Bill gives college students unlimited bus rides
Oahu college students could get unlimited access to TheBus under a bill proposed by City Council Transportation Chairman Duke Bainum.The city Department of Transportation Services would negotiate with participating schools for the service. In similar programs on the mainland, Bainum said, a university pays the transit agency a lump sum based on anticipated student ridership, and the students simply show their university identification cards to board the bus.
The program could involve having the university paying for some of the costs. Typically, a school uses parking revenues to subsidize an unlimited- access program.
Such a program would encourage more student ridership and reduce the demand for on-campus parking, Bainum said.
The bill gets its first airing on Wednesday.
Ewa is named third site for Weed & Seed program
Ewa was named the third Weed & Seed site in Hawaii yesterday.The designation makes Ewa a target for collaborative law enforcement operations by federal, state and county agencies to "weed out" crime and brings money to the community to plant the "seeds" of economic growth.
Ewa Villages, Ewa Gentry and Ewa Beach are included in Hawaii's Weed & Seed Site 3. Those communities are part of Patrol District 8, which, according to Honolulu police, reported the highest number of negligent homicides, forcible rapes, aggravated assaults, arson, sex offenses and family offenses on Oahu in 2000.
Ewa residents identified the manufacture, sale and use of illegal drugs as the most important crime issue in their community. Other concerns include domestic violence, violence against children and gang violence.
Kalihi-Palama/Chinatown was launched as Hawaii's Weed & Seed Site 1 in 1998. According to the U.S. attorney's office, crime in the area dropped by over 70 percent. Waipahu was designated Hawaii's Weed & Seed Site 2 in 2000.
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Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHONOLULU Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
Roadblocks this weekend aimed at impaired drivers
Police will be conducting impaired-driver checkpoints during the three-day holiday weekend throughout Honolulu to deter alcohol and/or drug-impaired drivers.The roadblocks, begun last night and running through Tuesday, are being set up at unannounced times and locations.
Honolulu police said that so far this year, 12 people have died on Oahu as the result traffic collisions, compared with four traffic-related deaths during the same period last year.
Two of the fatalities this year were alcohol-related, police said.
Speed was determined to be a factor in four of this year's fatalities.
81 HPD officers promoted in ceremony at Blaisdell
The Honolulu Police Department held its largest promotion ceremony ever last night at the Blaisdell Center as it elevated 81 officers.Among those promoted were Kenneth Simmons, who was promoted from captain to major and takes over the HPD Communications Division.
Other promotions include 14-year Homicide Division veteran detective Anderson "Bucky" Hee, who becomes a lieutenant at the Pearl City Police Station.
John Thompson and Raymond Ancheta were also elevated from lieutenant to the rank of captain, with Thompson assigned to the Information Technology Division and Ancheta heading the receiving desk at the Kapolei Police Station.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Sophisticated pot farm discovered on Mauna Loa
HILO >> Police said they discovered a sophisticated marijuana growing operation on the middle elevation of Mauna Loa during a weeklong marijuana eradication operation this week.On Thursday they seized 8,066 plants at the 6,500-foot elevation of Mauna Loa. The plants were on the southern side of the mountain, but the exact location was not disclosed.
The operation included a rainfall catchment system and an irrigation system, police said.
No arrests were made.
The overall marijuana-eradication operation was conducted throughout East Hawaii and in the Kau and South Kona districts and resulted in the confiscation of 13,725 plants.
Federal and state officers and police from all four counties participated, police said.
