A plea bargaining deal has given Randal K. Randrup a two year prison term and 10 years probation for shooting his son eight times and dumping the body off a se cliff at MacKenzie State Park in Puna last December. Before sentence was passed, the mother, Lois Randrup, criticized prosecutors for accepting a plea arrangement, telling the “Hawaii Tribune-Herald” that her son was a nuturer and that her former husband was “evil, cold, and self-serving.
Jim Kauahikaua, the scientist in charge of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, tells the “Hawaii Tribune-Herald” that a finger of lava has come within 100 yards of the Kalapana access road. Civil Defense officials believe that for now the trailhead and equipment in the area are not in danger. The county lava viewing trail, which is elevated several yards above the flow, remains open.
No one was injured Tuesday morning when a small school bus crashed and overturned following a collision between a 1996 Ford sedan and the bus at the interseciton of Palai Street and Kilauea Avenue in Hilo. There were no reported injuries from the accident, but the nine students on the bus were taken to the Hilo Medical Center to be examined. Police are asking any witnesses to call the department’s non-emergency number at 935-3311.
Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi proclaimed Tuesday, October 27th, as “BJ Penn Day” on the Big Island. The mayor praised Penn as a positive role model and mentor to youth in our community at a meeting in the fighter’s gym on Kinoole Street. The presentation was made as Penn prepares to defend his Ultimate Fighting Championship world lightweight title in Memphis, Tennessee on December 12th. Mayor Kenoi called on residents to recognize and support the contributions of BJ Penn to our island.
(AP). Candidates for governor next year are suggestin ways that controversial teahcer furloughs could be halted or reduced. Democratic Representative Neil Abercrombie says a new labor contract for public school teachers could be reopened. Repblican attorney John Carroll says he would reduce staffing in the top echelons of the state Department of Education. And Republican Lt. Governor James Aiona says state education officials and the teacher union can restore instructional days if they so choose. Democratic Honolulu Mufi Hannemann declined a request to be interviewed.
(AP). A Japanese navy ship has intercepted a medium-rang ballistic missile in a test off Hawaii. The U.S. military fired the test’s target yesterday from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai. The JS Myoko detected the target, tracked it, and then fired a SM-3 interceptor missile from its deck. The interceptor hit the target over the Pacific Ocean.
The Berry Company is recognizing St. Joseph Elementary School with a check for $700 for its first place standing in this year’s “Think Yellow, Go Green” Telephone Directory Recycling Contest. The prize money will b eused to fund the extracurricular robotics club. As a school, St. Joseph Elementary collected nearly 7,000 pounds of telephone directories, the equivalent of more than 2,300 phone books in total. The check will be presented this Friday at 1:15 pm.