Washington Middle wins math contest
Washington Middle School won the MATHCOUNTS Hawaii State Competition for the second year in a row earlier this month.
Washington Middle’s math team beat seven other teams in the state competition, held March 3 at ‘Iolani School. Waiakea Intermediate School ranked second, following by Punahou School and ‘Iolani School.
Thirty-seven students also competed in the individual competition during the event, vying for the top four spots to represent Hawaii in the national competition in Orlando, Fla. Two Washington Middle students, David Chang and Jion Kato, as well as Punahou student Mark Klein and Seabury Hall student Jesse Doan, will travel to Orlando to represent Hawaii in the national competition May 11.
The Hawaii Society of Professional Engineers sponsors MATHCOUNTS chapter competitions on Oahu, Maui, Hawaii island and Kauai as well as the annual state competition. The society helps with travel and lodging expenses for Hawaii students, according to Ed Chang, member of the Hawaii MATHCOUNTS steering committee.
MATHCOUNTS is a national program that promotes middle school mathematics achievement. For more information, go to www.mathcounts.org.
Blaze in Haiku chars building
An early-morning fire in Haiku, Maui, caused $40,000 in damage to an unfinished two-story building and $60,000 in damage to the contents, fire officials said.
The fire at 56 Loomis Road, off of Ulalena Loop, was reported at 4:50 a.m. Sunday. Firefighters had it under control at 6:57 a.m.
No one was injured.
The 1,000-square-foot building was under construction.
Firehouse work nearing an end
Work on a new fire station in Kona is nearing completion on a budget of $7 million.
West Hawaii Today said the Makalei Fire Station’s main building, engine bays, emergency generator and training tower have taken shape.
Contractor Maryl KPRS Hawaii Joint Venture is now working on interior areas, said project manager Miro Neskovic.
Neskovic estimates work will be done by the end of April. Assistant Fire Chief Glen Honda said the station remains on schedule to open for service in August.
Bill would fund study of beetle
State legislators are trying to protect Hawaii’s beehives from a South African beetle a half-centimeter long.
The Garden Island newspaper reports that House Bill 2100 proposes to appropriate funds for the University of Hawaii at Hilo to further study methods of fighting the small hive beetle. The insect was first discovered in the United States in 1996 and in Hilo in April 2010, according to the state Department of Agriculture. The pest has since been detected on Oahu, Maui and Molokai. Kauai is thought to be still free of the beetle.
