Second Schofield soldier named in crash

Another of the four soldiers killed in a Black Hawk helicopter crash in Afghanistan Thursday has been identified as a Schofield Barracks soldier.

Chris Workman’s parents received the news of their son’s death from military personnel Friday morning, according to the Idaho Statesman, which spoke to Workman’s godparents.

"He had a heart of gold, that boy," Angelo Papapavlos, of Pocatello, told the paper. "He respected us as godparents like he did his own parents. He would always keep in contact."

Before moving to Hawaii about two years ago to join the 71st Chemical Company at Schofield Barracks, Workman, 33, lived in Boise, where he was an active member of a Greek Orthodox church, the paper said.

All four American crew members were killed as the chopper responded to a suicide attack on a police checkpoint during a night flight in bad weather, the Associated Press reported. One of the four has been identified unofficially as Dean Shaffer of Pekin, Ill., a crew chief with the 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment. No ranks were available.

Labor board’s decision upheld

A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a National Labor Relations Board’s decision that two reporters fired from a Hilo newspaper should be reinstated with back pay.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied the Hawaii Tribune-Herald’s appeal of an NLRB decision that reporters Dave Smith and Hunter Bishop were illegally fired.

In 2005, Bishop was given a termination letter from editor David Bock that said he was “disrespectful of supervisory authority, insubordinate and disruptive of my efforts to have a conversation with one of our employees.” Bishop had been trying to determine if an employee needed a union witness for a meeting with Bock.

Smith was fired for secretly recording a meeting with Bock in which the editor gave him a warning about productivity.

Bock and publisher Ted Dixon did not return calls for comment. The newspaper is owned by Stephens Media of Las Vegas.

Bishop is now deputy director of the county Department of Environmental Management.

Senate honors taro festival

Maui Sen. J. Kalani English on Saturday presented the 20th annual East Maui Taro Festival with a Senate certificate of recognition. The Hana native helped organize the first East Maui Taro Festival.

The event at the Hana Ballpark included a farmers market, food booths, arts and crafts, and hula. English said the event helps bring children and seniors together using taro as a common thread.