Heart association honors Maui County
The County of Maui was recognized as a Gold Level recipient of the American Heart Association's Fit-Friendly Worksites recognition program.
Worksites throughout the nation can participate in the initiative by making health and wellness of their employees a priority. The county was recognized for offering employees physical activity support, providing/increasing health eating options at the workplace and promoting a wellness culture.
For more information on the Fit-Friendly Worksites initiative, contact the American Heart Association office at 244-7185 or email kauwela.a.bisquera@heart.org.
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Brush fire on Molokai nearly contained
A brush fire in the Kalamaula Mauka subdivision on Molokai that started Wednesday morning was 95 percent contained as of late Thursday afternoon, fire officials said.
Fire crews were still mopping up in areas within a gulch.
On Wednesday, three brush fires broke out in the area. Two brush fires, one estimated to be half an acre and the other 1 acre, were doused quickly, but the third fire that crews were still working on Thursday had been estimated to be 20 acres, fire officials had said.
The cause of the fires that broke out around 11:36 a.m. Wednesday was undetermined after an investigation.
No monetary damage or injuries were reported. No structures were threatened.
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Impersonation, arms charges for man
A 32-year-old Lahaina man was being held on $23,000 bail at the Lahaina Police Station on Thursday morning after allegedly impersonating a police officer along with illegally possessing firearms and ammunition, police said.
Phillip J. Russell was charged with impersonating a law enforcement officer, two charges of a place to keep a firearm, three charges of a place to keep ammunition and possessing a deadly weapon, records show.
Police around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday were called to an area near the Star Noodle restaurant in Lahaina after a witness reported that a male was seen with a flashlight along with some sort of firearm on the side of the street.
The man had reportedly yelled out to a driver saying, "Stop. This is the police."
The suspect then fled the area, police said.
Patrol officers located the man, who said he had an airsoft gun. But police checked his vehicle and found a Ruger .22 caliber gun and a semiautomatic weapon. They also found brass knuckles and various ammunition, police said.
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Work on police station to disrupt traffic
Work to install water and sewer lines and other traffic improvements related to the construction of the Kihei Police Station will begin disrupting traffic on Piilani Highway near the Kanani Road intersection.
The work began Monday and will run through July, though a PB Sullivan Construction official said the traffic disruptions would not happen every day during the period. There will be no lane closures through Jan. 1, an announcement said.
Traffic will be restricted in the work area on Piilani Highway between Kanani Road and Alanui Kealii Drive from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays, with the exception of holidays. Motorists are urged to drive cautiously and follow traffic-control signs or to use alternative routes.
The work includes putting in underground utility lines that cross the highway and highway restoration, the announcement said.
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Wailuku pump prices continue decline
The cost of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline dropped a penny in a week to $4.01 in Wailuku on Thursday, according to the AAA Hawaii Weekend Gas Watch.
Wailuku's average for this week was 26 cents less than last month and 35 cents lower than last year.
The state average for regular unleaded went down by 3 cents to $3.97 per gallon. That was 13 cents less than last month and 6 cents lower than last year.
Honolulu's average price went down to $3.89 a gallon for regular unleaded, 3 cents less than last week, 13 cents less than last month and the same price as a year ago. In Hilo, the average gas price fell to $3.96 per gallon, down 3 cents from last week, 4 cents less than last month and 26 cents less than a year ago.
AAA Hawaii Weekend Gas Watch is a weekly snapshot of gas prices. Prices are derived from fleet vehicle credit card transactions at more than 100,000 stations around the country and are combined averages of the last card swipes of the previous day.
