Firefighter free on bail in teen sex assault case
A Honolulu firefighter charged with sexually assaulting two teenage girls last month met the girls in an Internet chat room, police said.Kevin Uhrle, 31, was charged with four counts of third-degree sexual assault Friday for allegedly fondling the girls, ages 13 and 14, at the younger girl's Kailua home.
Uhrle is free on $20,000 bail pending his initial court appearance on the charges on Thursday.
According to court documents submitted by Honolulu police, the younger girl told police she had been communicating with a "Kevin" by telephone and over the Internet. On June 15 the girls said they invited Uhrle to the Kailua home. He arrived at 12:30 a.m., according to a police detective's affidavit.
The girls told police Uhrle fondled them when they were in the back yard. The younger girl said she pushed Uhrle's hand away and said, "No."
Uhrle was arrested last Friday after the girls identified him in a photographic lineup, police said.
The seven-year veteran of the Honolulu Fire Department is assigned to the Makakilo Fire Station. He went on personal leave last Friday, said Capt. Richard Soo, Fire Department spokesman.
Maui Council's Arakawa joins race for mayor
WAILUKU >> Maui County Councilman Alan Arakawa has announced his candidacy for mayor of Maui County, which includes Lanai and Molokai.The race this year will be the first nonpartisan mayoral election in Maui County.
Arakawa, who filed his nomination papers yesterday, ran in 1998 as a Republican and lost in the general election against then-Democratic Councilman James "Kimo" Apana.
Apana has already filed his nomination papers for re-election.
Arakawa, a Kahului resident who has served as the chairman of the Council's Land Use Committee, has operated a number of business enterprises, including a family farm in Kula and a printing and graphics firm.
5 Marines rejoin units after grenade mishap
Five of the seven Marines injured in Friday's hand grenade incident at the Big Island's Pohakuloa Training Area were released yesterday from Tripler Army Medical Center.Two of the Marines were returned to Pohakuloa on the USS Rushmore.
Three others reported back to Marine Corps Base Hawaii, where they will perform only limited duty until they recover from their minor injuries, officials said.
The last two remain at Tripler for further treatment.
The Navy also said it is not ready to release the identity of the Peruvian sailor who was killed Friday during a Rim of the Pacific accident. The sailor, assigned to Peruvian frigate Montero, was trying to clear the loading mechanism of a 6-inch gun when a piece of the equipment hit him in the neck.
Meanwhile, the Army Safety Center in Alabama has completed the first phase of an investigation into a grenade accident three months ago that took the life of one soldier and injured three others at Schofield Barracks.
Army to hold briefing on Makua monitoring
The Army will discuss how it plans to conduct soil, water and air studies in Makua Valley at a meeting next Tuesday at the Waianae Recreation Center.The meeting will begin at 7 p.m.
The results of the studies will be incorporated into an environmental impact statement being prepared for the Leeward Oahu training range.
The Army was able to resume live-fire training in Makua Valley under a court settlement while an environmental impact statement was being readied.
Grant helps 100 needy Big Island families
HILO >> The Office of Social Ministry of the Catholic Church in Hawaii has received a $10,000 grant from the Alexander & Baldwin Foundation for housing assistance on the Big Island, OSM announced.The money will be used to help about 100 families make rent and mortgage payments.
The money comes from A&B Foundation's Manawale'a program, established to help people who suffered lost or reduced employment due to the effects of the Sept. 11 attacks.
The grant to OSM is part of $150,000 distributed statewide recently by A&B Foundation for housing needs. Other recipients have been the Salvation Army on Oahu and the Maui and Kauai Economic Opportunity Councils.
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[Taking Notice]
ACADEMIC AWARDS
>> Hawaii Pacific University students earned a second-place bronze statue at the national 2001 Telly Awards for a video, created as a public service announcement, chronicling the history of the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Competing against professionals, the students are Sachiyo Hartanto, Fredrik Larsson, Eli Lloyd, Robert Midkiff Jr., David Tintle and Stefani Wan.>> Lorey Ishihara, a teacher at Kahuku High School, is one of eight national finalists for the Richard T. Farrell Teacher of Merit award for outstanding success in teaching history.
>> Alex Gotay, 16, of Kailua will attend Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan, the foremost summer arts program for youth in the nation.
>> Garilyn Souza of Waialua will attend the National Young Leaders Conference in Washington with some 350 other outstanding students from around the country to interact with key leaders and newsmakers from government, the media and the international community.
>> Lowell Frazier, a University of Hawaii-Manoa journalism professor since 1984, has been awarded the President's Commendation for his work as director of the Parvin/Freedom Forum Journalism Studies Fellowship Program. More than 200 Chinese journalists have come to UH as part of the program, and Frazier has served as a mentor, host and study tour leader to mainland cities.
GRANTS
>> Big Brothers Big Sisters of Honolulu has received $500 raised by NASCAR driver Jim Nemecheck as part of Valvoline's "Track Match Challenge" program in Richmond, Va.>> The Arthritis Foundation raised $20,000 in May with its first 5K fund-raising walk in Kaneohe during National Arthritis Month.
>> Historic Hawai'i Foundation and the Freeman Foundation have awarded a $75,000 matching grant for the completion of the restoration of the historic St. Andrew's Cathedral in Honolulu.
>> Hawaii's state employees contributed $81,699 to the Hawaii Foodbank and collected 169,688 pounds of food. Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono's staff in particular donated $1,000 from their annual bake sale.
|"Taking Notice" runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Please send items to City Desk, Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana, Suite 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813.
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. Corrections and clarifications
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHonolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
LEEWARD OAHU
Girl hit by car in Ewa is in critical condition
A 16-year-old girl was flown in critical condition to Queen's Medical Center by Medical Evacuation helicopter this morning after she was struck by a car in Ewa.Police said the accident occurred about 7:30 a.m. near the intersection of Fort Weaver and Renton roads. Other details were not available.
Traffic was tied up in the area as police closed the north-bound lanes on Fort Weaver Road for investigation of the accident.
HONOLULU
Police charge 3 men in Pauoa shooting
Police have charged one man with attempted murder and two others with criminal conspiracy in connection with last week's shooting in Pauoa Valley.Allen Martin Costa, Jr., 23, of Kalihi, was charged with attempted murder, burglary, criminal conspiracy and two firearm violations. James Abalos, 23, of Waipahu, was charged with criminal conspiracy and drug offenses. Shawn Shelton, 31, of Liliha, was charged with criminal conspiracy. Bail for each was set at $100,000.
Police identified Costa as the masked gunman who shot a 42-year-old man at 2103 Booth Road on July 2 and fled in a waiting vehicle.
The victim was shot in the arm and abdomen and taken to Queen's Medical Center in critical condition. He has improved and been discharged
Ticket campaign cited for higher seat belt use
Seat belt usage rose throughout the state during the recent "Click It or Ticket" awareness and enforcement campaign, state Transportation Director Brian Minaai said yesterday.According to a study conducted June 1-5 by the University of Hawaii, statewide seat belt use rose to 90.4 percent from 83.5 percent, Minaai said in a news release.
The study observed 35,263 drivers and 15,416 passengers and found 45,521 were buckled.
