HAWAI'I BRIEFS
Sixth man indicted in crime ring case
Advertiser Staff
A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted a sixth man in connection with an alleged organized crime and gambling operation.
Faimafili Lulu was charged with three counts of racketeering and accused of participating in an illegal gambling operation, extortion and robbery. He is accused of taking part in the extortion and robbery of a rival illegal gambling house in Pearl City, court documents said.
In February, a grand jury indicted four others in the case, including two men accused of killing two men and wounding another at the Pali Golf Course in January 2004. Rodney Joseph Jr. and Kevin "Poncho" Gonsalves, who are awaiting trial on the murder charges on the state level, were charged with racketeering and murder.
Also indicted were Kai Ming Wang, also known as "A Fook," who is accused of being the ringleader of the gambling operation, and Siaosi Alapati, accused of participating in the operation.
In March, Ethan Motta was indicted on racketeering charges relating to the Pali shootings. Motta, Joseph and Gonsalves remain in federal custody and their trial is set for August.
SCIENCE TEACHERS MEET TOMORROW
The Hawaii Science Teachers Association will hold its spring conference tomorrow at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa's Watanabe Hall and Physical Sciences Building.
Several topics will be presented in two breakout workshop sessions from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Topics will include volcanology and GPS monitoring of volcanoes, Kalihi Valley Nature Park, physics devices teachers can make, kitchen chemistry, rocketry for the classroom and more.
The conference begins at 8 a.m. for registration. There is a $15 fee for nonmembers; no fee for members.
For more information, visit www.hasta.us or call Jim Redmond at 277-1091.
SUNSET BEACH
STATE GIVES $2 MILLION FOR SCHOOL OFFICE
The state has released more than $2 million for construction of a new administration building at Sunset Beach Elementary School.
The school's current administration building is housed in a 926-square-foot portable classroom. The new building will be about 4,680 square feet and will include offices for the principal, vice principal, counselors and student services coordinator. It will also house a health room, mechanical room, telecommunications room and a staff lounge.
The total project cost is $2.3 million. In March 2005, $297,000 was released for design work.
KAUA'I
MISSING GIRL, 14, BACK WITH FAMILY
Police have found a 14-year-old girl who had been reported missing from her Kaua'i home since Friday.
Kyscha Ollila was reunited with her family, said officials with the Kaua'i Police Department.
SEWER BILLS CAN BE PAID ONLINE
Kaua'i residents can now pay their bimonthly sewer bills online at www.kauai.gov/sp.
After logging on to the Web site, bill payers can input their account number and indicate a choice of paying by credit card or checking account. An electronic receipt will be issued via e-mail.
The launch of the online payment system was timed to coincide with the mailing of April's sewer bills. The county is planning to provide online payment of motor vehicle registration and real property taxes by early 2007, officials said.
MILILANI
SCHOOL CONTAINER DRIVE TOMORROW
Mililani High School's student newspaper, the Trojan Times, will hold a HI 5¢ recycling drive tomorrow in the school's front parking lot.
People may drop off donations of redeemable beverage cans, plastic bottles and glass bottles from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Money raised will help produce the student newspaper.
BIG ISLAND
MAN ARRESTED IN PAHALA SHOOTING
A 47-year-old man was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly threatened three men in Pahala and reportedly fired four to six shots during the confrontation.
Police said they received a report Tuesday that a man threatened a 28-year-old man and a 38-year-old man at a home on Pakalana Street in Pahala around 10 p.m. Tuesday.
The man then went to a home on Huapala Street and threatened a 26-year-old man with the gun, police were told.
Police issued an all-points bulletin for the man, and arrested the suspect at 8:03 p.m. Wednesday. Police said charges are pending.
'EWA BEACH
WOMAN ARRESTED IN PURSE ROBBERY
Police arrested a 31-year-old woman Wednesday as a suspect in the strong-arm robbery three months ago of a 47-year-old woman in 'Ewa Beach.
The older woman told police she was sitting in her car when the younger woman approached, punched her in the chest and took the necklace she was wearing.
The older woman told police the assailant then reached over and grabbed her purse, which was on the seat next to her. The woman told police the younger woman dragged her out of her car as she tried to hold on to the purse, which was eventually taken away from her.
The robber ran away with the purse but police were able to identify a suspect in the case as a result of their investigation and arrested her Wednesday at O'ahu Community Correctional Center on suspicion of second-degree robbery.
