County/In Brief
Roadwork to affect island traffic
Road repairs will prompt alternating lane closures in both directions of Honoapiilani Highway/Kahekili Highway between Office Road and the Nakalele Blowhole, according to the state Department of Transportation.
Work will be done from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.
The DOT also announced that continuing roadside maintenance will cause alternating lane closures in both directions of Hana Highway between Garden of Eden Arboretum and Keanae Road from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.
There will be no work done today due to Presidents Day.
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Center’s grand opening event set
The Maui Behavioral Health Center-Based Services for those with autism and developmental disabilities will hold a grand opening celebration at 3 p.m. Tuesday at its site at 427 Ala Makani St., Suite 201, in Kahului.
The center, owned by BAYADA, offers applied behavioral analysis therapy to help individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities reduce challenging behaviors and improve functional skills, an announcement said.
In 2015, Hawaii enacted a law requiring state-regulated insurance plans to cover the therapy. The new law played a significant role in opening the center, according to the announcement.
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Kuikahi Drive work to begin Tuesday
Work will begin Tuesday on the County of Maui Kuikahi Drive Pavement Rehabilitation, according to announcement from Maui Paving LLC, the project’s contractor.
Roadway improvement will be done on Kuikahi Drive in Wailuku between Kaulau Street to Honoapiilani Highway. The scope of work includes reconstructing, cold planing and resurfacing of existing pavement, upgrading concrete walkways, installing pavement marking and the removal, replacement and installation of signage.
Work hours are from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays.
Motorists are advised to exercise caution while driving through the work area and to follow all traffic control signs, devices and flag people.
For more information, contact Maui Paving at 877-2755.
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Funds released for Hana Highway work
Gov. David Ige has released $5.85 million for safety and accessibility improvements on Hana Highway, according to an announcement.
Money for the project was included in the state’s fiscal 2015-16 budget at the request of state Sen. J. Kalani English, who represents East Maui, Upcountry, Molokai and Lanai.
Most of the money will be used for rockfall mitigation and slope stabilization of the roadway, the only paved all-weather road to Hana and Keanae. The funding is the second phase of the project to improve a 32-mile segment of highway from Huelo to Hana. Work included renovating existing drainage systems to decrease maintenance costs and provide for a safer roadway.
English said the project is critical, especially in light of recent storms that caused rockslides, erosion and highway closures.
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Meeting on little fire ants Friday
The Maui Invasive Species Committee will hold a meeting Friday to discuss and answer questions about the little fire ant infestation in Kaanapali.
The public meeting will begin at 2 p.m. at the Maui Preparatory Academy, 4910 Honoapiilani Highway in Napili.
The little fire ant is a highly invasive ant from South America that was first detected on the Big Island in 1999. The ants were first discovered on Maui in 2009 and have also been found on Kauai and Oahu. The stinging ant threatens agriculture, tourism, human health and the environmental health of communities across Hawaii, according to an announcement from MISC.
The Kaanapali little fire ant infestation was reported to the state Department of Agriculture in November by a community member. It’s estimated to be 12 acres, the second-largest infestation of little fire ants detected on Maui. Control began in January and is under the direction of the Hawaii Ant Lab based in Hilo.
Kits will be available at the meeting for residents to collect samples of ants from their homes. Area residents can also bring samples in for identification. Collection guidelines are available at stoptheant.org.
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Balloon knocks out power across island
Power was restored to customers in several parts of the island Sunday after a metallic balloon caused a temporary outage, Maui Electric Co. said.
Around 3:12 p.m., a metallic balloon came across electrical lines along Wakea Avenue in Kahului. When it made contact with the lines, it caused the electrical frequency on the system to drop suddenly. This caused a “load shed,” which is when various parts of the island automatically experience an outage to protect the entire electrical system, according to MECO.
About 17,310 customers in parts of Kahului, Kuau, Kihei, Wailea, Spreckelsville, Hana, Upcountry and West Maui experienced outages, with most lasting 30 minutes or less, MECO spokeswoman Shayna Decker said. Power was restored to all customers by 4:44 p.m. Sunday.
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N.J. woman injured in Saturday crash
Police released more details Sunday about a near-fatal incident that shut down the pali Saturday afternoon.
At about 12:35 p.m. Saturday, a rented Jeep was traveling northbound on Honoapiilani Highway near Milepost 7 when it veered off the roadway and collided with an embankment on the shoulder, according to police spokesman Lt. Gregg Okamoto. The vehicle overturned and ejected the passenger, a 37-year-old woman from New Jersey.
The woman sustained what were initially determined to be serious but nonlife-threatening injuries. Her 37-year-old husband, who was driving the vehicle, sustained minor injuries. Both were taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center in stable condition. While at the hospital, the woman’s condition was changed to critical and life-threatening before she was stabilized. Her condition then returned to nonlife-threatening status.
The roadway was partially closed as police investigated the scene. The roadway was reopened around 4:30 p.m. Saturday.