Astronaut gives state items carried on mission
Astronaut Edward Lu, a former University of Hawaii astrophysicist, today gave the state Hawaii-related mementos that were carried into space in May. It was when he flew on his first space shuttle mission, the sixth docking between a U.S. orbiter and the Russian space station Mir.Lu, 34, brought back from space an 8-inch wooden replica of Manaiakalani, or Maui's fishhook, which symbolizes Hawaii's origin and relationship to the heavens.
He also turned over to Gov. Ben Cayetano three feathers from endangered Hawaiian birds, which his fellow mission specialist also carried on the shuttle Atlantis.
The Manaiakalani replica will be displayed at the governor's office, and the feathers will be displayed at the Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Important weather buoy to be replaced
A $160,000 buoy northwest of Kauai that's vital to Hawaii weather forecasting was damaged by a passing ship and must be replaced, the National Weather Service reports.The National Data Buoy Center had planned a trip this week to repair Buoy 51001, one of four recording wind, air and sea level data around Hawaii.
The measurements are used to forecast arrival times of high-surf conditions and wave heights. Since it can't be repaired, the Buoy Center sent personnel to install sensing and power equipment on a backup buoy, the Weather Service said.
A Coast Guard ship could take the replacement buoy to the site next week.
Salt Lake work town hall topic
A town hall meeting Monday at Radford High School will review the road-widening project for Salt Lake Boulevard.Speakers at the 7 p.m. session will include state Rep. Bob McDermott and Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris.
The project affects Aliamanu, Pearl Harbor, Hickam Air Force Base, Foster Village, Halawa and Aiea.
See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
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Police/Fire
By Star-Bulletin staffDriver to be charged in crash that killed 2 kids
Charged with two traffic deaths and one serious injury in a July 12 accident, a Schofield soldier released from service today will appear in court tomorrow on the charges.Police say Donald Bogard, 33, had twice the legal alcohol limit in his system at the time of the 10:13 p.m. crash at the intersection of Kamehameha Highway and Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road near Helemano Military Reservation.
A preliminary hearing is set for 1 p.m. tomorrow in Honolulu District Court.
Police Sgt. Dan Kwon yesterday said Bogard's bail totals $250,000 for the two counts of first-degree negligent homicide and one count of first-degree negligent injury.
Bogard had been under house restriction at Schofield before his 3 p.m. arrest Monday in the Schofield Criminal Investigation Detail office, Kwon said. Bogard was to be discharged today, he added.
On July 12, Bogard was driving a Chevrolet Lumina van that rammed a Jeep Cherokee, fatally injuring a boy, 2, and a girl, 5, in the Cherokee. Their brother, 12, was seriously injured.
"A child restraint and seat belts were not used at the time," Kwon said. "I cannot speculate how much difference it (restraint and belts) would have made, but I'm sure it would have helped the situation."
Van Thong, 30, and his family, of Waialua Beach, were northbound on Kamehameha Highway waiting for a green light when the Chevrolet van struck their vehicle. The van pushed the Cherokee over to the southbound lane and into a rental car occupied by a man and wife from North Carolina, who were uninjured.
The initial impact tore the back off Van Thong's Cherokee -- and all three of his children, Tony, 2, Christina, 5, and Eddie, 12, were thrown out the back and onto the road, receiving head injuries. They were taken to Queen's Hospital where Tony died soon after.
Christina died two days after Tony, but Eddie survived. Van Thong and wife Ra Sok, 30, were treated at Wahiawa Hospital after the accident and released.
Bogard received a fractured right leg in the crash and went to Tripler Hospital.
He escaped more serious injury because the air bag on his 1994 van deployed, police said.
--By Harold Morse, Star-Bulletin See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
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