Guard members on security deployment

More than 40 members of the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 154th Security Forces Squadron are deploying to the Central Command’s area of operation for six months, the state announced Saturday.

For security reasons and "host nation sensitivities," the Guard is not disclosing the specific country. The command, based in Tampa, Fla., is responsible for an area covering 18 nations in Southwest Asia and the Middle East.

The airmen will provide base and perimeter security as well as security teams during the deployment.

Most left Friday night, the Guard said.

For several of the airmen, this will be their sixth deployment since Sept. 11, 2001.

UH professor to head education office

An associate professor of Native Hawaiian and indigenous politics has been appointed general education director for the University of Hawaii’s Manoa campus.

Hokulani Aikau’s appointment was announced last week.

The university says she will help develop and implement the general education curriculum, overseeing the staff of the General Education Office, which is administratively part of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Aikau joined the Manoa campus in 2005 as an assistant professor.

Police charge alleged driver of stolen truck

A 27-year-old Mountain View man faces criminal charges for allegedly damaging three vehicles while fleeing from police in a stolen truck.

Hawaii island police said an officer saw the suspect, Jerald Cline, enter a stolen truck on Wednesday and drive away.

As Cline attempted to evade the officer, he drove into two parked vehicles and the police car, and nearly struck two pedestrians, police said.

Cline was arrested Thursday at a residence in Mountain View, where police said other stolen vehicles were found.

Cline was charged Friday with three counts of first-degree terroristic threatening, three counts of criminal property damage, three counts of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, resisting an order to stop and resisting arrest.

He is being held at the Hilo cellblock on $99,000 bail.