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Newswatch
Star-Bulletin staff and wire service
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Obama claims 14 isle delegates
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., won 14 of the 20 Hawaii delegates in the presidential preference poll last month while Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., claimed the remaining six, the Democratic Party of Hawaii reported yesterday.
The results were announced following a recount of the Feb. 19 caucus votes and are now official.
Throughout Hawaii, 37,519 Democrats had cast their ballots. Of those, 28,472, or 76 percent, chose Obama, and 8,846, or 24 percent, supported Clinton.
The remaining 246 votes were divided as follows: 138 for U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, 41 for former U.S. Sen. John Edwards and 67 "uncommitted."
The Democratic Party has 29 delegates and allocates 20 of them according to the caucus results. The remaining nine are superdelegates, who can support whomever they choose.
Infant's death under investigation
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection released its first statement about the death of 14-day-old Michael Futi, who died shortly after federal officials locked him in a room at Honolulu Airport on Feb. 8 for about 30 minutes.
"On behalf of Customs and Border Protection ... we grieve with the Futi family and our community over this loss. There are investigations under way, by the Honolulu Police Department as well as CBP Internal Affairs, into Michael Futi's death," said Lamar Witmer, CBP Honolulu area port director, in the statement released yesterday. "CBP is fully cooperating with and looks forward to learning the results of those investigations."
Futi, his mother and his nurse were locked in a room on Feb. 8 after arriving in Honolulu from American Samoa for the baby's heart surgery. Futi died shortly afterward. The family is planning to sue the federal government, claiming that their travel documents were in order and that they should not have been detained.
Futi will be buried today at Hawaiian Memorial Park.
BOE votes on drug-sniffing dogs
The state Board of Education has voted to seek public input on a plan to allow drug-sniffing dogs at public schools and let administrators search students' lockers without having to establish reasonable suspicion.
The school board voted 7-2 Thursday night to hold public hearings on the proposals, which are included in changes to Chapter 19, the student misconduct code, said board Chairwoman Donna Ikeda.
Two members, Kim Coco Iwamoto and Garrett Toguchi, voted no, arguing the language in the document gives schools too much power and violates students' privacy rights, Toguchi said.
HPD promotes assistant chief
Honolulu police Assistant Chief Karl Godsey has been promoted to deputy chief of administrative operations.
Godsey oversees Criminal Investigation, Juvenile Services and Narcotics/Vice divisions. He joined the Police Department in 1979.
Godsey has also worked in the districts of Downtown-Chinatown and Waikiki, as well as Internal Affairs. He graduated from the University of Hawaii and Roosevelt High School.
Keiki fair offers health screenings
Families are invited to a Keiki Care Health Fair hosted by the Hawaii Medical Service Association from 9 a.m. to noon today at the Kalihi-Palama Health Center, 9542 N. King St.
Free health screenings, immunizations, cooking demonstrations, snacks, games and prizes will be provided, and families can sign up for HMSA's Keiki Health Care Plan.
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Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff
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School staff hit by mystery odor
A Honolulu Fire Department hazardous materials team responded to Haleiwa Elementary School yesterday after four staff members complained of nausea and dizziness from an unknown odor, a fire official said.
The hazmat team monitored for chemicals but could not detect the odor or an obvious source. The smell was determined to be a transient nuisance odor, said Honolulu fire Capt. Terry Seelig.
All four adults refused treatment, said Bryan Cheplic, Honolulu Emergency Services Department spokesman.
The complaint came a day after five children at Highlands Intermediate School in Pearl City were treated for breathing problems after a neighbor spilled a pint of the common pesticide malathion.
CENTRAL OAHU
Police seek man in carjacking case
Police are looking for a man in his 20s who reportedly carjacked an elderly woman in Mililani yesterday morning.
Police said the woman was in her car when the man came up to her at about 6 a.m. and allegedly demanded she get out. The man then allegedly grabbed her and tossed her out of the car, causing her to fall to the ground, police said.
The man then jumped into the car, a 1994 Toyota Camry, and drove off.
The car was recovered later yesterday in Waipahu.
The suspect is described as 5 feet 4 inches tall, 120 pounds, with a medium build and dark complexion.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
2 teens charged with assault
Big Island police charged two teenage boys with assault for a fight Wednesday at Konawaena High School.
Two 16-year-old boys had allegedly assaulted a 15-year-old boy during a fight at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.
The younger boy sustained a fractured eye orbit and was treated at Kona Community Hospital and released.
Authorities arrested the suspects and charged them with second-degree assault.
As minors they are under Family Court jurisdiction, and were released to their parents at 1:10 p.m. Wednesday.
HONOLULU
Man accused of enticing child
Prosecutors charged a 24-year-old Aiea man Thursday with first-degree electronic enticement of a child and a drug charge after he allegedly went to a Manoa parking lot Wednesday to meet a 13-year-old girl for sex.
Erik S. Kobayashi allegedly arranged to meet to have sex with a person he thought was a 13-year-old girl he met in an Internet chat room.
Kobayashi had online chats between Nov. 5 and March 3 with a police detective who had assumed the persona of a 13-year-old girl in the eighth grade.
Kobayashi allegedly repeatedly expressed his desire to have sex with her and sent pictures of his genitals, partially clothed body and a head shot to her, police said in an affidavit.
Kobayashi showed up at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday at the Institute of Astronomy parking lot, where police arrested him.
Police also said he had allegedly made a previous attempt to meet the "girl" Jan. 30 at Manoa Marketplace. Bail was set at $25,000.