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Haness rejects public defender
(Garden Island News) (10.31.05)
The man accused of using a visitor's credit card to buy a plane ticket could be getting a new attorney. Clinton Haness last week told Fifth Circuit Court Chief Judge George Masuoka that he did not want attorneys in the state public defender's office to represent him in court. He said that he wanted a court-appointed attorney.
No one hurt when blaze guts home in Hanalei
(Garden Island News) (10.30.05)
A large wooden structure used as a partial warehouse and also as a residence was totally destroyed by fire in Hanalei this morning. There were no injuries reported, according to Kaua'i Fire Department officials. The 2,000-square-foot building was located on the mauka side of Kuhio Highway, next to Hanalei Center.
KIUC likely won't seek rate reduction
(Garden Island News) (10.30.05)
Saying member rebates and the elimination of certain charges amount to rate reductions, leaders at Kaua'i Island Utility Cooperative apparently won't petition members of the state Public Utilities Commission to lower rates for members. KIUC owners (members) pay some of the highest per-kilowatt-hour rates in the country, and the highest of any cooperative.
Wilcox has better security; no identity thefts reported
(Garden Island News) (10.30.05)
Wilcox Memorial Hospital officials said they have not yet discovered any cases of identity theft connected to the disappearance of the Social Security numbers of 130,000 former and current Wilcox Memorial Hospital that were lost Oct. 5 when a tiny thumb drive, used for back-up data, disappeared. They also still have no idea what happened to the thumb drive.
KIUC head has history as spender
(Garden Island News) (10.28.05)
Current Kaua'i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) President and Chief Executive Officer Harry A. 'Dutch' Achenbach's tenure as the general manager of Metlakatla (Alaska) Power and Light was basically a success, according to Metlakatla City Councilman William Wilson. The only drawback was that city officials had to 'cap' his spending for trips to the Mainland, Wilson said.
North Shore (Oahu) season to kick into high gear
(Honolulu Advertiser) (10.28.05)
The North Shore's famous surfing season will begin soon with the 22nd annual Xcel Pro. More than 150 surfers from around the world are expected to compete in the three-day contest at Sunset Beach. Competition will run on the three best days between today and Nov. 10. We've had the same concept since the start - to highlight the young surfers, and give all the surfers a chance to get ready for the rest of the season,' contest owner Ed D'Ascoli said.
KIUC board silent on member questions
(Garden Island News) (10.27.05)
Kaua'i Island Utility Coop (KIUC) board members came under the gun Wednesday at their regularly-scheduled board meeting. About 17 concerned co-op members attended, intent on getting answers to their questions concerning board spending, rates, and KIUC board and leadership accountability to membership. What they got was silence, until two of them were called 'crooks.'
Irons, Slater showdown set
(Sportal Australia) (10.27.05)
Hawaiian Andy Irons will be looking to secure his fourth world crown and, in doing so thwart American Kelly Slater's hopes of a seventh at Santa Catarina in Brazil. The Nova Schin Festival in Florianopolis begins on Monday, October 30 and will play host to one of the hottest showdowns for world championship glory in the history of pro surfing.
Keeping it Core: North Shore (Oahu) shaper Bret Marumoto
(Ka Leo O Hawaii - U of H) (10.27.05)
Down a muddy dirt road, nestled from view by big shady trees, away from the North Shore crowds, lies the house and workshop of shaper Bret Marumoto. The years of hard work have yet to show their mark on this 36-year-old professional surfboard shaper. His youthful features and vibrant attitude masks his 20 years of shaping experience. While raising his two young daughters he manages his surfboard shaping company: Bret Boards Hawai'i.
Kyono, Willis join Princeville course
(Honolulu Advertiser) (10.27.05)
Two-time Hawai'i State Stroke Play champion Rachel Kyono and James Willis have joined the Princeville Prince Golf Course as assistant professionals. In addition, assistant pro Ryan Forster has moved from the Prince Course to the Makai Course, and Steve Murphy, head pro at the Prince Course, has obtained membership in the PGA of America.
Unique Hawaii moorhen needs human protection
(Honolulu Star-Bulletin) (10.27.05)
Hawaii is a very small state, but it has so many endangered species. Hawaii has one-third of the animals on the nation's endangered species list. That is a lot of animals! Ninety percent of Hawaii's endangered animals are endemic. Endemic means that a plant or animal lives only in a certain place in the world.
