HAWAI'I BRIEFS
Pipeline surfer still missing
Advertiser Staff
The Honolulu Fire Department searched in vain yesterday for a surfer missing off O'ahu's North Shore.
Helicopters searched until sunset for Joaquin Velilla, 35, who disappeared Thursday evening while surfing at the Banzai Pipeline.
A fire department spokesman said a decision will be made today on whether to resume the search, which has covered more than 1,000 square miles.
O'AHU
DRUNKEN-DRIVING CHECKPOINTS SET
Honolulu police are planning a number of drunken-driving checkpoints throughout O'ahu this Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.
Police said the checkpoints will be set up at unannounced times and locations tonight through Tuesday in an effort to deter alcohol- and drug-impaired drivers.
The checkpoints are part of the continuing HPD crackdown on drunken drivers. Police said similar checkpoints resulted in the arrest of 3,278 impaired drivers between Oct. 1, 2005, and Sept. 30, 2006.
WESTBOUND LANES ON H-1 TO CLOSE
The bad news: Two lanes of the H-1 Freeway will be closed for maintenance work tomorrow. The good news: It's a state holiday.
The state Transportation Department said two westbound lanes of the freeway between the Ke'ehi and H-1/H-2 interchanges will be closed from 12:30 a.m. tomorrow until 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. The closure is necessary so that maintenance work can be done on the freeway's Zipper Lane.
The Zipper Lane will be open Tuesday morning to commuters returning to work after a three-day weekend.
BIG ISLAND
PUHI BAY UNSAFE AFTER SEWAGE SPILL
The state Health Department is warning residents to stay out of the water in Hilo's Puhi Bay area because of a sewage spill.
Officials say about 2 million gallons of treated, but unchlorinated, sewage was discharged into the bay by a county wastewater processing plant Friday night and yesterday morning.
Hawai'i County officials noticed that the plant's chlorinating system was not working when they reported to work yesterday, the Health Department said.
The unchlorinated discharge entered the water through an outfall located about 2,000 feet offshore.
As a precaution, officials posted warning signs from the Hilo Breakwater through Puhi Bay and advised the public to stay out of the Puhi Bay area until further notice.
Puhi Bay is named for a blowhole on the west side of the bay that was destroyed when the sewage treatment plant was constructed.
