NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Pair pinched in Puna pot plot

Two Keaau residents were charged Monday with commercial promotion of marijuana after police discovered a growing operation inside a Puna home.

Puna community policing officers, Puna patrol officers and members of the Hawaii Police Department's Criminal Investigations Section served a search warrant at a home on 40th Avenue in the Orchidland subdivision at 8:30 a.m. Monday.

They recovered 113 marijuana plants, a small amount of dried processed marijuana and drug paraphernalia, such as “;bongs,”; plastic pots, growing medium and grow lights.

Arrested were William Ka'aiali'i Peters, 21, and Sarah M. Biddix, 22. Peters was charged with two counts of promoting a detrimental drug, one count of possessing drug paraphernalia and one count of commercial promotion of marijuana. Biddix was charged with one count each of promoting a detrimental drug, possessing drug paraphernalia and commercial promotion of marijuana.

Boaters rescued a mile off Kauai

Two Hanalei men adrift off the Napali Coast in a 14-foot Boston Whaler were rescued yesterday by a commercial tour boat operator.

The men left the Hanalei River early yesterday and were scheduled to return at 3:30 p.m.

The father of one of the men contacted the Coast Guard and reported that that his son and his friend had not returned.

Coast Guard officials had requested Hanalei firefighters' assistance but told them later that Capt. Lonnie Swain of Catamaran Kahanu was heard on VHF radio saying that he had located the men about one mile off Milolii Beach, Kauai, and that he would be bringing the men on board, according to a Kauai County news release.