HAWAI'I BRIEFS
Hawai'i Kai woman drowns
The city medical examiner's office has identified a body found floating yesterday in ocean off the Lana'i Lookout near Hawai'i Kai as that of Eileen Chong, 40, of Hawai'i Kai.
The body was spotted by a passing motorist at about 3 p.m. Monday and recovered by firefighters.
Police said there were no obvious injuries to the body or signs of foul play.
The medical examiner's office said that Chong drowned.
Lunalilo on-ramp to be discussed
The state Department of Transportation will make a presentation on the Lunalilo Street on-ramp demonstration project at 7 p.m. tomorrow at the monthly Wai'alae/Kahala Neighborhood Board meeting at 1350 Hunakai St.
Since August, the H-1 Freeway's Lunalilo on-ramp has been closed from 6 to 9:30 a.m. on weekdays to improve traffic flow on the freeway.
KAUA'I
Abducted boy back with dad
A child abducted from Lihu'e on Nov. 26, 2003, has been reunited with his father, said state Attorney General Mark Bennett.
Seven-year-old Jacob Goldschmidt was found in good health in Hornbrook, Calif. California Highway Patrol officers arrested the child's mother, Rhianna Powers, for custodial interference.
At the request of the Missing Child Center-Hawai'i, Jacob was featured in the "Have You Seen Me?" missing child card program last month. The program mails cards featuring photographs of missing children to more than 107 million households every month. Jacob's card led to a tip from neighbors in Hornbrook.
CENTRAL
Three charged in knockoff T-shirts
Police have charged three of four people arrested Sunday for allegedly selling knockoff Pro Bowl T-shirts.
Charged with trademark infringement were Glenn Peter Marziotto, 47, of Florida; Brendan Schiff, 36, of California; and Melissa Lieberman, 30, of California. All are being held in lieu of $15,000 bail. Their preliminary hearing will be tomorrow at District Court.
A fourth man, a 47-year-old Seattle resident, was released.
Police seized more than 100 unauthorized Pro Bowl T-shirts being sold for $10 to $12 in the auxiliary parking lot on Salt Lake Boulevard next to Aloha Stadium.
LEEWARD
Driver still sought in Ma'ili hit-run
Honolulu police continue to ask for the public's help in finding the driver of a white truck that ran off the road and killed a runner in Ma'ili Monday.
Gloria Brooks, 56, was running near the Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center on the mauka side of Farrington Highway at 3:31 a.m. when a white flatbed truck traveling toward Wai'anae went off the road and hit her from behind, police and witnesses said.
The truck's mirror was left behind, police said, and could be useful in tracking down the hit-and-run driver. Police said they investigate hit-and-run accidents on a case-by-case basis.
Michelle Yu, HPD spokeswoman, said police look at witness accounts, debris left at the scene, recovered auto parts, or partial license plate numbers when trying to find the car and driver involved in the accident.
Brooks, who died at the scene, was identified by the medical examiner's office.
Anyone with information about the accident should call officer Jaime Louis-Kahanu at 529-3499. Anonymous callers may contact CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on a cell phone.
Detailed survey of reef begins
Divers surveyed the damaged reef yesterday at the site of the Cape Flattery grounding while a team on land began preparing for the restoration of the coral and other marine life communities.
The bulk carrier Cape Flattery, according to marine biologists who have inspected the affected reef, appeared to have careened along the reef before grounding itself about a quarter-mile off Barbers Point on Feb. 2. The ship was pulled from the reef Friday after much of its fuel and cargo was removed.
A team of state and federal officials is developing a response plan, which started with the detailed reef survey conducted yesterday.
Among the proposals, according to John Naughton, a biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service, is the idea of cementing some of the corals back onto the ocean floor.
HONOLULU
School program receives $1,500
Starr Seigle Communications has raised $1,500 to benefit Central Middle School's Planet Central and will present a check for the program today.
Planet Central is an after-school program that offers a positive outlet for teens to experience new things and promote positive relationships. Volunteers tutor students and guide them through various activities such as cooking, playing 'ukulele, arts and crafts, Pacific Islands dance and basketball.
Heart health focus of meeting
A panel of cardiology experts will gather for a free informational meeting at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Pacific Ballroom of the Renaissance Ilikai Waikiki Hotel.
Sponsored by the Straub Foundation and the Straub Heart Center, the event is called "Valentine in Paradise: How to Prevent Heart Disease."
Doctors Robert O. Bonow of Northwestern University and John S. Schroeder of Stanford University will join local faculty to discuss ways to be proactive in reducing risk factors, recognizing heart and vascular disease symptoms and seeking early treatment to keep a healthy heart.
For more information or to register, call 524-6755.
STATEWIDE
Time to count birds in back yard
The Great Backyard Bird Count, in which people across the United States and Canada are asked to count and record the birds they see, will take place Friday through Monday.
Participants need to be able to recognize different types of birds. Their tallies are filed by computer, and results are readily viewed. In 2004, counters submitted 42,499 tallies, and reported observing 554 different species of birds.
The bird count is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society.
For more information, go to www.birdsource.org/GBBC.
