Judicial nominees will be considered in special session

The state Senate will meet in a special session next week to consider two judicial appointments.

The session will be held Tuesday and Wednesday to consider the nomination of Dakota K.M. Frenz to District Family Court on Hawaii island and Michael K. Soong to District Court on Kauai.

Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald appointed Frenz and Soong on Sept. 2 from a list of nominees submitted by the Judicial Selection Committee.

The state Constitution allows the Senate 30 days from the date of the appointment to consider and either confirm or reject the appointments.

The Senate Committee on Judiciary and Labor will hold a hearing on the appointments Monday at 10:30 a.m. in Conference Room 325.

The Senate will then convene for the first day of the special session at 11 a.m. Tuesday in the state Capitol auditorium. The second day of the session is scheduled begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday, and will adjourn following action by the full Senate on the nominations.

Woman charged with burglary

Police charged a Puna woman Friday with numerous offenses related to a burglary in the Hawaiian Paradise Park subdivision on Sept. 3.

According to police, the items taken from the 15th Avenue home included tools, jewelry, household items, personal documents and blank checks.

Bella Carvalho of Pahoa was arrested in Orchidland on Wednesday and charged Friday with 18 offenses including one count each of burglary, theft, habitual property crimes and promoting a harmful drug; four counts of unauthorized possession of confidential information; and 10 counts of forgery.

Her bail was set at $195,000. As of Friday evening Carvalho remained in the police cellblock pending her initial court appearance on Monday.

Phone scams prompt warning

Hawaii County police are warning the public about a wave of telephone scams.

Police said that over the past few days, Kona police received five reports of scams in which victims are contacted via phone and asked to purchase iTunes gift cards in specific dollar amounts, then told to await further instructions. In other variations of the scam, victims are asked to pay for fraudulent claims of delinquent energy bills, back taxes or bail for a family member.

Police warn to not respond to requests for information or payment that come by telephone or through the internet.