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McCully librarian wins statewide recognition

Linnel Yamashita, adult reference librarian at McCully-Moiliili Public Library, is the 2005 Employee of the Year for Hawaii's public library system.

Yamashita, a 14-year veteran of the library, was honored for providing outstanding help to both clients and co-workers. She has also served as a mentor for many University of Hawaii library school students and created a training program for interns at her library.

Kailua Public Library won the Team of the Year Award this year, for working creatively to meet the needs of the community.

After state budget restrictions led to a reduction in operating hours in 2003, the Kailua staff decided to stay open two nights a week to serve commuting customers and weekdays for students. Later, employees worked together to boost opening hours to six days a week to help the community. The team also is involved in numerous outreach programs, including a partnership with the Women's Community Correctional Center.

The award recipients were recognized at a Board of Education meeting last Thursday. The board also gave Sustained Superior Performance Awards to librarians Claire Ikehara of the Public Libraries Branch and Geraldine Nishimura of Hilo Public Library.

Monk seal gives birth on Kauai's South Shore

POIPU, Kauai » There's a new celebrity lazing away the day on the sunny beaches outside Kauai's South Shore resorts.

An endangered Hawaiian monk seal known as Seal 310 gave birth early Tuesday morning to a pup on the beach in front of Kiahuna Plantation Resort near Poipu.

The mother and baby have been attracting quite a crowd, and Kauai Marine Conservation coordinator Michele "Mimi" Olry was tasked with creating buffer zones to separate the pup from its two-legged admirers.

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[ TAKING NOTICE ]

» Elizabeth Gustafson, 10, from Mililani, represented Hawaii at the fourth Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Kids' Summit on Conservation. She was selected for her essay on saving the Hawaiian tree snail.

» Kristen Frole and Julie Longworth, graduate students at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, received Fulbright awards to travel abroad for the 2005-2006 academic year. Frole received the grant to go to South Africa to study botany, and Longworth was nominated to receive a grant to Taiwan to study East Asian languages and literature.

» The University of Hawaii at Manoa's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources has honored Kenneth Otagaki as its Outstanding alumnus. For more than six decades, he was an outspoken advocate for agricultural diversification, worked to protect green space and conserve agricultural land. The Hawaii Association for Family and Community Education volunteers also received the 2005 Ka Lei Hano Heritage Award.

» Wainani Dombrowski of Waianae was one of three students to receive the Virginia Collegium Scholar Award at Averett University in Virginia for outstanding performance in the honors program. She is a senior who is majoring in both equestrian studies and global marketing management.

» Troy Hashimoto of King Kekaulike High School on Maui is the state winner of the 2005 AXA Achievement Scholarship program. He was recognized for his leadership in developing the online headquarters for Freedom's Answer, a nonpartisan group that worked to get out the vote in the 2004 election.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

HONOLULU

Boyfriend held in alleged kidnapping

Police arrested a 23-year-old Kalihi man Tuesday who allegedly beat his girlfriend with a wallet chain and then held her hostage.

The victim, 20, said she got into an argument with the suspect about 2 p.m. Monday at their Linapuni Street apartment, and he began to punch and slap her. He then allegedly made her get on her knees and struck her about 30 to 40 times with his wallet chain, according to police.

The victim said she ran out of the room but that her boyfriend chased her down and dragged her back to the apartment, locked all the doors and refused to let her leave. When the suspect finally fell asleep about 11 a.m. Tuesday, the victim managed to get out and call police. The boyfriend was arrested for investigation of kidnapping and abuse.

WINDWARD OAHU

Robbery suspect held after incident with car

Police arrested a robbery suspect who allegedly tried to hit a Kaneohe man with his car after he was caught stealing from the man's garage.

Police said that on July 29 the suspect, a 26-year-old man, was seen by the victim, 49, stealing from his garage. When confronted by the victim, the suspect allegedly tried to hit him with his pickup truck.

The victim somehow ended up on the hood of the truck, police said.

The suspect then drove down the street and finally stopped, allowing the victim to get off the hood. After being identified, he was arrested by police Tuesday for investigation of first-degree robbery.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Arrested man flees while still handcuffed

Police are looking for a male suspect who escaped from the custody of an officer Monday at Ahalenui Beach Park in Puna.

The escapee was identified as Shawn Weeks, 37, of Pahoa.

Weeks had been arrested about 7:55 p.m. for a liquor violation, had been handcuffed and was awaiting transport to the police station when the officer had to help in the arrest of a combative male companion of the suspect. Weeks then fled the area on foot with his hands still cuffed behind his back.

Weeks also has two outstanding warrants for contempt and violations of conditions while being released on bail.

At the time of his arrest, Weeks gave his name as Shawn Kalanai, but he has numerous other aliases, including Sean Jaelager, John Martin, John Paul Weeks, Paul Weeks, Todd Weeks, Shawn Addleman and "Burp."

The suspect is described as 5-foot-9, 160 pounds and having blue eyes, long dirty blond hair worn in dreadlocks, and a beard. He was last seen wearing a dirty brown trench coat.

Anyone who sees Weeks or has knowledge of his whereabouts is asked to call the police non-emergency number at 935-3311. Those who wish to remain anonymous may call CrimeStoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona. All CrimeStoppers information is kept strictly confidential.

Strangulation finding reopens case in Kona

West Hawaii Criminal Investigation Section detectives have reopened an investigation into the death of Dennis Edward Loofbourrow and have reclassified the case from a coroner's inquest to a murder investigation.

On Oct. 28, 2000, Loofbourrow's body was found floating in the ocean off Kaiwi Point in Kailua-Kona, and an autopsy showed that he had died of strangulation.

Daughter is charged in alleged rock attack

Police have charged a 34-year-old Hawaiian Ocean View Estates woman with attempted murder after she allegedly attacked her father with a rock Sunday.

The suspect was identified as Cynthia Lynn Shriver.

On Tuesday, West Hawaii Criminal Investigation Section detectives charged Shriver with second-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault. She is being held in the Kona police cellblock in lieu of $22,000 bail.

Police said Shriver attacked her 82-year-old father with a large rock, striking him in the head and body several times, causing serious bodily injury.

The victim was taken to the Kona Community Hospital, where he was last reported in stable condition.