By local and wire sources
Sunset area home consumed by fire
Fire officials are investigating the cause of a Friday blaze that destroyed a home in the Sunset subdivision.
Flames and smoke rising from the home located off Kepano Place were visible to much of the Kailua-Kona area, prompting many reports of the fire to emergency officials and West Hawaii Today.
By the time firefighters reached the two-story home following the 4:53 p.m. alarm, the structure was engulfed in flames, said Keauhou Fire Station Capt. Shawn Nakakura. No one appeared to be home when the fire started, he said.
Nakakura said the fire was under control around 5:30 p.m. It, however, had yet to be declared extinguished as of press time.
About a half-dozen homes near the affected structure were evacuated, however, none caught fire, according to police. Most of the evacuated residents were allowed back into their homes by 7 p.m.
No one was reported injured, and fire officials are continuing to investigate the cause of the blaze, Nakakura said.
The family’s pet dog, however, died in the fire, according to residents of the house.
Assault suspect located
Big Island police have located 27-year-old Eagle Adam Tobin of Honokaa, who was wanted for questioning in connection with a reported December sexual assault.
Tobin turned himself in to police on Thursday. He was arrested in connection with the reported assault and subsequently released without charges pending further investigation, according to the Hawaii Police Department.
Kona robbery suspect sought
Police are investigating a reported Thursday evening robbery at a business within Kaloko Business Center V on Kamanu Street in Kailua-Kona.
A 63-year-old Kailua-Kona woman reported to police shortly after 8 p.m. that an unknown man had entered her business, spent several minutes looking at merchandise before rushing behind the cashier’s stand where he allegedly grabbed a pair of scissors and threatened the woman, according to the Hawaii Police Department.
After the confrontation with the scissors, the man reportedly opened the cash register and removed an unknown amount of cash, according to police. He fled on foot and was last seen running north on Kamanu Street.
The woman was not injured during the incident, police said.
The suspect is described as in his late 20s to early 30s; about 5 feet 10 inches tall; weighing about 180 pounds with a dark complexion; with a full, groomed beard lacking a mustache; and short black hair, according to police.
He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, jeans, a black baseball cap with an unknown design on the front and a gold wristwatch on his left hand, according to police.
Police are also interested in speaking with a possible witness who had entered into the shop while the suspect was present, but left prior to the robbery occurring. Police described the witness as being a Caucasian man in his mid-20s.
Anyone with information on the case should call Detective Myra Iwamoto at 326-4646, ext. 281, or the department’s nonemergency line at 935-3311. Those who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.
FTA raises new questions about Honolulu rail
HONOLULU — The Federal Transit Administration warns that the financial plan for Honolulu’s rail project must be “further strengthened” before up to $1.55 billion in federal funding can be committed.
The administration recently allowed the planned $5.27 billion, 20-mile rail project to advance to the design phase. But new financial questions have been raised in a Dec. 29 letter from FTA Regional Administrator Leslie Rogers questioning contingency plans the city offers to deal with unexpected money issues that could come up.
Rogers says rail officials should demonstrate availability of additional revenue sources in the event of a shortfall.
The city has suggested it could try to extend the half-percent excise tax that provides most of the funding for the project.
W. Oahu gets new urgent care medical center
PEARL CITY, Oahu — Leeward Oahu residents have a new urgent care medical center.
Pearl City Urgent Care opened for medical care services Thursday, several weeks after the announcement of Hawaii Medical Center’s closure of two hospitals.
State Rep. Kymberly Pine says the urgent care center is welcome news for West Oahu after the closure of Hawaii Medical Center’s Ewa hospital.
The Pearl City facility is staffed by emergency doctors and nurse practitioners and is welcoming patients in an effort to ease overcrowding at other emergency rooms and doctors’ offices.
Hawaii Medical Center said Thursday there are no patients left at the hospitals and most of its nearly 1,000 employees will lose their jobs by the weekend.
Honolulu celebrates Chinatown month
HONOLULU — Mayor Peter Carlisle has launched Honolulu’s annual “Month in Chinatown” celebration.
Events are scheduled in the district throughout January to coincide with the lunar new year.
Martial arts demonstrations, Chinese fortune readings, dancing and singing are among the offerings at a Chinese New Year Festival scheduled for Friday and today.
On Jan. 14, the Narcissus Queen and her court, kung fu martial artists, and lion and dragon dance associations will march in a parade along Hotel Street. The Night in Chinatown Parade will also include a 150-foot dragon.
The Year of the Dragon begins on Jan. 23.
Carlisle said Thursday that Chinatown is one of Oahu’s most vibrant, historic and exciting neighborhoods. He says everyone is welcome to enjoy activities in the district.
Humpback whales spotted in Honolulu Harbor again
HONOLULU — The Coast Guard is monitoring Honolulu Harbor for humpback whales.
A tug boat crew notified the Guard that two humpback whales followed them into Pier 51 Thursday night.
