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Newswatch
Star-Bulletin staff
and wire service
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Musician's stolen guitar turns up
A stolen custom-made guitar is back in the hands of Grammy award-winning slack-key artist Ledward Kaapana, his wife said yesterday.
The guitar was stolen from a car in the parking lot of the Likelike Drive-Inn on Aug. 25 at about 3 p.m., and Kaapana issued a public call for its return, no questions asked. Kaapana has owned the bird's-eye maple Ibanez guitar for 35 years.
The thief apparently contacted a friend of singer Robi Kahakalau to sell the guitar, said Sharon Kaapana. The friend bought it for $150 but realized it was Kaapana's guitar. She told Kahakalau, who told entertainer Amy Hanaialii Gilliom.
Gilliom saw the Kaapanas at the Malama Punaluu festival on the Big Island this weekend and told them about it, and they arranged to get the guitar back.
A long story but a happy ending, Sharon Kaapana said. "Led's happy," she said. "It doesn't have its case but that's OK."
Groups to host mayoral forum
The Kapolei Chamber of Commerce and the West Oahu Economic Development Association are holding a mayoral forum Thursday with the three major candidates.
The forum will be held at the Filipino Community Center at 94-428 Mokuola St. from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. A luncheon is scheduled at 11:30 a.m.
The public is invited to register for the event by Wednesday. Cost is $35 for members and $45 for nonmembers.
For more information, please visit www.kapoleichamber.com.
State sweep reveals more mites
The state Department of Agriculture says it found more varroa mite bee parasites near Hilo Bay.
State officials said yesterday 24 mites were found on bees in a trap Friday. It is the third detection of the mites on the Big Island. The trap was within a half-mile of the other traps where mites were detected near Banyan Drive.
So far 38 mites have been confirmed in the Hilo area since Aug. 22, when 12 mites were found in a trap near the Hilo Airport. Two more mites were found in a feral beehive on Aug. 23.
Varroa mites have not been detected in any managed hives in Hilo.
The mites pose a threat to the $4 million commercial bee industry in Hawaii and to crops that depend on bees for pollination.
The state is urging Hilo residents to report feral beehives and bee swarms to the state's toll-free Pest Hotline at 643-PEST (7378). Beekeepers and the public are also being asked not to transport bees or beekeeping equipment in or out of a 15-mile radius of Hilo Bay.
More than 100 swarm traps are set around Hilo to catch bees that might be carrying the mite, and additional swarm traps are set around the Big Island.
Varroa mites were first reported in Hawaii in April 2007 in Manoa, and the pest is considered to be established on Oahu.
More information on varroa mites is available on the department's Web page at hawaii.gov/hdoa/pi/ppc/varroa-bee-mite-page.
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Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff
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FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
An early morning fire severely damaged a home yesterday at 914 Hoomoana St. in Pearl City. The occupant, an elderly woman, escaped safely with her dog.
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LEEWARD OAHU
Woman and dog escape house fire
A woman in her 80s and her dog escaped without injury yesterday after an early-morning fire in Pearl City.
The fire, at 914 Hoomoana St., destroyed a single-story wooden home, said fire Capt. Terry Seelig.
Firefighters arrived at 2:20 a.m., and the fire was brought under control at 2:40 a.m. Flames could be seen as firefighters arrived, Seelig said.
Neighbors heard a smoke alarm go off and went to check on the woman, who had already escaped, he said.
"This is a good example of how important it is to have a smoke alarm."
Damage was estimated at $450,000.
The fire appears to have started in a bathroom, but the cause is under investigation, Seelig said.
Missing swimmer search continues
Rescue officials resumed a search this morning for a swimmer missing along the Leeward Coast.
At about 11:30 last night, the Honolulu Fire Department responded to a call of a missing 28-year-old man, who was last seen on Black Rock Beach near Tracks Beach between Nanakuli and Kahe Point.
The man was seen swimming in the area on Sunday, but it was not known exactly what time he was last seen, officials said.
Rescue officials searched for about three and a half hours last night before resuming at 5:30 this morning.
A helicopter conducted an aerial search while HFD rescue divers and the U.S. Coast Guard searched nearby waters.
WINDWARD OAHU
Wife allegedly hits car of spouse, rival
A 29-year-old woman was charged with attempted murder yesterday after she allegedly smashed her car into a vehicle that carried her husband and another woman.
Police said Therese Tufaga was driving Sunday night in Laie when she spotted her husband driving with another woman.
Tufaga allegedly chased the car to Hui Iwa and Hui Kelu streets in Kahaluu at about 10:35 p.m. when she rammed the car with her vehicle, police said.
A 27-year-old woman, who was a passenger in the car, was taken in good condition to Castle Medical Center. No one else was injured.
Both cars were severely damaged, police said.
Police arrested Tufaga on suspicion of first-degree attempted murder, and her husband was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of an intoxicant and on a traffic warrant.
Tufaga was being held in lieu of $15,000 bail yesterday.
HONOLULU
Duo critically hurt in mo-ped crash
Two men were in critical condition yesterday after their mo-ped ran a red light and was hit by a car on Beretania Street, police said.
The men were headed makai on Ward Avenue at about 4:50 a.m. when they crossed into the Beretania Street intersection against the red light and were hit by a black 2005 Nissan Sentra, police said.
Both men were not wearing helmets and were ejected. An ambulance took them in critical condition to the Queen's Medical Center.
The car's driver, a Honolulu man, was wearing a seat belt and was not injured in the crash.
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MANGLED CAR: A 21-year-old woman was critically injured yesterday afternoon after she lost control of the car she was driving south on the H-2 freeway near the Leilehua Road overpass. Speed was a factor in the crash. The woman failed to negotiate a slight bend in the road, police said.
