Hunt for escapee racks up $19,500 in OT
The 11-hour search for escaped murder suspect Teddy Munet on Feb. 20 cost the Honolulu Police Department $19,500 in overtime pay, police reported.
Police used 25 plainclothes and uniformed officers to search for Munet, primarily in the Kakaako and Ala Moana areas. Munet escaped at about 8 a.m. while he was being escorted to the intake area of Circuit Court on Punchbowl Street. He was caught after 7:20 p.m. the same day on Waimanu Street.
Schools share $1M for academic efforts
Thirty-two Hawaii public schools were awarded checks totaling $1 million Friday in recognition of steady academic progress.
Prizes for the Department of Education’s first year of "Strive HI" awards ranged in size from $12,500 to $100,000 using funds from the state’s federal Race to the Top grant.
Five schools each received $100,000 for exiting so-called restructuring under the No Child Left Behind law: Hilo Intermediate; King Intermediate; Moanalua Middle; and Halau Ku Mana and Waters of Life public charter schools.
Benjamin Parker and Nanakuli elementary schools each received $50,000 for exiting restructuring.
The awards also recognized schools that ranked in the top 5 percent in the state for reading or math growth, providing grants of $12,500 for each subject area, or $25,000 for schools reaching both marks.
The money must be used for upgrades at the schools.
For a complete list of awards, see https://lilinote.k12.hi.us/STATE/COMM/DOEPRESS.NSF.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Foes of invasive species lauded
The state Senate is recognizing real estate agent Mary Begier and the Hawai‘i Island Chamber of Commerce for their work on invasive species.
State Sen. Malama Solomon presented them with the 2013 Community Hero Award on Monday.
Their citation says they logged more than 110 volunteer days and 800 volunteer hours last year, removing several hundred bags of invasive species from Mauna Kea. They also helped the Office of Mauna Kea Management reach out to parts of the community that hadn’t been involved in invasive species control efforts.
