Police identify pedestrian killed in Hilo
Police identify pedestrian killed in Hilo
Police on Friday said Roslyn Rushing, 61, of Hilo was the victim in Tuesday’s motor vehicle/pedestrian collision in downtown Hilo.
Fire Department collecting fireworks
The Fire Department will collect unwanted, illegal and damaged fireworks from anyone wishing to turn them in for proper disposal. Members of the public will be able to drop off unwanted fireworks islandwide Wednesday. Those wishing to participate should contact the HFD Fire Prevention Bureau at 932-2912 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday to get more information regarding drop off locations and times.
Fireworks may be soaked in water overnight and dried prior to transporting them to one of the drop off locations. No other hazardous materials or explosive products will be accepted. Acceptable items will include all types of fireworks, fountains, sparklers, firecrackers, cakes and rockets. In addition, the department will also accept any “aerial luminary devices.”
For more information call the Fire Prevention Bureau at 932-2912.
State launches electric vehicle charging station app
The State of Hawaii launched a mobile application to help drivers locate publicly available electric vehicle charging stations statewide. The free “EV Stations Hawaii” app is available for Apple and Android smartphones and mobile devices.
The app provides drivers with EV charging station locations and mapping directions for all four counties. The EV Stations Hawaii app is a partnership between DBEDT, Hawaii Information Consortium and Honolulu Clean Cities. It is part of the state Office of Information Management and Technology’s open data movement.
The State Energy Office’s database of public EV charging stations is also available online at electricvehicle.hawaii.gov. Property owners or managers with an EV charging station can complete the form found on this site to add their charging station details to the database.
Kihei man charged with sexual assault
WAILUKU, Maui — A 60-year-old Kihei man suspected of sexually assaulting an 8-year-old neighbor has been charged with burglary and two counts of felony sexual assault.
The Maui News reports Zdenek Behuncik was arrested Wednesday and ordered held on $150,000 bail.
Maui Police Lt. Jayson Rego says the girl was assaulted in the same apartment bedroom where the girl’s mother and sister were sleeping early Wednesday morning.
Rego says the suspect apparently entered through an unlocked front door.
The mother woke shortly after midnight to find her daughter crying. She said a man had been in the room.
The mother called police and then spotted a man in the doorway with a flashlight in his mouth.
Patrol officers arrested Behuncik in the apartment parking lot.
Man dies after Kailua District Park stabbing
KAILUA, Oahu — A man is dead after a being stabbed multiple times in Kailua.
Police say a suspect was arrested soon after Friday morning’s stabbing at Kailua District Park.
The victim was taken to a hospital in critical condition, where he died.
Hawaii News Now reports the stabbing stemmed from an argument between the two men.
KHON-TV reports that police say both men appear to have no local address and are known to hang around in the area.
Homicide detectives are investigating.
UH paying consultants $224K
HONOLULU — The University of Hawaii is paying a consulting firm $224,000 to study how the school can avoid being scammed.
The university wants to avoid a situation like last year when the athletic department paid agents falsely claiming to represent Stevie Wonder to book the singer for a fundraiser concert.
Hawaii News Now reports the university said the study would require about 2,000 hours of work and the best available people in the field.
The school said it didn’t have the internal capacity to produce such a report and needed the help of consultants.
The school has budgeted $260,000 for the review.
Task force Chairman Larry Rodriguez told the Board of Regents audit committee Thursday regents need better training.
Federal judge urges reconsideration of rail route
HONOLULU — A Hawaii federal court judge says Honolulu officials should reconsider a planned city rail line that ends at a shopping mall instead of the University of Hawaii’s Manoa campus.
Judge Susan Oki Mollway in a letter Monday on behalf of the court said a tunnel path under Beretania Street should be considered as a more prudent route.
The rail route is the subject of a federal lawsuit.
The Honolulu Star Advertiser reports Mollway and other Hawaii judges have recused themselves from the case. They say a route near the court building poses a security risk.
A report by rail officials last month said tunneling under Beretania Street would be too expensive.
Mollway said she’s surprised her letter caused a stir and that judges were speaking in their administrative role, not a judicial role.
Committee pulls petition supporting Coco Palms
LIHUE, Kauai — A committee supporting restoration of a Kauai resort made famous by Elvis Presley has pulled an online petition.
The Garden Island reports the Save Coco Palms Committee removed the petition a few hours after it went up Wednesday.
The shuttered resort was made famous by the 1961 Presley move “Blue Hawaii.” It was damaged by a 1992 hurricane and has become an eyesore on Kauai’s busiest corridor.
Ordinances approved by Kauai County retained a provision for Coco Palms restoration as a nonconforming structure but Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. wants the measure repealed.
The Kauai Planning Commission voted Tuesday to transmit the proposed repeal to the county council.
County spokeswoman Beth Tokioka said Carvalho wants to see movement on the property toward cleaning it and progressing toward meaningful re-use.
New director begins work at Honolulu Zoo
HONOLULU — There’s a new director at the Honolulu Zoo.
Jeffrey Mahon started work Friday morning. He has worked at various underwater facilities and aquariums around the world. Most recently he was director of exhibits and animal husbandry at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center.
He has also worked in Singapore, Thailand, China and Guam.
He replaces Manuel Mollinedo, who resigned effective March 1. Mollinedo became zoo director in December 2010. During his leadership, the Honolulu Zoo earned accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Mayor Kirk Caldwell said Mahon’s background in developing world-class exhibits will enhance the zoo’s future appeal.
Mahon served in the U.S. Navy on the nuclear submarine USS Buffalo and as a commander in the Navy Reserve, retiring in 2008.
By local and wire sources
Atwater, et al., play Sunday in Waikoloa
Ronnie Atwater and Co. featuring Paul Crepeau perform at 8 a.m. Sunday at Lava Java Waikoloa. Also, “La Traviata” by Verdi, part of the Metropolitan Opera’s Summer Encore Series will be shown in high definition at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Makalapua Stadium Cinemas. Admission is $12.50.
The listings were inadvertently left off Friday’s entertainment calendar.