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Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff and wire
Repairs on sewer line to continue into June
Work to repair one of Honolulu's largest sewer lines will continue into June, according to a city official.The 5-foot-6-inch diameter pipe underground at Sand Island State Park burst March 4, spewing more than 2 million gallons of raw sewage into Mamala Bay before it was stopped.
A month ago temporary plugs were inserted in the pipe to hold back sewage while the pipe was replaced, but they didn't hold, said Eldon Franklin, wastewater division chief for the city Department of Design and Construction.
The plugs were returned to their mainland maker for repair and were reinstalled last week. The plugs "apparently held last night and all day today," Franklin said Friday. With the plugs in place, a 30-foot length of corroded pipe that caused the spill will be removed and replaced with new pipe, he said.
The new pipe will feature anti-corrosion measures including a protective plate on its bottom, polymer coatings inside and outside and encasement in concrete and reinforced mesh, Franklin said.
Volunteers are sought to monitor coral reefs
Reef Check, a volunteer program to monitor the health of coral reefs, is planning training sessions for volunteers for Oahu's North Shore and Waianae Coast prior to a reef survey in June.Leeward classes will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. today, June 7 and 14 at the Waianae Boat Harbor Center, second floor.
Training for the North Shore team will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, and June 9 and 15 at Alii Beach Park Surf Center in Haleiwa.
Participants will receive training in basic coral reef ecology, fish identification and Reef Check survey methodology. Reef check surveys will be conducted by trainees on June 19 in Waianae and June 26 in Haleiwa.
Reef Check is a volunteer program to collect basic coral reef data in conjunction with scientists. The first Reef Check was conducted on Kauai in 1997, and Reef Check began on Oahu in 2000. For more information, see www.reefcheck.org, or contact Shaunti Kiehl at shauntikiehl@cs.com or 220-9366.
Applications available for Summer Fun jobs
The city Department of Parks and Recreation is hiring summer aides for its seven-week Summer Fun Program, beginning June 14 and ending July 30.Summer aides will lead activities in sports and games, music and dance and arts and crafts for children.
Summer Fun runs Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., at more than 60 sites on Oahu. Summer aides must be college students with at least 24 credit hours completed and have a valid first aid certificate. The wages range from $7.50 to $8.50 an hour.
An application form is available at www.co.honolulu.hi.us/parks/studentemploymentprogram.htm or at any satellite city hall.
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staff
A man suffered head injuries and a broken leg yesterday after being struck by a car while crossing Nimitz Highway.
HONOLULU
A 44-year-old man was in critical condition yesterday after being struck by a car while he was crossing Nimitz Highway in an electric wheelchair.
Pedestrian critically injuredThe accident occurred at about 12:09 p.m. just west of Sumner Street on North Nimitz Highway when a 1991 four-door Honda was traveling west in the middle lane and hit the man, who was crossing the road outside of a crosswalk.
The man was taken to the Queen's Medical Center with head injuries and a broken leg. The 49-year-old driver of the car was not injured.
Nimitz Highway westbound was shut down for more than three hours as police investigated the crash. Traffic was diverted onto Sumner Street.
Police said the car's driver was not drunk or speeding.
5 women hospitalized after 2-car accident
Five women were taken to the Queen's Medical Center Saturday night after a two-car accident at the intersection of Palama and North School streets.The crash occurred at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday when a tan van driving makai on North School Street plowed into a white sedan, which was traveling east on Palama Street.
The white car then slammed into the fence of a home at 801 N. School St.
Two women in the car were taken to Queen's in stable condition. Three women in the van also were taken to the hospital in stable condition.
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