ASSOCIATED PRESS
Gov. Linda Lingle chatted with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg yesterday at City Hall in New York. She wraps up her trip to the mainland this weekend and will be back to work at the Capitol Monday.
Hawaii is one of the safest states in the nation, Gov. Linda Lingle said today on national television. Lingle touts Hawaii
as low-threat state
Associated Press
If people are looking for a place least likely to undergo a terrorist attack, Hawaii is it, Lingle said on Fox News Live in New York, where she was meeting with senior staff of the New York Stock Exchange.
"It's a very safe place to be," she said, noting that Hawaii's terror alert level has never gone past blue.
The state doesn't consider the impact on the visitor industry in determining the threat level, she said.
"We use intelligence developed by the military and homeland security" in determining any threat to residents and visitors, she said.
People feel safe in Hawaii because of the large military presence that alerts the state to potential threats, and because it is 2,500 miles from the mainland, she said.
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>> The public information meeting on the Puuloa Road improvements starts at 7 tonight at Moanalua High School. A story on Page A1 on Wednesday had an incorrect starting time. Corrections and clarifications
>> Gov. Linda Lingle is promoting all Hawaii-grown coffee during her visit to Washington, D.C., this week, by asking that the coffees be served at the White House. An article on Page D1 on Wednesday said incorrectly that she was promoting Kona coffee.
>> Russell Rippetoe is a local representative of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association. His name was misspelled as Lippetoe in an article on Page C1 on Tuesday.
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
WINDWARD OAHU
Cops seek male suspect in kidnapping of girl, 13
Police are looking for a man who kidnapped a 13-year-old girl as she walked to school in Kaneohe yesterday.Police said the girl was walking to King Intermediate School when a man drove alongside her and asked if she needed a ride.
The man stopped his vehicle, got out, grabbed the girl by her arms, pulled her to his vehicle and told her to get in, police said. The girl managed to escape after she bit him on the arm, police said.
The man is described as in his 30s. No other descriptions were available.
King Principal Wade Araki said he also does not have further details of the failed abduction. But the school's teachers reviewed personal safety tips this morning with students, advising them to not walk alone, he said.
LEEWARD OAHU
Tips lead to arrest of woman in Nanakuli
Police arrested Tara Maka, 35, in Nanakuli on Monday following tips to CrimeStoppers.
CORRECTION
Saturday, March 1, 2003» Tara Maka, who was arrested based on CrimeStoppers tips, is a woman. A story on Page A4 in yesterday's late editions incorrectly identified Maka as a man.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at corrections@starbulletin.com.Maka was wanted on outstanding warrants charging him with traffic violations and a misdemeanor offense. He also was being sought for questioning in the theft of a purse from a vehicle after a collision.
WAIKIKI
Man sought in robbery of woman's purse
Police want help finding a man who robbed a 56-year-old woman of her purse while they were in an apartment elevator at 414 Launiu St. in Waikiki on Sunday.The woman suffered minor injuries when the robber threw her to the ground during a struggle, police said.
The robber is described as in his late 20s, 6 feet 2, 240 pounds, with muscular build, dark complexion. He was unshaven, with short and wavy black hair and dark eyes.
Anyone with information can call Detective Gordon Makashima at 529-3436 or CrimeStoppers at 955-8300.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Woman dies when car hits a semi and a van
WAILUKU >> A California woman died last night after the vehicle in which she was riding struck a semi-trailer truck and a van in central Maui.Jean Funkhouser, 81, whose hometown was not available, died at the scene of the crash at the intersection of Kuihelani Highway and Waiko Road, police said.
Her husband, Lawrence, the driver, was in guarded condition at Maui Memorial Medical Center.
Police said the car carrying the couple struck the rear of a semi while traveling on Kuihelani Highway toward Kahului about 6:55 p.m. The car then veered into the oncoming lane and struck a van.
