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Shareholders of Kauai land firm reject buyout
Grove Farm Co. shareholders have rejected a $21 million buyout offer from a mainland Internet executive.Scott Blum, founder of Buy.com, based in Aliso Viejo, Calif., offered to buy Kauai-based Grove Farm but was unable to obtain approval from three-quarters of the privately held company's shareholders during a special Jan. 21 meeting, the company said.
Blum is the son-in-law of Hugh Klebahn, Grove Farm's chairman and chief executive officer. His offer, backed by Grove Farm's board of directors, was withdrawn after it received approval from two-thirds of the company's shareholders.
Founded in 1864, Grove Farm owns roughly 22,000 acres of land on Kauai, including the Kukui Grove Shopping Center.
The company currently lists debts of $60 million and assets of $85 million.
Soldier gets 35 years for murdering his wife
A 34-year-old Schofield Barracks soldier was sentenced yesterday to 35 years in Leavenworth prison in Kansas for the unpremeditated murder of his pregnant wife last year.Staff Sgt. Timothy Ward also was reduced yesterday to the rank of private, forfeited all his pay and allowances, and was given a dishonorable discharge.
A five-man, one-woman military jury took five hours to deliberate his sentence, which still has to be reviewed by Maj. Gen. William Ward, commander of the 25th Infantry Division. The general is not related to the convicted soldier.
Timothy Ward was found guilty Thursday of killing his wife, Bianca, 26, at their Helemano Military Reservation home Aug. 26.
She had been awarded custody of their child earlier in the day.
Suicide threat closes North Shore highway
Police closed Kamehameha Highway near Sunset Beach for three hours while negotiating with a man who threatened to kill himself with a knife.After having an argument with his girlfriend, the despondent 44-year-old man at 10 p.m. yesterday went to a bus stop at 58-264 Kamehameha Highway and held a knife to his chest, police said.
The highway in both directions was closed during negotiations, causing backups.
The man finally dropped the knife at 1 a.m today and surrendered to police.
He was taken to Castle Hospital for mental observation.
Catholic educators to confer on Friday
More than 800 teachers and administrators from the state's Catholic schools will gather Friday for the annual Conference for Catholic Educators.Sister Mary Angela Shaughnessey, a professor at Spalding University in Louisville, Ky., will speak on current legal issues affecting educators.
The conferees also will hear Terrence Tilley, head of the University of Dayton religion department, speaking on Catholic identity.
The all-day conference at the Sheraton-Waikiki Hotel will begin at 7:30 a.m. with a Mass celebrated by Honolulu Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo.
Corrections
Beverly Palenapa, one of two people requesting a contested-case hearing before the Board of Land and Natural Resources in opposition to the city's plan to build an education center at Hanauma Bay, said the bay was a very special place that Hawaiian chiefs visited. An article yesterday said she use the word kahunas.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHonolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
Elderly man killed crossing Waianae street
An elderly man was killed this morning while crossing a street in Waianae.The man, unidentified as of midmorning, was crossing Farrington Highway fronting the McDonald's restaurant at 6 a.m., police said.
He was hit by a 1982 Mazda four-door sedan driven by a 28-year-old Waianae man, police said.
Traffic investigators believe the pedestrian was not in a crosswalk.
He was taken to Waianae Coast Comprehensive Hospital, where he later died.
The driver was not injured.
The accident was the third this month in which a senior citizen was killed while crossing a street.
Man, 28, held in kidnap, beating of woman, 34
Police charged a 28-year-old Kunia man yesterday for allegedly beating a woman on Wednesday, breaking her ribs.John K. Kupa III was charged with assault, kidnapping, terroristic threatening and auto theft, police said. He is being held on $75,000 bail.
Kupa and the woman, 34, were arguing at his Huli Street home Wednesday night when he attacked her.
He dragged her by the hair into her car and drove to a nearby pineapple field, where he threatened to kill her with a knife.
She broke free and hid in the pineapple field for more than two hours. She later reported the incident to police.
Kupa turned himself in at the Wahiawa police station the next morning.
Man robs First Hawaiian Bank's Waipahu branch
Police and the FBI are searching for a man who robbed the Waipahu branch of First Hawaiian Bank yesterday.The man entered the bank at 94-205 Leoku St. and handed the teller an envelope at 5:30 p.m, police said. The envelope had a message written on it stating he had a gun and to put money inside.
He then ran away with an undisclosed amount of money.
Fire causes $60,000 harm to Salt Lake apartment
Fire caused $60,000 damage yesterday to a 16th-floor unit at Lakeside West in Salt Lake.Cause of the 2:40 p.m. fire at 909 Ala Nanala Place is under investigation, but there do not appear to be suspicious circumstances, said Moanalua fire Capt. John Drake. The fire was reported under control at 2:45 p.m.
One charged, one sought in attempt on cop's life
KAILUA-KONA -- One man has been charged with attempted murder, and another suspect is being sought after a police officer was shot at during a traffic chase.Pedro Hanalei Barawis-Haili Jr., 20, of Kona was charged with first-degree attempted murder, unauthorized control of a motor vehicle and two firearms counts.
He was arrested Thursday in the parking lot of the state courthouse in Kealakekua, where he was scheduled to appear in a separate criminal case.
Detectives are also searching for a 22-year-old man as a suspect.
A police officer was pursuing a car in Kau Sunday night when the passenger in the vehicle pointed a firearm and fired it at the officer, according to police.
The officer was not hurt, but his vehicle was damaged by the gunfire.
