The athletic director of Academy of the Pacific pleaded guilty yesterday to two drug-related counts.

Brad R. Kitsu was arrested on April 25, 2007, after accepting a FedEx parcel — tracked by police — containing more than a pound of marijuana.

He pleaded guilty yesterday to unlawful use of drug paraphernalia, a Class C felony, along with promoting detrimental drugs in the second-degree. The felony carries a maximum of five years behind bars.

He is set to be sentenced June 23.

Academy of the Pacific in Liliha is a private school with about 140 students.

JURY ACQUITS MAN IN WAI'ANAE DEATH

A 54-year-old man who fatally injured another man during a fight at a Wai'anae fast-food restaurant last year was acquitted of murder yesterday.

Lawyers for defendant Gary Avilez said he acted in self-defense during a fight with Domingo Correa, 69, in the restroom of a Burger King on April 7, 2007. Correa died of his injuries 12 days later.

A jury deliberated for just under two hours yesterday.

GILL QUITS POSITION AT WAIMEA VALLEY

Gary Gill yesterday stepped down as executive director of Hiipaka, the private entity created by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs last year to manage Waimea Valley on O'ahu's North Shore.

"I continue to believe in Hiipaka's vision for Waimea and am pleased and proud of the progress we have made during my tenure," Gill said yesterday in a statement.

"I wish the best for Hiipaka and the hard working people in the valley as they move forward to fulfill that vision."

Gail Ann Chew will serve as interim executive director while the search for a permanent director takes place.

BIG ISLAND FATALITY WAS NOTED LAWYER

HILO, Hawai'i — Big Island police have identified a 60-year-old Hilo man who died Thursday in a single-car crash near Pu'uanahulu as prominent Hilo land use lawyer Robert "Ben" Tsukazaki.

Tsukazaki, a partner in the firm Tsukazaki, Yeh & Moore, was pronounced dead at 10:27 a.m. at North Hawaii Community Hospital in Waimea.

CHING A CANDIDATE FOR UH REGENT

The University of Hawai'i Regents Candidate Advisory Council has selected Dr. Doris Ching to replace UH athletic director Jim Donovan, who withdrew as a candidate to represent Honolulu County on the UH Board of Regents.

Ching's name has been submitted to Gov. Linda Lingle for consideration.

Ching served as the UH vice president of student affairs from 1987 until her retirement in 2006.