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Newswatch
Star-Bulletin staff and wire service
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Nader '04 ballot rejection upheld
The Hawaii Supreme Court has upheld the state's chief election officer's decision not to put presidential candidate Ralph Nader on the 2004 Hawaii general election ballot.
Then-chief election officer Dwayne Yoshina determined that Nader failed to present the minimum number of signatures on his petition.
Nader appealed Yoshina's decision to the Circuit Court, which upheld the decision. He then appealed to the Hawaii Supreme Court, which affirmed the lower court's finding Thursday.
Nader's lawyer Eric Seitz called the decision "a poorly written opinion" and not worth the nearly four-year wait.
Seitz also represents Nader in a similar case in the U.S. District Court. Senior Judge Alan Kay presided over a two-day trial earlier this month but did not issue a decision on the case pending the Hawaii Supreme Court appeal.
Funds go toward airport bridges
The state has released $36,612,500 to replace passenger loading bridges at the Honolulu, Kahului and Hilo airports.
The Department of Transportation is replacing passenger bridges at airports around the state as part of Gov. Linda Lingle's 12-year, $2.3 billion airport modernization plan, according to a state news release.
Honolulu Airport will receive $22.7 million to replace 25 passenger loading bridges in the airport's overseas terminal. Kahului Airport will get $9.6 million to replace 11 passenger bridges, and Hilo Airport will get $3.6 million for four passenger bridges. The work is scheduled to finish in 2009.
UH-Hilo joins study on space life
HILO, Hawaii » The University of Hawaii at Hilo and the Colorado School of Mines said they will jointly research supporting human life in outer space.
"The number of Hawaii students interested in space exploration is rapidly growing," UH-Hilo Chancellor Rose Tseng said in a statement released Thursday. "We welcome the opportunity to be a part of information and education exchanges like this one."
The Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems at UH-Hilo develops technologies to enable humans to sustain life on another planet. It has agreements with NASA to test remote-controlled vehicles and hopes to work with commercial partners.
The Colorado School of Mines Center for Space Resources, which focuses on how natural resources can meet human survival needs on the moon and Mars, works with Lockheed Martin on producing oxygen from lunar rocks and soil, director Angel Abbud-Madrid said.
Tseng and School of Mines President Bill Scoggins expect to sign an agreement on April 4 to establish the partnership.
Transit team hosts meeting
Mayor Mufi Hannemann and his mass transit team will hold a public meeting April 7 at Radford High School to give updates about the project.
The meeting, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the school's cafeteria, will address the route, technology and environmental impacts of the planned $3.7 billion system.
Underage-drinking forum planned
A community town hall meeting to discuss problems of underage drinking will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Windward Community College, Room 105, Hale Akoakoa.
Community Works in 96744, a Kaneohe organization, is sponsoring the event, including dinner, guest speakers and a call to action.
For more information, call 235-7747.
Civil Defense siren test is set
The state Civil Defense Division has scheduled the monthly test of the siren warning system for Tuesday at 11:45 a.m.
Live broadcasts will run simultaneously as part of the Emergency Alert System, which is also used in case of a tsunami or terrorism threat.
The outdoor siren test is the attention/alert signal -- a steady 45-second tone on all sirens to alert the public to any natural or technological hazard posing a threat to life and property.
When the signal sounds, turn on any local radio or television station for information and instructions.
Civil Defense disaster preparedness information is also located in the front white pages of telephone directories.
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Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff
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NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Man arrested in ID theft case
Kona police arrested a 31-year-old Kailua-Kona man Wednesday for allegedly using a credit card stolen from a California man's rented car.
Tautua Tanoai was charged Thursday with fraudulent use of a credit card, second-degree identity theft, second-degree theft and unauthorized possession of personal information.
On March 12, police responded to a report that a 26-year-old California man had items stolen from a parked car, including credit cards.
That same day, one of the stolen credit cards was used at four different Kona establishments.
Big Island police are reminding business establishments to help prevent thefts by checking identification while processing personal checks or credit cards.
Tanoai is being held in lieu of $5,000 bail at the Kona police cellblock pending his initial court appearance.
Big Isle focusing on speeders
Big Island police have issued 1,818 speeding tickets so far this year in a crackdown on speeding motorists.
"The crackdown on speeding is aimed at saving lives," said Sgt. Kelly Kaaumoana-Matsumoto in a news release.
She noted that of the 33 fatal accidents recorded in 2007, 21 of them -- or 64 percent -- were attributed fully or partially to speeding.
"Motorists should be aware that police officers will be on the lookout for speeders," Kaaumoana-Matsumoto said.
"We hope this increased enforcement of speed limits will cause motorists to think twice about speeding."