Honolulu Star-Bulletin News /2005/04/01/

SWEET SMELL OF BEING STOKED

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Professional surfer Bethany Hamilton, 15, posed with surfboards yesterday at the promotion of her new perfume line, Wired and Stoked, in New York. Hamilton rocketed to fame after she lost her left arm to a 14-foot tiger shark that attacked her on Oct. 31, 2003, while she was surfing off Kauai.

UH programs rank among top 100 in U.S.

This month's U.S. News and World Report college rankings put the University of Hawaii at Manoa's College of Education in the top 100 teacher preparation schools in the country, rising to 60th place from 73rd last year, UH-Manoa officials said yesterday.

The magazine also put the graduate international business program in the top 25 schools and the Richardson School of Law as among the top 100 schools in the country.

Graduate programs in international business at UH-Manoa tied for 22nd this year with Florida International University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. These programs -- and UH-Manoa undergraduate programs in international business -- have consistently ranked in the top 25 nationally in the last several years.

The Richardson School of Law was listed at 83rd out of the 179 law schools ranked this year.

Legal educators from across the country also selected the UH Environmental Law program for 25th, consistent with rankings over a number of years.

UH-West Oahu earns 7-year accreditation

The University of Hawaii at West Oahu was given a full seven-year accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges' Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities at its meeting in February.

In a letter to UH-West Oahu Chancellor Gene Awakuni, the commission commended the campus on its progress during the review process.

Awakuni said: "The action letter from WASC allows us to move ahead in aggressively broadening our curriculum and programs. We can now commit our resources and energy to build upon the gains we have made."

For a complete copy of the WASC Senior Commission's letter, visit www.hawaii.edu/vpaa.

Tsunami museum creates new tours

HILO » The Pacific Tsunami Museum in Hilo has established driving and walking tours of tsunami sites in Hilo and Laupahoehoe, the museum announced.

All of the sites are identified by interpretive signs that give the history of specific areas and describe how the tsunamis of 1946 and 1960 affected them. Each of the weather-resistant signs includes photos related to tsunami events.

The three-hour driving tour, reaching from Laupahoehoe north of Hilo to Keaukaha on the Hilo shoreline, includes seven sites.

The walking tour, from the Waiakea Kai clock, stopped by the 1960s tsunami, to Coconut Island, where metal bands on the trunks of coconut trees show tsunami wave heights, includes five sites.

The signage and 10,000 copies of descriptive booklets were created with a $12,000 grant from the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

Police, Fire, Courts

By Star-Bulletin staff

LEEWARD OAHU

Robbery using toy gun leads to teen's arrest

Police arrested a Nanakuli teenager who allegedly used a toy handgun when he robbed a man and tried to rob another Wednesday afternoon.

Police said the 15-year-old boy approached the first victim, 21, as he was walking in the mauka direction on Nanakuli Avenue, pulled out the toy gun, then demanded money and his handbag.

The victim realized the gun was a toy and told the suspect to "get lost," according to police.

The suspect then approached a second victim who was about 10 feet away and repeated his demand, police said. The second victim gave the suspect his handbag, police said. The suspect then ran in the makai direction to Nanakuli Beach Park.

Officers later found him near Nanaikapono Elementary School and arrested him for investigation of two counts of first-degree robbery.

NORTH SHORE

Motorcycle crash kills Schofield soldier

A 33-year-old Schofield Barracks soldier died Wednesday after his motorcycle crashed on Kaukonahua Road in Waialua.

The man was traveling makai-bound on Kaukonahua when he apparently lost control of the motorcycle on a turn and hit an embankment and a utility pole near Farrington Highway about 4:35 p.m., police said.

The driver was taken by ambulance to Wahiawa General Hospital, where he died about 6 p.m.

He was identified by the Honolulu medical examiner as Bobby R. Edwards. Police believe speed was a factor in the accident.

They were investigating whether alcohol was also a factor.

Police said Edwards was wearing a helmet and reflective gear.

This is the 19th traffic fatality on Oahu this year compared with 18 at this time last year.