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Newswatch
Star-Bulletin staff and wire service
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FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COMA water main break on Kapiolani Boulevard near Ward Avenue closed all three Diamond Head-bound lanes on Kapiolani Boulevard yesterday while crews made repairs. CLICK FOR LARGE |
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Break of 12-inch water main backs up traffic on Kapiolani
A water main break slowed Waikiki-bound evening rush-hour traffic yesterday afternoon on Kapiolani Boulevard between Ward Avenue and Kamakee Street.
The break in a 12-inch line was Ewa of ongoing work to replace water and sewer lines underneath Kapiolani Boulevard, said Su Shin, spokeswoman for the Honolulu Board of Water Supply.
The $29.2 million project began in late 2006 and includes the replacement and rehabilitation of existing water and sewer mains along Kapiolani Boulevard, portions of Kamakee Street and Atkinson Drive; a new sewer force main on Kalakaua Avenue; and new curb ramps at key intersections for wheelchair accessibility.
Between January 2005 and February 2006, there were six water main breaks in the area, emphasizing the need for the project.
Tests pending in Ho-Henry death
The city Medical Examiner's Office has deferred a determination on the cause of death of Dayna Ho-Henry, who was found unresponsive Friday in a friend's Waialua home, pending tests.
Emergency medical personnel pronounced the 52-year-old daughter of the late Don Ho dead at the Kanoena Street house.
Foul play is not suspected, and police have classified the case as an unattended death.
The type of tests ordered by the Medical Examiner's Office was not available.
City is lauded for water projects
Officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency praised the city yesterday for its "efficient and effective use" of $28 million for five projects to improve Oahu's drinking water supply.
Mayor Mufi Hannemann and Board of Water Supply Chief Engineer Clifford Lum accepted the EPA's "Aquarius Award" in a brief ceremony at Honolulu Hale.
"The water we drink in Honolulu is the best in the nation, in our humble opinion," Hannemann said.
The mayor acknowledged disagreement between the city and the EPA over sewage treatment standards but said the award "proves we can work well together."
Projects funded by the $28 million loan from the EPA were new water wells and water treatment facilities to remove agricultural chemicals from ground-water supplies in Waimanalo, Ewa, Kunia, Ewa Beach and Wahiawa, said Su Shin, Honolulu Board of Water Supply spokeswoman.
Most of the projects were begun in 2005 and are to be completed by the end of this year, Shin said.
Concert to close Diamond Head
Diamond Head State Monument will be closed to the public all day Saturday during the Diamond Head Crater Celebration.
The monument will reopen with its regular hours, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Sunday, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources announced.
Tickets to the outdoor concert include remote parking and a shuttle into the crater, to minimize impact on it and the neighborhood, the department said in its release.
Tickets on the day of the event are available from the Waikiki Shell Box Office beginning at 9 a.m.
For more information about the Diamond Head Crater Celebration, see www.CraterCelebration.com.
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Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff
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[ THE COURTS ]
Suspect indicted in beach slaying
A Nanakuli man accused of fatally "false-cracking" a North Carolina man at a Nanakuli beach last month pleaded not guilty yesterday in Circuit Court.
Less Schnabel Jr., 21, was indicted with reckless manslaughter for causing the death of Christopher Reuther, 34, by striking him in the back of the neck on April 22.
Reuther, who had been accepted for enrollment at the University of Hawaii law school, had gone to a luau and ended up camping at Zablan Beach Park in Nanakuli.
He was taking photos when Schnabel apparently got upset and struck him.
Schnabel is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail. He was also charged with entering Reuther's car afterward and taking a bag.
Not-guilty plea in church theft
A 23-year-old woman accused of attempting to snatch a purse during funeral services at a Manoa church in March pleaded not guilty yesterday in Circuit Court.
Kellyn Cabral was charged with second-degree robbery and second-degree burglary in the March 3 incident at St. Pius X.
The robbery charge stems from her alleged use of force against the church members who detained her until police arrived. The burglary charge accuses her of stealing mail from a church room.
The incident was one of eight thefts reported at churches in East Honolulu from February to March, prompting church leaders to remind members to be cautious about their belongings.
Sex solicitation suspect indicted
A Kapolei man accused of soliciting sex online from a girl he believed to be 14 years old pleaded not guilty yesterday in Circuit Court.
Daryl Godfrey Lee, 54, was arrested May 1 when he showed up at Kakaako Waterfront Park where he allegedly had arranged to meet the girl. He was charged with first-degree electronic enticement. He allegedly indicated he wanted to have sex with the girl while her parents were away.
[ POLICE / FIRE ]
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Electrical fire starts inside wall
An electrical short circuit in an upstairs bathroom caused a house fire in Captain Cook that took firefighters about 30 minutes to put out Sunday night.
Firefighters said the blaze started inside a bathroom wall and spread to the lower floor of a two-story, four-bedroom home at 86-4465 Highway 11. The first engine was at the scene by 9:26 p.m., and the fire was out by 10 p.m.
Firefighters opened the walls and ceiling to put out the fire. No one was injured. Damage was estimated at $25,000.
Brush fire's origin is 'suspicious'
Hawaii County firefighters extinguished a small brush fire Sunday afternoon behind a retirement community in Kailua-Kona.
Firefighters said they noticed several juveniles leaving the area as they arrived at 12:41 p.m. An hour later they had extinguished the brush fire, which totaled 1.5 acres in a flood containment area and pastureland behind the Regency at Hualalai.
The cause of the fire is unknown, but firefighters said it had a "suspicious origin."
Homeowner finds 'ice' ingredients
WAILUA, Kauai » A man who recently purchased a home in Wailua Homesteads contacted Kauai police to report he had found chemicals used to make crystal methamphetamine.
The man called police May 11 to tell them he had found the chemicals in his pool room.
Responding Kauai fire and police officials concluded that methamphetamine might have been manufactured there or that the room could have been used for storage.
After determining that the chemicals were not volatile, the team collected the chemicals and equipment and removed them from the home.
Police have no suspects and are continuing their investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 241-1887.
HONOLULU
Inmate on furlough missing
Police are looking for a 30-year-old inmate who did not return to the Oahu Community Correctional Center during a mandatory check-in at 4 p.m. Sunday.
The man is on resocialization furlough, meaning he was allowed to leave OCCC and had to return at certain times. Police did not release more information on the man, wanted for second-degree escape.