Big Island earthquake does no harm

A small earthquake shook the Big Island at about 10:55 a.m. yesterday, Big Island Civil Defense officials said.

The earthquake measured 3.5 on the Richter scale, and no tsunami was generated, officials said. There were no reports of damage or injuries.

The earthquake was centered offshore of Kalapana and was 28.9 miles deep.

Senators defer bill banning foie gras

Hawaii senators have killed a measure that would have banned foie gras, a popular delicacy in French cuisine.

The bill was deferred in the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday.

Animal rights activists had sought the ban because they oppose the practice of fattening the livers of ducks and geese by force-feeding them through a metal tube or pipe placed into their throats.

But cooks and chefs said animals are not treated cruelly. They say ducks and geese do not have a gag reflex.

A foie gras ban goes into effect in California in 2012.

Talk set on guarding isle ecosystems

The public is invited to a free lecture from 6 to 7:30 p.m. today to learn what the U.S. Geological Survey's Pacific Island Ecosystem Research Center is doing to protect Hawaii's unique species and ecosystems.

Jim Jacobi, principal investigator at the center, will speak at the event at ING Direct Cafe, 1958 Kalakaua Ave. His talk is part of a Natural Treasures of Hawaii Lecture Series sponsored by the Hawaii Conservation Alliance and ING Direct.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Kauai pair's deaths spark murder probe

Kauai police have opened a murder investigation after the discovery of two bodies yesterday morning at a home in Lawai.

A county spokeswoman said the bodies were of an adult male and an adult female.

Police have made a tentative identification, but the names are being withheld pending notification of relatives.

No other information was released.