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Newswatch
Star-Bulletin staff and wire service
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Firm cited for pile of tires
The state Department of Health cited a Hawaii company for failing to remove thousands of waste tires from a vacant lot in Kapolei before they become a health or safety hazard.
Health Department officials said they filed a notice and finding of violation and order against A Pacific Island Properties LLC for its failure to remove the old tires, about 40,000 of which were remaining Aug. 27. The company was sent a warning letter Aug. 31.
On March 5 about 30,000 tires were left on the property, department officials said.
The department sent its first warning letter Jan. 12, 2006. It has ordered the company to remove the tires and transport them to a permitted solid-waste management facility or out-of-state recycler.
Pacific Island Properties has 90 days to comply with the final order.
If the company fails to comply, it faces legal action from the attorney general's office.
Housing accessibility loans added
Honolulu has increased the limit of its Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program, which allows homeowners to make home repairs and improvements for accessibility, to $150,000 from $80,000.
Income-qualified owner-occupant applicants may obtain interest-free loans and be allowed to partially defer repayments for the 15-year term of the loan, according to city officials.
"We urge qualified homeowners to seriously consider tapping into this important program to ensure their homes are safe and comfortable as they grow older," Mayor Mufi Hannemann said in a news release.
Funds for the program come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant program.
To apply or for more information, call the Rehabilitation Loan Program's downtown office at 768-7076 or the Kapolei Hale office at 768-3240.
Disaster planning help offered
Hurricane season is here. To prepare the public for a possible disaster, the American Red Cross Hawaii State Chapter is holding nine free seminars at Central Pacific Bank branches statewide in August and September.
Participants will learn how to put together a family or small-business disaster plan and kit, and what to do before and after a disaster.
Disaster and first aid kits will be available for purchase. Since seating is limited, reservations should be made by calling 544-0500. All seminars will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the following locations:
On Oahu
» Thursday, Beretania branch (1338 S. Beretania St.), 594-7400
» Sept. 3, McCully branch (2002 S. King St.), 973-6360
» Sept. 4, Pearl Highlands branch (1030 Makolu St.), 454-6200
» Sept. 16, Keeaumoku branch (818 Keeaumoku St.), 973-7676
Neighbor Islands
» Aug. 19, Hilo branch (525 Kilauea Ave.), 935-5251
» Aug. 20, Kona branch (75-1010 Henry St.), 329-4481
» Sept. 10, Lihue branch (4364 Rice St.), 245-3311
» Sept. 11, Kahului branch (85 W. Kaahumanu Ave.), 877-3387
UH spokesman gets new duties
Gregg Takayama, the University of Hawaii-Manoa spokesman, has new duties after being appointed director of community and government affairs in the chancellor's office.
"I'm confident that Gregg will be a key asset to our leadership team in sharing our message of campus goals and achievements with the public and decision-makers in our community," Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw said.
Takayama will continue as spokesman for UH-Manoa while managing the university relations team and overseeing government relations. He has been director of communications at UH Manoa since April 2007.
Takayama's new job pays $118,008 a year.
Takayama also served as communications director at the John A. Burns School of Medicine from 2005 to 2007, and before that he was a reporter for KHON2 News for eight years.
Takayama is a UH-Manoa graduate and a former a reporter for the Star-Bulletin. He also served for 13 years as press secretary to U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye in Washington, D.C., and was spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety and then Lt. Gov. Ben Cayetano.
Voter registration drive scheduled
The Chinese Community Action Coalition is holding a voter registration drive next Saturday at the Kekaulike Mall in Chinatown.
The registration drive is aimed at getting new citizens to vote, but the group will register anyone who wants to sign up, organizers said. The coalition will also be holding a candidates forum on Oct. 16 at the Empress Restaurant in the Chinatown Cultural Plaza. The candidates' presentations will be translated into Cantonese and Mandarin.
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Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff
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LEEWARD OAHU
Fight over baby leads to arrest
Police arrested a 20-year-old man in Waianae yesterday after he allegedly pointed a handgun at an 18-year-old woman and demanded to see his infant son.
Police said the two were talking outside her home when the man told her he wanted to take the 3-month-old boy outside.
The woman told him that the baby was sick and refused to let him take the child, police said.
The man then allegedly pointed a handgun at the woman and demanded to see his son, police said.
The woman's mother reportedly saw the man threaten her daughter and told him she would call police, and he fled.
Police found the man and arrested him on suspicion of first-degree terroristic threatening.
LEEWARD OAHU
Alleged escapee is shoplift suspect
Police arrested an 18-year-old man for investigation of second-degree escape after he was arrested for shoplifting in Waikele.
Police said the man, who had escaped from the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility in Kailua, had been arrested Thursday night on suspicion of fourth- degree theft for allegedly shoplifting at about 8:30 p.m. in Waikele.
Police later discovered the man had escaped from the youth correctional facility and arrested him on suspicion of second-degree escape.
HONOLULU
Man is accused of choking woman
A 22-year-old man was arrested yesterday after he allegedly choked an 18-year-old woman yesterday afternoon in Honolulu.
Police said the incident occurred at about 1:15 p.m.
The two got into an argument when the man allegedly choked the woman and squeezed her head, police said.
Officers arrested the man on felony abuse of a household member.
Police said the victim refused medical treatment.
Girl allegedly escapes custody
A 15-year-old girl who appeared in court yesterday escaped in the Kakaako area and remains at large.
Police said the girl had not been incarcerated and was ordered in court to attend "girls' court."
The girl allegedly left without authorization at about 12:30 p.m. yesterday.
Police were unable to locate her yesterday.