UH player, charged with driving while drunk, pleads not guilty
University of Hawaii quarterback Cayman Shutter pleaded not guilty to a charge of drunken driving in Honolulu District Court on Thursday.
Shutter did not attend the arraignment. His attorney, Dean Hoe, entered the plea for him. His trial is scheduled for July 20.
Shutter was arrested at 3:15 a.m. March 30 on suspicion of drunken driving. He was released an hour later after posting $500 bail. The arrest occurred during UH’s spring break, and head football coach Norm Chow was in China at the time.
Citing a violation of team rules, Chow later said Shutter would be suspended indefinitely from team activities, which included participating in the Warriors’ spring practices, meetings and conditioning program. Shutter, 21, remains on scholarship and is attending classes.
Shutter entered spring training as the Warriors’ No. 2 quarterback behind David Graves. Graves and Jeremy Higgins are now bracketed at No. 1.
City to celebrate Lei Day with song, dance and crafts
The city will carry on a decades-old tradition with hula, songs, lei and lau hala weaving on Lei Day next week.
May 1 is the 85th anniversary of Lei Day.
The public is invited to play Hawaiian games; learn a song, a hula and how to make a lei; and to weave with lau hala.
The festivities begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday at Kapiolani Park and Bandstand.
The theme for this year’s celebration is "Lei Ui Onaona," or "sweet lei of youth."
Smart meters part of MECO’s experiment
Maui Electric Co. is installing new power meters that will enable the utility to remotely monitor electricity fed to more than 100 residents taking part in a smart-grid demonstration project.
Operations Superintendent Chris Reyn-olds says two meters have been installed so far in Maui Meadows. The Maui News reported Thursday another 110 will be in place in May.
Smart meters allow a utility to remotely read customers’ meters, connect and disconnect service and know when a customer has had a power failure. The data also help customers understand more about their energy use and guide them toward efficiency.
The meters are part of a broader experiment to demonstrate how solar, wind and other renewable energy sources can be integrated into an electrical grid.
On the Garden Island, Kauai Island Utility Cooperative is considering allowing members to opt out of using smart meters. Cooperative CEO David Bissell told The Garden Island newspaper the board won’t force meters on any house or business.
A handful of people held signs protesting the meters outside a hotel in Kapaa where the utility’s board met Tuesday. The demonstrators cited health fears and privacy concerns.
Kilauea lava slows in flow
Lava from Kilauea volcano continued to be active Thursday on the pali and the coastal plain southeast of Puu Oo crater but did not advance significantly toward the ocean.
Webcams showed little downhill headway overnight Wednesday. Glowing lava could be seen in two spots inside Puu Oo.
