Newswatch
Mystery cat befuddles hunters' 19 snares
OLINDA, Maui >> State wildlife officials have decided to disengage the 19 snares set to catch a large cat in Olinda after three weeks without capture or sign of the animal.Officials speculated the cat could be dead, moved to a different location, or returned to its owner and is being contained.
State Land Board Chairman Peter Young said wildlife workers are ready to engage the snares if credible evidences arises.
State wildlife biologist Fern Duvall believes the animal could be a leopard or jaguar.
The first sighting of a "catlike animal" occurred in early February.
An expert determined that a 30-pound deer whose body was found in an Olinda gulch on July 11 had been killed by a large cat.
Agencies unite to find sacred-stones' vandals
HILO >> The state Department of Land & Natural Resources Enforcement Division will work with the Hawaii County police to catch whoever defaced sacred Hawaiian stones in front of the Hilo Public Library.DLNR Conservation Resource Enforcement officers will join the investigation because the Naha and Pinao stones are on state property and because of their cultural and historical significance.
Vandals sprayed graffiti on the stones twice within the past two weeks. The DLNR, together with Hawaiian cultural leaders, library officials and others, are exploring options for protecting the venerable stones from any further damage, but no specific plans have been announced.
"I would hesitate to want to do something that would visually detract from (the stones)," said Holly McEldowney, acting administrator of the DLNR's Historic Preservation Division.
Closed runway means heavier air traffic
The state Department of Transportation advises people living in the area surrounding Honolulu Airport that one of its runways will be closed Monday and Tuesday due to barrier maintenance work.Runway 8 Right will be closed between midnight and 7 a.m. both days.
During the closure, residents living in the Kalihi and downtown areas might notice additional aircraft in the area, as arriving and departing aircraft will be diverted to other runways.
[ TAKING NOTICE ]
GRANTS
>> The H'ikaika Youth Opportunity Program in Kaunakakai, which offers educational, training and employment services to the youths of Molokai, has been recognized with a national award by the Promising and Effective Practices Network. The award, sponsored by the National Youth Employment Coalition, was recently presented in Washington, D.C.>> The Hawaii State Department of Labor & Industrial Relations' Research and Statistics Office has been recognized for its Hawaii Workforce Informer Web site, www.hiwi.org. It received a 2003 National Association of Workforce Agencies Labor Market Information Communication/Publication Award. The Web site provides localized information for work force development and easy access to a variety of career-assessment tools.
ACADEMIC AWARDS
>> Lynn Haia, an elementary teacher at Montessori Community School in Makiki, was selected to participate in the Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program in Tokyo this month. The program allows distinguished primary and secondary school teachers from the United States to travel to Japan for three weeks to promote intercultural understanding.>> The Consulate General of Japan has awarded its 2003 Monbukagakusho (Ministry of Education, Science, Sports & Technology) Scholarships to University of Hawaii at Manoa students John A. Shultz and John M. Lau. Shultz is studying for a master's degree in Asian religion, and Lau is majoring in Japanese literature.
>> The Hawaii Alliance for Arts Education has selected six elementary schools for Arts Excellence Awards for 2003. Hanalei Elementary on Kauai and Waiahole and Hanahau'oli on Oahu received $1,000 each. Kula Elementary on Maui and Noelani and Waiau on Oahu were awarded $3,000 each.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffLEEWARD OAHU
Missing man last seen near Waianae MallHonolulu police are asking for the public's help in locating a missing 22-year-old man who is mentally handicapped.
Reginald A. Johnson Jr. was last seen about 4:30 p.m. Thursday at the bus stop near Pizza Hut at Waianae Mall.
Johnson is described as 5 feet 2 inches tall, about 115 pounds, of Hawaiian descent, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on a cellular phone.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Help sought in finding 2 Big Island teenagersBig Island police are looking for a two missing Hilo teens in separate cases.
One was identified as William Chad Elston, 17, who has been reported missing since Aug. 26. The other was identified as Jessica Bondaug, 16, reported missing since Nov. 13.
Elston is described as 6 feet tall, about 150 pounds, with a slim build, fair complexion, brown hair and brown eyes. Bondaug is described as 5 feet 4 inches tall, about 145 pounds, with a medium build, tan complexion, brown hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information is asked to call officer Peter Kualii, of the East Hawaii Juvenile Aid Section, at 961-2373 or the police nonemergency number at 935-3311.
Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
