Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Monday, July 28, 1997

Two escape fire today
at Diamond Head home

Two occupants of a Diamond Head residence escaped serious injury today when an early morning fire gutted their home at 237 Kulamanu Place.

"I first heard a man and woman screaming and then an explosion and cracking sounds," said Pam Fox, a visitor from New York who is staying at her friend's home at 224C Kulamanu Place. "When I looked out the window, I saw the huge orange fire," she said.

The flames were 40-50 feet high, and some overhead power lines were smoking, Fox said.

Five fire companies responded to the 4:29 a.m. alarm, and the blaze was reported under control at 5:11 a.m.

The damaged home's residents declined comment.

Estimates of damage caused by the blaze were unavailable this morning.

Firefighters said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Rod Thompson, Star-Bulletin
Shinto priest Akio Miyazaki at the recently
reopened Hilo Japanese tea house.

Japanese teahouse reopens in hilo

HILO -- The Pine Ocean House is again open near the shores of Hilo Bay for a formal cup of tea in a natural setting.

Urasenke School of Tea Grandmaster Soshitsu Sen, along with about 200 other dignitaries and guests, last week dedicated a new Japanese teahouse in Hilo's Liliuokalani Gardens park, replacing one that was burned down by youthful vandals in 1994.

Like the old teahouse, the new one bears the name Shoroan, meaning Pine Ocean House, said Russell Oda, the new president of the Hilo Chapter of the Urasenke school.

In accordance with custom, Hilo Shinto priest Akio Miyazaki blessed the new building, Oda said.

Departing from tradition, Grandmaster Sen, the 15th head of the Urasenke school in its 400-year-old history, was not able to conduct the first tea ceremony there because of time constraints.

But Sen did turn over ownership of the teahouse to Hawaii County.

County Parks and Recreation director George Yoshida said the house will be used for other Japanese cultural activities such as flower arranging and calligraphy.

Waikiki loading-zone abusers win
'grace period' to learn the law

Take heed.

That's the message Waikiki police are giving to drivers of buses, trucks and other vehicles that use -- and sometimes abuse -- loading zones in the crowded tourist district.

Police have been handing fliers to drivers reminding them of the rules, somewhat to the consternation of the Hawaii Transportation Association, an organization with roughly 400 members that represents ground-transportation companies.

"HPD is passing these out in preparation for enforcing the laws on the zones," the group warned in its July 21 newsletter. "This is beginning to cause a stir among some members."

Safety Specialist Rick Carter said the item was written because the association received a few inquiries in the last couple of weeks.

"It kind of caught us off guard because the laws have been in effect for a long, long time," he said.

But police said a crackdown is not in the works and that the fliers are a gentler way to better enforcement instead of "just whacking them with a citation."

"It's kind of like we gave them a grace period -- read this, heed and watch out," said Sgt. George Smith of the Waikiki substation.

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Police/Fire


By Star-Bulletin staff

Brother accused in fatal
stabbing at his Aiea home

A 38-year-old Honolulu man died following a stabbing early yesterday at his brother's Aiea home.

Police said the victim went to his brother's home at 98-162 Honomanu Street at about 7:45 a.m.

The two began arguing and his brother allegedly stabbed him in the chest, police said.

A single gunshot was also reportedly heard.

The man died on the way to Pali Momi Medical Center.

Shooting leaves 2 injured
after weekend argument

Two men were injured late Saturday in a shooting following a party at a home at the corner of Lumikula and Lumikuke streets.

Three men were leaving the party around midnight when they were confronted by five males, said Honolulu Police Lt. Wayne Fergerstrom.

Words were exchanged, and at least two gunshots were fired as the three tried to get into a waiting car, he said.

The three drove to a relative's home and notified authorities.

One victim, 21, was treated at Queen's Hospital for a gunshot wound to the back of his neck and was in good condition yesterday.

The other victim, 23, was treated for a finger injury and released from St. Francis West Hospital.

The third man was uninjured.

Fergerstrom said police believe the shooting may have been gang related.

Man charged in kidnapping
waits sex-assault charge

Sex-assault charges are pending against a 36-year-old man who was charged yesterday with kidnapping a 26-year-old woman.

Marcel Russell Jr., who has 21 prior arrests, is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail for the alleged kidnapping that occured Wednesday. Russell was arrested at Ala Nanala at 8 a.m.

Police did not release specific details about the incident.

Suspect held in robbery accused of snatching purse

Police yesterday arrested a 30-year-old Salt Lake man for second-degree robbery after he allegedly stole his girlfriend's purse during a domestic dispute. The woman, 30, told police the suspect chased her and allegedly assaulted her before taking her purse.

Man killed, woman injured
in Waikoloa car accident

WAIKOLOA, Hawaii -- A 47-year-old man was killed and a 39-year-old woman was critically injured when they were thrown from their car in an accident near Waikoloa yesterday, police said.

The identity of the victims, both from Maui, was not immediately released.

The woman was flown to Queen's Hospital for treatment.

The couple were driving downhill on the Waikoloa Road about 6:24 p.m. when they ran off the road halfway between Waikoloa and Queen Kaahumanu Highway, police said. They struck an embankment and overturned in a lava field. Police weren't able to tell who was driving. The fatality was the 19th of the year on the Big Island compared with 20 at this time last year.

2 held after woman bites
officer in alleged robbery

KAILUA-KONA -- Police are holding two suspects for a robbery in which one suspect held a knife to a victim's throat, then bit a police officer.

A 23-year-old woman suspect, with a male accomplice, 35, ordered two Hilo women, 19 and 20, to empty their pockets at the Kona Inn shopping area at 11:15 p.m., police said.

One of the victims had a small knife, which the woman robber then put to her throat, cutting her slightly, police said. The robbers escaped, but were arrested at 11:50 p.m. in a scuffle in which the woman robber bit a male police officer on the chest.

Police probe sex assault
of woman in Waikoloa lot

WAIMEA, Hawaii -- Police are investigating a report of a sexual assault in which a woman said she was attacked in the parking lot of a Waikoloa resort between 2 and 3 a.m. Friday. The victim, who said she knew the attacker, reported the incident Friday afternoon.

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