Hawai'i briefs
Advertiser Staff
HONOLULU
Bank robber's sentence upheld
The Hawai'i Supreme Court yesterday affirmed Albert Batalona's sentence of life in prison without parole for attempted murder of a police officer during a 1999 armed robbery at American Savings Bank's Kahala Branch.
In the unanimous decision, the high court upheld Batalona's convictions on attempted murder, bank robbery and related offenses. One of four masked men who took over the bank, he also was convicted of firing 26 bullets from an automatic rifle at the first police officer who arrived.
Batalona is on trial on a charge of escaping in April from Halawa Correctional Facility, where he was serving the life term.
Chaminade wins $1.78M grant
Chaminade University's diverse mix of students and rising enrollment from low-income families helped the Honolulu college win a $1.78 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education to strengthen its academic, administrative and library information systems.
The grant will be administered over five years.
The money will help Chaminade complete a campus center that also serves as a library. It also will go toward building a campus-wide electronic information system to improve student advising and tracking.
UH school plans open house
The University of Hawai'i at Manoa will hold a free open house this weekend at its School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology.
The event, "Science for a Sustainable Future," will feature demonstrations and highlights of work by students and faculty.
Schools are invited to visit between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. today. The general public can attend between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. tomorrow.
WINDWARD
Kailua bridge walkway closed
The city has closed the mauka walkway on the bridge that spans Kaelepulu Stream at Kailua Beach Park until a corroded metal clamp can be assessed for repair.
The city Department of Facility Maintenance said the decking on the walkway must be removed. A pedestrian walkway remains open on the other side of the road.
NEIGHBOR ISLAND
Kaua'i toughens building law
The Kaua'i County Council has passed a bill to increase the criminal penalty for grading without a permit to a full misdemeanor carrying a maximum penalty of a year in jail.
Mayor Bryan Baptiste is expected to sign the bill into law.
Currently, grading without a permit is a petty misdemeanor, carrying a 30-day jail sentence.
Under the measure passed Wednesday, a developer also could face new civil penalties and fines of $10,000 a day for violations.
Free mental health screening tomorrow
The Rehabilitation Association of Hawai'i will offer free mental health screening from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow at Ala Moana Center as part of a national event to help people who feel helpless, angry, frightened or depressed.
People will have an opportunity to talk to a mental health professional, and may be given referrals to local treatment services.
For more information, call (800) 520-6373 or visit www.MentalHealthScreening.org
