(AP). Big Island police are warning against the dangers of car surfing–where people ride on the roof of a moving car or pickup truck. Sgt. Nancy Haitsuka says at least five incidents of car surfing have occurred in the Kailua-Kona area since late October. Federal officials say there’ve been 58 car surfing fatalities in the U.S. between 1990 and 2008.
(AP). Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle has proposed a plan to end the state’s hotly disputed teacher furloughs and cancel a planned 10 percent reduction in school days. At a news conference Sunday, Lingle called for shifting teacher-only days to regular classroom time and tapping the state’s rainy day fund to cancel 27 planned furlough days that were set to take place between January of 2010 and June of 2011. Seven furlough days for 2009 would remain in place under the new plan.
Volleyball is in the air. The UH-Hilo women’s volleyball team is headed to San Bernadino, California where it will face the University of Alaska-Anchorage in a first-round match of the NCAA Division II West Regional beginning on Thursday, November 19th. The match pits the PacWest champion Vulcans (25-1 overall) against the Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion Seawolves (22-7). The Vulcans are the tournament’s fourth seed while the Seawolves are the fifth seed.
A $1,000 reward is being offered for the return of a 2007 Bri-Mar Flatbed Trailer taken off the Akana Petroleum lot at 30 Kukila Street in Hilo the night of November 12th. The black, 16-foot long trailer has a license plate number of 459 HYV. Those with leads can call Honua Landscaping at 959-5425 or the police.
Ka’u residents are invited to take part in a collaborative workshop that will create the first draft of the Ka’u Development Plan. The week-long community gathering will run from today through Saturday at the Na’alehu Community Center. For details, call Nalani at 217-6893.
(AP). Three legislative committees will jointly examine budget cuts to the state’s Healthy Start program today. Healthy Start aims to reduce child abuse and neglect through comprehensive home visitation, screening and counseling. The House Committee on Human Services and the Seaqnte committees on Human Services and Health will focus on cuts that have shrunk the program from 13 sites statewide to one site on Oahu and one on Hawaii Island.