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October to be ‘Hawaii Fashion Month’

October to be ‘Hawaii Fashion Month’

HONOLULU — Gov. Neil Abercrombie is asking Hawaii residents to dress their best this fall.

The governor is set to announce October as Hawaii Fashion Month at a news conference Tuesday at The Modern Honolulu hotel.

He will be joined by representatives from the state’s business and tourism offices as well as the Hawaii Fashion Incubator.

The inaugural event is meant to drum up support for Hawaii fashion designers, manufacturers, retailers and artists.

Organizers say the entire month will consist of different workshops and events to showcase Hawaii fashion.

Seattle man, 54, drowns while
swimming in Kauai

LIHUE, Kauai — Authorities in Hawaii have released the identity of a man who drowned in waters off Kauai last week.

A Kauai County spokeswoman says 54-year-old Hom Shu of Seattle was found underwater in Morgan’s Ponds at Lydgate Beach Park around 7 p.m. Thursday.

He was taken to Wilcox Hospital in critical condition and died Friday night.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that 14 people have drowned in Kauai so far this year, and many of them were tourists.

By contrast, there were eight drownings on Kauai last year.

In an effort to reduce drownings, Kauai officials have begun playing a water safety video in the baggage claim area of the Lihue Airport.

Disabled Maui man suing Delta Air Lines

HONOLULU — A Maui man who uses a wheelchair says he was forced to crawl through the aisle, up and down stairs and along a tarmac during a Delta Air Lines flight last year.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Saturday that Baraka Kanaan, in a lawsuit filed July 23, is seeking compensation from the airline for negligence, emotional distress and violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

In the complaint, Kanaan says he called the airline before his trip to Nantucket, Mass., to secure an aisle chair and lift to access the airplane. Kanaan alleges that upon his arrival, none of that equipment available.

Furthermore, flight crew said they couldn’t help him exit due to liability reasons.

In a statement Friday, Delta said it’s taking the situation very seriously but wouldn’t comment further.

New tropical storm, Henriette, forms
in Pacific

MIAMI — Far out in the Pacific, Gil has weakened to a tropical depression while another system strengthened to a tropical storm.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Sunday that the depression is about 1,280 miles east-southeast of Hilo.

It has maximum sustained winds of 35 mph and is moving west-southwest.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Henriette has formed in the Pacific.

It is about 1,335 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico.

It has maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and is moving west.

Forecasters expect it to gradually strengthen over the next few days.

No watches or warnings are in effect for either storm.

By wire sources