Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Monday, August 31, 1998

'Titanic' video seen
as a blockbuster

By Gregg K. Kakesako. Star-Bulletin

Move over, "Lion King."

"Titanic," the winner of 11 Academy Awards, is expected to outsell the Disney film when it hits the racks at midnight tonight.

Two stores -- Tower Records and Blockbuster Video -- plan to extend their normal store hours to accommodate what they hope will be large crowds.

Jeff Martin, regional director of Blockbuster Video, said that 18 of his outlets islandwide have presold 700 copies, topping the sale of "Lion King" three years ago.

All of Blockbuster's 14 Oahu outlets will be open until 2 a.m. for this special promotion, Martin said.

"Each store will have 220 copies for rent," he added.

Martin said Blockbuster will continue its promotion after tomorrow, which cuts the cost of the movie from $24.95 to $19.95. The company also will offer a free movie poster featuring stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet while supplies last.

Michele Moore, Tower Records video sales manager in Aiea, said all three Tower outlets -- Aiea, Keeaumoku and Kahala Mall -- will remain open beyond their normal midnight closing time "until the crowd dies down."

At least 1,000 copies of the video at $19.99 will be available at the Aiea store, Moore said. In addition, Tower will be giving out free classical CDs, key chains and movie posters with each purchase.

Nationwide, 20 million copies of "Titanic" will go on sale tonight.

Texas facility holds all
male isle inmates

By Gregg K. Kakesako, Star-Bulletin

The state has consolidated all of its male inmates at one Texas facility following a move last week.

Ted Sakai, Department of Public Safety spokesman, said 95 Hawaii male inmates on Wednesday were transferred from the Dickens County Correctional Facility in Spur, located 93 miles east of Lubbock, across Texas to Newton County Fillyaw Correctional Center near the Louisiana border.

That means the Hawaii inmate count at Newton, 96 miles north of Beaumont, Texas, is now 460 in a facility that can house 872 inmates.

Over the past 10 days, 72 inmates were moved from Newton to the Mansfield Law Enforcement Center. As of today, Hawaii's out-of-state prison picture looks like this:

460 male inmates are being held at Newton County Correctional Center.

72 male inmates are housed at the 240-bed Mansfield Law Enforcement Center.

180 male inmates were sent to the 1,440-bed North Folk Correctional Facility in Sayre, Okla.

128 male inmates were transferred from Halawa Correctional Facility here to the 2,016-bed Hardeman County Correctional Center in Whiteville, Tenn.

64 female inmates were moved from the Crystal City Community Correctional Center to Central Oklahoma Correctional Facility in McLoud, Okla..

Sakai said the state still plans to move another 300 inmates later this year.

Man arrested in sister's fatal stabbing

Police arrested a 25-year-old man for questioning about in stabbing death of his older sister in Makaha.

The woman, 30, reportedly ran out of her house at 85-1337 Kaneaki St. and was yelling for help at about 6:45 p.m. last night.

The woman was taken to the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, where she was pronounced dead at 7:50 p.m.

The man, arrested at the home at 7:20 p.m., was booked on a charge of second-degree murder.

Island GOP gives full support to Ward

Hawaii's Republican Party today affirmed its support for Gene Ward (R, Hahaione Valley) for Congress, less than a week after GOP challenger Quentin Kawananakoa resigned from the congressional race for Hawaii's First District.

Kawananakoa dropped out because of illness.

Party Chairwoman Donna Alcantara said Hawaii's GOP fully supports Ward in his race. Ward, flanked by a dozen Republican candidates and lawmakers, said he can help improve Hawaii's ailing economy.

Three Navy ships begin Persian Gulf service

Three Pearl Harbor destroyers and nearly 1,000 sailors left Hawaii this morning for six months on a deployment that will take them through the Western Pacific and the Persian Gulf.

The deployment of the USS Fletcher, USS Paul Hamilton and USS Hopper has been planned for a year and is not in response to any recent crisis, the Navy said.

CORRECTION First Hawaiian Inc.'s shares would be trading at twice book value if they reached $50 a share, the price a mainland analyst says they are worth. Current trading is well below that. A Hawaii Inc. story Friday had incorrect information.

See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

Man killed, another hurt in motorcycle crash

A 22-year-old Manoa man was killed yesterday in a motorcycle crash on Makiki Street near Oneele Street.

Police investigators are looking at speed and alcohol as contributing factors for the 8:30 a.m. crash. A passenger, a 21-year-old man, was not seriously injured.

In other news . . .

Police yesterday recaptured and charged a 49-year-old homeless man for an Aug. 21 burglary/

arson downtown.

Daniel Lopez Cuevas was charged with two counts of second-degree burglary and first-degree criminal property damage.

Cuevas is being held in lieu of $30,000 bail.

Police suspect he may have also been involved in last Friday's burglary/arson at the state Department of Health building.

A 16-year-old girl was arrested Saturday for allegedly hiding a handgun that was used in an Aug. 9 drive-by shooting in McCully.

Three people were injured in a collision last night between a car and a moped at Waialae and Palolo avenues.

WAILUKU -- Police and fire officials are investigating the cause of a fire at a police substation in Kihei on Saturday, the same substation that had a similar fire several months ago.

Assistant Fire Chief Richard Fernandez said the fire occurred outside a bathroom window.

See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
See our [Search] [Info] section for subscription information.