Baptiste announces re-election bid
(Garden Island News) (10.26.05)
Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste wants an encore. Baptiste announced plans Tuesday night to seek another, four-year term as mayor in 2006. In the past three years, Baptiste has championed the building of more affordable housing, put together programs with community-member support to fight drug use, supported legislation to protect public access, and backed programs to prepare youths for future careers, he said. Baptiste made his announcement during the celebration of his 50th birthday at the Kauai Veteran's Center in Lihu'e. The gathering was sponsored by folks supporting Baptiste's second run for mayor, and was attended by several hundred supporters.
Gas costs may fall another 18 cents
(Honolulu Star-Bulletin) (10.26.05)
Price caps on wholesale gasoline are expected to come down again next week, just as the state Public Utilities Commission is set to receive proposals from oil companies on how to adjust the price control mechanism. The PUC is scheduled to publish next week's caps later today. Preliminary calculations by the Star-Bulletin indicate a drop of about 18 cents. The decline comes after drops of 12 cents and 44 cents the previous two weeks. The drops could bring the cost for regular gasoline below $3 a gallon on all islands.
Why doesn't KIUC petition to lower rates?
(Garden Island News) (10.25.05)
Leaders of the Kaua'i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) did not fully answer e-mailed questions asking why they have not approached their lenders, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC, a nonprofit entity) seeking permission to apply for rate decreases with state authorities. Kaua'i's electric rates are the highest in the state, and among the highest in the nation, in terms of per-kilowatt-hour charges (a kilowatt-hour is the amount of electrical energy consumed when 1,0000 watts are used for one hour). Nor did they explain whether the purchase of nine cars for more than $239,000 (or over $26,500 per vehicle) was for KIUC managers.
Commercial catches threaten Hawaiian fish
(ESPN Outdoors) (10.25.05)
Commercial fishing has sharply depleted numbers of several species in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and threatens the health of the pristine island chain's ecosystem, according to a private study released Monday. Populations of the opakapaka, or Hawaiian pink snapper, have plummeted 90 percent in 10 years, according to the Ocean Conservancy and the Marine Conservation Biology Institute.
World Premiere of Billabong's latest movie: Passion Pop
(Global Surf News) (10.25.05)
After a year of capturing Billabong's hottest young team talent from around the world, the highly anticipated 2005 surf movie Passion Pop is hot off the G5 and ready for screening. Starring the likes of Taj Burrow, Andy Irons, Joel Parkinson, James Wood, Jordy Smith, Shaun Cansdell and Luke Dorrington, Passion Pop takes its name from the frontside off the lip shouvit, patented by the unpredictable talent of Sunshine Coast surfer Wade Goodall.
First humpback is spotted off Kauai
(Honolulu Star-Bulletin) (10.25.05)
The sighting of the first humpback whale 'is one of the signs of the change of the seasons' in Hawaii, said David Mattila, science and rescue coordinator for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Usually it is Maui or the Big Island that reports the first humpback in the fall. This year, Kauai took the honor on Oct. 14, when people on two different boats saw a small humpback off the southern coast of Kauai, said Capt. Dave Kalthoff, of Blue Dolphin Charters.
Cultural activities help solve community challenges
(Garden Island News) (10.24.05)
'There are so many positives,' said Dave Boynton, one of the Malama Kalihiwai leaders. About three dozen students, teachers, and parents from neighboring Kilauea and Hanalei schools converged at the beach-front Akana boathouse along the Kalihiwai River for a day of education and fun. 'It is place-based. It's hands-on. And, it's filled with science content that covers many of the (educational) standards,' Boynton said of the Malama Kalihiwai program.
Wildlife tours are eye-openers for city dwellers
(Honolulu Star-Bulletin) (10.23.05)
Carl Berg, owner and founder of Hawaiian Wildlife Tours on Kauai, likes to tell the story about a couple from Los Angeles who retained his services a few years ago in hope that he could show them nene (Hawaiian geese), Hawaii's state bird. 'They had seen nene on a previous trip to Hawaii and wanted to get photos of them,' recalls Berg. 'I took them to Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge because that's where nene are easily seen on Kauai.'
Motion made to exclude evidence
(Garden Island News) (10.23.05)
A man accused of being behind the wheel of a car that hit a motorcycle from behind, then ran over the passenger on the motorcycle, causing serious injuries, wants to suppress evidence found during what his attorney called an illegal search. Byron Say was arrested and charged in connection with a June 25 accident near Hanalei that sent a woman to the hospital with serious injuries.
Kaiser participates in cardiac study
(Honolulu Star-Bulletin) (10.23.05)
Kaiser Permanente Hawaii surgeons are performing two new procedures to correct congenital heart defects that affect younger people. Michael Johnson, 49, of Princeville, Kauai, and Kaylynn Kamae-Kaopuiki, 34, of Waimanalo were the first to benefit. Johnson has a congenital disorder called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which causes excessive thickening of the heart muscle.
