Newswatch
Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff and wire
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Gas crews dug up part of Farrington Highway near Waipahu Depot Road yesterday to fix a city gas pipe that was punctured by a private construction crew shortly after noon. Police had to close parts of the highway for nearly five hours. Some Gas Co. workers were given oxygen for dizziness. The Gas Co. expected to complete repairs by this morning.
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Federal funds sought to help restore stream
The city is seeking federal assistance to mitigate the effects of a Sept. 23-24 fire that burned more than 1,000 acres of agricultural land in Waialua, according to Honolulu City Councilman Donovan Dela Cruz.Funds for restoration of the Poamoho Stream Watershed will be sought from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource and Conservation Service.
"This work is urgently needed to protect the fragile ecosystem of Waialua from imminent hazards due to erosion and flooding that can be caused by heavy rainfall," Dela Cruz said.
Free health insurance for immigrant children
Children and youths under 19 years old who are legal immigrants are encouraged to apply for free health insurance through the state's QUEST and Medicaid programs.Barbara Luksch, project director for Hawaii Covering Kids, said the state expanded its health insurance programs three years ago to cover legal immigrant children, "and we want to reach as many families as possible to let them know this help is available."
She said 2,200 legal immigrant children and youths are enrolled in the free programs now, and more can qualify, with eligibility based on family size and income.
A family of four can have an income of about $42,000 a year, and the children still can qualify for the free health insurance, Luksch pointed out.
"Also, applying for QUEST and Medicaid will not affect their immigration status," she said.
Health care services covered by the programs include regular checkups, doctor visits, emergency care, eyeglasses, immunizations, counseling, prescription medicines and dental care.
For more information, call Aloha United Way's hot-line number, 211, from any island, or log onto www.coveringkids.
Free diabetes testing offered on Saturday
Residents are invited to learn about the risks of diabetes and be tested for the disease between 8 a.m. and noon Saturday at Longs Drug Store, Moiliili.The Hawaii Association of Diabetes Educators has joined with the National Kidney Foundation to sponsor the free event in recognition of Diabetes Awareness Month.
Certified diabetes educators will do risk assessments and present informational material. Registered nurses, dietitians, an exercise physiologist and a pharmacist also will be present.
The National Kidney Foundation will do kidney screening, including a blood pressure check, with an opportunity for further evaluation.
The Clinical Laboratory of Hawaii will provide certified medical technicians.
For more information, call Aileen Schroffner at the Hawaii Association of Diabetes Educators, 524-2472, or Sharon Arneson, National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii, 589-5922.
Grants will help group expand its services
Mental Health Kokua has received $53,000 from the McInerny Foundation to use toward purchase of properties for expansion of residential services in East Hawaii and on Maui.Also, the Hawaii Women's Legal Foundation granted the group $7,500 to furnish a new transitional housing facility on Maui.
Mental Health Kokua is in its 30th year of providing a range of mental health services and programs statewide. It helps people in mental distress, emotional crisis or recovering from serious mental illness.
Learn about epilepsy at free Keiki Fun Day
The Epilepsy Foundation of Hawaii is sponsoring a free Keiki Fun Day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 15 at McCoy Pavilion at Ala Moana Beach Park to help raise public awareness of epilepsy.The seizure disorder afflicts 12,000 to 15,000 people in Hawaii. Representatives from the foundation will be on hand to answer questions.
Admission and all activities are free, including two inflatable jumpers. A keiki karaoke machine, fishing booth, putt-putt golf and other games will be available, along with hair and face painting, arts and crafts, and temporary tattoos.
Food and drinks from Papa John's Pizza will be available for a small charge.
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[Taking Notice]
College honors Pruder, of Oceanic Institute
Dr. Gary Pruder, Oceanic Institute executive vice president, has been recognized as one of the "Lerner Fabulous 50" graduates from the University of Delaware's Master's in Business Administration program.He was honored as one of the top 50 scholars over the MBA Program's 50 years of existence based upon his professional achievements and community contributions.
Pruder said his MBA in finance "was a passport to opportunities" in his career, which has focused on engineering and science. He also has a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in applied science and marine studies.
Before his recent appointment as executive vice president, Pruder managed several research programs at Oceanic Institute.
He serves as executive committee member of the Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture and as an affiliate graduate faculty member of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture.
>> Darryll D.M. Wong was recently promoted to brigadier general of the Hawaii Air National Guard after 20 years of service. A University of Hawaii graduate, Wong joined the Air Force and served during the Vietnam War. He has been a pilot with Aloha Airlines since the Vietnam War ended.
>> Seventh-grader Hana-kekua "Hana" Joao, a patron of Molokai Public Library, is the $1,000 grand-prize winner of the 2003 Hawaii Pizza Hut and Hawaii State Public Library System Young Adult Summer Reading Shopping Spree Sweepstakes. She read 44 books during the five-week summer program. Joao began attending Kamehameha Schools on Oahu in the fall.
>> Viola Indie, of Kailua, a member of the General Frederick Funston Auxiliary No. 94, participated in the 90th national convention of the Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States in San Antonio. Her attendance marked the beginning of her 2003-2004 term as national chairwoman for the 15 states in the Western Conference on the Buddy Poppy program.
