Shutdown takes governor to Washington

Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Tuesday described the partial shutdown of the federal government as "beyond reprehensible" before leaving for Washington, D.C., to discuss the impact on Hawaii.

The governor, who served for two decades in Congress, will meet over the next few days with the state’s congressional delegation and some of his former colleagues.

The Democrat, speaking to reporters at the state Capitol, blamed the shutdown on "a small faction of people who call themselves Republicans who are actually these tea party folks who have no vision of what it is to engage in responsible government."

Louise Kim McCoy, Abercrombie’s spokes­woman, said the governor had a previously scheduled trip to the East Coast that will now include the stop in the capital. The governor is expected back in Hawaii on Sunday.

Alleged gambling devices are confiscated

Five alleged gambling machines were confiscated after a search warrant was executed Tuesday at a Wai­alae Avenue arcade game room, the latest in a number of seizures over the past few months.

The five machines and various records were seized at Pure Luck, 3012 Wai­alae Ave., according to a press release from the Hawaii attorney general’s office.

Lawyers for the arcades in some of the recent seizures have contended the Product Direct Sweepstakes machines are not gambling devices.

FDA advises against VERSA-1 supplement

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is advising consumers against using an additional dietary supplement produced by the same manufacturer of Oxy­ELITE Pro, the product under investigation for causing cases of serious liver damage in Hawaii.

Like OxyELITE Pro, a brand called VERSA-1 contains aegeline, an ingredient for which Dallas-based USP Labs has not provided adequate evidence of safety as required by law, according to the FDA.

In a letter sent to the supplement maker, the FDA described aegeline as an ingredient that has not been safety-tested for human consumption.

So far, there have been 29 confirmed cases of liver inflammation and liver failure linked to consuming a dietary supplement, 11 hospitalizations, two liver transplants and one death. Oxy­ELITE Pro was the sole supplement used in 24 of those cases.

Mountain View man faces trial in cyclist’s death

HILO » A Mountain View driver charged with manslaughter and negligent homicide in the death of a bicyclist will go on trial Feb. 18.

Siaiku Lucky Aho­le­lei, 27, pleaded not guilty Monday in the Sept. 27 death of Cenon Visaya, 66, on Route 11 near the Kame­ha­meha Schools-Hawaii campus, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported.

Visaya died at the scene.

A witness, Nerissa De Lima, at a preliminary hearing Oct. 1, testified that Aholelei and the driver of another pickup appeared to be "playing tag," starting at Kanoe­lehua Avenue and Maka­ala Street and continuing onto Volcano Highway.

De Lima and another witness, Charlene Milazzo, said Aholelei’s truck crossed the median and crossed Hilo-bound lanes, striking Visaya.

The other driver, a woman, did not stop, De Lima said.

Aholelei is free on $275,000 bail. A man­slaughter conviction carries a sentence of up to 20 years. Negligent homicide carries a maximum penalty of 10 years.

Work on fence by pool to close portion of trail

A small portion of Ke Ala Hele Maka­lae, a coastal path on Kauai, will be closed while fence is installed at the Kapaa swimming pool.

About 185 feet of the path along the pool will be closed weekdays from Monday to Oct. 28 while work is being done.

Work hours are Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The path will be open the weekend of Oct. 26-27.