[TO OUR READERS]
New changes will showcase schools
Changes in the Star-Bulletin, beginning tomorrow, will make the paper easier to read and navigate.Some sections and their content will be different, and there will be design changes. The first section will remain largely the same, with local, national and world news, and Editorials and Commentary. That will be followed by Sports, which will have its own section. The third section will include Hawaii Inc. and Classified.
The fourth section - features - will house our two pages of comics, columns and puzzles. Our color weather page will move to this section's back page.
Also tomorrow, we will unveil a new weekly page - Hawaii's Schools - produced by teenagers from throughout the islands. Mililani High School journalists are up first. Look for their page in the Today section, on D5.
Poipu Beach opens after seal pup relocates
LIHUE >> One of Kauai's most popular beaches is open again after a monk seal pup, born there on July 22, was relocated to a remote area on Kauai's North Shore.Wildlife officials closed the entire Poipu Beach area last month after the mother seal threatened several nearby swimmers.
They reopened it yesterday after moving the pup to its new home.
Over the past two weeks, National Marine Fisheries Service biologists observed the mother and pup spending more time apart in the water and on shore. The mother began leaving the pup alone and left the area for several hours at a time during the past two days.
The pup also showed signs of becoming independent by not always responding to her vocalizations, the biologists said.
The pup has grown to more than 150 pounds. He was tagged Friday night, placed in a large animal cage and transported by fisheries biologists and a contract veterinarian to the North Shore site in a state Department of Land and Natural Resources truck.The seals are relocated so they won't adopt Poipu Beach as their permanent habitat. A pup that was relocated to another area last year has been observed and appears to be thriving, the officials said.
Poipu Beach was named "Best Beach in the World" this year by Dr. Beach, the pseudonym for a meteorologist who annually rates the top beaches.
Meanwhile, another Hawaiian monk seal born on a remote beach on Kauai's northeast shore about three weeks ago is unlikely to receive the public attention caused by the pup born at Poipu Beach Park, state officials say.
The pup's exact location is being kept secret. State aquatics biologist Don Heacock said a local fisherman walking over a rock-strewn portion of beach did not see the pup or its mother until he almost stepped on the pup and the mother began barking at him.
So far this year, there have been seven confirmed Hawaiian monk seal births -- and one unconfirmed -- on Kauai, the Big Island, Molokai and Kahoolawe.
The total born on Kauai since 1988 is 10. Heacock said it's too early to tell whether the recent surge of births is part of a trend or a matter of chance.
The Hawaiian monk seal is an endangered species protected under federal and state laws. The population is estimated at 1,300 to 1,400 animals.
Oahu mommies-to-be get a day for indulgence and education
Attention pregnant women: Set aside Tuesday to be pampered and have fun.You are invited to a free "Healthy & Hapai: Look Good, Feel Great Day" from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at McCoy Pavilion, Ala Moana Park.
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, MothersCare for Tomorrow's Children and the Hawaii Medical Services Association are sponsoring the event as part of Hawaii's Women's Health Month.
The goal is to provide pregnant women with a fun and stress-free day of support, pampering, education and information to improve perinatal outcomes.
Among activities planned are lomi and traditional mini-massage, haircuts and trims, sandplay therapy, breastfeeding and "baby blues" consultation and support, infant/toddler read-aloud activities, prizes and giveaways, infant massage techniques, makeup mini-sessions, childbirth preparation, smoking cessation consultation, free refreshments and on-site childcare.
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition Hawaii also is coordinating "Healthy & Hapai" Week, with statewide activities today through Saturday focusing on positive pregnancy outcomes for at-risk women.
For more information, call Kari Wheeling at 951-5805 or e-mail: kariw@hmhb-hawaii.org.
Marine Corps fund-raiser tees off for poor children
A golf tournament will be held at 12:30 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course, Kaneohe Marine Corps Base, to raise money for toys for needy Hawaii children during the holidays.The Toys for Tots program was started by the U.S. Marine Corps 54 years ago. In Hawaii last year, more than 53,000 toys were delivered to 26,000 island children.
