Kumu hula Keo Woolford dies

Hawaii kumu hula and filmmaker Keo Woolford died Monday at Pali Momi Medical Center after suffering a stroke Friday, according to his publicist. He was 49.

Publicist Tracy Larrua said Woolford had just completed the script for a follow-­­up movie to “The Haumana,” his well-­received 2013 film about a hula halau, which was picked as the closing-night screening of the Hawaii International Film Festival. He planned to conduct auditions in January, she said.

He was recently appointed kumu hula of Robert Cazimero’s Halau Na Kamalei o Lililehua. Woolford’s credits include a stint with “The King and I” in London and touring as a member of Hawaii boy band Brownskin. He had a recurring role as Detective James Chang in “Hawaii Five-0.”

HAWAII ISLAND

State to pay $2 million to plug 2 disused geothermal wells

The state is paying more than $2 million to have two geothermal wells plugged in Pahoa.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources has hired Water Resources International to plug and abandon the wells, which were drilled in 1991.

A community meeting is scheduled for Dec. 8 .