Newswatch
Police, Fire, Courts

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Thursday, June 21, 2001

2 city workers, 1 golfer charged with bribery

Two city employees at the Ala Wai Golf Course were indicted by an Oahu grand jury yesterday on charges of accepting bribes from a golfer seeking choice tee times last year.

The golfer, Yong Cha Toyomura, was also charged in the 12-count indictment.

The indictment charges them with bribery, punishable by five years' imprisonment and a $10,000 fine for each count.

Starter Janice Kakugawa, also known as Nika, was charged with two counts. She had worked at Ala Wai for 22 years. She was fired, but has filed a grievance to try to get her job back, the prosecutor's office said. Clerk Lawrence Helekahi, who worked at Ala Wai for three years, was charged with six counts. He no longer works at the golf course.

Bail was set at $2,000 for Kakugawa and $4,000 for Helekahi.

Toyomura is charged with six counts. Her bail was set at $6,000.

Another fire set at Waianae school

A fire last night at Waianae Intermediate School portable may be the latest in a string of Leeward Coast school fires.

Grass was piled up next to a portable classroom and ignited, burning the side of the building at about 8 p.m., said Fire Department spokesman Capt. Richard Soo. The fire was extinguished within a few minutes and caused only $200 damage. But it is the sixth fire set at three Waianae schools in the last month.

The most damaging fire occurred May 28 at Waianae High School where a fire in a portable classroom caused about $41,000 in damage.

There have been three fires at the high school, one at Waianae Elementary School and another at Kamaile Elementary School.

Weather service monitors Tropical Storm Barbara

The National Weather Service is monitoring Tropical Storm Barbara, located 1,700 miles east-southeast of Honolulu, which is moving slowly toward Hawaii.

Although it is the second tropical cyclone of the Pacific season, "it's the first one that may have a shot at crossing into the Central Pacific," said Robert Ballard of the National Weather Service in Honolulu. The storm is moving at 15 mph and will probably weaken considerably over the next 24 to 48 hours as it moves over cooler water. The storm will probably dissipate into a tropical depression by Saturday.

Epilepsy Foundation sponsors Keiki Fun Day

The Epilepsy Foundation of Hawaii will sponsor a free Keiki Fun Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at McCoy Pavilion in Ala Moana Beach Park.

The event is aimed at helping to promote awareness of epilepsy.

Two inflatable jumpers will be available from Xtreme Fun. Other activities will include painting with Walfrido, face painting, arts and crafts, and temporary tattoos. Children can sing with a keiki karaoke machine.

The foundation will provide prizes for winning games at a fishing booth, putt-putt golf and others.

Food and drinks will be available for a small charge.

Epilepsy, a central nervous system disorder caused by excessive electrical activity in the brain, affects 12,000 to 15,000 people in Hawaii, according to the foundation.

Located at 245 N. Kukui St., Suite 207, the foundation provides information and referral for people with the disease, family and friends and support groups for children and adults with epilepsy, among other services.

For more information, call 528-3058.

Health forum focuses on muscular illness

Dr. Christian Boyens will present the latest information about fibromyalgia syndrome and how it affects women's health during a free Women's Wellness forum at 7 p.m. June 28 at Castle Medical Center in Kailua.

Boyens will discuss diagnosis, symptoms, causes and treatment options.

For reservations, call Castle at 263-5400. Online registration is available at www.castlemed.com.

Corrections and clarifications The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Publisher and Editor in Chief John Flanagan at 529-4748 or email him at jflanagan@starbulletin.com.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Racing film prompts warning against speeding

HILO >> A new movie about teenage auto racing and a recent traffic fatality have Big Island police warning drivers to obey speed limits.

"The Fast and the Furious," set to open tomorrow, is about Los Angeles street gangs who turn their cars into weapons.

"There is a danger that some young drivers will watch this movie and try to copy it on our roadways," Officer Christopher Gali said.

There have been increasing cases of speeding recently, including one on June 7 in which Mahie Blomgren, 19, of Hilo, died after rear-ending a car driven by a 15-year-old on the Hilo-Keaau highway south of Hilo. The two cars were believed to be racing.

In another case, two vehicles were racing on Kanoelehua Avenue when one went out of control and struck a third. Fortunately, there were only minor injuries, Gali said.

LEEWARD OAHU

Multiple-forgery suspect has bail set at $125,000

Bail for a 28-year-old forgery suspect was set at $125,000 yesterday because he is a suspect in several other forgery cases, according to police. Donald Taylor was arrested May 12 and charged yesterday with four counts of forgery and one count of theft.

Police said Taylor tried to cash several stolen checks for an undisclosed amount of money at the Bank of Hawaii on Pali Momi Street.

Police said the checks were stolen from a 53-year-old, but would not say how many checks were taken.