Head chosen for airline's turboprop effort
Hadden Watt will be leading Hawaiian Airlines' effort to introduce turboprop air service to Molokai and Lanai next year.
His promotion to managing director-turboprop operations has been effective since Dec. 15. He was instrumental in developing the business case for the new service in his role as senior director of strategy and transformation, an airline news release said.
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Karen Brown Young
He will oversee operations of the new service by Idaho-based Empire Airlines, which has signed a three-year memorandum of understanding to maintain and fly ATR 42 twin-turboprop planes owned by Airline Contract Maintenance and Equipment Inc., a sister company of Hawaiian Airlines, the news release said.
Hawaiian will be responsible for marketing and scheduling the new service. The name and branding of the new entity will be unveiled early next year.
Empire will be recruiting locally for pilots, cabin crew and mechanics starting in the first half of next year. Established in 1977, Empire operates more than 120 scheduled and charter cargo flights each day in 18 U.S. states and Canada.
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County office to date tax credit requests
Maui County's Electrical Permits and Inspections Office is accepting and date-stamping electrical inspection requests for residential energy systems for this year to allow homeowners to qualify for a state tax credit.
Requests for photovoltaic systems and other renewable energy systems with electrical permits issued this year will be stamped "Received in 2012." These inspection requests apply to permitted systems installed and placed in service on or before Jan. 1.
Electrical contractors may submit their inspection requests until Monday to receive the 2012 stamp. The system must pass the required inspection in order to meet the requirements for the 2012 tax credit.
For details and other requirements for the tax credit, refer to state Department of Taxation Announcement No. 2012-14. For more information on the inspection of photovoltaic systems and other renewable energy systems, call the county Electrical Permit and Inspection Office at 270-7255.
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Manager in ICU in attempt to halt robbery
A Longs Drugs Store manager was hospitalized in the intensive-care unit after he was knocked to the ground while trying to stop a man who stole beer from the store in Kihei early Sunday, police said.
The robbery occurred at 5:36 a.m. at the store on South Kihei Road, said Capt. Tivoli Faaumu, commander of the Kihei Patrol District.
He said the store manager and a cashier tried to stop the thief, who refused to return a 30-pack of Miller Lite beer he had stolen. The man got into a vehicle and reversed out of a parking stall, knocking down the manager, who had grabbed onto the driver's door in an attempt to stop the suspect from leaving, Faaumu said.
The manager was transported by ambulance to Maui Memorial Medical Center and was admitted into the intensive-care unit, Faaumu said. Police are continuing an investigation.
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SUV crosses line, then collides with van
A sport utility vehicle driven by a 69-year-old Lahaina man crossed a double-solid line to collide with a passenger van heading in the opposite direction in a Saturday night crash that injured both drivers and closed Honoapiilani Highway in Maalaea for about two hours, police said.
The crash occurred at 9:16 p.m. at Milepost 7 on the highway.
The sport utility vehicle was heading south when it collided with the van, said Capt. Tivoli Faaumu, commander of the Kihei Patrol District. He said a 58-year-old Kahului woman driving the passenger van was transported to Maui Memorial Medical Center after suffering broken legs and possible internal injuries.
The man driving the sport utility vehicle also was transported to the hospital.
Officials said both drivers had to be extricated from their vehicles. The highway was reopened at 11 p.m.
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Public's help sought in locating woman
Police are asking for the public's help in locating a 46-year-old woman who was last known to be walking from her Waiehu residence toward the Wailuku Town Center on Thursday morning.
Karen Brown Young is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 115 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.
She was last seen at about 10 a.m. Thursday when she was walking from her residence in the 600 block of Waiehu Beach Road to L & L Drive-Inn near Sack N Save Wailuku.
Anyone who sees Brown Young or has information on her whereabouts is asked to call police at 244-6400 or Maui Crime Stoppers at 242-6966. Molokai and Lanai residents may call toll free at (888) 242-6966.
