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» Police, Fire, Courts

Unclaimed property tops $140M

The state returned nearly $6 million to 9,748 people and businesses last year, but it still holds more than $140 million in abandoned or unclaimed property.

People can conduct a free online search at www.unclaimedproperty.hawaii.gov, according to the Department of Budget and Finance. For information call the Unclaimed Property Program at 586-1589.

The state holds dormant savings and checking accounts, unclaimed inheritances, uncashed payroll checks, shares of stock and deposits held by utilities, insurance and medical refunds.

An advanced computer database search service that helps the Department of Budget and Finance staff verify a claimant's right to unclaimed cash led to the record amount of returns during the fiscal year that ended June 30, according to a news release.

Over the past six years, 39,393 claimants have collected $24.6 million.

Foundation funds UH research

University of Hawaii-Manoa oceanographer David Karl has received a $3.79 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to expand research on the ocean's microorganisms.

It is his second grant from that foundation, established in 2000 to advance environmental conservation and scientific research. He received $3.15 million in 2004 as one of seven Marine Microbiology Senior Investigators selected for outstanding contributions to marine microbial ecology.

The Moore Foundation funded senior investigators as part of a 10-year, $145 million Marine Microbiology Initiative.

Karl founded and directs the Center for Microbial Oceanography Research and Education in the UH School of Ocean & Earth Science & Technology.

Expressing gratitude for the foundation's continued support of UH ocean research, Karl said in a news release, "I have some new ideas that I would like to pursue and the best support team in the world to make this happen. We are all very excited to be part of this important initiative."

McDonald's to install defibrillator

About a month after installing the first automated external defibrillator in a Hawaii McDonald's restaurant, owner Glenn Waki will install another AED at his restaurant in Kahala tomorrow.

"We now have the tools available to save the lives of cardiac arrest victims, but that is not enough. More citizens need to learn the skills of CPR and how to use the AEDs located in public areas," AED Institute President Pamela Foster said.

In honor of cardiac arrest survivor Edwin Kondo, an AED was mounted on a wall in the Aina Haina McDonald's on June 25.

During a visit to the Aina Haina McDonald's on Oct. 8, Kondo went into sudden cardiac arrest. Wailupe firefighters arrived and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and restarted Kondo's heart using a defibrillator.

The public is invited to a free CPR class and AED training course. The Community CPR Awareness Group is sponsoring the event at the Kahala Mall McDonald's tomorrow at 9 a.m.

For more information or to register for the CPR class, call 733-1545.

Chaminade gets $6.5M lab grant

Chaminade University is getting $6.5 million in two federal grants to upgrade and expand math and science laboratories and help start a nursing program at the private school.

Chaminade is receiving the funds from the U.S. Department of Education's Title III Discretionary Grants for being a school that serves native Hawaiians, school officials announced last week.

The first grant of $4 million will go to the school's Natural Sciences and Mathematics Division project, which includes building infrastructure for faculty and student biomedical research, renovating instructional and research laboratories, and purchasing instruments.

A separate $2.5 million grant will help develop a nursing program at Chaminade, which plans to accept students to a new Bachelor's of Science degree in nursing in 2010.




Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff



HONOLULU

5-car pileup slows traffic flow on H-1

A five-car pileup slowed traffic on the H-1 freeway for about two hours yesterday, authorities said. Nine people were hurt, none critically.

The accident occurred at about 4:30 p.m. on the eastbound H-1 before the Pearl City offramp and closed three lanes.

Firefighters extricated one person from a compact car that overturned with four people inside, said Honolulu fire Capt. Robert Main.

Nine patients were treated, and five were taken by ambulance to a local hospital, Main said. The others were released at the scene.

One of the five patients taken to the hospital was a child who had been riding in a booster seat in the overturned car, Main said. The child was in good condition and taken to the hospital as a precaution, he said.

It was a reminder that booster seats can protect children if properly installed, Main said.

Police reopened the lanes at about 6:30 p.m.

Kaimuki break-in leads to arrest

Police arrested a 32-year-old man who allegedly broke into a 34-year-old woman's Kaimuki home and held her against her will in Honolulu on Saturday.

The man threatened the woman after entering her house at about 2 p.m. and did not let her leave, police said.

The woman escaped and ran to a neighbor's house to call the police.

Police found the man and arrested him on suspicion of first-degree burglary, kidnapping and second-degree terroristic threatening.

WAIKIKI

Man allegedly hits woman to get bag

Police arrested a 52-year-old Waikiki man on Saturday who allegedly tried to rob a 54-year-old woman of her shoulder bag in Waikiki.

The man hit the woman several times, then grabbed her shoulder bag at about 2:45 p.m., police said.

The man tried to flee with the bag, which was still wrapped around the woman's body, police said. The man allegedly dragged the woman several feet before dropping the bag.

Police arrested the man at Ala Wai Yacht Harbor on suspicion of second-degree robbery.





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