Newswatch
Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff and wire
125 Hawaii prisoners arrive in Mississippi
The first group of Hawaii inmates was transferred from Arizona to a Mississippi prison this week under a new contract that will save the state money and allow maximum-security inmates to be sent to the mainland, state officials said yesterday.A total of 600 Hawaii prisoners will be transferred from other facilities in Arizona and Oklahoma to the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility by the end of next year, Department of Public Safety Director John Peyton said in a statement. The first 125 inmates were transferred Tuesday, he said.
The move under a new agreement with Nashville, Tenn.-based Corrections Corporation of America, which runs the private prison at Tutwiler, Miss., was designed to save the state money and relieve overcrowding, Peyton said.
The state pays about $52 a day per inmate at prisons in Arizona and Oklahoma. Under the terms of the contract signed last week, it will cost the state about $43 a day per inmate in the Mississippi prison.
"This new agreement will result in a major reduction in costs of over a million dollars a year," Peyton said. "We can also send maximum-custody inmates to the mainland, which we were not able to do under the old agreement.
"That will help to reduce overcrowding at the Halawa Correctional Facility," he said.
Royal Kunia to restrict water use for repairs
About 1,000 Royal Kunia households are asked to use water sparingly today as the Board of Water Supply continues to work to restore full service.A broken underground valve caused a loss of water service to the homes on Tuesday morning.
Tuesday night, the Water Board set up an emergency pumping system to provide a limited supply to affected households. However, to ensure an adequate supply for cooking and personal hygiene, residents are asked not to do laundry, lawn irrigation or car washing until permanent repairs are completed.
Affected customers can call 748-5010 to arrange for a water wagon to bring water to their house.
State PTSA to begin its annual convention
The state Parent Teacher Student Association will hold its annual convention in Kailua-Kona tomorrow through Sunday at King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel.Guests will include national PTSA President Linda Hodge, who is a former Hawaii PTSA president, and Dr. Paul Pearsall speaking on "The Power of Ohana."
Workshop topics include finances, membership, parent involvement, peer mediation and drug awareness.
"We encourage everyone to attend because the convention really gives you the big picture," said convention chairwoman Christy Aragon. "It's such a valuable experience. We can learn a lot from each other."
Local unit presidents or incoming presidents are eligible for free convention registration, and some scholarships are available for other participants. The cost of a regular full registration is $190.
For more information, call Aragon at 808-987-5838.
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[TAKING NOTICE]
3 Punahou seniors win national recognition
Three Punahou students have been selected as 2004 Presidential Scholars for being among the nation's 141 top students.Avery Cavanah, William Jacobson and Christopher Schmicker will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., June 19-22 during the program's National Recognition Week. They were chosen for their achievements in academics or the arts, as well as leadership and civic values.
The candidates qualified from among approximately 2.8 million students expected to graduate from high school in 2004 on the basis of outstanding performance on the SAT and ACT tests, or nomination through the annual nationwide Arts Recognition and Talent Search, conducted by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. A commission appointed by the president made the final selection from a field of more than 2,700 candidates.
The program also allows each scholar to invite the teacher who has most inspired him or her to excel to travel to Washington to participate in the events.
The teachers will receive a Teacher Recognition Award from the U.S. Department of Education.
>> Lizhou Wang, a senior from Honolulu at the Californian Institute of Technology, is among the 30 Paul and Daisy Soros New American Fellows. She will receive a stipend up to $20,000, plus half-tuition for up to two years of graduate study.
>> Jonathan-James Tadao Eno, a senior at Baldwin High school in Kahului, was selected as one of 250 finalists to compete for a cash scholarship from the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.
"Taking Notice" also runs on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffNEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Charges against youth allege robbery attempt
Big Island police have charged a juvenile with attempting to rob a visiting family with a gun.The suspect is accused of punching a man in the head April 18 after the victim refused demands for money at the Kehena Beach parking lot area in Puna. The suspect then allegedly told the victim, "You can do this the easy way or the hard way," then lifted his shirt and brandished a pistol.
The victim, his wife and two children fled in their rental car and reported the incident to police at the Pahoa substation in Puna.
Crews rescue 2 people below Big Isle waterfall
Big Island fire crews rescued two people stranded on an island in the Wailuku River Tuesday evening.The rescue team found a man and woman trapped on the island below Waiale Falls in the Piihonua area mauka of Hilo about 6:49 p.m. Fire officials said heavy rain upslope increased flow in the river. Using a private helicopter, the rescue team landed on the island and picked up both victims.
Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
