Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii News

Maui mayor honors 'American Idol' star

WAILUKU » Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa proclaimed yesterday "Camile Velasco Day" in honor of the "American Idol" star from the Valley Isle.

"It's amazing," said Velasco, 19, after receiving the proclamation from Arakawa.

Arakawa praised Velasco for being among the top nine out of 80,000 audition hopefuls on the Fox network's popular "American Idol" television show this year.

Velasco, who recently completed her three-month, 50-city tour with the top finishers of "American Idol," said she has been staying with relatives on Oahu and composing songs. She said she plans to travel to the mainland in the next few weeks to meet with record producers in hopes of obtaining a major contract.

Services to remember soldier killed in Iraq

Jeungjin Kim, a soldier of the 2nd Infantry Division who was killed in Iraq last week, will be remembered in services at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Honolulu Central Seventh-day Adventist Church, 2313 Nuuanu Ave.

Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. A burial service will be held at 1 p.m. at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Kim is survived by wife A Young Kim, son Apollo Ikaika, parents Jeung Kyuu Kim and Miyoung Jang, and grandmother On Ja Cho.

Grant to UH will aid state in terror battle

The University of Hawaii at Manoa's College of Tropical Agriculture is getting a $300,000 two-year homeland security grant to purchase equipment that could be used to identify potential threat chemicals in the environment.

The grant is part of a $22 million federal award the state received to enhance its ability to prevent, deter, respond to and recover from threats and incidents of terrorism.

Qing Li, professor in the department and head of the Environmental Biochemistry Laboratory, will use the funds to purchase a liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer to enhance his laboratory's capability to identify unknown and threat chemicals present in environmental samples.

The money is from the Office for Domestic Preparedness in the Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for preparing the United States for acts of terrorism.

[ TAKING NOTICE ]

» Goodwill Industries of Hawaii has been awarded $15,000 from the Atherton Family Foundation to purchase an automated Point of Sale system to support the nonprofit agency's donation and retail division on Oahu and in Hilo.

» The Western Union Foundation has donated $250,000 to Give Aloha, Foodland's Annual Community Matching Gifts Program, resulting in a total donation of $500,000 to nonprofit organizations participating in Give Aloha 2004.

» Lahainaluna High School students Jesse Bakke and Keith Molina placed sixth in the national finals of the 2004 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills Competition last summer. Molina substituted for state winner Casey Kawaguchi, who had to report to the Air Force Academy in Colorado. Their instructor is Dennis Sasai.

» Results of the 2004 National History Day, sponsored by the Hawaii Council for the Humanities, are as follows:

Sarah E. Fincke was selected by National History Day as the 2004 state teacher of the year finalist from Region 1 (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah).

"Women During World War II: Exploring New Opportunities," a group display by Eljean Madio, Amelyn Fines and Normie Galapon of Waipahu Intermediate School, received a second-place silver medal.

"The Swedish Vikings: Exploring Through Trade and Connecting Cultures," an essay by Bethany Smith of Kahuku High School, received a History Channel $5,000 scholarship award for "Best Senior Entry on an International Theme." She also placed sixth in the nation.

"Sigmund Freud: Exploring Ways to Reveal the Unconscious Mind," a display by Jennifer Lucas of Waipahu Intermediate, placed seventh and was selected as the outstanding junior division entry from Hawaii.

"Manjiro's Encounter with the United States and the Modernization of Japan," a display by Nikki Katsutani from Moanalua High School, placed eighth and was selected as the outstanding senior division entry from Hawaii.

"The Irish Gangs of New York: Encounter and Exchange with Crime and Corruption," an individual performance by Adam Turin of Kahuku High, received a special second-place $1,000 cash award for "Outstanding Irish or Irish-American History."

"Gauguin: The Noble Savage," a senior division performance by Lilika Fonua, Jackie Lautaha and Noelle Spring of Kahuku High, placed seventh.

Police, Fire, Courts

By Star-Bulletin staff

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Rain forces rescue of dozens of kayakers

LIHUE » About 40 stranded kayakers were pulled from the Wailua River banks yesterday afternoon by Coast Guard rescue crews from Nawiliwili and a private boat.

Coast Guard spokeswoman CPO Marsha Delaney said torrential rains on Kauai caused the river to rise rapidly, trapping the kayakers upstream.

Delaney said the Coast Guard used its 23-foot rescue boat to reach some kayakers, but the vessel proved too big to reach a group of 20 kayakers trapped on the bank near a shallow sandbar.

The Coast Guard brought in a smaller "morale boat" normally used by Coast Guard members for recreation, to reach the group.

There were no injuries, but a number of kayaks belonging to tour companies were left upstream, Delaney said.

