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Newswatch
Star-Bulletin staff
and wire service
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Abe Weinstein remembered
A celebration of jazz promoter Abe Weinstein's life will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. tomorrow at the Hawaii Theatre Center, 1130 Bethel St.
Weinstein died Jan. 29 in his Kapiolani Boulevard apartment.
There will be a musical tribute by the Hawaii International Jazz Festival All Stars.
Tax preparer gets 4 months' prison time
A federal judge recently sentenced a Waipahu man to four months in prison for preparing fraudulent federal tax returns while working for his father's tax preparation business.
Richard Basuel II worked for his father, Richard Basuel, owner of RB Tax Service, who had offices in Kalihi and Waipahu.
Basuel, his father, Dina Caleda and Rosalinda Tamayo filed false tax returns for hundreds of clients between 1997 and 1999. The actions resulted in more than 900 false federal returns and more than $4 million in falsely claimed tax refunds, according to a news release.
Basuel and the others prepared false returns that failed to recognize Hawaii as a state. This allowed clients to be considered as foreigners and entitled them to file for refunds on their federal tax withholdings.
His father was sentenced earlier to 40 months in prison. Both Caleda and Tamayo were sentenced to six months in prison.
UH seeks nomination for employee awards
The University of Hawaii is seeking nominations for two employee awards. The Willard Wilson Distinguished Service Award is given to a UH employee who has worked for at least 20 years and is recognized as having performed a wide breadth of university and department services, among other qualifications. The recipient will receive a Regents' Medal and a $1,000 award.
The President's Award for Excellence in Building and Grounds Maintenance recognizes an employee who has exhibited superior performance in a maintenance, landscaping, custodial, shop or trucking position. The recipient will receive a certificate and a $1,000 honorarium.
Recipients can be from any campus and will be recognized at the university's 2007 Convocation Awards in the fall.
The deadline for nominations is Feb. 28. For further information, contact Joyce Chun at 956-8207.
Leadership program offered for nonprofits
Applications are now being accepting for the PONO (Promoting Outstanding Nonprofit Organizations) leadership program for 15 executive directors who are in midcareer.
The deadline for applications is March 30.
Application forms can be downloaded from www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org and sent to the Hawaii Community Foundation, PONO Leadership Program, 1164 Bishop St., Suite 800, Honolulu 96813.
SHINING STARS
OHA awards grants to service groups
The
Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees awarded five grants totaling $411,264 to nonprofit applicants that provide services and programs that benefit the native Hawaiian community. Recipients are:
Family Promise of Hawaii -- $100,000, a consortium of multifaith churches and congregations that provides shelter, food and counseling to "transitional homeless " families; Keomailani Hanapi Foundation -- $96,164, for sponsorship of native Hawaiian artists to attend PIKO 2007, an indigenous artists forum in June in Waimea, Hawaii; Ma Ka Hana Ka 'Ike -- $80,000, a Hana, Maui-based vocational program that teaches construction skills to students who build and renovate homes for kupuna and access ramps for wheelchairs; Ohana Makamae Inc. -- $35,100, a Hana, Maui-based substance abuse treatment program; Papa Ola Lokahi -- $100,000, for five native Hawaiian Health Care Systems.
OHA also awarded a $100,000 board initiative grant to Teach America Inc. to be used for the recruitment, selection, training and support of teachers who will work in public schools with a high population of native Hawaiians. An additional $100,000 was also approved for each of the next two fiscal years, contingent upon an evaluation of the program after the first year.
"Shining Stars" runs Mondays through Thursdays.
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Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff
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EAST OAHU
Missing woman found dead at lookout
Police found the body of a missing 22-year-old Hawaii Kai elementary school teacher yesterday morning at about 10:45 at Makapuu Lookout.
The medical examiner's office identified the woman as Danielle DeMatta of Honolulu.
Police and fire personnel found DeMatta's body after conducting a ground and aerial search for the Kamiloiki Elementary School teacher Tuesday and yesterday.
DeMatta was last seen Tuesday morning. Her car was discovered at Makapuu the same day.
WAIKIKI
Suspect in parking lot found with drugs, gun
A 39-year-old man faces numerous firearm and drug charges following his arrest Tuesday in Waikiki.
At about 3:25 p.m., William Josiah Jr. was stopped in the parking lot of a Waikiki hotel after reports of a suspicious male looking into parked vehicles.
He was initially arrested on an outstanding warrant and on suspicion of having drug paraphernalia, but police later found drugs and a loaded pistol.
LEEWARD OAHU
Stolen vehicle spotted and driver arrested
The friend of an auto theft victim helped catch the man suspected of stealing the vehicle, police said.
At about 12:10 a.m. yesterday, a friend of a 38-year-old man whose truck was stolen saw it being driven by another man in Ewa Beach, police said.
The friend confronted the driver and fought with him in the street, police said.
A patrol officer saw the fight, then arrested the suspect, 28, on suspicion of auto theft.
Man turns himself in for alleged sex assault
Police arrested a 20-year-old man who allegedly assaulted a juvenile at Ewa Beach park in December.
Police said the assault happened at about 9 p.m. Dec. 15. The victim identified the suspect in a photo lineup, and the suspect turned himself in Tuesday after being contacted by police.
He was arrested for investigation of first- and third-degree sexual assault.
Teen driver crashes stolen car into pillar
Police arrested a 17-year-old girl who allegedly drove a stolen car out of Ewa Beach Park and crashed into a pillar as an officer watched.
At about midnight Tuesday, a patrol officer was clearing Ewa Beach Park when he saw two people standing outside a vehicle and asked them to leave the park. The officer saw the girl drive the vehicle into a concrete pillar on the way out of the park, police said. The officer then learned that the car had been reported stolen.
The officer arrested the girl for investigation of auto theft. A 20-year-old who was in the passenger seat fled, police said.
HONOLULU
Man, 54, is arrested in assault on juvenile
Police arrested a 54-year-old man who allegedly sexually assaulted a juvenile at a downtown Honolulu park at about 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Police found the suspect at about 9 p.m. and arrested him for investigation of third-degree sexual assault. Police did not release the age or gender of the juvenile.
Woman is accused of choking husband
Police arrested a 42-year-old woman who allegedly choked her husband with a bicycle cable lock.
Police said that at about 3:30 p.m. Monday, the suspect and her 54-year-old husband were arguing when the wife choked the husband with a bicycle cable lock in their Kalihi home.
She also scratched him, police said. Police arrested the woman on suspicion of family abuse.
WINDWARD OAHU
Ex-boyfriend arrested in purse snatching
Police arrested a 21-year-old man who allegedly stole his ex-girlfriend's purse.
At about 8:15 p.m. Tuesday, a 20-year-old woman and her current boyfriend were at a Kaneohe shopping center when the suspect confronted them, police said.
The suspect allegedly hit the woman in her chest and took her purse before fleeing, police said.
Officers converged on the area, found the suspect and arrested him for investigation of second-degree robbery.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Help sought in finding missing Big Isle man
Big Island police want help locating an opihi picker missing since late December.
Police said Leslie DeloSantos of Hilo was last seen in late December and is believed to have gone opihi picking.
Family members realized he was missing Jan. 7. They found his personal belongings at a fishing spot he frequented called "Diablo," which is mauka of the Onomea cemetery along the Hamakua coast.
The Hawaii County Fire Department searched Jan. 8 by air and ground but did not find anything.
Anyone with information concerning DeloSantos' whereabouts is asked to call Detective Uwao Chartrand at 961-2382 or the nonemergency police number at 935-3311. Anonymous calls may be made to CrimeStoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona.
