Easter gifts cheer families departing IHS

Some families moving out of Institute for Human Services homeless shelter will find some necessary household items in their Easter baskets.

The Legislative Women’s Caucus dropped off 100 Easter baskets at the emergency shelter on Thursday. The baskets were filled with essentials like laundry soap, utensils, pots and pans, dishes, toiletries and towels.

The items are meant to help the clients get off to the right start when they transition out of the shelter into a permanent home.

The Caucus’s "Welcome Home" basket drive began in March. In prior years, the baskets were given to clients at the shelter. This year, they’re being given to those making the move into homes.

The Hawaii Women’s Caucus is a bipartisan organization that includes female House and Senate members.

Body found in Haena Bay

Search and rescue crews found a body believed to be a missing 17-year-old boy who was swept out to sea Friday in Puna.

The search resumed Saturday morning for the missing boy and crews recovered a body in the rocks near the mouth of Haena Bay at about 7 a.m.

The boy was swimming with two friends at Shipman Estates Beach when he was swept out of the bay by strong currents.

Fire personnel searched the shoreline Friday and a fire helicopter made an aerial search while a rescue boat and three divers made three dives, searching north and south.

The search was suspended because of poor visibility Friday afternoon.

Trollers allowed near Kahoolawe

Waters within two miles of Kahoolawe will be open to trolling during April 14-15 and April 28-29, 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.

Access to waters around Kahoolawe is restricted because of the presence of unexploded military ordnance, as well as for the protection of marine resources within the reserve.

Kahoolawe was used as a bombing and shelling range starting in 1941 after the United States declared martial law in the wake of the Japanese attacks. The island remained in Navy hands until 1994. The bombing ended in 1990.