Hearing for sailor in 2 deaths delayed
A pretrial hearing for a Pearl Harbor sailor accused of raping and murdering his Singapore-born wife and stabbing to death his mother-in-law has been postponed for a second time.The Navy said attorneys for Petty Officer 2nd Class David DeArmond asked that today's scheduled hearing be continued probably until sometime next week.
DeArmond, 33, is charged with striking his wife, Zaleha DeArmond, 31, on the head with an iron skillet. The Navy said she was raped and her mother, Saniah Binte Abdul Ghani, 66, was stabbed repeatedly with a knife.
The bodies of the two women were found June 10 on the second story of the couple's home in the Navy Hokulani housing complex.
UH and Vietnamese university renew ties
University of Hawaii President Evan Dobelle and President Dao Trong Thi of the Vietnam National University signed an agreement yesterday renewing an academic partnership between the two universities for five years.Dobelle and a team of UH administrators planned to also visit Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Japan to explore new partnerships.
A unique aspect between UH and VNU is the executive master's of business administration program operated by the UH-Manoa College of Business Administration through the Hanoi School of Business at VNU.
The MBA program, launched in the fall of 2001, currently has an enrollment of 40 Vietnamese and international students.
Man indicted in alleged sex assault
An Oahu grand jury indicted a 31-year-old Pacific Heights man yesterday on charges he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old-girl.Danilo Rozal, also known as Danny Rozal, was charged with three counts of first-degree assault and one count of third-degree assault involving alleged attacks on Aug. 18, 2001.
City officials to share expertise in Vietnam
A city delegation will leave tomorrow for a one-week visit to Hue, Vietnam, to participate in an international technical exchange partnership funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.Tim Steinberger, director of the city Department of Environmental Services, Wilma Namumnart, acting assistant division chief of the Refuse Division, and engineer Kenneth Kawahara will work with Hue city officials to address solid-waste management, drainage and waste-water issues, tourism management and development, and urban greenery.
Denise DeCosta, community relations representative from the Board of Water Supply, also will provide training in the development of public outreach programs.
Ex-HDS exec to run state health fund
Mark Fukuhara has been named chief executive officer of the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund.The trust fund was created by last year's Legislature to provide health benefits under a single delivery system for about 90,000 active and retired state and county government employees.
The fund's board of trustees began a nationwide recruitment in April for the chief operating position.
Sam Callejo, board chairman, said Fukuhara "has the experience and background, and he will definitely be an asset to the board in establishing the operations of the trust fund."
Fukuhara will work with the trustees to develop strategic plans for the trust fund and health benefit programs for state and county government employees and retirees.
He will establish the new organization and operations, and handle the transition from the current Public Employees Health Fund to the new Health Benefits Trust Fund on July 1.
Fukuhara has been senior vice president and chief operating officer with Hawaii Dental Service and most recently vice president and chief operating officer with Royal Insurance Agency.
He has had management positions with Kahuku Hospital, Hawaii Medical Service Association, Straub Clinic & Hospital and Arthur Young and Co.
He has a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University.
>> The Salvation Army received grants from the following organizations: Taking Notice
Cooke Foundation, $10,000, to renovate Camp Homelani for underprivileged children.
G.N. Wilcox Trust, $46,000, for maintenance of its Family Treatment Services Center and Divisional Headquarters, and youth and senior programs of the Lihue Corps Youth Center on Kauai.
McInerny Foundation, $37,000, for the Women's Way Therapeutic Nursery for at-risk and drug-exposed infants and toddlers, and for Camp Homelani.
Abigail K. Kawananakoa Foundation, $3,000, for Camp Homelani's Hawaiian Music Learning School to purchase musical instruments and garments.
First Hawaiian Foundation, $2,500, to support the communitywide skateboard program for youths in Waimea on the Big Island.
Karen & David Stoutemyer Charitable fund, $3,500, for various charitable services of the Salvation Army.
>> Liuone Faagai has been named employment and employee relations manager for Kamehameha Schools. Faagai's office will be based on the school's Kapalama campus on Oahu.
|"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.
>> MTV News correspondent Kurt Loder will speak to the Hawaii Advertising Federation on Wednesday. A brief on Page D7 yesterday incorrectly listed the date as a Thursday. 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.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHonolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
AYUMI NAKANISHI / ANAKANISHI@STARBULLETIN.COM
A police officer exhibited on Monday a sophisticated gambling device that was seized last Thursday.
HONOLULU
Police show off rigged gambling card shoe
Card shoes are supposed to prevent dealers from cheating. But police have seized a card shoe rigged with electronics to dispense selected cards when triggered by a remote device. Police displayed the rigged card shoe Monday after seizing it in a gambling raid at 1705 Kalakaua Ave. last week. Two men, identified as an employee and a customer, were arrested for investigating of gambling promotion.
Brush fires keep crews occupied across Oahu
Honolulu firefighters battled several small brush fires across Oahu yesterday.The first fire began at 2:30 a.m. and the last one at 6:35 p.m. There were fires in Waianae, Kaneohe, Waikele, Ewa Beach, two in Kahuku and one near the Del Monte camp area off Kunia Road.
Fire officials said the brush fires were not large, but because there were so many, the department's manpower was stretched thin for several hours. None of the brush fires damaged any property or caused any injuries, fire officials said.
Motorcycle victim ID'd as Foster Village man
The Honolulu Medical Examiner has identified the motorcyclist who died after crashing head-on into a car in Pearl City yesterday as Melinger Padre, 47, of Foster Village.Police said Padre was traveling west on Moanalua Road about 6:20 a.m. when he collided with a a car making a left turn onto Hoolaulea Street.
The impact threw Padre, who was wearing a helmet, off his motorcycle, into the windshield of the car and onto the roadway.
Longs security guard held in alleged assault
Police arrested a security officer at Longs Drugs' Pali Highway store Tuesday for allegedly beating a man in the parking lot for no apparent reason.Police said the security officer, 22, was seen talking to the victim, a 20-year-old Makiki man, about 12:45 a.m., then striking him twice in the face. The victim suffered a fracture to an eye socket.
