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Newswatch
Star-Bulletin staff
and wire service
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Cosme spurs airlift of hikers
HILO » The Hawaii County Fire Department evacuated 12 hikers from remote Waimanu Valley at the northern end of the island yesterday morning as a precaution because of approaching Tropical Depression Cosme.
Windward areas of the island were receiving moderate to heavy rain early last night.
County officials, aware of the Waimanu hikers because of a state hiking registration system, checked with them by cell phone and learned that a 15-year-old girl had suffered a twisted ankle, county Civil Defense Director Troy Kindred said.
A Fire Department helicopter arrived at the valley at 7:47 a.m., and the girl was taken to North Hawaii Community Hospital for treatment, the department said. The remaining hikers were also evacuated because leaving the valley over a trail requiring hours of hiking would be difficult if the weather became too severe.
Police and Fire Department observers were making district reports every two hours, and county lifeguards remained on duty until dark to watch surf levels.
The National Weather Service predicted wave heights of 8 to 10 feet and maximum rains of 5 to 10 inches during the night for East Hawaii, Kindred said. A flash flood watch was in effect through this afternoon.
Harbor meeting to cover dredging
WAILUKU » State officials plan to hold an informational meeting Tuesday about the dredging of the boat ramp at Keawakapu in South Maui.
The meeting takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Maalaea Seaflight building at 101 Maalaea Boat Harbor Road.
The meeting is intended to gather information to allow the work to take place around the schedule of boaters, including commercial vessels frequenting Molokini shoals, said Wesley Choi, the Maui Boating Division's acting district manager.
Choi said the work is scheduled to start on Aug. 20.
He said the sand dredged from the boat ramp area is expected to be used by Maui County to replenish a beach in nearby Kamaole.
Military maneuvers to shut beach
Bellows Field Beach Park will be closed to the public Aug. 17-20 for scheduled military maneuvers, said the city Department of Parks and Recreation.
The beach is open to the public only on the weekends; therefore, public access for swimming, camping and picnicking will resume on Aug. 24.
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Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff
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Man held in arm-severing crash
Authorities charged a 32-year-old man yesterday who allegedly caused a crash Wednesday of a sport utility vehicle on the H-1 Airport Viaduct that injured his 28-year-old wife and severed her arm.
Iovani Alatini was charged with second-degree assault, a Class C felony. His bail was set at $50,000. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance Monday.
Police said Alatini was a passenger in a 2004 Ford Expedition being driven by his wife, Lise Solomua- Alatini. They were heading west on the H-1 viaduct just before the airport offramp at 7:45 p.m. Wednesday when the crash occurred.
Police said the emergency medical technician found Solomua-Alatini inside the overturned SUV, her left arm cut off and her body covered with blood, while her husband stood outside the vehicle.
According to the police affidavit, Solomua-Alatini told police her husband was angry and that they were arguing as she was driving on the viaduct. He suddenly kicked the steering wheel, causing her to lose control, she told police. Solomua-Alatini remembers only the vehicle tumbling and then losing consciousness.
Police said two witnesses saw the SUV traveling at about 75 mph on the viaduct, suddenly veering left, striking the guardrail and flipping four times, then continuing to travel west until it came to rest on its side, trapping the occupants inside.
The witnesses saw Alatini kicking the windshield in an attempt to get out and yelling at his wife to "shut up" as she moaned in pain, police said.
Police arrested Alatini on Thursday.
HONOLULU
Alleged ID thief sought dental work
Police arrested a 44-year-old Honolulu woman, a prison inmate, for allegedly using another woman's identity to obtain dental services.
Police arrested the suspect yesterday morning at the Oahu Community Correctional Center on suspicion of unauthorized possession of confidential property and third-degree identity theft.
The incident occurred Feb. 2 in Honolulu, police said. The victim was a 49-year-old Honolulu woman. Police, after investigating the matter, found who the alleged culprit was and tracked her down.
The woman was arrested without incident at 9 a.m. yesterday.
Suspect is charged with hitting officer
Police arrested a 25-year-old Aiea man who allegedly entered a Honolulu home July 5, was confronted by the homeowner and then later allegedly assaulted a police officer.
The man fled the area and went into another home, where he allegedly stole money from the resident, police said.
Residents and police officers confronted the man, who then allegedly punched an officer and ran, police said.
The victims include two women, ages 76 and 77, and a 29-year-old man.
Police arrested the man yesterday at his home in Aiea.
