Wind damages roofs, knocks out power
With wind gusts topping out at about 50 mph, a firefighter was injured, a few roofs on Windward Oahu sustained damage and various wind-swept areas islandwide had power failures Friday.
A wind advisory is expected to remain in effect until 6 p.m. Saturday, the National Weather Service said.
Fire officials said a 50-year-old firefighter was in serious condition Friday night after being knocked down by the wind while trying to repair the roof of a Kaneohe home.
Hawaiian Electric said the outages occurred in Maunawili, Kapolei, Makiki, Niu Valley and Hawaii Loa Ridge. Most lasted less than 11⁄2 hours. Maunawili Estates had at least three outages in a span of less than four hours.
Honolulu fire spokesman Capt. Kevin Mokulehua said he received reports of three blown roofs in Kaneohe.
Fire officials also received a report of a downed tree at Mokulele Drive and Kamehameha Highway in Kaneohe.
The National Weather Service said wind from the southwest Friday was propelled by a cold front and blowing 20 to 30 mph with gusts between 40 and 50 mph.
Jellyfish invasion closes Hanauma Bay
City officials were to check Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve early Saturday and consider whether to reopen it after the beach was closed Friday because of an influx of jellyfish.
Hanauma’s beach was closed at 10:21 a.m. Friday, but the upper area stayed open for people to enjoy the scenic view.
Honolulu Ocean Safety has issued a jellyfish warning for Hanauma Bay and a jellyfish advisory in the areas of Kailua Beach and Lanikai. Box jellyfish come ashore monthly about 10 days after the full moon on south- and west-facing beaches on Oahu. The last full moon was Feb. 3.
Engine trouble diverts Delta flight to Hilo
A Delta Boeing 757-300 from Los Angeles to Honolulu Airport had to make an emergency landing in Hilo on Thursday night.
The state Department of Transportation said the pilot of Delta Flight 1559 reported an engine light came on indicating a problem and would not go off after pilots went through procedures. The pilots shut down the engine in question and diverted the flight to Hilo at about 8:15 p.m., powered by the remaining engine. There were 236 people aboard. There were no injuries. Another aircraft flew the passengers to Honolulu early Friday.
Murder charge dismissal sought
WAILUKU » The man charged with murder in the disappearance of a pregnant Maui woman is asking to have the indictment against him dismissed.
Steven Capobianco’s motion says the prosecution presented misleading evidence and relied on excessive hearsay.
Carly "Charli" Scott is Capobianco’s ex-girlfriend who was five months pregnant with his child when she disappeared about a year ago.
The Maui News reported Friday that Capobianco’s motion reveals details about the case, including allegations Scott was dismembered and that her dentist compared dental records with jawbones suspected to be hers.
Prosecutors are expected to file a response to the motion. A hearing on the motion is set for March 19.
Capobianco has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder and third-degree arson, allegedly for torching Scott’s car.
Vehicle fire burns cane
A vehicle fire spread to a nearby cane field in Pulehu on Maui Friday morning, scorching about 10 acres.
The Maui Fire Department said emergency dispatchers received a call for a large brush fire near Pulehu Road and Omaopio Road junction at about 5:10 a.m., and firefighters from Kula found about two acres of burning sugar cane. Kona winds of 20-25 mph made the fire difficult to control, officials said.
Both roads were briefly closed due to heavy smoke.
Fire crews worked to put out the flames until 8:30 a.m., when Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Co. workers took over.
A burned vehicle was found near the cane field and was believed to be the cause of the fire, officials said.
