Honolulu Star-Bulletin News /2004/12/07/

Kudos from the vice president

Cheney visits Schofield Barracks
troops in Afghanistan

PHOTO COURTESY U.S. ARMY
In Afghanistan today, Vice President Dick Cheney pinned a medal on Spc. Samantha Rankin of the 25th Infantry Division (Light) and Headquarters Company from Schofield Barracks as Lt. Gen. David Barno, at Cheney's right, looks on. Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld visited 25th Infantry Division soldiers at Bagram Air Field before attending the inauguration of Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul. They also had breakfast with the troops. Cheney re-enlisted 26 soldiers from Hawaii in a ceremony following breakfast.

Vesper faces more charges by police

Police charged a man suspected of running over a police officer last week with crimes in connection with a separate incident in Kapalama on Nov. 20.

Daniel Vesper III was charged last weekend with criminal property damage and auto theft relating to the incident at Robello Lane.

According to a police affidavit, Vesper used a stolen car to repeatedly ram a gate and a van to escape from an apartment building parking lot after he was suspected of having a stolen bicycle in the car trunk.

He is being held in lieu of $106,000 bail.

City prosecutors are also expected to charge Vesper with first-degree attempted murder after he allegedly ran over an undercover officer Thursday.

Police launched a manhunt for Vesper on Thursday night and caught him Friday in Kalihi as he was hiding behind an Umi Street apartment building.

Box jellyfish invade Kuhio Beach

A box jellyfish warning was issued after an estimated 600 jellyfish were found in Kuhio Beach yesterday morning.

Signs were posted at the beach to warn beachgoers of jellyfish.

Other beaches that might be affected include Hanauma Bay, Pokai Bay, Makaha and Waimea Bay. Occasional sightings and stings have previously occurred at other North and West Shore beaches.

Those stung by a box jellyfish are advised to flush the sting area with copious amounts of white vinegar. Anyone experiencing breathing difficulty, muscle cramps/spasms or persistent pain is advised to seek medical attention.

For more information, call the Ocean Safety Division at 922-3888, ext. 51.

Snake found amongst Christmas trees

A Kailua Daiei store worker discovered a 13-inch snake while offloading Christmas trees from a shipping container this weekend.

Agricultural officials said the animal was a nonvenomous type of garter snake, with red stripes running laterally on its body. The container of trees was shipped from a company in Beaver Creek, Ore.

Anyone who encounters snakes or other illegal animals should call the Hawaii Department of Agriculture Pest Hotline at 586-PEST (7378).

[ TAKING NOTICE ]

» The Fun Factory has donated $20,000 to the Fun Factory/University of Hawaii Scholarship program, which awards outstanding high school graduates $1,000 each and one-year tuition waivers; and $5,000 to the Fun Factory Second Year Scholarship Program, which gives five of the previous scholarship winners an additional $1,000.

This year's recipients are Grace Asperin of Pearl City High School; Cecily Ballio of Honokaa High School; Lysa Berney and Dayna Koshino of Kalani High School; Kevin Cheong of Roosevelt High School; Kendyll Doi of Kaimuki High School; Aileen Duran of Farrington High School; Sheena Fuertes of Radford High School; Christy Gilman of Kailua High School; Richelle Hirata of Kaiser High School; Andrew Igarashi of Aiea High School; Toy Lim, Alisa Wong and Dayna Wong of Mililani High School; Cherri Marinas of Maui High School; Kimberly Mulanix of Kohala High School; Whitney Planas of Kapaa High School; Sharmaine Saguibo of Waialua High School; Jennifer Tadina of Education Laboratory; and Sherry Takenishi of Moanalua High School.

The second-year scholarships went to Alisa Amain and Melanie Li of Moanalua High, Suzannah Mills of Baldwin High School, Tristan Nino Sotto of Waipahu High School and Sherilyn Tong of Pearl City High School.

Police, Fire, Courts

By Star-Bulletin staff

HONOLULU

Crew of sunken boat is headed to Honolulu

Five crewmen who abandoned their sinking fishing boat should be arriving in Honolulu today or tomorrow.

The Coast Guard located the Red Diamond 230 miles southwest of Kauai on Sunday.

A C-130 Hercules aircraft was dispatched at about 2:30 p.m. after the Coast Guard picked up an emergency position-indicating radio beacon signal.

The plane's crew deployed two dewatering pumps, but the boat was taking on too much water, said Coast Guard spokeswoman Petty Officer Brooksann Anderson.

The crew was picked up by another fishing vessel, the Captain Diamond.

Task Force catches Top 10 Hawaii fugitive

The Hawaii Fugitive Task Force nabbed a career criminal named one of the top 10 fugitives wanted by U.S. marshals in Hawaii.

Daniel Pahia, wanted for federal drug violations, was arrested Sunday afternoon at the Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children by task force members and police.

Task force members have been tracking Pahia since September.

He was arrested without incident.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Big Island blaze mistaken for eruption

HILO » Twenty-four federal firefighters from California are due to arrive today to assist with a brush fire that has burned more than a square mile of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park since Sunday night, ranger Mardie Lane said.

The fire in a remote area southwest of Kilauea Crater on the Big Island was originally mistaken for an eruption, although that area has not experienced an eruption since 1974.

Rangers described seeing an "orange wall of light and smoke" at about 8 p.m. Sunday, but the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's instruments showed no signs of an eruption.

The cause was unknown.