A group of about 60 Hawai'i Army National Guard soldiers who volunteered for a year of duty in Afghanistan will deploy tomorrow from Kalaeloa.

The citizen soldiers, most of whom served a year in Iraq in 2005, volunteered to round out an Arizona National Guard battalion leaving for Operation Enduring Freedom.

Their mission will be to train Afghan army and security forces. The Hawai'i Guard soldiers are expected to be on active duty for about a year.

BODY FOUND IN APARTMENT ID'D

The medical examiner's office yesterday identified the man whose body was found Monday in an apartment as Ted Hiroshi Arifuku, 58.

An autopsy was performed yesterday, but a determination of the cause and manner of death is pending further investigation.

Arifuku was found with his hands tied behind his back in his studio apartment at 2526 Kapi'olani Blvd.

HIT PEDESTRIANS IN STABLE CONDITION

Two pedestrians struck by a pickup truck that veered off the roadway yesterday in Waimanalo were taken to The Queen's Medical Center in critical condition but later upgraded to stable condition.

Police investigator Sgt. Danny Kaholokula said a boy, 11, from Waimanalo and a Kailua man, 51, were standing at a bus stop on the 41-500 block of Kalaniana'ole Highway about 3:45 p.m. when they were struck by a Chevy Silverado pickup truck driven by a 29-year-old Waimanalo woman.

The driver may have fallen asleep, police said. Speed and alcohol did not appear to be factors.

'ROAD RAGE' LEADS TO MAN'S ARREST

A 19-year-old Kapolei man was arrested Monday after what police described as a "road rage" incident.

Police said the man was driving his car in Kapolei when he became involved in a traffic altercation with a moped operator and a passenger on the moped.

Words or gestures were exchanged, police said, and the situation escalated when the car driver got out of his vehicle and shoved the moped passenger.

That caused the moped operator to lose control, run off the roadway and hit a fire hydrant, police said. The boy operating the moped suffered a serious leg injury and was taken to an area hospital, where he was listed in serious condition. The man who shoved the moped passenger was arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault.

ASSAULT SUSPECT TURNS HIMSELF IN

A 19-year-old Ma'ili man was arrested early yesterday morning in connection with an incident on Sunday in which he allegedly punched and choked his girlfriend, also 19.

The woman told police she was arguing with her boyfriend at about 9 a.m. Sunday when he attacked her. The woman reported the incident, but the boyfriend was not at the couple's home when police arrived. The man turned himself in about 1 a.m. yesterday at the Kapolei police substation, and was arrested on suspicion of felony abuse of a household or family member.

BUDDHIST MISSION BISHOP RETIRING

After 11 years as bishop and more than 40 years as a minister, Honpa Hongwanji Bishop Chikai Yosemori will retire Feb. 27.

As the 14th bishop of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawai'i, Yosemori oversaw 36 temples and more than 8,000 members, as well as the Buddhist Study Center.

The Honpa Hongwanji will hold an aloha banquet at 6 p.m. March 1 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in his honor. Tickets are $60.

For more information, call hongwanji headquarters at 522-9200 or write execsec2@lava.net.

SEARCH FOR DIVER IS CONTINUING

Big Island firefighters yesterday continued to search for a 25-year-old man who went diving Sunday with three companions but failed to return to shore.

First Battalion Fire Chief Bob Bailey said the man was reported missing by a diving buddy at about 6:40 p.m. Sunday.

Five firefighters combed the waters off Kahena Beach by boat. That number included two two-person diving teams and a boat operator, Bailey said.

Also involved in the search was the Big Island Fire Department helicopter.

The search for the missing diver, believed to be a Big Island resident, probably will end at sunset today, Bailey said.

FIREWORKS INJURE 94 OVER HOLIDAY

Ninety-four people were treated for fireworks-related injuries during the New Year period, according to findings by the state Department of Health injury prevention and control program released yesterday.

The monitoring was conducted Dec. 30 through Jan. 2.

The number of injuries was 9 percent more than the year before and was the second-highest total in the seven years the department has been compiling data. Sixty-eight of the injuries occurred on O'ahu and 13 on Maui.

Ninety-one percent of the injuries were burns, mostly to the hands and fingers.

AIR MUSEUM SEEKS VOLUNTEERS

The Pacific Aviation Museum is seeking volunteers to serve as docents at the museum on Ford Island. The museum features a B-25 bomber, a Japanese Zero fighter plane and other historical aircraft in World War II-vintage hangars.

The next volunteer and docent meeting is 4 p.m. Feb. 3 at the museum. Call KT Budde-Jones to RSVP at 441-1012 or 690-0169, or write kt@pacificaviationmuseum.org.

2ND-GRADERS PLAN RECYCLING DRIVE

The second-grade class at Waikele Elementary School will hold a HI 5¢ recycling drive from 7 to 9 a.m. Jan. 24.

People wanting to donate are asked to bring rinsed aluminum cans and plastic bottles. Volunteers will collect the recyclables at curbisde at the bus shelter.