Dangerous swing draws daredevils to illegal trail ADVERTISING Dangerous swing draws daredevils to illegal trail HONOLULU (AP) — Daredevils have flocked to a dangerous swing constructed 2,820 feet atop a forbidden mountain trail on Oahu. The Honolulu trail known as
Dangerous swing draws daredevils to illegal trail
HONOLULU (AP) — Daredevils have flocked to a dangerous swing constructed 2,820 feet atop a forbidden mountain trail on Oahu.
The Honolulu trail known as the Haiku Stairs or Stairway to Heaven was closed to the public in 1987.
The swing built along two rusted poles just adds another risky component to the trail, and it’s not alone — such amateur swings have been cropping up on various Oahu trails.
It’s not clear who is responsible for creating the swing, but it is on land owned by the Honolulu Board of Water Supply.
Hiking there without permission is trespassing.
“The Board of Water Supply has been aware of this for a few weeks and has been working on options to remove it,” the board said in a statement. “In the meantime, we would like to remind people that the Haiku Stairs is closed and that people hiking up there are trespassing and can be subject to fines of up to $1,000.”
The board, which is also looking at ways to remove the stairs, called the swing “highly dangerous and irresponsible.”
Marcus Griego of 808 Caveman Hiking Group agreed.
“I’ve been told it’s a death trap,” he said. “Somebody one day is going to fly off it, and snap. Guess what’s going to happen immediately.”
The Honolulu Fire Department says it performed 27 mountain rescues in the area since January 2015. Griego worries the swing will raise the numbers.
Molokai woman ordered to repay welfare benefits
WAILUKU, Maui (AP) — A Molokai woman was ordered to repay thousands of dollars in welfare benefits she collected while not reporting changes in her income.
Desarae Kahoiwai, 28, was ordered to repay the $13,814 and perform 400 hours of community service as part of four years of probation. Second Circuit Judge Richard Bissen imposed the sentence Thursday.
Kahoiwai pleaded no contest to theft and welfare fraud for collecting welfare overpayments from January to September 2013 and March 2014 to February 2015, according to court records.
She asked for a chance to keep the conviction off her record.
“I take full responsibility,” she said. “I have learned a great lesson about myself, that negligence has a great consequence.”
Prosecutors opposed Kahoiwai’s request, saying she didn’t report changes in her income at least five times.
Bissen denied her request to keep her convictions off her record.
State gets more money to help homeless vets
HONOLULU (AP) — The federal office of Housing and Urban Development is giving Hawaii an additional $1.3 million in rental assistance for veterans.
The office announced Thursday that the state would get 114 additional rental assistance vouchers. Field office director Ryan Okahara says Hawaii has a large veteran population, and needs rental assistance to help them.
The vouchers supplement rent payments and allow the veterans to pay a third of their income toward rent.
