Posted on: Monday, March 21, 2005
HAWAI'I BRIEFS
Four men sought in stabbing of driver
Advertiser Staff
Police were looking for four men, one of whom stabbed a taxi driver in the chest Saturday after refusing to pay the fare in 'Ewa Beach, police said.
At 1 a.m. Saturday, a 39-year-old taxi driver picked up four men in Waikiki, police said.
One of the men asked for a ride to 'Ewa Beach and gave the driver a $15 tip, police said. Once they got to 'Ewa Beach, the driver dropped the men off in front of the Campbell High School baseball field and asked for the fare.
One of the men handed the driver $2. When the driver asked the men for the rest, one of them pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the right side of the chest, police said.
The four men fled, police said.
Police have opened an attempted-murder investigation.
The city will resume reconstruction and resurfacing work on Pi'ikoi Street from King Street to Matlock Avenue from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays starting today. The project is expected to be completed in mid-June.
The right-hand lane of Pi'ikoi between Young and Beretania streets will be closed around the clock from Monday to Thursday to allow for construction of a curb ramp. Access to the Garden House parking lot along Pi'ikoi Street will be permitted at all times.
Lowering of sewer covers and other utility structures will begin on March 28, in preparation for the resurfacing. Asphalt pavement reconstruction and resurfacing will begin April 4 and is expected to take five weeks. Final adjustment of utility structures to grade, permanent pavement marking and installation of traffic detector loops will follow.
Motorists and pedestrians are urged to avoid Pi'ikoi Street and cross streets from King Street to the H-1 Freeway. Those who must travel through the area should allow extra travel time and expect delays and lane closures.
Special-duty police officers will guide motorists around the construction zone.
The work will complete reconstruction of Pi'ikoi Street makai of the H-1 Freeway. That project began last year at Kapi'olani Boulevard, but was suspended for the holidays.
HILO, Hawai'i — Hawai'i County's police officer and firefighter of the year for 2004 were honored recently by the Aloha Exchange Club of East Hawai'i.
Tod Bello of the East Hawai'i Ice Task Force was named Police Officer of the Year. Lt. Marshall Kanehailua said Bello, who joined the department in January 2001, was chosen for his work both as a South Hilo patrolman and a vice section officer in the fight against crystal methamphetamine.
Bello "spent countless hours outside of his normal workday, identifying individuals involved in drug distribution and conducting drug purchases required for search warrants," Kanehailua said.
Firefighter/MICT Chris Honda of the Honoka'a fire and ambulance unit was named Firefighter of the Year. Fire Capt. Michael Matsui said Honda was honored for his efforts in teaching emergency medical services skills to firefighters and civilians.
Honda already had earned his emergency medical technician and mobile intensive care technician certifications when he joined the Fire Department in May 2000.
Firefighters and lifeguards yesterday rescued a family of four who were swept into the ocean near Pipeline.
Lifeguard Bodo Van Der Leeden said the visitors from the Mainland were wading in shin-deep water when a wave pulled them into a rip current at just before 6 p.m.
Bodyboarders who were in the water went to help them. Their shouts prompted people on shore to call for help.
Firefighters from the Sunset Beach station were first on the scene. They entered the water wearing fins and pulling rescue floatation tubes.
Three lifeguards who were in the area returned to the beach and entered the water with rescue boards, Van Der Leeden said.
Everyone was brought to shore safely.
"They really thought their family was going before their eyes," Van Der Leeden said. "They were extremely grateful all around and learned an extremely valuable lesson about being careful in the water."
Surf was 6 to 10 feet on the North Shore yesterday, Van Der Leeden said.
University of Hawai'i scientists have discovered the wreckage of a large World War II-era Japanese submarine in waters off O'ahu.
A Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory submersible found the Japanese I-401 during test dives Thursday.
John Wiltshire, acting director of the laboratory, said the submersible Pisces discovered the sub 820 meters below the surface off Kalaeloa.
The vessel is from the I-400 Sensuikan Toku class of subs, the largest built before the nuclear ballistic missile submarines of the 1960s. They were 400 feet long and nearly 40 feet high and carried a crew of 144.
They were designed to carry three fold-up bombers, which could be made ready to fly in a few minutes and had wing floats for return landings. Fully loaded with fuel, the submarines could sail 37,000 miles. An I-400 and I-401 were captured at sea a week after the Japanese surrendered in 1945. Their mission was never completed.
The discovery is the laboratory's second Japanese vessel found off O'ahu.
In 2002, the crew found the wreckage of a Japanese midget sub that was sunk on Dec. 7, 1941, off Pearl Harbor.
Pi'ikoi work set through mid-June
Top firefighter, officer honored
Tourists rescued near Pipeline
Japanese sub's wreckage found
