ON 11
11
Ige, Hanabusa votes follow the money
Opening arguments slated to begin in jury
trial for two brothers accused of murder
Bad blood in
Puna: Ousted
councilwoman
cries foul
O’HARA SAYS
OPPONENT’S
SUPPORTERS NASTY
BY JOHN BURNETT
HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD
Kierkiewicz
O’Hara
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KAILUA-KONA — Opening
arguments are slated to begin
today in the jury trial of two
brothers accused in the murder
of a Holualoa man three years
ago.
Eber Miranda-Garcia and
Marlon Miranda-Garcia pleaded
not guilty in 3rd Circuit Court
on Sept. 7, 2017,
to charges of
second-degree
murder and second
degree conspiracy
to commit
murder. They
are accused of
killing 69-yearold
Dolores
Borja-Valle, also known as
Lolo, who was found dead Aug.
9, 2015, in a Captain Cook
coffee field.
Seconddegree
murder
carries a life
sentence with
the possibility
of parole and a
maximum fine
of up to $50,000
upon conviction,
according to Hawaii Revised
Statutes.
Third Circuit Court Judge
Robert D.S. Kim spent last week
screening hundreds of Hawaii
County residents called for jury
duty in the trial. On Friday, 12
jurors and four alternates were
selected.
While the crime occurred in
2015, Hawaii Police officials say,
they didn’t get a break in the
investigation until two years
later after obtaining DNA results
BY TIFFANY DEMASTERS
WEST HAWAII TODAY
tdemasters@westhawaiitoday.com
Eber Miranda-
Garcia
Marlon
Miranda-Garcia
SEE TRIAL PAGE 5A
HILO — The Big Island,
especially West Hawaii and
some areas in Puna, preferred
U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa
over incumbent Gov. David Ige
in Saturday’s Democratic primary
election.
A precinct-by-precinct
analysis of Big Island votes
showed, at least this election,
the votes pretty much followed
the money. There were no real
surprises on the island come
election day, as precinct votes
closely tracked a July 29 West
Hawaii Today/Tribune-Herald
analysis of campaign contributions
by ZIP code.
The money analysis looked
at in-state contributions reported
to the Hawaii Campaign
Spending Commission between
Sept. 1, when Hanabusa set up
her state campaign fund, and
June 30.
That’s despite cautions from
several political analysts that
contribution amounts aren’t a
clear indicator of likely votes.
The newspapers offered the
analysis to get a glimpse at the
candidates’ support base in a
race that at the time was too
close to call.
“I don’t know, it’s certainly
looking to be, at least in hindsight
this time, as a pretty
strong predictor,” said Colin
Moore, associate professor of
political science and director of
the Public Policy Center at the
University of Hawaii at Manoa.
The ZIP code level money
analysis showed Ige with strong
money support in Hilo proper
up to Honokaa, as well as
Volcano, Naalehu and into
South Kona. Hanabusa’s support
base was in Puna and most
of West Hawaii, including all of
Kailua-Kona and Waimea.
BIG ISLAND, ESPECIALLY WEST HAWAII, OPTS FOR HANABUSA
BY NANCY COOK LAUER
WEST HAWAII TODAY
ncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com
SEE ELECTION PAGE 5A
HILO — When the
dust settled on the Hawaii
County Council District
4 primary election race,
the final returns showed
a political newcomer winning
a 20-point landslide
as a result of what she
called an “aloha-driven,
clean, positive
campaign”
and
the ousted
incumbent
saying
it “was
anything
but that.”
In a non-partisan tilt,
Ashley Kierkiewicz, a
32-year-old Hawaiian
Paradise Park resident
won the seat representing
a portion of Puna over
one-term Councilwoman
Eileen O’Hara. The margin
of victory was 2,545
votes to
1,674
votes, or
60.3 percent
to
39.7 percent
of the
valid ballots
cast.
“Right now, I’m a little
exhausted, but I feel
incredible, I mean, I’m
still kind of pinching
myself that this is real,”
Kierkiewicz said Sunday.
The 66-year-old O’Hara
said that she’s “relieved”
the election is over, and
accused Kierkiewicz’s
supporters of running “a
very nasty campaign.”
“I’m not pointing fingers
at Miss Ashley, but in
a campaign, the candidate
SEE CAMPAIGN PAGE 5A
Waikoloa Special Forces
soldier killed in Afghanistan
REYMUND R. TRANSFIGURACION DIED SUNDAY
FROM INJURIES SUFFERED IN IED BLAST
KAILUA-KONA — One of Hawaii
Island’s own, Sgt. 1st Class Reymund
R. Transfiguracion, died Sunday from
wounds he suffered five days before
while serving his country in Helmand
province, Afghanistan.
A press release from 1st Special Forces
Command described the fatal incident
as an improvised explosive device,
or IED, attack. The incident, which
occurred on Aug. 7, remains under
investigation.
Transfiguracion, of Waikoloa, is survived
by his wife Edelyn and two young
daughters. He was 36 years old.
“Reymund was a great man,” his wife
said in a statement. “We are very proud
of him.”
He was the first serviceman from
Hawaii Island to die during active
duty since July of 2011 when 19-yearold
marine Lance Cpl. Christopher L.
Camero gave his life in service of his
country, also in Helmand province.
A native of the Philippines,
Transfiguracion was born in Sarrat
Ilocos Norte on May 20, 1982. He graduated
from Konawaena High School
in 2001, after which he immediately
joined with the Hawaii National Guard.
He became a motor transport operator
and later deployed with the guard
as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom
from 2005-06. Transfiguracion joined
active duty Army in February 2008 and
returned to Iraq, this time in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom, where
he served through 2009.
Upon his arrival back in the United
States, Transfiguracion took up at
Schofield Barracks, from which he
deployed to the Philippines for six
months between 2010-11 in support of
a Joint Special Operations Task Force,
according to the release.
His service carried him to stops across
the mainland including in Missouri
and Louisiana before he was selected
BY MAX DIBLE
WEST HAWAII TODAY
mdible@westhawaiitoday.com
Sgt. 1st Class Reymund Rarogal
Transfiguracion, 36, from Waikoloa,
died Sunday from wounds he
received earlier this month in
southern Afghanistan. He was
wounded when an improvised
explosive device detonated near him
while he was on patrol. U.S. ARMY/VIA AP
SEE SOLDIER PAGE 8A
AUG. 7 INCIDENT REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION
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