Newswatch
Police, Fire, Courts

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Tuesday, February 12, 2002

UH spring enrollment rises over last year's

Enrollment is up 6.6 percent at all University of Hawaii campuses over last spring semester, according to preliminary spring enrollment figures released by the university.

However, enrollment is down more than 1,500 students from last September, when preliminary figures showed fall enrollment was 46,198. Janice Heu, interim director of admissions and records at UH-Manoa, said enrollment traditionally drops in the spring, and anticipates that the next fall enrollment figures will top those of fall 2001.

"We're working hard on recruitment," she said, noting, however, that the university is not certain what kind of effect Sept. 11 will have on nonresident enrollment. "A number of parents are unwilling to let their children travel more than an hour or two away from home," she said.

In Hawaii, Heu said that about 100 people who lost their jobs or had their wages cut after Sept. 11 applied for the tuition waivers at UH-Manoa. Some have been awarded and others are still being processed, she said.

This semester, the UH system has enrolled 44,627 students, up 2,783 over last spring. It is the first time since 1995 that total spring enrollment has increased.

"Oftentimes during a tough economy, individuals seek additional training and education as a means of expanding their career options," said Deane Neubauer, interim chancellor at UH-Manoa. "However, under the new leadership of (UH President) Evan Dobelle, UH-Manoa has been working hard to establish itself as a more participatory campus," he added, pointing to recent campus cleanup days and a recent strategic planning session that attracted more than 1,400 participants.

"I think people are finding Manoa to be a more attractive venue for learning, and these increased enrollment figures prove that our efforts are making a difference."

This semester, UH-Manoa enrollment increased 4.9 percent to 16,972. At UH-Hilo, enrollment grew 5.3 percent to 2,787 students, and UH-West Oahu enrollment rose 11.9 percent to 763 students.

Collectively the community colleges saw the greatest gain, up 7.9 percent to 24,105 students.

Corrections and clarifications >> Gregory M. Hansen is the new secretary of the Employee Stock Ownership Plan Association -- Hawaii chapter. A story on Page A5 on Jan. 31 misspelled his last name. >> The Garden Island is published and distributed on Kauai. An item on Page E3 of Hawaii Inc. Sunday said incorrectly that it was on Maui. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Managing Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at fbridgewater@starbulletin.com.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Fire causes $60,000 damage to Molokai home

WAILUKU >> Fire officials are investigating the cause of a fire that did an estimated $60,000 in damage to a house and its contents along Ala Ekolu Avenue in Hoolehua, West Molokai.

Assistant Fire Chief Alan Cordeiro said the fire was under control about 21 minutes after the call at 2:19 a.m. Friday.

Hilo man dies, 2 people injured in head-on crash

Big Island police are investigating the death of a 45-year-old Hilo man who was killed in a head-on collision early Sunday.

Police identified the victim as Ador Laguisma of Hilo.

Two other people were injured in the accident, which happened along Mamalahoa Highway (Route 19) in Waimea.

Police said Laguisma was driving a 1987 Nissan Maxima east when his car drifted across the center line into the westbound lane at a bend in the road. An oncoming 2001 Dodge pickup truck attempted to avoid a collision by swerving into the eastbound lane, but Laguisma also pulled back into the lane, and the vehicles collided, police said. Police said Laguisma, the lone occupant of his car, was taken to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9:53 a.m.

The driver of the pickup, Leighton Holi, 32, of Keaau, and his passenger, Gemer Marzan, 34, of Pepeekeo were taken to the North Hawaii Community Hospital in Waimea. Holi was in stable condition while Marzan was in guarded condition.

Police said Laguisma was heading home from work at a Waikoloa hotel while Holi and Marzan were heading to work at the same hotel. Fatigue is believed to have been a factor in the collision. Laguisma had only recently started working the midnight shift.

Police said all occupants are believed to have been wearing seat belts, but the airbags in the pickup failed to deploy.

Big Isle police find items stolen from Waimea store

On the Big Island, South Kohala police officers recovered $10,000 worth of items taken in a burglary last month at C&S Outfitters in Waimea.

Police said that on Jan. 29, suspects entered C&S through the roof and stole more than $15,000 worth of merchandise, including skateboards, sunglasses and paintball guns.

Police have identified two suspects in the burglary and are investigating a third.

Police believe one of the suspects may have also been involved in the burglary of another Waimea business, Byrd's Audio, two weeks earlier.

Maui police salvage wreck from fatal crash

WAILUKU >> Maui police used a helicopter yesterday to lift the wreckage of a car from Kahakuloa that they hope will give them some clue into the fatal crash that killed a man and a 3-year-old child and injured one woman.

Police Lt. Charles Hirata said investigators still don't know why the car went off the road on a straight route and fell 500 to 600 feet down Makamakaole Gulch on Nov. 18 of last year.

The crash killed the driver Samuel Shubin, 35, of Kihei and Dalton Boyer, 3.

Boyer's mother, Elizabeth Wheeler, 28, of West Maui, was injured but survived the crash.

According to police, Wheeler said she did not know why Shubin veered off the road as they were going toward Wailuku.

Hirata said a toxicologist test showed Shubin had a drug substance and alcohol in his blood.

Hirata declined to name the drug substance but said the alcohol level was close to the legal limit allowed by law.

EAST OAHU

Man caught allegedly selling fake NFL shirts

Honolulu police arrested a 42-year-old man for allegedly selling counterfeit National Football League T-shirts at Hanauma Bay last weekend.

East Honolulu patrol officers spotted the suspect selling the T-shirts on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The suspect was arrested for trademark counterfeit and released pending an investigation.

HONOLULU

17-year-old arrested for throwing rocks at car

Police arrested a boy, 17, who allegedly vandalized a car and confronted the driver on Liliha Street last night.

Police said the boy threw rocks and bottles at a passing vehicle about 8:40 p.m. When the driver of the vehicle, a 42-year-old man, stopped to inspect the damages, the boy continued throwing objects at the vehicle, police said.

The man drove his vehicle to a nearby parking lot where police said the boy confronted the man then used a large piece of concrete to shatter the vehicle's window. The boy left and confronted a 51-year-old man a short distance away and took the man's glasses. Police said the boy then returned to the parking lot where he was arrested for criminal property damage, theft and robbery.