---

Re-striping to shut part of Moanalua Freeway

The westbound lanes of Moanalua Freeway will be closed from Likelike Highway to Ola Lane from 10 p.m. today to 4:30 a.m. tomorrow to re-stripe the roadway, state transportation officials say.

Traffic will be routed onto the Middle Street and airport offramps.

During the closure, the Likelike Highway onramp to the H-1 freeway will be closed.

For updates on construction work, call the project hot line at 587-6316 or check the state Department of Transportation's Web site at h1widening.com.

Case offers legislation for park land purchase

U.S. Rep. Ed Case has introduced legislation to authorize the purchase of an additional 656 acres of Kahuku Ranch for the expansion of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island.

The park grew in 2003 when it acquired 116,000 acres of ranch land through a $22 million purchase by the Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service.

The additional area is located between the 1,000- and 2,000-foot elevation mark along the southwest rift zone of Mauna Loa, Case, D-Hawaii, said in a news release issued yesterday by his Washington office.

"The geological features of the proposed acquisition -- three large pit craters -- provide vestiges of native forest and other unique attributes," Case said.

The property also includes ranch buildings, which could be used for a satellite headquarters for the park, pasture lands and "remnant ranch lands that are not currently represented to the public by any national park in Hawaii," he said.

Case said he has also reintroduced two bills calling for the National Park Service to determine whether two shoreline areas on Maui -- between Paia and Spreckelsville and between the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Reserve and Kanaloa Point -- could be included in the park system.

AIG Hawaii chief leads charity's '05 campaign

Robin Campaniano, president and chief executive officer of AIG Hawaii Insurance Co., will be chairman of Aloha United Way's 2005 campaign.

AUW announced its team of volunteers yesterday. Nate Smith, president of Oceanic Time Warner Cable, was named vice chairman.

"No matter who we are, the campaign enables us to come together and collectively improve lives and community conditions," Campaniano said.

He predicted this to be a good year since the economy is strong.

One of every two people on Oahu has benefited from AUW's programs and services. In the past year they included 7,381 uninsured children who received health care, 2,219 families who needed shelter and 23,721 seniors who received help to live safely and independently.

For more information, call AUW at 536-1951.

---

Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

HONOLULU

Man is arrested in Aala Park stabbing

Police arrested a man suspected of stabbing a male last night at Aala Park.

Police dispatch said the stabbing occurred about 7:25 p.m.

The victim was taken to the Queen's Medical Center in critical condition. No further details were available at press time.

Police arrest suspect in Ala Moana assaults

Police arrested a 42-year-old man for allegedly assaulting a woman twice last weekend at Ala Moana Beach Park.

He stabbed the victim, 40, in her forearm on Saturday and hit her in the head with a chair on Sunday, police said. He was arrested Sunday for investigation of two counts of second-degree assault.

Female inmate allegedly hits guard

A 31-year-old female inmate at the Oahu Community Correctional Center is facing second-degree assault charges after allegedly hitting a female guard on the face late Friday.

Police said the incident happened about 11:45 p.m., when the guard asked the inmate to put on a shirt because a male guard was coming on duty. The inmate allegedly refused and then grabbed the guard by the arm and hair, shook her and hit her on the side of the face.

WAIKIKI

Suspect allegedly used BB gun to threaten

Police arrested a 19-year-old man for allegedly threatening another man with a BB pistol.

The incident happened about 11:17 p.m. Friday when the victim and several other men were chasing the suspect after an argument in Waikiki, police said. The suspect pulled out a pistol and threatened a 21-year-old man in front of the Waikiki Police Station.

A police officer leaving the station took the weapon from the suspect and determined it was a BB gun, then arrested him for investigation of second-degree terroristic threatening.

LEEWARD OAHU

Blaze destroys Waipahu apartment

A fire that started in an electrical outlet destroyed a Waipahu apartment unit early yesterday, according to fire investigators.

The fire began at 1:24 a.m. at 94-115 Pupukahi St., Unit 4, Honolulu Fire Department officials said. One of the adults woke up when he felt the heat from the fire in his bedroom. He alerted his family, including three children under the age of 10, and evacuated.

"They were pretty lucky he woke up," HFD spokesman Capt. Kenison Tejada said. "They didn't have any smoke detectors that we could find."

The fire caused an estimated $150,000 damage to the building and its contents, and damaged an apartment below, displacing the family living there. The Red Cross provided services to both families.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Big Island drowning victim is identified

Big Island police identified a 52-year-old man yesterday who drowned Saturday in North Kohala as Frederick Wideman of Soldier's Grove, Wis.

Wideman was reportedly overcome by waves and a strong current in waters off Pololu Valley. Bystanders helped him to shore and performed CPR until fire personnel arrived.

Wideman was taken to Kona Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:19 p.m. An autopsy is pending.