conflicted and ethics laws required her to promptly disclose the conflict to the public.
Kobayashi disclosed the conflict after commission staff brought it to her attention. She also resigned her directorship with the subsidiaries and admitted responsibility for not following ethics laws.
The six credit union organizations are wholly owned subsidiaries of Aloha Pacific Federal Credit Union.
Wahiawa General Hospital to pay
$450K settlement
WAHIAWA, Oahu — The U.S. Attorney’s office said Wahiawa General Hospital will pay about $450,000 to settle lawsuits alleging improper billing.
Federal and state governments alleged the hospital wrongfully submitted claims to Medicare, Medicaid and the military’s health care program known as TRICARE. An investigation began after a doctor alleged the hospital submitted bills for services provided by resident doctors without the level of supervision required by federal law.
The U.S. Attorney’s office notes that while the hospital agreed to the settlement signed Thursday, the hospital doesn’t admit liability. Hospital officials didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment Friday.
The doctor who initiated the lawsuits will receive nearly $85,000 of the settlement payment. District of Hawaii U.S. Attorney Florence Nakakuni praised the doctor for his courage in reporting the alleged wrongdoing.
Guam governor
reviews $591M budget
HAGATNA, Guam — Guam Gov. Eddie Calvo is reviewing a $591 million budget from the territorial Legislature, a compromise bill with enough support to overturn a second veto.
Supporters of the budget said it’s a good compromise with Calvo’s administration, the Pacific Daily News reported Friday. But Republicans who voted against it say it’s rushed and doesn’t do enough to help Guam Memorial Hospital.
A spokesman for Calvo, a Republican, said he is reviewing the bill.
Calvo vetoed a previous budget bill earlier this month that had passed with voting split along party lines. The new bill has 10 votes, enough to override Calvo should he choose to veto again.
Sen. Aline Yamashita, a Republican representing Tamuning who voted against the previous bill, said the new budget addressed most of her concerns.
“I thought it was a supportable budget,” she said.
Those who voted against the bill criticized the obligations the territorial government is committing to, as well as the way the process has been handled.
“There are ramifications on the future budgets with decisions we make in this fiscal budget,” said Sen. Michael Limtiaco, R-Tamuning.
Limtiaco said he’s concerned it might not be possible to maintain employee pay raises and higher cost of living payments to retirees.
Sen. Ben Pangelinan, D-Barrigada, introduced the budget bill as chairman of the Legislature’s finance committee.
He said that while the budget doesn’t include the figures for tax refunds and cost of living adjustments that Calvo wanted, many other numbers are in line with the governor’s proposal.
2 Big Island men charged in separate
sex assaults
HILO — Two Big Island men have been indicted on sex assault charges in separate, unrelated cases.
Chance Vince Letreta is charged with sex assault of an under 14-year-old girl between 2008 and 2009. Phil James is charged with kidnapping and sex assault of a woman.
A Kona grand jury indicted 34-year-old Letreta of Kailua-Kona and 31-year-old James of Ocean View on Aug. 13.
According to court records Letreta has 15 prior convictions including domestic abuse and auto theft. He couldn’t be reached for comment Friday at Halawa Correctional Facility on Oahu, where he’s being held on $50,000 bail.
Court records show James has seven prior convictions, but none for felonies. He couldn’t be reached Friday at Hawaii County Correctional Center, where he’s being held on $50,000 bail.
Maui man convicted of trying to extort tourists
WAILUKU, Maui — A Maui man has been found guilty of trying to extort money from a group of California tourists in Haiku last year and assaulting one of them with a rake.
A jury this week convicted Jesse Nakooka of third-degree attempted extortion and various assault charges. The 37-year-old from Haiku was found not guilty of harassing one of the visitors, a cancer patient who testified Nakooka shoved her to the ground, the Maui News reported.
The tourists testified they were returning from a hike last year when Nakooka demanded $20 to move his food stand, which was blocking their car. After he received $20, he said, “Get your car out if you can,” according to Deputy Prosecutor Jerrie Sheppard.
Nicholas Nottingham, a truck driver from Riverside, Calif., managed to maneuver the car out of the tight spot. But Nakooka then used a table and his children to try to block the car, and he demanded more money, the tourists testified.
Nottingham’s girlfriend, Kalazetta Weaver, testified that Nakooka told her she could either call a tow truck, call 911, or go home in a body bag. Sheppard said Nakooka jumped on the hood of the car when they moved the table out of the way.
Nottingham said Nakooka hit him in the face and chest with a rake.
The tourists drove to a fire station and reported the incident.
Someone working at a nearby farm stand saw Nakooka “surrounded by a group of five to six people that are angry or aggressive,” Deputy Public Defender Annalisa Bernard said, adding that Nakooka was holding a stick in self-defense.
Nakooka is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 14.
State OKs Honolulu rail archaeological reports
HONOLULU — The State Historic Preservation Division has approved archaeological survey reports for the Honolulu rail transit project, clearing the way for construction to resume in West Oahu.
The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation announced the approval Friday. HART said construction on the $5 billion project could resume as early as September, after permit applications are approved.
Native Hawaiian Legal Corp. sued the city in 2011, challenging a decision to conduct an archaeological survey of historic human remains along the proposed corridor in phases.
The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled last year that the survey work should have been completed for the entire 20-mile rail route before construction in Kapolei began. Construction was halted to complete the remaining studies.
Archaeological surveys along the entire route were completed in January.
2 women arrested
for kidnapping in Oahu
HONOLULU — Honolulu police have arrested two women for holding and threatening a 19-year-old woman in Oahu.
Hawaii News Now reported police took 38-year-old Michelle Padilla of Ewa Beach and 44-year-old Pisa Padilla of Waipahu into custody early Saturday morning in the Ewa area.
Authorities arrested them on charges of terroristic threatening and assault.
Police initially responded Friday afternoon to a reported kidnapping.
They said the women threatened the teenage victim with a “dangerous instrument” and wouldn’t allow her to leave.
The case is still under investigation.
Motorcyclist charged in highway shooting incident in Oahu
HONOLULU — A man suspected of firing a handgun after a road rage incident in Oahu has been charged in the shooting.
Hawaii News Now reported 21-year-old Brandon Abiva was charged Friday with terroristic threatening in the first degree. His bail is set at $35,000.
Honolulu police said a woman driving along Highway H-3 got into a confrontation Wednesday afternoon with at least three motorcyclists.
Two male relatives of the woman’s family and the bikers then confronted each other on Kalanianaole Highway between Ehukai and Hinalea Streets.
Authorities suspect Abiva then fired shots. They said he was apprehended after trying to flee on foot.
By local and wire sources