Landslide closes lanes during rush-hour
HONOLULU — All lanes of an Oahu highway were reopened shortly before 1 p.m. Monday after after a landslide caused the closure of the Honolulu-bound lanes during the morning rush-hour commute.
The state Department of Transportation said a 7 a.m. landslide closed the Honolulu-bound lanes of the Pali Highway. The landslide blocked the left lane near the tunnels.
The highway was later closed in both directions as officials inspected the hillside. The department announced shortly after 11 a.m. that the Kailua-bound lanes were reopen.
Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. Scot Seguirant said falling rocks damaged four vehicles. He said 5-6 rocks fell, adding firefighters described the biggest rock as the size of two basketballs.
No injuries were reported.
2 Hawaii teachers get research fellowships with US agencies
HONOLULU — Two Hawaii public school teachers were awarded Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowships and will begin 11-month research appointments at federal agencies next month.
Science teachers Bryan Silver of Kalani High School in Honolulu and Pascale Creek Pinner of Hilo Intermediate School were among 14 educators from throughout the country selected for the program.
Silver, who has taught in Honolulu for 19 years, will conduct his fellowship at the National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Engineering, which supports engineering research and education.
Pinner, who has taught in Hilo for 31 years, will work with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, which supports research into energy and the physical sciences.
“Pascale and Bryan are both highly motivated and innovative teachers,” said Lauren Kaupp, an educational specialist for the state Department of Education. “They will be excellent representatives of our Hawaii science ohana.”
The two were selected following a competitive application process for outstanding educators in science, technology, engineering and math. The teachers are expected to offer their perspectives and experiences to help shape national education policy and programs and return to teaching with enhanced knowledge and networks.
Pinner hopes the program will open doors to more opportunities for her students.
“Finding pathways for our local kids is really important,” she said. “We have a giant brain drain, which we don’t need to have. There are gems in every one of these small rural communities. A lot of my students have gone on to do amazing things.”
The teachers will travel to Washington, D.C., in early September.
Unruly passenger causes flight to be diverted to Honolulu
HONOLULU — Officials say a flight from Maui to San Francisco was diverted to Honolulu because of an unruly passenger.
Hawaiian Airlines Flight 42 departed from the Kahului Airport on Saturday afternoon and landed at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport after about three hours in the air.
Officials say a male passenger caused a disturbance after consuming alcohol. Federal charges of interference with a flight crew were expected to be filed against the man Monday.
The flight left Oahu at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday and continued to California. There were 278 passengers and 10 crew members aboard. No injuries were reported.
Crew members did not declare an emergency during the flight.
Hawaii salt makers working to save cultural practice
LIHUE, Kauai — Families that harvest salt from salt beds in Kauai fear current conditions in the unincorporated community of Hanapepe and climate change are threatening their important cultural practice.
Ku’ulei Santos, vice president of the salt-makers’ board, told the Garden Island that the salt production that her family has done for generations is unique, but recently the area around the salt beds has been developed without the consideration of the salt makers.
“They cater to everyone else without making the salt makers the most important part of that area,” she said. “They made it about the helicopter companies, they made it about the state, but they took away from paakai (salt).”
Another challenge is people driving on the beach adjacent to the salt-making area, causing a runoff, which makes it more difficult for makers to find the necessary items to create the salt beds, such as black clay and salted water for the wells, said U’i Corr-Yorkman and her husband, Josh Yorkman, who also sit on the salt-makers’ board.
A sand dune that used to protect the beds when there’s a large surge or tide has also deteriorated.
Salt makers have been asking county and state officials to help protect the salt beds and their practice for years.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources Board of Land and Natural Resources approved the right-of-entry permit, which allows the county to access the area in order to help protect the salt beds, said Shelly Kunishige, Hawaii’s Department of Transportation spokeswoman.
The county plans to enable a pedestrian-only access on Kaalani Road adjacent to the ponds, she said.
The conditions of bathrooms and the cesspool are another source of concern for the salt makers. Corr-Yorkman is also hoping that facilities like the sewer, sewer lines and bathroom facilities will also get an upgrade.
The administration has requested the council approve additional funding to install a pipeline that will take the effluent away from the leach fields to the county sewer system, said Sarah Blane, a County of Kauai spokeswoman.
“We anticipate that request to be heard at a council hearing sometime in August,” she said.