Atlanta Airport evacuated amid security concerns
ATLANTA >> Officials halted flights at Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport and evacuated up to 10,000 people from the terminal today after a man ran through a security checkpoint and eluded police.The security breach all but shut down the nation's busiest airport, its effects rippling across the United States as all flights into or out of Atlanta were delayed on the busy travel weekend before Thanksgiving.
The suspect, a white male, had not been captured after the 11:45 a.m. security breach, said Ben DeCosta, general manager of Hartsfield International.
Peggy Estes, a spokeswoman for Delta Airlines says she doesn't think the closure will have an effect on flights to and from Hawaii.
$100 million in phony computer software seized
WHITTIER, Calif. >> Authorities said today they had made the largest seizure of counterfeit computer software in U.S. history worth an estimated $100 million.The haul included nearly 31,000 phony copies of Microsoft's Windows Millennium edition and the Windows 2000 Professional operating system.
The products originated in Taiwan and came complete with counterfeit packaging, manuals and authentication that included holographic stamps and registration codes.
"They look so good that the purchaser would not know it was counterfeit," said Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca as the seizure was displayed at a Sheriff's Department warehouse.
Report alerts to obscene use of federal AIDS funds
WASHINGTON >> Federal AIDS-prevention money is paying for workshops that encourage sexual activity and meet the legal definition of obscenity, government investigators said in a report obtained yesterday.One program that was studied, "Great Sex Workshop," examined ways of reducing the spread of HIV but also explored sex that was "safe, erotic, fun and satisfying." Another, "Booty Call," included material on the taboos of erotic sex along with information on avoiding injury and disease.
Both workshops included information that "could be viewed as directly promoting sexual activity" and as obscene, Health and Human Services Inspector General Janet Rehnquist concluded.
NYC will lose 125,000 jobs and $83 billion over 9/11
NEW YORK >> An estimated 125,000 jobs will be lost this quarter in New York City as a result of the Sept. 11 attacks.The city's economy will suffer an $83 billion hit, according to a report released yesterday by the New York City Partnership & Chamber of Commerce.
The report said many of the jobs lost in the last three months of this year will return by 2003. New York will have a net loss of 57,000 jobs at the end of 2003, which represents 1.5 percent of the city's 3.75 million jobs, the report said.
"New York is an amazingly resilient city with resilient people, and I have great faith in the future of our city," said Sanford I. Weill, chairman and chief executive officer of Citigroup.
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 staffHonolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
HONOLULU
Second Payless shoe store robbed in a month
Police are trying to determine whether two Payless ShoeSource robberies this month are related. On Wednesday a man entered the Payless at 3610 Waialae Ave. shortly before 5 p.m. and demanded money from a salesclerk. The suspect indicated he had a gun, but no weapon was seen, police said. The suspect then fled with an undetermined amount of money from the cash register.The man was described as in his mid-20s, 5 feet 10 inches, 160 pounds, with a fair complexion, medium build and short black hair. He was wearing a white T-shirt, shorts and a red baseball cap.
A suspect with a similar physique robbed Waipahu Town Center's Payless on Nov. 4 just before 5 p.m. In that incident the robber struck an employee on the head with a metal pole, police said.
Police say they will show surveillance photos of the man who robbed the Kaimuki store to Waipahu store employees.
Man allegedly attacks woman with a brick
Honolulu police arrested a homeless man who allegedly attacked a homeless woman yesterday with a brick. Police said the 30-year-old suspect and the 26-year-old victim were arguing on College Walk near Kukui Street downtown when the suspect picked up a large brick and threw it at the victim, hitting her leg. Police arrested the suspect for second-degree assault.
CENTRAL OAHU
Arson is suspected in 3 fires along H-2 freeway
Honolulu police and fire officials are investigating three different fires they believe were maliciously set along the H-2 freeway within 15 minutes of each other yesterday.The first fire was reported at 11:45 a.m. at H-2 and Kipapa Gulch. The next fire call came in at 11:57 a.m. from near Ka Uka Boulevard. The third fire was reported immediately after that at the H-2/H-1 merge.
Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. Richard Soo said fire officials believe whoever set yesterday's fires also set several other fires in the area since August.
"It appears the same person has been doing this for months now," Soo said.
Anyone with information about these cases are asked to call Arson Detective James Anderson at 529-3436 or CrimeStoppers at 955-8300.
LEEWARD OAHU
Woman allegedly uses nunchuks in beach chase
A woman was arrested for allegedly chasing another woman down with martial arts nunchuks on a Makaha beach.At about 6 p.m. Wednesday, the suspect confronted a 51-year-old woman for not picking up her dog's droppings along the beach near Moua Street, police said.
The suspect obtained nunchuks during the confrontation and began chasing the woman, swinging the nunchuks over her head, police said. Police arrested the 37-year-old suspect Wednesday and recovered the nunchuks.
