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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, October 24, 2008

HAWAII BRIEFS
Woman dies in Hau'ula collision

Advertiser Staff

A 57-year-old woman was killed yesterday afternoon in a head-on collision in Hau'ula that involved a seven-ton military vehicle. Kamehameha Highway was closed for several hours, but reopened shortly before 7:30 p.m.

Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the city Emergency Services Department, said the woman, who was the driver and sole occupant of a van, was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:34 p.m.

The accident happened near 53-729 Kamehameha Highway. The road was initially closed in both directions during the police investigation.

Marine Corps Base Hawaii said in a press release that a seven-ton truck returning to base from the Kahuku Training Area was involved in the collision.

The two Marines in the truck were uninjured but were expected to be taken to Tripler Army Medical Center for evaluation. The Marines and the truck are with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment based at Kane'ohe Bay. The Marines were returning from an exercise in preparation for deployment next spring.



TAXPAYERS STILL DUE IRS CHECKS

The Internal Revenue Service is looking for Hawai'i taxpayers who are due more than 2,000 economic stimulus checks totaling more than $1.2 million and 747 regular refund checks totaling more than $900,000 that were returned by the U.S. Postal Service due to mailing address errors.

The IRS is urging taxpayers who may be due a stimulus check to update their addresses with the IRS by Nov. 28. By law, economic stimulus checks must be sent out by Dec. 31.

The undeliverable economic stimulus checks for Hawai'i taxpayers average $633. The IRS recommends taxpayers use the "Where's My Stimulus Payment?" tool on IRS.gov to check the status of a stimulus check and receive instructions on how to update their address.

The regular refund checks for Hawai'i taxpayers that were returned to the IRS average $1,217. Taxpayers can update their addresses with the "Where's My Refund?" tool on IRS.gov.

Taxpayers without Internet access can call 866-234-2942.



LINGLE RETURNS TO MCCAIN CAMPAIGN

Gov. Linda Lingle plans to return to the Mainland this weekend to campaign for John McCain and to visit Hawai'i National Guard soldiers preparing for a Middle East deployment.

The governor will visit with soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, on Sunday before campaigning for the Republican presidential candidate.

Lingle spokesman Russell Pang says the governor won't use any state funds during her trip.

Pang says it hasn't been decided where Lingle will go to campaign. He says he doesn't know when the governor will return to the Islands.

The 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is due to leave for Kuwait later this month.

Some of the soldiers will guard U.S. installations in Kuwait while others will protect convoys going into Iraq.



MAN CHARGED FOR CHILD ENTICEMENT

A Waipahu man was charged yesterday with allegedly using the Internet to set up a sexual encounter with a juvenile female.

Matthew S. Lewis, 33, allegedly showed up at a McCully location Oct. 15 at about 10:30 p.m., for a rendezvous arranged with a Hawai'i Internet Crimes Against Children task force agent posing online as a 14-year-old girl.

Lewis fled the scene but police arrested him Wednesday at 4:45 p.m. at the Chinese Cultural Plaza while he was teaching a martial arts class.

Authorities on Wednesday also seized evidence with a warrant search of Lewis' Lahaole Place home at Village Park.

Lewis was charged with first-degree electronic enticement of a child and could be sentenced to 10 years in prison if convicted under a new Hawai'i law. He was posting $50,000 bail at 6 p.m. yesterday at the main police station cellblock.

The state Department of the Attorney General is expected to prosecute the cases.