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Star-Bulletin staff and wire
LIVES AFFECTED BY TOBACCO
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids held its ninth annual Kick Butts Day across the nation yesterday, celebrating youth advocacy, leadership and activism. Students, including 15-year-old Campbell student Luther Lum, joined public health advocates at the state Capitol in holding a long sheet of paper that has 1,160 pictures of people whose lives were affected by tobacco.
Kauai Council weighs lower property taxes
LIHUE >> A resolution cutting property tax rates by about 3 percent for the fiscal year beginning July 1 was introduced yesterday in the Kauai County Council.At the same time, county officials predict the total value of all property on the island will increase 29 percent in the coming fiscal year.
A property owner's tax bill is determined by the value of the property multiplied by the tax rate. If the tax rate remains unchanged, the average Kauai property owner would see a 29 percent tax hike next year.
Hearings on the mayor's $100 million budget for next year were scheduled to begin today.
Woman faces 15 years in Waipahu shooting
A Circuit Court jury has found a 30-year-old woman guilty of manslaughter for shooting a man multiple times during a confrontation near Waipahu High School in August 2002.Totie Tauala, 30, who was charged with second-degree murder, did not dispute that she shot Hayward Julio in his car on Waipio Access Point Road, but claimed she did so under an extreme mental and emotional disturbance.
She faces 20 years in prison when sentenced June 22, with a mandatory 15 years for using a semiautomatic firearm.
Tauala testified she shot Julio because of statements he made that brought back repressed memories of a July 1994 rape, said Deputy Public Defender Jerry Villanueva.
Parts shipment delays repair of leaky sewer
Repairs to the large sewer pipe that spilled 2 million gallons of raw sewage in Mamala Bay on March 4 could take another month as city contractors wait for custom-made parts to be shipped from the mainland.The city is "aggressively working to complete the repairs by early May, but depending on the parts and material deliveries and any unforeseen problems during construction, it could take additional time before the project is completed," according to the Department of Environmental Services.
The damaged segment of the 5-foot-6-inch pipe has been sealed off from ground water during the past month. Divers from Sea Engineering will start installing 10 to 20 joint repair kits inside the pipe as they arrive from the mainland.
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[Taking Notice]
2 new trustees named for Parker Ranch
WAIMEA, Hawaii >> Former Hawaii County Councilman John Ray and former Verizon Hawaii President Warren Haruki were named as new trustees for the Parker Ranch Foundation by outgoing trustees.The hand-over is part of an ongoing effort to implement a standard corporate structure for management of the Big Island's 175,000-acre Parker Ranch.
All of the three present trustees announced some time ago that they would leave when replacements were found.
Trustee Carl Carlson left his position last month. Trustee Tom Whittemore will begin shifting duties to new trustees in preparation for departure this year. Trustee Mel Hewett will retire in 2005.
A former Waimea businessman, Ray served on the Hawaii County Council from 1994 to 1998. Since then he has served as president of the Hawaii Leeward Planning Conference.
Ray also co-founded the Waimea Water Roundtable and served as founding director of Waimea Main Street.
Haruki began his career with GTE Hawaiian Telephone in 1971 and served as president of the renamed company, Verizon Hawaii, from 1991 to 2003.
Haruki is a certified public account and serves on the First Hawaiian Bank board of directors, among other duties.
Ray and Haruki assumed their duties last month.
Under the former management structure, the trustees had hands-on, day-to-day responsibility for running Parker Ranch.
The new structure, already in place, calls for trustees to serve as a board of directors while daily operations are handled by a management team.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffHONOLULU
Man suspected in 5 robberies
Honolulu police have arrested and charged a 21-year-old homeless man who was a suspect in five robberies last month.Paul Dahlen was charged with first-degree robbery after allegedly robbing a gas station at 2066 Dillingham Blvd. on March 3. Police said Dahlen is also being investigated for at least four other robberies, all of which took place in Kalihi between March 4 and 23.
Police said that in all of the robberies, the suspect wore a mask and was armed with either a knife or a handgun. Usually, the suspect demanded money then fled on foot.
Dahlen has felony convictions for forgery and dangerous drugs.
Police seeking man wanted on 10 warrants
Police are asking for the public's help in locating 22-year-old Kawika K. Souza, who is wanted on 10 warrants, including failure to appear for sentencing for auto theft, assault and harassment.
Souza also has a grand jury warrant issued March 5 for breaking into a vehicle and a conviction for abuse of a household member. Police said Souza frequents the Waianae, Kalihi, Waikiki and East Honolulu areas. Police also believe Souza may be operating a stolen vehicle in Pearl City.
Souza, also known as NO, is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighs about 170 pounds and has a muscular build, black hair, brown eyes, a dark complexion, unshaven appearance and a tattoo on his back. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or by dialing *CRIME on a cellular phone.
Man, 23, arrested in pair of robberies
Police arrested a 23-year-old Honolulu man Tuesday in connection with a robbery in Kalihi last summer after getting a match on fingerprints.Police said the man is suspected of robbing two women, 45 and 43, at knifepoint at 5:43 p.m. July 28.
Police recovered fingerprint evidence at the scene. The suspect was identified through a national fingerprint data bank. He was arrested at Oahu Community Correctional Center at 3:05 p.m. yesterday under suspicion of two counts of first-degree robbery. He was already in custody on unrelated charges.
Suspect with gun robs check-cashing kiosk
Naval investigators are looking for man who robbed Check 'N Advance, a check-cashing kiosk, at the Moanalua Shopping Center yesterday.No one was injured in the 9:50 a.m. holdup. The suspect was armed with a handgun. He is described as a man in his 20s with blond, curly hair wearing a baseball cap, a long-sleeved blue shirt and blue jeans.
The exact amount taken was not released by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which is investigating the robbery since the shopping center is on Navy property.
Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
