Professor Nathan Murata has been tapped to take over as dean of the College of Education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa on Jan. 1, replacing Donald B. Young, who is retiring.

Murata is a professor and graduate chairman of the college’s Department of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science. He joined the UH College of Education in 1997 as an assistant professor and has served as interim associate dean for academic affairs.

“Professor Murata has a passion for teaching and for bringing leading-edge research into the classroom,” said Michael Bruno, interim vice chancellor for academic affairs and vice chancellor for research. “He is the perfect person to lead the college as it continues to expand its impact at UH-Manoa and throughout the state.”

Murata earned his doctorate in health and physical education from Ohio State University and his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in secondary education from UH-Manoa. He has also taught at Chaminade University and the University of Toledo.

Maui

Relatives escape house fire

Two adults and three children safely escaped a fire that caused $190,000 in damage to a three-bedroom apartment in Happy Valley on Monday morning.

The fire was first reported at 8:33 a.m. at the Kahekili Terrace Apartments on Piihana Road.

According to a Maui Fire Department report, the fire was accidentally caused by two 3-year-old girls who were playing in the kitchen. Alerted by a smoke alarm, the girls saw the fire and went upstairs where two adults and a 1-year-old boy were sleeping.

All five were able to leave the apartment without injury.

Arriving firefighters found flames and heavy black smoke emanating from first- and second-floor windows of the apartment. The fire was brought under control by 8:52 a.m. and extinguished by 9:52 a.m.

The fire displaced one of the women, who resides at the apartment with two older children who were not home at the time. The family is being housed in another unit within the complex.

The other woman and three children were relatives who were visiting and do not reside in the apartment.

Damage to the apartment was estimated at $160,000 to the structure and $30,000 to its contents.

Fire officials said the incident reinforces the importance of having working smoke alarms in the home.

Hawaii island

Traffic fatalities climb 7%

Hawaii County has recorded 1,182 major accidents so far this year, a 6.4 percent drop from last year.

But the number of fatalities in those crashes has outpaced 2016, the Hawaii County Police Department said Tuesday by email.

There were 1,263 major accidents as of Nov. 19 last year.

To date, there have been 28 fatal crashes — one of which had multiple deaths — resulting in 30 fatalities.

At this point last year there were 24 fatal crashes — four of which had multiple deaths — resulting in 28 fatalities. This represents an increase of 16.7 percent for fatal crashes and 7.1 percent for fatalities, the department said.

So far this year there have been 1,026 DUI arrests compared with 964 during the same period last year, an increase of 6.4 percent.

Motorists can expect roadblocks over the holidays, the department said.