The state began a two-day aerial hunt to kill sheep on the slopes of Mauna Kea yesterday. Feral sheep killed
to save palila birdThe action was under a 1987 federal court order for complete and permanent removal of all mouflon and hybrid sheep to stop the unlawful "taking" and historic decline of the native palila forest bird.
The bird is an endangered species found only on Mauna Kea.
Sheep and other feral animals have historically caused damage to native forest areas considered to be critical habitat for the palila's survival, said the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
The ruling stemmed from a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund, now known as Earth Justice Legal Defense Fund.
Michael Wilson, department director, said that while control of feral sheep and goats are necessary to protect the palila, their total eradication from Mauna Kea may not be needed.
The department is collecting data on vegetation recovery on Mauna Kea as a result of its sheep control efforts and will prepare a case to ask the court to reconsider its total eradication order, Wilson said.
The hunt took place in the Mauna Kea Forest Reserve, Ka'ohe Game Management area and the Mauna Kea Science Reserve and was conducted by a private contractor with more than five years experience in aerial shooting of sheep on Mauna Kea, the department said.
Public recreational hunting in the past three years has not been successful in adequately controlling animal numbers, said Michael Buck, state forestry and wildlife administrator.
'Drug courts' have 73 Hawaii graduates so far
Hawaii's Drug Court program has had 270 clients and 74 graduates since it began in January 1996.Of the 74, nine were arrested on new charges, said Darin Kawazoe, program coordinator.
He said 60 people out of the total 270 were dropped from the program for various non-compliance reasons, such as missed appointments, too many positive urine samples or failure at treatment attempts.
The original prison sentence then was imposed.
Five clients ran away, he said.
All others are still in the program, which generally takes 14 to 18 months, he said.
The program not only is effective but cost-efficient at approximately $14 per person daily, he said.
Royal Guard to join King Kalakaua fete
The Royal Guard will appear for its annual inspection Monday at Iolani Palace as part of the 162nd anniversary of the birth of King David Kalakaua.The guardsmen will march to the palace steps at noon carrying the royal standard of King Kalakaua. They will present arms and stand for inspection by members of the Kawananakoa family, along with Maj. Gen. Edward Richardson of the Hawaii Air National Guard. The guardsmen will be posted at the four major palace gates until 3 p.m.
Ceremonies tomorrow will mark Veterans Day
The National Cemetery of the Pacific and the drive to further recognize the heroism of Hawaii's Japanese-American World War II soldiers will be featured tomorrow morning on ABC's "Good Morning America."The Army currently is in the process of determining whether any of the 52 Japanese Americans who fought with the 100th Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat and who earned the Distinguished Service Cross in Europe should be awarded the Medal of Honor.
Punchbowl also will be the site of the annual Veterans Day observance which will feature Assistant Secretary of Defense Robert Jones and Maj. Gen. Edward Richardson, state adjutant general, as keynote speakers.
The Punchbowl observance will begin at 10 a.m. tomorrow and feature a 21-gun salute by an artillery battery from the 25th Division and flyby performed by the Hawaii Air National Guard.
H. David Burge, the new director of the Veterans Affairs medical and regional office, will be the guest speaker tomorrow at the governor's annual Veterans Day ceremony at the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery in Kaneohe.
The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. and will include a 21-gun salute.
At Pearl Harbor, Capt. Tom Mader, deputy chief of staff for operations and plans at Submarine Forces Pacific, will be the guest speaker at an 11 a.m. Veteran's Day ceremony.
The ceremony at the sub base will include a "roll call" and the tolling of a bell for each of the 52 submarines lost in World War II.
Oliver North to speak on radio, at UH campus
Retired Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North, radio talk show host and central figure in the Iran-Contra scandal, will be a guest on KHVH Radio, 830 AM, from 6 to 9 a.m. Thursday."Political and Economic Outlook from a Local and National Perspective" will be the radio topic, with questions and answers to follow.
North also will speak at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, at Campus Center Ballroom at the University of Hawaii, sponsored by Young America's Foundation, Small Business Hawaii and College and Young Republicans.
Iran-Contra involved sales of U.S. weapons to Iran and use of profits to help Nicaraguan rebels.
The secret arms sales were chiefly designed to win freedom of Americans held hostage by Lebanese terrorists friendly to Iran.
The United States officially had a policy that prohibited sale of weapons to Iran. Transfer of funds to the Contras took place in the mid-1980s. Congress had banned military aid to the Contras.
North, a National Security Council aide, was involved in the undercover operation.
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Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staff17-year-old charged in Wahiawa murder case
Police charged a 17-year-old boy yesterday in connection with the murder of Chance Paris.Paris, 31, was stabbed in Wahiawa during a fight on Nov. 1.
The boy was charged with second-degree murder, which is the second in the case.
James Russell, 24, was charged with second-degree murder last week.
He is being held on $100,000 bail.
Another man arrested in city relocation scam
A 55-year-old Nuuanu man was arrested yesterday in connection with theft of funds from the city in the TheBus project.According to police reports, the man allegedly received $8,000 from the city for the relocation of a business.
The man was an associate of two fictitious companies that received more than $300,000 through fraudulent billings to the city from 1991 to 1992.
The man was booked for first-degree theft and money laundering and released pending further investigation.
He had seven prior arrests on his record.
He is the 29th person to be arrested in connection with misuse of funds in three city projects. Most were connected to the Ewa Villages Revitalization Project.
Crash closes portion of highway in Heeia
A car that knocked down three utility poles this morning closed a portion of Kamehameha Highway in Heeia.At about 1 a.m., the car slammed into one pole, which knocked over two others adjacent to King Intermediate School, police said.
The man driving the car was taken to Castle Hospital, but was not seriously injured.
Kamehameha Highway between Ipuka Street and Ahui Nani Place was closed, and this morning.
Traffic was diverted to the Kahekili Highway.
The accident knocked out power to 2,800 homes this morning, said Hawaiian Electric Co. spokesman Fred Kobashikawa. In 45 minutes, power was restored to all but 80 homes in a subdivision fronting the accident.
King Intermediate officials said the school did not lose power. However, many students and faculty were late because of the traffic problems in the morning.
Would-be bank robber sought by authorities
The FBI is looking for a man who attempted to rob the Makiki branch of First Hawaiian Bank at 1111 S. Beretania St. yesterday morning.The man presented a teller with a demand note but fled without taking any money, investigators said.
The suspect is described as in his early to mid 20s, 5 feet 6 inches tall, with wavy, neck-length, dirty blond hair. Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI or CrimeStoppers at 955-8300.
Police honor 3 for help in wallet snatching
Police Chief Lee Donohue presented a certificate of merit to Stephen Izumi and Jaymar Manahan for their part in catching two purse snatching suspects and a letter of appreciation to Karen Izumi for assisting the victim in the case.A 73-year-old woman was walking with a cane and carrying her wallet and groceries on North Kuakini Street near Liliha Street on Aug. 18 at about 5 p.m., police said.
Two boys ran up to her from behind and grabbed her wallet.
Izumi came to the woman's aid and called for help.
Her son Stephen heard the cries for help and chased the boys on foot.
He caught one and held him until police arrived.
About three hours later, Jaymar Manahan saw a suspicious looking person in the yard of a friend.
He asked the suspect who he was and what he was doing there, and detained him until police arrived.Police were able to locate and recover the victim's wallet with her money and personal items intact.
In other news...
Police arrested a 32-year-old man for allegedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl.
The girl reported that the suspect, whom she knows, took her to his Kukui Street apartment and sexually assaulted her on Oct. 30, police said. The man was booked for first-degree sexual assault.
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