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Toxins suspected in deaths of ducks
The Hawaiian Humane Society believes that a number of ducks found dead in Hawaii Kai last month may have been sickened by toxins in water runoff.
The Humane Society was called to the Hawaii Kai Retirement Community on Oct. 18 because of a report about sick ducks and found several dead adults and ducklings, society spokeswoman Tasha Tanimoto said.
Richard Sisler, a resident at the community, estimates as many as two dozen ducks were on the grounds of the retirement community.
"One died after another until there were none," he said.
There were also about 18 dead ducks found last week near the Hawaii Kai Marina, said marina manager Beverly Liddle.
Liddle said while it’s not unusual to find dead ducks in the area from time to time, it was somewhat unusual to find so many at once.
"That was a little more than we were accustomed to," she said.
She said they did not have any signs of trauma.
Broken sirens on Big Island get repairs
State Civil Defense technicians flew to Hawaii island Friday to repair four sirens on the west side, according to a Hawaii County news release. They were among the 13 sirens around the island that failed to sound during the monthly test.
During the weekend, Hawaii County Civil Defense and the Police Department radio shop inspected and worked on seven sirens on the east side of the island, a news release said.
Of those, two turned out to be working, three were repaired during the weekend and one was fixed Monday by a private contractor. State Civil Defense technicians returned to the island Monday and repaired the siren at Laupahoehoe Point.
The two remaining sirens are at Hakalau, where one was knocked over in a car crash, and at Waiaka, where one has a frozen motor. That siren requires new parts and extensive work by private contractors, Hawaii County officials said.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Kahoma bridge completed for Lahaina bypass
State, county and federal officials held a ceremony Monday to mark the completion of the Kahoma Stream Bridge in Lahaina.
The 360-foot-long, two-lane bridge is part of the first segment of the Honoapiilani Highway Realignment Project, also known as the Lahaina bypass road.
The first segment of the road between Lahainaluna Road and the Keawe Street Extension is expected to open in next month.
The $24.3 million bridge is of an inverted tier arch design, which places support beams below the road surface rather than above. The design was selected to minimize obstruction of ocean views for motorists and the Lahaina community.
The design also eliminates the need for foundation pillars below the bridge, leaving Kahoma Stream unobstructed.
Female nene killed when struck by car
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park officials are urging motorists to slow down and watch out for endangered nene after one of them was killed there.
Park officials said a female nene was killed early Friday morning along Chain of Craters Road inside the park.
Park officials said Monday in a news release that the bird’s mate was still near the site. The pair was preparing to nest.
The park has placed nene crossing signs on roads where birds are known to congregate or cross, and where vehicles most frequently hit and kill the birds.
Park wildlife biologist Kathleen Misajon said it is imperative that drivers use caution in all nene crossing zones.
The nene is the state bird. There are only about 2,000 of them in the wild.
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