Newswatch Star-Bulletin staff and wire service

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Gift to help students go abroad

Retired University of Hawaii-Hilo administrator Audrey Furukawa and friends donated $25,000 to establish an endowment that will annually help pay for a UH-Hilo student to spend a semester in another country, UH Foundation and UH-Hilo officials said.

At least $1,500 will be given to a UH-Hilo student next year to participate in a travel-abroad program approved by the UH-Hilo Center for Global Education and Exchange.

The first student will be selected this spring for travel next fall.

To be eligible, the student must be an undergraduate at UH-Hilo with a minimum 3.2 grade-point average who has not studied, traveled or lived abroad for more than one month.

Preference will be given to Hawaii high school graduates.

"I am convinced of the positive impact of global education and wish to make such educational opportunities a reality," Furukawa said in a news release.

Furukawa retired this year as executive assistant to the UH-Hilo chancellor and as director of the Center for Global Education and Exchange, which she established in 2005.

UH-West Oahu gets $2.5M grant

The U.S. Department of Education is giving $2.5 million to the University of Hawaii at West Oahu over the next five years to develop new programs to help first-year students succeed at the university and to increase participation in science, technology, engineering and math, according to a university news release.

UH-West Oahu is developing a First-Year Experience program, which will provide tutoring and other services.

The grant will also help the university with technology in the classroom and developing and promoting new science, technology, engineering and math courses.

Police, Fire, Courts Star-Bulletin staff

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HONOLULU

2 men accused of firearm violation

Police arrested two men, ages 20 and 24, for an alleged firearm violation in connection with an argument earlier this month. Police said officers intervened during an argument at a Honolulu fast-food restaurant parking lot on Aug. 1. An officer saw a man holding a weapon that he placed on the center console of a car, police said. The man then got into the driver's seat and drove away with another man in the car, police said. The officer identified the weapon as a handgun, police said. The suspects were later identified. On Tuesday officers arrested two men, who had outstanding arrest warrants. The officer who reported the Aug. 1 incident identified the men as the same ones who fled the restaurant with the gun, police said. Police arrested both men Tuesday on suspicion of a firearm violation. During the arrest, police allegedly found drugs on one of the men and arrested him on suspicion of a drug violation. That suspect also was found in violation of his bail conditions from a previous case and was arrested again, police said.

Suspects arrested in shop burglary

Police arrested two homeless men, both 43 years old, for allegedly burglarizing a Honolulu eyeglass shop. An officer stopped a speeding vehicle at 1:07 a.m. yesterday. During the stop, other officers were sent to investigate a possible burglary nearby. Police investigating the burglary found the eyeglass shop's window shattered. Police at the scene of the traffic stop noticed a revolving display case was inside the vehicle. The person who reported the burglary went to the traffic stop and identified the display case and the sunglasses in it as his property stolen from the store, police said. A glass pipe also was in the vehicle, police said. The men were arrested on suspicion of second-degree burglary, driving without a license, drug offenses and five contempt warrants.

Woman stabs man in Kalihi, police say

Police arrested a 24-year-old woman who allegedly assaulted and stabbed a 28-year-old man Tuesday. Police said the two were arguing about their relationship at about 5:10 p.m. in Kalihi when the woman stabbed the man in the forearm with a sharp object. She was later arrested for investigation of second-degree assault.

Man, 18, arrested in threat with gun

Police arrested an 18-year-old man who allegedly threatened to shoot a teenage girl. About 8:30 last night, the suspect became irate with a group of girls when they began to tease him at a Kalihi home, police said. The suspect left and returned with a handgun, and threatened to kill a 16-year-old girl, police said. The suspect was found at his home later and arrested on suspicion of first-degree terroristic threatening.

WINDWARD OAHU

Man accused of wielding machete

Police arrested a 71-year-old man for allegedly threatening two teenage girls with a machete last night. Police said that at about 9:46 p.m., the man was arguing with the girls, ages 16 and 14, on Inoaole Street when he brandished a machete and threatened them, police said. Police arrested the man on suspicion of two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening. The machete was recovered. No one was hurt.

WEST OAHU

Daughter claims attack by father

Police arrested a 51-year-old Waipahu man Tuesday who allegedly choked his daughter.

Police said the daughter, 16, reported to police Sunday that she had been physically abused. She said she had been choked and assaulted, suffering minor injuries.

Police arrested the father for investigation of felony abuse of a family member.

LEEWARD OAHU

Man is arrested in Waianae assault

A tip led to the arrest yesterday of a 32-year-old suspect in a 2007 assault case in Waianae.

On Sept. 11 three men went to a 36-year-old man's Waianae apartment and allegedly assaulted him. Based on an anonymous tip, police arrested the Makaha man at 10:05 a.m. Monday on suspicion of second- degree assault.

The man was released pending further investigation.

Man is arrested in fatal stabbing

Kona police arrested a 60-year-old Kona man Tuesday suspected of fatally stabbing a 57-year-old woman who lived in the same household in a South Kona subdivision.

Police identified the woman yesterday as Victoria Vickers.

An autopsy will be performed today to determine the cause of death.

Vickers and the suspect lived in the same house in Kaohe, South Kona, along with a 61-year-old woman, who was also injured, police said.

Police arrested the man for investigation of murder, and he was being held at the Kona police cellblock last night.

The suspect has not been charged.

The suspect was convicted of abuse of a family or household member on Aug. 28, 2001. He was also found guilty on Nov. 27, 1995, of third-degree assault in Kona; he was fined $100 and received a year of probation.

The 61-year-old woman received minor injuries and was taken to the Kona Hospital, where she was treated and released.

Police continue to investigate the stabbing.

Sobriety checkpoints on the way

Police will be conducting sobriety checkpoints at unannounced times and locations today through Monday for the Statehood Day holiday weekend, a police news release said.

As of Tuesday, 29 people have been killed in traffic crashes on Oahu this year. Five crashes were related to alcohol and speed. During the same period last year, 43 people died in traffic crashes.

The Honolulu Police Department and the state Department of Transportation are continuing to work in partnership with the federal "52/12" sobriety checkpoint program.

In that program, police conduct at least one sobriety checkpoint every week during a 12-month period.

CORRECTION Tuesday, August 19, 2008 Retired University of Hawaii-Hilo administrator Audrey Furukawa and friends donated $25,000 for an endowment that will help UH-Hilo students study abroad. Originally, an item on this page incorrectly left out the friends.