Posted on: Monday, August 30, 2004
HAWAI'I BRIEFS
Airport intruder held at hospital
Advertiser Staff
A 17-year-old driver who crashed through a gate at the Honolulu Airport Saturday was held overnight at The Queen's Medical Center for psychiatric evaluation.
The youth, who was being pursued by a sheriff's deputy after driving erratically on Lagoon Drive, sped his Mitsubishi onto the general aviation-side flight line, hit a small airplane, hit an employee on a golf cart and rammed a sheriff's deputy's car, said Scott Ishikawa, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.
Injuries to the airport employee and the sheriff's deputy were minor. The airplane that was damaged, a small private craft, was parked when it was hit.
The driver did not drive onto the runway, Ishikawa said, and although aircraft on the general aviation side of the airport were prohibited from taking off for several hours Saturday while deputies and Honolulu police investigated, operations on the main part of the airport were not disrupted.
Forestry, wildlife head selected
Paul Conry was named the new administrator of the Division of Forestry and Wildlife at the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. He replaces Michael Buck, who retired in June.
Conry has been with the department for 14 years, starting out as a nongame and endangered species biologist before being promoted to wildlife program manager.
In this position, Conry is responsible for the protection and management of the state's 800,000 acres of state forest reserves, natural area reserves, wilderness area, wildlife and plant sanctuaries and public hunting areas.
"It is critical that we have a seasoned manager who can handle multiple layers of responsibility and assure that we protect and preserve Hawai'i's natural resources in a very challenging time," said DLNR chairman Peter Young.
Conry has a bachelor's degree in wildlife biology from Arizona State University and a master's degree in wildlife biology from the University of Montana.
WINDWARD O'AHU
Chamber music season to begin
Chamber Music Hawai'i opens its 22nd season at Windward Community College at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 13 in the Paliku Theatre, featuring The Galliard String Quartet.
The season, to take place at the Doris Duke Theatre as well, includes concerts by The Spring Wind Quintet, The Honolulu Brass Quintet, Tresemble with Pianist Thomas Yee and Tresemble — All Brass.
Tickets, available at the Paliku box office on the night of the concert, are $20, $15 for seniors, free to students, and discounted for military. For advanced tickets call Chamber Music Hawaii at 524-0815, Ext. 245. Season tickets are $120 and may be ordered online at www.chambermusichawaii.com. Three forums for council member
City Council member Barbara Marshall, 3rd District (Kane'ohe, Kailua, Waimanalo), will conduct community forums at 7 p.m. at the following locations: Wednesday at Kane'ohe Community and Senior Center, Oct. 18 at St. John Lutheran Church in Kailua and Nov. 3 at the Waimanalo public library.
O'AHU'S NORTH SHORE
Water main in Hale'iwa fixed
A water main break in Hale'iwa that stopped traffic in both directions on Kamehameha Highway Saturday and caused service disruptions to customers from Hale'iwa to Waimea Valley was repaired early yesterday.
By 9:30 a.m, water service was restored to all customers who experienced outages and a lack of pressure, said Wanda Yamane, a Board of Water Supply spokeswoman.
She said she did not know the number of customers affected.
Water crews worked throughout the night to repair the 15-inch main break at 62-540 Kamehameha Highway. They continued to work to backfill and restore the area near the break until nearly 3 p.m. yesterday, she said.
Police closed off Kamehameha Highway in both directions between the Joseph P. Leong bypass and Jamison's By The Sea in Hale'iwa while crews worked.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Old hospital to be demolished
HILO, Hawai'i — Festivities are planned for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday to mark the start of demolition of the dilapidated Pu'umaile Hospital, which is being cleared to make way for a $28 million long-term-care facility for veterans.
The hospital, next to Hilo Medical Center, was opened in 1951 as a 216-bed tuberculosis hospital, and was later called Hilo Hospital. In 1985, hospital operations moved to the 275-bed medical center.
The 95-bed veterans care home, expected to open before the end of 2006, will be the first in Hawai'i. It is being paid for by the state and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Judge lets DUI charge stand
WAILUKU, Maui — A Maui judge has refused to dismiss a drunken-driving charge against former Maui County Managing Director John Kulp.
Wailuku District Judge Reinette Cooper ruled that police officers were within their legal authority to conduct a vehicle checkpoint where Kulp was arrested last December for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.
Defense attorney David Sereno had argued that the checkpoint plan was unconstitutional because police excluded the screening of mo-peds from the drunken-driving roadblock. But Deputy Attorney General Joanne Hao said the exclusion of mopeds had no effect on the legality of DUI checkpoints in Kulp's case.
Sereno said Kulp planned to appeal Cooper's ruling.
Kulp, 51, resigned on July 15. If convicted, he would face a minimum penalty of five days in jail.
Kulp had a January 2002 drunken-driving conviction in Nevada.
STATEWIDE
ACT registration deadline Sept. 17
College-bound students planning to take the ACT Assessment on Oct. 23 must register by Sept. 17.
Late registrations, which must include a $15 late fee in addition to the $28 registration fee, need to be postmarked by Oct. 1.
Registration materials are available from school guidance counselors; online registration is available at www.actstudent.org.
