HONOLULU (AP) — Police have caught a small dog that was running loose on a Honolulu freeway, causing a traffic standstill during the busy morning commute.
Hawaii News Now reports it took police on foot and on motorcycles nearly 20 minutes to corral the Chihuahua running across the H-1 freeway Thursday morning.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports westbound traffic near the Liliha off-ramp was completely stopped as the dog bolted across the lanes.
Traffic resumed its flow after the dog was safely off the freeway.
HONOLULU (AP) — U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz’s election campaign has raised over $1.1 million in the first quarter.
The campaign announced Thursday that the money primarily came from individual donors and that nearly 80 percent of donations were from within the state.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie in December appointed Schatz to fill the vacancy created by the death of Sen. Daniel Inouye even though it went against Inouye’s dying wish to have Democratic U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa of Hawaii replace him. Schatz was Abercrombie’s lieutenant governor.
Schatz said in a statement that he is grateful for the support he’s received in his first three months in office.
Schatz faces an election in 2014, which will determine who serves the rest of Inouye’s original term through 2016.
Virgin American plans Hawaii service
HONOLULU (AP) — Virgin America is planning to expand its service to Hawaii in 2015.
Airline spokeswoman Jennifer Thomas told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser (http://is.gd/LKcOiX) in an email that it hopes to bring service to Hawaii when it adds more Airbus A320s to its fleet. The planes are equipped with Sharklets, or wing tips, which improve fuel efficiency and enable the jet to make extended trips over water.
The A320 with Sharklets can reach Hawaii from the West Coast.
The airline will be adding 10 Airbus jets with Sharklets to its fleet from 2015 to 2016.
Hawaii man pleads guilty to investment fraud
HONOLULU (AP) — A man who recently surrendered in Hawaii to face charges in an investment fraud scheme has pleaded guilty to operating a Ponzi scheme in Kauai.
FBI spokesman Tom Simon says 63-year-old Peter Heckmann changed his wire fraud plea on Thursday in U.S. District Court.
Simon says Heckmann’s sentencing has been set for July 25.
A Honolulu grand jury indicted Heckmann on wire fraud charges five years ago. Prosecutors say he fled and they became aware in 2010 that he was on the island of Bali, where he was operating a recording studio and a record label.
The FBI launched a social media campaign to generate interest in an international manhunt for Heckmann.
He surrendered last month at Honolulu International Airport after voluntarily returning to Hawaii to face charges.
