Newswatch
Big waves claim life at Lipoa Point on Maui
LAHAINA >> A Maui man died after being swept off a fishing area by a high wave yesterday at Lipoa Point near Honolua Bay.Maui County Fire Capt. Rex Takushi said the man was fishing with a friend yesterday afternoon when a wave pushed him into the ocean.
Takushi said the friend tried to help the man get out of the water, but another wave came and he was mostly likely thrown against rocks.
"The friend lost sight of him in the water," Takushi said. "The waves were too rough."
Takushi said the friend, who took about an hour and a half to two hours to hike out of the area to get help, spoke mainly Spanish, so people had difficulty understanding him.
Fire officials received the alarm call at 3:10 p.m., and a rescue was launched by helicopter and county water safety officers using two personal watercraft.
Takushi said the body was retrieved at 5:25 p.m. by a Fire Department helicopter.
Takushi said the victim was a resident of Napili.
Fugitive Hawaiian activist pleads guilty
A Hawaiian activist who had been a fugitive for 10 years before being caught in March has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of failing to surrender himself, the U.S. attorney's office announced yesterday.Nathan Keliikui Brown, 49, pleaded guilty to the charge Friday as part of a plea agreement.
Authorities said Brown never showed up Nov. 17, 1993, when he was to begin serving a 6 1/2-year federal prison sentence. Brown was convicted of 18 federal felonies and identified as the leader of a group of Hawaiian activists who filed false tax returns to harass public officials.
He was captured hiding in a home in the Mountain View area of the Big Island by a county, state and federal fugitive task force.
At his hearing Friday, Brown argued the United States has no authority over the kingdom of Hawaii because the 1893 overthrow of the monarchy was illegal, the U.S. attorney's office said. U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor disagreed and ruled that she would apply U.S. laws to Brown's case.
The latest charge carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison. Brown's sentencing was scheduled for March 18.
Bush inks bill to fund Stryker unit in isles
The 25th Division's 2nd Brigade is in line to be upgraded into one of the Army's premier Stryker mobile combat teams by 2005.President Bush signed a $401 billion Pentagon budget yesterday that sets up funding for the Schofield Barracks and Pennsylvania Stryker units.
The National Defense Authorization Act provides $93.3 billion for Army operations for fiscal year that began Oct. 1. The Army's share includes $35 million for the fifth and sixth Stryker Combat Teams.
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[Taking Notice]
>> The White House has appointed Honolulu Fire Chief Attilio Leonardi to the Defense Advisory Board for Employer Support of the National Guard and Reserve.The board provides advice to the secretary of defense on employer policies concerning military reservists and National Guard members.
The board helps promote personnel policies to accommodate employees serving in Reserve or National Guard units.
>> Dr. Alan D. Tice, infectious disease specialist at the Queen's Medical Center and University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, has been elected to the Council of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
The society represents more than 7,000 physicians, scientists and other health care professionals specializing in infectious diseases. Their purpose is to improve health by promoting excellence in patient care, education, research, public health and prevention of infectious diseases.
>> The Honolulu Local Emergency Planning Committee was recently given a regional Environmental Protection Agency Emergency Prevention and Preparedness Leadership Award at the annual HazMat Explo conference in Las Vegas.
"The EPA is pleased to honor regional leaders who have taken the initiative to develop strong prevention and preparedness programs," said Kathryn Lawrence, EPA Pacific Southwest regional chief for emergency prevention and preparedness.
Honolulu Emergency Planning Committee participants include the Honolulu Fire Department and the Oahu Civil Defense Agency.
>> Hoa'Aina O Makaha, a nonprofit organization whose mission statement is "creating peaceful communities ... through children," has received $2,000 for educational workshops from First Hawaiian Foundation, the charitable arm of First Hawaiian Bank.
>> The Hawaii Community Foundation has awarded Child and Family Service a $30,000 grant to provide video-conferencing hardware to its offices on Kauai and Oahu.
Other grants came from:
The Seto Foundation, which awarded $5,000 to renovate a playground for autistic children at Hau'oli Na Keiki; and the Hawaii Hotel Association -- Kauai Chapter, which gave $5,000 from the Kauai Visitor Industry Charity Walk, to install playground equipment at 'Ele'ele Head Start Center and purchase classroom and recreational materials for eight Kauai Head Start programs.
>> The Outdoor Circle has received an $11,688 grant from the Hawaii Community Foundation to purchase a new membership and fund-raising database, and to create three new educational and advocacy-based brochures.
>> Goodwill has been awarded $10,000 from the Jessie Ann Chalmers Charitable Trust for expansion of its Attended Donation Center kiosks, which provide a convenient place for people to drop off donations every day.
"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 staffSMALL FIRE FORCES EVACUATION
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Honolulu firefighters evacuated residents for almost an hour yesterday morning while they tracked down the source of smoke at the Executive Center at 1088 Bishop St. The smoke was traced to an electrical fire from a dryer on the 18th floor.
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HONOLULU
Police plan DUI checks throughout the holidays
Honolulu police will be conducting checkpoints throughout the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays to deter drunken driving.The checkpoints will be set up from tomorrow through Jan. 5 at unannounced times and locations. Police said that as of Nov. 19, 73 people have died on Oahu as the result of 62 traffic collisions, compared with 62 deaths from 62 collisions during the same period last year.
