Man to serve 135 months for mailing meth
A Southern California man has been sentenced to about 11 years in prison for mailing six pounds of crystal meth to Hawaii.
Christopher Woolem was sentenced Friday in federal court in Honolulu. Defense attorney Richard Hamar says Woolem’s total sentence is 135 months.
Woolem pleaded guilty in October to conspiracy with intent to possess and distribute methamphetamine.
Co-defendant Vyra Kaopua said Woolem paid her several thousand dollars to accept drug shipments at her Waianae home.
Kaopua was arrested after FedEx security intercepted a package containing six pounds of crystal meth that she signed for. She then helped agents arrest Woolem, of Santa Ana, Calif.
Prosecutors say the street value of the crystal meth involved is between $108,000 and $138,000.
NOAA probes death of whale found on Kauai
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is investigating why a pilot whale was found dead near Hanalei on Kauai’s north shore.
NOAA Fisheries Service spokeswoman Wende Goo said a team of veterinarians and support staff arrived on Kauai to perform a necropsy Friday.
Goo said specimens will be sent to a mainland laboratory for analysis, and results are not expected for at least several days.
The whale was removed from Hanalei Bay on Friday morning.
Kauai officials to hold hearing on GMO rules
Kauai County will hold a public hearing on draft rules of a new ordinance that regulates pesticide use and growth of genetically engineered crops by large commercial agribusinesses on Kauai.
The Office of Economic Development will hold a 6 p.m. hearing Aug. 26 at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall. Draft rules for Ordinance 960 were presented to the public in a series of meetings in May and were reviewed by the state Small Business Regulatory Review Board.
The new law to be implemented Oct. 1 requires large-scale commercial agribusinesses to disclose the type of pesticides they spray on fields and establish buffer zones near schools, dwellings, medical facilities, parks, public roadways, shorelines and waterways. Seed companies have challenged the law in federal court.
The draft rules are available at www. kauai.gov under the "What’s New" section. Written comments on the draft rules may be submitted via email at tmhaumea@kauai.gov.
