Dead man's father found at Queen's

HILO » A Big Island man wanted as a “;person of interest”; in the shooting death of his son last week has been in critical condition in the Queen's Medical Center since Saturday following a one-car crash, police discovered yesterday.

The son, Hans Christian Randrup, 27, was found Friday afternoon at the base of a sea cliff in MacKenzie State Park, 25 miles southeast of Hilo. Randrup had suffered multiple gunshot wounds, police said.

Police said yesterday that they were looking for Randrup's father, Randall K. Randrup, 60. The father and son lived together in rural Leilani Estates, about five miles from the park, they said.

The father was last seen driving a 1968 Volkswagen van, they said. Detectives learned that the father, driving the Volkswagen, was involved in an accident at 9 a.m. Saturday on Hawaii Belt Road in Captain Cook on the other side of the island from the park. He was taken to the Queen's Medical Center in critical condition.

Police continued to ask the public for any further information about the case. Calls may be made to Detective Rio Amon-Wilkins at 961-2386.

Man detained after in-flight assault

LIHUE » A man was arrested Saturday after allegedly punching two flight attendants on a flight to Kauai, county officials said.

According to Kauai police, Raymond Fessler of Idaho Falls, Idaho, was flying with his wife on the U.S. Airways flight from Phoenix when he stood up and approached the cockpit as the plane was five minutes from landing on Kauai.

He was stopped by flight attendants Sarah Balster and Patricia Allen, whom he allegedly struck in the face and head, police added.

Fessler was subdued by an off-duty pilot assisted by three other male passengers, and flex cuffs were placed on him. He was detained until the plane's arrival and then by Kauai police, county officials added.

Fessler was booked on two counts of second-degree assault but was transferred to federal custody Sunday, police said.

HECO gives tips on helium balloons

With all the ongoing graduation ceremonies and holiday celebrations, Hawaiian Electric Co. is urging the public to hold on tightly to their metallic balloons.

These helium-filled balloons are hazardous when they get loose and become entangled in energized power lines. This can create a short circuit that leads to a power outage, according to HECO, which issued these safety tips:

» Always attach a small weight to the end of the ribbon or string that holds the balloon, like a mug, stuffed animal or heavy toy.

» Each balloon should have its own weight; avoid tying balloons together because there is a greater chance of them rising as cluster.

» Never use metallic ribbons with helium-filled balloons because they can cause a short circuit.

If a metallic balloon is caught in a power line, do not attempt to climb a utility pole or pull the string to recover it. Call HECO's trouble line at 548-7961 to report it.

6 Hawaii school teams going to robotics event

Six Hawaii and three California school teams are advancing to a robotics world championship in Dallas this spring.

The teams qualified at the first competition, which included 800 students from Hawaii, California and Hong Kong.

A team from 'Iolani School and two from the California Academy of Math and Science in Carson, Calif., won the competition.

The student-built robots vied to place objects at the highest elevation in various tasks.

Gov. Linda Lingle, who has a goal of pushing robotics, told the students they will help meet the great challenges of the future.

Other winning teams were Moanalua, Waiakea, Campbell and McKinley high schools, along with Highlands Intermediate, all in Hawaii, and Bellarmine Preparatory Academy of San Jose, Calif.