Newswatch
Police, Fire, Courts

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Bank and airline help fund Molokai student trip

Thirty Hawaiian Immersion third and fourth graders at Kualapu'u Elementary School on Molokai were invited to be part of a program hosted by Gov. Ben Cayetano in Honolulu, but they had only13 round-trip tickets.

Kumu Henry Pali said parents, teachers and students worked hard to raise money for the tickets and an overnight stay, but they were 18 short.

He was faced with the unhappy job of trying to select 13 of the 30 students for the Governor's International Conference on Volunteerism "Sharing Aloha in the Global Village" when two island businesses learned of the plight.

First Hawaiian Bank provided funds to allow all the children to make the trip and Island Air helped with a special fare for the 18 tickets.

The children performed an original chant and song Feb. 24 at the "Rhythms of Aloha Welcome and Recognition Dinner."

They created the song as a gift to conference participants and an appeal to everyone to show support, caring and respect for others.

Auto show will include peek at student testing

Students coming to the 2002 First Hawaiian International Auto Show not only will get a sneak peek at next year's car models, but also at new standards testing scheduled for April.

The new tests are part of the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards, which will be showcased by auto dealers and the state Department of Education to help inform the public. The auto show runs March 14-17 at the Hawaii Convention Center.

The practice tests, which simulate actual questions, will be held at the Department of Education display area from 3 to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. Those scoring higher than 60 percent will qualify for prize drawings, including a surround-sound system.

The tests will be run by this year's seven Teacher of the Year winners, who have received the use of a new car for a year compliments of auto dealers, auto manufacturers and the First Hawaiian International Auto Show. "The 7 Cars for 7 Teachers" program began two years ago when the department asked businesses for help in providing rewards for teachers as part of the DOE's new standards reform movement.

Car show hours are: noon to 10:30 p.m. March 14 and 15, 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. March 16, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 17. Admission is $6 for adults 13 and older, $4 for military and seniors 62 and older, $3 for children 7 to 12, and free for children under 6.

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

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Police raid house in Hilo and arrest 5 people

Big Island police raided a Hilo residence Friday after receiving "numerous nuisance calls to the address" and complaints from residents in a Neighborhood Watch program.

Four women and one man were arrested on drug-related offenses at around 1 p.m. at the Hale Manu Drive residence where one of the women arrested lives.

Three suspects were released after questioning. Two suspects who had warrants out for their arrest were being held on $200 and $4,500 bail.

EAST OAHU

Hanauma Bay still closed by influx of box jellyfish

Hanauma Bay remained closed yesterday for the third day in a row because of an influx of box jellyfish, a city dispatcher said.

Ocean Safety Division officials will decide whether to reopen the bay after making a check of the area in the morning, said dispatcher Rod Alderton.

The jellyfish influx also affected Waikiki and Ala Moana Beach Park, where warning signs were posted Friday.

WAIKIKI

'Jaws of life' free officer from road accident

A 28-year police officer was injured when his Go-4 three-wheeled vehicle hit a tree on Kalia Road near the Hale Koa Hotel about 9:34 p.m. last night.

The officer's leg was caught in the vehicle and the Fire Department used the "jaws of life" device to free him. The officer was taken by ambulance to the Queen's Medical Center and appeared to be in stable condition, the Fire Department said.

Homeless man faces attempted murder charge

A 55-year-old homeless man faces attempted murder charges after allegedly stabbing another homeless man on Waikiki Beach.

Police said the two men were acquaintances who got into a fight at around 2:45 p.m. Friday. The 33-year-old stabbing victim was in guarded condition at the Queen's Medical Center yesterday.

Windward oahu

Man arrested for alleged threats with a knife

A 32-year-old transient threatened his girlfriend and her two male roommates with butcher knives and was arrested Friday, police said.

The man got into an argument with the woman and her roommates after he came to his girlfriend's Waimanalo home at about 5:50 p.m. after he had been told not to come around, police said.

The suspect allegedly assaulted one of the men with a metal broomstick. When the two others tried to intervene, the suspect ran to his girlfriend's room, got two large butcher knives and threatened the trio. Police said the suspect threw rocks at them as they fled.

Hydrant shoots water onto Kaneohe store

A car apparently hit a fire hydrant in Kaneohe, causing it to burst into a geyser of water for 45 minutes yesterday afternoon.

The water was shooting higher than a streetlight pole, and landing on the roof of Ross' Furniture and Appliances at 45-564 Kamehameha Highway.

The Board of Water Supply was notified of the spewing hydrant at 1:43 p.m. and had it secured by 2:26 p.m., a spokesman said. No other water customers will be affected, he said.

Ross' salesman Larry Palmer said very little water got inside the store and there was no damage. "We gotta wash our cars sometime," he joked.

CENTRAL OAHU

Police seek 2 suspects in robbery of cab driver

Police were looking for two men suspected of robbing a taxi cab driver with what appeared to be a handgun.

The incident occurred at 9:15 p.m. Friday when the driver picked up the two men in Pearl City and drove them to Mililani. Once there, one suspect pulled out the weapon and took the driver's property, police said.

Both suspects, described as in their late teens to early 20s, fled on foot. The 35-year-old driver was not injured.