4 isle volunteers to help with Irene relief

Four American Red Cross volunteers from Hawaii will leave for the East Coast to assist in emergency relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene.

Bill Berg, Christina Bell, Renise Bayne and Trevor Keetch will leave Thursday for Boston where they will help distribute supplies and other items.

Since Friday, the Red Cross said it has assisted thousands of people affected by the hurricane. It has shipped thousands of kits, ice chests, tarps and other supplies for recovery efforts.

To donate to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief effort, go to www.redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions may also be sent to the American Red Cross, Hawaii State Chapter, 4155 Diamond Head Road, Honolulu, HI 96816, or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Hilo man pleads guilty to killing 5-year-old girl

A Hilo man has pleaded guilty to drowning his girlfriend’s 5-year-old daughter in the bathtub of a Wainaku apartment.

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported Tuesday that Anthony Poulin, 32, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Javieanne Winn.

In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped two counts of first-degree sexual assault and a domestic abuse charge. Poulin was accused of raping and killing the first-grader in September 2009.

In court, Poulin said he was accepting the plea deal but he doesn’t believe he’s guilty. He wrote a letter to the newspaper saying he saw someone unfamiliar in front of the apartment before he found the girl floating face-down in the tub.

He is expected to be sentenced Nov. 1.

Driver identified in van crash

Hawaii County police identified Tuesday the driver killed in a one-vehicle crash Monday as Reginald N. Iwasaki, 67, of Hilo.

Iwasaki was driving a GMC van east on Macadamia Road in Keaau when it drifted off the left side of the road and hit a tree, police said. Police were notified of the crash at 12:49 p.m.

Iwasaki was pronounced dead at 3:25 p.m. at Hilo Medical Center. He was wearing a seat belt, police said.

The Fire Department said Iwasaki was driving a Mauna Loa macadamia nut delivery vehicle.

Police ordered an autopsy. Because the crash occurred on a private road, the death is not counted toward the official traffic fatality count.