Major roadwork suspended until January

Motorists will receive a little reprieve when the Department of Transportation will postpone all major highway construction today and resume it Jan. 2.

Transportation Department crews were continuing to do test-drilling work on the H-1 freeway Wednesday near the Houghtailing offramp, requiring the right lane to be closed.

This was a continuation of the same project that was done on Monday, which closed two lanes and caused major traffic problems that were compounded by the wet weather.

The drilling was done to test the asphalt for a project next year to rehabilitate a section of the freeway.

3 fires scorch Molokai brush

Firefighters on Molokai responded to three brush fires Wednesday.

The fires, which began about 11:36 a.m., burned a total of more than 21 acres in the area of Hoomalu Drive and Likelike Avenue.

Firefighters were able to put out the first two fires fairly quickly, Maui County fire officials said. The third was contained at 2:15 p.m.

Tenant charged with murder

Hawaii County police have charged a Pahoa man with killing his landlord.

Jason Russell Jump, 36, was charged with second-degree murder Tuesday evening. He was in the Hilo police cellblock in lieu of $250,000 bail.

An autopsy conducted Tuesday revealed that James V. Johns Sr., 54, of Nanawale Estates, died of an injury to the brain caused by blunt force trauma. Johns’ body was found in his home just after 5 p.m. Sunday.

Theft, assault generate arrest

Hawaii County police arrested and charged a suspect in a robbery Nov. 26 in the parking lot at Alii Sunset Plaza in Kailua-Kona.

Kekoa Duguran, 22, was charged Tuesday with first-degree robbery, first-degree assault and third-degree theft. Police arrested him Tuesday morning.

A 26-year-old Kealakekua man said five or six males beat him and stole his backpack in the parking lot. The victim was treated at Kona Community Hospital for a fractured jaw.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Detective Walter Ah Mow at 326-4646, ext. 238, or CrimeStoppers at 329-8181 or 961-8300 in Hilo.