A 43-year-old woman escaped injury yesterday after a police officer fired a shot at her as she allegedly came after the officers with knives.

Police were sent to a Kahuamoku Street address in Waipahu at about 1:20 p.m. after witnesses said a woman with knives was chasing a man in a parking lot. The officers confronted the woman and ordered her to drop the knives, police said.

But the woman refused and began to approach the officers, police said. One officer fired a round in the woman's direction, but missed.

Police were then able to disarm the woman and arrest her. She was booked on three counts of first-degree terroristic threatening and remained in custody last night pending charges.

AARP PLANS TO CELEBRATE

AARP's recent state and federal advocacy successes will be celebrated at an event set for Wednesday. In addition, the group will honor AARP partners and volunteers. A session will follow that teaches volunteer advocates how they can shape Hawai'i's future.

AARP Hawai'i and national leaders will be featured in the event, including national board member Mae Mendelson and AARP Hawai'i President Stuart Ho. The events are free and open to the public.

For information and reservations, call the AARP O'ahu Information Center at 843-1906. For more information, call AARP at 545-6005 or visit the Web site at www.aarp.org/hi.

HANA HIGHWAY GETTING PHONES

The federal and state governments will spend more than $400,000 installing 13 emergency telephones along Hana Highway on Maui, Gov. Linda Lingle said yesterday.

The road to Hana is known around the world for its scenery but is also prone to traffic congestion because of stalled cars, Lingle said in a news release. She noted cellular telephone service is sometimes unavailable along certain sections of the remote highway.

The two-lane road that zigzags along cliffs for large portions of the 68-mile route from Kahului to Hana is a popular Valley Isle tourist attraction. Thirteen cellular and landline phones will be installed at two-mile intervals from Kaupakalua Road to Ua Kea Road.

The state will spend $85,600 on the project. The federal government's share comes to $342,400.

The phones are due to be in place by June of next year.

POLICE OFFICERS PLEAD NOT GUILTY

LIHU'E — Three Kaua'i police officers pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges they stole money from the county by not showing up for marijuana investigation training they were paid to attend on Maui.

Sgts. Wesley F. Perreira and Lawrence E.T. Stem and police officer Channing T. Tada, former vice squad members, traveled to Maui for the Sept. 13-14 training hosted by the Maui Police Department, but did not go to any of the sessions, according to indictments issued Monday by a Kaua'i grand jury. They also allegedly submitted false attendance records and a post-training memorandum claiming they were present.

Perreira is charged with second-degree attempted theft, second-degree theft and two counts of tampering with a government record; Stem is charged with two counts of second-degree theft and three counts of tampering with a government record; and Tada is charged with two counts of second-degree theft and two counts of tampering with a government record.

The theft charges are related to the money Kaua'i County spent on their travel expenses and salaries the officers were paid during the trip.

All three men are free on bail. At their arraignment yesterday, Kaua'i Circuit Judge George Masuoka set their trial date for Nov. 13.

CHILDREN FLEE FROM STRANGERS

LIHU'E — Kaua'i police said there have been confirmed reports of strangers approaching children at schools over the past few days. In each case youngsters ran away from the strangers.

Parents are advised to tell their children about the incidents and instruct them to run away if confronted by a stranger and immediately tell a parent, guardian or other trusted adult, police said.

For more information, call Lt. Jon Takamura at (808) 241-1711 or (808) 241-1691.