Coast Guard asks for help finding sailor
The Coast Guard is asking for the public’s help in locating a missing mariner last seen leaving the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor at about 8 p.m. Thursday.
Greg Stephanoff, 60, is alone aboard his 42-foot Catalina sloop, C:Drive, and his destination is unknown.
Stephanoff mentioned to friends wanting to sail to Hanalei Bay, Kauai, but filed no float plan.
Stephanoff’s sailboat is white with a gray canvas cover over the cockpit. Stephanoff is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing khaki cargo shorts and a beige aloha shirt.
The Coast Guard is asking all mariners to report any sightings over VHF marine radio channel 16 or to contact the Honolulu Command Center at 842-2600.
Rail station designs up for discussion
Managers of Honolulu’s planned rail line will hold a community meeting this week to discuss the latest designs for stations in the Pearl City and Aiea areas.
The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation will host a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Pearl Ridge Elementary School.
Designs for the Pearl Highlands, Pearlridge and Aloha Stadium rail stations will be discussed.
Mayor Kirk Caldwell is among those planning to attend.
He says giving the public opportunities to provide feedback on station design is part of his goal to "build rail better." He says the stations will be not only be rail stops, but also new centers of their communities.
Community meetings have already been held for West Oahu and Waipahu station designs. Meetings for urban Honolulu stations are scheduled for later this year.
Insurance exchange is on Capitol agenda
State lawmakers plan to hold a hearing this week on Hawaii’s insurance exchange and other Affordable Care Act health care reforms.
The hearing at the state Capitol on Wednesday will call on Hawaii Health Connector Executive Director Coral Andrews to provide an update on the insurance exchange.
The state’s insurance commissioner and Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s Affordable Care Act implementation manager are also due to speak.
The hearing is from 9 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in Conference Room 329.
The Hawaii Health Connector has had a rocky debut.
As of Thursday, consumers still couldn’t see prices and plans on the connector website — two days after the Tuesday launch date.
State to explain fishing rules
KAHULUI » The state will hold meetings in Maui County this month to discuss proposed new rules for Maui and Lanai fisheries.
The Department of Land and Natural Resources said changes would involve bag and size limits for popular near-shore fish, including goatfish, parrotfish and jacks. The proposals include limiting fishers to taking no more than two parrotfish.
The department is holding the meetings to explain the proposals, how they were developed and what happens next.
The first meeting will be Thursday at Helene Hall in Hana, the second at the Lanai Senior Center on Oct. 15 and the third at Maui Waena School cafeteria in Kahului on Oct. 16. All run from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
The department says it will hold public hearings later.
Fire damages house in Hilo
A kitchen fire caused an estimated $120,000 in damage to a single-family home in Hilo on Saturday.
The fire was first reported at 7:25 p.m. Firefighters saw smoke and fire in the kitchen area and put out the blaze within 20 minutes.
No injuries were reported.
Man arrested in BB gunfire
A Haiku, Maui, man was charged with terroristic threatening and third-degree assault after his neighbor was shot with a BB gun Friday.
John Amoral, 41, was arrested and released Saturday after posting $2,200 bail, police said.
Amoral threatened his neighbor while holding the gun, then shot him, causing minor injuries, police said.
