Vessel stranded in Kaneohe Bay removed
Boom Boom has left the reef.
After two previous attempts, private marine salvage contractor Parker Marine Worldwide LLC was finally able to remove a 40-foot vessel dubbed Boom Boom from a reef in Kaneohe Bay early Saturday.
According to spokeswoman Deborah Ward of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, the contractors started their work during high tide, around 4 a.m.
"It took longer than normal because they were trying to be as careful as possible not to cause any further damage to the reef," Ward said.
The vessel ran aground around midnight Nov. 6 on the reef near the Ahu o Laka sandbar, causing damage to live coral in an area used for marine tourism.
Breezy conditions will continue this week
Brisk tradewinds will continue through Wednesday thanks to high pressure north of the Hawaiian Islands, according to the National Weather Service.
High clouds will move over the state through today, with light showers favoring windward and mauka areas.
East winds of 10 to 20 mph are expected today.
The tradewinds are expected to produce choppy surf along east-facing shores.
A small-craft advisory is in effect through 6 p.m. today for Maalaea Bay, Paiolo and Alenuihaha channels, and waters south of Hawaii island.
Neighbor isle kids to visit moms at WCCC
Children on the neighbor islands whose mothers are incarcerated at the Women’s Community Correctional Center on Oahu will get their first chance in years to celebrate Christmas with their moms, courtesy of the 12th annual "Star Light, Star Bright!" Christmas program, and with the public’s help.
A reunion party will be held Dec. 15 at the prison by the Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, which is seeking donations of Hawaiian Airlines miles or any monetary amount to bring the children to Oahu, according to a news release.
The children and their caregivers are to arrive Dec. 14 and stay at St. Stephen Diocesan Center for the weekend. They will be taken by bus to visit their mothers at the prison the next day, and will fly home Sunday.
Approximately 40 round-trip tickets are needed. Monetary donations must be received no later than Friday, the release said.
Make checks payable to Roman Catholic Church and mail to: Star Light, Star Bright! 6301 Pali Highway, Kaneohe, HI 96744. For instructions on transferring air miles, email pvernay@rcchawaii.org or call 203-6722. Neighbor island residents can call toll-free at 877-263-8844, ext. 722.
Woman granted deferral of plea
A Hilo judge has granted a 37-year-old Idaho woman a deferral of her guilty plea in a welfare fraud case.
The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported that Judge Glenn Hara on Thursday ordered Julie Breuer of Sandpoint, Idaho, to pay $18,289 in restitution to the Hawaii Department of Human Services. He also sentenced her to five years of supervision, and one year in jail with credit for time she served in Idaho with the remaining jail time taken under advisement.
If she complies with the terms of her supervision, Breuer will not have to serve the remaining jail time and her conviction will be expunged.
Breuer was also ordered to perform 500 hours of community service and to make reasonable efforts to pay restitution.
Breuer fraudulently obtained financial assistance, food stamps and child care assistance in Hawaii County by falsely reporting that the father of her minor children was not in the home.
Officer locates ring’s owner
WAILUKU, Maui » A 1970 class ring has been returned to its owner, and a Maui police officer is being recommended for a commendation for her investigative work.
The Maui police department says patrol officer Ka Lae O Ka Ena Brown tracked down the ring’s owner.
A woman recently went to police to say she found an engraved ring along the road in front of her home.
Brown tracked the ring to a girls’ school in Utah. It then was tracked to a Jane Gill in the class of 1970. The woman told police she visited Maui about six years ago and was ecstatic to have the ring back.
