Homeless shelter hires new director
HONOLULU (AP) — Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s former leader on homeless issues is now working for Honolulu’s largest and oldest emergency homeless shelter.
The Institute for Human Services said in a news release Friday it has hired Marc Alexander to be its director of development.
IHS says Alexander will strengthen ties and form new ones with corporations, public and private entities, and individuals to support the institute’s efforts to end homelessness in Hawaii.
Alexander abruptly resigned from the Abercrombie administration last month after one year on the job. The governor’s office said he stepped down to attend to personal matters.
He led Abercrombie’s 90-day plan to jump start initiatives to address Hawaii’s homelessness problems.
Politicians want hospitals reopened
HONOLULU (AP) — West Oahu lawmakers think the state should help finance the reopening of an Ewa Beach hospital.
The Saint Francis Medical Center West closed at the end of last year because its parent Hawaii Medical Center filed for bankruptcy. Saint Francis Medical Center in Liliha closed at the same time.
State House members, led by Waipahu and Ewa Rep. Rida Cabinilla, are holding a press conference today to support passage of House Bill 2345.
The measure would give Saint Francis Healthcare System $80 million in special purpose revenue bonds to reopen the Ewa Beach hospital.
Marine chopper to be retired
PEARL HARBOR, Oahu (AP) — A Marine Corps helicopter will be making its last flight before going on display in a Hawaii museum.
A “sundown” ceremony is being held Friday at the Pacific Aviation Museum in Pearl Harbor for the CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopter.
It’s the same model that crashed in Afghanistan last month, killing six Hawaii-based Marines. Another CH-53D crashed and killed a Marine off Hawaii on March 29.
Attorney: Oahu coach ‘innocent’
WAIPAHU, Oahu (AP) — The attorney for an Oahu high school track coach accused of sexually assaulting a female student says his client is “100 percent innocent.”
Erik Tamura’s attorney says Waipahu High School did a full investigation and concluded there were no merits to the student’s claims.
Tamura was put on paid leave Thursday.
The girl’s father saidTamura continued to work at the school and oversee the her track practices nearly four months after the girl and the father made their allegations to the vice principal.
The 37-year-old coach turned himself in to police on Feb. 3 and was later released on $30,000 bail.
