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Newswatch
Star-Bulletin staff and wire service
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Man gets 18 months for killing
A homeless man who punched a longtime acquaintance during an altercation, causing his death, was sentenced yesterday to 18 months in prison as a condition of probation.
Kapeli Lafaele, 54, and the victim, Robert Swanson, apparently were both intoxicated during the incident that occurred Aug. 2, 2006, near Aala Park downtown.
Lafaele was initially charged with reckless manslaughter but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of first-degree assault after the state's key eyewitness suffered a second stroke just as trial was about to commence in June.
Lafaele has been in custody since his arrest on Aug. 3, 2006, and will be credited for time served.
Deputy Prosecutor Russell Uehara argued for a 10-year term.
Lafaele had six prior convictions: one for first-degree assault, two for abuse and three for third-degree assault.
Deputy Public Defender Theresa Marshall, who argued for the probation, said Lafaele, who has a history of alcohol use, and the victim had been friends for years. He punched Swanson in the face once, and Swanson was so intoxicated that he was unable to keep his balance and fell back, hitting his head on the pavement, she said.
Swanson died the next day of brain injuries sustained in the fall.
City picks firm for transit study
The city selected engineering consulting firm PB Americas Inc. to conduct an environmental study as part of a $79 million contract in the next step for plans to build Honolulu's mass transit system.
Under the 2 1/2-year contract, PB Americas will complete a environmental impact study and preliminary engineering of the mass transit system that are necessary for the city to qualify for federal funding, according to a city news release issued last week.
"We've waited for mass transit for a long time," Mayor Mufi Hannemann said in the release. "With the execution of this contract, we're moving the project from study to reality."
The environmental impact study, which costs $7 million, will cover the city's proposed 34-mile route from West Kapolei to University of Hawaii at Manoa, including a stop to Waikiki.
Hannemann said the move brings mass transit a step closer to construction, which he still believes will start in 2009.
More Akaka Bill hearings set
The Hawaii advisory committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will hold one more public hearing on Oahu to debate a bill calling for federal recognition of native Hawaiians.
The Sept. 12 hearing, from 1 to 5 p.m. in the state Capitol auditorium, was arranged to give people another chance to testify about the so-called Akaka Bill.
The state committee also rescheduled two other meetings on Kauai and on the Big Island to comply with a 15-day public-notice requirement in the Federal Register.
On Sept. 13 the panel will hold a hearing from 1 to 5 p.m. at the state office building in Hilo, and on Sept. 14 it will meet at the same time at Kauai Community College.
The committee's next meeting, on Sept. 5 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, will be open to the public, but no testimony will be accepted.
All hearings will discuss the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act, a bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka that is pending in Congress.
State urges killing of mosquitoes
State Department of Health officials are urging island residents to make war on mosquitoes.
Hawaii is free of dengue fever and West Nile virus, officials said, but there has been an alarming increase in the mosquito-borne diseases in Asia and on the mainland.
Laurence Lau, deputy director for environmental health administration, said controlling the mosquito population begins in island back yards and lanais. People can keep the insects from breeding by removing places where water collects, such as old tires, empty flowerpots, pails and old toys. Bromeliads, a decorative plant found in many yards and landscaping, can collect water in their crowns and should be flushed out every week to keep mosquito larvae from hatching.
Further information is available at www.hawaii.gov/health and www.gotdeadbird.org.
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Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff
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HONOLULU
Broken gas line closes traffic
Police closed Beretania Street at Punahou Street and Kalakaua Avenue from Young to Beretania streets last night because of a broken natural gas line.
Police said a vehicle hit the gas line near 1551 S. Beretania St. at about 8:25 p.m.
There were no injuries and no evacuations were ordered.
Second suspect in robbery held
Police arrested a 30-year-old man yesterday with no local address, the second suspect in the robbery of a 19-year-old Honolulu restaurant delivery driver Saturday night.
Police said a man approached the delivery driver while walking outside the restaurant to his car to make a delivery and allegedly demanded money from him.
The suspect allegedly took the driver's car keys and cash and searched him, police said. Then the two suspects, both age 30, allegedly beat the 19-year-old, police said.
The victim ran and called police, then followed the two men as they walked away.
The victim then flagged down a police officer and was able to point out the first suspect nearby.
He was arrested for second-degree robbery.
The victim was able to positively identify the second suspect in a photo lineup on Sunday. Police found the second suspect and arrested him for suspicion of two counts of second-degree robbery, unauthorized possession of personal confidential information, open lewdness and on three warrants.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Fire damages Kahului home
Maui officials reported a fire caused $100,000 in damage to a Kahului house yesterday afternoon.
The fire was reported at 4:46 p.m. on South Kamehameha Avenue, and firefighters brought the blaze under control at 5:03 p.m.
The blaze caused an estimated $80,000 in damage to the two-bedroom, one-bath house and $20,000 to the contents, according to a news release by Maui spokeswoman Mahina Martin.
Two fire engines and a rescue unit responded to the fire. No one was home at the time, and no one was injured.
The cause of the fire was undetermined as of yesterday.
WEST OAHU
Bottle allegedly used in attack
A 35-year-old Pearl City woman was arrested for allegedly hitting her boyfriend in the eye with a bottle Sunday night.
She was allegedly arguing with her 36-year-old boyfriend at about 10:30 p.m. in a Nanakuli home when she assaulted him, police said.
Police arrested her on suspicion of second-degree assault.