Hawaii County police apprehended extended furlough inmate John Towle on Friday after he failed to check in with officials in late April.

Police returned him to Hawaii Community Correctional Center at 3 p.m. Friday, the Department of Public Safety reported.

Towle failed to check in April 30 at the Kona Furlough House.

"Inmates in the extended furlough program live and work outside the facility, but check in at various times," DPS said in a news release.

Towle is serving prison time for methamphetamine trafficking and is scheduled for a parole hearing in June.

Erosion barrier proposed along Maui highway

The Hawaii Department of Transportation is proposing installation of a 1,200-foot concrete barrier along Honoapiilani High-way on Maui to prevent erosion.

But some residents attending a public hearing on the project Wednesday night said the state should instead focus on a bypass project that would move the roadway inland, The Maui News reported on Friday.

The repairs are expected to cost more than $20 million, with the federal government picking up 80 percent of the tab. The money comes from disaster funds awarded after Hurricane Iselle in August.

DOT Highways Administrator Ray McCormick told residents that the realignment project could take more than a decade to complete.

Transportation officials say two lanes of traffic will be maintained while the barrier is installed.