Police identify apparent drowning victim
Big Island police on Tuesday identified the 71-year-old man who apparently drowned Monday in waters off Old Kohala Mill Road, also known as Old Halaula Lighthouse Road, in North Kohala.
The victim has been identified as Alfredo Orita, according to the Hawaii County Police Department. Police determined Orita was apparently fishing at the time of the incident, reported at 11:23 a.m.
A 71-year-old woman, identified as Orita’s companion, reported that Orita was using a throw net along the coastline near the lighthouse when she lost sight of him for several minutes, according to police. She then saw him floating face down in the ocean.
A Hawaii County Fire Department helicopter was dispatched and located Orita’s body about 200 yards offshore. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death, according to police.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Officer Dale Ku at 889-6540.
Calif. man faces murder charge in Hawaii
HONOLULU — A Southern California man is facing extradition to Hawaii in the killing of a man whose dismembered body was found in a ravine.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported a U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force helped arrest Bryan Suitt Monday at his family’s home on Coronado Island in San Diego.
The marshals office said there will be a hearing in California to return him to Hawaii to face the murder charge.
A couple collecting cans and bottles for recycling found the dismembered and decomposing body of Alexis Gonzales in September in a central Oahu ravine.
Suitt was booked at the San Diego County Jail and is being held on $5 million bail. Relatives didn’t immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
Police have not revealed a motive for the killing.
Ulupono investing $17.5M in Kauai dairy venture
LIHUE, Kauai — An investment company wants to revitalize Hawaii’s dairy industry and increase local milk production by establishing a dairy farm on Kauai.
Ulupono Initiative is investing $17.5 million in a grass-fed dairy on 582 acres leased from Grove Farm Co.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Monday the socially minded investment organization’s venture would be the biggest dairy in the state. It would roughly double the supply of local milk.
Most of the milk consumed in Hawaii comes from the mainland. Until 1984, local dairies produced all of Hawaii’s milk.
Ulupono said they hope the dairy leads to more grass-fed dairies across the state.
The Garden Island reported Sunday Hawaii Dairy Farms will be based on the New Zealand pastoral dairy model, which uses grass as the primary feed source.
Hawaii medical volunteers to head to Philippines
HONOLULU — A group of Hawaii doctors, nurses and other medical volunteers will be traveling to the Philippines to help typhoon victims.
The Philippine Medical Association of Hawaii said they are preparing for the humanitarian mission to the typhoon-devastated Visayas region of the Philippines. The mission is scheduled for Dec. 13 to 23.
All 40 volunteers are paying for their own travel, lodging and other expenses. The team expects to serve as many as 25,000 typhoon survivors over five days.
Parts of central and southern Philippines were battered earlier this month by fierce winds and tsunami-like storm surges from Typhoon Haiyan, locally called Yolanda. Volunteers said they’re bracing for a challenging mission under difficult conditions.
‘Hawaii Five-O’ recreates internment camp for show
HONOLULU — The creators of the CBS drama “Hawaii Five-O” recently rebuilt an Oahu internment camp used during World War II to detain Japanese, German and Italian internees and prisoners of war shipped to the islands.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported the camp will be shown in an episode airing Dec. 13.
The plot involves an elderly Japanese man who seeks revenge for a murder he witnessed at Honouliuli Internment Camp with his family in 1943.
Steve McGarrett’s “Five-O” team investigates the crime as a cold case.
Executive producer Peter Lenkov wanted to include the internment experience ever since he read about it while researching Hawaii history before writing the series pilot.
Lenkov said it’s a powerful story that most people don’t know about.
By local and wire sources