Big Island police reported that they arrested 38 motorists for drunken driving last week, including nine who were involved in traffic crashes and one who was underage.

Police tally the cases weekly and the latest numbers were for Oct. 30 to Nov. 5.
So far this year police have made 1,128 driving-under-the-influence arrests compared with 1,056 during the same period last year, an increase of 7 percent, police said.

But major accidents have declined 15 percent, from 2,096 at this point last year to 1,776 so far this year on the Big Island.

Thirty-four people have died in traffic crashes so far this year on the Big Island, compared with 30 for the same period last year.

The Nature Conservancy has invested heavily in developing and applying nature-based adaptation responses to climate change in tropical seas. Salm will introduce the organization's climate-change resilience concepts and activities, such as the museum's program in the Coral Triangle — which encompasses the Sulu and Sulawesi seas and is surrounded by Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines — and its significance in coral reef conservation efforts.

CLIMATE CHANGE, CORAL TALK PLANNED

Rod Salm, director of the Nature Conservancy's Asia Pacific Coastal Marine Program, will talk about "The Coral Triangle: A Haven of Hope in a Climate- Challenged Time" at the Bishop Museum at 4 p.m. Friday.

Salm will introduce the Nature Conservancy's climate-change activities, such as the museum's program in the Coral Triangle — which encompasses the Sulu and Sulawesi seas and is surrounded by Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines — and its significance in coral reef conservation efforts.

The talk is part of the Bishop Museum's Research Seminar Series.

For more information, call 847-8246.

PROFESSIONALS CAN RELICENSE ONLINE

The state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs yesterday announced that more than 28,000 Hawai'i professionals may now renew their licenses online at http://pvl.ehawaii.gov/renewals.

The department is offering a 25 percent customer appreciation credit on the renewal fee and a 10 percent discount on the compliance resolution fund fee. The discounts are for online renewals only.