Wind will change as front nears isles
Light wind will turn to the southwest Monday as a front approaches from the northwest, the National Weather Service said.
The front is expected to pass over the islands Tuesday through Wednesday with an increase in wind.
Wind will remain out of the west to northwest through the end of the week, with another front expected to pass over the islands Friday and Friday night.
Meanwhile, a wind advisory remains in effect at least until 6 a.m. Tuesday for the summits of Hawaii island.
The weather service said Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa will be slapped with westerly wind of 25 to 45 mph, with gusts of up to 65 mph.
The wind is expected to strengthen by the middle of the week.
Cat protection, Hawaiian rights on agenda
Nearly 2,900 bills were introduced in the first week of Hawaii’s 2015 legislative session. Now the committees are getting to work to craft and shape those proposals into policy ideas that will last.
Only a few hundred bills are likely to survive the session, and the first tough decisions will be made in the upcoming weeks.
Two things to watch this week at the Hawaii Legislature:
» Removing a cat’s claws or helping a veterinarian with the procedure would become a misdemeanor under a bill before the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce on Monday. House Majority Leader Scott Saiki introduced the bill, which refers to the procedure as cruelty to animals.
» State law protects the rights of Native Hawaiians to practice certain traditions and customs, but not everyone understands what that means. A bill would require the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to develop a training program, and members of boards dealing with land, development, the environment and other areas would be required to attend.
The bill will be heard Wednesday in the House Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources and Hawaiian Affairs.
Hikers rescued from forest
Two men spent Thursday night lost in the Kahaualea Forest Reserve on Hawaii island, West Hawaii Today reports.
The men, 22 and 23, started their hike early Thursday on a restricted trail to Puu Oo crater, the Hawaii Fire Department said. On the way back, they called a friend and said they were unable to find the main trail.
The friend contacted the department, and a search for the hikers began at 9:23 a.m. Friday.
At 10:30 a.m. Friday the missing hikers called 911, and dispatchers were able to establish GPS coordinates. Searchers focused on that area and the duo was found.
Chopper 1 used a rescue net to extricate the uninjured men. They were questioned by police and state Department of Land and Natural Resources officers, according to the Fire Department.
Goat season open to archers
Bow hunting for feral goats began Sunday in Hunting Unit F, west of Kokee, Kauai, the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife announced.
The hunt is restricted to archery on weekends and state holidays until June 28, the division said.
The bag limit will be two feral goats of either sex per hunter per day. Animals may be deboned in the field.
Blaze orange clothing is not required.
Hunters may pick up their permits in the Lihue Division of Forestry and Wildlife office at 3060 Eiwa St., Room 306. They must present their 2014-15 Hawaii hunting license to get a permit.
The ongoing feral pig hunting season will continue as scheduled in Hunting Unit A, east of Kokee, and Hunting Unit J, west of the Waimea Canyon Lookout.
