Kahoolawe waters open

Waters within two miles of Kahoolawe will be open to trolling on the first and second weekends of March, the Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission announced. Vessels must be registered with the commission and file a catch report. A $25 permit fee applies. To register, contact Dean Tokishi at 243-5889 or dtokishi@kirc.hawaii.gov, or visit kahoolawe.hawaii.gov.

Plane lands safely after emergency

An emergency landing of a United Airlines flight at Kona Airport yesterday afternoon ended without incident.

About 11:45 a.m., the crew aboard Flight 57 coming from Los Angeles reported one of the plane’s oil pressure lights came on. The pilot had to shut down one of the jet’s two engines.

Kona Airport fire crews responded, as well as two Hawaii County fire trucks, and three emergency medical crews. The plane landed about 12:40 p.m. and no injuries were reported, said Department of Transportation spokesman Dan Meisenzahl.

Jury deadlocks in sex assault trial

In a case of "he said" versus "she said," a state jury could not decide whom to believe — a Honolulu police officer or an admitted prostitute.

After a weeklong trial and a day of deliberation, the six men and six women of the jury told the judge yesterday they could not reach a unanimous verdict on a second-degree sexual assault charge against officer Michael Tarmoun. Circuit Judge Dexter Del Rosario scheduled a new trial in June in front of a different jury.

The now-former prostitute, 22, said Tarmoun picked her up in Waikiki on July 19, 2009, took her to a Piikoi Street apartment and threatened to put her in jail if she did not do as he said. After they had sex, the woman said Tarmoun took her back to Waikiki and gave her $5 after she told him she was hungry.

Tarmoun, 38, said he did not have sex with the woman.

The Honolulu Police Department says Tarmoun is now on restricted duty with no police powers pending the outcome of its internal investigation.

Tarmoun said he thought the woman was a tourist looking to "hook up," so he took her to his girlfriend’s apartment where he planned to "have some fun."

The woman said she did not realize Tarmoun was a police officer until she saw his uniform top and badge in the trunk of his car at the apartment. She said she then realized Tarmoun was still wearing his uniform trousers when he picked her up.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Maui mayor wants to end furloughs

WAILUKU » Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa, who has made ending county furlough days a top priority of his administration, has asked the Maui County Council for $1 million to return employees to their regular work schedules beginning in April.

"The county is no longer in a situation where we need furlough days, and it has for too long limited the public’s access to our services," Arakawa said in his State of the County address, The Maui News reported.

Former Mayor Charmaine Tavares put county workers on monthly furloughs starting last July, saying the program would save the cash-strapped county an estimated $3.5 million for the year.

But Arakawa said furloughs have not saved the county as much money as previously thought.

The mayor said $1 million would put county employees back to work through the rest of the fiscal year, which ends in June.

Study to look at erosion at Poipu

Kauai County says it is paying a Honolulu engineering company more than $300,000 to study how to restore Poipu Beach, which has been eroding at a rate of about 1 foot per year.

The county hired Sea Engineering Inc. to research past and current climate and wave patterns and existing onshore conditions. The company is also expected to develop alternatives for restoration.

Poipu is a favorite beach for endangered Hawaiian monk seals and tourists. But the erosion has created dangerous swimming conditions.

The county is paying about $182,000 of the cost of the study, while the Hawaii Tourism Authority is contributing $75,000 and the Poipu Beach Foundation has donated $50,000.