Newswatch
Flags at half-staff in honor of judge
State flags have been ordered to fly at half-staff today to honor federal Judge Samuel King, who died Dec. 7 at the age of 94.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie issued the order yesterday. It will be effective from sunrise to sundown today.
King was a senior U.S. District Court judge, as well as an icon in Hawaii politics and society for six decades.
He is perhaps best known in recent years for being one of five co-authors of "Broken Trust," a lengthy 1997 essay and later a book that examined what was then called the Bishop Estate, one of the nation’s wealthiest educational trusts.
The trust is now known as Kamehameha Schools.
The funeral service for King will be held today at St. Andrew’s Cathedral. A gathering will begin at 1:30 p.m., followed by the service at 2:30 p.m. and a reception with the family on the church lawn.
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The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations in the name of the Honorable Samuel P. King be sent to Kalikolehua-El Sistema Hawaii, 1735 Dole St. No. 110, Honolulu, HI 96822.
Certain life vests might be unsafe
The Coast Guard has issued a warning about certain life vests, saying they could be difficult to put on during an emergency.
The vests at issue are the Kent Sporting Goods adult model 8830, which was manufactured in October 2006, and the Kent child model 8820, made in March 2008.
According to the Coast Guard, the chest strap on each vest was inserted through a fixed "D" ring during manufacture.
However, the strap has a clip at its end, and the clip could get snagged on the D ring when a user tries to pull out the strap in order to put the vest on.
The Coast Guard is strongly recommending that vessel owners and operators check their vests to ensure they can be donned quickly and properly in an emergency.
Air quality to be monitored
State health officials are planning to monitor Hawaii’s air quality this coming weekend because of an expected heavy use of fireworks. Use of legal and illegal fireworks in Hawaii is particularly pervasive during New Year’s celebrations. Health officials say fireworks smoke consists of particulate matter that can aggravate conditions such as asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. They say those who suffer from those conditions might want to take precautions.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Officials ID Big Isle man who drowned
A Big Island man who died of an apparent drowning Monday at Puu Maile Beach Park in Hilo has been identified as 28-year-old Noah Jolet Konelios of Hilo.
Police and fire rescue personnel were called to Puu Maile, a diving and fishing area, at 1:26 p.m. Beachgoers pointed to an area where a swimmer in distress was seen waving for help.
The Fire Department used a rescue boat and a helicopter and located the man.
A Fire Department diver recovered the man from the ocean floor. Medical personnel on shore could not revive him. He was pronounced dead at Hilo Medical Center at 2:40 p.m.
Maui Council prepares for inauguration
The nine-member Maui County Council is scheduled to be inaugurated next week.
Five new members — Robert Carroll, Elle Cochran, Don Couch Jr., Riki Hokama and Mike White — are due to be sworn in for two-year terms.
Returning Council members — Gladys Coelho Baisa, Danny A. Mateo, Joseph Pontanilla and Michael Victorino — will also be sworn in at the ceremony Monday in the Council chamber.
Outgoing Council members Mike Molina and Jo Anne Johnson are leaving due to term limits.
Sol Kaho’ohalahala did not seek re-election and instead ran unsuccessfully for mayor.
Bill Medeiros lost to Carroll, while Wayne Nishiki was defeated by Couch.
Missing Kailua-Kona man is found
An 83-year-old Kailua-Kona man who had been reported missing was found safe yesterday morning.
Felix Canonigo was found unharmed in Kailua-Kona. He had last been seen between 10:30 and 11:30 p.m. Monday at his home on Plumeria Street in the Alii Kai subdivision.