Navy test nails 1 of 2 missiles

U.S. Navy officials say one of two short-range ballistic missiles shot from a military facility in Hawaii in a defense system test was hit by an interceptor missile fired from a Navy ship.

Vice Adm. Samuel J. Locklear says Saturday's trial marked the first time that the Navy—rather than the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency—oversaw the firing of a so-called Standard Missile-3 interceptor against a ballistic missile target.

The San Diego-based U.S. Third Fleet had command and control of the mission, in which two target missiles were fired from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai island.

An SM-3 fired from the USS Paul Hamilton, a destroyer based at Pearl Harbor, directly hit the first target missile. Another ship, the USS Hopper, another Pearl destroyer, failed to intercept the second target missile that was fired.

Inouye stumps for guilty Stevens

JUNEAU, Alaska » Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye provided a campaign boost Saturday to embattled Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, predicting that his colleague from Alaska will win re-election and overturn his conviction on appeal.

“;I am absolutely confident that Ted Stevens will be sworn into the Senate while he appeals this unjust verdict,”; said Inouye, a longtime friend of Stevens'. “;I am certain that this decision in Washington, D.C., will be overturned on appeal.”;

Stevens was convicted last month by a jury in Washington on seven counts of lying on Senate disclosure forms to conceal more than $250,000 in gifts and renovations to his home from VECO Corp. founder Bill Allen.

Inouye's written statement was issued at the request of the Stevens campaign—an unusual case of a Democratic senator campaigning against a Democratic Senate candidate. It seeks to counter Stevens' Democratic opponent, Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, who says Stevens can't effectively represent the state while pursuing an appeal.

In a statement Saturday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid noted that GOP leaders including presidential candidate John McCain and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell have said Stevens should step down.

“;While I respect the opinion of Senator Daniel Inouye, the reality is that a convicted felon is not going to be able to serve in the United States Senate,”; Reid said. “;And as precedent shows us, Senator Stevens will face an ethics committee investigation and expulsion, regardless of his appeals process.”;

Fujino appointed to judgeship

Chief Justice Ronald Moon has appointed Melvin H. Fujino to the new district family court judgeship on the Big Island for the Hamakua and North/South Kohala Districts.

The appointment is subject to state senate confirmation. The state Legislature appropriated money for the new judgeship earlier this year.

Fujino is a deputy attorney general with the state Department of the Attorney General. Prior to that he was a supervising deputy prosecutor with the Hawaii County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

Fujino is a Kona native. He received his law degree from the Gonzaga School of Law in Spokane, Wash., in 1985.

Bishop Museum to sell rare books

A sale of rare and out-of-print books and publications will be held at Bishop Museum from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

“;By making these many rare and out-of-print books available at below market cost, we think that the community is able to support the museum's mission while also benefiting themselves,”; said librarian Matthew Yim.

The sale includes some publications dating to the 1800s as well as out-of-print memoirs from the Bishop Museum Library and Archives, which preserves published and unpublished research materials.

Funds raised will benefit the nonprofit museum, which focuses on the cultures and natural history of Hawaii and the Pacific. Last year, the museum bought a micro-form reader with money raised at its book sales.

For more information about Bishop Museum's library and archives, visit www.bishopmuseum.org or call 848-4148.