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Fuel removed off ship near Barbers Point

Fuel has been removed from a ship that remains aground near the entrance to Barbers Point, and unloading its cargo of cement was expected to begin last night or this morning, the Coast Guard reported.

Coast Guard spokeswoman Jennifer Johnson wasn't sure yesterday how much of the 27,000 tons of bulk cement aboard the Cape Flattery would make it buoyant enough that it can be refloated.

The 555-foot vessel went aground Wednesday about 400 yards off Barbers Point.

About 128,000 gallons of fuel were successfully removed early yesterday without spills, the Coast Guard reported.

It was not immediately known how long the removal of the cement will take.

The ship's company, Pacific Basin Shipping HK Ltd., has hired Titan Maritime Industries to direct the salvage operation, which includes hiring local tug and barge companies.

Representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources are involved with aspects of the salvage operation to ensure coral reef and wildlife concerns are addressed.

Forecaster expects sunny skies this week

The threat of wet weather hanging over the state the past week has ended, says National Weather Service forecaster Maureen Ballard.

"Things are definitely getting better," she said, predicting sunny skies and returning tradewinds into the middle of the week.

A weak front may brush by the islands later in the week but it won't bring anything here like the recent thunder and lightning storms, she said.

It's not unusual for Hawaii to get rain in the winter season, she said, "but it certainly is unusual for us to have an event like this that lasts a week."

A flash flood watch expired yesterday afternoon. A winter storm advisory for the snow-covered mountain peaks on the Big Island also ended.

Nearly 12 inches of rain saturated areas of the Big Island in 12 hours Friday, she said. The deluge was mostly over the Volcano area and Mountain View and the area halfway between Volcano and Pahala.

Victim's family sues in Sunset Beach death

The family of a California deputy sheriff who drowned at Sunset Beach last December has filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging that lifeguards were slow to respond to his rescue.

Thomas Hoggs, 43, drowned on Dec. 17, 2004, while vacationing in Hawaii with his family.

According to a news release by plaintiff's attorney Ward Jones, a witness states that lifeguards saw Hoggs struggling in the water and "delayed rescuing him for about nine minutes."

The lawsuit alleges negligence by lifeguards on duty and names both the City and County of Honolulu and the state of Hawaii as defendants and seeks unspecified damages.

Bill Brennan, press secretary for Mayor Mufi Hannemann, said they have no comment because the city has yet to receive the lawsuit.

Recycling available around UH campus

Students and people who live near the University of Hawaii at Manoa will be able to turn in cans and bottles for cash on campus on Sundays and Mondays starting today through March.

The pilot program will be reviewed after two months to determine whether it should be modified or extended.

The truck will be parked from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays at the Music Department parking lot at Dole Street and University Avenue.

On Mondays, the truck will move around campus. From 11 a.m. to noon, it will be at Andrews Amphitheater. From 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. it will go to the Hale Aloha Lehua lower campus dorms. Then from 3 to 4 p.m. it will be at the Zone 6 parking lot adjacent to the Center for Korean Studies.

Fund-raiser to help kids of killed Marines

A car wash is scheduled today in Waikiki to raise money to help educate the children of Hawaii-based Marines recently killed in action, the first event in a scholarship fund drive spearheaded by a senior at La Pietra-Hawaii School for Girls.

Amanda El-Dakhakhni, president of the senior class at La Pietra, is working with other students as well as military and community organizations to raise $50,000 for scholarships. All donations will go to a scholarship fund to be set up by the Armed Services YMCA.

The car wash will be held at VIP Car Rentals parking lot on the corner of Kalakaua Avenue and Niu Street in Waikiki, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Prevent heart disease with smart diet, exercise

Nearly 3,000 Hawaii residents die prematurely every year of cardiovascular disease that can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle and right medications, says the American Heart Association.

The AHA kicked off American Heart Month Thursday with activities to make residents aware of their risks for heart disease and treatment options.

These major lifestyle changes are recommended:

For more information, call the AHA at 538-7021.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Big Isle police report influx of fake bills

Big Island police are alerting businesses and the public that counterfeit bills are being circulated in Hawaii County.

Counterfeit $20, $10 and $5 bills have been used at several stores on the east side of the Big Island.

Police say residents should look for the features like color-shifting ink, a watermark, and a security thread to determine whether a bill is legal tender.

Those who suspect a bill is counterfeit should call the police nonemergency number at 935-3311.

Pepeekeo woman found safe in Waimea

Big Island police have called off their search for a 38-year-old woman who was reported missing from her Pepeekeo home since late December last year.

The missing woman, Lisa Thomas, also known as "Lisa Schorrig," was located Wednesday in Waimea, South Kohala.

Thomas was located in good health, and she is now in contact with relatives who are on the Big Island.