|
Newswatch
Star-Bulletin staff and wire
|
Fishers must report catch or lose license
The state agency that issues commercial fishing licenses is putting teeth into its requirement that fishers report how much they catch.
Beginning March 1, the Department of Land and Natural Resources will deny renewals of commercial fishing licenses for fishers who do not comply with its existing fish catch report requirement.
"More than half of the 3,030 commercial fishers licensed by DLNR are behind in their reporting by at least two months," DLNR Director Peter Young said in a press release. Another 216 commercial fishers are at least 10 months behind in their reporting.
Without accurate data on how many, where and what kind of fish are caught, the state has difficulty managing fish stocks. Currently, both bigeye and yellowfin tuna stocks are being evaluated by state and federal fisheries managers for overfishing and may require additional regulations.
By law, commercial fishers are required to submit detailed monthly reports of their catch. Voluntary compliance has been urged and refusing to renew licenses "is the department's last course of action," Young said.
Without a valid commercial fishing license, fishers will not be able to sell their catch. Commercial fish dealers are also prohibited from purchasing fish from unlicensed fishers.
"We are taking these steps to have fishers take responsibility for reporting, so we may have needed information to better manage our precious resources," Young said.
Magnitude 3.3 quake rattles Big Island
HILO » A Big Island earthquake measuring magnitude 3.3 between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa was felt in Waimea, Waikoloa, and at Pohakuloa Training Area yesterday, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.
There was no damage reported.
The 9:58 a.m. quake occurred 14 miles below ground and about five miles north-northwest of the PTA Base Camp.
The location and great depth meant it was not associated with volcanic activity, said observatory head Jim Kauahikaua. It was the largest Big Island quake in about two weeks, he said.
HECO works to repair 4 Waikiki utility poles
Hawaiian Electric Co. crews were working last night to replace two downed utility poles and repair or replace two others in Waikiki.
Police shut Liliuokalani Avenue between Prince Edward Street and Ala Wai Boulevard while crews worked on restoring power.
About 860 customers lost power. By noon, the electricity was restored to 450 customers, leaving 410 without power, HECO spokesman Jose Dizon said.
Power was expected to be restored to the remaining customers late last night, Dizon said.
At about 10 a.m. yesterday, a utility pole fell when the anchor for its support wire broke, taking down a second pole with it and damaging two others, Dizon said.
The affected area, bounded by Cleghorn and Tusitala streets and Liliuokalani and Kaiulani avenues, is mostly residential with condominium buildings and a small shopping mall, Dizon said.
Scam tries to solicit college library funds
Leeward Community College officials and the Honolulu Police Department are warning residents about a telephone scam involving callers asking for personal information to support a renovation of the LCC library.
The library is not soliciting money at this time, officials said, adding that the school is looking into future fundraising initiatives. To verify the authenticity of fundraising drives associated with the library, the public can call head librarian David Coleman at 455-0673. To report fraudulent calls, dial 911 and mention that you would like to report a nonemergency.
Road to close for work in Kipapa Gulch area
State transportation officials advised Oahu motorists that lanes in both directions of Kamehameha Highway in Kipapa Gulch between Ka Uka Boulevard and Lanikuhana Avenue will be closed from 7:30 p.m. today to 3:30 a.m. tomorrow for road work.
Motorists are advised to take the H-2 freeway as an alternate route.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staff
LEEWARD OAHU
Head-on collision kills driver in Waianae
A 45-year-old man was killed early yesterday morning when his car collided head-on with a tractor-trailer on Farrington Highway in Waianae, police said.
The accident occurred 4:54 a.m. near Puhano Street under rainy conditions, police said.
The driver of a 2005 silver Ford four-door sedan was headed southbound on Farrington Highway, apparently crossed the center line and collided head-on with a Mack truck, police said.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said speed was a possible factor on the part of the car driver.
The 45-year-old driver of the Mack truck was treated at the scene for minor injuries and released.
