Lobsters, Kona crab placed off-limits

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources says it will be illegal to take ula and ula papapa, or spiny and slipper lobsters, and Kona crab in state waters until Sept. 1.

Department head William Aila said Thursday the rules are in place to protect the species during the summer months when they are in the peak of their reproductive season.

2 selected as Presidential Scholars

Two island students have been chosen Hawaii’s Presidential Scholars this year.

The Hawaii recipients, announced yesterday, were Kevin B. Hirata of Kaiser High School and Kimberly M. Schaefer of Punahou School.

The two are among 141 high school seniors selected for the prestigious award.

The scholars, who demonstrate academic achievement, artistic excellence, leadership and good citizenship, will be honored in Washington, D.C., next month.

“The U.S. Presidential Scholars exemplify what dedication to achievement and setting high standards can symbolize for all youth,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

Governor signs teacher hiring bill

Gov. Neil Abercrombie has signed several bills into law, one to allow the state Department of Education to hire teachers as “emergency hires” for three years and another to permit waivers if schools want to deviate from the standard school calendar.

The law dealing with emergency hires is intended to motivate teachers to obtain their teaching license, which would help meet federal requirements that they be “highly qualified.”

The governor also signed a bill eliminating a requirement for recycled glass in roadway materials.

Talk waste water

The public is invited to attend a meeting tomorrow that will discuss waste water-related needs for the North Shore for the next 20 years. The Core Working Group of the North Shore Regional Wastewater Alternatives Plan will meet from 8 to 10 a.m. at Haleiwa Joe’s, 66-011 Kamehameha Highway. For information, call Leland Chang at 421-1742.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Missing teen has medical condition

The family of a Wailuku teenager is asking for the public’s help to find their daughter, who was last seen Thursday at Kahului Airport when she failed to board a flight to return to a medical facility on the mainland.

Rachel Ann Dack, 17, has a potentially life-threatening medical condition and was carrying only a limited supply of her medication, a Maui County news release said. She is the daughter of county Planning Department Supervisor Jeffrey Dack.

She is described as 5 feet 4 inches tall and 185 pounds, with black hair. She was last seen wearing a black T-shirt, black pants, a belt and a white baseball cap with the phrase “I hate seagulls.”

Jeffrey Dack said his daughter is known to frequent the Kahului area, Kihei and Haiku.

Anyone who sees Dack is asked to call 911 and notify police.

Radiation in rainwater ‘undetectable’

The state Department of Health said radiation test results for big rainwater catchment systems on neighbor islands showed “non-detect” levels for all radionuclides checked.

“So basically, everything is undetectable,” said Jeff Eckerd, acting program manager of the department’s indoor and radiological health branch.

The testing was done April 18 and 19 at large-scale rainwater catchment systems on Hawaii island, Maui and Kauai, Eckerd said.