The golf event will feature a two-person scramble with a blind draw. Prizes will be awarded on all par 3's for closest to pin and a long-drive competition on the ninth hole for women and the tenth hole for men.
The cost to enter is $75 for civilians and a sliding scale for military personnel. Sept. 26 is the paid registration deadline.
For more information, call Staff Sgt. Ruben Villarreal at 257-1077, ext. 233.
South, west shores stung with jellyfish warnings
The Ocean Safety Division has issued a box jellyfish warning for Tuesday through Thursday.The stinging creatures usually arrive along the south and west shores. Most affected areas include Ala Moana Beach Park, Waikiki Beach, Hanauma Bay, Pokai Bay and Makaha Surfing Beach.
If a person is stung, lifeguards recommend flushing the area with vinegar and to seek medical attention if pain persists.
UH Regents vote to fit Haleakala with telescope
The world's largest telescope used for education and outreach could be operational at the summit of Haleakala next year.The University of Hawaii Board of Regents voted yesterday to execute an Operating and Site Development Agreement and Lease with the Faulkes Telescope Corporation for a 1.5-acre parcel.
The telescope will be housed in a state-of-the-art facility that opens like a clamshell to expose the entire telescope to the night sky.
The Institute for Astronomy will contribute $250,000 to the project, while the construction will be financed by the Dill Faulkes Educational Trust of the United Kingdom.
State beach cleanup set for Saturday
"Get the Drift & Bag It!," Hawaii's annual statewide beach cleanup, is set for 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday.Each September, Hawaii Sea Grant partners with the Hawaii Coastal Zone Management Program to coordinate this annual cleanup effort, a contribution by Hawaii volunteers to the International Coastal Cleanup, sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy.
Sea Grant scientists estimate that debris ingestion, entanglement or both affect 43 percent of marine mammal species throughout the world. Lost and discarded fishing gear also washes up on Hawaii beaches.
Last year's beach cleanup in Hawaii involved 2,340 volunteers who collected 33,705 pounds of debris along more than 138 miles, on land and underwater.
To volunteer, call Hawaii Sea Grant at 956-2872.
Coast Guard searches ocean for boat captain
The Coast Guard was searching last night for a 33-year-old sailboat captain, without a life jacket, who was knocked off his boat by a swinging boom about 6 p.m.The sailboat was about five nautical miles south of Diamond Head when the accident happened, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Elise Hoover. Two other people on the boat shouted for help to a passing cruise ship, the Royal Princess, and the larger boat radioed for help from the Coast Guard.
At 10 p.m., two helicopters equipped with night-vision goggles and searchlights and two Coast Guard boats were searching the area, Hoover said.
[WINNERS & LOSERS]
[WINNERS]
<< Lucky librarian: State librarian Virginia Lowell got a 27 percent raise to $108,483 from $85,302, retroactive to July 1. Board of Education members voted unanimously for the raise.Hospital honor: The Walter Reed military hospital in Maryland named its medical laboratory after Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye on Friday, his 77th birthday. Inouye, a major supporter of the military, was a patient at Walter Reed during World War II.
Presidential pick: Assistant U.S. attorney Edward H. Kubo Jr. is President Bush's pick for U.S. attorney in Hawaii. He is being nominated to replace Steve Alm, who resigned after being named a Circuit Court judge in March.
[LOSERS]
>> Cellu-less customers: Phone users without cellular phones will feel the pinch at pay phones starting as early as this week, as Verizon Hawaii raises the cost of a call to 50 cents from 35 cents.Sheriff sentenced: Deputy Sheriff Charles Canady pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor for putting dog feces in his daughters' mouths after they did not clean up after the pup. Canady was sentenced to 90 days in jail and two years probation.
'Rock bottom' U: A U.S. News & World Report ranking of 249 colleges and universities once again placed the University of Hawaii-Manoa in the third of four tiers in its annual ranking. Although the school was ranked well above the worst, UH president Evan Dobelle said the school was at "rock bottom."
