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$400K awarded for site cleanup plans
Federal environmental officials have awarded $400,000 to the state and to Hawaii County to clean up contaminated sites on Oahu and the Big Island.The Hawaii grants are part of $75.9 million that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency handed out to state and local governments yesterday to clean up and redevelop so-called "Brownfields" sites.
"Funding for Brownfields projects will allow communities to revitalize properties that have been sitting idle for too long," said Wayne Nastri, regional administrator of the EPA's Pacific Southwest office.
"The program yields positive results by bringing new life to the underused properties in many communities," Nastri said.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources will use half the Hawaii money to assess a 45-acre parcel on Sand Island that the state hopes to turn into an industrial park.
The Big Island will use its grant money to focus on old warehouse sites in Hilo, abandoned dumps, plantation landfills and other old sugar cane sites.
The federal Brownfields grant program promotes the redevelopment of the nation's estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites.
Walkers to raise money for AIDS
The annual Starbucks AIDS Walk for Life -- a major fund-raiser for the nonprofit Life Foundation -- will begin at 9 a.m. Sunday at Kapiolani Park, with registration at 8 a.m.The Life Foundation, established in 1983, is Hawaii's oldest and largest AIDS organization.
Participants in the 5K walk around Kapiolani Park raise money to support the foundation's work by having friends and family sponsor them. Prizes will be awarded to individual walkers and teams that raise the most money.
To participate, register online at www.aidswalkhawaii.org or call Cathy Pudwill at 521-2437. Registration brochures also are available at most Starbucks locations.
By Star-Bulletin staff
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Police arrest man in Big Isle assault
Big Island police arrested a 26-year-old man for the alleged sexual assault of an 18-year-old woman in Kailua-Kona.Police said the assault occurred about 12:45 a.m. Monday. The victim told police that she was standing along Alii Drive in downtown Kailua-Kona when she was attacked from behind by a man, thrown to the ground and sexually assaulted.
Police arrested the suspect at 3:40 a.m. in Kailua-Kona.
CENTRAL OAHU
Man allegedly poses as YMCA worker
A 28-year-old Kunia man was arrested last week after he allegedly misrepresented himself as a YMCA employee when he purchased tools at a Wahiawa store.About 11:50 a.m. Friday, the suspect went to Pioneer Ace Hardware on Kilani Avenue and represented himself as a YMCA employee. Police said he purchased tools worth more than $300. A manager at the store said the suspect once worked at the YMCA but no longer works there. The YMCA has an account with Pioneer.
The 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of second-degree theft. He was released pending further investigation.
Man arrested after flap with bus driver
Police arrested a 36-year-old homeless man for allegedly threatening a city bus driver and refusing to get out of the driver's seat on the bus in Wahiawa Monday.Police said at 5:10 a.m. the suspect got into the driver's seat while the bus had stopped near California Avenue and Mango Street, and the driver had left to get a newspaper. When she returned, she told the suspect to get out of the bus but he refused and demanded to be taken to the airport, police said.
The suspect then threatened the bus driver five times, saying he was going to kill her, according to police. Officers arrived and were forced to use pepper spray on the suspect during the arrest, police said. The suspect was arrested for investigation of interfering with the operation of a public transit vehicle, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.
HONOLULU
2 allegedly kidnapped at knife point in Kalihi
Police are looking for a man who allegedly kidnapped two other men at knife point and forced them to drive around and withdraw money from automated teller machines in Kalihi on Monday night.The suspect allegedly approached the victims, ages 17 and 23, about 11:40 p.m., forced them into a vehicle then had them drive to two ATMs. The suspect allegedly stayed in the vehicle and held the knife to one victim while the other victim withdrew the money.
The suspect got out of the vehicle near the public housing area along Kamehameha IV Road. The victims drove off and reported the robbery to police.
The suspect was described as between 25 and 30 years old, 5 foot 8, about 200 pounds, with black hair and a mustache. He was last seen wearing a red T-shirt and beige shorts.
Woman charged with identity theft, fraud
Police charged a 22-year-old Waianae woman with multiple counts of identity theft and forgery after she allegedly tried to transfer funds at a bank using a fake ID card.Police arrested Shariece Laupele Simbahon on Saturday at the Bank of Hawaii in the Moiliili Star Market at 2470 S. King St. Officers found seven stolen credit cards and drugs on her when they arrested her, police said. Simbahon was also identified as a suspect in an earlier forgery case.
She was charged with two counts of second-degree forgery, one count of identity theft, credit card theft, and promoting dangerous drugs in the third degree. She was being held in lieu of $40,000 bail.
EAST OAHU
Man found asleep with stolen credit cards
Police arrested a 20-year-old man after he fell asleep at a park table in Hawaii Kai with two allegedly stolen credit cards in front of him.Police found the suspect Saturday at 9:30 a.m. while checking the park. One credit card belonged to a 46-year-old Hawaii Kai woman, and the other to a 70-year-old Hawaii Kai man, police said.
Police arrested the suspect for investigation of credit card theft and released him pending investigation.
WINDWARD OAHU
Ex-boyfriend held for threatening messages
Police arrested a 44-year-old man after he allegedly left more than 20 threatening messages on his ex-girlfriend's phone over the weekend.Police said the victim, 33, went into the Kailua Police Station on Saturday and told officers about messages left on her cellular phone voice mail over 24 hours. Police arrested the suspect for investigation of first-degree terroristic threatening.
[ Courts ]
Husband indicted in Chinatown terror case
An Oahu grand jury has indicted a 39-year-old man on charges he terrorized his estranged wife and three others for 14 hours at a Chinatown apartment, stabbing and setting one man on fire and sexually assaulting a woman.William Alston was charged with second-degree attempted murder, four counts of kidnapping, four counts of first-degree terroristic threatening, two counts of first-degree sexual assault, third-degree sexual assault and abuse of a household member.
According to prosecutors, Alston got into an argument with his wife at a Hale Pauahi apartment early May 2. When one of the male occupants of the apartment tried to help her, Alston allegedly stabbed him and set him afire after dousing him with alcohol. He allegedly threatened his wife and the other occupants with a knife and sexually assaulted the other female and forced her to ingest cocaine and alcohol.
Circuit Court Judge Derrick Chan confirmed bail at $150,000 and ordered Alston to have no contact with his wife and the three other victims.
Kiribati fisherman cleared of murder
A Circuit Court jury took two days to find a 30-year-old man not guilty yesterday of stabbing a fellow fisherman to death.But Bosco Reo wasn't allowed to walk out of the court room a free man, because Immigration was expected to take him into custody.
Reo had been charged with second-degree murder in the death of Teraoi Ibeari, 20. Both are from Kiribati and came here to work on the longline fishing vessel Katherine II, home-ported at Honolulu Harbor.
The boat's crew had been drinking on Nov. 30 when the two got into an argument, allegedly over some beer that the defendant may have been hiding from the others. Ibeari allegedly called Reo out to fight, and during the ensuing confrontation was stabbed once in the chest.
Deputy Public Defender Theresa Marshall said they are "enormously grateful" that the jury agreed that Reo acted in self-defense.
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