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Girl still critical after tree falls on her head

A 12-year-old girl remains in critical condition at Queen's Medical Center after a large pine tree crashed through her Manoa home and struck her in the head while she was sleeping.

"She is still in critical condition, not responsive, and her prognosis remains guarded," said attorney Rick Fried, who was retained by Julia Engle's family.

Engle is a seventh-grader at Punahou School.

She underwent surgery Tuesday to reduce swelling in her brain. Her uncle Mark Pennington said earlier that a portion of her skull was removed and that she was still unconscious.

About 5 a.m. Tuesday, a 70- to 75-foot Norfolk Island pine tree sliced through the home at 2347 Beckwith St. where Engle lives with her mother, Debbie, who is a teacher, and sister Christina, 10.

Maui recycler fined, ordered to stop work

The state Department of Health has fined a Maui recycling company $85,750 for violating rules on disposing of green waste.

The state ordered Campaign Recycle Maui to stop accepting green waste at its composting facility on Old Dump Road in Wailuku.

The company has accepted and stored more plant waste than the 3,000 cubic yards permitted since December 2002, according to a state release.

It has also failed to provide fire breaks between storage piles.

The Health Department warned the company in January 2003. In May 2004 and on Jan. 31 this year, inspectors found failure to comply with its order.

The company has not completed a permit renewal application, so it was also cited for operating an un-permitted solid-waste management facility, according to the state.

The state set a schedule for company compliance with solid-waste rules.

Nanakuli man indicted in robbery, sex assault

An Oahu grand jury has indicted a Nanakuli man accused of raping a woman who stopped to help him on a Maili roadway.

Wendell Rodrigues, 46, was charged yesterday with first-degree robbery, first-degree sexual assault and kidnapping in the Feb. 21 incident. Bail was confirmed at $75,000.

The 32-year-old woman told police she stopped to help a man who was standing in the middle of the roadway on Paakea Road, but he pulled out a pocketknife and entered her car. He allegedly ordered her to drive to an area on Lualualei Homestead Road and park. He then sexually assaulted her after she tried to hit him with a pipe she had next to her seat, police said.

Rodrigues was arrested last Thursday after police received information about the suspect.

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[ Taking Notice ]

» More than $40,000 was raised by the Tour de Cure bike-riding fund-raiser for the American Diabetes Association's Hawaii area office in November.

» Roxy, the women's division of Quiksilver Inc., and the Keep a Breast Foundation raised $22,000 for the Kapiolani Women's Center -- Rell Sunn Fund at an auction of plaster casts of professional female surfers and key surf industry representatives.

» These Hawaii State Judiciary employees and groups were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the state court system:

Meritorious Service Award: Gail Hedani, Information Technology and Communications Division; Brook Mamizuka, Adult Client Services Branch; Blanche Okimoto, Wahiawa District Court; Joanne Yanagida, Human Resources Division.

Spirit of the Judiciary Award: Amina Kam, Division of Driver Education on Oahu; Elsie Shimizu, Fiscal and Administrative Services Branch.

Certificates of Commendation: Jacqueline Murai, Division of Driver Education in Hilo; Program/Services Unit, Second Judicial Circuit (Tiffany Iida, Sandy Inouye, Lori Jaber, David Nakama, Marian Scott, Kari Wakakuwa); Labor Relations Branch (Dee Wakabayashi, Eric Tanigawa).

» Adult Friends for Youth has honored Farrington High School Principal Catherine Payne with the Service to Hawaii's Youth Award.

Adult Friends also recognized Nate Manulauti and Chris Ulep, who turned their lives around successfully with the organization's help.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Big Isle police arrest man on 2 warrants

Big Island police have arrested a 29-year-old Hilo man wanted on two warrants for contempt and revocation of probation.

The suspect, Jacob J. Flores, was arrested without incident early Tuesday at a residence in the Ainaloa subdivision.

Flores, who was also sought for domestic-related and traffic offenses, was arraigned in District Court.

He is being held at the Hawaii Community Correctional Center in Hilo.

Woman, unborn baby lose lives in Puna crash

A 56-year-old woman died yesterday after a two-car traffic collision at Keaau-Pahoa Road and Kaloli Drive in Puna.

The victim was identified as Lucille Nacionales of a Keaau address.

About 3 p.m., Nacionales was driving a 2000 Toyota sedan east on Keaau-Pahoa Road when she tried to make a left turn onto Kaloli Drive and collided with a black 1992 Toyota sedan traveling west on the highway.

Nacionales was taken to the Hilo Medical Center, where she later died of her injuries. She was pronounced dead at 5:46 p.m.

The driver of the second car, a pregnant 23-year-old female, was also taken to the hospital, where medical personnel induced labor but could not revive the baby.

The woman remains in the hospital in satisfactory condition. Her 6-year-old son was treated for minor injuries and released.

Traffic Enforcement Unit officers have initiated a coroner's inquest case and ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Yesterday's death was the 11th traffic fatality on the Big Island so far this year, compared with eight at the same time last year.