Newswatch
Police, Fire, Courts

By Star-Bulletin Staff

SEARCH FOR A BROTHER CONTINUES

GARY KUBOTA / GKUBOTA@STARBULLETIN.COM Todd and Tiffany Newlin are continuing the search for their 23-year-old brother Torey, who was last seen at 8 p.m. Feb. 16 at a String Cheese Incident concert at the Lahaina Civic Center. The family has offered a $5,000 reward to information leading to finding him and planned to post a banner this morning near the highway fronting the Lahaina Civic Center. Family members said Torey took LSD and apparently was disoriented, telling people he didn't know who he was or where he was. Todd said he and other friends plan to hike the hills behind the Civic Center this week.

Town-bound H-1 lanes will be closed tomorrow

The state Department of Transportation will close town-bound lanes on the H-1 freeway tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for field investigation work.

The following lanes will be closed:

>> Shoulder lane of the H-1 freeway before the Waimalu offramp to the Aiea offramp.
>> Right lane of the H-1 freeway between the Waimalu offramp and the Waimalu onramp
>> Right lane of the H-1 freeway from the Kaamilo overpass to the Kaimakani overpass.

ACCIDENT CAUSES H-1 TRAFFIC JAM

DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM An accident reported at 7:49 a.m. today, involving several vehicles, including a truck, snarled traffic in the Waianae-bound lanes of H-1, just before the Waipahu offramp. Police closed the freeway at the Pearl City exit while workers cleared the debris. Four people were taken to the hospital in stable condition.

Waikiki development names new director

Barbara Kim Stanton has been named director of the city Office of Waikiki Development.

She replaces Peter Apo, who stepped down recently.

Kim has served in a variety of state agency posts. She served as deputy director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism from 1987 to 1993. She was acting director in 1991 and 1992. She also was deputy director of the state Budget Department.

For a while, she was executive director and chief executive officer of the state High Technology Development Corp.

Stanton has been a business development and technology consultant since 1999 and project manager for the city's Waikiki Liveable Community Project.

Hawaiian immersion preschools ready to go

Aha Punana Leo will be accepting applications through March 1 for the fall 2002 Hawaiian immersion preschool program for its 11 preschools statewide.

A 12th preschool is slated to open on Oahu in March.

For school locations on the Big Island, Kauai, Maui, Molokai and Oahu, download an application from www.ahapunanaleo.org and click on to the "Services Offered" link.

Applicants do not need to be Hawaiian. They must be preschool age residents of Hawaii and have their parents' or guardians' commitment to learn the language and to speak it as much as possible in the home.

For more information visit www.ahapunanaleo.org, or call the nonprofit organization's Hilo office at 808-959-4979.

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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 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

LEEWARD OAHU

3 land in hospital after car hits light pole in Waipahu

Three men are hospitalized, two in critical condition, after their car struck a light pole in Waipahu this morning.

Police said the car was speeding north on Paiwa Street approaching the Akihiloa Street intersection at about 12:20 a.m., when the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the light pole.

The driver, a 31-year-old man, and the front seat passenger, a 29-year-old man, were taken to Queen's Medical Center in critical condition. The rear-seat passenger, a 40-year-old man, was taken to Queen's in serious condition but has since improved to fair. All three men are from Waipahu.

Police said speed appears to have contributed to the crash. They do not know whether any of the men were wearing seat belts.

Pregnant woman allegedly dragged by boyfriend's car

Police arrested a 22-year-old man for attempted murder yesterday after he allegedly drove off in his car while his pregnant girlfriend's arm was stuck in the car window.

Police said the victim was also holding a 21-month-old child with her other arm, in addition to being eight months pregnant. According to police, the couple argued near Farrington Highway and Mana Street in Maili, while the suspect was in his car and the victim was standing outside the car.

Police said the 18-year-old woman's arm became "locked" in the driver's window and that the suspect drove away while she was still hanging on.

Police said the woman managed to pass her child off to a passer-by as she was dragged along Farrington Highway.

The suspect's car then hit a curb, after which police said the victim "bounced clear" from the window.

The suspect then fled the scene and later turned himself in to police.

Man fighting house fire overwhelmed by smoke

A man who fought an Aiea house fire with a water hose yesterday had to be taken to the hospital because of smoke inhalation.

A bedroom in a home at 99-238 Ulune St., where 11 people lived, caught fire at about 4:45 p.m.

Firefighters said when they got there, two men were trying to keep the flames under control. While one of the men shot water from the outside, another went into the house to get closer to the fire.

Firefighters said the smoke eventually overcame the man, and he was taken to Pali Momi Medical Center where he was treated and released.

The fire was reportedly under control at 4:48 p.m. Damage is estimated at $13,000.

Fire investigators said the cause of the fire appears to be a child playing with a lighter.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Big Isle drunken-driving arrests decrease 14%

Big Island police arrested 17 motorists for drunken driving last week.

Two of the drivers were involved in traffic accidents, and two were under the age of 21.

So far this year, there have been 132 DUI arrests, a 14 percent decrease from the 153 arrested during the same period last year.

There have been seven traffic fatalities on the Big Island so far this year, compared to none during the same period last year.

The DUI fatality count so far this year is two, compared to none during the same period last year.