|
Newswatch
Star-Bulletin staff and wire
|
Aiea Loop Trail reopened after repair
The Department of Land and Natural Resources has reopened the Aiea Loop Trail after completing repairs.
The trail was made impassable Nov. 21 when a large tree fell and damaged a section about two miles from the trail head in Keaiwa Heiau State Recreation Area. The 4.8-mile trail begins at the end of Aiea Heights Drive in Aiea.
Five soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division, C troop, 3-4 Cavalry, assisted a state crew with the repair.
U.S.-Korea journalist exchange is funded
The East-West Center has received a three-year, $210,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation to support its South Korea-United States journalist exchange program.
The program, in its second year, is co-sponsored by the Korea Press Foundation. This spring, it will send six South Korean journalists to the United States and six U.S. journalists to South Korea.
The 16-day program will introduce participants to the political, security, economic, cultural and social issues of each country. The Korean journalists will visit Washington, D.C., and two other mainland cities, while their American counterparts will travel to Seoul, Busan and Kwangju. Following their study tours, the journalists will gather at the East-West Center in Honolulu to discuss their experiences.
Ship to become reef off West Maui
WAILUKU » A 97-foot replica of a whaling ship will be sunk as an artificial reef in waters off West Maui on Tuesday.
The brig Carthaginian will be towed from Lahaina Harbor to the reef, about a half-mile offshore between Puamana and Launiupoko parks, where it will be sunk in about 95 feet, according to the ship owner Atlantis Adventures.
The company announced yesterday that it had received state and federal approvals to create the artificial reef.
The former German freight carrier in the Baltic, refitted as a tourist attraction in 1973, was formerly owned by the Lahaina Restoration Foundation, which decided the rusting steel-hulled brig would be too expensive to repair. It approached Atlantis in 2003 about using the vessel as an artificial reef.
Atlantis has created similar artificial reefs off Waikiki, sinking a Navy tanker, former fishing vessel and large sections from two airplanes.
Taking Notice
» The University of Hawaii Board of Regents has selected 12 professors throughout its statewide system as winners of the 2005 Regents' Medal for Excellence in Teaching. The award recognizes the professors' level of subject mastery and scholarship, effectiveness, creativity and personal values as beneficial to their students.
This year's recipients include Gerald D. Brown, assistant professor of English at Kauai Community College; Duane Clark, instructor of philosophy and religion at Maui Community College; Douglas Crowell, instructor of anatomy and physiology at Kapiolani Community College; Antoinette Martin, assistant professor of art at Windward Community College; Paul Onomura, associate professor of diesel mechanics technology at Honolulu Community College; Rebecca Ostertag, assistant professor of biology at UH-Hilo; Petri (Pate) Pieron, associate professor of nursing at Hawaii Community College; Wesley Teraoka, associate professor of geography at Leeward Community College; Catherine Fulford, professor of educational technology at UH-Manoa; Anthony Guerrero, associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at UH-Manoa; Terry Hunt, associate professor of anthropology at UH-Manoa; and Eric Yamamoto, professor of law at UH-Manoa.
» Lynedon Van Ness, an information technology teacher/coordinator at Leilehua High School, is one of a handful of people to be named a Champion of Digital Literacy by Certiport, an Internet/computer corporation. In order to fund the Certiport IC3 certification program at the Wahiawa school, Van Ness created a program in which students use their skills and knowledge to build custom computers for individuals and schools.
» The Hawaii Education Association awarded 10 scholarships for 2005 to 2006 to the following students: Scott T.K. Nishimoto, Education Laboratory School; Rachel K. Tsunemoto, Kaiser High School; Jun U. Elegino, Hawaii Pacific University; Ashley Y. Kaneshiro, Pepperdine University; Chelsea S. Maeda, Columbia College; Benjamin Y.K. Nishimoto, Occidental College; and Ivy Kelling, an educator at Ke Kula'o S.M. Kamakau. Lisa A. Myers of Chaminade University won three awards: the $1,000 May and Hubert Everly HEA Scholarship, the $2,000 Hiroshi & Barbara Kim Yamashita HEA Scholarship and the $5,000 Faith C. Ai Lai HEA Student Teacher Scholarship.
Other winners of the $5,000 Student Teacher award were Rebecca D. Marsh and Christina M. Rossman of UH-Hilo.
» Amber Kaulia of Campbell High School won the $1,000 Young Adult Summer Reading Program "Back to School Shopping Spree" sweepstakes, sponsored by Hawaii Pizza Hut and the Hawaii State Public Library System. She read 27 books during the Ewa Beach Public & School Library reading program to qualify for entry. Lily Lum of Central Middle School won second place, a $500 shopping spree; and Adayna Wong-Sagiao of Aiea Intermediate won third place, a $250 spree at Pearlridge Center.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staff
HONOLULU
Second man is charged in forced-prostitution case
A second man was charged Thursday in the alleged rape and forced prostitution of a 15-year-old girl over two days.
