Woman dies in auto crash with Makiki fire truck
A Makiki Heights woman died last night after her car was crushed by a fire truck responding to a medical emergency.The death was the second fatal traffic accident yesterday. Earlier, a Kalihi toddler was fatally injured when she was struck by a vehicle being backed out of a driveway by her mother.
The Makiki fire engine, driven by a 37-year-old man, had a red light when it entered the intersection of Wilder Avenue and Kewalo Street with lights and siren running, said police Sgt. William Watkins of the traffic accident investigation office.
The truck struck the driver's side of the four-door Nissan Altima heading mauka on Kewalo Street. The impact carried the car about 75 feet from the intersection.
Honolulu Fire Department Battalion Chief Kenneth Word said the engine company crew "tried to pry her, but she was pinned, the collision buckled the doors. They had to wait for the rescue company to bring the Jaws of Life."
The 27-year-old woman was pronounced dead at Queen's Hospital.
Earlier in the day, a 2-year-old girl was pronounced dead at St. Francis Hospital of injuries suffered when she was hit by the family minivan. Police said the 8:15 a.m. accident occurred as the child's mother was backing the van out of the carport at their Kalihi home.
The deaths brought Oahu's traffic toll to nine, compared with 12 to date last year.
New disturbance erupts at prison in Texas
NEWTON, Texas - Nobody was injured in a disturbance at a privately run prison in Newton County, Texas, that houses half of the 870 inmates from Hawaii, officials said today.Tear gas was used to subdue dozens of inmates last night at the Fillyaw Correctional Center, authorities said.
But the tear gas spread to other sections of the unit, forcing the inmates to be sent outdoors, they said.
Officials are trying to figure out what prompted inmates to start fighting in a housing area.
More fighting began outside, as inmates broke open a door to a commissary and started a small fire. It was quickly put out, officials said.
Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano said he was aware of the incident, but had no details.
It was the fourth time in recent weeks that there have been incidents at the Texas facility.
Cayetano said the recent disturbances in Texas are not causing him to rethink his decision to send Hawaii inmates there, noting there are also incidents in the Hawaii prisons.
Police civilians may choose pay or time off
Honolulu Police Department civilian workers represented by the Hawaii Government Employees Association can choose between paid overtime or time off for extra hours worked despite a department budget crunch.City personnel officials and HGEA Unit 3 representatives met yesterday on the issue of compensatory time.
The meeting followed a department order last week to Communications Division dispatchers that there will be no paid overtime.
The order was rescinded 24 hours later.
HGEA spokesman Randy Kusaka said the labor contract covering the civilian dispatchers provides that, "when it comes to overtime, the employee has the option of taking paid overtime or compensation time. They have the say."
Uniformed officers were also ordered last week to take compensatory time in lieu of paid overtime, because the police department has used up its $10 million overtime budget for the fiscal year 1997-98, which ends June 30.
Civil rights pioneer will discuss journalism
A 1960s civil rights pioneer will speak March 10 at the University of Hawaii in the annual Carol Burnett Fund for Responsible Journalism Ethics Program.James Meredith, whose enrollment as the first black person to attend the University of Mississippi was enforced by federal troops in 1962, is now a professional speaker, writer and civil rights activist.
He will speak on "Journalism and Civil Rights - Past, Present and Future." His 10:30 a.m. lecture will be followed by a noon panel discussion in which local journalists will join Meredith and his wife, Judy, a television reporter and producer. Both events at Hemenway Hall auditorium are open to the public.
School VP allegedly taped Maui kids to tree
WAILUKU - State education officials said they are are investigating an incident that allegedly involved the taping of three boys to a tree at Pukalani Elementary School.Greg Knudsen, a Department of Education spokesman, said Maui District School Superintendent Ralph Murakami plans to meet with the children's parents and a substitute vice principal Thursday.
Knudsen said the details of the incident allegedly involving inappropriate action are still under investigation.
Sing Vista, a parent, asked officials to look into an allegation that a substitute vice principal taped three boys' heads to a tree to stop them from climbing it. Vista said her child was not involved in the alleged incident, which took place Thursday, but is in special education like two of the three boys.
She said she wants the teachers at the school to undergo training about how to modify behavior of special education children so that the incident does not occur again.
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Police/Fire
By Star-Bulletin staffSuspects arrested in connection with stolen checks
Police arrested three suspects at various First Hawaiian Bank branches yesterday on suspicion of trying to cash stolen checks.ip,,,1A man was arrested at the North King Street branch at 1:30 p.m., police said. He was trying to cash a check for $250.
A woman was then arrested about 10 minutes later at the Sand Island branch. She was trying to cash a check for $860. The two suspects had stolen checks from the same victim, police said.
At 5:25 p.m., another man was arrested trying to cash a $700 check at the Waipahu First Hawaiian Bank, police said.
Makawao store robbed at knifepoint
WAILUKU - Maui police are investigating an armed robbery that took place at the Rodeo General Store in Makawao last night.Two men entered the store and one of them held a knife to the neck of a man working thereand demanded money close to 8:43 p.m., Police Lt. Glenn Cuomo said.
The employee broke away and fled the store, leaving the two men to take an undisclosed amount of cash and flee on foot, Cuomo said.
Cuomo said no one was injured in the robbery.
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