Neighbor Island briefs
Advertiser Staff and News Services
MAUI
Maui mice subject of more meetings
WAILUKU, Maui — Three more community meetings have been called to discuss the increase in Maui's mouse population and a related typhus outbreak.
One public meeting with county and state Department of Health officials has been held; additional sessions were announced yesterday. The 6:30 p.m. meetings will be held tomorrow at the Kula Community Center, Aug. 30 at the Kahului Community Center, and Sept. 5 at the Lahaina Community Center.
BIG ISLAND
Firefighters head to Sierra Nevadas
VOLCANO, Hawai'i — Forty federal firefighters from Hawai'i and American Samoa left over the weekend to join firefighting efforts in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, where flames are threatening stands of giant redwood trees.
The Hawai'i firefighters are from four Big Island national park units, Maui's Haleakala National Park and Moloka'i's Kalaupapa National Historical Park.
Wildfires have burned more than 63,000 acres at Giant Sequoia National Monument and the Inyo National Forest. Flames have come within two miles of the Trail of 100 Giants, a stand that includes some of Earth's largest and oldest trees.
Test successful, race group says
KAILUA, Kona, Hawai'i — The head of the Hawai'i Racing Association said no calls about engine noises were received during an informal sound test conducted Saturday night near the proposed location of the Kona Motorsport Park near the Kona International Airport.
An unmuffled race car with a large V-8 engine and a racing motorcycle were run at full throttle for several minutes to determine if the sound could be heard by neighboring residents.
Association President Paul Maddox said no racing engine noise was reported by Kalaoa or Kona Palisades residents during the test period, which was publicized in advance.
Some area residents opposed to the motorsport park location say that in addition to noise, the 425-acre facility would impact traffic and property values.
The state has yet to give the group permission to use its land, and additional sound, traffic, environmental and historical surveys need to be conducted.
