Rove returning to islands

Former presidential adviser Karl Rove is returning to Hawaii this month for a fundraiser with Republican gubernatorial candidate James "Duke" Aiona, the lieutenant governor.

The Aiona campaign is sponsoring Breakfast with Karl Rove next week.

Rove, architect of the campaigns of George W. Bush and a Fox News contributor, is to speak on "How to Win in Hawaii."

Tickets are $500 per person, and all guests will be photographed with Rove and receive an autographed copy of his book, "Courage and Consequence," according to an announcement sent to campaign supporters.

For $1,000, donors may be seated at the speaker’s table.

The event is scheduled for 8 a.m. June 18 at the Oahu Country Club.

Rove also helped raise money for the state GOP in February, delivering a speech at the party’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner.

Tickets to that event were $125, but donors also had the option of donating $2,500 to attend a breakfast with Rove the following morning.

Judge rules on confession

WAILUKU » A Maui circuit judge has ruled a statement made to police by a man accused of fatally shooting his son was given voluntarily.

In a taped interview in 2008, Joe D. Antonio said he was sorry for killing his 19-year-old son, Jose Jr.

Judge Joel August also held Monday that the 47-year-old defendant had sufficient understanding of the English language to provide responses to police.

Defense attorney Phil Lowenthal argued the 37-minute interview showed his client’s English was "cursory at best."

Joe Antonio has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder.

He said in the interview that he shot his son during a shoving match that stemmed from a quarrel over his son’s leaving a video game cable on the floor.

Mayor relents on budget

WAILUKU » Maui County’s $524 million budget will become law without the signature of Mayor Charmaine Tavares.

She made the announcement yesterday as she criticized the County Council for slashing the reduced budget she had proposed.

Tavares proposed cutting spending by $15 million. The Council made an additional $12 million in cuts.

She says the Council gave little thought to how the cuts would affect the community. She also accused the Council of having little understanding of how government works.

Tavares was particularly upset the Council made its largest cuts in the Fire Department, noting the county is facing its worst drought in 30 years.

The new budget goes into effect July 1.

Coming Up

More than 800 Hawaii-based Marines are due to return from a seven-month deployment to Afghanistan in the next few days.

About 150 Marines from the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment are scheduled to arrive at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay today. The unit participated in the seizure of Marjah, a Taliban-held town.