Mayor's vague campaign faces daily $50 fine
Starting Monday, the campaign committee for Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris will be fined $50 a day if it doesn't say what race it is collecting money for.Harris recently held a fund-raiser and said he was collecting money for either a statewide race or for his re-election.
Robert Watada, state Campaign Spending Commission executive director, said Harris is required to say what he is running for.
Officials of the Harris campaign have countered that it wasn't needed because Harris wasn't raising more per donor than the limit for mayor.
Watada disagreed and will publish a written notice on Monday, stating that Harris has failed to correct a deficiency regarding his report, by failing to identify the office sought.
He also failed to identify the occupations and employers of 115 campaign contributors.
Harris has refused to rule out a run for governor this fall, contributing to speculation that he might resign as mayor this summer.
Maui coalition takes airport growth to court
WAILUKU -- A coalition of Maui groups has filed a lawsuit to halt the expansion of Kahului Airport and an extension of the runway that would allow direct flights between foreign countries and the Valley Isle.A number of Maui businesses view the expansion as necessary for the Valley Isle to remain competitive in tourism and agriculture.
"We have a lot of hotel rooms and we need to fill them. If we do not deal with this issue, we will fall behind," said Lynne Woods, president of the Maui Chamber of Commerce. "It will allow agricultural products to get out on a timely basis, and that has always been a problem."
The coalition says an environmental impact statement prepared by the state and federal government is inadequate. It wants a court order to halt any work until a report is prepared properly.
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in Maui Circuit Court against Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano, who approved the environmental impact statement.
Four 'gypsies' nabbed in theft at Kahala home
Four Hilo men who told police they were gypsies were arrested in Kahala yesterday for allegedly stealing from a home during a window-screen scam.A Kahala man, 67, said he was approached by the men -- ages 51, 30, 30 and 26 -- at his home Tuesday, police said. The men said they would repair his window screens.
When he was distracted by one man, another allegedly stole money from a bedroom, police said. The men left, saying they would return, and the homeowner discovered the money was missing. The men were arrested yesterday when they returned to the home.
Maui harbor pollution blamed on Linda Lingle
WAILUKU -- The state attorney general's office is reviewing whether to take legal action against Maui Mayor Linda Lingle's administration for allegedly failing to enforce environmental laws at Maalaea Harbor.State land board Chairman Michael Wilson said the review also focuses on commercial center developer Maalaea Triangle Partnership and general contractor Oahu Construction Co. Ltd.
Wilson blamed lax enforcement by the Lingle administration for contributing to the "environmental disaster" at the harbor by failing to enforce a shoreline permit.
The developer of the commercial center failed to grade small parcels incrementally and during low rainfall months, as outlined in the permit issued by the county Planning Commission, he said.
Lingle -- a Republican who has announced her candidacy for governor -- accused Wilson of election-time political grandstanding.
"The fact is that the state bears most of the responsibility for the current condition of Maalaea Harbor," Lingle said.
Lingle said the state gave the county permission to drain the runoff into the harbor.
She said the runoff also came from state ranch lands mauka of the harbor that were left denuded by a rancher fined for cruelty to animals.
Trash pickup halt ruled labor board issue
A Circuit Court judge says the Hawaii Labor Relations Board, and not him, should determine if refuse workers have to use new automated collection routes.Judge Kevin Chang yesterday dismissed a city lawsuit which argued the United Public Workers union is violating a signed contract to operate the routes.
He agreed with the union that jurisdiction in the conflict belongs to the labor board.
Refuse workers began the new routes on March 30 but stopped on April 13.
UPW chief Gary Rodrigues said the stoppage came because the city breached its promise to support a new UPW contract in exchange for his endorsement of the routes.
The city denies there was such an agreement.
Deputy Corporation Counsel Paul Tsukiyama argued the court had jurisdiction in the refuse issue because the union's action constituted "an illegal strike."
In a release, Mayor Jeremy Harris said the city can't get a fair hearing before the labor board because it is "stacked in favor of the union."
Union attorney Herb Takahashi did not return calls to his office.
The board currently is hearing a union complaint that the city reneged on its oral agreement to support the UPW contract.
