Kilauea flow stays active as another ends

At Kilauea Volcano’s middle east rift zone, the Kahaualea 2 lava flow remained active Saturday as small scattered breakouts burned forest northeast of Puu Oo.

But the so-called Peace Day flow southeast of Puu Oo was confirmed dead Thursday after being active for more than two years, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.

A fissure eruption on the upper east flank of Puu Oo Cone on Sept. 21, 2011, drained the lava lakes and fed the Peace Day flow, which advanced southeast through the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision to the ocean within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in early December 2011. The flows stalled and re-entered the ocean starting on Nov. 24, 2012.

The ocean entry stopped on Aug. 20.

The Kahaualea flow, which started from the spatter cone/lava lake at the northeast edge of the Puu Oo crater floor in mid-January, was dead by late April, but a new flow, Kahaualea 2, became active in the same area in early May.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

E.coli detected in water well sample on Maui

E.coli bacteria turned up in a sample taken from a Maui well on Friday, the county Department of Water Supply confirmed.

The positive result came from the Kepaniwai Well in Wailuku, the department said in an emailed statement Saturday. 

Later sampling was negative for E.coli and the water is safe to drink, the department said. The contamination likely came externally from the sampling tap, and all such taps are being inspected, the department said.  

The presence of E.coli indicates water may have come in contact with human or animal wastes.

The microbe, if ingested, can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches or other symptoms. For more information, call 270-7633.

‘Kauai Stories’ tales on tap at garden event

Five Kauai residents will talk story from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 17 at the National Tropical Botanical Garden’s Allerton Garden in Poipu.

Sharron Weber, owner of Tire Warehouse, will talk of becoming a world champion surfer as a young woman.

Wilfred Ibara will recall growing up in sugar plantation camps. Bob Ritch will share stories of working “just about every job on sugar plantations.”

Sadiqa Humbert will talk about moving to Kauai from Alaska, and Lincoln Gill will recount his story of generosity returned when he shared bananas from his garden with his newspaper carriers.

All are featured in the 2012 book “Kauai Stories,” by Pamela Brown.

Free tours of the garden will also be available to Hawaii residents with a photo ID. Tour reservations are required; call 742-2623.