Hawai'i briefs
Advertiser Staff
Former guard gets 5 years probation
Former state prison guard Richard Doolin was sentenced yesterday by Circuit Judge Richard Perkins to five years probation after pleading guilty in November to charges of possession of a prohibited drug and drug paraphernalia.
Doolin received a $317,000 settlement from the city after he filed a lawsuit claiming that Honolulu police officers violated his civil rights in 1995 when they beat him in a cellblock at the main police station, located on Beretania Street at the time.
Doolin had been arrested for allegedly violating a temporary restraining order by telephoning his ex-wife. He suffered multiple injuries in the cellblock beating. Six Honolulu police officers who participated in the beating or helped cover it up were convicted in federal court of violating Doolin's civil rights.
Most of the police officers received prison sentences of 12 to 30 months.
Aloha United Way surpasses goal
After a slow start, Aloha United Way exceeded its 2001 fund-raising goal by $700,000.
A campaign goal of $13.6 million was set in August for the annual charity drive. Donations dropped and the campaign was in danger of missing its goal by $1.7 million in mid-October, according to the AUW.
After the Sept. 11 attacks and threats of higher levels of unemployment, AUW issued a renewed appeal for donations. The community responded with donations totaling $14.3 million.
AUW raised an additional $5.2 million for the Hawai'i Combined Federal Campaign, which consists of contributions from military and federal employees.
With the two campaigns combined, AUW set a record in its 85-year history of fund raising. Fund-raising drives continue on the Neighbor Islands.
For information on how to help Aloha United Way, call 536-1951.
Bainum quashes talk about pullout
City Councilman Duke Bainum yesterday reiterated his plan to run for mayor, dismissing recent speculation that he would pull out of the race.
Bainum acknowledged that he did re-examine his political plans when the state Campaign Spending Commission investigation into Mayor Jeremy Harris' campaign finances raised questions about whether Harris would pull out of the governor's race and remain as mayor.
But Harris has said he will stay in the governor's race, and Bainum said his supporters urged him to remain a mayoral candidate.
"I spent many days talking with key campaign staff and volunteers and was heartened by their encouragement," Bainum said yesterday at a news conference at his campaign headquarters.
Bainum said he was confident he can raise enough money for his campaign, but said he and his family are ready to commit their own money to the race.
Other candidates for Honolulu mayor are Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono, former City Council member Mufi Hannemann and former Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro.
Big Island sewage spills into ocean
PEPE'EKEO, Hawai'i — An estimated 90,000 gallons of partially treated sewage from the Kula'imano plant north of Hilo went into the ocean during a 15 1/2-hour accidental release by the Hawai'i County facility.
The release started around 8:30 p.m. Thursday but was not detected until yesterday, wastewater chief Peter Boucher said.
The outfall area is accessible only by boat, and the water will be tested periodically to determine the level of pollution, he said.
Engineer David Yamamoto said the alarm system at the unstaffed plant apparently malfunctioned when the disinfection phase, the last step of sewage treatment, failed.
The plant was designed to treat 500,000 gallons of sewage a day but handles only about 140,000 gallons, said Yamamoto.
He said offshore water samples will be taken today. Yamamoto's staff suspects that the spill may have already been dissipated because of strong wave action yesterday.
Illegal dumping kills Puna papaya
KEA'AU, Hawai'i — Hundreds of gallons of cooking oil have been dumped on a papaya orchard in Puna, police revealed yesterday.
The waste material, which also includes oil filters, is killing papaya trees, according to community policing officer Robert Almeida, who said it is a felony as well as a violation of federal law to dispose of oil anywhere other than at an approved site.
The oil is being dropped near Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut fields near the Hilo-Puna boundary.
Information about who is doing the dumping can be reported to Almeida at (808) 966-5835 or the Hilo CrimeStoppers Hawai'i line at (808) 961-8300. The latter line is confidential and does use a caller identification process, police said.
