Warrant fee scam still ongoing

Hawaii residents continue to be affected by a nationwide phone scam in which people impersonating deputy sheriffs demand fees for outstanding warrants, the state Department of Public Safety said Wednesday.

The calls began earlier this month. According to a news release from the department, a person is called and told that there is a warrant for his or her arrest because he or she did not show up for jury duty or court. The impersonator is telling individuals that deputies will come and arrest them unless they pay a fee by phone to have the warrant cleared.

The state Public Safety Department, which oversees the operations of deputy sheriffs, said sheriffs do not and will not call people about warrants having to do with jury duty and will not solicit the purchase of anything.

Anyone receiving such a call should alert the Sheriff Division at 586-1352.

Kamehameha to buy school

KAILUA-KONA » Kamehameha Schools has an agreement to buy the campus of a private Kailua-Kona school that is closing at the end of the school year.

The private trust is evaluating options for using the Hualalai Academy site, Kamehameha Schools spokesman Kekoa Paulsen said. One option may be to use the campus for a preschool, he told West Hawaii Today.

The 14-acre campus is 3 miles north of Kailua-Kona on the slopes of Hualalai Volcano.

The trust must make sure the transaction is complete before deciding how the property will be used, Paulsen said.

"We are still in the due-diligence period that is required before our purchase can be finalized," Paulsen said.

Hualalai Academy plans to shut down at the end of this school year, after a year of financial problems that nearly culminated in a closure last month, board President Matthew James told parents in a letter Monday morning.

Maui County buys acreage

Maui County has purchased 148.4 acres at Launiupoko to be kept as open space, Mayor Alan Arakawa announced Tuesday.

"This land acquisition is extremely important in that it sends a message to future generations on the importance of preserving open space," Arakawa said.

The sale was completed after an agreement was reached with the seller, Makila Land Co. LLC, and approved by the County Council late last year. The $9.9 million purchase is being paid with $6.5 million from the Open Space Fund and the balance with general obligation bonds.