Colt in, Tony out of Jessica's huddle

An interesting tidbit in this week's Star magazine reveals that Washington Redskins quarterback Colt Brennan has contacted Jessica Simpson through cyberspace. It has not progressed past remote communication—the Star reporter claims they have sent each other sexy e-mails and text messages—but they have set up webcams so they could talk face to face using their computers. The former Hawaii quarterback sent Simpson tickets for the Sept. 13 game with the New York Giants. Brennan even FedExed her a Redskins jersey. Simpson was recently dumped by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.

Guard soldiers end Kuwait duty

The first group of 200 soldiers assigned to the Hawaii Army National Guard's 29th Brigade Combat Team is slated to return to Oahu and Maui tomorrow night after nearly a year in Kuwait.

Of the 2,200 citizen-soldiers sent to Kuwait in October, 1,200 are from Hawaii. Tomorrow's charter military flight from Fort Hood in Texas will drop off the soldiers who live on Oahu at Hickam Air Force Base and then fly the rest to Maui.

Hawaii soldiers had to spend five days in Fort Hood as part of the demobilization process before being released from active duty.

The majority of the 29th Brigade's soldiers were stationed in Kuwait and provided security for convoys into and out of Iraq. Other soldiers were stationed in Iraq.

The 29th Brigade deployed to Iraq in 2004.

New storm unlikely to menace isles

The second hurricane headed toward Hawaii this month is on track to be about 300 miles northeast of the islands by Tuesday at the earliest.

On its present path, Hurricane Guillermo is “;quite a bit further north than Felicia, too far north for any major wind effects,”; said National Weather Service forecaster Jonathan Hoag.

Generated south of Baja California, the storm strengthened in the past two days into a Category 3 hurricane, with sustained winds of 115 mph.

Traveling at 16 mph, it was expected to be about 1,500 miles east of Hawaii by midday today.

It is expected to lose strength as it moves into cooler Central Pacific waters.

“;This many days in advance, it's not possible to accurately forecast its impact,”; said Hoag.

Hawaii County Civil Defense announced that it will monitor the hurricane and will begin issuing radio advisories tomorrow.

School Street onramp reopens

The School Street onramp to the Waianae-bound lanes of the H-1 freeway will reopen to afternoon and evening traffic beginning at 3:30 p.m. today, according to the state Transportation Department.

However, daily ramp closures will be scheduled Monday through Friday from 4:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. with occasional nighttime closures as crews continue a $2.5 million repair job.

The reopening comes after a 30-day, 24-hour-a-day closure of the ramp to improve drainage facilities and add new facing to the retaining wall.

The project is expected to be completed by May.

Landowner sues state over law

The state has been sued in federal court by the largest private owner of industrial land in Hawaii.

HRPT Properties Trust alleges a new law intended to give its tenants more leverage renegotiating rents is unconstitutional.

The law affecting some of the more than 180 businesses that lease land from HRPT on Oahu requires a unique phrase in the company's leases referring to “;fair and reasonable”; rent to be construed as being fair and reasonable to the lessor and the lessee.

Massachusetts-based HRPT has said tenants have been citing the new law in an effort to avoid paying what the company believes to be market-rate rent.

The language created by Damon Estate was inherited by HRPT when it bought about 10 million square feet of land from Damon in 2003 for $480 million.

Molokai cuts green-waste collection

Beginning Friday, the Molokai landfill will accept green waste only four days per week instead of seven, according to a release from Maui County.

The Department of Environmental Management said the schedule change is “;necessary to ensure the landfill complies with state Health Department permit requirements and to reduce the potential for fire hazards.”;

The new schedule for green-waste acceptance will be Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to noon, and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Due to prior contamination from non-green-waste materials, residents are required to separate recycling, rubbish and green waste.

For more information, contact Maui Disposal on Molokai at 553-3869.