Junior Martzes, 24, also known as Martzes Djuan Junior, was charged with two counts of first-degree sexual assault and one count of promoting prostitution.
Jason Smith, 22, of Michigan, also known as Tony Watkins, was indicted by an Oahu grand jury Thursday on six counts of first-degree sexual assault, promoting prostitution in the first degree and kidnapping.
The girl told police that Smith and his friend, later identified as Martzes, befriended her, and she accepted an invitation to Smith's room at the Maile Sky Court Hotel in Waikiki, according to a police affidavit.
While in the hotel room Dec. 1, Smith allegedly raped her on four separate occasions, the affidavit said. On Dec. 2, Martzes and Smith repeatedly raped her in the hotel room, police said.
The affidavit alleges that on Dec. 3 and 4, Smith forced her to work as a prostitute in downtown Honolulu, threatening to kill her family if she did not listen or if she tried to run.
Smith forced her to turn over all the money she made.
On Monday, Smith moved her to the Hawaii Polo Inn on Ala Moana Boulevard, but she escaped and called police.
Police look for woman missing since Sunday
Police are asking for help in finding a missing 34-year-old woman last seen at 4 a.m. Sunday at Dillingham Boulevard and Kohou Street.
Madilene Afoa had dropped off friends and told them she would return, but never did. Afoa was last seen driving a brown Oldsmobile Cutlass, license number FZX-290.
Police said Afoa might be with her boyfriend "Sonny," who has not been seen since Sunday. He is described as in his late 20s, 5 feet 8 inches tall, 300 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.
Afoa, also known as Jaguar Khamkounxone, is described as 5 feet 4 inches tall, 160 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes, a pierced lip, of Samoan-Chinese ethnicity and was last seen wearing a short, brown dress with a gold flower design and black slippers.
She has "David Lewis" tattooed on the left side of her chest and a rosary on her left hand.
Anyone with information about her is asked to call investigator Phil Camero at 529-3394, CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on a cell phone.
WAIKIKI
Man surrenders in October assault case
A 20-year-old man turned himself in to police Thursday in connection with an assault in Waikiki in October.
A 22-year-old man told police that he was leaving a party at a Waikiki hotel at about 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 8 when he was assaulted by four males. The victim suffered a fractured eye socket, swelling to his left ear and numerous contusions, police said.
The man who turned himself in was arrested for investigation of second-degree assault. He was released pending investigation.
COURTS
Hearing to determine start of robber's term
Convicted home-invasion robber Shaun C. Rodrigues could begin serving his 20-year term of imprisonment by early January.
A Jan. 9 hearing is set for Circuit Judge Virginia Crandall to hear the state's request to enforce her Sept. 10, 2004, judgment that sentenced Rodrigues to the maximum term under the law and send him to Halawa immediately.
At the time, Crandall granted Rodrigues' request to remain out on bail pending the outcome of his appeal.
On Wednesday the Hawaii Supreme Court upheld his conviction. The justices also affirmed Crandall's decision not to reopen the trial based on insufficient evidence proffered by the defense indicating another man committed the crime.
Defense attorney William Harrison has said Rodrigues will comply with the court's orders but plans to continue pursuing legal options to overturn the conviction. Rodrigues continues to maintain his innocence and contends he was wrongly convicted.
Restaurateur gets 10 years in drug case
The owner of a Chinatown restaurant has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for distributing cocaine from his business.
Chief U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor sentenced Carlos Antonio "Mugsy" Harris, 29, Thursday on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of cocaine base or crack cocaine.
U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo said Harris served as many as 150 drug customers a day from his restaurant, which Kubo described as a "longtime drug haven," in a news release. The restaurant, Lion's Denin at 15 N. Hotel St., was advertised as offering soul food and karaoke music.
An 18-month joint investigation by the Honolulu Police Department and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration led to Harris' arrest.
Two other men, Terrance Kemper and Ernest Rivera, were charged as co-conspirators and entered guilty pleas. Kemper was sentenced in August to five years and 10 months in prison. Rivera was sentenced in September to two years and five months. They had been hired by Harris to work as security and distributors of the drugs, according to the release.
Dad and son charged with illegal donations
A father and son are the latest charged in the prosecutor's investigation into alleged illegal campaign donations.
Brian Gray, a retired engineer, and son Timothy Gray pleaded not guilty Thursday in Circuit Court after they requested a trial on the charges.
Each was charged in a misdemeanor complaint with one count each of making a contribution under a false name and of exceeding the $4,000 contribution limit.
According to prosecutors, Brian Gray wrote a $4,000 check made payable to his son on Oct. 3, 2000. The next day, Timothy Gray wrote a check for the same amount to the campaign of then-Mayor Jeremy Harris. The father already had contributed the maximum to the Harris campaign when he wrote the $4,000 check to his son, said deputy prosecutor Chris Van Marter.
Trial has been set for Jan. 23. The Grays' attorney, Howard Luke, declined comment.