Newswatch
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin Staff
[ TAKING NOTICE ]
SACRED HEARTS GIRLS ARE WINNERS
>> St. Francis Healthcare System plans to expand its interisland telemedicine and patient access network with $2.04 million from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.
COURTESY PHOTO
Sacred Hearts Academy took first place in the recent Hawaiian Electric Electron Marathon at Ford Island, beating crews from 30 other high schools who raced electric cars they designed and built. Front row from left: Kristen Debo, driver, Christina Gamayo, Deanna Sin, Candace Nakanishi, Nancy Cheung, Phoebe Koja-Cristobal, Kathleen Kordas. Back row from left: Bill Schadt, co-adviser, Serena Hernandez, Nohea Hoopii, Michelle Cheang, Aislinn Hernandez, Taryn Sutter, Carl Debo, adviser.
The foundation's gifts to the Franciscan Sisters have enabled the group to link all its renal dialysis facilities on the neighbor islands and Oahu, said Jerry Correa, director of the group's information systems.
>> Laura Weaver and Robert Stanton have been appointed to the Blood Bank of Hawaii's management staff.
Weaver, previously service manager for Century Computers, Inc., has been named director of information services. Stanton was appointed director of laboratory services. He worked as laboratory operations manager at Kapiolani Medical Center and technical supervisor of the Mercy Hospital Blood Bank in Pennsylvania.
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State gets $1.6 million grant for emergencies
OAKLAND, Calif. >> The federal government has awarded Hawaii a $1.6 million grant for all-hazards emergency management activities.The grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency was announced yesterday by Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge.
Michael Brown, undersecretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response, said the grant will give Hawaii and island communities the flexibility to allocate funds according to risk and vulnerabilities.
They will also be able to address the most urgent state and local needs in disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery, he said.
The money comes from the Emergency Management Performance Grant program.
Funding is allocated among the states on the basis of population, with consideration given to risk and vulnerability assessments, the Department of Homeland Security said.
The EMPG program was first awarded in fiscal year 2000. It was intended to consolidate funding streams that FEMA provides to state emergency management departments and agencies.
Woman facing trial in fraudulent tax case
An Ewa Beach tax preparer has been indicted in federal court with 26 counts of aiding in the preparation of fraudulent tax returns.Patricia Leilani Brunson, 40, also known as Leilani Brunson or Leilani Santos, was charged April 9 with allegedly preparing returns in 1997 and 1998 for various individuals in which she claimed more deductions than they actually incurred and more credits than they were entitled to.
If convicted, Brunson faces a maximum sentence of three years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
Brunson is the mother of Joel Keoni Brunson, who was convicted of second-degree murder in state court two years ago for fatally shooting a bystander at an Ewa Beach birthday party in May 2000.
Leilani Brunson had testified for the defense, saying her son was at home with her watching his siblings at the time of the fatal shooting that killed Robert Rodemio, a newly arrived immigrant from the Philippines.
Kailua Park pool will be closed for 2 days
The Kailua District Park pool will be closed Monday, and Tuesday for minor repair and maintenance.The pool will reopen Wednesday.
For more information, call the Kailua Swimming Pool office at 266-7661.
Anti-war group plans Waikiki peace march
Not in Our Name Hawaii is planning a candlelight peace march at 7 p.m. April 26 in Waikiki.The march will begin at the front of the Honolulu Zoo, proceed down Kuhio Avenue to Seaside where it will turn left to Kalakaua and return to the zoo area. The march is to end with a short vigil along the ocean promenade.
In announcing the march, organizers said: "We were unable to stop the war on Iraq and Bush's 'war without end' is continuing. We will continue the struggle to stop Bush's Empire and to work for Peace with Justice."
For more information e-mail nionhawaii@yahoo.com or call 534-CALL.
Feng Shui seminar scheduled Tuesday
Clarence Lau will teach the skills of Feng Shui (pronounced "feng schway") during a free seminar from 11 to 11:45 a.m. Tuesday at the Waikiki Community Center, 310 Paoakalani Ave.Developed thousands of years ago in China, Feng Shui is the practice of directing energy, or chi, to create harmonious living environments.
Parking is free for the event, held in celebration of the center's 25th anniversary.
For more information, call 923-1802.
Grant to tout healthy babies
Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii has received a $15,000 grant to educate women of child-bearing age about the benefits of taking B vitamin folic acid daily.The March of Dimes Hawaii Chapter grant will enable the coalition and the Folic Acid Council of Hawaii to continue to promote the importance of folic acid to reduce birth defects of the brain and spine, called neural tube defects, said Nancy Partika, coalition executive director.
The U.S. Public Health Service recommends that all women of childbearing age take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily to prevent neural tube defects. An estimated 2,500 babies are born annually with such defects and many other pregnancies result in miscarriage or stillbirth, Partika said.
The most common neural tube defect is spina bifida, a leading cause of childhood paralysis. Another defect is anencephaly, a fatal condition in which a baby is born with a severely underdeveloped brain and skull.
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>> The "Tales from the Arabian Nights" show, playing every Friday night at Indigo restaurant downtown, has been extended to May 23. An item on Page 27 of yesterday's Star Weekend section had an incorrect listing. 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 Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at fbridgewater@starbulletin.com.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHonolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
PHOTO COURTESY OF DOUG OAKLEY
Honolulu firefighters poured water on a boat in the garage of a five-bedroom Manoa Valley home that was damaged in a blaze yesterday around 11 a.m. No injuries were reported.
HONOLULU
Manoa home and carport damaged in fire
Fire destroyed the carport and upper level of a two-story home in Manoa yesterday.The fire at 3303 Keahi St. was reported at 11:08 by a neighbor. Firefighters arrived at the home four minutes later and got the flames under control a half hour later.
Eight engine companies responded to the fire.
No one was home at the time.
Damage was estimated at $235,000. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Checkpoints set for impaired-driver stops
The Honolulu Police Department will be conducting impaired-driver checkpoints to discourage drinking or drug use and driving.Checkpoints will be set up unannounced times and places today through Monday.
Ninety percent of fatal collisions are alcohol- or drug-related. Speeding is a factor in 95 percent of fatal collisions.
As of yesterday, there have been 27 traffic-related deaths on Oahu compared with 21 during the same period last year.
LEEWARD OAHU
HFD helicopter sheds light on pig hunters
The fire department helicopter helped two pig hunters return home from the Kaena side of Makaha ridge last night.Fire Department spokesman Kenison Tejada said the fire department received a call from residents who saw lights in the mountains at about 8 p.m.
The helicopter and rescue units located the source of the lights as pig hunters returning down the ridge in the darkness. The helicopter used its spotlight to help illuminate the path for the hunters until they reached the trail head.
