A Kaua'i man who came to the aid of a woman who was stabbed at a Lihu'e mall last year was among 25 people awarded Carnegie medals yesterday for their heroism. The ceremony was held in Pittsburgh.

Benjamin Montgomery, 32, of Koloa helped Ping Zhou, 33, after a woman stabbed her in the back with a large knife on Jan. 10, 2007. Montgomery, a business operator in the mall, grabbed the assailant from behind and disarmed her.

Police arrested the attacker. The victim recovered from her wounds, according to the Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Hero Commission, which awarded the medals.

Steel baron Andrew Carnegie launched the hero fund in 1904 after hearing about rescue stories from a mine disaster that killed 181 people.

FUNDS RELEASED FOR COLLEGE UPGRADES

Gov. Linda Lingle has released $987,000 to plan and design improvements to Hawai'i Community College's Manono Campus in Hilo.

Many of the facilities on the Manono Campus were built in the 1950s and are inadequately configured for present-day instructional requirements, according to a news release from the governor's office.

"This project will give Hawai'i Community College students in Hilo access to improved facilities on a faster timeline, and enhance their educational experience as they pursue their degrees and prepare to enter the workforce," Lingle said in the news release.

The total cost of Phase 1 improvements, including construction, is estimated at $7.7 million.

MISSING DIVER RETURNS TO SHORE

A diver reported missing by companions made it safely to shore shortly before 8 last night at Maunalua Bay in East Honolulu.

The Honolulu Fire Department had started a water-and-air search for the diver, who was reported missing at 7:03 p.m. The diver had become separated from two companions.