HAWAI'I BRIEFS
Apartment fire displaces 3 adults
Advertiser Staff
Fire gutted a Salt Lake apartment yesterday, displacing three adult residents.
The fire in unit No. 701 at Salt Lake Manor, 2977 Ala Ilima St., was reported at 5:12 p.m. Firefighters had the blaze under control at 5:33 p.m.
Fire department spokesman Capt. Emmit Kane said two men and a woman living in the unit were receiving assistance from the Hawai'i chapter of the American Red Cross. No injuries were reported.
Damage was estimated at $40,000 to the building and $25,000 to personal property.
BIG ISLAND
Search resumes for woman
Fire Department rescue personnel will resume a search this morning for a woman who jumped into the Wailuku River in Hilo yesterday.
The woman was running away from police when she jumped into the river from the upper bridge off Wailuku Drive and swam under a mangrove, the fire department said.
The fire department's helicopter as well as personnel along the shore searched for the woman.
Hilo video store robbers sought
Two men robbed a video store Monday night in the Hilo industrial area.
Police said the bandits were carrying a duffel bag when they entered After Dark Video on Kukila Street at 11:50 p.m. One of the men threatened a store clerk with a handgun while holding a second gun in his other hand. The robbers took an undisclosed amount of cash and were seen heading east on Kukila Street toward Railroad Avenue in an older-model, dark-colored Nissan pickup truck.
STATEWIDE
DNC vice chair to visit Islands
U.S. Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif., the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, will visit the Islands during the Fourth of July weekend.
Honda is expected at appearances on O'ahu, the Big Island, Maui and Kaua'i, Hawai'i Democrats announced this week. He is also scheduled to be the guest speaker at the party's state fund-raiser.
Honda was first elected in 2000 to represent Silicon Valley in the House. He is chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
'AIEA
Police recover stolen pistol
A gun stolen from a Honolulu police car was recovered last month from an alleged drug dealer after police found the man sleeping in a stolen car, according to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court.
Aaron Cadiz Robinson was arrested May 31 and charged with possession of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm after a criminal conviction.
Officers confiscated about two pounds of crystal methamphetamine, more than $5,000 in cash and a police Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
The pistol had been reported stolen from an HPD officer's vehicle.
In an interview after his arrest, Robinson admitted selling "ice" and said he traded an "eight ball" (3.5 grams) for the gun two days before officers arrested him in the Pearl Kai Shopping Center parking lot.
MAUI
Residents asked to conserve water
Because of dry weather conditions, the Maui County Department of Water Supply yesterday issued a notice asking most Maui and Moloka'i residents to voluntarily conserve water.
Some water reservoirs are empty and others are running under capacity, the department said. Meanwhile, the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center is predicting below normal rainfall for Hilo, Kahului and Honolulu in the coming months.
"The leeward area is already dry, especially Kihei, Waikapu and Lahaina. The windward area is also drier than usual," said Kevin Kodama, senior hydrologist with the National Weather Service.
Kids Day paper raises $40,000
More than $40,000 was raised May 4 during Kids Day 2005 through the sale of a special edition of The Advertiser to benefit the nonprofit family service agency Parents And Children Together.
Allan Landon, president and chief financial officer of Bank of Hawai'i, served as chairman for the seventh annual event.
Celebrities and other volunteers sold more than 33,800 copies of the newspaper and other money was raised through sponsors who placed copies in classrooms.
The donation will benefit PACT's programs for early childhood education and childcare, child abuse and domestic violence prevention and treatment, teen development, children's mental health, community building and economic development.
HONOLULU
Legal Aid Society marks 55 years
The Legal Aid Society of Hawai'i raised more than $97,000 as it recently celebrated its 55th anniversary.
The event was the first for the organization, which provides free to low-cost legal services for the state's low-income residents.
Thirty law firms, 14 corporations, eight foundations and nonprofit groups and more than 25 people helped make the event a success.
During the celebration, the organization honored U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award; Rush Moore, recipient of the Pro Bono Achievement Award; Geri Marullo, president and chief executive officer of Child and Family Service, recipient of the Outstanding Community Partner Award; and Circuit Judge Michael Town, recipient of the Betty Vitousek Access to Justice Award.
KANE'OHE
Summer Solstice Celebration set
Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden will host the second annual Summer Solstice Celebration, which includes a free lunch, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 18.
The family-friendly event is open to anyone who believes that community-based planning is what works best for communities, said Shannon Wood, event coordinator.
Activities will include a garden tour, bird watching, catch and release fishing, art display and information booths.
The celebration is sponsored by the Community Advisory Board for the Na Pali Ko'olau segment of the Ko'olau Greenbelt & Heritage Trails System.
For more information and to register, call 247-6366 or 223-5535, or e-mail info@waa-hawaii.org, or visit www.waa-hawaii.org.
