Newswatch

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Wednesday, April 7, 1999

UH to resume search
for astronomy head

UH wins tech grants

The University of Hawaii must resume its search for an Institute for Astronomy director after a second candidate has turned down the job.

Richard Ellis, University of Cambridge Institute of Astronomy director, informed the UH yesterday that he was not accepting the position, astronomers at the university said today.

Ellis reportedly expressed concerns about taking years from his research to deal with the kind of problems he saw in four visits to the UH and the institute since November.

"It's not like taking a car that's in neutral," he said in an interview during a trip here last month. "It's going backwards and you almost have to push it uphill."

Former murder suspect
may lose bail

HILO -- Bail for former Dana Ireland murder suspect Albert Ian Schweitzer may be revoked today in a case not related to Ireland.

Schweitzer, 27, was charged in 1995 with the sexual assault of a Big Island girl. The charge was dropped, but a new charge was filed last year, and Schweitzer was released on bail.

Judge Riki May Amano will hear a motion to revoke bail because of an alleged violation by Schweitzer.

Charges against Schweitzer in the Ireland case were dropped last year.

Makiki man, 42, bookedin taxicab owner's death

Police yesterday arrested a 42-year-old Makiki man wanted for questioning in Monday's fatal stabbing of taxicab owner and manager Paul Salazar.

Pearl City patrol officers made the arrest at about 5 p.m. after receiving an anonymous tip.

The man was booked in connection with second-degree murder.

Charges are also pending against a 28-year-old Waikiki man who was arrested at the scene.

Salazar, who owned and managed two taxicabs, was stabbed several times in the head and upper body.

He was found inside his first-floor apartment at 404 Magellan Ave. at about 7 p.m.

Education panel tables multitrack policy vote

A Board of Education committee yesterday held off voting on proposed changes to its policy on implementing multitrack scheduling.

The Support Services Committee deferred action until next month's meeting.

The proposed changes could make it easier for the Department of Education to implement multitrack at new and existing schools.

The proposed amendments include making multitrack mandatory under certain conditions and eliminating the need to have the department obtain support from the majority of residents in the community affected by the multitrack.

Multitrack, designed to help ease overcrowded schools, entails having students divided into different scheduling tracks.

One group of students is off at any given time.

Critics say planning for child-care and family vacations would be difficult for working parents under multitrack, especially if children in the same household are on different tracks.

Correction Westbound tourists to Hawaii stayed an average of 10.47 days in February, down from 10.75 days in February 1998. The state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism incorrectly reported an increase that was included in a March 31 Hawaii Inc. report.

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Police, Fire



By Star-Bulletin staff

Police, Fire

Woman killed while crossing Waialae Avenue

An 83-year-old woman died yesterday after being struck by a car while crossing Waialae Avenue near Koali Road in Moiliili.

The death is the fourth involving a pedestrian this year. The victims have all been women -- ages 68, 48, 65 and 83.

Investigators say the woman killed yesterday was struck at about 7 a.m. by a car traveling west in the center lane on Waialae Avenue.

Speed appears to be a contributing factor, police said.

Ewa Beach man accused of molesting two boys

A 44-year-old Ewa Beach man was arrested yesterday for allegedly sexually assaulting two brothers, 6 and 9.

The boys were reportedly sexually assaulted by the man from March 30 to April 1, police said.

The suspect was booked for first-degree sexual assault.

In other news

HILO -- Police seized 5,978 marijuana plants in various parts of the Puna District yesterday, they said. That brings the total for two days of operations to 10,747 plants. There were no arrests or incidents.

Police yesterday arrested a 38-year-old woman for allegedly stabbing her boyfriend at their Seaside Avenue apartment after they argued about money.

Police yesterday arrested a man in Kalihi for allegedly stabbing another man over a parking space. The men were arguing in front of an Iao Lane home at 10:40 p.m., police said. The suspect then reportedly stabbed the other man once in the stomach. He was taken to Queen's Hospital. His condition has not been disclosed.

The Courts

Feary's widow files negligence lawsuit

The widow of musician Bryant "Mackey" Feary has sued the state for negligence in Feary's suicide at the Halawa Correctional Facility in February.

The lawsuit filed by Danalee Akana Feary yesterday claims that state prison officials and others were negligent in preventing the suicide. Feary had been diagnosed with clinical depression and drug addiction.

Feary's family filed a similar lawsuit in February, accusing the prison system of knowing about Feary's suicidal tendencies before he hanged himself in his cell.

Public Safety Director Ted Sakai has said Feary wasn't considered a suicide risk. Sakai could not be reached yesterday.

The former member of the group Kalapana was serving a 10-year prison sentence for drug offenses and criminal property damage.

His family won a temporary restraining order against Danalee Feary, preventing her from attending the funeral. Her attorney, Mark Cusmano, said the family was trying to blame her for their son's problems.

Man will be tried in salesman's death

A state District Court judge turned over the case of a 23-year-old Waialua man to Circuit Court to be tried for the murder of a vacuum salesman.

Michael Robert Lawrence is accused of using a hammer and meat saw to kill Melchor Tabag, 41, on March 27.

Tabag had been at Lawrence's home demonstrating a vacuum.

Arraignment for Lawrence is scheduled for April 19.

Mother gets 21 months in drug-smuggling case

A woman who used her two children to carry drug money was sentenced to 21 months behind bars and five years of supervised release on drug charges.

U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor also ordered Dominique Pierre, 42, to forfeit a condo and $113,705 in money made off drugs.

Pierre and three others were charged with smuggling about 4 pounds of cocaine to Hawaii from Los Angeles in July.

Pierre used her 8- and 11-year-old children to carry drug money.

She was arrested at Honolulu Airport with $100,000 in cash.

Navy man denies child porn charges

A Navy man has pleaded not guilty to charges involving child pornography in computer graphics files.

Brian Cremen was indicted last month for allegedly possessing about 1,800 graphic files that showed minors engaged in sex.

Cremen is scheduled to face federal trial May 25. He remains free on bail.

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