Sustainment command gets new leader
Brig. Gen. Stephen R. Lyons will succeed Maj. Gen. Michael J. Terry as commanding general of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command at Fort Shafter, the Army announced Thursday.
Lyons is director for logistics operations, readiness, force integration and strategy at the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff in Washington, D.C.
Terry will assume command of the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command in Warren, Mich. He took over the 8th Theater Sustainment Command in July 2009.
The 8th is the Army command that provides supplies, maintenance, transport, engineer, personnel and military police support to units from Alaska to South Korea, spanning 9,000 miles.
Hawaii to host chemical congress in 2015
The largest chemical conference in the Asia-Pacific region is returning to the Hawai‘i Convention Center in 2015.
The convention center announced Wednesday it will host the seventh International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies. More than 12,500 people attended the last conference at the convention center in 2010.
The event has been held in Honolulu nearly every five years since its founding in 1984.
Hawaii Tourism Authority President and Chief Executive Officer Mike McCartney says Hawaii’s strategic location in the Pacific makes the convention center an ideal location for the event.
State crew testing liquid found in canal
A state Department of Health crew took samples of a white liquid found in a drainage canal behind Nimitz Center on Saturday and hopes tests will help it determine what the substance is and its source.
Adam Teekell, an environmental health specialist with the Health Department, said the crew didn’t see any dying fish and believes the pollution to be nonhazardous. The substance was dissipating farther down the canal, which empties into Honolulu Harbor, he said.
Firefighters were called to the scene near Alakawa Street at about 10 a.m. Saturday and secured the area until the Department of Health arrived, said Honolulu fire Capt. Robert Main. Health officials released the scene after taking samples.
Traffic Division takes criticism over congestion
A bad traffic jam during Tuesday’s brush fire in Kailua-Kona might have eased had the county Traffic Division, monitoring roadway cameras, diverted some of the flow, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported.
The division could have made real-time changes to relieve traffic congestion had the Police or Fire Department sought their assistance, but they did not, said Department of Public Works spokeswoman Noelani Whittington.
Kona patrol Capt. Richard Sherlock said the department is assessing the incident.
"The emergency responders did a great job in terms of no one getting hurt or property being damaged," Sherlock said. "I know people went through hell sitting in traffic, but safety is our first priority."
He said the department would look into using the camera system for future emergencies.
Queen Kaahumanu Highway, between Henry and Lako streets, and Hualalai Road were closed after the fire was reported at about 2 p.m., and remained closed for more than six hours.
Friendly Isle gets funds for irrigation
Molokai’s irrigation system has received $1.25 million from the state for system improvements, the Molokai Dispatch reports. The system serves the bulk of the island’s agricultural and homestead users.
With the funding, the system will receive a new hydropower plant that will generate electricity from the water flow. The power will feed back into the Maui Electric Co. system and help offset pumping costs, said Oscar Ignacio, irrigation district manager.
