Driver slams SUV through airport fence
An incident in which a woman crashed her vehicle through the fence of a West Oahu airport is raising questions about security at the facility, which is used by the Coast Guard and the military.
Hawaii News Now reported that state officials say an apparently mentally unstable woman drove her car through the Kalaeloa Airport fence last month and onto the runway area.
State Department of Transportation spokeswoman Caroline Sluyter said Christine Keliikuli, 62, asked to see the airplanes. When she was denied access, she drove her sport utility vehicle through the fence, toward a taxiing Air Force C-17 jet. A guard chased her down and she was arrested.
The airport is a launch site for search-and-rescue operations, a training base and an alternate landing site for airlines and the military.
Man sentenced in arson, assault on ex-girlfriend
A Hawaii island man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for setting himself on fire on Valentine’s Day and trying to do the same to his ex-girlfriend.
Robert York, 27, was sentenced Monday. He pleaded guilty to kidnapping, second-degree arson, felony abuse and first-degree terroristic threatening. He must also pay more than $2,000 in restitution.
Police say he set his ex-girlfriend’s porch on fire Feb. 14 and then doused her and himself with flammable liquid. After relatives pulled York away from the woman, he set himself on fire.
He was arrested after he was released from a hospital. The woman did not require medical attention for injuries sustained in the struggle with York.
West Hawaii Today reported that he apologized to his ex-girlfriend in court.
Cat clinic sees 153 surgeries
A veterinarian performed 153 spay/neuter surgeries during a one-day cat clinic Sept. 9 by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Maui. The cats were operated on by a Hawaii-licensed veterinarian, with surgery prep and post-surgery care provided by trained volunteer staff.
Surgery costs were covered in part by donations from pet owners, with the remainder paid for with a grant obtained by SPCA Maui. SPCA Maui President Whitney White said the subsidized surgeries make spaying/neutering affordable for pet owners and others.
SPCA Maui also is offering a $20 special for all canine spay/neuter surgeries in September. To reserve a $20 dog spay/neuter surgery, contact SPCA Maui at 280-0738 or info@spcamaui.org, or visit www.spcamaui.org.
