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Star-Bulletin staff
and wire service


» Police, Fire, Courts

Local school is cheerful champ

Kamehameha-Kapalama School won the small varsity division of a high school cheerleading championship this past weekend in Orlando, Fla.

The Honolulu team members were among more than 8,000 cheerleaders in the competition.

Varsity, the nation's largest cheerleading organization, hosted the 28th annual Universal Cheerleaders Association National High School Cheerleading Championship at Walt Disney World.

The event was viewed by more than 25,000 spectators, and will be broadcast later this month on ESPN, a release said.

Funds for Ewa school released

The state released $66.9 million yesterday to start building a middle school in Ewa this summer.

The Ewa Makai Middle School will alleviate overcrowding at Ilima Intermediate and seven elementary schools serving fast-growing West Oahu, Gov. Linda Lingle said in releasing the funds.

The state Department of Education wants to open the school during the 2010-11 school year.

The school, which will cost about $82.6 million and have a sustainable design, has been registered with the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

Reservoirs to get safety upgrade

The state is beginning a $10.2 million project to make safety improvements on seven reservoirs managed by the Department of Agriculture.

Gov. Linda Lingle has released the money for design and construction at irrigation systems on four islands. Design work will be finished in November, and construction is expected to be completed in November 2009, according to a release.

Improvements will be made to the following:

» Oahu -- Waiahole irrigation system, Waimanalo reservoir

» Big Island -- Honokaa-Paauilo irrigation system, Waimea irrigation system

» Kauai -- Kokee Ditch irrigation system, Kekaha Ditch system

» Molokai -- Kualapuu Reservoir

Runway fix will affect air routes

An increase in aircraft traffic over downtown Honolulu is expected today as Honolulu Airport was to close a runway for maintenance.

Runway 8R-26L is to be closed from 4:45 to 6:15 p.m. Takeoff patterns for outgoing flights are to be modified due to the temporary closure.

State stats available on DVD

Eleven years of Hawaii statistics are now available in DVD format -- the most comprehensive version of the State of Hawaii Data Book.

The DVD can be purchased from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism's Research and Economic Analysis Division, 250 S. Hotel St., Room 425. The cost is $15 per DVD for purchases made at the office.

The cost is $17 postpaid for first-class delivery in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and $18 to other countries. Checks or money orders may be made out to the State of Hawaii and sent to the DBEDT Research and Economic Analysis Division at P.O. Box 2359, Honolulu, HI 96804. For more information, call 586-2466.




Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff



WAIKIKI

Owner is burned in dive shop blast

A 28-year-old man was taken in serious condition to Straub Clinic & Hospital yesterday after an explosion at a Waikiki dive shop, said Bryan Cheplic, city Emergency Services Department spokesman.

The incident happened at Waikiki Diving Inc., 424 Nahua St., shortly before 7:13 p.m., fire officials said. The man suffered burns to 18 percent of his body, Cheplic said.

The owner of the shop told a fire official that he heard unusual sounds from the compressor and tried to adjust it just before it blew. Fire officials said the cause of the explosion is under investigation.

HONOLULU

Baby who died at airport is ID'd

A 14-day-old infant who died Friday shortly after going through immigration at Honolulu Airport was identified yesterday as Michael Futi of American Samoa.

The baby boy's cause of death has not been determined pending further investigation, according to the Medical Examiner's Office. Police said emergency crews were sent out to the U.S. Customs checkpoint at the airport after a child was reported unresponsive.

Police said the infant was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Accident victim was Pahoa man

Big Island police identified the 52-year-old Pahoa man who died Saturday from injuries sustained in a car accident as Allan K. Kalua.

Kalua was driving a two-door Honda sedan north on Hawaii Belt Road when he rear-ended a Ford pickup truck making a left turn onto Kukui Camp Road in Mountain View, police said.

Police said the driver of the truck was not injured.

Anyone with information on the crash is asked to call officer Andres Fojas at 961-8889.

Kiteboarder goes missing on Big Isle

The Coast Guard began searching yesterday for a kiteboarder possibly missing near Anaehoomalu Bay on the Big Island. Witnesses saw a red, white and blue kite go 100 feet into the air, then straight down at about 2 p.m. yesterday, the Coast Guard said.

Coast Guard crew members from Barbers Point and the Coast Guard cutter Kiska from Hilo are assisting. The Hawaii Fire Department contacted the Coast Guard at about 3 p.m. to help. Coast Guard crews began searching at 5:30 p.m. yesterday and planned to search through the night.

Anyone with information that could help aid in the search should contact the Coast Guard at 842-2600.





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