Mariners are asked to be on the lookout for the endangered whales. There have been no additional reports of confirmed sightings Friday. Federal regulations prohibit approaching within 100 yards of the endangered animals when on the water or 1,000 feet when operating an aircraft.
The Coast Guard issued a notice earlier Thursday of a safety zone around a mother and calf that spent several hours in the harbor. It was not known if they were the same whales spotted that night.
Humpback whale season in Hawaii generally runs from November through May, but it’s uncommon for them to be in the harbor.
Propane gas smell prompts brief Maui evacuation
WAILUKU, Maui — Operations have resumed at a Maui County service center after a smell of propane gas prompted an evacuation.
County officials say workers and customers at the Maui Mall service center were evacuated briefly Friday. The Maui Fire Department determined the smell was not coming from the building but from a nearby gas company purging its tanks.
Fire officials suggested that air conditioning be turned off and fans brought in to circulate the air.
No one required medical attention.
The service center is usually staffed by about 50 people. Workers estimate there were about 50 customers in the center at the time of the evacuation.
Namuo appointed to Native Hawaiian Roll Commission
HONOLULU — The former chief executive officer of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs has been appointed executive director of a commission responsible for preparing and maintaining a roll of qualified Native Hawaiians interested in participating in their own government.
Commission Chair and former Gov. John Waihee said Thursday Clyde Namuo’s appointment was effective at the beginning of the year.
Namuo will be responsible for overseeing daily operations of the roll commission. He’ll be serving without pay.
The commission was established by the 2011 Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Neil Abercrombie.
Namuo retired at the end of last year after a decade of serving as OHA’s top officer.
October trial date for deadly Kauai dam breach
LIHUE, Kauai — A tentative trial date has been set for a retired car dealer charged with manslaughter in a deadly 2006 Kauai dam breach.
Prosecutors and attorneys for James Pflueger have agreed to begin the trial on Oct. 1.
The 85-year-old Pflueger did not appear in court for the hearing.
Manslaughter charges were upheld in June. He’s accused of altering his property in a way that caused the Ka Loko Reservoir Dam to give way on March 14, 2006, killing seven people swept from their homes.
He has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of manslaughter.
Attorneys anticipate the trial to last six to eight weeks.
Coast Guard helps UH research vessel
HONOLULU — A boat carrying a group of scientists on a University of Hawaii Marine Center research trip was headed back to shore Friday after it began taking on water 60 miles north of Oahu.
The U.S. Coast Guard delivered pumps to the 186-foot Kilo Moana after the crew reported taking on 400 gallons per hour because of a baseball-sized hole in the boat’s hull.
Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Kurt Fredrickson said the boat’s pumps weren’t working and crew members began preparing life rafts in case they needed to abandon ship.
But they eventually got the flooding under control using the Coast Guard pumps, said Ross Barnes, UH Marine Center port operations manager.
Forty scientists and crew members left Wednesday for the five-day research trip. The ordeal cut the trip short, and the vessel was headed back to Oahu.
Meanwhile, the four-person crew of a sardine fishing boat was safe after the vessel capsized in rough seas late Thursday about two miles off the coast of Santa Cruz, Calif.
The Coast Guard said crew members of the 58-foot boat scrambled into a smaller boat as their main vessel took on water from big waves and sank.
Coast Guard Lt. John Suckow told the Santa Cruz Sentinel that the captain of the boat, named the Stikine, made a mayday call around midnight, minutes before the boat sank. A nearby fishing boat heard the distress call and picked up the crew about 15 minutes later.
The accident came amid 11-foot swells that have prompted high surf advisories for the Central California coast.
Soldier dies after thrown from motorcycle
SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Oahu — A Hawaii-based soldier and Iraq war veteran was killed after being thrown from his motorcycle this week.
The Army said Friday the incident that killed Sgt. Aaron L. Bennett is being investigated.
Bennett, of Parma Heights, Ohio, was on Fort Weaver Road in Ewa Beach when he was thrown from his motorcycle on Thursday.
Bennett joined the Army in 2007 and served as an infantryman assigned to the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.
He returned from a year-long deployment to Iraq in June.
A memorial for Bennett will be held later this month at the Schofield Barracks post Chapel.
Bennett is survived by his wife, Michelle, his parents, David and Sally Bennett of Parma Heights, Ohio, and his sister, Rachel Bennett.
Am. Samoa shooting defendant rejects plea
PAGO PAGO, American Samoa — A man accused of fatally shooting an American Samoa police officer in 2010 has rejected a plea offer.
The Samoa News reported Siaumau Siaumau Jr. also requested a 60-day continuance so his family can find a new attorney after his lawyer withdrew from the case for medical reasons.
Siaumau told Associate Justice Lyle L Richmond at a hearing in High Court Thursday that his family spent more than $20,000 on his last lawyer and needs time to come up with the money for a new lawyer.
Richmond ordered the public defender’s office to provide legal representation for Siaumau, saying the case has been pending too long.
Siaumau is facing 14 counts, including one count of murder in the first degree.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Siaumau.
By local and wire sources