By local and wire sources
Small brush fire quickly extinguished
A Saturday afternoon brush fire consumed about an acre north of Honokohau Street in North Kona.
The fire, reported at 3:26 p.m. in vacant land mauka of Queen Kaahumanu Highway, was declared out at 4:05 p.m., according to the Hawaii Fire Department.
No injuries were reported and county and volunteer firefighters were able to keep the fire from approaching businesses located south of Honokohau Street, according to the department.
Kamakaeha Avenue to be closed for work
Kamakaeha Avenue, from the south entrance of the Makalapua Center’s Macy’s to Palani Road, will be closed beginning Wednesday, according to the Hawaii County Department of Public Works.
The 24-hour road closure, which is expected to last through Feb. 18, is necessary to reconstruct the intersection between Kamakaeha Avenue and Palani Road, according to the county.
The county recommends motorists use Makala Boulevard from its intersection with Queen Kaahumanu Highway to traverse Makalapua Center.
Motorists should expect traffic delays
Alternating lane closures in both directions are planned this week on Mamalahoa Highway between mile markers 27 and 31, in the vicinity of Makalei, for guardrail installation and pavement striping work, according to the state Department of Transportation.
The department also said 24-hour alternating lane closures in both directions are planned this week on Hawaii Belt Road between Kapuna Road and Pikake Streets in Honokaa for road reconstruction work. According to the department, a temporary traffic signal will be placed in the area to control traffic flow around the work site.
Crews will be working from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday unless otherwise noted. Road work is weather permitting.
Holualoa business robbed Thursday
Big Island police are asking for the public’s help in identifying suspects involved in an alleged robbery Thursday afternoon at a Holualoa-area business.
Shortly before 1 p.m. a man described as being “local” with a dark complexion entered the Keauhou Store in Holualoa and forcibly removed an undisclosed amount of money from the cash register. A 34-year-old female cashier suffered minor injuries but declined medical treatment, according to the Hawaii Police Department.
Surveillance video recovered from the store shows the suspect and another man, who appears to be standing lookout in front of the store, according to police.
The first suspect is described as being in his mid-20s to mid-30s, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing 150 to 170 pounds, with an unshaven face and dark kinky hair. He was wearing blue jeans and a green T-shirt, slippers and a white cap with a dark brim.
The second suspect is described as being of Caucasian descent, in his mid 20s, with a slim build and a goatee. He was wearing a light green shirt with buttons, a light-colored baseball cap, dark shorts and shoes, according to police.
They both fled north on Highway 180 in a white two-door Jeep Wrangler with a tan hard top. The Jeep is similar to a Sahara model, according to police.
Detectives believe the primary suspect was also involved in a robbery in the Kaloko business area on Jan. 5, according to police.
Both men are considered dangerous and possibly armed. Police again advised the public not to approach them.
Anyone with information on the case should call Detective Walter Ah Mow at 326-4646, ext. 238, or the department’s nonemergency line at 935-3311. Those who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 329-8181 in Kona or 961-8300 in Hilo. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.
Maui couple sues police over home search
KIHEI, Maui — A Kihei couple is suing the Maui Police Department alleging officers raided their home while executing a search warrant on the wrong address.
April and Norman Freeland filed the lawsuit in federal court in Honolulu in October.
The lawsuit alleges that on April 15 officers forced the Freelands to wait outside while they searched the residence for nearly half an hour, even after they knew they were at the wrong address.
The complaint claims police violated the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights and seeks $250,000 in damages and $1 million in punitive damages.
County lawyers say officers were inside the Freelands’ home for less than 10 minutes and left as soon as they realized they were at the wrong location.
A trial is scheduled to begin in January 2013.
Fontes found on Kauai
Police on Friday located Derek S.K. Fontes, who was wanted on two arrest warrants for violating probation and three bench warrants.
Fontes was arrested by Kauai police on Kauai island and charged with the five warrants after Big Island police received a tip from Crime Stoppers, according to the Hawaii Police Department.
$2M to help ease Waianae Coast flooding
WAIANAE, Oahu — Gov. Neil Abercrombie has released $2 million in general obligation bond funds to alleviate flooding in a West Oahu community.
State Rep. Jo Jordan says flooding in Waianae has become a serious issue for area residents. An area known as Lualualei Flats is prone to flooding, primarily because of poor drainage and illegal dumping in streams and ditches.
The project includes drainage improvements along Puhawai Road.
Jordan is organizing a community volunteer cleanup of Puuhulu Stream on Monday.
More West Coast passengers boarding Hawaii cruises
HONOLULU — More people are setting sail for Hawaii on cruise ships from the West Coast.
More than 104,000 travelers arrived in the islands on the large ocean liners — mostly from the West Coast — in the first 11 months of last year. That’s a 14.5 percent increase from the same period in 2010.
The number of cruise liners pulling into Hawaii ports rose 11.3 percent to 59.
There are several reasons for the growth, including the presence of more cruise ships in the Pacific and a fear among some travelers of drug cartel-related violence in Mexico.
The industry still hasn’t recouped a pre-recession peak of about 130,000 passengers reached in 2007, but travel agents say demand for West Coast to Hawaii cruises is strong.
2,600 more Hawaii soldiers heading to Afghanistan
HONOLULU — About 2,600 Hawaii soldiers with the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade are heading for Afghanistan.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin reports members of the brigade began leaving for the yearlong deployment last week.
The Schofield Barracks unit has already shipped about 90 Black Hawk, Chinook and Kiowa Warrior helicopters.
Officials say the brigade will be based at Kandahar, Tarin Kowt in Uruzgan province and Forward Operating Base Wolverine in Zabul province in southern Afghanistan.
About 3,500 Schofield infantry soldiers with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team are already serving there.
Neither Hawaii brigade will benefit from the Army’s decision to shorten combat deployments from 12 months to nine months.
By local and wire sources