Duckworth is Memorial Day speaker

Assistant Department of Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth, a 1985 McKinley High School and University of Hawaii graduate, will be the guest speaker Monday at the state's Memorial Day observance.

Also attending the 1 p.m. ceremony at the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery in Kaneohe will be Lt. Gov. James “;Duke”; Aiona, Maj. Gen. Robert G.F. Lee and representatives of local veterans groups.

Duckworth was recently confirmed by the U.S. Senate and previously was director of the Illinois State Department of Veterans Affairs.

She lost her legs when the UH-60 helicopter she was piloting was shot down in Iraq.

Duckworth will also be a guest at the Memorial Day ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann will deliver the keynote address at the event, which also will be attended by U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka; U.S. Reps. Neil Abercrombie and Mazie Hirono; Adm. Timothy Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command; and Hawaii Adjutant General Robert Lee.

The public is invited. Parking is limited.

Judge rejects release of accused pimp

A 27-year-old Kapalama man who allegedly forced a 24-year-old woman into prostitution was denied supervised release yesterday by Circuit Judge Randal Lee.

Joseph Faauga Vaimili was charged in March with kidnapping, first-degree terroristic threatening, first-degree promotion of prostitution and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

The victim was found at a Honolulu massage parlor during a human-trafficking investigation. She told law enforcement that Vaimili was her pimp, and he allegedly coerced her into prostitution from Feb. 18 to March 3.

He is being held at the Oahu Community Correctional Center in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Neighbor island watch

KAPAA » Water will be shut off in Kapaa from 9 p.m. May 28 to 4 a.m. May 29 so crews can install a connecting pipeline for a 500,000-gallon water tank. Neighborhoods affected are Keapana, Kapahi, Kapaa Homesteads, area schools and Mahelona Hospital. Kauai County advises residents to store water to meet needs during the shutoff.

KAILUA-KONA » Government officials will conduct a free workshop to explain how the Big Island can benefit from the federal stimulus act. The question-and-answer session will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Old Airport Pavilion in Kailua-Kona. RSVP by today by calling 961-8366.

KIHEI » Maui County reported two sewage spills in Kihei. Nearly 4,000 gallons of semitreated sewage spilled at the Kihei Wastewater Reclamation Facility at about 6 a.m. Sunday and flowed into a storm drain on Welakahao Road. A pump failure was to blame, the county said. At 7 p.m. Friday about 52 gallons of waste water overflowed a manhole on Alena Place and entered a storm drain. The overflow was blamed on grease in the mainline. Both sites were disinfected and no sewage reached the ocean, the county said.