Isle-based commanding officer fired

The Navy has confirmed that the commanding officer of the Hawaii-based guided-missile destroyer the Hopper has been relieved of his responsibilities due to allegations of fraternization with a junior sailor.

Naval Surface Force Pacific spokesman Cmdr. David Russell confirmed to multiple news agencies, including the San Diego Union Tribune and the Navy Times, that Cmdr. Jeffrey Tamulevich was fired by Rear Adm. Brian Ford, commander of Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific, on Monday and that an investigation is being conducted into his alleged relationship with the sailor.

Capt. Joseph Ring, deputy commodore of Destroyer Squadron 31, has been tapped to serve as temporary commanding officer of the Hopper.

Tamulevich, 42, assumed command of the Hopper in July.

Tamulevich’s dismissal is the latest in a string of recent Navy command firings that has seen the removal of Cmdr. Tammy Royal as commander of the dock landing ship Harpers Ferry; Capt. Heedong Choi as head of the Navy ROTC program at State University of New York’s Maritime College; and Master Chief Jeremy Embree as commander master chief of Naval Air Facility El Centro.

Kealohas face new indictment

A federal grand jury returned a new indictment Thursday against retired Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha and his deputy prosecutor wife, Katherine Kealoha.

The superseding indictment replaces the bank fraud and related identity theft charges contained in the previous indictment, on which the Kealohas are scheduled to stand trial in November. It does not contain any new allegations.

Federal prosecutors are expected to present another new indictment to the grand jury to replace the charges accusing the Kealohas and four former members of the Honolulu Police Department’s elite Criminal Intelligence Unit of framing Katherine Kealoha’s uncle with stealing the Kealohas’ mailbox and lying to cover up their actions. A trial on those charges is scheduled for March.

New monk seal fund established

A new fund supporting Hawaiian monk seal research has been established at the University of Hawaii Foundation.

Marilyn Dunlap, associate director of the Pacific Biosciences Research Center and director of the Biological Electron Microscope Facility, has donated $45,000 to the UH Foundation to create the DB and Marilyn Dunlap Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Fund.

The fund is in honor of her late husband, Danny Brooks “DB” Dunlap, and his tireless work researching and protecting Hawaiian monk seals on Oahu.