Murderer’s new parole hearing is today
Due to procedural problems, a new parole hearing is scheduled for a former Hawaii island police officer convicted in 1996 of the kidnapping and murder of his wife in 1992.
On July 15, 2009, the Hawaii Paroling Authority set Kenneth Mathison’s minimum parole terms at 20 years for the kidnapping conviction and 90 years for the murder conviction. Yvonne Mathison was bludgeoned with a lead pipe and struck by a van. The minimum terms are the amount of time Mathison must spend in prison for each offense before he can be released on parole.
According to a news release issued by the state attorney general’s office, “certain procedural problems arose during the July 2009 hearing,” including a lack of legal representation for Mathison.
Consequently, the paroling authority is holding a new hearing, set for 11 a.m. today, to “re-determine the minimum terms.”
The state maintains that the minimum terms set in July 2009 were correct and is asking the HPA to leave the minimum terms “unchanged.”
Cemetery gets $1.1M VA grant
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded $1.1 million to improve the appearance of Maui Veterans Cemetery in Makawao.
The funds will be used to raise, realign and clean 1,554 headstones at the cemetery and also improve the facilities, including some 132,000 square feet of grass, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz’s office said Tuesday.
"I am committed to ensuring that our veterans and their families are honored for their services and that their sacrifices … are remembered long after they have passed," Schatz said.
Water festival will close road
Pua Loke Street (Hala Road), between Haleko Road and Kaumualii Highway in Lihue, will be closed from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday for the 10th annual Make a Splash Water Festival for fifth-grade students at the Pua Loke arboretum, Department of Water officials said.
Only local traffic for businesses in the area will be allowed. There will be limited customer services available at the DOW on Pua Loke Street.
