|
Newswatch
Star-Bulletin staff
and wire service
|
Child welfare program gets grant
Hawaii has been awarded $8.25 million over the next three years for substance abuse recovery support services for parents and guardians of children in the state Child Welfare Services system.
The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration program uses a voucher system to expand choices of recovery services and reduce substance abuse, especially of methamphetamine. Eligible clients can access services through vouchers managed through a Web-based information system.
"Our objective is to help parents and guardians in the Child Welfare Services system with substance use disorders enter treatment and access the support services they need to stay off drugs and alcohol and thus stabilize their families," said Dr. Chiyome Fukino, state Department of Health director, in a news release.
Human Services Director Lillian Koller said about 80 percent of child welfare cases involve one or both parents with substance abuse problems.
"Countless families in Hawaii have been torn apart by drug and alcohol abuse, often putting children at great risk of abuse or neglect," she said. "With this Access to Recovery grant, we hope to significantly reduce substance abuse among families in our Child Welfare Services system."
Hepatitis C specialist will speak
A mainland authority on hepatitis C and substance abuse will discuss "The Challenges of Addiction and Hepatitis C" at a free breakfast from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Friday at the Tree Tops Restaurant in Manoa.
The speaker will be Dr. Diana L. Sylvestre, assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and executive director and founder of the Organization to Achieve Solutions in Substance Abuse.
The breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m., with the presentation at 8 a.m. Registration is required because of limited space.
Fax responses to 733-9291, attn: Heather, or e-mail name, agency and the number of people attending to heather.lusk@doh.hawaii.gov. For more information, contact Heather Lusk, 733-9291.
Sun found to be good for bones
A little sun is good for the bones, a new study suggests.
Women with reduced levels of vitamin D, which comes from sun exposure, are more at risk of hip fracture, according to research presented at a meeting last week at the Hawaii Convention Center.
The study, led by epidemiology professor Jane A. Cauley of the University of Pittsburgh, evaluated patient data from 400 women who experienced hip fractures and compared the information with a control group. The study concluded that as the vitamin D concentrations decreased, risk of hip fracture increased.
Cauley said in a news release that the risk of hip fractures was 77 percent higher among women who had the lowest concentrations of a vitamin D metabolite in their blood. Her report was presented at a meeting of the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research.
According to the Kuakini Health System, vitamin D helps the body absorb bone-strengthening calcium from foods. People receive vitamin D after sun exposure but also from eating tuna, sardines, liver, egg yolks and fortified milk.
Kauai trout season reopens
A break in the water supply system for Pu'u Lua Reservoir in Kokee State Park is turning out to be a break for trout anglers.
The Department of Land and Natural Resources is holding a second open fishing season for rainbow trout because the fish could die in the reservoir without adequate incoming water, an agency release said.
Anglers with a valid freshwater fishing license can fish daily during daylight hours, with daily bag limit, until the season is closed by the DLNR. All other existing rules remain applicable.
The state Agriculture Development Corp., which manages the water supply lines, is expected to repair it in the near future. Fishing licenses are sold at DLNR offices, fishing supply stores and licensed agents, or can be purchased online at www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar. For more information, call 274-3345 on Kauai.
|
Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff
|
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Head-on crash kills 2 on highway
Two people died shortly after midnight yesterday after a head-on collision on Route 190 on the Big Island.
Police identified the victims as Randy W. Ahuna, 48, of Waimea and Charlotte L. Paris, 57, of Kealakekua.
Police said a pickup truck traveling Waimea-bound and driven by Ahuna crossed the center line and crashed head-on into Paris' vehicle, which was going in the opposite direction. Big Island firefighters used the jaws of life to free the drivers from their cars.
Ahuna was transported to North Hawaii Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:25 a.m.
Paris died at the scene, police said. Both drivers were wearing seat belts, and police believe driver fatigue might have been a factor in the crash.
Officers ID victim as Puna man, 19
Big Island police identified yesterday a 19-year-old Puna man who died Thursday in a one-car crash in Puna as Jarryd Campbell.
Campbell was traveling west at about 9 p.m. on Beach Road east of Kahakai Boulevard in a 1990 Honda sedan when he lost control on a curve and drove off a cliff, dropping 20 feet onto the rocks below, police said.
Big Island firefighters extricated him and took him to Hilo Medical Center, where he died at 12:50 a.m.
Campbell was not wearing a seat belt, and police believe that speed and alcohol were factors in the crash.
Traffic investigators have ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call Officer Andres Fojas at 961-8889. It was the 27th Big Island traffic fatality this year, compared with 27 at this time last year.
Search warrant brings 16 charges
Big Island detectives charged a 40-year-old Kona man with several counts of theft, drug offenses and credit card offenses, a Big Island police news release said Friday.
Paul Ebel of Honomalino was charged with 16 counts including theft, possession of confidential information, ID theft, drug paraphernalia, promoting a detrimental drug and fraudulent use and theft of a credit card.
The charges stem from a search warrant served at his home that led to the discovery of stolen burglary and mail items. He is being held in Kona in lieu of $80,000 bail.
HONOLULU
Husband arrested in death of wife
Police charged a 45-year-old Ewa Beach man this weekend who is accused of strangling his wife. Michael Schuette is being held on $500,000 bail under the charge of second-degree murder.
Police arrested Schuette on Friday after an autopsy revealed that his wife, 49-year-old Victoria Schuette, died on Sept. 10 of strangulation and not from head injuries.
Police said initial reports were that Schuette and his wife argued in the back yard, and he allegedly pushed her and she hit her head. The autopsy showed that Schuette did have head injuries.
Body in water ruled a suicide
The death of a 62-year-old Honolulu woman whose body was found in the waters off Ala Moana Beach Park last week was ruled a suicide, the Honolulu Medical Examiner's office said yesterday.
Ok Hartman died of asphyxia due to drowning, the autopsy determined. A surfer found her body floating face down in the reef Thursday morning.
Smashed glass hits baby's face
A 23-year-old man was arrested Saturday and is accused of smashing his ex-girlfriend's car window, which sent glass flying into the face of her infant.
The suspect and a 36-year-old woman, the ex-girlfriend, were having an argument Thursday afternoon in Aiea. While the woman and her 1-year-old son were sitting in her car, the suspect allegedly shattered the windows with a golf club, causing minor injuries to the infant's face.
The suspect was located Friday in the Ala Moana area and booked on suspicion of first-degree criminal property damage.
Search for boaters turns up nothing
The U.S. Coast Guard suspended a search yesterday after receiving no reports of overdue people when a three-person kayak was found Saturday floating south of Diamond Head.
Crews searched Saturday night and yesterday morning from 7 to 9 a.m. after a 12-foot orange, three-person kayak was found floating with enough gear for two or three people.
The Coast Guard said it is waiting to hear word of missing kayakers or from the owners of the kayak.
WINDWARD OAHU
Pipe attack on boy puts adult in cuffs
Police arrested a 20-year-old Hauula man yesterday after he allegedly assaulted a teenage neighbor with a metal pipe.
Police said the man and a 15-year-old boy were arguing at about 10 p.m. when the man took a metal pipe and assaulted the teenager. The teen was taken to an area hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries, police said.