Alleged thief almost electrocutes himself

A Lahaina man who nearly killed himself while trying to steal a copper cable from a Maui Electric Co. distribution system was recovering Tuesday night at a Honolulu hospital, Maui police said.

The Lahaina man was taken to Straub Clinic & Hospital in critical condition with third-degree burns to his upper body following the incident.

The suspect, who knocked out power to 1,600 homes and businesses in West Maui for about an hour, crawled to a service station after he was electrocuted, police said.

"When an officer arrived at the station, he noticed the man was severely burned. He could smell burned skin and hair, and noticed the man's upper torso was burned and his hair was singed," Capt. Charles Hirata said.

He allegedly crawled through a tunnel to an underground junction box where he attempted to cut through a cable that was a 12,000-volt distribution line, MECO manager Mike Ribao said.

"Potentially, the person saw only a little over 7,000 volts, which is still a hell of a lot more than you would find at home," he said.

The suspect got through the outer layer of insulation when he was electrocuted.

"The guy started to cut through the cable, but he didn't get through," Ribao said. "All he did was break through the outer jacket. That's all it took. He can count his blessings that he's still alive."

HONOLULU
Fake repairmen, teens start rash of robberies

Honolulu police warned the public yesterday about two separate series of burglaries, which have been leading to other crimes.

One series involves suspects dressing up as repairmen or yard workers and breaking into homes in Honolulu, Pearl City, Kailua, Kalihi, Waikiki, Hawaii Kai and Waianae. The other series involves juveniles between 14 to 17 years old breaking into homes in the military housing areas in Kalihi and Pearl City.

Detectives said both sets of burglaries have occurred over the last two months and have led to more than two dozen auto thefts because the suspects have been stealing car keys from the homes. Those stolen vehicles also have been linked to other burglaries and robberies, police said.

In the first series, police said the suspects pretend to be soliciting yardwork if someone answers the door or a neighbor approaches. They might even be dressed as yard workers or repairmen. The suspects are described as males, in their 20s and 30s, of medium height and weight. Police said in a recent Kailua burglary, weapons were stolen and recovered in a stolen vehicle at an airport hotel.

Police are asking that residents remember to lock their doors at night and to also keep an eye out for suspicious activity.

Relatives identify man found in Punchbowl

Family members have identified a man found unconscious with head injuries in the Punchbowl area earlier this week, police said yesterday. The family came forward after seeing media reports about him.

Police said a relative identified the man at the Queen's Medical Center yesterday but asked that his name not be released.

The man is on life support, and detectives are investigating how he received his injuries.

Police hunt trio who robbed, stabbed man

Police were looking for three males who robbed and stabbed another man at a Kalihi school today.

Police said the victim, 26, went to use the boys restroom at Fern Elementary School, 1121 Middle St., at about 1:40 a.m. when he was approached by three males. The victim told police the suspects demanded his backpack and then attacked him.

Police said he was stabbed in the abdomen. He was taken to the QueenÕs Medical Center in guarded condition.

CENTRAL OAHU
Police foot chase ends with suspect's capture

CrimeStoppers and the Honolulu Police Department said fugitive Lopaka Selby-Oglesby was arrested Thursday in Wahiawa after a short chase on foot by Crime Reduction Unit officers.

Selby-Oglesby was wanted for a probation revocation warrant and two traffic warrants and has since been charged with robbery in connection with a purse snatching from a 69-year old Waipahu woman on Aug. 3.

He is being held in lieu of $75,000 bail.

[ COURT BRIEFS ]

Courts orders suspects held on drug charges

Four Honolulu men made their first appearance in U.S. District Court Thursday on multiple federal charges of distributing methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of an elementary school.

Richard Adkins, Troy Arthur, Nelson Davis and Eli Kalaluhi were ordered held pending detention hearings on Tuesday.

The charges stem from an investigation by Honolulu police and continuing efforts by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Kalihi-Palama-Chinatown Weed and Seed area.

Trial has been set for Dec. 14. If convicted, each faces a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in federal prison and a maximum of 20 years on each count.

Pearl City man pleads not guilty to pollution

A Pearl City man pleaded not guilty Thursday in Circuit Court on a charge of knowingly allowing a tarlike substance to enter a drainage canal at Campbell Industrial Park.

Jerry Souza, 33, was among two individuals indicted by an Oahu grand jury on Sept. 15, one of the first cases brought by the Environmental Crimes Unit of the state Department of Attorney General. The unit was established this year by the state Health Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Trial for Souza was set for the week of Dec. 13. His co-defendant, Michael Nueva, has not been located to be served with the grand jury warrant.

Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers

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Newswatch Police, Fire, Courts Star-Bulletin staff and wire Maui mayor honors 'American Idol' star WAILUKU » Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa proclaimed yesterday "Camile Velasco Day" in honor of the "American Idol" star from the Valley Isle. "It's amazing," said Velasco, 19, after receiving the proclamation from Arakawa. Arakawa praised Velasco for being among the top nine out of 80,000 audition hopefuls on the Fox network's popular "American Idol" television show this year. Velasco, who recently completed her three-month, 50-city tour with the top finishers of "American Idol," said she has been staying with relatives on Oahu and composing songs. She said she plans to travel to the mainland in the next few weeks to meet with record producers in hopes of obtaining a major contract. Services to remember soldier killed in Iraq Jeungjin Kim, a soldier of the 2nd Infantry Division who was killed in Iraq last week, will be remembered in services at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Honolulu Central Seventh-day Adventist Church, 2313 Nuuanu Ave. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. A burial service will be held at 1 p.m. at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Kim is survived by wife A Young Kim, son Apollo Ikaika, parents Jeung Kyuu Kim and Miyoung Jang, and grandmother On Ja Cho. Grant to UH will aid state in terror battle The University of Hawaii at Manoa's College of Tropical Agriculture is getting a $300,000 two-year homeland security grant to purchase equipment that could be used to identify potential threat chemicals in the environment. The grant is part of a $22 million federal award the state received to enhance its ability to prevent, deter, respond to and recover from threats and incidents of terrorism. Qing Li, professor in the department and head of the Environmental Biochemistry Laboratory, will use the funds to purchase a liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer to enhance his laboratory's capability to identify unknown and threat chemicals present in environmental samples. The money is from the Office for Domestic Preparedness in the Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for preparing the United States for acts of terrorism. [ TAKING NOTICE ] » Goodwill Industries of Hawaii has been awarded $15,000 from the Atherton Family Foundation to purchase an automated Point of Sale system to support the nonprofit agency's donation and retail division on Oahu and in Hilo. » The Western Union Foundation has donated $250,000 to Give Aloha, Foodland's Annual Community Matching Gifts Program, resulting in a total donation of $500,000 to nonprofit organizations participating in Give Aloha 2004. » Lahainaluna High School students Jesse Bakke and Keith Molina placed sixth in the national finals of the 2004 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills Competition last summer. Molina substituted for state winner Casey Kawaguchi, who had to report to the Air Force Academy in Colorado. Their instructor is Dennis Sasai. » Results of the 2004 National History Day, sponsored by the Hawaii Council for the Humanities, are as follows: Sarah E. Fincke was selected by National History Day as the 2004 state teacher of the year finalist from Region 1 (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah). "Women During World War II: Exploring New Opportunities," a group display by Eljean Madio, Amelyn Fines and Normie Galapon of Waipahu Intermediate School, received a second-place silver medal. "The Swedish Vikings: Exploring Through Trade and Connecting Cultures," an essay by Bethany Smith of Kahuku High School, received a History Channel $5,000 scholarship award for "Best Senior Entry on an International Theme." She also placed sixth in the nation. "Sigmund Freud: Exploring Ways to Reveal the Unconscious Mind," a display by Jennifer Lucas of Waipahu Intermediate, placed seventh and was selected as the outstanding junior division entry from Hawaii. "Manjiro's Encounter with the United States and the Modernization of Japan," a display by Nikki Katsutani from Moanalua High School, placed eighth and was selected as the outstanding senior division entry from Hawaii. "The Irish Gangs of New York: Encounter and Exchange with Crime and Corruption," an individual performance by Adam Turin of Kahuku High, received a special second-place $1,000 cash award for "Outstanding Irish or Irish-American History." "Gauguin: The Noble Savage," a senior division performance by Lilika Fonua, Jackie Lautaha and Noelle Spring of Kahuku High, placed seventh. Police, Fire, Courts By Star-Bulletin staff NEIGHBOR ISLANDS Rain forces rescue of dozens of kayakers LIHUE » About 40 stranded kayakers were pulled from the Wailua River banks yesterday afternoon by Coast Guard rescue crews from Nawiliwili and a private boat. Coast Guard spokeswoman CPO Marsha Delaney said torrential rains on Kauai caused the river to rise rapidly, trapping the kayakers upstream. Delaney said the Coast Guard used its 23-foot rescue boat to reach some kayakers, but the vessel proved too big to reach a group of 20 kayakers trapped on the bank near a shallow sandbar. The Coast Guard brought in a smaller "morale boat" normally used by Coast Guard members for recreation, to reach the group. There were no injuries, but a number of kayaks belonging to tour companies were left upstream, Delaney said. Alleged