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Newswatch
Star-Bulletin staff and wire service
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Repaired ship heads for China
A Chinese cargo ship left Kalaeloa Harbor over the weekend after repairs to its cracked hull were completed, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
The 485-foot cargo vessel Tong Cheng, which is headed to China, pulled up at Barbers Point harbor Jan. 26 after rough seas damaged its hull in late December. The ship remained offshore for several days before it was brought into the port.
It left Oahu on Saturday morning, the Coast Guard said.
The ship, with a crew of 26, was carrying steel, plywood, diesel engines, PVC resin, clothing and ammunition. The ship had left South Korea and was on its way to the Caribbean when it suffered a 56-inch crack in its hull Dec. 26.
"We were successful in saving 26 lives, preventing the ship from sinking at sea and ensuring that Hawaiian waters remain pristine," said Capt. Vince Atkins, of the Port of Honolulu.
The repairs were coordinated by representatives from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the state of Hawaii and the Tong Cheng's owners, Shanghai Ocean Shipping Co.
STAR-BULLETIN / JANUARY 2007
The Chinese cargo ship Tong Cheng, shown here docked at Barbers Point, left Oahu on Saturday after repairs to its cracked hull were completed.
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Schools reap Medicaid funds
Money to pay for special education in Hawaii's public schools could increase by millions of dollars each year under a new Medicaid reimbursement program, according to the state Department of Education.
The DOE's Medicaid School-Based Claiming Program got its first reimbursement check for $14,534 last month.
Medicaid provides health care coverage and services for low-income children, pregnant women, families, the disabled and seniors. In 1998 the Individuals with Disabilities Act began allowing Medicaid payment for medical services provided to Medicaid-eligible children.
Seeing the potential for funds, the state Legislature passed a law establishing the DOE as a Medicaid provider. It directed the DOE to work with the Health and Human Services departments to identify Medicaid-eligible health services provided to public school children, and to submit claims.
The DOE contracted the University of Massachusetts Medical School to launch the program and help the state administer it. The first 865 claims, totaling $27,169, were sent in January, and another 115 claims worth $3,800 are pending. The Legislature created a state revolving fund to let the DOE collect and use the Medicaid reimbursements, which could potentially reach millions of dollars each year when the program is fully developed.
Senators announce 2 grants
Federal health and human services grants totaling nearly $10.3 million have been awarded for Hawaii projects, U.S. Sens. Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka announced.
A state-sponsored "Hawaii Demonstration to Maintain Independence and Employment" project received $8,718,073 from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Inouye said the project shows that "with proper preventive medical treatment, diabetic adults can maintain their health and continue to be productive members of society."
Akaka said counseling is an important part of the project. Participants set health and employment-related goals with professional guidance and strive to meet goals, he said. The second grant of $1,549,135 went to Kuakini Medical Center for a study of brain aging.
SHINING STARS
St. Francis Healthcare picks McClure to lead Franciscan Adult Day Center
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Sister Ellen McClure has been named director of the Franciscan Adult Day Center, an outreach program of St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii and the Sisters of St. Francis.
She will oversee daily operations of the Manoa facility, which "strives to improve the quality of life for frail elders and their families through respite, counseling, referral and education," according to a St. Francis news release.
The Franciscan Adult Day Center is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information on the program, call 988-5678.
» The Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu is offering post-high school scholarships to residents of Hawaiian ancestry.
Applications must be postmarked by May 15. To qualify, applicants must be Hawaii residents, have a minimum cumulative 2.5 grade-point average, be accepted to an accredited two- or four-year college and provide a high school transcript and proof of ancestry. The deadline to submit school transcripts is June 15. For online application forms and more information, visit hcchonolulu.org.
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Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff
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LEEWARD OAHU
Theft at bus stop brings arrest of 2
Two men were arrested yesterday morning for allegedly stealing a handbag from a woman sitting at a bus stop in Waianae, police said. The 46-year-old woman told police her handbag was taken by two men, ages 22 and 21, who fled in a dark vehicle. Police later found the suspects' vehicle at a nearby gas station and arrested them for investigation of second-degree robbery and credit card theft.
Man is caught with fake $100 bill
A 28-year-old man was arrested early Saturday morning after he allegedly tried to use a counterfeit $100 bill at the Pearl City Wal-Mart, police said.
The clerk noticed the bill was fake and called police at about 1:20 a.m. The man was arrested for investigation of first-degree forgery. He was later released pending an investigation, police said.
WINDWARD OAHU
Suspect is sought in purse snatching
Police were looking yesterday for a man who allegedly robbed a woman of her purse in Kailua.
At about 12:10 p.m. the woman was walking to her car by the Macy's parking lot when the suspect bumped her, knocked her to the ground and took her black purse, police said. The suspect, described as in his early 20s and about 5 feet 7 inches tall, got into the passenger side of a car and fled, police said.