Several dozen stores and businesses at Ala Moana Center were without electricity for much of yesterday and through the night after construction activity in the area damaged a power line, Hawaiian Electric Co. said.

The outage happened at 1:42 p.m. HECO crews planned to work through the night and were expecting to have power back on by about 5 a.m., power company spokesman Jose Dizon said.

Most of the mall was unaffected and remained open for business.

EXPECT ENTRY DETOURS AT PARK

The Diamond Head entrance to Ala Moana Beach Park will have a temporary detour and also may be closed periodically beginning tomorrow while the city works on an emergency wastewater bypass project.

Contractors will be grouting and then trenching the road just inside the park entrance to connect an emergency 42-inch sewage pipe to the existing wastewater system. The work is expected to last 30 days.

Also beginning tomorrow, parking and pedestrian traffic will be affected along a five-block stretch of Ala Wai Boulevard as part of the bypass project. The city said this work is expected to last six months.

Parking will be prohibited along Ala Wai between Lewers and Walina streets.

Pedestrians will be rerouted to the makai side of Ala Wai Boulevard, while the bike path on the five-block stretch will be closed.

City officials launched the $20 million bypass project after a massive sewage spill on March 24. An estimated 48 million gallons discharged into the Ala Wai Canal from a broken wastewater main.

STORE EMPLOYEE ARRESTED IN THEFT

Police on Sunday arrested a 27-year-old woman as a suspect in the theft of cash from a Wai'anae convenience store Friday afternoon.

The store's manager, 30, told police he discovered money missing from the store's safe and reviewed the tape from a surveillance system.

The manager told police the tape showed an employee taking the money and that he confronted her Sunday.

Police said the manager reported that the woman confessed to taking the money. She was arrested Sunday on suspicion of second-degree theft.

TRIAL OVER ALLEGED FALSE CLAIMS

An O'ahu man has been ordered to stand trial on charges that he filed false claims to obtain federal workers' compensation benefits.

Clifford G. Rutkowski, 52, made his initial appearance yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leslie Kobayashi. Rutkowski is charged with two counts of filing the false claims.

The trial for Rutkowski, who was released on an appearance bond, is set for Nov. 14.

He is accused of filing false claims with the Office of Workers' Compensation in 2002 and 2003. U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo said Rutkowski reported that he was not paid for any work during that period, when in fact he did home repair work and handyman services, for which he received compensation.

If convicted, Rutkowski faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the counts.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lou Bracco.

PARKING BANNED FOR JULY 4TH SHOW

Parking will be prohibited on Rice Street from Ace Hardware to Kaua'i Museum after 4 p.m. today to help ease the flow of traffic during one of the island's biggest annual gatherings, the Kaua'i Hospice entertainment and fireworks show, "Concert in the Sky."

Police will direct traffic at major area intersections and may make adjustments to prevent bottlenecks, said acting Assistant Chief Ale Quibilan.

SCHOOL'S HI 5¢ DRIVE SATURDAY

Kailua High School's Project Graduation 2007 committee is holding a HI 5¢ can and bottle drive Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the school's parking lot. The group will accept donations of redeemable aluminum cans, plastic bottles and glass bottles.

Project Graduation is a post-commencement celebration that is alcohol- and substance-free.

For information, call 261-1361 or e-mail kailua2007@hotmail.com.

'STOLEN KISS' LEADS TO MAN'S ARREST

Police arrested a 19-year-old La'ie man Sunday for allegedly entering a neighbor's home and "stealing" a kiss.

Police said the man entered a neighbor's home through an unlocked front door, approached a 36-year-old woman who was sleeping on a sofa in the living room and began to kiss her.

A man who lives in the home entered the room and confronted the other man, who ran back to his home, police said.

Police were called to the home on Naniloa Loop and directed to a neighboring home, where they arrested the man on suspicion of first-degree burglary.