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UH law school rates high for minorities

The University of Hawaii at Manoa's William S. Richardson School of Law has the "best environment for minority students" and the "most diverse faculty," according to the Princeton Review's 2005 "Best Law School" rankings.

The rankings are based on student surveys and statistics reported by law school administrators.

The "best environment for minority students" category was determined by whether students thought they received equal treatment by faculty and fellow students regardless of their ethnicity. The "most diverse faculty" was based on the percentage of minority law school faculty and the students' views of whether the faculty comprised a broadly diverse group of individuals.

For more information about the Princeton Review's 2005 "Best Law School" rankings, visit www.princetonreview.com/law.

Councilmembers take oath on Maui today

WAILUKU » Maui County Councilmembers were to be sworn into office today.

Judge Shackley Raffetto is expected to administer the oath of office to Councilmembers Michelle Anderson, Robert Carroll, G. Riki Hokama, Jo Anne Johnson, Dain P. Kane, Danny A. Mateo, Michael J. Molina, Joseph Pontanilla and Charmaine Tavares.

Senators investigate costly Maui housing

WAILUKU » A state Senate group is holding a meeting on Maui tomorrow to review the lack of affordable housing on the Valley Isle.

The meeting of the Senate Affordable Housing Task Force begins at 6 p.m. in the Maui Economic Opportunity Conference Room 1 at 99 Mahalani St. in Wailuku.

"We hope to come away from these community meetings with concrete ideas to help us create near-term solutions to ease our affordable-housing shortage," said state Sen. Rosalyn Baker (D, West Maui-South Maui).

Big Isle charities get $82,365 in U.S. grants

HILO » Charitable agencies in Hawaii County will receive $82,365 in federal funds for food and shelter programs, said Helen Hemmes, convener of the Local Board, which oversees the money.

Hawaii County agencies received the money based on a formula involving the county's unemployment rate and number of people below the poverty level, said Hemmes, who is also the executive for the Hawaii Island United Way.

A separate amount of $223,108 was granted to Honolulu, Maui and Kauai counties which they must divide among themselves, Hemmes said.

New HMSA program promotes healthy diet

The Hawaii Medical Service Association is launching a healthy-eating program called "Mission: Nutrition," aimed to help people improve their diet.

The program features information participants can use to make simple changes to their eating habits, including learning about serving sizes, calculating personal caloric needs and making healthy lifestyle choices.

The program is open to the public and has three sessions. It starts this month and is also offered on the neighbor islands.

HMSA members can attend at no cost. If space permits, nonmembers can attend for $35. Registration is required. For more information, call 948-6398. Neighbor island residents should call the nearest HMSA branch to sign up.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

HONOLULU
Human remains found near Likelike Highway

Pig hunters found a set of human remains yesterday afternoon in a wooded area off Likelike Highway, police said.

The remains were found at 1 p.m. about a mile from the Wilson Tunnel in a heavily wooded area.

They are believed to be those of a woman.

Police declined to speculate on how long the remains might have been in the area or whether there were any bodily injuries visible.

The medical examiner's office will perform an autopsy this week to determine a cause of death. At this point, homicide detectives have not gotten involved in the case.

Injured Marine might have been intoxicated

A 19-year-old Kaneohe Marine was critically injured Saturday when he was struck by a car as he crossed at the intersection of Kapiolani Boulevard and Atkinson Drive.

Traffic investigators said the pedestrian was walking outside the crosswalk when he crossed Kapiolani from makai to mauka.

Police said alcohol on the part of the pedestrian might have played a role in the accident.

Police said speed and alcohol were not factors on the part of the 28-year-old man driving a tan 1987 Nissan Maxima.

Man critically injured while crossing Ward

Police arrested a 40-year-old Pearl City man early Sunday morning for suspicion of driving under the influence of an intoxicant and failure to render aid after he allegedly struck a pedestrian in Kakaako.

Police said the driver of a white pickup truck hit a 33-year-old man crossing Ward Avenue at 2 a.m. yesterday.

The pedestrian, who was not in a marked crosswalk, was taken to the Queen's Medical Center in critical condition with severe head and internal injuries, police said.

An all-points bulletin was broadcast, and an officer stopped a truck matching the description of the suspect vehicle at South Beretania and Lauhala streets near police headquarters.

Police said drugs were a possible factor in the accident.

NORTH SHORE
Robbery suspect caught using stolen cash

A 48-year-old man was arrested Thursday on the North Shore while trying to buy a change of clothes with stolen cash from a bank he had allegedly robbed earlier that day, according to police.

The suspect was arrested inside a surf shop attempting to buy a T-shirt, police said. Earlier, according to police, the man, armed with a handgun, robbed the American Savings Bank in Wahiawa at 11:13 a.m.

Police said the suspect fled in a black Kia sport utility vehicle, which was later discovered in Waialua. Witnesses told police they saw the suspect head toward Haleiwa town, where he was identified and arrested for suspicion of first-degree robbery.

MAUI
Body found by hiker was shot in the head

The autopsy of an unidentified man found New Year's Day off a hiking trail on Maui revealed he had been shot multiple times in the head.

A hiker notified police after discovering the body, which was plainly visible from the trail, at about 1 p.m.

The body was found 100 yards makai of mile marker 16 in the Kahakuloa area between Lahaina and Wailuku.

Maui police Lt. Glenn Cuomo said the victim appeared to be an African-American man in his 30s, 6 feet 1 inch tall, 180 pounds, wearing brown shoes double-laced with red and brown shoestrings, denim shorts and a white T-shirt with the logo "Bruce Bosley Memorial Golf Classic" on the back and "NFL Alumni Helping Maui's Kids" on the front.

Police are asking for help from the public in identifying the body. Anyone with information is asked to call Cuomo at 244-6427 or Maui CrimeStoppers at 246-6966.