Hawai'i briefs
Advertiser Staff and News Services
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Woman admits starving baby
A Big Island woman initially charged with murdering her infant daughter pleaded guilty yesterday to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
Saraswati Mulder, 24, of Puna, admitted she starved her baby to death. Mulder's daughter, Manjai Mulder, was 10 weeks old when she died Oct. 27, 1999. At the time she weighed six pounds, more than a pound and a half lighter than her birth weight, prosecutors said.
"This is the first nutritional case in the state, there is no precedent for this," Deputy Prosecutor Diane Noda said.
In court, Mulder said she "failed to perceive the severity of illness her daughter was subject to and sought and relied on alternative treatments which disregarded a substantial and unjustifiable risk that her death would occur."
Mulder faces up to a year in prison and 10 years probation when she is sentenced in September.
LEEWARD O'AHU
Mike Gabbard aims for council
Local businessman Mike Gabbard, who gained prominence through his successful drive to pass a state constitutional amendment in 1998 to ban same-sex marriage in Hawai'i, is running for the City Council's Leeward O'ahu seat.
Gabbard, 54, is running for the area that includes 'Ewa, 'Ewa Beach, Kapolei and the Wai'anae Coast.
He said he moved to 'Ewa Beach last year after 12 years living in downtown Honolulu. He filed his nomination papers yesterday at City Hall.
Gabbard said he wants to restore the public's faith in democracy.
He said the economy and traffic safety are important issues, but "I'll decide which issues to focus on when I complete my door-to-door canvassing of voters in my district."
WINDWARD O'AHU
Marines recover fireworks tube
An aluminum cylinder spotted yesterday on a sandbar in Kane'ohe Bay turned out to be fireworks, said spokesman for the Marine Corps Base Hawai'i.
Officials recovered the 3 1/2-inch device near Coconut Island yesterday morning, said 1st Lt. Kent Robbins. He said Fourth of July revelers may have been shooting off the fireworks near or on the sandbar.
Police, Coast Guard, Navy and Marine Corps personnel participated in the recovery, Robbins said.
CENTRAL O'AHU
Voter workshop at Pearl library
A free workshop for first-time voters will be held at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 3 at the Pearl City Public Library.
Jill Umetsu and Willow Cole of the state Office of Elections will conduct the workshop, which will explain how to register to vote and cast ballots.
There will be a voting machine and demonstration ballots to give a hands-on opportunity to potential voters.
The library is at 1138 Waimano Home Road. For more information, call 453-6566.
