|
Newswatch
Star-Bulletin staff and wire service
|
Grants awarded to educate youth
Four nonprofit groups are getting more than $950,000 in state grants to educate youth and young adults, foster athletic programs in schools and promote literacy, Gov. Linda Lingle said yesterday.
Most of the money, $552,227, will go to the Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council to support a Dropout Prevention Program working with 180 at-risk students from eight Big Island schools, and a Language Arts Multicultural Program to help third- and fourth-graders at Kapiolani and Keaau elementary schools.
The Hawaii High School Athletic Association, which represents 93 public and private schools, and the Hui Malama Learning Center, which offers General Education Diploma preparation, counseling, a family literacy program and tutoring for about 1,200 students annually, will each get $150,000.
A final grant of $100,000 will assist Read to Me International Foundation in educating parents and caregivers on the benefits of reading aloud.
Summer reading program is set
Students participating in the Hawaii Public Library System Teen Summer Reading Program will have a chance to win up to $1,000 for back-to-school shopping.
The free, five-week program, "iREAD," will run from June 9 through July 12, with most libraries statewide highlighting books and information on technology, innovation and ingenuity.
Students entering seventh grade this fall through 2008 high school graduates are eligible. Registered readers should visit their local library weekly, read at least one book a week, and receive reading incentives.
Teens can enter for a chance to win $1,000, $500 or $250 Back-to-School Shopping Sprees at Pearlridge Center. Hawaii Pizza Hut, which is sponsoring the sweepstakes, also will award 10 Summer Reading Pizza Award Certificates to each branch library for lucky drawing prizes.
Entries must be turned in to any public library by July 12. Three winners will be drawn later that month.
Mililani Mauka school wins cash
Mililani Mauka Elementary students and their parents have won $10,000 for the school by conserving energy at home.
They were among more than 1,100 families from 13 elementary schools who participated in the Home Energy Challenge, a six-month competition that began in October.
In all, families saved more than 178,000 kilowatt hours worth almost $46,000, or about $41.30 for each of the 1,112 households.
The contest, sponsored by Hawaiian Electric Co. and the state Department of Education, also awarded $1,000 to Aina Haina, Hokulani, Holomua, Kaneohe, Kapunahala, Laie, Makalapa, Manoa, Maunawili and Noelani elementary schools.
|
Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff
|
Man, 82, dies after car hits pole
An 82-year-old Pacific Palisades man died from injuries suffered yesterday afternoon after his car rolled down the street from his house and hit a light post, police said.
The crash occurred at 12:57 p.m. yesterday on Auhuhu Street near Komo Mai Drive.
Yoshio Tamashiro was seated in his 1994 blue four-door station wagon, apparently with the engine off, when the car rolled forward down the driveway of his home, then went downhill on Komo Mai Drive.
Since the car was turned off, it had no power for steering or braking, police said.
Tamashiro was able to make a wide right turn at Auhuhu Street. The car rolled up onto a grassy shoulder and hit a light pole, where it came to rest.
Tamashiro was taken in critical condition to Kapiolani Medical Center at Pali Momi, where he was pronounced dead at 1:43 p.m. He appeared to have been suffering from a medical condition prior to the crash, said Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the Honolulu Emergency Services Department.
He was not wearing a seat belt, and the car's airbags deployed, police said. This was the 16th Oahu traffic fatality for the year, compared with 34 at this time last year.
HONOLULU
Girl accuses man of sexual assault
A 30-year-old Mililani man was arrested yesterday for allegedly sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl at Keehi Boat Harbor in February.
The girl told police she was sexually assaulted by the man at 2 a.m. Feb. 17 while visiting friends at the boat harbor.
Police arrested the man for investigation of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of third-degree sexual assault.
Police released the man yesterday pending investigation.
Boyfriend arrested after knife threat
Police arrested a 21-year-old man for allegedly hitting and threatening his girlfriend Sunday night.
About 9:30 p.m. Sunday, the suspect allegedly punched and knocked out his 44-year-old girlfriend during a fight in their Kalihi home.
Police said the woman found her boyfriend later in a bar, and told him not to come back.
The suspect then allegedly held a knife to the woman's throat and threatened to kill her.
About 1 a.m. yesterday, patrol officers found the suspect and arrested him on suspicion of second-degree assault and first-degree terroristic threatening.
LEEWARD OAHU
Police investigate ATM break-in
Police are looking for two men who were seen allegedly trying to break into an automatic teller machine early today.
About 3:30 a.m., a witness saw the men trying to break into an ATM at the Aiea Shopping Center. Police said the men fled in a dark-colored sedan.
A rash of recent ATM thefts have prompted police to start an ATM theft task force within the police department.
WINDWARD OAHU
Alleged abuse leads to arrest
Police arrested a 25-year-old man who allegedly hit a woman and refused to let her leave their home.
Police said the incident happened at 8:30 p.m. Sunday in the Waimanalo house where the suspect and the 31-year-old victim live.
The woman left about a day later and reported the incident. The suspect was found near the home Monday night and arrested on suspicion of household abuse and kidnapping.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Big Island police hunt for rapist
Big Island police are searching for a man who allegedly pulled a female pedestrian into his car and sexually assaulted her south of Hilo early Sunday .
According to a police report, a man driving a white sedan was following a woman walking alone on Kilauea Avenue, near Lanikaula Street, about 1 a.m. The man pulled the woman into his car and drove to Highway 11 near Stainback Highway, where he sexually assaulted her.
She jumped out of the car and fled, but the man chased her down and attacked her again, but drove away on Stainback Highway after a passing motorist stopped, police said.
The suspect is described as 5 foot 7, 185 to 200 pounds, with short dark brown hair, brown eyes and tan skin. He was wearing a short-sleeved white T-shirt and blue jeans.
Anyone with information can call officer BJ Duarte at 961-2373 or the nonemergency line 935-3311. Anonymous calls can be made to CrimeStoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona.