Neighbor island briefs

Advertiser Staff

Big Island crash victim identified

Police have identified a 19-year-old Big Island man killed in a traffic accident Friday.

Mitchell M. Medeiros, of a Pahala address in Ka'u, drove off the road on Route 11, five miles west of the 55-mile marker in Punalu'u, police said.

The car left the right side of the road at about 8:15 p.m., struck an embankment and overturned.

Police believe alcohol was a factor in the crash. The traffic fatality was the 29th on the Big Island this year.

Liquor stores cited in sting

LIHU'E, Kaua'i — A quarter of liquor stores checked in a recent Kaua'i Liquor Commission sting operation sold alcohol to minors.

While still a problem, that's dramatically down from the last check 18 months ago, said Liquor Administrator Eric Honma.

Teenage volunteers, with the assistance of liquor inspectors and police, were used to conduct the survey. In many cases, even when the young people presented identification that showed they were under the legal drinking age of 21, they were still sold liquor, Honma said.

In the latest survey, 19 of 72 establishments — 26 percent — sold alcohol to youths. In the previous survey, 26 of 68 stores — 38 percent — were cited.

Clerks are subject to fines and jail time for selling liquor to minors, and the liquor establishment can face a fine and suspension or revocation of its license to sell liquor.

Honma said the department plans to continue conducting surveys, and hopes to achieve a 90 percent compliance rate.