KIUC spends $800,000 for CEO home
(Garden Island News) (10.23.05)
Besides the purchase of a home for $777,617.24 for Kaua'i Island Utility Cooperative President and Chief Executive Officer H.A. 'Dutch' Achenbach, KIUC leaders authorized the purchase of $11,432 in new furniture for the home, and $739.57 for a gas grill for the Pua Ko subdivision home, The Garden Island has learned.
World surfers on top at Piha
(Stuff New Zealand) (10.22.05)
Thousands of spectators rugged up on the beach to watch four of the world's top surfers narrowly beat New Zealand's top four surfers at Piha beach, West of Auckland, today. Hawaiians Sunny Garcia and three-time world champion Andy Irons, and Australians Joel Parkinson and surfing legend Mark Occhilupo, grovelled in the small sloppy Piha surf, just managing to out-perform the home team of Maz Quinn and Bobby Hansen of Gisborne, and Raglan's Daniel Kereopa and Morehu Roberts.
Massive Crowd At Vodafone Surf Sessions
(Surf.co New Zealand) (10.22.05)
Viewed from the air today Piha Beach would have looked like a mass baptism by some 60's cult as thousands flocked to the beach and crowded right to the waters edge to see some of the world's and New Zealand's best mix it up. The doomsayers who predicted that the Friday night rain and wind would keep everyone away, except Noah and his crew, were proven wrong on a scale that few surf events anywhere in the world have ever seen.
Lawyer arrested in wire fraud
(Guam Pacific Daily News) (10.22.05)
A 59-year-old man appeared in the District Court of Guam Friday afternoon after a warrant for his arrest issued in Hawaii three months ago was executed. In the warrant, Andrew Lichtenberg was ordered to answer to the complaint made against him on July 15. Friday afternoon, he was ordered to be taken back to Hawaii by U.S. Marshals by Magistrate Judge of the District Court of Guam Joaquin Manibusan. Lichtenberg, who operated a law firm on Hawaii in 2004, allegedly sold property for a client and deposited the money into a personal account before wiring most of it to an Indonesian bank.
Lender approval needed for KIUC rate decrease
(Garden Island News) (10.22.05)
Kaua'i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) members pay among the highest electric rates in the nation, among coops or investor-owned utilities, according to KIUC officials. And, despite the fact that cooperative officials acknowledge that the high rates are burdensome to some members and that pledges were made when they were negotiating to purchase Kauai Electric from a Mainland-based, for-profit entity, that rates would either be stabilized or actually lowered, there has been no apparent movement to lower rates.
Hot Irons pressed on surfing success
(Stuff New Zealand) (10.21.05)
After three world titles, Andy Irons still has to pinch himself over his life as a professional surfer. 'Every day I get to wake up and think 'am I lucky''. It never gets normal, I just sit back and think 'wow',' the Hawaiian told Raglan's Surf Academy yesterday.
Mother Nature Wins Out Over International Pro Surfers
(Global Surf News) (10.21.05)
There is only so much you can do when the waves don't cooperate at a surf event. But the four internationals here for the Vodafone Surf Sessions were kept more than busy today (Friday) at Manu Bay Raglan on day one of the most anticipated surf event New Zealand has ever seen.
KIUC explains travel costs - vaguely
(Garden Island News) (10.21.05)
How much is Kauai Island Utility Cooperative's (KIUC) board directors' travel costing coop membership, where are they going, and to whom are they accountable? Answers to some of these questions are clear, and some aren't. KIUC officials said at least $90,000 has been spent on travel so far this year, but that is likely a partial reckoning. KIUC directors do not have a hard-and-fast travel budget, but have exceeded it by $26,000 this year, according to KIUC President and Chief Executive Officer H.A. 'Dutch' Achenbach.
Kauai Hospital Missing Drive With Patients' Social Security Numbers
(KITV 4 News) (10.21.05)
Kauai police have been called in to help investigate a missing computer hard drive that contained the Social Security numbers and medical numbers of thousands of patients who have been treated at Wilcox Memorial Hospital. The Kauai hospital said it has lost a thumb drive containing personal information of all of its patients over the last 12 years. The backup drive, which is only two inches long and a half-inch wide, cannot be found.
Survivor never saw wave coming
(Garden Island News) (10.18.05)
Lynn and John Jones never saw it coming. The Neosha, Mo. couple were on Kaua'i celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary when tragedy struck Thursday. The third of a series of strong waves crashed onto the bluffs near Queen's Bath at Princeville, and swept an already-badly-injured-and-incoherent John Jones into the sea, she said. He was 55, and died.
