National Guard company due back in isles
About 125 Hawaii Army National Guard soldiers will return home later this week from nine months of duty in Afghanistan, the National Guard said.
B Company, 1st Battalion, 171st Aviation Regiment, out of Wheeler Army Airfield, deployed with 10 CH-47 Chinook helicopters to provide troop and equipment transport. The big twin-rotor helicopters are the workhorses of Afghanistan, able to fly at high altitudes and carry large payloads.
The Hawaii Guard soldiers operated primarily out of Kandahar Airfield but also five other forward bases.
The citizen soldiers are at Fort Hood, Texas, preparing for the return to Hawaii on a charter flight.
Work continues on Waialae Avenue
Construction work by the Board of Water Supply continues this week on a portion of Waialae Avenue.
Through Wednesday all but one lane in both directions on Waialae Avenue between 8th and 9th avenues will be closed while crews bury waterlines deeper ahead of the city repaving project. Customers in the immediate area might experience temporary water service loss when crews switch over to the new service lines.
Search made for Hawaii isle opihi picker
Hawaii County search and rescue crews resumed searching along the shoreline and in the ocean in the Cape Kumukahi area Monday morning for a 30-year-old man who was last seen picking opihi.
Peter Mahoe was last seen Thursday between noon and 2 p.m., climbing down a cliff face.
Personnel from the Coast Guard, Hawaii Fire Department and Hawaii Police Department conducted an intensive three-day search spanning some 1,414 square miles. The Coast Guard suspended its search Sunday evening after failing to locate any sign of Mahoe.
But Hawaii County firefighters continued to search Monday. The day ended with no new lead on Mahoe’s whereabouts, and no determination was made on whether the search will continue Tuesday.
On Sunday a Hawaii County fire helicopter conducted an aerial search one mile north to three miles south of Mahoe’s last known point; a fire rescue boat conducted dive operations in the same area.
Smoking ban delayed over lack of signs
WAILUKU » Enforcement of a new smoking ban at Maui County parks, beaches and recreational facilities has been delayed.
Officials say full implementation will require more time because signs warning the public about the new ban have yet to be produced.
The Maui News says that frequently asked questions about the ban also must be developed for the county website.
County spokesman Rod Antone says that when the Maui County Council approved the ban, it did not include funds for signs.
The ban became law in late April.