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Police/Fire
By Star-Bulletin staffHILO -- On the same night that Dana Ireland murder suspect Shawn Schweitzer, while apparently drunk, pressured a potential witness against him, a group of women confronted him shouting, "Guilty, guilty." Judge continues bail hearing
in Dana Ireland caseThose details in a hearing on revoking Schweitzer's $70,000 bail were presented to Judge Riki May Amano yesterday, but short of time, the judge scheduled a further hearing for Tuesday.
In the meantime, she doubled the bail of both Shawn Schweitzer, 22, and his brother Albert Ian Schweitzer, 26, to $140,000 each.
Hawaii Community Correctional Center officials said both brothers were still in custody this morning.
The brothers are charged with murder, kidnapping, and sexual assault in the 1991 Christmas Eve attack on Ireland, 23, who was visiting her family.
In yesterday's hearing, Shawn Schweitzer's friend Jesse Gonsalves testified he saw Shawn Schweitzer on the night of Feb. 27 when a group of young people were drinking and partying at several locations in the Puna area.
"How come they like talk to you?" Gonsalves said Shawn Schweitzer asked him. Gonsalves testified he didn't know that he was a possible prosecution witness in the case until he received a subpoena just a few days ago.
One reason deputy prosecutor Charlene Iboshi has given for revoking Shawn Schweitzer's bail is this prohibited contact with a witness.
Shawn Schweitzer also asked why Gonsalves' father was a witness against him.
"Why was my father trying to bring him down?" Gonsalves said Shawn asked repeatedly.
But Gonsalves said he didn't feel the questions were a threat.
Pahoa Sports Bar owner Frank Baker testified that Shawn Schweitzer was outside his establishment challenging people to a fight on the same night about 1 a.m.
"He was standing in the middle of the street yelling, 'Do you want to take me on? I want to take you on,'" Baker said.
But he added that a group of women where shouting "Guilty, guilty" at Shawn.
"It was a thorn in his side, yes," he said.
Testimony will resume on Tuesday, to be combined with a hearing on revoking bail for Albert Ian Schweitzer.
As violations of bail conditions, Iboshi cites the contact both brothers had with potential witnesses, drinking alcohol, and testing positive for marijuana use.
Man booked on charges of robbing two banks
Federal agents yesterday arrested a 37-year-old man who they believe robbed the First Hawaiian Bank in Liliha on Monday and the Bank of Hawaii in Pearlridge last week.Michael Luther was arrested and charged by the FBI, officials said.
He was apprehended at his Ulupaina Street home at 4:15 p.m.
Agents would not disclose if money or a weapon was recovered during the arrest.
In both robberies, the suspect entered the bank in the afternoon and presented a note saying he had a weapon. He then fled with an undisclosed amount of money.
Male stripper arrested after alleged rape
An Aiea stripper was arrested yesterday for allegedly raping a woman following a performance last month.The 31-year-old man danced in front of a group of women on April 25, and after the party, he allegedly raped a 20-year-old woman, police said.
Hammer attacker guilty despite mental disorder
Monte L. Young had a mental disorder when he used a hammer to kill a Manoa man at a fast-food restaurant a year ago, a judge has ruled.But Circuit Court Judge Victoria Marks also ruled that Young's disorder, caused by his own use of illegal drugs and alcohol, did not prevent him from knowing right from wrong or acting within the law.
Marks yesterday convicted Young of second-degree murder in a nonjury trial for his role in the death of Paul Ulbrich, 44, at University Avenue Burger King on May 10, 1997.
Deputy Prosecutor Jean Ireton called the ruling important, saying: "I would hate to see people who choose to mess up their minds get away with crimes. They need to be held accountable."
Ireton had argued that Young's voluntary use of drugs, including crystal methamphetamine, or "ice," caused his mental disorders, which included delusions.
Army husband faces molestation charges
A suit filed yesterday in Circuit Court accuses the civilian husband of an Army specialist assigned to Tripler Hospital of molesting a female child.The couple reside in housing at Tripler, the suit says. No military discipline is pending against the specialist, and it's unclear how much jurisdiction the Army would have over her civilian husband, a Tripler source said.
The suit says he acted as a baby sitter for children of at least six military families at Tripler family housing. The children ranged in age from 2 to 6, the suit says.
The Star-Bulletin learned the man named was arrested here March 18 for sexually assaulting a 6-year-old but not charged. Police also were called in May 1997 and February 1998 on him for violating a protective order, but the cases were dropped.
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