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Newswatch
Police, Fire, Courts

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Saturday, July 7, 2001


Kauai Electric will not seek rate hike this year

LIHUE >> Kauai Electric Co. says it will not file a rate increase request with the state Public Utilities Commission this year, as had been expected.

Kauai Electric spokeswoman Jenny Fujita said Thursday that the company has pushed ahead the completion date of a new jet-turbine-powered generator by one year to 2002, and the savings resulting from the new generator in place of less efficient existing equipment will offset the need for higher rates.

Ala Moana Center hosts drive for school supplies

Ala Moana Center will hold a school supplies collection drive today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the CenterStage.

The drive is part of the Ready to Learn and School Tools program.

U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, co-chairman of Ready to Learn, will participate in the collection drive from 10 to 11:30 a.m. to accept donations from corporate donors such as Aloha Airlines, Oceanic Cable and Del Monte. The event will feature a saxophone performance by Miss Hawaii 2001 Denby Dung, and other island artists.

The public is invited to give school supplies and monetary donations at the drive.

Ready to Learn is a project of Helping Hands Hawaii headed by Inouye and his wife, Maggie, to help underprivileged children throughout the state. Ready to Learn and School Tools hopes to provide 25,000 Hawaii children with the basic essentials for learning.

For more information or volunteer opportunities, call Ready to Learn at 841-4593.

Lahaina library changing its days of operation

Lahaina Public Library will open on Saturdays beginning todayon a test basis.

By popular request, the library will change its hours of operation to a Tuesday-through-Saturday schedule, with its new hours being noon to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Big Isle police set Aug. 3 for hearing on marijuana

HILO >> The Hawaii County Police Department will hold a hearing Aug. 3 on proposed rules for marijuana eradication and medical-marijuana investigations, the department announced.

The hearing will be at the Hawaii County Council room at 9 a.m.

The proposals, announced previously, are similar to current practices. One difference requires reconnaissance helicopters to fly 1,000 feet above homes instead of the present 500 feet. They could go lower if they spot marijuana.

The medical-marijuana proposal follows state law, which allows a registered patient seven marijuana plants and three ounces of dry marijuana.

Persons wanting to testify should register before the hearing convenes, police said.

Copies of the proposals can be obtained by calling police at 961-2258 or 326-4240, and from Councilman Gary Safarik at 961-8267.

Scholarship program for Hawaiians renewed

A $4.4 million federal grant to fund scholarships for native Hawaiians has been renewed for the next four years by the U.S. Department of Education.

The program, administered by the University of Hawaii College of Business Administration, has spent $1.8 million to finance 60 graduate and undergraduate students at higher-education institutions throughout the country since it was founded in 1998.

It also has funded education-related travel for native Hawaiian teachers, community workshops and other related activities.

For more information, visit the program's Web site at http://www.cba.hawaii.edu/nhlp.

New Home Depot to open across Pearl Highlands

Mainland home improvement retailer Home Depot Inc. on Thursday will open its second store on Oahu, across from the Pearl Highlands Center/Sam's Club complex in Pearl City.

The Atlanta-based company bought the 13.75-acre site from the city for $17.5 million in May 1999, amid protests from some residents and competitors. The 130,000-square-foot store will have 160 employees and a 15,000-square-foot garden center, the company said.

Maui shoppers turned out in force when the retailer opened its first Home Depot on the Valley Isle in May. However, after announcing its intention to buy the 8.5-acre "superblock" on Keeaumoku Street to build a third store in Honolulu, Home Depot retreated, saying the deal did not make sense.

Last year, the company dropped controversial plans for a store in Hawaii Kai, opposed by the area's neighborhood board and Mayor Jeremy Harris. The property was zoned for residential development.

Home Depot opened its first Hawaii store in Iwilei in September 1999.

98° cancels World Cafe show; refunds to be given

Boy band 98° has canceled its show scheduled for tomorrow at the World Cafe, 1130 N. Nimitz Hwy.

Local promoter Goldenvoice said yesterday the show was canceled due to circumstances beyond the company's control.

Ticketholders who purchased tickets at Tower Records or Tower Video can receive a cash refund at the point of purchase. Those who purchased tickets with either cash or credit card at a Ticket Plus outlet or charged by phone, send the ticket(s), name, address, phone number and, if applicable, credit card number to Tickets Plus, P.O. Box 653, Honolulu 96809.

Corrections and clarifications

>> Verizon Inc. says its SuperPages phone books will be distributed throughout July. A story Thursday quoted a Verizon spokeswoman as saying the distribution would be done earlier.


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.






Police, Fire, Courts

Police/Fire

By Star-Bulletin staff

Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Fake $20 bills found circulating in Kona

KAILUA-KONA >> Police are warning residents about counterfeit $20 bills being circulated in Kona. The fake money feels different to the touch from real bills, is slightly smaller and has no watermarks or magnetic metal strips.

HONOLULU

Sex fugitive from Saipan is arrested in Honolulu

A 51-year-old man charged with sexually abusing 13 schoolchildren on Saipan was arrested yesterday in Honolulu on a federal fugitive warrant.

Michael J. Dodd allegedly abused the children while employed as a reading teacher at Oleai Elementary School on Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. He was arrested in Honolulu, after a joint investigation by the FBI and Honolulu police, for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. FBI Special Agent Daniel Dzwilewski said authorities believe that Dodd has been in Honolulu for about a month, and there is no indication he was involved in any sexual abuse here.

Chemical spill causes 90-minute traffic jam

A hazardous chemical spill backed up Sand Island Access Road traffic all the way to the H-1 freeway yesterday afternoon. Honolulu fire Capt. Richard Soo said chlorine and bromine spilled near Auiki Street and Sand Island Access Road at 2:35 p.m.

Soo said the chemicals were in a 50-pound container that fell out of a flatbed truck. Fire officials washed the chemicals off the road. Police reopened Sand Island Access Road a little before 4 p.m.

WAIKIKI

Pair of thieves 'distract' and 'take' from tourist

Police are looking for two men who stole a Japanese tourist's bag as he checked into a Waikiki hotel July 4.

Police said one suspect was the "distracter" and the other suspect the "taker." Both men were captured on hotel video surveillance cameras as they worked together to draw attention away from the victim and his family while the other man grabbed a carry-on bag. The "taker" is described as a male in his late 30s to early 40s, medium height, heavy build, with dark hair and a receding hairline. The "distracter" is described as in his late 30s, medium height, heavy build, and wearing a light-blue baseball cap.






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