Judge King to let Ezra preside on Felix motion
A federal judge has denied a motion to disqualify U.S. District Judge David Ezra from presiding over another motion filed by a state House-Senate Investigative committee into the Felix consent decree.District Judge Sam King ruled this morning that Ezra has not demonstrated that he would be unfair in hearing a motion from the committee. The committee is asking Ezra to reconsider his earlier ruling quashing its subpoena of Judith A. Schrag, the former special-education director with the U.S. Department of Education.
The committee sought Ezra's disqualification because its members do not believe that he can be unbiased, based on comments he made while presiding over the Felix consent decree lawsuit.
"It wasn't necessarily a major surprise," said Sen. Colleen Hanabusa, co-chairwoman of the committee, after King's ruling.
Study on public colleges sparks tuition criticism
A new study being released today on the skyrocketing cost of higher education says there are only five states -- including Hawaii -- where all the four-year public colleges are affordable for low-income students, and in many of those, the students still need to borrow money to get by.In a third of all states, low-income students need loans even to attend some two-year community colleges, the study found.
The findings of the year-old Lumina Foundation for Education have sparked sharp criticism from higher-education groups.
The foundation rated nearly 3,000 colleges and universities, and said that while at least half the public four-year schools in 40 states are financially manageable for median-income students, those students often need loans.
Only in Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Kentucky and Wyoming are all four-year public colleges affordable for low-income people, it said.
Critics complained that the study flies in the face of reality: 15 million people from all income levels attend college at two- and four-year schools.
They also charged that the study risks discouraging those who might benefit most from a college degree.
Lumina's vice president for research, Jerry Davis, said the study focuses on the hardships imposed by paying for college.
Big Island business enterprise zones grow
Five of the Big Island's six enterprise zones are expanding, allowing more businesses to participate in the program designed to provide tax benefits and promote job creation.Eligible businesses in the expanded Kona I, Kona II, Hilo-Puna, Hamakua and North Kohala enterprise zones may now join, following the governor's approval of the expansion.
The enterprise zone in Kona includes the area between the Haleohiu Ahupuaa boundary to the Kaapuna Ahupuaa boundary. Kalapana is now part of the Hilo-Puna Enterprise Zone; and the area from the Wailuku River to the Kaawalii Stream is now part of the Hamakua zone. The North Kohala zone consists of Census Tract 219, except forest reserves.
The enterprise zone program is to stimulate business activity, preserve jobs and create jobs in areas with low-income residents or high unemployment rates.
Businesses that satisfy requirements qualify for state tax benefits, including exemption from general excise and use taxes for seven years and an 80 percent reduction of state income tax and annual unemployment insurance premiums for the first year, decreasing by 10 percent a year for six years.
Eligible businesses also receive a three-year exemption from increases in property taxes resulting from new construction. Contractors working for an enterprise zone-enrolled firm are exempt from general excise tax on revenues from that work.
3 isle schools advance to national Japan Bowl
Teams from Kamehameha Schools, Iolani and Punahou will represent Hawaii on March 30 in the National Japan Bowl Japanese Language Competition in Washington, D.C.The Japan-America Society of Hawaii held its fifth annual statewide competition Nov. 18 at the Sheraton-Waikiki Hotel.
The contest boasted an unprecedented 36 teams representing 25 public and private high schools, including eight schools from the neighbor islands.
Teams of three students were tested on topics that included arts and culture, daily life and society, economics, politics, geography, history, transportation, sports, language, values, beliefs and religion.
The winning teams will receive a five-day trip to Washington, D.C.
The society is a nonprofit organization whose mission is promoting understanding and friendships between people of Japan and the United States through the unique perspective of Hawaii.
It presents about 50 educational programs each year for its membership and the community.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Managing Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at fbridgewater@starbulletin.com. Corrections and clarifications
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHonolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
HONOLULU
Vandal fires beer bottles at Kalihi police station
A person damaged two windows in the Kalihi police station early yesterday morning by throwing beer bottles.Police said the suspect threw three Budweiser beer bottles in rapid succession at a plate glass window, shattering it, and another shattered a glass panel of a door.
The incident occurred about 12:41 a.m. yesterday.
At the time, police thought shots were being fired through the windows.
The windows were boarded up this morning.
Young Street Lounge reports armed robbery
Two men armed with handguns robbed the Young Street Lounge at Young and Piikoi streets early yesterday morning, police said.The bar owner reported to police that the two men came into her lounge at about 1:20 a.m. and demanded money from the register.
One suspect is described as 5 feet 10 inches tall with a medium build. The other suspect is described as 6 feet 2 inches tall, weighing 220 pounds.
Both suspects fled on foot. No one was injured.
Keeaumoku lot attendant is robbed at gunpoint
A parking lot attendant was robbed at gunpoint on Keeaumoku Street on Saturday night.Two male suspects approached the 51-year-old attendant for a Keeaumoku Street lot near Liona Street and demanded money.
The suspects robbed the man and fled on foot, police said. No one was injured. The case is pending investigation.
Downtown man arrested in domestic abuse, threat
A 42-year-old man was arrested Saturday after he punched his wife, 36, and threatened her female friend at their downtown home, police said.The couple and the friend were arguing when the suspect punched his wife and threatened bodily injury to her friend. The suspect left the Beretania Street home, damaging the gate to the complex.
Clothes switch prompts knife threat at Ala Moana
A 22-year-old man confronted an unknown 20-year-old man who allegedly was wearing the older man's clothes at Ala Moana Center on Saturday afternoon.Two male security guards, 33 and 51, intervened and notified police.
The 20-year-old pulled out a knife and waved it at the security guards and the man who accused him.
The suspect dropped the knife after a guard ordered him to. Police arrested him on three counts of terroristic threatening.
The case is pending investigation.
WAIKIKI
Diamond Head walker escapes near-kidnapping
Police are looking for a man who allegedly tried on Saturday evening to kidnap a 23-year-old Waikiki woman along Diamond Head Road.The woman was walking along the 3600 block of Diamond Head Road at about 6:30 p.m. when the man struck up a conversation with her at one of the lookouts, police said.
The woman continued on her walk, and the suspect drove up in a small, white, foreign four-door vehicle, police said.
The suspect grabbed her from behind, and after a struggle, she escaped.
The suspect then drove away.
He is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall, 200 pounds, with a stocky build and a slight mustache.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Fire officials say arsonist set Kona hotel fire
KAILUA-KONA >> Big Island fire officials believe an arsonist was responsible for a blaze in the Kona Lagoon Hotel, which has been vacant since 1988.Firefighters called to the hotel late Saturday night found the 3,000-square-foot ground-floor dining room engulfed in flames. As firefighters battled the blaze, a search team went through the vacant building, but no one was found.
Officials said it took about 90 minutes to extinguish the fire, which caused $30,000 damage. There were no reports of injuries.
The hotel is owned by Kamehameha Schools.
