Dengue confirmations climb to 145

The number of confirmed locally acquired dengue fever cases is up to 145 on Hawaii island, the Department of Health said Wednesday.

The Health Department also reported Wednesday that 477 possible cases tested negative for locally acquired dengue.

Longs Drugs, now part of CVS Health, and Foodland Super Market Ltd. have donated more than $23,000 in mosquito repellent to fight the spread of dengue on the Big Island, the Health Department and Hawaii County announced this week.

Longs Drugs donated 220 cases of repellent with more than 2,400 spray cans, with the help of Aloha United Way. Foodland donated 20 cases of 4,800 individually wrapped towelettes.

The repellent was distributed to at-risk populations, including the homeless.

Makaha man charged in alleged hit-and-run

An Oahu grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday against the alleged driver in a hit-and-run crash in front of Keaau Beach Park that killed a 57-year-old woman and injured the woman’s 13-year-old granddaughter.

The indictment charges Vince Kalaola, 21, of Makaha with negligent homicide and fleeing the scene of a fatal traffic accident. His bail is $15,000.

Honolulu police arrested Kalaola about an hour after the incident at his home, which is near the site of the early May 31 crash, but later released him pending further investigation.

Police said a vehicle heading townbound on Farrington Highway went off the roadway and struck the woman and girl, who were walking along the makai side of the highway.

Gayle Peeples died at the scene. Peeples’ granddaughter went by ambulance to a hospital in serious condition.

Lane of Farrington Highway to be closed

A westbound lane of Farrington Highway will be closed for three hours today until 11:30 a.m. in Nanakuli’s Black Rock area, near the turn into Pohakunui Avenue.

The closure will be in place while Hawaiian Electric Co. crews remove equipment from a newly installed utility pole.

Traffic-control measures, aided by special-duty police officers, will be used to direct traffic flow on Farrington Highway in the work area, according to a HECO news release.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Body cameras still unused by Kauai police

An ongoing dispute between Hawaii’s police union and the Kauai Police Department over a body camera policy continues to keep officers from using the already-purchased devices.

Hawaii News Now reported Tuesday that Police Chief Darryl Perry says he had expected officers to begin using the cameras this week. But he says progress has stalled because the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers hasn’t yet signed off on a revised version of the body camera policy.

The union had requested several changes to the policy, and Perry says nearly all those changes have been made in the latest draft.

Perry says he will start distributing the cameras to officers if the union doesn’t respond soon.