---

[ TAKING NOTICE ]

>> Patricia Murakami was named Manager of the Year of the state Department of Human Services during an awards ceremony honoring 62 outstanding department employees. Yvonne Tanaka, a supervisor in the personnel office, won the Director's Award and one of the Sustained Superior Performance Awards.

Employees in the Med-QUEST Division's Membership File Integrity Section won the Team Excellence Award of Merit. They are Holly Bryant, Jodi Cardoza, Jessica Cortez, Melani De Coite, Evelyn Desha, Jaclyn Faitau, Joyce Foster, Donelle Kamiya and Lorena Paulo Ader.

>> Big Brothers Big Sisters of Honolulu has been awarded a $10,000 grant by the First Hawaiian Foundation, the charitable arm of First Hawaiian Bank, and $15,000 from the Cooke Foundation to support its mentoring program for youth.

>> St. Francis Healthcare Foundation of Hawaii has received $25,000 from First Hawaiian Bank for the St. Francis Wailuku Renal Dialysis Facility project in Maui.

---

SINKHOLE CAUSES PROBLEMS IN KAILUA

CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Crews in Kailua worked through most of yesterday filling a sinkhole 12 feet long by 20 feet wide by 8 feet deep that formed on Hamakua Drive near Kailua Road. Police said an officer, responding to an erroneous report of a sinkhole on Keolu Drive at 6:38 a.m., drove into it when the hole was less than a foot deep, and blew out a tire. A city spokesman said an old, abandoned sewer line broke, causing everything above the pipe to fall in. The sinkhole is not associated with the Hamakua Drive sewer rehab project, he said.

Hannemann leaves for meetings in D.C.

Mr. Hannemann goes to Washington ... on a one-week trip to the nation's capital, his first as Honolulu mayor.

Mufi Hannemann will attend the winter meeting of the National Conference of Mayors and President Bush's inauguration on Thursday.

Hannemann will also meet with federal officials, including Hawaii's congressional delegation -- particularly U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye -- and Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta to discuss transportation solutions for Hawaii.

As he talked about during his campaign, Hannemann continues to push for a commuter ferry system that would link up with city buses. He said he expects the issue of rail transit to also come up in discussions.

"It will be a loaded agenda, one that I will be looking forward to," Hannemann said.

Hannemann is scheduled to return Friday.

While Hannemann is away, city Budget Director Mary Pat Waterhouse will be the acting mayor, as Hannemann has yet to name a managing director. The budget director is next in the line of succession after the managing director.

Insurer says claims of fraud unfounded

An Indiana-based insurer said that a lawsuit filed by more than 150 local residents accusing it of fraud is without merit.

Conseco Life Insurance Co. said it will vigorously defend itself from the complaint, which it said was similar to class-action suits filed in several other states.

The consumers alleged in a suit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court that Conseco increased premiums on universal life policies sevenfold in 2003, forcing them to cash in their policies, let them lapse or pay "exorbitant" new rates.

The higher premium was based on a "mysterious" pricing policy that was not disclosed to the consumers when they purchased the policies 10 to 20 years ago, the suit said.

Conseco argued that for many years buyers paid far less than they otherwise would have paid for their insurance coverage. The company said it could no longer subsidize those rates due to higher interest rates and changes in the investment markets.

---

Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Honolulu police homicide Lt. Bill Kato investigated the death of an unidentified male found at Pier 6 yesterday morning.

HONOLULU

Tourist sees man's body floating in Honolulu Harbor

A mainland visitor discovered a body floating at Pier 6 near the dock for Atlantis Cruises about 9 a.m. yesterday.

Police identified the victim as a 69-year-old Kalihi Valley resident who was last seen about 2 p.m. Thursday and reported missing by his family at 1 a.m. yesterday.

Police recovered the victim's vehicle on Sand Island, almost directly across Honolulu Harbor from where the body was found.

Homicide investigators said there appears to be no foul play involved and have classified the case as an unattended death.

Deputy sheriffs catch work furlough escapee

Deputy sheriffs captured a fugitive from the Laumaka Work Furlough Center yesterday morning after a chase through the Mapunapuna area.

Deputies received a tip at 7:30 a.m. yesterday that escapee Jeffrey Chevalier might be in a car under the freeway in the Middle Street area, according to the Department of Public Safety.

Chevalier escaped from Laumaka, where he was finishing out a sentence for burglary and promoting drugs, on Jan. 3. He now faces escape and other charges for leaving the furlough center.

During their search, deputies found a car with a couple inside near the paintball field off Nimitz Highway near the Disabled American Veterans hall, the Public Safety Department said.

When deputies approached the car, Chevalier jumped out and ran toward Mapunapuna, according to the Department of Public Safety. Deputies recognized Chevalier and chased him down.

K-9 deputy sheriffs enlisted the aid of passer-by Louis Gonzales, who gave them and a K-9 dog a ride to an area in front of Chevalier while other deputies closed in on him, public safety officials said.

Deputies caught Chevalier about 10:30 a.m. in the Roberts Hawaii bus yard where he was hiding under a parked vehicle, according to the Department of Public Safety.

Chevalier was taken to the Queen's Medical Center, where he was treated for wounds sustained while running from the deputies.

LEEWARD OAHU

Man allegedly tries to take woman's purse

Police arrested an 18-year- old Kalihi man Thursday for allegedly attempting to rob a woman of her purse near Pearlridge Center fronting 98-180 Kamehameha Highway.

Police said the man approached the victim as she got off a bus and asked her for a cigarette, which she did.

The man then allegedly asked her for her wallet, but she refused, police said.

The woman then approached a nearby Pearlridge Center security guard, and the suspect fled. Police apprehended the suspect and arrested him for attempted second-degree robbery.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Man sought for several offenses surrenders

A 27-year-old man wanted for several felony offenses turned himself in at the Kealakehe police station on the Big Island yesterday.

Keith Keola Moniz was wanted for offenses that allegedly were committed Dec. 17 in Waikoloa, including kidnapping, terroristic threatening and burglary.

Police received numerous tips on his whereabouts after publicizing a request for information.