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Newswatch
Star-Bulletin staff and wire service
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Nominations open for awards for environmental projects
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking nominations for its annual Environmental Awards program.
The awards will recognize individuals and groups (outside the EPA) who made significant contributions to improve the environment in 2005.
Nominees can be anyone, including scientists, teachers, journalists, citizen activists, young people, organizations, business representatives, public officials and others, the agency said in announcing this year's program.
The EPA said it will judge entries based on criteria such as promotion of innovative ideas, techniques and/or technologies; ability to address an environmental problem or need; and accomplishment of stated goals.
Nominations can be made until Feb. 17. Finalists will be notified by mid-March, and winners will be recognized in San Francisco on April 18.
For more information, visit www.epa.gov/region09/awards or call Wendy Chavez at 415-947-4248.
Coalition completes wildlife action plan
The Hawaii Wildlife Action Plan has been approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as providing a comprehensive plan to conserve the state's wildlife and the places they live.
The plan is the result of three years of work by a coalition of government agencies, partners, nonprofit organizations and interested citizens "unprecedented in the state of Hawaii," said Peter Young, director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Federal approval of the plan was needed to qualify for federal funding, said a joint release from the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Because of its isolation and climatic conditions, Hawaii has more than 10,000 species found nowhere else on Earth.
The action plan recognizes the importance of protecting all native terrestrial animals, endemic aquatic wildlife, other aquatic species threatened with decline, and a broad range of native flora, the agencies said.
The plan can be seen at www.state.hi.us/dlnr/dofaw/cwcs.
Groups to join forces for Waipahu cleanup
The Waipahu community will hold an "Environmental Clean-Up and Graffiti Paint-Out" Saturday in honor of C.O. "Andy" Anderson.
Groups participating include the city Department of Environmental Services, DSR Logistics, Grace Bible, Honolulu YMCA, Honolulu Police Department, ICI Bender Corp., ILWU Local 142, Home Depot, New Hope Leeward, Lowe's Home Improvement, St. Joseph and the Waipahu Community Association.
Anderson, former chairman of the Waipahu Neighborhood Board and a member of 23 other organizations, died Jan. 1. About 300 volunteers are expected to cover areas from Kamehameha Highway to Kunia Road between 7:30 and 11:30 a.m. For more information, contact Dave Hirano at 677-6939 or 778-8729.
Taking notice
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Safeway Foundation contributed $23,708 to the
Waikiki Health Center's Back-to-School Campaign that will go to immunizations, physical exams and general medical care for disadvantaged children.
» Bank of Hawaii Charitable Foundation has given a $5,000 grant to the Office of Social Ministry Inc. to support its Mobile Care Health Project, which offers dental services for underserved people in Hawaii County.
» St. Patrick School has received donations for its preschool and new library and technology center from the Schuler Family Foundation for $15,000 and Dennis Uniform Co. for $1,000.
» The Schuler Family Foundation has donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross to help those devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
» Associates from Marriott in Hawaii raised a total of $28,000 from a one-day car-washing event on the Big Island, Maui, Oahu and Kauai. The money goes to Marriott's Spirit to Serve Our Communities, a program to help in communities where Marriott does business.
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Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff
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HONOLULU
CRIMESTOPPERS PHOTOS
Police are looking for suspects in separate bank robberies at Bank of Hawaii at 1451 S. King St., left, and Central Pacific Bank at 1338 S. Beretania St.
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Police seek suspects in 2 bank robberies
Two separate bank robberies occurred in Honolulu yesterday within minutes of each other.
At 11:11 a.m., police said, a male suspect entered Bank of Hawaii at 1451 S. King St. The suspect brandished a handgun and demanded money from a teller.
Police said he fled on foot on South King Street with an undisclosed amount of money.
Police described the suspect as a man in his 30s to 40s, 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 140 to 160 pounds with a slim build. He is further described as having black shoulder-length hair.
Police said the suspect was wearing a blue long-sleeved polo shirt, white shorts and white tennis shoes at the time of the robbery and was carrying a large black handgun.
Minutes later a male suspect entered Central Pacific Bank at 1338 S. Beretania St. at 11:15 a.m. Police said the suspect passed a demand note to the teller. No weapon was observed.
Police said the suspect fled on foot toward Kinau Street.
He is described as a man in his 20s to 30s, 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 140 pounds with a slim build. Police further described him as having dark hair and brown eyes with a tan complexion.
He was wearing a maroon T-shirt, black surf shorts, slippers and clear black-framed prescription glasses at the time of the robbery.
Detective Kim Capllonch of CrimeStoppers said the two robberies are not connected.
Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300.
Sedan involved in fatal hit-run found
Police located a vehicle that was involved Tuesday in a hit-and-run incident on Nimitz Highway.
Detective Kim Capllonch of CrimeStoppers said the white 2000 Dodge Stratus, with the license plate HZM 572, was found at about 9:50 p.m. Tuesday along Pupukahi Street in Waipahu.
Police believe the registered owner of the vehicle was the driver who struck 86-year-old Betty Santiago of Wahiawa on Tuesday while she was crossing North Nimitz Highway at Sumner Street in a marked crosswalk at about 10:22 a.m. Santiago died from injuries sustained in the incident.
Capllonch said the driver, described to be in his 20s, has yet to be located. Police spoke to his girlfriend when they found the vehicle but said she did not know where he was.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the driver is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300.