Corrections and clarifications
>> Lando Millare, who was arrested Wednesday on charges that he allegedly lured a 14-year-old girl from Oregon to Hawaii for sex, is a library assistant at Kaneohe Public Library. An article Friday said he was a librarian.
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. Corrections and clarifications
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staff
Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
HONOLULU
Kalihi man critical after being hit by truck
A 49-year-old Kalihi man was in critical condition yesterday at Queen's Medical Center after being hit by a truck Friday night.Police said the man was crossing North King Street when he was hit by a 1995 Chevy truck traveling on North King Street near Pua Lane.
Police said neither speed nor alcohol were factors on the part of the driver and that the victim was not in a crosswalk at the time of the 10:45 p.m. accident.
Man loses control of car, crashes on Nimitz
Police said speed was a factor in a one-car crash that left a man in critical condition at Queen's Medical Center.The 41-year-old man drove into a concrete embankment just before 4 a.m. yesterday after losing control of his truck on Nimitz Highway near Valkenburgh Street, police said.
Police said the airbag deployed but the man was not wearing a seat belt. It was unknown if alcohol was a factor, police said.
Freak wave sinks boat, strands 7 off Makapuu
An 18-foot power boat sank yesterday after a freak wave washed over its stern two miles off Makapuu Point, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Lauren Smith reported.The boat was escorting a person on a paddleboard from Molokai to Oahu, practicing for a race. Seven people, including the paddle-boarder, were left in the water, Smith said.
At 12:50 p.m. the Coast Guard launched a rescue helicopter, but by 1 p.m. six of the people had been rescued by a pleasure craft, the Mambo, and a Coast Guard Auxiliary vessel had rescued a man with injuries from fuel burns, Smith said. Both vessels reached Hawaii Kai marina at 3:15 p.m. The injured man was taken to Straub Hospital for treatment.
Man arrested in Salt Lake wine-bottle assault
Police arrested a 36-year-old man for second-degree assault after he allegedly smashed a wine bottle over his friend's head yesterday morning at a Salt Lake condominium.The victim had invited the man to sleep over at his condominium at 909 Ala Lilikoi St. The suspect hit his host with the empty bottle when the victim asked him to leave about 9:15 a.m., police said.
Woman stabs boyfriend with knife, police say
A 35-year-old Ala Moana woman is in police custody after she allegedly stabbed her boyfriend, 35, in the buttocks Friday morning.Police said the couple got into an argument in their Makaloa Street apartment about the man getting home late. During the argument, the woman used a kitchen knife to cut up a picture of the man. He grabbed the knife away and began cutting up the woman's clothes, police said. The two struggled over the knife and the man pushed the woman away and went into the bathroom to check for wounds.
While the man was looking for any cuts, the woman picked up the knife and stabbed the man, police said. He received a one-inch cut, for which he refused treatment.
CENTRAL OAHU
Wahiawa boy charged in assault on father
Police charged a 16-year-old Wahiawa boy yesterday with abuse of a family member after he allegedly punched his father in the face during an argument Friday night.The boy was initially arrested Friday at 6:30 p.m. for second-degree assault. The teenager was taken to a juvenile detention home after he was charged.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
8 arrested in Hilo drug raid; police seize ice, pot
HILO >> Police arrested eight people for various drug offenses after executing a search warrant on an "ice house."Seven men and one woman were arrested Friday around 8:45 a.m. Each was arrested in connection with 11 counts of drug violations.
Two of the men, who had outstanding bench warrants, fled the residence when officers arrived. The first was caught in the immediate area. The second man was found hiding in the closet of a home he entered illegally, police said.
He was arrested for two additional offenses, criminal trespass and criminal property damage.
Officers recovered more than one ounce of crystal methamphetamine, or "ice"; one ounce of dried marijuana; drug paraphernalia, including packets, scales and pipes; a .22-caliber rifle; and $1,160 in cash.
All eight were released pending further investigation.
