HILO -- Hawaii County will appeal to the state Tax Court a decision that knocks about 75 percent off property taxes a fledgling agroforestry company will owe this year, Deputy Finance Director Kalani Schutte said. Big Island to appeal
tax break for firmThe county Real Property Tax Board of Review last week granted the reduction to Hamakua Timber Co., a subsidiary of Prudential Timber, which has begun planting eucalyptus trees on former Hamakua Coast sugar land.
The county's tax office had assessed the Bishop Estate land, which Hamakua Timber leases, at roughly $2,000 per acre.
Steve Smith, representing Hamakua Timber, said that figure overvalues the land, which is worth about $250 an acre. The tax board settled on $500 per acre, as it did last year.
That brought the company's taxes for the year down from around $439,000 to about $109,000.
Residents who live on Kalanianaole Highway between Keahole Street and Hanauma Bay can expect a five- to 10-minute delay in traffic due to resurfacing, which starts today. Kalanianaole work
will slow trafficWater erosion beneath the road has weakened pavements, creating potholes and rough driving conditions along the 1.5-mile stretch.
The work is scheduled to be done by the end of January.
Grace Pacific Corp. was awarded the $700,000 bid for the project which also includes improving drainage and replacing guardrails.
Work will be done from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Commuters can expect lane closures in both directions as work progresses.
HILO -- Hawaii County Councilman Dominic Yagong wants to know if the money Mayor Stephen Yamashiro is saving through a 4-year-old county hiring freeze is going into a "slush fund." No slush fund for surplus,
says Big Isle mayor"The people of Hawaii should know if a surplus account is being set up and how much money is in that account," said Yagong, a Democrat.
Yamashiro, who's also a Democrat, answered that most of the savings go into a "fund balance" disclosed to the council at the end of the fiscal year, but some of it is transferred to purposes not originally budgeted.
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Police/Fire
By Star-Bulletin staffA 35-year-old Haleiwa man wanted for attempted murder in Summit, Colo., is being held for extradition after he was arrested by Honolulu police on Friday. Haleiwa man arrested
in Colorado murder trySteven Kapela of Kawailoa Road is accused of trying to kill a family member with a rope. A warrant for his arrest was issued Feb. 24 and Honolulu police had been looking for him since March 14, Detective James Kawakami said.
With assistance from Crime Reduction Unit officers, Kapela was located and arrested at a building near Kalakaua Avenue and Kapiolani Boulevard at 6 p.m. Friday, Kawakami added.
Police are trying to schedule an extradition hearing for Kapela.
Police yesterday charged three men in connection with a drug-related kidnapping and robbery that occurred Thursday in Wahiawa. Trio charged in robbery,
kidnapping in WahiawaRichard Kairau, 28, of California Avenue; Rand Kunihisa, 23, of Wiliwili Circle, and Guy Maeda, 25, of Wilikina Drive are each being held in lieu of $70,000 bail.
The three men allegedly forced a 28-year-old Wahiawa man into a car between 8 and 10 p.m. Thursday and drove him to Poamoha Village, north of Whitmore Village, where he was robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspects were allegedly upset with the man over a bad drug deal, police said.
The man was released after he promised to get drugs for the three suspects. He later called police. Kunihisa was arrested Saturday and the two other suspects later turned themselves into police.
Other police/fire items:
9-year-old is in critical condition after 25-foot fall off cliff
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