State and Region briefs for January 17

Sub museum begins $20M update project

HONOLULU — Officials broke ground on a $20 million revitalization and expansion project for the Pearl Harbor campus of the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park.

The project, expected to be complete in April 2020, will add new exhibits and about 3,000 square feet of space.

The Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum will include three exhibits covering submarine warfare in World War II and the Cold War, as well as its use in present day and into the future.

Portions of the campus will be closed during construction, but its centerpiece World War II submarine, the USS Bowfin, will remain open.

The campus is next to the USS Arizona Memorial visitors’ center operated by the National Park Service.

The submarine museum and other nonprofit organizations that operate historic sites at Pearl Harbor are providing financial support to keep the center open during the federal government shutdown.

Dog killing nene leads to assault and arrest

LIHUE, Kauai — A woman walking with her dog on northern Kauai was assaulted after her heeler-mix killed a nene, or Hawaiian goose, authorities said.

Paulina Ann Ka‘aumoana was walking Monday near the Princeville Golf Course when her unleashed 19-year-old dog killed a baby nene.

Ka‘aumoana said she was pulling her dog away from the bird when a man ran from across the street and started kicking her dog. When she intervened, he kicked and punched her, she said.

The 37-year-old Hanamaulu man was arrested on suspicion of third-degree assault, said Kim Tamaoka, a spokeswoman for Kauai police.

Police responded to the scene and also called in the state Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement. Nene are a federally protected species.

Guam Catholic Church files for bankruptcy

HAGATNA, Guam — Guam’s Catholic Church filed for bankruptcy Wednesday, a move that will allow the archdiocese to avoid trial in dozens of child sexual abuse lawsuits and enter settlement negotiations.

Ford Elsaesser, an attorney representing the church, said the Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition was filed with federal court in Guam. The church faces multimillion-dollar lawsuits for sexual abuse from about 190 accusers.

Elsaesser couldn’t put a figure on the dollar amount the church is hoping to raise for its settlement. But it said its current assets are valued at $22.9 million with liabilities of $45.6 million. The church also plans to sell non-essential real estate and add the proceeds to the settlement fund.

The Chapter 11 reorganization also allows the church to continue its operations, keeping parishes and parochial schools open, Elsaesser said.

This bankruptcy filing will halt current lawsuits and create a deadline for abuse victims to file new claims before the church settles with accusers.
Source: Hawaii Tribune Herald