Impromptu stops not allowed near air show

Oahu motorists should not stop along highway shoulder lanes to view the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds air show today and tomorrow, the state Department of Transportation said.

Except in emergency situations, stopping, standing or parking is not permitting on state highways or freeways, the department said in a news release.

Police will patrol the area to ensure motorists do not stop along the H-1 freeway or Nimitz Highway to view the show.

Motorists should expect increased traffic near Hickam Air Force Base this weekend and allow for extra travel time.

Travelers at Honolulu Airport might also experience some delays during the Thunderbird's weekend air shows. There will be no arrivals or departures between 3 and 4 p.m. today and tomorrow because of temporary flight restrictions.

Kulani inmates move to Oahu

HILO » The last of the inmates at the Kulani Correctional Facility on the Big Island have been transferred to facilities on Oahu.

The state is closing the Big Island's only prison to save money.

Department of Public Safety Deputy Director Tommy Johnson says 26 of the final 30 inmates are being held at the federal detention center near Honolulu Airport.

Johnson says the 76 state workers at Kulani will be working on inventory, along with ongoing maintenance.

He says all will be reassigned to the Hawaii Community Correctional Center, which is also known as the Hilo jail.

According to Johnson, some employees have asked to be allowed to fill openings at prisons on other islands.

Job fair for guard soldiers and kin

A job fair as well as briefings for the soldiers and relatives of the Hawaii Army National Guard's 29th Brigade Combat Team, which completed a tour in Kuwait a month ago, will be held tomorrow at the Hawaii Convention Center.

The briefings will cover subjects such as veterans and medical benefits, personal financial management, and legal and re-employment rights.

More than 100 employers, including the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, state, federal and other governmental agencies will participate.

The seminars will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

About 2,500 Hawaii citizen-soldiers spent nearly a year in Kuwait, returning home in August.

Food stamp process gets simpler

Applying for food stamps will soon become easier for Hawaii residents after the state was granted a federal waiver allowing it to conduct initial interviews of applicants over the telephone.

Since July 2008, statewide participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has grown by 23 percent, with nearly 123,000 residents now enrolled. Hawaii has one of the top SNAP accuracy rates in the nation, earning it performance bonuses from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said Lillian Koller, director of the Department of Human Services.

Previously, the federal government required residents to submit applications in person and then return to the Department of Human Services for a face-to-face interview. Under the four-year federal waiver, applications still must be submitted in person, but initial interviews and re-certification interviews can be conducted by phone.

The change will take place after staff is trained in October.