Expect light trades and small waves

After a week that saw rainstorms and big waves, the weather forecast for the early part of this week calls for typical tradewind weather and north shore waves of only 3 to 5 feet today.

The National Weather Service expects moderate tradewinds over windward and mauka areas and isolated showers along leeward areas.

The current north-northwest swell will gradually diminish through tomorrow, the weather service said.

An incoming northwest swell is expected to produce surf well below advisory levels Thursday.

East-facing shores should see waves of 3 to 5 feet today. Surf along west-facing shores is forecast at 2 to 4 feet today. South-facing shores should expect waves of 1 to 3 feet today.

A small-craft advisory issued yesterday was expected to remain in effect until 6 p.m. tonight for Maalaea Bay, Pailolo Channel, Alenuihaha Channel, Big Island leeward waters and Big Island southeastern waters. 

Apply online to become police recruit

The Honolulu Police Department began accepting online applications for qualified recruits yesterday. The deadline is midnight Thursday.

The department is looking for men and women 20 and older who are high school graduates or who have an equivalency diploma. Candidates must also have a driver’s license and meet federal and state requirements to possess a firearm. Those who meet those and other minimum requirements will take a written test Jan. 8. More information is available at www.honolulupd.org.

Small quake hits Big Island south of Hilo

A small earthquake shook the southeastern flank of Mauna Loa yesterday morning but triggered no dangerous waves, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported.

The quake occurred at 9:39 a.m. about seven kilometers — or more than four miles — inland, said Dailin Wang, an oceanographer at the center in Ewa Beach.

The quake’s magnitude was reported as 4.0 by the tsunami center and 3.9 by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. The USGS said it struck at a depth of 22.4 miles about 45 miles southwest of Hilo. 

Land hearing on Ooma plan is Thursday

The state Land Use Commission on Thursday will hold the final public hearing on the proposed land reclassification of Ooma, one of the few coastal lands in North Kona remaining under conservation status, making way for a mixed-use development.

The meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m. at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort.

The developer, ‘O’oma Beachside Village LLC, formerly known as North Kona Village LLC, is asking the Land Use Commission to reclassify 181 acres from conservation to urban as part of a plan to build 1,000 homes classified from affordable to luxury.

If approved, the developer plans to develop a residential shoreline community with mixed uses.

"There are other lands better suited for development that should be taken into consideration before allowing another piece of coastline to be lost forever," said Leona "Noni" Roberts, a member of the Surfrider Foundation, whose mission is to save coastlines and improve water quality.

Written testimony may be mailed to Land Use Commission, P.O. Box 2359, Honolulu, HI 96804-2359, or e-mailed by tomorrow to luc@dbedt.hawaii.gov