Shortages lead to missed trash routes
Some garbage routes in Haiku were missed Friday due to a staffing shortage, the county Solid Waste Division announced.
Affected areas included Awalau, Haloa, Holokai, Mopua, Pico Tract and Waipalani roads, Hamana Place, Noholani Street and surrounding areas.
The Solid Waste Division apologized for the inconvenience and said that every effort would be made to pick up the missed routes today.
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Flags at half-staff for Hale on Sunday
Flags will fly at half-staff in memory of former state Rep. Helene Eleanor Hale on Sunday, the day of her memorial service on the Big Island.
She was the first African-American elected to office in Hawaii and the first woman to hold an executive position in local government since Queen Lili'uokalani. Hale was elected to the Hawaii County's Board of Supervisors in 1954 and was chairwoman and chief executive officer (the equivalent of mayor) in 1962. She served on the Hawaii County Council from 1980 to 1984 and 1988 to 1994.
Hale was elected to the state House of Representatives in 2000, serving three terms. As chairwoman of the state House Committee on International Affairs, she championed a more proactive global role for Hawaii. Hale was a key advocate of state House resolutions in 2003 that expressed reservations about the U.S. going to war in Iraq without United Nations backing and invoked the aloha spirit in urging negotiations.
Born in Minnesota, Hale worked as a teacher before moving to the Big Island in 1947, continuing as an educator for a time at Konawaena Intermediate School.
She also helped establish the popular hula competition, the Merrie Monarch Festival.
Hale died on Feb. 1 in Hilo at age 94.
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Bail $25K for man who struck another
Bail was set at $25,000 for a 29-year-old man who was arrested after he hit another man with an alcohol bottle after being caught rummaging through the victim's truck in the Costco parking lot, police said.
Jonathan Histo, who gave no local address, was charged with first-degree robbery and unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle. Kelsey Cooper, 19, of Paia, who was with Histo in the truck, was released after posting $1,000 bail on a charge of unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle.
The robbery occurred at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday when a 42-year-old Makawao man returned to his white Ford truck after shopping in the Kahului store and found Histo and Cooper in the front seat of the truck and rummaging through the vehicle, police said.
The vehicle owner approached Histo, who got out of the driver's side of the truck and struck the victim in the head with the closed alcohol bottle, causing a bruise to his face, police said. Histo ran, while Cooper drove away in a green Honda sedan, police said.
Responding police officers apprehended Histo near the Kmart store next door.
After obtaining the license plate number of the Honda, police located and arrested Cooper at her residence.
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Underage drinking topic of MEO event
Maui Economic Opportunity Inc. will hold a town hall meeting to discuss the prevention of underage drinking from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the MEO Family Center at 99 Mahalani St. in Wailuku.
Participants can learn about the issues of underage drinking, identify how it affects the community and brainstorm possible solutions.
The meeting provides an opportunity for parents, teachers, officials, youth and other community members to voice their concerns and suggest ideas for preventing young people from using alcohol.
Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.
For more information, call 249-2990.
