A 40-year-old Kalihi man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for fatally stabbing his girlfriend in July 2006.

Ronante G. Aquino faces life in prison with the possibility of parole when he is sentenced April 23 by Circuit Judge Steven Alm.

City Deputy Prosecutor Rom Trader said Aquino admitted in court last week to stabbing his girlfriend, Zenaida Dumaslan, 39, following an argument. Trader said Aquino had been drinking heavily at a family party the night before the stabbing, which occurred after the couple returned to Dumaslan's apartment in Pearl City.

Aquino turned himself in July 22 at the Pearl City police substation and confessed to the stabbing.

Trader said that under the terms of a plea agreement in the case, Aquino is prohibited from asking the Hawai'i Paroling Authority to set his minimum prison term at less than 30 years and the prosecution will not ask that Aquino serve more than 30 years.

The paroling authority is not bound by the agreement, but if it abides by the terms, Aquino would be 70 years old by the time he is released from prison, Trader said.

HUGE WAVES EXPECTED TODAY

The National Weather Service last night issued a high-surf warning and said waves could reach 25- to 30-foot faces today on north shores.

Surf on west shores could reach 15 to 20 feet, the forecast said.

A large swell from the northwest was building last night and was expected to peak today. The high surf warning is in place until 4 a.m. tomorrow.

HELEMANO

WOMAN, 85, REPORTED MISSING

Fire department personnel last night were searching for an 85-year-old woman reported missing by her family last night.

A fire department rescue unit, helicopter and company from the Wahiawa station started a foot search about 9:15 p.m. in the area behind Helemano Elementary School.

$4.9M FOR 2 WATER STORAGE TANKS

The Maui Department of Water Supply has awarded Goodfellow Brothers Inc. a $4.9 million contract to build two water storage tanks in Ha'iku.

A 300,000-gallon tank will be constructed at the Kaupakalua Well site, next to an existing 200,000-gallon pump control tank. A new 500,000-gallon tank will replace a smaller tank at the intersection of Kokomo and Kaupakalua roads.

The bigger tank will increase storage capacity for the surrounding area and give the water department flexibility to pump water in either direction between Ha'iku and Makawao.

Construction is expected to start March 1.

HONOR SOCIETY PLANS HI 5¢ DRIVE

Kaimuki High School's National Honor Society chapter will hold a HI 5¢ recycling drive from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Feb. 24 near the Kapi'olani Boulevard entrance to the school parking lot.

Donations of redeemable cans, plastic bottles and glass bottles will help fund the group's activities. For more information, call co-adviser Grace Fujiyoshi at 733-4900, ext. 245 or 244.

SQUIRREL FORCES FLIGHT TO DIVERT

American Airlines diverted a Tokyo-to-Dallas flight to Honolulu last week after pilots heard a squirrel in the cockpit.

Flight 176, a Boeing Co. 777 with 202 passengers aboard, arrived here about 5:30 a.m. Friday after the flight crew heard a noise in an overhead bin, found the squirrel and decided to touch down at the nearest airport, John Hotard, a spokesman for American said.

The passengers were sent on to their final destinations on other flights, he said.

Workers from the state Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Service set traps and captured the animal, which was later killed. Its remains are being tested for rabies.

GREENLANDERS STUDY PRESCHOOLS

A delegation of educators from Greenland are in Hawai'i this week to study early education programs, including the University of Hawai'i-Manoa's Children's Center that serves children 2 to 5 years old.

The delegation, which includes the Greenland Minister of Education, hopes to be able to apply research on early education in Hawai'i to its own system.

"They're here to gather ideas and information on quality early childhood programs," said Wayne Watkins, director of the UH-Manoa Children's Center.

The delegation also toured Punana Leo Preschools in Hilo and visited the state Senate yesterday.

ROUNDABOUTS TOPIC OF MEETING

The public is invited to hear about East Hawai'i transportation issues at the Governor's East Hawai'i Council of Advisors' monthly meeting at 6 p.m. Feb. 22 in the Kea'au Elementary School cafeteria.

Engineer Eric Worrell from the Federal Highways Administration-Hawai'i Division will brief the council and the community about the benefits of using traffic roundabouts on roadway intersections. He will discuss the possibility and feasibility of roundabouts being used on Highway 130 to replace problem intersections.

TEENS DISCUSSING PEER MEDIATION

Public and private school teenage mediators from throughout the state will gather today at McCoy Pavilion at Ala Moana Park for "Power to the Peaceful," the 2007 Peer Mediation Conference.

Student mediators from sixth through 12th grades and their advisers will discuss how to strengthen peer mediation in the state's schools as well as career opportunities in conflict resolution, among other topics.

Student mediators have been successful in reducing the rate of violence on their campuses by helping students resolve conflicts verbally.

The conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.