Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Friday, December 26, 1997

TheBus, HandiVan free islewide on New Year's

TheBus and HandiVan will be free to the public throughout the island from noon New Year's Eve to 8 a.m. New Year's Day.

The city is providing the free rides to promote holiday road safety.

Buses will run on a weekday schedule Dec. 31, and on a Sunday schedule Jan. 1.

Fund for Rainbow wife's transplant tops $62,000

Hawaii residents have raised more than $62,000 to help pay for a bone-marrow transplant procedure for Donna Collins, the wife of University of Hawaii football player Sam Collins.

The Oahu Educational Employees Federal Credit Union said it recently presented a $51,000 check to Queen's Hospital to help pay for the treatment, which is not covered by health insurance and is estimated to cost $100,000.

Donations were received through the mail, at UH football and volleyball games and from people walking into credit union branches, it said. An auction at Murphy's Bar and Grill also raised more than $25,000.

Donna Collins is in the hospital undergoing the procedure as part of her fight against breast cancer.

Donations, which are not tax-deductible, are being accepted until March 31.

Checks made out to "OEEFCU," with "Donna Collins Fund" noted on the bottom can be sent to: Oahu Educational Employees FCU, Marketing Department, 1226 College Walk, Honolulu 96817.

Call 534-4300 for more information.

East Oahu golf course public hearing set

A public hearing will take place early next year on the Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corp. special management area permit application to build a Queen's Beach golf course in East Oahu.

The city Department of Land Utilization accepted the application but has yet to set the hearing date.

"DLU's acceptance of our permit application is a major step forward for Kaiser in seeking the necessary approvals to develop a golf course at Queen's Beach," said Robert Burke, vice president and general manager for Kaiser Center Inc.

"We hope to secure the city's approval on this permit as expeditiously as possible."

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See our [Info] section for subscription information.

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Police/Fire


By Star-Bulletin staff

Five nabbed in try at extortion

Police yesterday arrested five men in connection with the apparent extortion of an Ala Moana business.

Police said the suspects, who are 22 to 30 years old, entered Tokyo Spa and Relaxation Center on Kapiolani Boulevard at about 2 a.m. yesterday.

The men allegedly threatened to close down the spa if their monetary demands were not met, police said.

The suspects then destroyed a big-screen television with a stool and flipped over a pool table.

The suspects were arrested while leaving the scene on charges of extortion, criminal property damage and terroristic threatening, police said.

Elderly driver killed on Kauai

KAPAA, Kauai -- A 76-year-old woman was killed at 5:30 p.m. yesterday when her car crossed the center line and collided with another car.

Police said the woman died at the scene.

A man and a woman in the other car, Canadian tourists, were sent to Wilcox Hospital and are in stable condition.

Police said both vehicles were compact cars. The collision happened near Kealia Beach.

Tourist arrested after threats

Police arrested a tourist for allegedly threatening to shoot a hotel security officer and blow up his Waikiki hotel room with a bomb on Wednesday night.

The suspect, 25, and his wife were in an argument at the Waikiki Hobron Hotel at 10:54 p.m., police said.

Following the disagreement, the woman moved to a different room in the hotel.

When hotel security answered the woman's room phone, the suspect said he had an explosive device underneath his bed, police said.

The man then threatened to shoot the security officer, blow up his room and jump from the hotel lanai.

Police said the man surrendered before the Special Services Division units and negotiators arrived at the scene.

No weapons or bombs were found, police said.

Woman, 70, assaulted with bat

Police yesterday charged a 74-year-old Whitmore Village man for allegedly assaulting his 70-year-old wife with a baseball bat.

Tsutae Tomita was charged with second-

degree assault and is being held in lieu of $12,000 bail.

The woman suffered minor injuries to her wrist when she blocked the swing.

She was treated and released from Wahiawa General Hospital.

In other news ...

Two men who were shot early yesterday morning after a fight outside of Restaurant Row are in fair condition in Queen's Hospital, according to police.

The victims, ages 34 and 18, were among five men who confronted and allegedly beat another man who was attempting to force a woman into his car. The man who was beaten drove off but made a U-turn and allegedly fired several shots at the group standing on the corner of South and Auahi streets at about 3:30 a.m.

Police arrested a 39-year-old man on Christmas Eve in connection with a forgery investigation.

The man, who had been arrested Dec. 16 on an outstanding warrant during a drug raid at the Punchbowl apartment of indicted attorney Gary Modafferi's sister, was booked Wednesday on four counts of forgery and two theft counts.

HILO -- A Big Island couple were robbed yesterday in the underground parking lot of the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel by a woman and a man who was possibly armed.

WAILUKU -- A 30-year-old man was in critical condition this morning at Queen's hospital after the motorcycle he was riding was involved in an accident on Maui. The motorcycle was traveling south on Ainakea Street at 2 p.m. yesterday when it failed to stop at the Wahikuli Road intersection and collided with a car, police said. The man, a Lahaina resident, was thrown from the motorcycle and landed on another car, police said.

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See our [Info] section for subscription information.