High-surf advisory continues
A high-surf advisory for the north-facing shores of Maui and Molokai went into effect at 6 p.m. Saturday and was expected to continue until 6 a.m. Monday, according to the National Weather Service in Honolulu.
Forecasters said swells generated by a low-pressure system in the central North Pacific would bring 14- to 18-foot surf, with waves peaking today. The surf is expected to produce hazardous shoreline conditions, including strong rip currents.
For more weather information, call (866) 944-5025 or go online to www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl.
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UH-MC receives $4.7M grant
The University of Hawaii Maui College's Liko A'e Native Hawaiian Leadership Program has been awarded a three-year, $4.7 million grant to support students with their leadership potential and with higher education scholarships, according to an announcement.
The grant is from the U.S. Department of Education's Native Hawaiian Education Program, made possible by the Title VII Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Native Hawaiians have received scholarships under the program since 2003.
"This grant will be no different, except for the higher level of scholarship support, and the expectation that the scholars will learn about their communities and provide services for those communities," said Liko A'e Director Malia Davidson. "We know that leaders are grown from within each community, and we hope to help in that effort."
The application period for the 2013-14 Liko A'e leadership program begins on March 4.
All students of Hawaiian ancestry pursuing higher education are welcome to apply. Instructions and requirements will be posted in February.
For more information, go online to likoae.org or call 984-3553. Davidson can be reached via email at maliad@hawaii.edu.
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West Maui urged to conserve
West Maui residents and visitors are being asked to conserve water until Monday after a broken waterline shut down the Mahinahina Water Treatment Facility, a county Department of Water Supply spokeswoman said.
Water department personnel were working on fixing the break Saturday evening and hoped to restart the plant today, "but it is not certain at this time how long the plant will be out of service," said water department Administrative Officer Jacky Takakura shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday.
The Mahinahina plant normally produces 1.8 million gallons of water per day. Water was available Saturday in storage tanks, but the tanks could not be refilled until the plant was restored to service, Takakura said.
She advised customers to turn off irrigation systems and refrain from unnecessary uses of water.
