After 17 years, Oahu will say goodbye to Kmart

Oahu’s days of flashing blue-light specials are now numbered. Kmart’s parent company has confirmed that it will close its last on-island big­­ box store in mid-­October as part of an effort address business losses. A liquidation sale starts Thursday.

Bargain-hunters in high-priced Hawaii are sure to miss the Kapolei store, which opened 17 years ago with a staff of 200 workers. On Maui, Kmart closed its Kahului store in June. Its Halawa location shut down earlier this year. That follows closure of its Waikele Center and Nimitz Highway sites. Two remain: one in Lihue and the other in ­Kailua-Kona.

A one-two punch against homeless encampments

The state Department of Transportation has enlisted the Sheriff’s Department to help it clear the homeless from their encampments along parts of the Nimitz Highway and H-1 freeway. It’s hoped that sheriff’s deputies will keep the homeless from returning. It’s also hoped that they will decide to get off the streets once and for all — and that appropriate and effective support will be waiting.