Waianae teacher to be remembered

Waianae High School will remember popular math teacher and community leader Michael Anderson during a special memorial at 6 p.m. tomorrow at the school cafeteria. The public is invited.

Anderson died after a hiking accident Friday.

Collections will be taken for a memorial fund in Anderson's name, which will help the family to bring his body home to Maryland.

A scholarship fund is also being planned.

Anderson was a law student at the University of Notre Dame when he was approached to become a teacher in poor neighborhoods three years ago by the nonprofit group Teach for America. He accepted and went to Waianae High, where he established a mock trial club that beat Punahou in 2008.

Anderson was also a Waianae Coast Neighborhood Board mem- ber and headed the economic development committee.

Anderson fell about 200 feet Friday while hiking in Makaha Valley with a friend, who called for help.

Hearing set tomorrow on bill to hike oil tax

The nation's most expensive gas can be found in Hawaii, where lawmakers are considering raising oil taxes even higher to help break the state's addiction to fossil fuels.

An oil tax hike costing consumers 2 or 3 cents more per gallon of gasoline will get consideration tomorrow in House Energy and Agriculture committees. An estimated $30 million raised annually from the tax would go toward Hawaii's ambitious renewable energy plans.

A similar measure passed the Democratic-run Legislature last year but was vetoed by Republican Gov. Linda Lingle. The Legislature did not attempt an override of her veto because of worries the tax would hurt the airline industry.

This year, airlines would be exempted from paying the increase on the per-barrel oil tax increase from 5 cents to $1.05.

Berg enters the race for lieutenant governor

State Rep. Lyla Berg has filed papers to run for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor.

She submitted her candidacy documents to the state Office of Elections yesterday.

Berg has served in the state House of Representatives since 2004, representing the Hahaione Valley and Aina Haina areas.

She says she wants to use the Lieutenant Governor's Office's visibility to achieve education reform.

Berg also says she will seek funding through the state's public campaign funding system and comply with its expenditure limits.

Other Democrats eyeing the post include state Sens. Robert Bunda, Gary Hooser and Norman Sakamoto; state Rep. Jon Riki Karamatsu; and former state party Chairman Brian Schatz.

Grand jury indicts 3 in attempted murder

An 18-year-old woman and two Schofield Barracks soldiers lured a man to Lanakila Health Center in Kalihi last month where they beat and stabbed him, said Vickie Kapp, deputy city prosecutor.

An Oahu grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Hazel K.R. Davis, Ray N. Puga and Ramon A. Alcantara with second-degree attempted murder. Bail for each defendant is $1 million.

Kapp said the three concocted a plan to set up the victim, Jose Abrante. They drove him to the Kalihi health center Jan. 24 where Alcantara punched him, Puga hit him with a hammer and Davis stabbed him in the neck, Kapp said.

An ambulance took Abrante to the Queen's Medical Center in critical condition.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

2 green waste drop-off sites close on Kauai

Kauai County is not accepting green waste at the Hanalei and Kapaa transfer stations until further notice because of safety concerns caused by muddy conditions in the drop-off areas.

In the meantime, residents may drop off their green waste at the Lihue or Hanapepe transfer stations or the Kekaha Landfill.

The green waste drop-off service at the Hanalei and Kapaa transfer stations will resume when conditions improve.

For more information, call the Solid Waste Division at 241-4839.