Hawai'i briefs
Advertiser Staff and News Services
WINDWARD O'AHU
Waimanalo road safety studied
Waimanalo residents say new barriers installed last week on Kalaniana'ole Highway near Olomana Golf Links might not be sufficient to prevent the kind of accidents that killed two people in two years.
The criticism prompted the Department of Transportation to say yesterday that other options will be considered to further improve safety.
The most recent accident, on Feb. 23, resulted in the death of Ramus Seabury, 62, when an oncoming car drifted across the center line and struck his vehicle.
The new barriers are above the site of the Seabury accident but in an area that state engineers say has a history of accidents caused by people drifting out of their lane, said Scott Ishikawa, transportation department spokesman.
To address the problem at the Seabury accident site the state will study two options to make the road safer near the "S" turns of the highway, Ishikawa said.
The first option is to straighten the road, which could require using private property and a wetland next to the road, he said. The other option is to install more barriers, but that would mean widening the road, Ishikawa said.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Chinese items stolen in Hilo
Big Island police are asking the public to help locate three 19th century Chinese artifacts worth more than $45,000 that were stolen from a Hilo home.
The most valuable of the items was an ivory incense burner valued at $22,000, but thieves also took a jade carving of flowers worth an estimated $20,000, police said.
Also stolen were a carved ivory tusk worth $3,500 along with Black Hill jewelry — a necklace, rings and a bracelet — valued at more than $500.
The items were stolen between March 18 and March 26, police said.
Anyone with information about the theft or the whereabouts of the items is asked to call Officer Darren K. Horio at (808) 961-2311 or the police non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311.
Callers who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300 in Hilo or (808) 329-8181 in Kona, and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 if their call leads to an arrest, indictment or property recovery.
LEEWARD O'AHU
Locks of Love haircuts today
About half a dozen students from the University of Hawai'i-West O'ahu will donate their hair at noon today on campus to help children who suffer from medical hair loss.
The public is invited to participate.
The cut hair — at least 10 inches in length — will be sent to Locks of Love, a nonprofit organization that provides hair pieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss.
Hair must be clean, dry and free from damage from excessive chemical processing.
For more information, call Debi Stephens at 454-4700 or 286-2100, or visit www.locksoflove.org.