Of the 62 collisions this year, police said 31 were determined to be alcohol- or drug-related.
WAIKIKI
Missing man safely reunited with family
Honolulu police announced they have located a mentally challenged 22-year-old man reported missing last week.Patrol officers spotted Reginald Johnson Jr. in Waikiki on Sunday, and he has since been reunited with his family. Johnson was reported missing last Tuesday.
Police charge woman with assault on officer
Police charged a 23-year-old woman with assaulting a police officer after she allegedly kicked him twice in the groin while he was trying to arrest her in downtown Honolulu early Sunday morning.Bail for Tyla Phanthanouvoung is set at $15,000.
Officers responded at 1:10 a.m. to a call of a woman screaming and yelling to get inside an establishment at North King and Maunakea streets.
An officer on special duty prevented her from going in because she was arguing with someone inside, police said. Another officer tried to help her get her cell phone back from someone inside, but the woman kicked him several times in the shin, police said.
As the second officer was trying to arrest her, Phanthanouvoung resisted and hit him, police said. That officer had her on the ground and was trying to handcuff her, but a man shoved him from behind and tried to punch him, police said.
The woman then allegedly kicked the officer twice in the groin. There was no information on the man who allegedly shoved the officer.
LEEWARD OAHU
Man allegedly locks up his girlfriend at home
Police arrested a 20-year-old Waianae man about 3 a.m. Sunday for allegedly abusing his girlfriend and keeping her locked in a room of their home.The couple was involved in an argument when the man forced the woman into a room, physically abused her and held her against her will, police said. The woman suffered minor injuries, police said.
Police arrested the man for investigation of kidnapping and abuse of a household member.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Assault victim still in critical condition
Big Island police said a 61-year-old man remained in critical condition after an assault in Puna this past weekend.Police said the victim appeared to have been assaulted on Road 6 in the Hawaiian Acres subdivision on Saturday before 1:50 p.m. The victim suffered numerous injuries to his head and body, and officers said he also had remnants of nylon twine around his wrists and legs that had apparently been used to tie him up.
The victim was taken to the Hilo Medical Center and later flown to the Queen's Medical Center on Oahu.
Anyone with information about the assault is asked to call Detective Richard Sherlock of the East Hawaii Criminal Investigation Section at 961-2379 or the police nonemergency number at 935-3311.
Those who wish to remain anonymous may call CrimeStoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona.
Car of missing man found near surf spot
LAHAINA >> The car of a man missing since last week on Maui was found yesterday in Lahaina.
Todd Ripplinger: The missing Kihei resident might have gone surfing last Thursday
Todd Ripplinger, a Kihei resident, was last seen leaving Media Systems Inc. on Wainee Street in Lahaina, where he works as a technician, at 5:15 p.m. Thursday, according to fellow workers.
Before the car was discovered yesterday, friends and family said they believed he may have gone to Jaws to videotape high waves or stayed in Lahaina to go surfing.
Ripplinger's car, a white Volkswagen Cabriolet convertible, was found parked near a canoe hale next to 505 Front Street Shops & Restaurants, police said.
The canoe hale is near an area where some people go surfing. Maui police Detective Tim Gapero said no surfboard was found near the car.
Ripplinger is described by police as 28 years old, 6 feet tall, 150 pounds, with brown hair and eyes.
Matt Imhoff, a friend who found the car, said waves had more than 10-foot faces Thursday and that Ripplinger is a novice surfer.
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[ The Courts ]
Defendants in shooting enter not-guilty pleas
Five men indicted for the Oct. 26 fatal shooting of Greg Morishima, 49, in Aiea pleaded not guilty in Circuit Court yesterday.Micah Kanahele, 22, Rosalino Ramos, 22, and Jason Rumbawa, 23, are charged with second-degree murder, first-degree robbery and several firearm offenses.
Kevin Harris, 26, and the alleged getaway car driver, Anthony Brown, 23, have been charged with first-degree robbery. Harris was also charged with keeping a loaded firearm in a prohibited place.
Trial has been set for the week of Jan. 26.
Morishima had gone to his friend's home to deliver mangoes when he was confronted by a group of masked gunmen who demanded crystal methamphetamine.
When he said he had none, the group allegedly opened fire.
Kanahele, Ramos and Harris have also been charged in connection with a fatal shooting in Pearl City, in which one man was killed and another was wounded.
Cooperating witness gets 5 years' probation
A man who testified as a government witness in trials for the murders of Tracey Tominaga and Edward Fuller was sentenced yesterday to five years' probation for his role in the beating death of Tominaga.Circuit Judge Michael Town accepted the prosecutors' recommendation and sentenced Marvin Cadiz to five years' probation each for attempted second-degree assault, for kicking Tominaga, and first-degree hindering prosecution, for helping dispose of her body.
Cadiz had pleaded guilty to the crimes, and his sentences will run at the same time.
Town permitted Cadiz to carry a rifle while on duty as a National Guardsman.
Cadiz testified against Jason Perry and Delaneo Puha.
Perry was convicted and sentenced to two life terms for the murders of Tominaga and Fuller. Puha was convicted of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, second-degree attempted assault and hindering prosecution in the murder of Tominaga, and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Prosecutors said Tominaga was beaten, strangled and buried in Makakilo on Jan. 21, 2002.
Five days later, Perry shot and killed Fuller in Nuuanu to silence him about the Tominaga murder.
Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
