Newswatch Star-Bulletin staff and wire service

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Talk focuses on the study of asteroids and comets

The investigation of comets and asteroids with CSI-type techniques will be discussed in a free public lecture at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy, 2680 Woodlawn Drive.

William Bottke Jr., section manager of the planetary science group at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colo., will give the Frontiers of Astronomy Community Lecture.

His topic is "CSI Solar System: Using Computer Models to Investigate the Nature of Comets and Asteroids."

He will explain how scientists use orbits, sizes, shapes and composition of comets and asteroids and numerical models to learn how planets have evolved over the last 4.6 million years, just as detectives use bone chips and splattered blood to investigate a killing.

3 Satellite City Halls cut hours

Satellite city halls at Ala Moana, Pearlridge and Windward Mall will be closing two hours earlier on Wednesdays.

Those offices close at 9 p.m., but city officials are changing that. They said people in line at 6:45 p.m. will be served. The action comes after a survey showed that 83 percent of the walk-in traffic at the three offices comes before 7 p.m. Also, driver's license renewals and duplicates will not be available on July 8 at the Windward Mall and Hawaii Kai satellite.

Kauai missile test postponed until today

The anti-ballistic missile test scheduled for yesterday was postponed when a small boat came through the target range area off Kauai's west side, officials said yesterday.

The test, to include a Japanese destroyer for the first time, will be held today, said Chris Taylor, a Missile Defense Agency spokesman.

Taylor said two vessels entered the range area, and one was unable to get out in time.

The San Diego-based cruiser USS Shiloh will fire a Standard Missile 3 and try to intercept midcourse a drone missile fired from the Pacific Missile Range Facility. Six of seven previous tests, involving the USS Lake Erie, have been successful.

Ka Loko investigator finalists to be named

A legislative panel interviewing candidates to be special deputy attorney general to investigate the Ka Loko Dam breach is scheduled to name five finalists today.

The list is to be presented to Attorney General Mark Bennett, who will make the final selection.

No determination has been made on what caused the century-old earthen dam to breach on March 14, killing seven people. A resolution calling for a special deputy was passed this year by the Legislature.

Concerns arose about the state attorney general's office investigating other state agencies that could be found liable.

Others questioned Bennett's ties to William McCorriston, the attorney representing Ka Loko landowner James Pflueger. Bennett and McCorriston are former law partners.

Thirty-six attorneys from Hawaii and the mainland applied for the position. The panel pared the list to nine finalists, who were interviewed during the past two weeks.

Pre-kindergarten program available

Keiki Steps to Kindergarten is accepting students for its free summer learning program to help children ages 4 and 5 adjust to a school setting.

The classes will be held from 8 to 11 a.m. weekdays about three weeks before the new public school year starts on Oahu, the Big Island, Molokai and Kauai, according to a release.

Now in its third Year, Keiki Steps is a project of INPEACE, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for native Hawaiians.

Elementary schools on Oahu that will offer the pre-kindergarten program include:

For information about Oahu schools, contact Michelle Mahuka at 620-9043. For a list of participating Big Island schools, call Lilinoe Young at 808-959-2778; for Molokai and Kauai schools, call Marci Sarsona at 808-690-8097.

3 in Hawaii among 100 Toyota scholars

Evan Alicuben of Waiakea High School in Hilo, Xiaomeng Hu of Moanalua High School and Mary Rose Lansangan of Aiea High School on Oahu were recently named Toyota Community Scholars. They were among 100 high school seniors nationwide who won scholarships, valued at $10,000 or $20,000, from Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc.

» Paul Wallace Fai of Waipahu High School was awarded a Gates Millennium Scholarship, the Gustav Hannemann Leadership Award (named after Mayor Mufi Hannemann's father), the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Scholarship and several others. He will attend the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif., and plans to major in sports medicine.

» Thomas Hussey, associate professor of automotive technology at Maui Community College, has received the 2006 Masaki and Momoe Kunimoto Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution to Vocational Education.

» The Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union on the Big Island awarded its 2006 scholarships of $2,500 to five seniors: Bria Lani Callaway of Kealakehe High School, Katrina Chong of Hilo High School, Kealani Gangwes of Kau High School, Ayumi Maltby of Pahoa High School and Sheena Tagalicod of Kamehameha Schools.

Receiving $1,000 scholarships were Rachel Addlesberger of Konawaena High School and Leinani Yamamoto of Kohala High School.

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Police, Fire, Courts Star-Bulletin staff

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WINDWARD OAHU

Police seek suspect in Kaneohe robbery

Police want help in identifying a man in his 40s who allegedly robbed a Kaneohe bank Thursday.

Police said the man entered the Windward City branch of American Savings Bank at 45-480 Kaneohe Bay Drive at about 4:20 p.m.

He then passed a demand note to a teller and fled toward the parking lot, police said.

The man is described as 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 180 pounds, with a tan complexion. He was described as wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt, blue denim pants, black sunglasses and a dark waist bag.

Anyone with information on the suspect is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on a cell phone.

HONOLULU

Woman held in theft of cigarette display

Police arrested a 28-year-old homeless woman who allegedly tried to take a cigarette display with cigarettes from a convenience store in Kalihi.

Police said the woman entered the Fastop in Kalihi at about 10:30 a.m. yesterday and removed the display and cigarettes.

The store manager confronted the woman and tried to remove the display from her hands. After the two struggled briefly, the manager allowed her to leave with the display and cigarettes to prevent the matter from escalating, police said.

Police arrested the woman on suspicion of second-degree robbery.

2 boys held in Kalihi beating and robbery

Police arrested two 15-year-old boys who allegedly beat a man, then robbed him Tuesday night in Kalihi.

Police said the boys, who are members of a documented gang, confronted the man, 21, at about 8:30 p.m., beat him, then stole his wallet.

Witnesses identified the suspects, and police arrested them for investigation of second-degree robbery. Police did get the wallet back.

Traffic fatality ID'd as Ewa Beach man

The Medical Examiner's Office identified a 22-year-old man who died Sunday in a collision in McCully as Donald Tessier of Ewa Beach.

Police said Tessier was one of seven people riding in the back of a pickup truck that ran a red light and collided with another vehicle at the intersection of McCully and King streets at about 12:35 a.m.

Tessier was thrown from the truck, police said.

Tessier was taken by ambulance to the Queen's Medical Center, where he later died.

LEEWARD OAHU

Waianae man, 30, is ATV crash victim

The Medical Examiner's Office identified a 30-year-old man who died Friday after his all-terrain vehicle collided with a car as Richard Matautia of Waianae.

Matautia was ejected from the ATV late Friday night after colliding with a car making a left turn into the Waianae Boat Harbor, police said.

He was taken in extremely critical condition to the Queen's Medical Center, where he later died.