Man pleads not guilty in stabbing death
A homeless man accused of stabbing and killing another homeless man in Kailua last month pleaded not guilty Monday in Circuit Court.
Trial for Brian Kim, 48, is scheduled for the week of Oct. 7 before Circuit Judge Randal Lee.
Kim was charged with second-degree murder after a witness told police that he saw Kim lunge toward the victim, identified as Robert Coleman Jr., and that he "appeared to be punching him."
Circuit Judge Richard Perkins continued bail of $250,000 for Kim, who remains in custody at Oahu Community Correctional Center.
The incident took place July 12 at Kailua District Park. The two men had spent the night near the gym and pool area of the park, police said
The witness quoted Coleman as saying, "He stabbed me," according to a police statement.
Kailua residents held two meetings at the park not far from where Coleman was killed and established a neighborhood security watch program.
Flossie had more bluster than bite
At its peak during its short stay in the islands, Flossie dropped 9.3 inches of rain on Kauai and generated gusts of 53 mph over Kahoolawe.
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center released an updated report on Flossie on Monday.
The report said gusts reached 49 mph in Kahului and at Lanai Airport and 44 mph in Kula, Maui.
Despite peak rainfall amounts of 5.3 inches over Maui County and 3.3 inches in Honolulu, rainfall ranged from 1 to 3 inches over most areas, the report said.
The center of the storm reached land and came closest to Kauai early in the morning of July 30.
The heaviest rainfall and thunderstorm activity was over Maui and Hawaii counties July 29, but flooding was relatively minor.
No damage amounts are available yet, but the storm caused boulders to fall on roads on Oahu and Maui and created lightning strikes that damaged one home and caused one injury. At various times during the storm, more than 10,000 homes were without power.
House fire’s origin traced to garage
The cause of a $350,000 Lanai house fire that also destroyed three vehicles Saturday remains undetermined, firefighters said Monday.
The origin of the blaze has been identified as the garage, said fire Capt. Paul Haake.
Damage was $250,000 to the structure, $50,000 to its contents and $50,000 to vehicles on the property, including a new Humvee, Haake said.
No one was injured.
Community meetings set for Kauai
Community outreach meetings have been scheduled for sites around Kauai.
Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho Jr. announced the schedule of meetings to be held from 6 to 8 p.m.:
» Aug. 13: Lihue Neighborhood Center
» Aug. 27: Kalaheo Neighborhood Center
» Aug. 29: Waimea Neighborhood Center
» Sept. 3: Kilauea Neighborhood Center
Each presentation will include a report on county projects, including an update on bus shelters, progress on a new landfill site and waste diversion program, and the ongoing Citizens Technology Survey.
County representatives will field questions, and the Department of Finance will seek feedback on budget priorities for next fiscal year.
Special accommodations, sign language interpreters and interpreters for non-English-speaking persons are available if requested five days prior to the meeting.
Contact the Office of the Mayor at 241-4900 or via email at sblane@kauai.gov.
