Darby, the first hurricane in Hawaiian waters in four years, was about 800 miles east of Hilo early today and losing strength. Darby approaching
Its 69 mph sustained winds are expected to drop to about 35 mph as it comes closer to Hawaii.
It's following a west-northwest path expected to take it just north of the islands, giving Hawaii light winds, humidity and showers over the weekend, the National Weather Service said.
Reminding the public that hurricane season continues through November, the State Civil Defense said Darby "has proved a useful tool for sharpening agency readiness." Civil defense agencies and the National Guard have used it for training.
Russ Francis stops talk show to campaign City Council candidate Russ Francis has taken himself off the air.
Francis, who is challenging incumbent Andy Mirikitani in the Council District 5 race, had been on KGU-AM radio doing a sports talk show opposite Mike Buck.
The former pro football player said he stopped going on air about a week ago to concentrate on his campaign and other jobs.
Francis since February has been KGU's interim general manager. He also is sports coordinator for the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
Robert Watada, executive director for the state Campaign Spending Commission, said he didn't see any conflict with Francis staying on the air if there was no discussion about political issues or the campaign.
"As long as he's talking about sports or something else not related to the campaign, that's not a problem," Watada said.
Any political talk would have meant Francis had to either report the time as an in-kind contribution from the station, or the station would have had to provide equal time to others in the race.
Or the time could have been bought from the station, like former Mayor Frank Fasi did with his daily morning radio show in 1996 after declaring his candidacy for mayor.
Farmers want water reliability if fees hiked
Banana farmer Albert Kahn said the state's plan to raise water rates and add surcharges to users of the Waimanalo Irrigation System must balance higher costs with reliability -- which hasn't been the case recently.Kahn, who has farmed in Waimanalo for the past 20 years, said he lost a crop of beans earlier this month when state operators of the Waimanalo system took off for the long Fourth of July weekend and didn't inform farmers and growers water would be shut off early on Friday, July 3rd.
With irrigation water already being rationed because of low reservoir levels, Kahn said his bean plantings eventually withered.
"We were scheduled for water, but you cut off the water at 11 a.m. Friday . . . ," Kahn told state Department of Agriculture officials. "I lost my beans -- they all dried up."
The Agriculture Department yesterday held its first public hearing on rate increases for three state-operated irrigation systems -- at Waimanalo, on Molokai and in Waimea, Hawaii.
Increases are designed to make the state special fund for those systems self-sustaining in seven years, said Paul Matsuo, administrator of the state Agricultural Resource Management Division.
City experiment closes Kalakaua Avenue lane
The mauka lane of Kalakaua Avenue will be closed between Kaiulani and Kapahulu avenues throughout August.The demonstration project is being conducted by the city Department of Transportation Services to evaluate the impact of losing one lane of Kalakaua.
Plans call for eliminating the lane in order to make way for a promenade and an expansion of Kuhio Beach Park.
Preparations for the lane closure began last night with the placement of no-parking traffic barriers along the curb. Free-standing planters also were installed.
Temporary curbs are being installed tonight and traffic signs will be mounted tomorrow.
See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
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Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staffMan beaten in Pearl City is in critical condition
A man was bludgeoned with a car steering wheel lock this morning outside of a Pearl City bar, police said.The beaten man, reportedly a former employee of the Sportsmen Lounge on Lehua Avenue, was beaten by three men outside of the bar at closing time at about 4 a.m., police said. He was taken to Queen's Hospital, where he remains in critical condition today.
The three suspects, two of whom are believed to be employees of the bar, have not been apprehended, police said.
Richard Yamashita was in the area when he saw five or six men beating up on the one man. When Yamashita ran to help, three men stayed and continued the attack while the others ran away.
"I went to help him and they turned and started to attack me," Yamashita said.
The third man pounded the unconscious man with the steering wheel lock while stomping on his head, Yamashita said.
Patrick Yoshimura was sleeping when he heard yelling. He saw several men furiously beating the man.
"He was getting busted up real bad," Yoshimura said. "They were hammering his head with some kind of club. He was out and they kept on beating him, kicking him in the face. I had a feeling that the guy was dead."
Yoshimura then saw the suspects get into a car and attempt to run over Yamashita and the injured man.
"They were burning rubber, and all I saw was headlights," Yamashita said. "I stood over the guy and put my hand out and they stopped. I wasn't thinking. I was just concerned for the guy."
Yamashita stayed until paramedics arrived at 4:20 a.m.
A steering wheel lock was recovered at the scene, police said.
Lehua Avenue between First Street and A Road was closed until 8 a.m. while investigators collected evidence.
One of two suspects arrested in hotel theft
Police this morning arrested a woman for allegedly stealing from two tourists in a Waikiki hotel room.Two men from Japan hired two prostitutes at about 1:10 a.m., police said. Later, the women told the men to take showers, police said.
While in the shower, the women reportedly stole the men's belongings and fled. One woman was located by police a short time later, the other has not been found.
In other news...
A small portion of Ala Moana Boulevard and Kalakaua Avenue was closed for more than an hour this morning after a broken city street sweeper caused an oil leak. The sweeper broke down and started leaking oil at about 4:55 a.m., police said.
City crews had the oil mopped up by 6:10 a.m.
See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
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