Kauai water rates could increase
(Honolulu Star-Bulletin) (10.18.05)
The Kauai Department of Water is holding a public hearing tomorrow to discuss a proposed rate increase that could top 42 percent over a five-year period. Edward Tschupp, Water Department manager, said the increase will cover a projected $1 million shortfall in fiscal year 2006 and many construction projects to repair old lines.
Gas prices expected to drop
(Garden Island News) (10.16.05)
Gas prices on Kaua'i are scheduled to drop dramatically this week, by as much as 45 cents per gallon for regular, according to the maximum pre-tax wholesale gasoline cap price set by members of the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Martin Rice, author of the Rice Report, which appears weekly, had this advice. 'It may be a few days after the Monday (tomorrow, Monday, Oct. 17) onset before those marquees start reflecting the newer prices. If you can hold off buying until (later this) week, it will be worth your while.'
Hanalei Watershed Hui now official monitor of Hanalei Bay waters
(Garden Island News) (10.15.05)
For the first time in state history, state Department of Health officials have contracted with residents to check ocean and river water quality. But for volunteers and staff of the Hanalei Watershed Hui, it will simply be a continuation of what they've already been doing on a voluntary basis.
Surfing: Irons ripping with feet planted
(The New Zealand Herald) (10.14.05)
Would 20ft do ya? 'Nah, it's not 20 foot down there.' Andy Irons is too relaxed to be spooked by Piha. He's at home on the Hawaiian isle of Kauai, by the barbie, talking about golf on the local courses, hanging out with his girlfriend, a couple of mates, and having a few cold drinks. Perfect preparation for his first trip to New Zealand next week, then. 'Four to six foot and I'll be a happy camper,' he says.
Surf's Up! A storm generates 25-foot surf, resulting in a death and many rescues
(Honolulu Star-Bulletin) (10.14.05)
The first large northwest swell of the winter surf season, with face heights topping 25 feet, prompted beach closings and claimed a life on the north shore of Kauai yesterday. A 55-year-old man from Missouri was swept off the rocks by large waves at Queen's Bath in Princeville and drowned, despite being pulled from the water by lifeguards, county officials said.
Another visitor drowns at Queen's Bath
(Neosho Daily News) (10.14.05)
A freak, but tragic accident claimed the life of a longtime Neosho, Missouri resident Thursday in Hawaii. John Jones, 55, of Neosho was killed Thursday afternoon when he was swept off the rocks by large waves at Queen's Bath in on the north shore of Kauai, one of the Hawaiian Islands.
2 people are arrested in 'ice' bust on Kauai
(Honolulu Star-Bulletin) (10.14.05)
Kauai police say they arrested a drug trafficker and a 'mule' Monday night coming off a Los Angeles flight and found nearly a pound of crystal methamphetamine in their carry-on luggage. Wainiha residents Edward Kauo, 35, and Caitlin Simpson, 20, were both charged with drug trafficking and possession of drug paraphernalia. They were released after posting bail.
Kauai officials unveil adopt-a-park program
(Honolulu Star-Bulletin) (10.13.05)
Kauai officials yesterday announced an adopt-a-park program, modeled after other programs across the state. The county will supply materials for cleanup, including bags and gloves, gardening tools, painting supplies, training, and safety equipment, and volunteers are in line to receive a T-shirt and a plaque for their hard work.
Backers say gas price drop will prove law is working
(Honolulu Star-Bulletin) (10.13.05)
With the possibility of next week's Oahu gas prices going below $3 a gallon for the first time in more than a month, supporters of the state's one-of-a-kind gas price cap law are hailing it as a success. Critics, meanwhile, point out that Hawaii's average retail prices still lead the nation.
Say just says no to drug testing
(Garden Island News) (10.12.05)
A man accused of causing an accident with serious injuries and fleeing the scene of that accident will not have to submit to drug or alcohol testing. Byron Say will not undergo urinalysis procedures as requested by County Deputy Prosecutor Thomas Haia. That idea was shot down Tuesday by Judge Kathleen Watanabe.
Median House Price on Kauai in August Down from July
(KHNL 8 News) (10.10.05)
Home prices on Kauai cooled off a bit in August after hitting a record in July. According to the Hawaii Information Service, the median price of a single family home on the Garden Isle in August was 649-thousand dollars. That's a 28 percent increase when compared to August of last year, when the median price was just under 508-thousand dollars.
