State briefs for Sept. 29

Prosecutors meet to discuss issue of sex trafficking

HONOLULU (AP) — Prosecutors from a dozen states and eight countries are meeting in Waikiki to talk about the global problem of sex trafficking.

They’re planning to share strategies for bringing traffickers to justice.

The conference began Wednesday.

Hawaii was the last state in the nation to formally ban sex trafficking.

Prosecutors from several states also are participating, as well as prosecutors from Canada, China, Japan, Palau, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.

Sailor who didn’t salute investigated

HONOLULU (AP) — The Navy investigated a case of a sailor who didn’t salute as the national anthem played during a recent morning flag-raising at Pearl Harbor.

U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesman Senior Chief Petty Officer Joel Cesar said Tuesday it’s up to the sailor’s commander whether she faces any punishment for not saluting on Sept. 19.

The sailor is Petty Officer 2nd Class Janaye Ervin, an intelligence specialist in the Navy Reserve. She recently was in Hawaii for about two weeks for an exercise.

Erwin is assigned to the Navy Operational Support Center at North Island, Calif.

The Navy’s protocol handbook says sailors in uniform must salute during the anthem. They also must face the flag, or if a flag is not visible, sailors are required to face the direction of the music.

Haleiwa man’s heroism honored

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Hawaii man is one of 25 people being honored with Carnegie medals for heroism.

Keoni Bowthorpe, 33, of Haleiwa, Oahu, rescued a surfer from a tiger shark attack in October 2015.

The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, named for the late steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, announced the medal winners Wednesday.

The commission investigates stories of heroism and awards medals and cash several times a year.