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Newswatch
Star-Bulletin staff
and wire service
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Old bomb forces Makua closure
The Makua Military Reservation is expected to be closed for the rest of this month until a 250-pound bomb is detonated, an Army news release said.
The closure means a planned Makahiki celebration scheduled for this weekend at Makua will have to be canceled.
The World War II-era bomb was found Nov. 1 by a contractor.
Three smaller munitions also have been found, the Army said, and Army explosive ordnance disposal personnel are determining whether they can be removed.
Disposal personnel determined the 250-pound bomb must be detonated in place.
The 250-pound bomb was found about 500 meters from a campsite and 175 to 900 meters from three ahu, or ceremonial structures, used in the Makahiki celebration. Other archeological features also are nearby.
The Army will coordinate with federal and state agencies before detonating the bomb to protect Makua's cultural and natural resources and the surrounding community, the release said.
Sewage leak at base contained
A sewer manhole clogged with grease caused a 1,000-gallon sewage spill at Marine Base Hawaii in Kaneohe, the state Department of Health said in a news release.
The waste water entered a retention basin near the manhole at Seldon Street and Harris Avenue and did not enter Nuupia Fishpond, the health department said. The state was notified about the leak yesterday.
Munitions cleanup bill advances
The U.S. House on Thursday approved funds to begin the cleanup of tons of chemical munitions dumped offshore of Oahu at the end of World War II.
The appropriation is included in the $460 billion Defense Appropriation Bill that the U.S. Senate is expected to approve.
"This $5.5 million will pay for sonar mapping, water quality testing and analysis so we know exactly what's there, how much is there and, critically, what condition containers are in," U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, said in a news release.
The bill would also appropriate $800,000 so the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology can continue studying the effect of Navy sonar systems on whales and dolphins. In addition, $2.4 million would be set aside for further research, development and installation of marine mammal detection systems on Navy aircraft.
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Police, Fire, Courts
Star-Bulletin staff
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LEEWARD OAHU
Out-of-control car injures woman
A car crashed through a property in Waipahu yesterday critically injuring a woman, police said.
The car knocked down a wall or gate at 94-1211 Huakai St. at about 6 p.m., causing a woman on the other side to fall down and hit her head. She was taken to the Queen's Medical Center.
CENTRAL OAHU
Man allegedly forges check
Police arrested a 27-year-old man accused of trying to cash a fake check Friday afternoon.
The suspect entered the Wahiawa branch of American Savings Bank on California Avenue at about 2:15 p.m. Police said he tried to cash a counterfeit cashier's check made out to himself for $3,450. Police were called, and the man was arrested on suspicion of second-degree forgery.
