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[ TAKING NOTICE ]
Kamehameha trio wins cancer research prizes
Three Kamehameha Schools students received awards from the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii for research projects in the recent Hawaii State Science and Engineering Fair.Winners of the center's Senior Research Awards were:
Amanda M. Garcia, first place, for her project, "Kukaepua'a: the Anti Inflammatory Properties of Digitaria ciliaris. Phase 3: Targeting Protein Kinase C-Dependent Processes." Garcia also won a Senior Research Award last year and she won two national awards at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Portland, Ore.
Lena K. Nahale, second place for her project, "Efficiency of DNA Repair in Eukaryocytes."
Kawakahi K. Amina, third place for his project, "Photo Repair of Ultraviolet Induced Mutagenesis in Serratia marcescens." He also won a Pacific University scholarship of $9,000 a year, renewable for up to four years, at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.
"The quality of these research projects completely amazed us," said Dr. Robert Cooney, Cancer Research Center associate director. "I hope these outstanding students will continue their studies in scientific investigation."
Advising the students was their science teacher, Lawrence J. Mordan, former Cancer Research Center scientist.
>>>><<<< "Make Your Boss Wash Your Car," a fund-raiser organized by the MW Group at Nimitz Center, raised $1,500 for the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific's Louis Vuitton Creative Arts Program.
Executives washing cars, vans and sport utility vehicles at the charity event Saturday were Stephen Metter, Tom Ocasek and Michael Wood of MW Group; Steve Hatayama of Storage Solutions; Glen Kaneshige and Ken Spence of Nordic Construction; Christopher Ulu of Salt Lake Self Storage, and Kitty Lagareta of Communications Pacific.
REHAB's creative arts program encourages people with disabilities to develop talents through art. Patients participate in painting classes at the hospital and their works line the corridors and are featured in exhibitions in the gallery.
"Taking Notice" runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Father denies killing his 8-week-old son
A man testified yesterday in Circuit Court that he didn't kill his 8-week-old son last year.Derrick Smith, 33, of Salt Lake, was charged with second-degree murder after the infant, Kelby Bridestein, was pronounced dead Oct. 9.
An autopsy determined the baby died of "abusive head trauma," and that the injuries were not accidental.
Smith told a jury he accidentally dropped his son while taking him to his crib.
Smith testified he put the child in a baby swing and tried to stop blood flowing from a gash on the child's face. He said Kelby's head started to quickly shake from side to side.
"I tried to stop his head from shaking," Smith said. "And I just held his head ... and I smacked his face."
Smith said he doesn't know why he slapped his son.
Smith said he called 911 when he noticed the child wasn't breathing, and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation until an emergency crew arrived.
Norwalk virus outbreak in Vegas declared over
The Norwalk virus outbreak in Las Vegas is over, according to Nevada health officials."We currently have no evidence of an outbreak," said David Tonelli, spokesman for the Clark County Health District.
The number of new cases at the California Hotel & Casino have been at baseline levels for more than 28 days, Tonelli said. The property, popular with visitors from Hawaii, was at the center of the outbreak.
Health officials were looking for four complaints or less in a 28-consecutive-day period to consider the outbreak over.
A total of 1,697 cases were reported to health officials between Dec. 3 and Thursday.
"As with most outbreaks, it took awhile to bottom out," Tonelli said.
Symptoms of the Norwalk virus include vomiting and/or diarrhea that can last up to three days.
Rob Stillwell, spokesman for California owner Boyd Gaming Corp., said workers will continue to use hospital-grade disinfectants to clean the property, and two others Boyd owns in Las Vegas.
Police open new office in Hawaii Kai complex
The Honolulu Police Department opened a storefront office last week in the Hawaii Kai Corporation Plaza at 6600 Kalanianaole Highway next to the satellite city hall.The office will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffLEEWARD OAHU
Man accused of trying to strangle granddad Police opened an attempted murder case against a 20-year-old Kunia man after a family member said he choked and tried to smother his 87-year-old bedridden grandfather Saturday.
The suspect's grandmother told police she saw her grandson choke his grandfather until he was purple and not breathing.
The grandmother called an ambulance about 2 p.m. Saturday. The grandfather was taken to St. Francis-West Hospital, where he was treated and released.
The suspect was admitted to the psychiatric ward of Tripler Army Medical Center.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Police arrest parents of baby in critical care KEALAKEKUA, Hawaii >> Kona police are investigating the case of a 6-week-old girl taken to the emergency room of Kona Community Hospital on Saturday with multiple injuries and difficulty breathing.
The baby was placed in protective custody and flown to Kapiolani Medical Center, where she was listed in critical condition, police said. The parents were arrested for endangering the welfare of a minor and released pending investigation.
Police identify woman fatally ejected from car
A 26-year-old woman who died in a one-car accident in North Kona Sunday morning was identified as Sabrina Kapua, police said.Kapua was a back-seat passenger in a 2001 Nissan four-door sedan driven by 28-year-old Conrad Chong. About 9:37 a.m. Sunday, the car struck an embankment along Hawaii Belt Road in Puuanahulu and overturned, ejecting Kapua from the vehicle. She was not wearing a seat belt.
Kapua was taken to the Kona Community Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Chong and another passenger were taken to the North Hawaii Community Hospital, where they were treated for injuries.
It was the 22nd traffic fatality on the Big Island so far this year, compared with 14 at the same time last year.
WINDWARD OAHU
Man with note robs Hawaii National Bank Honolulu police were looking for the man who robbed the Kailua branch of Hawaii National Bank yesterday morning.
Police said the suspect walked into the Hahani Street bank at 11 a.m., gave the teller a demand note and left with an undisclosed amount of money. This was the 10th bank robbery of the year.
Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
