HAWAI'I BRIEFS
Man gets 6 years in flight incident
Advertiser Staff
A 27-year-old man was sentenced yesterday to nearly six years in federal prison for interfering with a flight attendant during a flight from Seattle to Honolulu last year.
Zachariah Dodge, who pleaded guilty to the charge, was aboard the Nov. 14 flight when he became drunk, according to federal prosecutors.
When the senior flight attendant decided not to serve him any more alcohol, he became upset, prevented her from walking away and spat on her multiple times, prosecutors said.
U.S. District Judge David Ezra, who imposed the sentence, noted that Dodge was on probation at the time. The judge also noted that under the probation, Dodge was not to drink or use drugs but he did both, according to the federal prosecutors.
"The stiff sentence provides notice to all that this type of conduct on our airplanes will never be tolerated and will continue to warrant additional prison time," U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo said.
QUIT-SMOKING KITS AVAILABLE
The American Lung Association of Hawai'i will pass out 700 quit-smoking kits during the Hawai'i Dental Association's 2006 meeting at the Hawai'i Convention Center today and tomorrow. The free kits will be available at booth 12.
The HDA Dental Samaritans, a group of dentists who volunteer to provide dental care for the needy, are co-sponsoring the giveaway.
BIG ISLAND
RECYCLING DRIVE TO ACCEPT TVS
A CompuCycle event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Old Airport Pavilion in Kailua, Kona, also will accept TVs, VCRs and stereo equipment.
The biannual event, sponsored by the county Department of Environmental Management, accepts old computers, monitors, keyboards and other computer components that will be shipped to California for recycling.
For more information, call Recycle Hawai'i at (808) 329-2886.
KAUA'I
COUNCILMAN SWITCHES PARTIES
Councilman James Kunane Tokioka has left the Republican Party and become a Democrat, and will run for the state House of Representatives District 15 seat being vacated by Rep. Ezra Kanoho, who announced recently he will retire after this term.
Tokioka, vice chairman of the Kaua'i County Council, is serving his fifth two-year term on the Council. Kanoho has endorsed his candidacy.
District 15 covers Lihu'e and Koloa. Kanoho has held the seat since 1986 when he was appointed by Gov. John Waihee.
UTILITY SPEEDS UP ISLANDWIDE STUDY
The Kaua'i Island Utility Co-op yesterday announced it has moved up an islandwide study of its systems after a series of power outages that culminated in an islandwide blackout Friday.
Moisture and contamination on insulators caused a "transmission line flashover" at 10:25 p.m. Friday, prompting generators to drop off line at both the Port Allen and Kapaia power stations.
The customer-owned utility has been experiencing increasing instability, resulting in multiple blackouts, said representative Shelley Paik. The utility already had arranged for consultants to perform a stability study later this month, but the study has been rushed to begin this week, she said.
The study will model the entire utility system to try to identify areas that require attention.
WAHIAWA
LIBRARY REOPENS AFTER ROOF REPAIRS
Wahiawa Public Library reopened yesterday at 9 a.m., after a leaking roof from heavy rainfall over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend had prompted a one-day closure.
State Department of Accounting and General Services staff and contractors worked yesterday to make temporarily repairs so the library could open. Crews will continue to monitor the situation.
The library has resumed its normal programs and services. Its hours of operation are Monday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 8 p.m.; and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The library is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
MANOA
WORKSHOPS FREE TO LAW CANDIDATES
'Ahahui O Hawai'i, the Hawaiian law student organization at the University of Hawai'i Richardson School of Law, is offering three sets of workshops for the Law School Admissions Test preparation in the coming months for Hawaiians eligible and interested in applying to law school.
The workshops will be provided to Hawaiian students at no cost, but space is limited. Funding is provided by the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
To be eligible for law school, a person must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited university or college of approved standing.
For information, e-mail 'Ahahui at ahahui@hawaii.edu or call Derek Kauanoe at (808) 383-6684. For information on the Richardson School of Law, go to www.hawaii.edu/law.
MAKAPU'U
AQUACULTURE POLICY STUDIED
The National Marine Aquaculture Task Force will meet at the Oceanic Institute for a three-day conference starting today to discuss federal policy on offshore aquaculture.
The group will discuss how fish farming effects the marine ecosystems in Hawai'i, how to reduce negative environmental effects of fish farming and how national aquaculture policies for eco-friendly aquaculture will effect the fishing industry.
For more information, call Angie Flaherty, 531-6087, ext. 6.
MAUI
'IAO PARK REPAIRS CLOSE MONUMENT
Most of 'Iao Valley State Monument Park is closed until Jan. 27 while repair and maintenance work is performed on the bridge crossing 'Iao Stream.
The park is one of Maui's most popular scenic stops because of 'Iao Needle, a natural rock pinnacle 2,250 feet high and surrounded by the walls of the Pu'u Kukui Crater.
During the work period, only the parking lot, restrooms and the area containing interpretive signs will be open to the public. The "needle" and stream are visible from a viewing area.
March Painting Inc. is the contractor for the $19,000 project.
Other recent improvements at 'Iao include pressure washing of the restrooms in November and replacement of the lookout shelter roof in December.
