Meth seller will be sentenced Oct. 13

HILO » A Hilo elementary school teacher accused of trafficking methamphetamine is slated to be sentenced Oct. 13 in Honolulu federal court.

Lynn Dionise pleaded guilty last week to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of using the telephone to conspire to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

The 51-year-old Dionise could receive life in prison and be fined up to $4 million.

Dionise was arrested last year after the Hilo Ice Task Force Unit had an informant buy drugs from her at her condominium. Police say they found the informant's money in the condo, as well as $13,000 in cash and packets containing 6.8 grams of crystal methamphetamine, or “;ice.”;

Before her arrest, Dionise was a special-education teacher at Keaukaha Elementary School.

UH officials to give update on budget

University of Hawaii at Manoa administrators will provide an update on the UH-Manoa budget shortfall at a briefing Wednesday.

The briefing will be in the Hemenway Hall Theatre from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Kathy Cutshaw, vice chancellor for administration, finance and operations, will discuss current and future steps to address the budget shortfall. Also on hand to answer questions will be vice chancellors Reed Dasenbrock, academic affairs, and Francisco Hernandez, students; and Gary Ostrander, research and graduate education.

Matayoshi to receive peace award

Scot Matayoshi, 25, a law student at the University of Hawaii, will be honored with the Peace Day Hawaii Award tomorrow in the state Capitol rotunda.

The public is invited to attend the Peace Day Hawaii 2009 Celebration Ceremony from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., which will feature guest speaker Betty Williams, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

While a Teach for America corps member from 2006 to 2009, Matayoshi began a Peacemakers Club at Nanakuli High and Intermediate School to curb fighting.

Peace Day is held each year on Sept. 21. It is celebrated worldwide, but Hawaii became the first state in the nation in 2007 to officially recognize the occasion, said a release from the state House of Representatives.

For information on the ceremony, call 586-8490.