(AP). Hurricane Felicia has weakened to a Category 3 storm far out in the Pacific. The National Hurricane Center says Felicia, once a Category 4 storm, is expected to continue weakening in the next few days. The maximum sustained winds have dropped to near 115 miles per hour. Felicia is centered about 1,365 miles east of Hawaii. The storm could reach the Big Island Monday or Tuesday with gusty winds and heavy rainfall.
Big Island police are warning residents that unattended purses are easy targets for thieves. A woman recently told police that a boy took her handbag from a shopping cart in a Hilo shopping center while she was unlocking her car door.
Thre trial of Hilo teenager accused of causing severe brain damage to his infant son may be delayed. According to the “Hawaii Tribune-Herald”, Deputy Public Defender Micahel Ebesugawa filed a motion to continue the trial for 18-year old Kainoa Poepoe Vigil. Vigil is chared with first-degree asault for allegedly striking his then 4-month old son’s head on the door frame of his car on March 31st in the Prince Kuhio Plaza parking lot.
During the week of July 29th through August 3rd, Big Island plice arrested 30 motorists for drunk driving. Eight of the drivers were involved in traffic accidents. One was under the age of 21. So far this year, there have been 13 traffic fatalities on Big Island roads, compared to 14 during the same period last year. DUI roadblocks will continue island wide.
UH-Hilo announces the development of a Hawaiian language interface for Google, the world’s most popular internet search engine. The translation project is part of the Google in Your Language program, which encourages advocates of minority and indigenous languages to translate several of Google’s products into their own languages. Dr. Kalena Silva, the director of the College of Hawaiian Language at UH-Hilo says the new Google interface is a tremendous development for Hawaiian speakers.