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Police, Fire, Courts

By Star-Bulletin Staff

BOE adopts standards for reading and math

The Board of Education on Friday defined achievement levels to determine when public school students reach proficiency in the reading and math portions of the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards.

The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires states to define initial and challenging levels within their own performance standards that relate to proficiency.

Starting from the initial levels, schools are to embark upon a program ending with all students demonstrating mastery of basic reading and math skills by the 2013-14 school year.

The board accepted a scale for each tested grade level that defines if a student's achievement is "below," "approaches," "meets" or "exceeds" proficiency.

"With these proficiency levels, Hawaii has set the academic achievement bar at a challenging height," schools Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto said.

"Any lower standard would be a disservice to our students and would not be worthy of our capacity to improve.

"Through continued and consistent implementation of the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards, I am confident that no child will be left behind."

Haleakala Park plans to replace restrooms

MAKAWAO, Maui >> Haleakala National Park on Maui is using a portion of its visitor entrance fees to fund the replacement of public restrooms and waste-water treatment system.

The park, which attacks more than 1 million visitors a year, retains 80 percent of its entrance fee revenue to pay for improvement projects.

The existing comfort station will be retrofitted inside for use as a men's room, while its roof and windows are replaced, park spokeswoman Jennifer Talken-Spaulding said.

A new structure will be built to house a women's room and a utility room, she said.

Portable toilets will be temporarily installed in the Haleakala Visitor Center parking lot and the summit parking lot.

The new treatment system will enable treated waste water to be recycled for use as toilet flush water, dramatically improving water conservation in the alpine summit area, Talken-Spaulding said.

The six-month project was set to begin this week.

Navy carrier will repair fire damage at sea

The aircraft carrier USS Constellation will not have to stop at Pearl Harbor for repairs to a machinery room damaged on Friday by a fire.

Petty Officer Jessica Davis, Navy spokeswoman, said yesterday that "the repairs will be done at sea."

Friday's fire was caused by fuel oil leak in one of the four main machinery rooms aboard the carrier.

Constellation firefighting and damage control teams put out the fire in a little more than an hour.

Davis said a few firefighters suffered "heat stress," but there were no injuries.

The Constellation was located 58 miles off the islands when the fire occurred. The 41-year-old carrier left San Diego on Nov. 2 on its last six-month deployment to the North Arabian Sea. It is supposed to relieve the USS Lincoln battle group and will be decommissioned next year.

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Corrections and clarifications 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.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers

HONOLULU

Boyfriend arrested in alleged sex assault

A 40-year-old Honolulu man was arrested Saturday after he allegedly sexually assaulted his girlfriend.

Police said the suspect wanted to have sex with the victim, but she refused. The suspect became angry and allegedly raped her at about 2 a.m. Saturday morning, police said.

The 47-year-old victim notified police, and the man was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault in the first degree and kidnapping.

Police said the victim was taken to Kapiolani Medical Center for an examination.

Taxicab driver robbed at gunpoint in Kalihi

Police are looking for a suspect who allegedly robbed a taxicab driver at gunpoint Saturday in Kalihi.

Police said the suspect caught a taxi in Kalihi around 1:45 a.m. when he allegedly robbed cash from the taxicab driver along Auiki Street.

Police described the suspect as a man between 30 and 40 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 200 pounds.

He was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt at the time of the robbery. Police said it is unknown what type of handgun was used.