It was Oahu's 69th traffic fatality of the year, compared with 57 fatalities the same time last year.
HONOLULU
Missing Oahu man, 21, located in Los Angeles
A 21-year-old man reported missing in Honolulu was located in Los Angeles.
Police had issued a CrimeStoppers bulletin Nov. 16 on Billy Juarez. Juarez had recently moved to Honolulu from Los Angeles, and was last seen walking on Kamehameha Highway in Hauula, police said.
Police and CrimeStoppers thanked the public for help in finding Juarez.
Alleged punch to eye leads to man's arrest
Police arrested a 35-year-old man Monday night after he allegedly punched another man in the eye, knocking him out.
Police said the victim, 49, was sitting along Nuuanu Avenue near Hotel Street in downtown Honolulu at about 8:55 p.m. when the suspect approached him and started swearing.
The victim stood up and the suspect hit him in the eye, police said. The victim was taken to the Queen's Medical Center for treatment of a fractured right eye socket.
Police later arrested the suspect for investigation of second-degree assault.
Police arrest suspect on contempt warrants
Police arrested a 28-year-old man on four felony contempt warrants and four bail revocation warrants.
Chad Keoni Entendencia was arrested at 7:40 a.m. Monday at police headquarters, 801 S. Beretania St. He made his first appearance in court yesterday.
Entendencia was featured in a CrimeStoppers bulletin last Wednesday.
IN COURT
Man indicted for threatening neighbors
An Ahuimanu man who neighbors say terrorized them for at least 15 years pleaded not guilty Monday in Circuit Court.
David Domingues, 38, was indicted last week with two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening for allegedly threatening two of his neighbors. He was arrested Nov. 14 and is being held in lieu of $2 million bail.
His attorney, Randall Oyama, tried to address the court for what he called Domingues' excessive bail, but yesterday's hearing was solely for arraignment and he was told to file a motion.
Residents of Henoheno Place allege that Domingues kept them virtual prisoners in their own homes by shouting obscenities and racial slurs, and threatening to harm or kill them or burn down their homes.
Sex offender pleads not guilty to assault
A convicted child molester accused of fondling a 10-year-old boy he befriended two years ago pleaded not guilty in Circuit Court on Monday and was set for trial Jan. 23.
Christopher Brainerd, 41, of Kapahulu was indicted Nov. 15 with five counts of third-degree sexual assault for allegedly touching the boy inappropriately on several occasions beginning in August. He was also indicted on one count of failure to comply with sex-offender registration requirements.
Police arrested Brainerd Nov. 8. He is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Canadian citizen jailed for drug smuggling
Chief U.S. District Judge David Ezra sentenced a 27-year-old Canadian man to 7 1/4 years for smuggling about 6.8 pounds of methamphetamine to Hawaii from Canada.
Khai Tung Ong and Sunny Yu, 26, carried the drugs under their clothes on a flight from Vancouver, Canada, to Hawaii in June 2003 and were paid $5,000 for the delivery, according to a release last week from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Ezra had previously sentenced Yu to 14 years in prison and co-defendant Bee Venevongsa, 27, to a time-served sentence, with nearly 2 1/2 years spent in jail since his arrest.
Venevongsa and Ong were arrested after delivering the methamphetamine to an undercover officer posing as a drug trafficker. All three are Canadian citizens.
Meth case nets man 20-year prison term
A federal judge has sentenced a 33-year-old Hilo man to 20 years in prison in connection with the shipment of 5.8 pounds of methamphetamine to a Hilo home from California.
Catarino Zavala-Ojeda lived at the Kuleana Loop home with co-defendant Ernest Esparza, 35, who was previously sentenced to 19 years in prison.
Esparza accepted an Express Mail shipment at their home, and Zavala-Ojeda left the home with the parcel, according to a press release last week from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The two men were later arrested in separate vehicles and were heavily armed with loaded semi-automatic pistols, the release said.