Water main break, crash snarl traffic

A 12-inch water main break flooded Ala Moana Boulevard near South Street and disrupted traffic in both directions yesterday.

Police said one lane of Ala Moana Boulevard was closed in both directions after the break was reported at 2:50 p.m.

Board of Water Supply spokeswoman Tracy Burgo had no estimate on when the break would be repaired.

It occurred on Forrest Avenue between Ala Moana Boulevard and Ilalo Street. That section of Forrest Avenue also was closed.

In Windward Oahu, meanwhile, a traffic accident knocked poles and wires onto Kamehameha Highway near Kualoa Ranch.

Traffic was contra-flowed through Kualoa Ranch following the crash at 6 a.m.

Police announced at 2:10 p.m. that the highway had reopened. There were no serious injuries.

State court suspends attorney

The Hawaii Supreme Court has suspended Big Island attorney Carrie Yonemori for three years.

In a statement Friday, the court said Yonemori’s suspension resulted from her failure to provide competent and diligent representation to three clients, her failure to communicate with these clients and her failure to cooperate in the investigation of these clients’ complaints.

Yonemori, admitted to the state bar in 1998, did not respond to a request for comment. 

Erosion plan calls for use of boulders

The state Department of Transportation wants to place boulders along a 900-foot stretch of Olowalu, Maui, shoreline to stop erosion that is threatening the structural integrity of Honoapiilani Highway.

The Maui News reports that boulders ranging in size from 2.3 to 3.8 tons would be positioned over smaller rock and a geotextile fabric in an area that is now a cobblestone beach and popular surf spot just past the Olowalu Wharf. The project would include widening the existing road shoulder and installing crash barriers.

Maui Planning Commission members will view the area during a tour Wednesday morning.

The project still requires approvals from state, county and federal agencies, including a special management area permit and shoreline setback variance from the commission.

Former Gov. Linda Lingle declared the area a "traffic emergency zone" in January 2009, enabling the state Department of Transportation to take steps to harden the shoreline.