Makua Beach cleared of vessel

Makua Beach reopened yesterday after a 42-foot sailing vessel that had run aground was hauled out to sea and sunk, a spokeswoman for the Department of Land and Natural Resources said.

The vessel, the Kialua, was too badly damaged to be salvaged and a contractor towed the sailboat about 2 1/2 miles off shore where it sank in 3,000 feet of water, said DLNR spokeswoman Deborah Ward.

The Kialua went aground on Tuesday. The state stepped in after the owner could not remove the boat. The state will try to recoup the costs from the owner, Ward said.

The Coast Guard removed the boat's fuel, oil, and batteries.

At about 3 a.m. yesterday, contractors tried to pump water out, but the damaged vessel continued taking on water.

The boat was towed out to sea at high tide and other debris from the boat was cleared off the beach, Ward said.

The state closed Makua Beach as a safety precaution Friday in case the boat broke up. State officials reopened the gates yesterday morning at 9:15.

KHET analog transmitter down

The analog transmitter for public television station KHET went down last night and will not be fixed until Tuesday or Wednesday, according to Linda Brock, the station's vice president of programming and community relations.

A part needs to be shipped in from the mainland to fix the transmitter, Brock said.

The broken transmitter only affects viewers on Oahu and Kauai who receive signals over the air and are not on cable and do not have a digital receiver.

Classified ad seeks police chief

KAILUA-KONA » The Hawaii County Police Commission has placed a classified newspaper ad to recruit a new police chief.

The current police chief, Lawrence Mahuna, plans to retire at the end of the year.

An ad that has appeared in West Hawaii Today says the county is seeking someone with five years in law enforcement and a four-year degree or equivalent in a field related to police science.

The successful candidate should also have three years' of administrative experience.

Commission Vice Chairman Tom Wittemore says the county is only advertising on the Big Island.

But he is sure news of the vacancy will get out.

The application deadline is Oct. 31.