|
Newswatch
Star-Bulletin staff and wire service
|
Ownership of excess pets banned
Gov. Linda Lingle signed into law a bill making animal hoarding a misdemeanor, the governor's office said Friday in a news release.
The law makes it a crime to possess more than 20 dogs and cats without adequate food and in injurious conditions.
Another new law exempts the state and counties from absolute liability for the use of a government firearm used by a law enforcement officer outside of the course and scope of the officer's duties.
A third new law establishes a fine of up to $500 for parking motor vehicles on bicycle lanes or bike paths.
1 million acres marked as crucial
VOLCANO, Hawaii » Public and private landowners across three Big Island volcanoes have mapped out 1 million acres they say is worth protecting.
The Three Mountain Alliance covers watershed lands across the slopes of Mauna Loa, Kilauea and Hualalai. Nine partners have signed a memorandum of understanding for a plan to manage the land.
They include Kamehameha Schools and the Public Safety Department, representing the state's Kulani Correctional Facility and its inmates. They are involved in conservation work such as fencing and native reforestation.
The watershed partnership was announced Tuesday by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. It also includes several federal agencies that will share resources.
Postal food drive collects double
The 16th annual National Association of Letter Carriers' Food Drive on May 10 collected double the amount of donations over last year in the state.
This year's food drive brought in 635,204 pounds of food, a 100 percent increase over the 317,446 pounds of food collected last year, the Hawaii Foodbank announced Friday.
The Mililani Station/Wahiawa Post Office collected the most food of all post offices in the state -- 58,905 pounds of food, a 132 percent increase over its previous year's total. The Hilo Post Office led the Big Island with 23,554 pounds of food, Wailuku topped Maui with 16,788 pounds, and the Kapaa Post Office led Kauai with 3,879 pounds.
Traumatic stress cases rise 50%
The Army Surgeon General reports the number of post-traumatic stress disorder cases increased 50 percent last year.
U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka called the finding "alarming and cause for immediate action by the government as a whole," in a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Akaka, a Democrat and chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, asked the department to work with the Department of Defense to address the problem.
Akaka says that working together, the VA and DOD could develop a serious plan to deal with the increase in the number of cases.
He says the cost of untreated mental health needs includes the dissolution of families, unemployment, homelessness and suicide.
Associated Press
|
Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff
|
Man on probation arrested
LAHAINA » Maui police arrested a 26-year-old Lahaina man in an undercover drug operation just hours after he was sentenced to probation.
Police say Jaysonkai Cabading tried to sell cocaine to an undercover officer Wednesday night.
Earlier in the day, a judge sentenced Cabading to one year of probation for stealing several items from a vacation rental in Paia in February.
Second Circuit Judge Joel August sentenced Cabading in accordance with a plea agreement, but voiced concerns about Cabading's ability to successfully fulfill probation requirements.
Cabading admitted to the court that he had a drug problem and said he joined Narcotics Anonymous two weeks earlier and was trying to get into a residential treatment program.
Capt. Charles Hirata, commander of the Lahaina Patrol District, said Cabading overheard a man trying to sell marijuana to an undercover officer Wednesday evening.
When Cabading and the alleged supplier, Jamie Lee Russell, 29, met the officer on Front Street, police arrested them and a 15-year-old girl.
Hirata said the teenager is apparently Cabading's girlfriend, and police also are investigating that relationship.
On Friday, Cabading was being held on $85,000 bail at the Lahaina Police Station. Russell, also of Lahaina, was being held on $30,500 bail. The 15-year-old was released to a parent, Hirata said.
EAST OAHU
Road-rage case leads to charges
Prosecutors charged a 30-year-old man with unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle after he allegedly punched another motorist Friday morning in Waialae.
Police said Tobius Davies punched a 47-year-old man sitting in his vehicle at Kalanianaole Highway just after leaving the H-1 freeway.
Police said the incident started at about 8:05 a.m. Friday when the victim's car was stopped in traffic. Davies pulled next to the victim's vehicle and started to swear, pointing his finger at the man, police said.
Davies pulled in front of the man, got out his car and punched him in his mouth, police said.
Davies was released after posting $50,000 bail yesterday afternoon.
HONOLULU
Father arrested in alleged abuse
Police arrested a 39-year-old man Friday for allegedly beating his daughter with a hammer handle after an argument over the girl's laptop computer use.
About 11:30 Monday night, the suspect and his 17-year-old daughter were arguing in their home in Aiea when the suspect allegedly used a hammer to smash her laptop, then hit the girl on the head several times with the handle.
The girl was treated by a school nurse the next day and filed a complaint.
The father surrendered to police Friday night in Pearl City. He was arrested on suspicion of abuse of a household member. The girl is under the care of state child welfare services.