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Auto salvager fined for health hazards

An auto-salvaging company faces a $137,750 fine for five alleged violations, including storing hazardous waste without a permit, the state Department of Health said.

Abe's Auto Recyclers Inc. of Pearl City also allegedly failed to manage hazardous waste properly, didn't label oil containers and didn't follow state rules on managing and containing hazardous substances.

The state visited the company's site in 2003 and has conducted several subsequent visits.

In addition to the fine, Abe's has been ordered to comply with state hazardous waste rules. A company representative could not be reached for comment.

State seeks reports from cleanup firm

The state Department of Health has filed a complaint against Nexus Hazwaste Services Inc. for failing to provide information on hazardous waste disposal.

The state has fined the company $12,750.

The company failed to respond to four requests for information between May 2004 and February 2005, the state says. Nexus handles marine oil spill cleanups and hazardous waste sampling.

The company could not be reached for comment last night. Its phone numbers had been disconnected.

In addition to the fine, the company must provide information to the state within 20 days.

Roadwork to slow Farrington traffic

Crews will be installing concrete barriers along Farrington Highway starting Monday, and drivers should expect delays.

Between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday to Friday, one lane of the highway will be closed in both directions between Hakimo and Kaukama roads.

Crews will start installing the barriers in the median in Nanakuli and work their way to Maili.

Also during the week, one right lane Nanakuli-bound will be closed between Kauiokalani Place and Ala Hema Street from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Crews will be doing preparation work to install lighting, the state Department of Transportation said.

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» John Ha of Honolulu was presented with the Thomas A. Grennan Award by the Department of History at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb.

» Hawaii Pacific University gave Gordon J. Bruce, who earned an M.B.A. in the class of 2000, its Young Alumni Award; Bob Marchant, M.B.A. in the class of 1998, the Professional Achievement Award; and Song Choi, B.S.B.A. in 2001 and M.B.A. in 2004, the Alumni Service Award.

» The Mamoru & Aiko Takitani Foundation has awarded 57 scholarships to outstanding seniors at every qualifying high school in Hawaii. Distinguished Student Awards of $10,000 each were given to Sze Ho Wong of Punahou and Alice T.N. Thieu of Sacred Hearts Academy. Brittany Peterson of Hilo High School received the Outstanding Student Award of $5,000. Those who received $2,000 scholarships were Hezhi Gan of Roosevelt High School, Grace Kwan of Aiea High School, Nikita Mendonca of Nanakuli High School, Krystle Corpuz of Kahuku High School, Lori A. Scognamillo of King Kekaulike High School on Maui, Kelcie Ann S. Kawamura of Kauai High School, and Marisa T. Kirio of Iolani School.

Forty-seven students were awarded $1,000.

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Police, Fire, Courts



By Star-Bulletin staff

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Teen killed, 2 injured in Kailua-Kona crash

KAILUA-KONA » A 16-year-old boy was killed in a two-car crash outside Kealakehe High School about 2:43 p.m. yesterday, police said. The boy's name was not immediately released.

Four other people were involved in the crash, police said. They included another boy, 16, the driver of the vehicle in which the other boy was killed, and a 19-year-old man driving the second car.

Preliminary information indicated neither was injured, but both drivers were taken to Kona Community Hospital to provide blood samples, as required by law in a fatal accident.

Two passengers were injured in the crash, a boy of unknown age in the first car and a 19-year-old woman in the second car. Their condition was not immediately released.

Police said they received conflicting statements about how the crash occurred, and it remained under investigation. Weather was not a factor, they said.

Hawaii County Civil Defense issued a radio traffic advisory for motorists to avoid the location on Kealakehe Parkway at the entrance to the high school.

One lane of the street was closed throughout the afternoon and not expected to reopen before 10 p.m., civil defense officials said.

Kauai boy, 14, missing since Wednesday

Kauai police are searching for a missing 14-year-old Waimea High School student.

Police said James Fu was dropped off at school Wednesday and has not returned home. He is described as 5 feet 9 inches tall, 163 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Fu is of Chinese, Hawaiian and Japanese descent. He was last seen wearing denim shorts and a Waimea High School T-shirt.

Anyone with information is urged to call police at 241-1711, 241-1696 or CrimeStoppers at 241-1887.

HONOLULU
2 Molotov cocktails found at Kalihi home

Police were investigating the discovery of two Molotov cocktails outside a Kalihi home early Thursday.

A 53-year-old man told police that he heard a loud crash coming from his driveway at about 2:20 a.m.

When he went to check on the noise, he found a Molotov cocktail shattered against the back of his car, police said. The explosive did not ignite. The man found a second Molotov cocktail burning in the driveway. The bottle did not shatter.

The man put out the fire and called police. The case is classified as first-degree criminal property damage.

LEEWARD OAHU
Driver of overturned rig arrested for DUI

The driver of the tractor-trailer that overturned Thursday on the H-1 freeway was arrested for drunken driving, police said.

The driver was arrested at the scene about two hours after the 3:45 p.m. accident, police said.

The tractor-trailer was pulling a 1,600-gallon tanker of waste oil when it overturned in the westbound lanes of the H-1 near the Kunia onramp, causing a major traffic jam at rush hour.

Unitek, owner of the tractor-trailer, a fire hazardous materials team and an engine company worked to clean up the 25 gallons of diesel oil that spilled and the 25 to 50 gallons of waste oil that leaked onto the roadway.

Police shut down the freeway for about three hours.

Pedestrian law leads to auto theft arrest

Police arrested a woman in an auto theft case after they pulled her over for allegedly not stopping for pedestrians in a crosswalk.

Police said officers saw the woman, 33, violate the pedestrian safety law at about 9:05 a.m. Wednesday at the intersection of Farrington Highway and Leoku Street in Waipahu.

Once she was pulled over, police learned that the car had been stolen from a car rental company. Police arrested the woman for investigation of auto theft.

Boy, 13, arrested for sex assault of 2 girls

Police arrested a 13-year-old boy for allegedly sexually assaulting two girls, ages 14 and 13.

Police said the incidents happened at about 5:30 p.m. on July 30 in the Waipahu area. The boy was arrested for investigation of first-degree sexual assault and third-degree sexual assault.

He was later released pending investigation.

EAST OAHU
2 females threatened by knife-wielding man

Police are looking for a man who allegedly threatened to sexually assault two females who had just gotten off a bus in Hawaii Kai.

Police said that the females got off the bus along Kalanianaole Highway about 8 p.m. Aug. 5 and started walking mauka over a bridge along Hawaii Kai Drive.

A man walking in the opposite direction approached one of the females and grabbed her buttocks, police said.

He brandished a knife and threatened to assault the females, police said.

The females ran and called for help, police said.

The suspect is described as in his 20s to 30s, 5 feet 8 inches tall, about 180 pounds, with short, dark hair and a medium complexion. He was wearing a dark T-shirt and shorts.

Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300.