thief almost electrocutes himself A Lahaina man who nearly killed himself while trying to steal a copper cable from a Maui Electric Co. distribution system was recovering Tuesday night at a Honolulu hospital, Maui police said. The Lahaina man was taken to Straub Clinic & Hospital in critical condition with third-degree burns to his upper body following the incident. The suspect, who knocked out power to 1,600 homes and businesses in West Maui for about an hour, crawled to a service station after he was electrocuted, police said. "When an officer arrived at the station, he noticed the man was severely burned. He could smell burned skin and hair, and noticed the man's upper torso was burned and his hair was singed," Capt. Charles Hirata said. He allegedly crawled through a tunnel to an underground junction box where he attempted to cut through a cable that was a 12,000-volt distribution line, MECO manager Mike Ribao said. "Potentially, the person saw only a little over 7,000 volts, which is still a hell of a lot more than you would find at home," he said. The suspect got through the outer layer of insulation when he was electrocuted. "The guy started to cut through the cable, but he didn't get through," Ribao said. "All he did was break through the outer jacket. That's all it took. He can count his blessings that he's still alive." HONOLULU Fake repairmen, teens start rash of robberies Honolulu police warned the public yesterday about two separate series of burglaries, which have been leading to other crimes. One series involves suspects dressing up as repairmen or yard workers and breaking into homes in Honolulu, Pearl City, Kailua, Kalihi, Waikiki, Hawaii Kai and Waianae. The other series involves juveniles between 14 to 17 years old breaking into homes in the military housing areas in Kalihi and Pearl City. Detectives said both sets of burglaries have occurred over the last two months and have led to more than two dozen auto thefts because the suspects have been stealing car keys from the homes. Those stolen vehicles also have been linked to other burglaries and robberies, police said. In the first series, police said the suspects pretend to be soliciting yardwork if someone answers the door or a neighbor approaches. They might even be dressed as yard workers or repairmen. The suspects are described as males, in their 20s and 30s, of medium height and weight. Police said in a recent Kailua burglary, weapons were stolen and recovered in a stolen vehicle at an airport hotel. Police are asking that residents remember to lock their doors at night and to also keep an eye out for suspicious activity. Relatives identify man found in Punchbowl Family members have identified a man found unconscious with head injuries in the Punchbowl area earlier this week, police said yesterday. The family came forward after seeing media reports about him. Police said a relative identified the man at the Queen's Medical Center yesterday but asked that his name not be released. The man is on life support, and detectives are investigating how he received his injuries. Police hunt trio who robbed, stabbed man Police were looking for three males who robbed and stabbed another man at a Kalihi school today. Police said the victim, 26, went to use the boys restroom at Fern Elementary School, 1121 Middle St., at about 1:40 a.m. when he was approached by three males. The victim told police the suspects demanded his backpack and then attacked him. Police said he was stabbed in the abdomen. He was taken to the QueenÕs Medical Center in guarded condition. CENTRAL OAHU Police foot chase ends with suspect's capture CrimeStoppers and the Honolulu Police Department said fugitive Lopaka Selby-Oglesby was arrested Thursday in Wahiawa after a short chase on foot by Crime Reduction Unit officers. Selby-Oglesby was wanted for a probation revocation warrant and two traffic warrants and has since been charged with robbery in connection with a purse snatching from a 69-year old Waipahu woman on Aug. 3. He is being held in lieu of $75,000 bail. [ COURT BRIEFS ] Courts orders suspects held on drug charges Four Honolulu men made their first appearance in U.S. District Court Thursday on multiple federal charges of distributing methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of an elementary school. Richard Adkins, Troy Arthur, Nelson Davis and Eli Kalaluhi were ordered held pending detention hearings on Tuesday. The charges stem from an investigation by Honolulu police and continuing efforts by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Kalihi-Palama-Chinatown Weed and Seed area. Trial has been set for Dec. 14. If convicted, each faces a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in federal prison and a maximum of 20 years on each count. Pearl City man pleads not guilty to pollution A Pearl City man pleaded not guilty Thursday in Circuit Court on a charge of knowingly allowing a tarlike substance to enter a drainage canal at Campbell Industrial Park. Jerry Souza, 33, was among two individuals indicted by an Oahu grand jury on Sept. 15, one of the first cases brought by the Environmental Crimes Unit of the state Department of Attorney General. The unit was established this year by the state Health Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Trial for Souza was set for the week of Dec. 13. His co-defendant, Michael Nueva, has not been located to be served with the grand jury warrant. Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers	— ADVERTISEMENTS — — ADVERTISEMENTS —