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Star-Bulletin staff and wire
AIRBORNE AID
At St. Francis Medical Center West yesterday, the Army gave a class to Emergency Medical Services and hospital staff about its medevac system. Capt. Mary Miller showed off a swinging panel that can be moved to both sides of an Army Black Hawk helicopter. This panel carries equipment and room for four patients.
Annual Keiki Fun Fair to be held on Aug. 14
The Honolulu Shriners Hospital for Children will host its annual Keiki Fun Fair on Aug. 14.The event, which is sponsored by Bank of Hawaii, will be held on the front lawn of the hospital on Punahou Street from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. It will feature pony rides, a petting zoo, entertainment, refreshments and other activities for children. Admission and all activities will be free.
Parking for the fair will be available for $3 at the Central Union Church across the street from the hospital. For more information, call the Shriners Hospital at 951-3606.
Ex-Marine gets back dog tag lost in Vietnam
WILLIAM PENN, Pa. >> Edward A. Bickowski lost one of his Marine dog tags somewhere in Vietnam 35 years ago.Bickowski, 57, had forgotten about it until recently, when the tag, reading "BICKOWSKI, E.A., 2309616, USMC, S, CATHOLIC, O," arrived in a FedEx package from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command at Hickam Air Force Base.
"The S is for small gas mask and O is for my blood type," Bickowski said. A letter said his was among 1,444 dog tags purchased from shops by an American in Vietnam and given to the accounting command.
Bickowski served two tours of duty in Vietnam, from May 1967 to January 1969, first in the motor transport section of his battalion's supply operation in Phu Bai, then in the battalion's receiving section in Quang Tri.
Bickowski, a Norfolk Southern foreman, said he will frame the letter and tag, adding, "Who would ever think you'd get something back like that?"
Hawaiian Home Lands awarded $2.4 million
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved a grant and a loan totaling $2.4 million to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.The funds will be used to upgrade and replace water lines that provide water to 480 residents in the Hoolehua District on Molokai.
PIPE DOWN!
PVC pipes were removed from the road after being spilled in a traffic accident yesterday morning under the H-1 freeway ramp near Waiau Power plant.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffBIG ISLAND
Big Isle police renew effort to find missing man
Big Island police have renewed their request for the public's help in finding a 71-year-old Puna man who was reportedly last seen on March 18.
The man was identified as Hank Roberts Sr., of Kalapana.
Roberts is described as a Caucasian male, 5-foot-8 inches, about 160 pounds, with gray hair and blue eyes.
Roberts was last seen near his Kalapana home. Police said a search of the area around his home failed to turn up any clues.
Police said Roberts had previously lived on Maui, and ran a business in the Paia area. While on Maui, Roberts frequented the Paia, Haiku and Makawao areas during the late 1970s and early 1990s, police said.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Detective Uwao Chartrand of the East Hawaii Criminal Investigation Section at (808) 961-2382 or the nonemergency number at (808) 935-3311.
Those who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300 in Hilo or (808) 329-8181 in Kona.
HONOLULU
Tipsters help police locate missing woman
CrimeStoppers tipsters helped locate an 88-year-old Ewa Beach woman yesterday morning after she was reported missing from her care home on Sunday.Police found Mary Fields in good condition at Ala Moana Beach Park sitting on a park bench with a blue plastic tarp wrapped around her at about 7:30 a.m. Detectives said that after television news reports about Fields, they received tips about a woman matching her description at the park.
"I'm OK," said Fields, who was found wearing shorts and a sweatshirt.
Police began a search on Sunday in the area around the care home on Haiamu Street. Later, detectives found out that Fields had taken a bus to the park.
Auto theft suspect nabbed after accident
Police arrested a 16-year-old Kalihi boy for allegedly stealing a car and driving away from police officers before hitting a light pole late Monday night.Police said a witness observed the teen breaking into the parked car at Ward Avenue and Beretania Street about 10:45 p.m. The witness flagged down passing police officers, who pursued the man.
The chase ended at Ala Moana and Cooke Street, as the teen lost control of the car and hit a light pole. The teen tried to flee but was caught and arrested, police said.
LEEWARD OAHU
Firefighters examined the site of a warehouse fire in Aiea yesterday because it was close to a warehouse involved in mercury scare a few years ago.
Aiea warehouse fire tamed in 15 minutes
Fire struck an abandoned building near CINCPAC Landing in Aiea yesterday.The Fire Department dispatched four crews to the 9 a.m. fire.
Firefighters had the blaze under control in 15 minutes, Capt. Kenison Tejada said.
Investigators are looking into the cause of the fire and the damage estimates, he said.
Man accused of raping cousin's ex-girlfriend
A man allegedly sexually assaulted a 24-year-old woman while they were watching television together at her Pearl City home yesterday afternoon.The man, who is the woman's ex-boyfriend's cousin, allegedly forced her to have sex around 5 p.m., police said.
The woman called the police after the incident, and the man was arrested.
Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
