Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Tuesday, August 10, 1999

Lots of goods for sandalwood IN the early 1800s, the flourishing sandalwood and fur trades introduced a new way of life to native Hawaiians. They also brought new, foreign goods from China, Europe and the United States. An 1825 letter by British Consul Richard Charlton, for example, lists the variety of items King Kamehameha received for a shipload of sandalwood: "Three paintings on paper; 1 box of Chinese wood, 3 dozen ordinary cotton stockings; 2 crystal lamps; 1 bundle of metal pipes; 6 boxes; 1 bundle of blue stones and white for a gaming table; 1,000 large beads; 10 boxes of silk handkerchiefs; 6 shiny hats for soldiers; 12 black straw hats; 50 silk hats; 6 reels of thread; 50 Chinese cutlasses; 3 pieces of flowered flannel; 6 fishing rods; 100 Chinese mats; 135 lbs. large glass beads; 1 iron hearth; 1 saddle; 3 pieces flowered satin; 3 boxes of sweets; 1 large cloak."

Hilo has driest July ever recorded

Hilo isn't living up to its reputation lately -- at least when it comes to rainfall.

Total rainfall at the Hilo Airport in July was 3.53 inches -- the driest month of July since the rain gauge was set up there in 1942, said Dick Mitsutani of the National Weather Service.

The average July rainfall is 9.71 inches, he said.

However, despite the dry July, Hilo is right on track with its average rainfall for the year -- 75.22 inches through July 31, Mitsutani said.

Environmental criminal gets maximum sentence

John Orsini, 50, received a 41-month prison sentence, and co-defendant Edward Jorgenson, 48, received a 31-month sentence for fraud in the illegal dumping of contaminated industrial waste water.

The two were convicted by a federal jury of 40 fraud counts last December.

Orsini's sentence was the maximum under federal guidelines. Chief U.S. District Judge David Ezra said they had violated the public's trust by illegally discharging contaminated wastes into the environment.

The two owned and operated Industrial Technology, a company set up to treat and dispose of industrial waste water contaminated with oil, diesel fuel and other pollutants.

When the company's treatment plant became unprofitable to operate, the two men shut their plant down and secretly dumped untreated contaminated waste water at night for eight months, according to evidence presented at their trial.

Panamanian ship afire near Midway Island

A fire-ravaged freighter continues to burn with its cargo of caustic soda northeast of Midway Island, while another freighter that picked up the stricken vessel's crew continues onto Japan.

The Lady Bella, of Panamanian registry, caught fire Saturday afternoon about 550 miles from Midway. The cause of the fire is unknown.

The Alicahue arrived on scene at 7 p.m. Saturday and took aboard 13 Lady Bella crew members at 8 p.m. Ten remaining crew members stayed fighting the fire and boarded the Alicahue after abandoning ship at 10 p.m.

A salvage boat hired by Lady Bella owners is on its way to the burning freighter from the West Coast, the Coast Guard said.

Helicopter grounding affects Wheeler airfield

The grounding of the Army's 466 CH-47 Chinook utility helicopters has affected operations at Wheeler Army Airfield, which houses aircraft belonging to the 25th Infantry Division and the Hawaii Army National Guard.

Fourteen Hawaii Army National Guard and eight CH-47 Chinook helicopters were temporarily grounded after a crack was found in a transmission gear of helicopters used by the British Royal Air Force.

The twin-rotor helicopter is the military's medium tactical heavy lift transport.

The Royal Air Force found the cracked gear during an overhaul. The British Ministry of Defense said it has grounded its fleet of Royal Air Force Chinooks also, pending safety checks.

Boeing is working with the Army Aviation Center to see if any of the Army's 466 Chinooks are affected.

Bring cash if you want to buy at police auction

Unclaimed property and evidence is up for auction in the Honolulu Police Department parking lot at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Viewing of the items, including jewelry, cameras and stereo equipment, begins at 8 a.m.

Items will be sold as is, without guarantees or warranties, and may not be returned. Only cash will be accepted, and items must be paid for in full and picked up immediately.

People who think they may own any of this property can view the items between 8 and 9 a.m. and claim them with proper proof of ownership.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers

Beating victim dies; suspect goes to police

A autopsy was to be performed today on Vaovai "Villam" Faateleupu, 20, who suffered severe head injuries in an attack late Friday in Waipa-hu. Faateleupu died yesterday in Queen's Hospital.

Police arrested one of two suspects in the beating that occurred near the Leokane Street 7-Eleven store about 11 p.m. Friday.

An 18-year-old man turned himself in at the Pearl City police station at 6:15 p.m. yesterday. The second suspect is being sought.

Friends have opened a bank account to help the family with funeral expenses. Checks for the memorial fund may be made payable to First Hawaiian Bank, Account No. 05-543622.

Trio with gun invade home, punch victim

Police are searching for three men in connection with a "home invasion" robbery in Kapahulu last night.

The men entered through the front door of a Kihei Place home at 11:30 p.m. while the victim was in his living room, police said. One man, armed with a handgun, instructed the victim to stay still and be quiet. The others, one armed with a crowbar, searched the house and took some items.

The three then forced the man into the bathroom, punched him in the jaw, ordered him not to call the police and ran away.

Two boys hide as store closes, trip an alarm

Police last night arrested two boys who were reportedly hiding inside the Waianae Longs Drug store.

After the Farrington Highway store closed, they began to search for money and set off an alarm at 10:30 p.m., police said. A surveillance tape showed the boys had hidden in the store at closing.

Auto crash in Ewa puts three teens in hospital

Speed and alcohol were factors in an early-morning crash in Ewa which left three teen-age boys hospitalized, police traffic investigators said.

The teens were headed south on Fort Weaver Road when they slammed into three parked cars at 3:29 a.m., police said.

The 16-year-old driver and an 18-year-old passenger were airlifted to Queen's Hospital in critical condition, police said. The two have since been upgraded to guarded condition. Another 16-year-old was taken to St. Francis Hospital, where he remains in good condition.