Newswatch Star-Bulletin staff and wire service

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Abandoned seal gaining weight

An endangered monk seal abandoned by his mother is showing signs of improvement but is still not out of danger, according to a spokeswoman for the National Marine Fisheries Service.

"We're guardedly optimistic about his chances of survival," said spokeswoman Wende Goo.

The 7-day-old pup is moving around more, appears to be better hydrated and is beginning to show a slight weight gain, Goo said.

Specialists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration rescued the pup Friday at a beach on Kauai after they received a report that his mother was acting aggressively toward him shortly after giving birth.

"He is being fed a formula that has been used successfully by the Marine Mammal Center with harbor seal neonates (newborns) five times per day," Goo said in a written statement.

HECO cites metallic balloon worry

Hawaiian Electric Co. is asking the public to make sure metallic balloons are firmly secured so they do not become entangled in power lines and cause outages.

With Mother's Day and graduation celebrations coming up, HECO is advising balloon givers and recipients to attach each helium-filled balloon to a small weight, like a mug, small stuffed animal or heavy toy. Avoid bunching balloons together, which increases the chances of them sailing away, and do not use metallic ribbons, which also conduct electricity when they come in contact with power lines, HECO advises.

Besides disruptive power failures that can last for hours, loose balloons can cause downed lines, the potential for fires, property damage, injury and even death, a release said.

HECO also warns the public to dispose of the balloons by cutting them at the knot or sealing point and throwing them into the trash.

Donor drives to honor mothers

The Hawaii Bone Marrow Donor Registry at Hawaii Medical Center-East is holding "Thanks Mom" donor drives this weekend to honor mothers for the gift of life.

The are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, May 9, at the Filipino Community Center at 94-428 Mokuola St. in Waipahu. The drive is open to all potential donors of any ethnicity.

Roy Yonashiro, the registry's recruitment specialist, said in a news release, "Our mothers gave us the gift of life and that's exactly what donors give to patients when they donate their bone marrow or blood stem cells -- a second chance at life."

Donors must be between ages 18 and 60 and in good general health.

People who have already registered and need to update information or who would like more information about the donor program should call 547-6154 or visit the national Web site at www.marrow.org.

Police, Fire, Courts Star-Bulletin staff

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Toddler hurt in fall from building

A 4-year-old girl fell from a three-story building in Waipahu last night, said Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the city Emergency Services Department.

An ambulance was summoned at 6:19 p.m., and the girl was taken to the Queen's Medical Center in critical condition, he said.

The accident occurred at 94-333 Pupuole St., according to police.

LEEWARD OAHU

Student IDs staff in sexual assault

Police arrested a 43-year-old male security attendant at a Pearl City public intermediate school yesterday for allegedly sexually assaulting a 12-year-old female student.

The security attendant is employed at Highlands Intermediate School.

The girl reported the incident to school officials after the alleged sexual assault at about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The student positively identified the man in a field lineup, and the suspect was arrested at 9:07 a.m. yesterday for investigation of third-degree sex assault, which includes inappropriate touching.

The school security attendant was placed on leave pending investigation, Department of Education spokeswoman Sandra Goya said.

HONOLULU

Thief steals using victim's ATM card

Police have opened a theft case against a man who used a bank card left by someone else at an automated teller machine.

At about 4:15 p.m. April 28, a woman used a Bank of Hawaii ATM at Star Market in the Kamehameha Shopping Center. The woman forgot to remove her card.

The suspect saw the card left in the machine and made two unauthorized withdrawals. The suspect is described as being in his 30s.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on a cellular phone.

Brass knuckles bring threat bust

Police arrested an 18-year-old man for allegedly threatening another man with brass knuckles Tuesday night.

At about 10:30 p.m. another 18-year-old man reported the suspect made gestures to fight in the parking lot at 98-200 Pali Momi St. The suspect allegedly brandished brass knuckles and pretended he was going to use them, police said.

Police were notified and arrested the suspect on suspicion of second-degree terroristic threatening and possession of a deadly weapon.

CORRECTION Thursday, May 8, 2008 The Hawaii Bone Marrow Donor Registry is holding a drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow (Friday, May 9) at the Filipino Community Center at 94-428 Mokuola St. in Waipahu. Originally, this article said the drive is today. Also, the drive is open to all potential donors of any ethnicity — a second article on the drive (removed from the site due to its redundancy) indicated that the drive was specifically to find marrow for a 12-year-old leukemia patient who is of Filipino-Caucasian ancestry.