Newswatch Star-Bulletin staff and wire service

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Superferry to start Aug. 28

The Hawaii Superferry will begin service between Oahu, Maui and Kauai on Aug. 28, a company spokesman said in a news release.

The inter-island ferry will start accepting reservations this morning for travel from Aug. 28 to Jan. 15, 2008.

The company had previously been accepting reservations for service beginning on Sept. 5, but had said the exact starting date would depend on the completion of crew training and sea trials.

Service will be offered daily between Maui and Oahu and six days a week between Kauai and Oahu. These voyages will take approximately three hours each way. A second ferry, scheduled to arrive in 2009, will begin service between Oahu and the Big Island, and a second daily Oahu-Maui round trip will be offered, the company says.

Reservations online at www.hawaiisuperferry.com or by calling 1-877-443-3779.

Group and commercial customers may make reservations through a sales manager at 808-853-4115.

Surgeon's license pulled

A doctor who placed a piece of a screwdriver in the spine of his patient, instead of a titanium rod, had his medical license revoked last month by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

In March 2006, a jury awarded the family of Arturo Iturralde $5.6 million and found Ricketson 65 percent responsible for medical problems suffered by Iturralde, and Hilo Medical Center 35 percent responsible for allowing Ricketson to practice medicine despite his questionable background.

Two hours into the operation on Iturralde in 2001, Ricketson discovered that the titanium rods were missing. Ricketson decided to use a new rod by cutting the shaft of a stainless steel medical screwdriver.

The screwdriver piece broke a week later. Iturralde spent the next 2 years suffering increasingly severe medical problems until he died in 2003 at the age of 75.

Police, Fire, Courts Star-Bulletin staff

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NORTH SHORE

Oregon man drowns at Pounders

A 53-year-old visitor from Oregon apparently drowned yesterday while swimming with his son off Pounders Beach in Laie, officials said.

The two were about 20 yards out before 4 p.m. when the father had a hard time coming back in, police said. By the time his son, in his late teens, and a bystander brought the victim back to shore, he was unconscious.

Kahuku police Sgt. R. Cruz said the beach is known as a surfing area with strong currents. There are no lifeguard stations in the area.

Firefighters found the man unresponsive in the near shore waters about 3:42 p.m. and started cardiopulmonary respiration until paramedics arrived, said Honolulu Fire Department Capt. Earle Kealoha.

Paramedics took the man to Kahuku Hospital in critical condition where he was later pronounced dead, said Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the Honolulu Emergency Services Department.

Man arrested after online sting

Police charged a Nuuanu man yesterday with first-degree electronic enticement of a child.

Ronald Young, 38, was arrested Friday after showing up at Kahala Mall where he expected to meet a juvenile girl he had met online to have sex with. The "girl" was actually a police officer and part of a sting operation.

Officers were waiting and arrested him when he showed up. His bail was set at $25,000.

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NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Woman, 46, dies after truck crash

A 46-year-old woman died yesterday after she was ejected from her 2006 Ford Ranger pick-up truck, which ran off Saddle Road and overturned near the 26-mile marker.

She was not wearing a seat belt, police said.

Paramedics transported the woman to Hilo Medical Center after the 10:20 a.m. accident. She died at 2:05 p.m.

Police said speed was a factor.

An autopsy will determine the exact cause of death. Her name was not released as of yesterday evening.

Police are asking anyone with information about the crash to call officer Wendall Carter at 961-2293.

It was the 23rd Big Island traffic fatality this year compared to 20 at the same time last year.

Woman arrested in arson probe

Big Island police arrested and charged Laura Pinder with three counts of arson for setting fire to three buildings near Kopiko Street in Kailua-Kona.

The incident happened at 3 a.m. on August 9, and the damages include a two-story stairwell with an elevator and the side of a building. Damages are estimated at more than $250,000.

Bail was set at $150,000 for Pinder, who has no permanent address. Anyone with information about this incident can call Detective David Araki of the Kona Criminal Investigation at 326-4646. ext. 238.

Oily rag blamed in Kauai house fire

An oily rag started a Kalaheo house fire Thursday that caused $25,000 in damage to the Puu Road home, Kauai officials said.

The rag was saturated in teak oil and left in a laundry basket where it caught fire about 9:45 p.m., a county release said. The fire burned the laundry room, exterior support beams and walls, and the roof. No one was home at the time.

Firefighters brought the fire under control at 9:57 p.m. and extinguished it by 11:50.

HONOLULU

Man arrested after family gets threats

Police arrested a 35-year-old Manoa man who allegedly threatened to kill his estranged wife and her 12-year-old child.

Police said the suspect and the wife, 31, were arguing about 3:05 p.m. Wednesday when the suspect made the threat.

WAIKIKI

Bank robbery suspect arrested

Police arrested a 41-year-old Waipahu man in Waikiki yesterday who was wanted for robbing the Bank of Hawaii Pearlridge branch on Aug. 3.

Police said an anonymous caller said yesterday morning that the suspect was in a room at 2569 Cartwright Rd. The man came out, and police arrested him on suspicion of first-degree robbery, second-degree burglary and a warrant.

Police received numerous tips after releasing a detailed surveillance photo of the man after he walked into the bank at 94-211 Pali Momi St. and allegedly gave the teller a demand note. He fled on a bicycle, police said.