Sewage spill brings Middle Loch warnings

Contaminated-water signs were posted at Middle Loch of Pearl Harbor after more than 11,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled into a drainage canal near the 14th hole of the Ted Makalena Golf Course in Waipahu, according to city and state officials.

The canal empties into Pearl Harbor.

The spill happened at about 2:12 p.m. Sunday when a force main connected to the Waipahu Wastewater Pump Station on Waipahu Depot Road failed, the city said.

Hawaiian Dredging and Construction was repairing the force main, said Watson Okubo of the state Health Department's clean water branch.

College payout for competitor in robot event

Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard plans to grant a full university scholarship to a student who has competed in robotics.

The scholarship covers up to four years of tuition, plus fees and books at the University of Hawaii's College of Engineering.

The program is open to high school seniors and graduates who have participated for at least two years in the national robotics competition called FIRST, or For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.

The scholarship recipient will have an opportunity to complete a degree in engineering while working alongside engineers at the shipyard.

The shipyard will select the best-qualified recipient with the help of state government and Department of Education officials.

3.8-magnitude quake felt in Big Island areas

An earthquake of 3.8 magnitude occurred five miles west-northwest of Pahala at 1:01 p.m. yesterday, according to Big Island Civil Defense.

There were no reports of damage.

The quake was centered at a depth of about 4.1 miles and 44 miles southwest of Hilo, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake was felt in communities about 80 to 90 miles from the epicenter, according to reports received by the USGS.

Flags created to assist those crossing the Pali

The death of an 81-year-old Nuuanu woman prompted a Kailua resident to fashion 30 brightly colored flags to help pedestrians crossing Pali Highway catch the attention of motorists.

Virginia Kawauchi, 72, recently placed five pedestrian flags in each of the six bins at three marked crosswalks with no signal lights in the proximity of Dowsett Avenue.

Pedestrians can pick up the flag in one bin, wave it while crossing the highway and drop the flag in another bin at the end of the crosswalk for another pedestrian to use.

Kawauchi made the flags after she read a newspaper article about Hideno Matsumoto's death.

Last Tuesday, Matsumoto was walking in a marked crosswalk at Pali Highway and Dowsett Avenue when she was struck by a sport utility vehicle.

Kawauchi, who never met Matsumoto, said she is aware of the dangers for pedestrians who cross the busy highway.

The flags—made of neon orange, green and yellow streamers—are marked with the words, “;In memory of Hideno Matsumoto.”;

Kawauchi and her friend used the flags yesterday morning while crossing the un-signaled crosswalks during a test run. “;If it saves one life, it's worth it,”; she said.

Vog-plagued Kau to get $18M shelter

HILO » The vog-affected district of Kau on the Big Island is on course to get an $18 million emergency evacuation shelter.

The district has been among those most heavily affected by vog since the a new vent opened at Halemaumau crater in March 2008 and the volcano began releasing more sulfur dioxide.

The center would be built on the grounds of the Kau High School and Pahala Elementary School complex and would double as a school gymnasium.

The Legislature budgeted funds last year to design the center for the state Department of Education.

But state Rep. Bob Herkes says he will introduce legislation to transfer the money to Hawaii County because building the center is not a priority for the department.