Chicks Ready to Ride: 2nd Annual Malibu Pro Surfing Competition
(Canyon News) (10.9.05)
At the second annual Rip Curl Malibu Pro Surfing competition, scheduled October 1-9, Chicks Rule. This event is the only 'stand alone' World Championship Tour event on the U.S. mainland, meaning only women surfers will compete. That the popularity of women's competitive surfing has surged past men's events in recent years and that the competitive field here is made up entirely of young, sleek, attractive, fearless athletes packed with estrogen might be just a few reasons Rip Curl was expecting to draw record crowds to the Malibu Surfrider Beach this week.
Brosnan: I'm No Junk Bond
(San Francisco Chronicle) (10.8.05)
'Casino Royale,' the new James Bond film, is three months away from commencing filming, and after months of wrangling, producers still haven't found an actor to slip into 007's shoulder holster. But the man who was fired from the role, Pierce Brosnan, said Friday that producers could solve their $150 million problem simply by picking up the phone.
Army disposes of bomb found by Kauai jogger
(Honolulu Star-Bulletin) (10.7.05)
A jogger on a morning run yesterday found a suspicious package that turned out to be a bomb, police officials said yesterday. The package was said to 'be suspicious with wires (and duct tape) coming out of it,' Kauai Police Capt. Ale Quibilan said, found by a jogger in the large field across from the Kilauea Post Office at around 8:30 a.m.
Hawaiian sojourn opens new path for woman
(Times Union Albany) (10.7.05)
Julia M. Cadbury may be in her seventh decade of life, but she surely doesn't act her age. Cadbury recently returned from Hawaii, but she didn't go there to soak up the rays on picturesque beaches or visit the typical tourist sites. Instead, she spent two weeks in August doing conservation and maintenance work at the Limahuli National Botanical Gardens, located on a 985-acre preserve on the north coast of the island of Kauai.
Heli USA leaders say they're determined to stay the course until investigation done
(Garden Island News) (10.6.05)
Heli USA Airways' Vice President John Power urged against a rush to judgment against both leaders of his company and pilot Glen Lampton based upon the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB's) preliminary report on the accident that killed three.
RICE - From the ground up
(Honolulu Star-Bulletin) (10.5.05)
This is a story about a craft project that ran amok. But it became a lesson about food processing that taught me to appreciate that bag of rice in the supermarket. Last April, the Honolulu Academy of Arts hosted an exhibit, 'The Art of Rice.' Several water-filled planter boxes were sown with rice to add to the ambience of the culturally rich exhibit. There they were, green sheaths of grass-like plants, bearing grains of rice, a crop once grown in Hawaii in places such as Hanalei Valley, Kauai and Waikiki.
NTSB: Weather Factor in Kauai Crash
(KGMB 9 News) (10.4.05)
Three passengers died in the helicopter crash off Kauai 2.5 weeks ago. Today's report by the National Transportation Safety Board shows bad weather did play a part in the tragedy, but there are many other questions that need answers.
Pilots reported no trouble with rain around time of accident
(Duluth News Tribune) (10.4.05)
Tour helicopter pilots in the vicinity of a Sept. 23 fatal chopper crash off Kauai's North Shore said they had no difficulty maneuvering through a rain storm, according to a preliminary report released Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board.
10 inches of rain falls on Wai'ale'ale
(Garden Island News) (10.3.05)
Nearly 10 inches of rain fell atop Mt. Wai'ale'ale during the 24-hour period ending yesterday, and over six inches fell near the Hanalei River over the same period, according to National Weather Service statistics.
Heavy rain falling on Oahu and Kauai
(KPUA AM 670 Hilo) (10.2.05)
Flash flood warnings issued for Oahu and Kauai are to remain in effect until at least 1:15 am. The weather service says heavy rain over Central Kauai caused a rapid rise in the level of the Hanalei River. It says the highway at the Hanalei River Bridge will likely be closed.
Irons Takes Quiksilver Pro France
(KGMB 9 News) (10.1.05)
The world title of surf hangs in the balance. Kelly Slater had an opportunity to walk away with his seventh world title from a win at the Quiksilver Pro France, but Kauai's Andy Irons had other plans.
Tour company owner defends helicopter pilot
(KPUA AM 670 Hilo) (10.1.05)
An official with a Kauai tour company says the pilot of the company's helicopter that crashed a week ago had undergone rigorous training. Heli U-S-A Airways Vice President John Power says pilot Glen Lampton did nothing out of the ordinary last Friday when the tour helicopter he was flying crashed near Haena Point. Three people died in the crash, but Lampton and two passengers survived.
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