27 take re-enlistment oath on battleship
With the sunken USS Arizona as a backdrop, 27 members of the armed forces re-enlisted Saturday aboard the retired USS Missouri in Pearl Harbor.
The ceremony, held in partnership with the Battleship Missouri Memorial, took place on the forward main deck under Gun Turret One, allowing the participants to look toward the USS Arizona Memorial as they recited their oaths.
Among the 27 was Chief Master Sgt. Paul Koester, 58, the Air Force’s oldest current active-duty member.
Officiating was Rear Adm. Alma Grocki, deputy chief of staff for fleet maintenance for the Pacific Fleet. Grocki was born and raised in Honolulu and was the first woman from Hawaii appointed to the Naval Academy, graduating in 1981.
Rifle range closes after stray shots fired
The city is shutting down its rifle range at Koko Head, after two reports of stray bullets.
The ranges at the Koko Head Shooting Complex will remain open to other weapons, including pistol, archery and trap shooting.
Mayor Kirk Caldwell said Friday that the city wants to repair the rifle range berm behind the targets. The berm, which has eroded over the years, absorbs bullets.
No injuries have been reported, and only property damage has occurred, the city said.
High surf forecast for north-facing shores
Surf is expected to rise to 12 to 16 feet through today, prompting a high surf advisory starting for the north shores of Oahu, Kauai County, Maui and Molokai.
The advisory is in effect until 6 p.m.
The National Weather Service said a north-northwest swell will bring strong breaking waves that will generate significant shore break and strong rip currents, making swimming dangerous.
Hazy, cool and muggy weather on the way
Vog, cool nights and mornings, and muggy days are expected because of a weather system that brought southerly winds Saturday.
The Kona winds brought volcanic haze from the Big Island, the National Weather Service said.
Overnight lows are expected to drop into the low 60s in many areas and muggy conditions are expected today through Tuesday, when the tradewinds are scheduled to return briefly.
Coral disease study continues
A University of Hawaii graduate student will return to Kauai Thursday for a 12-day stay to study a deadly coral disease.
The Garden Island reports that Christina Runyon will focus her attention on Kauai’s south and east shores, where local biologist Terry Lilley believes the disease has begun infecting large mound and lobe corals.
In February, Runyon was selected to lead the university’s investigation of the outbreak, which has been documented and studied by scientists from UH and the U.S. Geological Survey at several spots along the North Shore.
