Newswatch
Top-four finish for UH in law contest
The University of Hawaii's William S. Richardson School of Law's team recently placed among the top four teams in the world at the International Environmental Law Moot Court competition at Stetson University in Florida.Last year, the team placed first in the nation and second overall in the competition.
This year's team competed against more than 40 schools from the United States, India, Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica and Canada to advance to the semifinal round. In the preliminary rounds, UH prevailed over teams from Pepperdine University, University of Maryland, Australia and New Zealand.
The students on this year's team were Ranae Doser, Chris Terry and Josh Medeiros.
The team gave oral arguments on a dispute between two fictional countries over driftnet fishing on the high seas.
This was the fourth year that UH has sent a team to the competition. This is the third year in a row that the team has finished in the top four.
300 UH faculty members eligible for funds
The University of Hawaii has established a $300,000 fund to support humanities and arts faculty, who have significantly less access to federal and other grants compared with their peers in the sciences.About 300 faculty members who teach both undergraduate and graduate courses will be eligible to compete for the money.
The fund will support professional activities such as out-of-state travel, shipping works of art for juried exhibitions, and extended stays for individuals at libraries and archives for research purposes. It will also help faculty take groups of students (UH band, orchestra, vocal groups, dance ensembles and theater troupes) to perform in competitions on the mainland and in Asia as well as a variety of other forms of professional development.
The money is allocated from the Research and Training Revolving Fund, money that reimburses the university for investments made on behalf of research and training supported by the federal government.
Alu Like reopens CEO search
A nonprofit organization that provides social services to thousands of native Hawaiians will reopen an application process for its president and chief executive position after weeks of reviewing candidates found few suitable picks.Tara Lulani Arquette, who has headed up Alu Like Inc. since 1997, submitted her resignation to the organization's board of directors in late September. Her last day of work is Friday.
Board Chairwoman Winona Rubin said the nonprofit had received applications from more than 30 people interested in the job by Nov. 21, when the first round of submissions were due. But the board's screening committee has forwarded only a few applications to the full board for a final interview.
Rubin said the screening committee's goal is to find at least five suitable candidates.
Arquette was Alu Like's fifth president since the organization was founded in 1974. Rubin said it took almost a year to find Arquette the last time the nonprofit interviewed for the position.
The organization plans to run advertisements calling for candidates later this month.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffNORTH SHORE
A bodyboarder was pronounced dead at Kahuku Hospital yesterday, after being found unconscious in the water at the Log Cabins surf spot on the North Shore.
Visitor found at surf spot is later pronounced deadHonolulu Fire Department Capt. Emmit Kane said the department responded at 8:29 a.m. Kane said the bodyboarder, a visitor in his 20s, was unconscious and did not have a pulse.
Lt. John Hoogsteden, of the Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division, said the victim was bodyboarding at Log Cabins, about a half-mile from the Bonzai Pipeline, yesterday morning. Surfers and beachgoers found him unresponsive about 10 to 20 yards from shore.
Kane said an off-duty lifeguard was administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation to the bodyboarder when rescue personnel arrived. The victim was taken by ambulance to Kahuku Hospital.
Surf on the North Shore was between 6 feet and 8 feet yesterday.
HONOLULU
Police charged a 46-year-old man yesterday after he allegedly broke into his ex-wife's home in Kaimuki on Saturday and broke items with a baseball bat.
Police arrest suspect in Kaimuki burglaryPolice identified him as Glen Pohina, currently staying in Mapunapuna.
Police said Pohina showed up at the victim's home about 8:40 p.m. and yelled at her. He broke windows with a bat and entered through one of the windows and broke items in the home.
Police said the victim, 44, had previously served the suspect with a temporary restraining order.
Pohina was arrested on suspicion of first-degree burglary and violating a temporary restraining order. He was charged with first-degree burglary and is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
WAIKAPU, Maui >> A fire at a scrap metal yard sent clouds of noxious smoke billowing over much of Central Maui on Saturday.
Maui scrap yard fire draws complaintsAssistant Fire Chief Greg Chong Kee said firefighters have not determined the cause of the fire at Maui Scrap Metals in Waikapu. The fire was reported around 10:30 a.m. but was not brought under control until about 6:15 p.m. Chong Kee said it took another two hours to extinguish the flames.
Smoke from the fire was blown across the island, bringing complaints from Kihei about the smoke and stench, Chong Kee said.
The scrap yard holds smashed cars and appliances that still have plastic, insulation, tires and other materials. But Chong Kee said the scrapped cars had been smashed and should not have contained any flammable liquids.
Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
