Newswatch
Star-Bulletin staff and wire
Attorney plans suit over funeral funds
HILO >> A Honolulu attorney said yesterday he will file a lawsuit against a Hilo mortuary that has been the focus of a state investigation for failing to maintain a trust fund for prepaid funeral service plans.Attorney Michael Green said he hopes to file the lawsuit by next week in Circuit Court in Hilo. At an informational meeting in Hilo on Sunday, Green said he also intends to name the state Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs as a defendant.
Green told more than 100 people who turned out for the meeting that the success of the lawsuit depends on whether he is allowed to sue the state, since the assets of Memorial Mortuary are limited.
Green said the state pulled the mortuary's license in 1990 but allowed it to operate until the owners were arrested in March 2002.
900 Aiea residents still lack phone service
About 900 Verizon Hawaii customers in Aiea were still without telephone service yesterday as technicians continued to repair lines that were saturated by heavy rains at the beginning of the month, according to spokeswoman Ann Nishida.Neighbor island customers had their service restored on Saturday.
"We're still continuing to work on it 24 hours, seven days a week," said Nishida. "It's really tedious work."
More than 15,000 Verizon customers in the state lost telephone service due to rainy weather earlier this month.
Air Force medal goes to Mililani captain
McCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. >> Vice President Dick Cheney presented the Air Medal yesterday to the crew of a C-17 transport whose engine exploded Dec. 9 as they flew out of Baghdad. The crew, including one person from Hawaii, managed to make an emergency landing and save the plane.Receiving the medals were Capt. Paul Sonstein, of Mililani, and crew mates Capt. Anne Lueck, 1st Lt. Andrew Oiland, Technical Sgt. James Alexander and Staff Sgt. Eric Olson.
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[Taking Notice]
HONORS
>> James J.C. Haynes II, president of Maui Petroleum Inc. and vice president of Hawaii Petroleum Inc., has been appointed to the University of Hawaii Board of Regents by Gov. Linda Lingle. He fills the vacant Maui seat created by the recent resignation of Everett Dowling. His appointment, which took effect in September, will need to be confirmed by the state Senate.Haynes has also been a trustee with Seabury Hall for nearly 25 years and is the vice president of the Maui Arts & Culture Center, past president of the Maui Historical Society, trustee of the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii and a member of the Rotary Club of Maui.
>> Students who drew perfect scores in the recent Oahu Mathematics League at Kamehameha Schools include Matthew Ardo, Derek Goto, Ryan Lau, Kelly Nakamura, Roydan Ongie and Carol Pham, of Iolani; Mikey Fujihara, Sarah Kama and Nick Seit, of Kamehameha; Jackie Chan, of McKinley High; and Alison Teruya, of Punahou.
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Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
