Missing Kailua-Kona man sought by police
Hawaii Island police are searching for a 27-year-old Kailua-Kona man who was reported missing.
David Twigg-Smith was last seen by his family on Oct. 10 in Kailua-Kona. He has a medical condition that requires medication.
He is described as 5-foot-1, 185 pounds with curly brown hair and brown eyes. He may have a beard. He frequents beach areas in Kona.
Police ask anyone with information on his whereabouts to call the police department’s nonemergency line at 935-3311.
Callers who prefer to remain anonymous may call the islandwide Crime Stoppers number at 961-8300. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.
Arrest made in Waikoloa affray
A Waikoloa man is in police custody in connection with an affray in Waikoloa early Monday that sent two men to the hospital.
At 5 a.m. Monday, South Kohala patrol officers responded to a report of a possible domestic abuse incident on Makuakane Street in Waikoloa Village. While en route, police received additional reports that a man was threatening a woman with a gun, that an affray was in progress involving several individuals and that someone had been stabbed.
When officers arrived, a man was being detained by individuals at the scene, who reported he was responsible for threatening a woman with a firearm and for cutting two men with a knife. Police recovered a knife and arrested 20-year-old Gary Morrison of Waikoloa.
A 21-year-old Hawi man had a laceration to his arm and a 22-year-old Waikoloa man had a laceration to his leg. Both men were taken to North Hawaii Community Hospital, where they were treated for their injuries and released.
Police took Morrison first to the South Kohala police station for processing and then to the Kona police cellblock while detectives from the Area II Criminal Investigations Section continue the investigation.
Firefighters extinguish Hawaiian Acres structure fire
The cause of a Hawaiian Acres structure fire Monday is “undetermined,” according to the Hawaii County Fire Department.
Responding to a 12:13 p.m. call, firefighters discovered an approximately 24-by-52-foot single-story house on Lehua Street in flames. The garage was fully involved with some fire extension through a crawl space over the living area.
Firefighters controlled the fire from spreading further into the living quarters. The blaze was extinguished at 12:47 p.m. by using approximately 3,000 gallons of water. The scene was then turned over to the fire inspector.
No evacuations, roadblocks or injuries were reported. Damage to the home was estimated at $120,000, according to the Fire Department.
American Red Cross volunteers also responded to the fire, which affected one person and caused major damage to the home. Red Cross volunteers went to the scene to address the immediate emergency needs of anyone affected, such as shelter, food and clothing, are being met. Caseworkers will continue to follow up with the family to ensure their immediate needs are met, and to provide referrals to assist with their disaster recovery.
State offers online holiday shopping safety tips
The Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Office of Consumer Protection on Tuesday warned Hawaii residents to protect themselves as they gear up for the holiday shopping season.
“One of the biggest complaints we hear about is Internet fraud,” said Office of Consumer Protection Executive Director Bruce Kim . “Many people will spend the holiday weekend at the malls and online to make their gift purchases. We want to make sure Hawaii residents are wary of the con artists lurking on the Web.”
Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving Day, has been a high sales day for online shopping, according to the office. The director has provided the following tips for Hawaii residents to protect their identities and bank accounts from potential fraud when shopping on the Internet:
• Only do business with reputable companies.
• Use a secure browser. The website address should begin with https:, instead of the usual http:.
• Use one credit card to make all online purchases.
• Print and save all receipts and confirmations.
• Make sure you clearly understand a company’s return policy.
• Never respond to an offer by way of a spam or bulk email. If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
• If you receive an email asking for personal information, do not hit the reply button or click on any link in the email. Instead, go directly to the sender’s website by typing in its web address.
Matson raising its shipping rates
Matson Navigation Co. is increasing its Hawaii service container rates effective Jan. 4.
Matson will increase the Hawaii service rates by $225 per westbound container and $110 per eastbound container, according to a prepared statement released Tuesday.
The company said it is not increasing its terminal handling charge.
For most Hawaii customers, the increases will result in shipping costs rising by an average 5.4 percent, according to the company.
The increases will be filed with the Surface Transportation Board.
Dave Hoppes, senior vice president of ocean services, said the rate increase will help offset rising operating costs as well as support investments in Hawaii service. He said the increase is identical to increases implemented in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Matson also announced it is increasing its Guam and Micronesia service container rates effective Jan. 25.
Matson will increase the rates by $225 per container for both eastbound and westbound services, according to a prepared statement released Tuesday. The rate increase also applies to the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, the Republic of Palau and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
The company said it is not increasing its terminal handling charge.
The increases will be filed with the Surface Transportation Board and the Federal Maritime Commission.
Hoppes said it is the second increase for the Guam and Micronesia services in four years. He said the increase will help offset rising operating costs as well as support investments in service.
According to the company, in the past decade, Matson has invested nearly $1 billion in four new container ships, fleet enhancements, new container equipment, information technology and upgrades to its terminal facilities.
Japanese man gets back boat lost in 2011 tsunami
HONOLULU — A Japanese man has been reunited with a small boat that got swept away in the deadly 2011 tsunami and found three years later on a small atoll about 800 miles southwest of Hawaii.
Tomomune Matsunaga of Fukushima prefecture lost his home and personal watercraft to the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami that killed 16,000 people.
Hawaii volunteer Danielle Lampe was conducting a bird survey for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Johnston Atoll when she found Matsunaga’s boat in May, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Monday.
A student training vessel carried the watercraft from Honolulu to Japan, and Matsunaga got it back on Nov. 10, his birthday.
In a letter thanking people who returned the boat, Matsunaga said the vessel brings back memories of working on it in his garage and of his children playing on it. He wrote he looks forward to using it again when it’s repaired in a few years.
“No doubt, in a few years time, I will be enjoying leisure in the small boat with my children … as we did in the happy days before March 10, 2011,” he wrote.
The Japanese appreciate that some of the items washing up in other countries can be returned for sentimental purposes, said Megan Lamson, the marine debris project coordinator for the nonprofit Hawaii Wildlife Fund.
Out of thousands of potential items, 53 have been confirmed as stemming from the tsunami, she said. They were found in Alaska, Hawaii and on the West Coast.
Owner of ship that damaged Oahu reef to pay $840,000
HONOLULU — The federal government and the state of Hawaii have reached an agreement for damages from the owner of a cargo ship that harmed more than 100,000 coral colonies several years ago when it ran aground off Oahu.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Denak Ship Management and Vogetrader Shipping Inc. will pay $840,000 to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The agency said the 733-foot bulk carrier Vogetrader with a load of coal damaged 103,027 coral colonies when it ran aground Feb. 5, 2010, off Kalaeloa Barbers Point Harbor.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will use $695,657 to restore or protect coral reef habitat and oversee restoration. The rest of the money will reimburse the agency for assessing damage.
The public will have 30 days to comment on the settlement.
Honolulu council candidate seeks recount or new vote
HONOLULU — A Honolulu City Council candidate defeated by 41 votes in the November election is asking the Hawaii Supreme Court for a recount or a new election.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Tommy Waters lost the 4th District seat to Trevor Ozawa by a final count of 16,374 votes to 16,333 votes.
In a 78-page challenged filed Monday, Waters said the Office of Elections listed 4,451 blank votes.
Waters said with that many blank votes, it’s reasonable to suspect a margin of error great enough to question the results.
He said if 74 of the blank votes were cast for him or Ozawa or Waters, it could tip the election.
Ozawa said the Elections Office has its own internal auditing system and he has faith in its process.
By local and wire sources