Man gets 10 years in robbery
HILO » A man convicted of robbing two tourists at knifepoint while they camped on Hawaii island two years ago has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Tyler Kamanao Taylor, 20, previously pleaded guilty to the pre-dawn robbery on Feb. 6, 2013, at Kolekole Beach Park.
Attorney Justin Haspe said Taylor had no previous criminal record and is sorry for what he did, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald newspaper reported. At the time of the robbery, Taylor was addicted to methamphetamine, Haspe said.
Rayna Macher of San Mateo, Calif., and Daniel Toman of San Francisco were asleep when Taylor entered their tent, prosecutors say.
The intruder used a knife to rip through their tent, shined a flashlight in their faces and ransacked their belongings, taking wallets, a laptop, cellphones and a camera, Macher has said. Taylor then fled in the campers’ rented Ford Mustang, officials said.
Possible toxic material probed
The Air Force Office of Special Investigations was examining a possible toxic substance at a residence on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, the Navy said Thursday.
Residents were asked to avoid the area near the residence while the investigation was underway. Students at Hickam Elementary School also were delayed from release "out of an abundance of caution and due to their proximity to the investigation scene," the Navy said.
The Federal Fire Department assisted in the initial investigation and concluded there was no risk to the surrounding community, according to a Navy release.
Shark siting leads officials to close bay
Hanalei Bay was closed Thursday after a shark sighting.
A shark about 15 feet long was spotted at about 4 p.m. in the water fronting Hanalei Pavilion.
Kauai ocean safety personnel have posted "no swimming" signs, and people are being asked to stay out of the water until further notice.
For updates call the Ocean Safety Bureau at 241-4984. For a daily ocean report, visit www.kauai explorer.com.
Anti-tobacco group cleared by ethics panel
The Hawaii County Board of Ethics cleared the Coalition for Tobacco-Free Hawaii of wrongdoing after the group’s executive director apologized for neglecting to register its lobbyists with the county.
Jessica Yamauchi told the board Wednesday that the Honolulu-based group is registered at the state level, West Hawaii Today reported.
Hawaii County requires the registration of lobbyists who spend more than five hours a month attempting to influence policy.
Yamauchi said the group’s lobbyists did not expect to reach that threshold, but that their efforts intensified around the county’s electronic-cigarette legislation.
Coalition lobbyists testified several times in favor of two county bills regulating tobacco products and electronic cigarettes.
The Ethics Board agreed the coalition did not act willfully and is thus not subject to penalties.
