Newswatch
Star-Bulletin staff and wire
Year of the Monkey stamps on sale today
The Year of the Monkey is portrayed on the last in a popular series of Lunar New Year stamps designed by Honolulu designer Clarence Lee for the U.S. Postal Service.The postal service issued the stamp yesterday in San Francisco and will sell it starting today in Honolulu.
Since 1992, Lee has designed the Lunar New Year stamp: years of the Rooster, Dog, Boar, Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse and Ram.
The Lunar New Year, popularly known as Chinese New Year, is Jan. 22.
Hawaii County extends life span of Hilo landfill
HILO >> The Hilo landfill, scheduled to be closed last month after 30 years of service, is good for another two to three years and maybe longer, the Hawaii County Department of Environmental Management announced yesterday.That's good news for West Hawaii, where the county's Puuanahulu Landfill would otherwise have been forced to accept more than 70,000 tons of trash per year trucked from Hilo.
That was a possibility "desired by no one," the county said.
Closure of the landfill has been a moving target, initially set for 1994, then extended numerous times.
Recycling and better management of space are the reasons for the current estimate of the extension of the landfill's life span, the county said.
For the future, the county is working on possible incineration, anaerobic digestion, or thermal gassification of wastes to further reduce solid waste.
Med-Quest application process simplifies
The state Department of Human Services is working with Hawaii Covering Kids to simplify the Med-Quest application process for uninsured children and pregnant women.State officials said the new application will help get 6,000 additional children into the state medical assistance programs and expedite enrollment of pregnant women.
The application:
>> Eliminates the requirement to provide information about absent parents.Officials also said Med-Quest now accepts self-declarations of pregnancy, eliminating the need for women to submit medical verification that showed down enrollment.
>> Eliminates questions not pertaining to children and pregnant women.
>> Includes a request for bilingual and sign interpreter services.
>> Provides details on early and periodic screening, diagnosis and treatment.
>> Includes a question-and-answer handout.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffCENTRAL OAHU
Victim in fatal cycle crash is identified
The 25th Infantry Division soldier who was killed when his motorcycle hit a wall in Royal Kunia on Sunday has been identified as Sgt. Chad Park, 26, from Missoula, Mont.He was pronounced dead at the scene and was supposed to deploy to Afghanistan in March.
The other soldier on the bike, Pfc. Jacob Shamblin, 19, of Grandby, Mo., is still hospitalized at the Queen's Medical Center.
The accident occurred at 12:45 a.m. on Anonui Street.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Maui cottage suffers $65,000 in fire damage
WAILUKU >> A fire caused an estimated $65,000 in damages to a cottage and its contents on Maui yesterday.Acting Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Shaffer said firefighters extinguished the blaze about 25 minutes after receiving the alarm at 8:18 a.m. and contained the fire to one of the two bedrooms in the cottage at 1264B West Kuiaha Road in Haiku.
Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
