Star-Bulletin tops
isle papers with nine
journalism awardsKGMB edges out two TV stations,
By Star-Bulletin staff
winning four trophiesThe Hawaii Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists awarded the Honolulu Star-Bulletin nine Excellence in Journalism awards, more than any other Hawaii publication.
The awards were presented at a banquet Saturday.
They recognize accomplishments in newspapers, magazines, television and radio.
Star-Bulletin writer Rob Perez won two awards, for government reporting and business reporting.
Other Star-Bulletin winners are:
The Honolulu Advertiser won the award for Public Service in Journalism for a series of articles on child abuse.Ian Lind for investigative reporting.
KGMB-TV won the public service award for television for a special report on the Bishop Estate controversy.
TV stations KGMB, KHNL and KITV each won three other television awards.
In radio, Craig DeSilva and Heidi Chang of KHPR won awards.
Policeman doing time for destroying evidence
LIHUE -- A Kauai police officer convicted of destroying evidence in the Monica Alves Peralto lap-dancing case is serving a 30-day jail term before he returns to work.Randall Machado, 33, began his sentence June 5 at the Kauai Community Correctional Center.
Machado has worked as a patrolman at the Hanalei substation since his reinstatement by Police Chief George Freitas in January. He's expected to return to work after completing his sentence.
He was convicted in November 1996 of destroying sexually explicit photographs taken of Alves Peralto while she was being held at police headquarters in Lihue in September 1995.
According to court records, Freitas asked that Machado be allowed to serve his sentence on his days off from work because of department manpower needs. Circuit Judge George Masuoka denied the request.
Alves Peralto and her husband Mitchell Peralto were convicted in January of the July 1997 murder of Kimberly Washington Cohen. They are serving life sentences without the possibility of parole.
Federal funds in works for projects in Hawaii
A marine mammal research center at the Natural Energy Laboratory on the Big Island could get $1 million in planning funds in an energy and water development appropriations bill passed by the U.S. Senate.Under the same bill, the Plant Biotechnology Center on Oahu could get $1 million.
The measure, which would provide more than $9 million for Hawaii projects, still faces a House-Senate conference committee before final votes.
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Police/Fire
By Star-Bulletin staffThree injured critically in traffic accidents
Three men, injured in traffic incidents over the weekend, are in critical condition in Queen's Hospital.Police are conducting an attempted-murder investigation into one of the cases, which occurred Saturday afternoon in Chinatown.
The other two incidents involve a wreck on the H-1 freeway and a pedestrian who was struck in Kalihi.
A Makakilo man, 19, crashed his car early Saturday into an H-1 concrete median wall, about 3.3 miles east of the Makakilo Drive overpass. The pedestrian, 66, was hit by a car at 3:15 p.m. yesterday near Gulick and North King streets.
The man injured in Chinatown reportedly was operating a moped while hanging onto a moving car when the car slammed into two parked vehicles on Smith and Pauahi streets at 2:40 p.m.
The driver of the car fled the scene and is still at large. Police said he and the injured man were involved in a drug dispute.
Red Cross gives aid to burned-out family
The American Red Cross is assisting a Kahului, Maui, family whose home was destroyed by fire Saturday night.The agency provided temporary shelter and vouchers for the family of two adults and three children displaced by the fire at 783 Pomaikai Place.
Maui brush fire halts some traffic on Maui
WAILUKU -- Traffic on the main highway between Lahaina and central Maui was halted for about eight hours yesterday because of a brush fire in hilly terrain near McGregor Point.Police allowed a lane of traffic through the area at 11 p.m. and two lanes by 1:05 a.m.
Authorities said there were no injuries, and no structures were destroyed in the fire, which has burned several hundred acres of brush. It is contained, but still burning.
Police Sgt. David Silva said police received irate calls from some people who were going to miss their airline flights, and that there were a few minor accidents by motorists taking a back road from Lahaina to central Maui.
Assistant Fire Chief Clayton Ishikawa said state conservation officials were expected to join county firefighters this morning.
Ishikawa said police have been monitoring the fire and waiting for helicopters to assist in dousing the blaze.
"The terrain is so bad, the only way we can fight the fire is with the choppers," Ishikawa said.
Ishikawa said the cause of the fire remains unknown, but initial reports indicate it started on the mauka side of Honoapiilani Highway near McGregor Point and spread toward the Wailuku tunnel.
Maui woman stabbed; suspect is charged
WAILUKU -- An 80-year-old Maui woman was in guarded condition with a stab wound this morning at Maui Memorial Hospital. The stabbing occurred in the parking lot of Cabebe Apartments in Wailuku.Maui Police Sgt. David Silva said no motive for the stabbing of Maria Pang at about 7 a.m. Saturday has been determined.
Charged with second-degree attempted murder is 40-year-old James R. Abercrombie. His bail has been set at $50,000. Both Abercrombie and Pang live in the apartment complex, police said.
Big Island man dies after wreck in Puna
Big Island police said a traffic accident on the Keaau-Pahoa road in Puna claimed the life of a 51-year-old Hawaiian Paradise Park man.Police said Eric Jose Lichtl was driving a jeep-like vehicle at about 3 p.m. Saturday when he lost control of it, ran off the road and struck a guardrail. The car overturned, crossed over the center divider and struck another car.
Lichtl was ejected from his car. The other driver was not hurt. It is not known if speed or alcohol were factors. Lichtl was flown to Queen's Hospital, where he died.
Boat's engine quits; two airlifted to shore
HONOKAA, Hawaii -- Fire Department rescue personnel using a county helicopter airlifted two men from a boat whose engine died yesterday after a rough crossing of the Alenuihaha Channel between the Big Island and Maui, fire officials said.The two men, Jack Furtado and Michael Harber, were not injured and were expected today to try to retrieve the boat, anchored about a mile off Honokaa.
They were shuttling the 32-foot Radon boat from Oahu when they radioed for help at 5:11 p.m. yesterday, officials said.
See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
See our [Search] [Info] section for subscription information.