"Taking Notice" runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Please send items to City Desk, Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana, Suite 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffSPILL OFF SAND ISLAND
SICKENS 3 PEOPLE
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
The stench from a road stain sickened three people yesterday morning at a business off Sand Island Access Road. The spill was probably from a refuse collection truck that had been seen earlier emptying rubbish bins, according to Capt. Carter Davis of the Honolulu Fire Department's Hazardous Materials Team 1. Davis said the stain did not appear to be chemical. Firefighter Shannon Parker, right, carried some of the residue collected from the cleanup as he walked with Ryan Washburn. Police closed Alahao Place while a fire team spread absorbents on the spill and collected a sample to determine if it was hazardous.
LEEWARD OAHU
Man dies after car rolls over on freeway
The driver of a vehicle that rolled over on the H-1 freeway westbound near the Kunia offramp died late yesterday after being taken to St. Francis-West Medical Center.The man was in his 40s, an Emergency Medical Services official said. His passenger was taken to the Queen's Medical Center in serious condition, police said.
The accident occurred about 8:45 last night and caused several lanes to be closed, police said. They said traffic was backed up to the H-1/H-2 merge because of the accident.
Traffic investigators were determining the cause of the accident last night.
Waipahu man arrested in alleged sex assault
Police arrested a 30-year-old Waipahu man yesterday for allegedly sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman in his home in September.The man faces a charge of first-degree sexual assault.
Police said the man invited the victim to go out with him, and she accepted. Instead, he took her to his house where he allegedly sexually assaulted her.
The suspect was released pending investigation.
Police continue search for missing woman, 75
Honolulu police are still looking for a 75-year-old Waianae woman who was last seen Monday.
The daughter of Helen Hun said it is especially scary for her and her siblings because their mother has not spent a night outside her Alapaki Street home in the last 10 years.
"No matter where she went to visit, she always came home at night," said Hun's daughter, Helen Sanpei. "That's what makes this really scary, because I don't know where she is or if she's somewhere with someone, and if so is it voluntary."
Sanpei said she and family members have searched the Leeward Coast from Yokohama Bay to Nanakuli searching for Hun. Police have also been searching for the last three days, with the police helicopter doing aerial searches for the first time yesterday.
"We've notified bus companies and hospitals, also," said missing-persons investigator Phil Camero. "The good thing is there's no sign of foul play."
"Still, the family is very concerned and so are we."
Sanpei said that for the past four to five years, her mother has suffered from dementia and still thinks her parents -- Sanpei's grandparents -- are still alive.
"She'll go off looking for them or want to cook dinner for them," Sanpei said. "We even went to check if she was at the old house she grew up in at Lualualei, but she wasn't there."
Anyone with any information about Hun's whereabouts is asked to call Camero directly at 529-3394. Anonymous calls may also be made to CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on a cellular phone.
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2 bus workers indicted on tax evasion charges
A state grand jury recently indicted two employees of Oahu Transit Services Inc., the private company that runs the bus system for the city, on charges of attempting to evade income taxes.Tax officials say Joseph Nuuanu and Ernest Fain filed separate, false employee's withholding allowance certificates, claiming they were entitled to 99 withholding allowances each.
Nuuanu was charged with four counts of attempting to evade or defeat taxes for 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Fain was indicted on five counts of attempting to evade or defeat taxes for 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. The charge is a Class C felony and punishable by up to a $100,000 fine and five years in prison.
Welfare and tax fraud brings 30-day jail term
A former Waipahu couple was sentenced Monday to 30 days in jail and ordered to repay the state a total of $144,483 for welfare and tax fraud.Circuit Judge Karen Ahn denied requests by Felise Fainuu, 34, and Julieta Fainuu, 32, now of Alaska, to defer their no-contest pleas to one count of first-degree theft, two counts of second-degree theft and two counts of filing fraudulent state income tax returns. The judge also sentenced the Fainuus to five years' probation and ordered each to perform 100 hours of community service.
A deferral would have allowed the Fainuus the chance to wipe their records clean if they abided by conditions similar to probation.
An investigation by the Department of Human Services showed that from 1995 to 2002, the Fainuus hid facts from state welfare and housing authorities, such as that Felise Fainuu was living in the home and was employed.
Officials also said a review of the Fainuus' tax records showed they also filed fraudulent state income tax returns to obtain tax refunds they were not entitled to.
In a separate cases:
>> Waimanalo resident Holly Billups, 27, pleaded guilty Monday to first-degree theft before Circuit Judge Michael Town.
A Human Services Department investigation showed that Billups received more than $58,000 in welfare benefits after concealing that the father of her children lived in the home and was employed. Her sentencing is set for Jan. 12.
>> On Oct. 29, Kalihi resident Salote Mu, 31, was sentenced to five years' probation and ordered to pay the state $96,668 and to perform 150 hours of community service for first-degree theft.
Circuit Judge Michael Wilson refused Mu's request for a deferral of her no-contest plea.
A Human Services Department investigation showed that from 1995 to 2002, Mu received financial assistance, food stamps, child care benefits and medical benefits by hiding the fact that the father of her children was employed and living in the home.
Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
