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SATURDAY, AUGUST 4, 2018 WESTHAWAIITODAY.COM 75¢
Couple found dead inside Alii apartment
NEIGHBORS STUNNED; DESCRIBE PAIR AS FRIENDLY, GOOD PEOPLE
Firefighters battle the wide spread blaze on Highway 190 south of the Old Saddle Road
junction Friday afternoon. PHOTOS BY LAURA RUMINSKI/WEST HAWAII TODAY
KAILUA-KONA —
Poor firefighting conditions
are expected to persist
through the next several
days as fire crews work
to suppress a brush fire
that has scorched 14,750
acres along Highway 190.
The Highway 190
fire was first ignited
Wednesday off the roadway
at mile marker 7.
Since then, it has grown
rapidly with the assistance
of gusting winds and fuels,
allowing flames to jump
the highway. As of Friday
evening, the blaze was 30
percent contained.
“Strong and gusty
winds are making this
a very difficult fire to
contain,” according to a
press release Friday from
Hawaii Fire Department.
“The public should also
be aware that these strong
winds are generating large
dust clouds.”
Derek Wroe, meteorologist
with the National
Weather Service, said
peak wind gusts came in
at 55 mph at the Waikoloa
fire station. He added
winds have been consistently
gusting at 40-50
KAILUA-KONA — A man and
woman were found dead inside a
Alii Lani apartment Friday morning
after a neighbor performed a
welfare check and discovered their
bodies in the bedroom.
The Hawaii Police Department
is investigating the deaths and
couldn’t comment whether foul play
was suspected. An autopsy will be
conducted next week to determine
the exact cause of deaths.
“We are not leaning towards a
suspect being out there at this time
but we are investigating all aspects,”
Police Maj. Robert Wagner said.
Police are not releasing the names
of the deceased until next of kin
have been notified.
News of the death stunned neighbors,
who described the two as a
couple pleasant to be around. They
identified the couple by name but
West Hawaii Today is also withholding
identify pending the
investigation.
“They were great people,” said
Beth McAdams, who lived directly
across from the couple’s second-story
apartment.
McAdams and Paul Whitehouse
watched from their yard as police
worked inside the caution tape that
roped off their neighbor’s yard.
“I’m kind of numb from the whole
thing,” Whitehouse said. “A deep
sadness.”
Officers arrived at the Alii complex
at 9:49 a.m. after a neighbor
performed a welfare check.
Neighbor Susan Olson said she
grew uneasy after having not seen
her neighbors for four days despite
their vehicles being parked in the
parking lot. On Thursday night, she
walked by the couple’s apartment in
the F building and heard a cat inside
crying loudly. On Friday morning,
she walked by again and the cat was
Nakamoto
Nago
SEE VOTING PAGE 7A
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PAGE 6A
▼
ARE YOU
READY
FOR SOME
FOOTBALL?
Konawaena,
Kealakehe,
Hilo set to kick
off seasons
SPORTS, 1B
▼
HI 88 LO 76 WEATHER, PAGE 8A
VOL. 50, NO. 216 18 PAGES
BY WEST HAWAII TODAY STAFF
The body removal team contracted by the police
department exit a condo at Alii Lani where two
bodies were discovered Friday morning. LAURA
RUMINSKI/WEST HAWAII TODAY SEE DEATHS PAGE 5A
Can noncitizens
vote?
ELECTIONS OFFICIALS
RELY ON AFFIDAVITS TO
VERIFY CITIZENSHIP
BY NANCY COOK LAUER
WEST HAWAII TODAY
ncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com
HILO — In a state that values access
to the ballot, Hawaii election officials
pretty much take your word for it when
you claim to be a U.S. citizen and thus are
eligible to vote.
But, at least on the Big Island, officials
are confident there’s little, if any, incorrect
or fraudulent representations that
would allow non-citizens to cast ballots.
“It’s the first question
on the form — “Are you
a citizen of the United
States of America,”
notes Hawaii County
Elections Administrator
Pat Nakamoto, pointing
to the voter registration
application.
But that didn’t stop a
now-disqualified state
House candidate on another island, who
has apparently been on the voter rolls for
more than a decade. Sailau Timoteo, who
was running as a Republican for a windward
Oahu seat, has been disqualified
from the ballot after an objection was
raised by a conservative activist.
“As Sailau Timoteo was not a United
States Citizen at the time of presenting
her nomination paper to be filed,
the nomination paper
is deemed to be incomplete
and void because
it does not contain all
of the certifications and
requirements of the law
to be a candidate for State
Representative,” state
Chief Election Officer
Tomorrow, WHT will focus on
West Hawaii races heading into
the primary election next week.
FIRE AT 14,750 ACRES,
30 PERCENT CONTAINED
HIGHWAY 190 FIRE FUELED BY 50 MPH WIND GUSTS
BY TIFFANY DEMASTERS
WEST HAWAII TODAY
tdemasters@westhawaiitoday.com
A Hawaii County Fire
Chopper heads out
from the Waikoloa
Fire Station to make
a water drop Friday
afternoon.
Heavy equipment from Isemoto Contracting is unloaded to
cut fire breaks at the Waikoloa junction Friday afternoon. SEE FIRE PAGE 8A
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