Great recovery
FBI finds condo casino in Kalakaua drug raid
Federal agents yesterday went looking for drugs and found a casino.Federal Bureau of Investigation agents seized cash and gambling equipment as well as drug paraphernalia from penthouse suite 4100 at Century Center Condominium in the 1 p.m. raid.
FBI spokesman John Gillies said a search warrant was also executed on Unit 105, which served as a security and surveillance post for the penthouse casino.
Agents recovered an undisclosed amount of cash, a shotgun and blackjack and baccarat equipment, Gillies said.
Eleven people in the penthouse -- four employees of the gambling operation and seven customers -- were detained then released pending further investigation.
Gillies said the raid was based "on allegations of drug transactions in the penthouse."
Century Center is at 1750 Kalakaua Ave.
State posts warnings of Salt Lake sewer spill
The state Department of Health has placed warning signs near Salt Lake Park after a 6,000-gallon sewage spill at the Aliamanu Military Reservation, the Army said.The sewer-line break was discovered about 1 p.m. Thursday and repaired several hours later.
Some wastewater spilled from Aliamanu crater into the park and down a storm drain.
One Ala Moana lane closed for the weekend
One Waikiki-bound lane along Ala Moana at Keawe Street will be closed to traffic from 7 a.m.-6:30 p.m. today and tomorrow.Work crews will be replacing a sewer line.
Hawaii state libraries applaud webmaster
JoAnn Schindler has been named the Hawaii State Public Library System Employee of the Year.Schindler is head of the state library's business, science and technology section, and created and maintains the library Internet Web site.
Also honored in the annual awards werer the library's Team of the Year -- Kaimuki Library janitors Phoebe Hauanio and Roy Morimoto.
The Board of Education awards credited Schindler with consistently exceptional work and numerous contributions, and the team of Hauanio and Morimoto with keeping Kaimuki Library clean.
Cerebral palsy group asks help for children
The United Cerebral Palsy Association is hoping people in Hawaii will "get casual for a cause" on June 16.The association, for the eighth year, is sponsoring a casual day event in seeking support for children with disabilities.
Call 532-6744 for more information on Casual Day 1999.
Four new judges will take office in June
Four state judges will be sworn in during ceremonies in June:
John S.W. Lim will become an associate judge of the Intermediate Court of Appeals. Gary W. B. Chang will become a judge of the OahuCircuit Court. They will be sworn in June 1 at 4 p.m. in the Supreme Court Courtroom.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffWAILUKU -- A Maui man has begun serving a 10-year prison term for driving a truck involved in an accident that killed 29-year-old Laurent Fritiere in 1998. Man to serve 10 years in
Maui driving deathGlenn Yamauchi, 42, was also ordered to pay $1,900 in funeral expenses.
Fritiere, a native of France, was a pastry chef at the Ritz Carlton-Kapalua.
Yamauchi, a rooms manager at a Kahana resort, was driving on Honoapiilani Highway two miles south of Napili when his car went across the center line and hit the vehicle occupied by Fritiere.
Fritiere's mother and sister, who traveled from France for the court proceeding, said they were satisfied with the prison term, Deputy Prosecutor Robert Rivera said.
Yamauchi, who pleaded no contest to a number of charges including negligent homicide, apologized when he appeared before Maui Circuit Judge Shackley Raffetto on Thursday.
Yamauchi said he suffered from the same consequences when his son was killed by a drunken driver in Japan in 1997.
Rivera said that, having lost a son, Yamauchi should not have been driving drunk.
"Now there's a mother who also lost a son," Rivera said.
Woman says boyfriend threw hot oil at her
A 27-year-old Waianae man was arrested yesterday for allegedly throwing hot oil at his girlfriend.The couple live together at an 85-000 block apartment on Farrington Highway, police said. Yesterday at 6 p.m., the man locked the woman, 25, in the apartment and beat her.
During the investigation, the woman told police her boyfriend threw oil on her on May 8, causing second-degree burns to her arm and stomach.
The man was booked for kidnapping and second-degree assault.
Man charged in threat to girlfriend's family
Police yesterday charged a 19-year-old Makiki man for reportedly threatening to kill his girlfriend and her family.Joey Yap was charged with two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening and second-degree assault, police said. He is being held on $50,000 bail.
Police seek pair who attempted sex assault
Police are searching for two men who attempted to sexually assault an 18-year-old woman inside a car.The woman accepted a ride from the two men in the Makiki area, police said. While inside the car, one of the men punched the woman in the head and attempted to sexually assault her at 1:25 a.m.
She was able to jump out of the car along Ala Moana and was taken to the Waikiki police station by a nearby motorist.
The two men are described as being between 19 and 22 years old.
Detectives: No foul play in baby's death
Homicide detectives reported there was no foul play in the death of a 3-month-old Nanakuli boy.
The infant was found dead yesterday at 4:30 a.m. by the parents, police said.
International S&L branch hit by robber
International Savings & Loan at 909 Kapahulu Ave. was robbed yesterday of an undisclosed amount of cash by a man who handed a teller a demand note.No injuries were reported.
The man is described as in his 20s or 30s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, 160 pounds with a fair complexion.
He has straight black hair and a mustache. He was wearing a black T-shirt, dark shorts and slippers.
The 12:35 p.m. bank robbery was the fourth on Oahu since May 11 and the 14th of the year in Hawaii.
See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
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