Firefighters battle Hale Kamaole blaze
Firefighters were on the scene and battling a fire in the upper floors of the Hale Kamaole condominium complex on South Kihei Road at about 9 p.m. Thursday.
"Large flames were leaping out of the third floor," said a caller to The Maui News, who was a resident of a nearby condominium. He did not want to be identified.
Fire Services Chief Lee Mainaga confirmed the call at about 9 p.m. to Hale Kamaole and reported five fire units on the scene - Engine 10 from Kahului, Engine 6 from Kihei and Engine 14, Ladder 14 and Tanker 14 from Wailea.
He could not provide any other details about the extent of the fire or about possible injuries at about 9:15 p.m. Thursday.
Hale Kamaole is located across from Kamaole Beach Park III.
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Crews rescue 3 lost in fog in Polipoli
Firefighters rescued three hunters early Thursday after they had become disoriented and lost in fog and darkness for at least five hours in Polipoli, said Fire Services Chief Lee Mainaga.
Makawao firefighters and a Kahului rescue crew responded to the 9:08 p.m. Wednesday alarm and located the three men at 2 a.m. on the Waiakoa Loop Trail.
The men, ages 40, 27 and 21, were in good health and were safely led to the trailhead in about an hour, Mainaga said. The state Division of Forestry and Wildlife assisted in the rescue.
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Coast Guard to offer boating safety class
An "About Boating Safety" course, offered by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 16 at the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary office in Kihei.
The class costs $35, payable at the class. Books are provided by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. Boat insurance may be discounted with completion of this course.
Instructors are trained by the Coast Guard Auxiliary and volunteer their time to promote safe boating.
This class will satisfy the new Hawaii boat operators requirement, except for the "state law" section. That will be offered for free as a short supplemental seminar when curriculum becomes available.
For more information, call 214-2118. To register, go online to mauiboatclass.com. The sanctuary office is located at 726 S. Kihei Road.
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Happy Valley robbery nets more charges
A second man faces felony charges in connection with the gunpoint robbery of a woman early Sunday morning in Happy Valley, police said.
Keoni Andrade, 23, of Wailuku was charged with first-degree robbery and burglary, police said. Co-defendant Joseph Kahananui, 29, of Waiehu is accused of the same charges.
The allegations arise from the robbery of a 48-year-old woman taking shelter in an abandoned bus in the Piihana Farms area along Piihana Road.
Around 12:45 a.m. Sunday, the men approached the woman, with Kahananui holding what appeared to be a handgun, police said. He took the woman's purse, containing $200 and a cellphone, while Andrade pointed a rifle at her, she told police.
When the woman confronted the men as they were leaving, she was pistol-whipped in the back of the head, she reported.
The woman provided police the license plate of the getaway vehicle.
Police located it in Wailuku, finding a .22 caliber rifle, an airsoft pistol and some of the stolen items, police said.
Kahananui was arrested Monday, while Andrade was arrested a day later.
Bail was set at $70,000 for each man.
