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Live opossum found in plane at Hickam

Military personnel discovered a live opossum running around the cargo unit of a charter plane at Hickam Air Force Base on Sunday.

The crew discovered the animal while unloading cargo from the Polar Air aircraft that arrived from California's Travis Air Force Base earlier that day.

Crew members managed to close all of the aircraft doors and trap the animal under a pallet. Inspectors from the state Department of Agriculture were called and with the crew's assistance captured the 12-inch, grayish animal about 7:15 p.m.

Opossum are native to North America. Although they are less likely to carry rabies than other mammals, they are carriers of parasites and diseases.

As a safeguard, the opossum was euthanized yesterday and tests for rabies were sent to the State Laboratory at the Hawaii Department of Health.

Cluster of 3 planets to be visible at dusk

Islanders who look to the west at dusk will see a nice grouping of Saturn, Venus and Mercury, says Carolyn Kaichi, Bishop Museum Planetarium manager.

Saturn is setting a little earlier every day so it appears to be moving closer and closer to Venus and Mercury, she said.

Venus and Mercury also are rising higher as they approach their inner orbit around the sun, so it looks like the planets will be bunching closer together, she said.

On Saturday, the three planets will be in a cluster, she said.

"It's not something that's uncommon," she said. "All the planets orbit in the same plane, so as they are going around the sun, they're bound to line up in our line of sight.

"It's a beautiful sight."

San Diego Zoo helps isle birds with grant

A special federal allocation has been given to the San Diego Zoo to help save endangered bird species native to the Hawaiian Islands.

The $238,000 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service completes funding to keep the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center on the Big Island and the Maui Bird Conservation Center running for another year, officials said recently.

The centers are part of the zoo's Hawaiian Endangered Bird Conservation Program, which works with eight species of endangered birds.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

HONOLULU

Homeless man held on suspicion of assault

Police arrested a 42-year-old homeless man after he allegedly threatened another man at knifepoint and kicked a police officer yesterday morning in downtown Honolulu.

Police said the suspect threatened a 40-year-old man with a knife about 7:25 a.m. yesterday.

While a police officer tried to apprehend the suspect, he kicked the officer in the lower leg, injuring him.

The suspect was arrested at 280 N. King St. on suspicion of first-degree terroristic threatening, second-degree assault on a police officer and resisting arrest.

Visitor found dead next to sleeping wife

Security guards at an airport area hotel found a 44-year-old mainland visitor dead in his hotel bed with his wife asleep at his side.

Police said the security guards went to check on the couple at about 11:06 a.m. yesterday because they had stayed past the checkout time.

Police would not release further details.

Police said there were no signs of foul play.

Man caught in Manoa pushing a stolen van

Police arrested a man after officers found him trying to push a stolen van down a Manoa street Monday night.

The suspect, 32, told the officer the battery had died while he was driving along University Avenue near Maile Way about 10:50 p.m., according to police. He said he was trying to get the van started again, police said. The officer ran a check on the vehicle and discovered that it had been stolen from a Sand Island medical equipment company earlier this week.

The officer arrested the suspect for investigation of auto theft and driving without a license. The suspect was also arrested for investigation of drug offenses after drugs and drug paraphernalia were found inside the van.

Man in domestic case had illegal firearm

Police arrested a 40-year-old Village Park man during a domestic dispute yesterday for allegedly having an unregistered and illegally modified handgun.

Police said that at about 1:30 p.m. the suspect was arguing with his wife, 40, at their Kalae Street home, and he struck her in the face. Police arrested the husband for investigation of abuse and second-degree terroristic threatening.

The wife then gave officers an unregistered 9 millimeter pistol, which also had an illegal high-cap magazine added to it, police said. Police also arrested the man for investigation of having a prohibited weapon.

LEEWARD OAHU

Intentionally set fires erupt in Makaha area

Leeward firefighters were kept busy with three deliberately set brush fires yesterday.

The fires started about 10:45 a.m., and all took place within 10 minutes of one another. The first fire was reported near Makaha Beach, the second one near Makua Cave, and the third one off Kili Drive in Makaha Valley. All three fires were said to have been intentionally set and consumed an acre of brush each.

A small brush fire in Haleiwa forced police to close the Joseph P. Leong Bypass Road at 4:50 p.m. yesterday while firefighters put out the blaze.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

50-year-old suspected in Maui bank robbery

WAILUKU » Maui police yesterday were holding a 50-year-old man as a suspect in a bank robbery.

A man entered the American Savings Bank in Sack 'n' Save Foods in Wailuku, at 11 a.m. Monday, handing the teller a note demanding cash, said police Lt. Glenn Cuomo.

Within an hour after leaving, the man and two other men were stopped a couple of miles from the bank in a parking lot at Keopualani Park, Cuomo said.

Cuomo said the cash was recovered but no weapons were found.

The man was being held on a warrant for an alleged parole violation, while the two other men were released pending investigation.