More than 20 rescued from high surf

As surf continued to rise Wednesday, Oahu lifeguards rescued more than 20 people on the north and east sides of the island.

As of 3:30 p.m. there were six rescues on the North Shore, most of them at Waimea Bay, and 15 rescues on the east side, with the busiest spot being Sandy Beach, ocean safety officials said.

The National Weather Service issued a high-surf warning for today calling for waves of 25 to 30 feet on the North Shore, with occasional sets up to 35 feet on the outer reefs. East Oahu should see surf from 10 to 15 feet.

“Always check with a lifeguard before going into the ocean,” said Shayne Enright, the city’s ocean safety spokeswoman. “(Thursday) is definitely a day most of us shouldn’t be going into the ocean, especially on the North Shore.”

Trump visit costs taxpayers $141,000

Overtime and other costs linked to this month’s visit by President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump totaled nearly $141,000, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell announced Wednesday.

Oahu traffic was snarled during Trump’s overnight stay in Waikiki on Nov. 4, on his way to a 12-day trip to Asia.

Since Trump’s visit was not designated a special security event by the Department of Homeland Security, the city does not expect to recoup the costs associated with the event, Caldwell said.

According to the city, the largest share of overtime costs was borne by the Honolulu Police Department at $100,630.55. That was followed by the Department of Facility Maintenance at $14,687.08; the Honolulu Fire Department at $5,079.02; the Department of Parks and Recreation at $3,802.81; the Honolulu Emergency Services Department at $2,908.09; the Department of Environmental Services at $1,862.92; the Department of Transportation Services at $1,780.89; and the Department of Emergency Management at $893.18.

The city also spent $9,132.32 for contractors to handle concrete barriers and other traffic control devices.

Hawaii island

Hawaii reporter to be honored for breaking story about mayor

HILO >> West Hawaii Today government reporter Nancy Cook Lauer is being honored for her work in breaking the story of former Mayor Billy Kenoi’s misuse of a county- issued credit card, known as a pCard.

The Big Island Press Club will celebrate Cook Lauer as the club’s 2017 Torch of Light winner during its annual Christmas Luncheon on Dec. 9, West Hawaii Today reported.

Cook Lauer said she has won many awards, but this one means the most because it’s “in recognition of almost five years of persistent questioning, trying to get at the facts despite government stonewalling.”

Kenoi admitted before the county Board of Ethics in 2016 that he violated the purchasing policy by misusing his county- issued purchasing card. He was acquitted during a criminal trial shortly before he termed out of office.

The state based its charges on 15 pCard transactions totaling more than $4,000 from 2011 to 2014 that it argued were personal expenses or did not include receipts. Kenoi reimbursed 14 of them. The reimbursements occurred between four and 26 months after the transactions took place.

“To be a reporter, you have to have a thick skin,” Cook Lauer said. “You can’t be all gaga over celebrities or top government officials.”