Jellyfish swarm beaches around Waikiki
Oahu officials treated 85 box jellyfish stings and counted 897 jellyfish Sunday, mostly in the Waikiki area, an emergency services spokeswoman said.
Jellyfish warning signs have been posted at Waikiki and Ala Moana beaches.
Officials said they expect the jellyfish influx to begin decreasing today and be close to 90 percent gone by Tuesday.
The count was taken between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday.
Box jellyfish usually arrive near shore a week to 10 days after the full moon, which was Dec. 28.
High-surf advisory extended through today
The National Weather Service extended its high-surf advisory for the east shores of Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Maui and Hawaii until 6 p.m. today.
Surf along those shores is expected to reach 7 to 10 feet, and strong tradewinds will continue to make ocean conditions very rough, the service reported.
Meanwhile Sunday, the Alenuihaha (Maui-Hawaii) and Pailolo (Maui-Molokai) channels were under a gale warning, with east winds of 40 mph and gusts of up to 52 mph. A high-wind advisory for Molokai, Maui, Lanai and the lower slopes of Hawaii island was set to expire at 6 a.m. today.
A high-pressure system northeast of the islands was producing strong, gusty tradewinds and rough seas Sunday and overnight, the weather service said. The trades were expected to weaken today.
High winds blew off seven roofs and downed nine trees over a 24-hour period spanning Saturday and Sunday, said Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. Robert Main. No injuries were reported from any of the incidents.
Sewage flows through manholes on Kauai
Faulty pump controls are being blamed for sending more than 200 gallons of sewage up through three manholes into a Hanapepe street Sunday morning.
The Kauai County Department of Public Works says crews responded to the scene at around 9:15 a.m. and cleaned up most of the spill by 10 a.m.
They disinfected the area afterward.
The agency says the wastewater staff is working on repairs.
Road complaints predated death
The gulch roadway where tourist Yogi Yoswara died is a "road in limbo" that gets little or no maintenance, Hawaii County officials say.
The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports that neighbors have long complained about the hazards of Makai Cross Road in the Kapehu Homestead area of Papaaloa.
"At one time, when the territorial government became the state government, the roads were transferred to the county government, but the county never formally accepted it," said county Public Works Director Warren Lee. "We have it listed on our inventory as a road in limbo. What we’re doing, as funds become available, is that we’re improving our roads in limbo. We try to (improve) maybe three to five miles a year."
Lee said the county has 400 miles of such roads.
"If it’s flooding you can die," said Karen Rowland, who before Yoswara’s death had written to county officials, Gov. Neil Abercrombie and U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka asking to get a bridge installed. "I’ve been complaining for over a year now."
The Dodge Charger rented by the 31-year-old California architecture student was found on New Year’s Eve in Pahale Stream, and his body was found about 100 yards downstream, Fire Department officials said. Yoswara was last seen on the night of Dec. 19.
Fireworks cause 5-acre brush fire
Fireworks are blamed for a brush fire that burned five acres near the Duarte Apartments in Kailua-Kona.
The fire broke out at about 3:39 p.m. Saturday on the mauka side of Kuakini Highway in a field with dry trees and grass.
Firefighters said they received a report of children firing rockets into the field. The fire burned to within 100 yards of the complex.
