HAWAI'I BRIEFS
Tax revenue up 10.6% in March
Advertiser Staff
The state collected $324.9 million in taxes in March, raising the tax take for the first nine months of the current fiscal year to $3.19 billion, a 10.6 percent increase over the same period of the previous fiscal year, the state Department of Taxation reported.
The greatest single category of collections — general excise and use taxes — amounted to $195.9 million in March. That boosted the category's nine-month tally to $1.79 billion, an increase of 11.7 percent.
The $18.6 million collected in March through the transient accommodations tax caused the year-to-date figure to swell by 9.3 percent to $161.1 million.
As for individual income tax collections, they rose 8.5 percent over the nine-month period to $1 billion after $86.2 million was tabulated in March.
HAU'ULA
CANDLE BLAMED FOR HOUSE FIRE
A fire started by an unattended candle caused about $50,000 in damage Saturday night to a Hau'ula home and sent two people to a hospital for minor burns to their hands and feet.
Emergency Medical Services took a man and woman to a hospital. The 10:35 p.m. fire was in one of the three bedrooms of a home in the 54-200 block of Honomu Street, said fire Capt. Terry Seelig.
HONOLULU
BUS RIDER'S AUTOPSY AWAITED
Police vehicular homicide investigators are awaiting results of an autopsy today to determine if a medical condition caused the death of an elderly passenger who fell from his seat and struck his head Thursday on a city bus. The incident happened while the bus was turning left from Ala Moana onto Pi'ikoi Street.
The man was taken in critical condition to Straub Clinic & Hospital, where he died at 3:28 p.m., about 56 minutes after the incident was reported to police.
The medical examiner's office yesterday identified the man as Ralph Arthur Martin.
The medical examiner's office yesterday also identified Earlenne Stoyer as the 39-year-old Honolulu woman killed April 8 in La'ie when her van crashed into a tree.
FALLEN TREE CLOSES LANE ON TANTALUS
A 30-foot tree fell at the 3300 block of Tantalus Drive early yesterday, closing one lane.
The tree fell at 12:20 a.m. and also brought down an electrical line. Hawaiian Electric Co. reported an outage that affected 40 customers. Power was restored at 8:30 a.m.
HANNEMANN ON CHINA VISIT
Mayor Mufi Hannemann is in China this week at the invitation and sponsorship of the Chinese government and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawai'i to promote economic development.
Hannemann, who left Saturday, will view Shanghai's new magnetic levitation mass transit system. He will also be present for Zhongshan's ninth anniversary as Honolulu's sister city and visit the birthplace of Chinese political figure Sun Yat Sen, who was educated in Honolulu and who will be the subject of a memorial in Honolulu's Chinatown Gateway Park.
Hannemann also plans to meet with Chinese entrepreneurs and officials to discuss the development of a world trade center in Honolulu. He will return Saturday.
STATEWIDE
EAST SHORES UNDER HIGH-SURF ALERT
The National Weather Service has issued a high-surf-advisory for the east-facing shores of all islands until noon today.
Strong trade winds are producing rough surf of 6 to 8 feet, the weather service said.
In addition, warning signs are still posted at eight O'ahu beaches following sewage spills triggered by heavy rainfall in March.
In Honolulu, signs are posted at the Ala Wai Canal and channel, Ala Wai harbor and south shore beaches from Wai'alae Country Club to Kawaikui Beach Park in 'Aina Haina.
In Windward O'ahu, signs are posted at the Kaelepulu Stream mouth, Bellows and Waimanalo beach parks, the area from Kane'ohe Beach Park to Kokokahi, and Kualoa.
O'AHU
SPACES OPEN IN HOME WORKSHOP
The Nanakuli Housing Corp. is accepting appointments for free workshops on home ownership and financial literacy.
The nonprofit organization recently received about $155,000 from the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the Native American Housing and Self-Determination Act, helping make the workshops possible. The agency was established in 1989 to provide housing initiatives for Native Hawaiians in Nanakuli. Today it offers services across O'ahu.
The workshops, to be held through July. To schedule a workshop, call 842-0770.
KALIHI
BROKEN MAIN CUTS WATER SUPPLY
About 40 homes and an apartment building in Kalihi were without water service for much of yesterday after a six-inch water main burst on Kamehameha IV Road near North School Street, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply said.
Crews were on scene since 3:30 a.m. yesterday working on the pipes, which were corroded and weak. Water service was restored at 3 p.m.
KAILUA
SCHOOL COLLECTING BOTTLES, CANS
Kailua High School's Project Graduation 2007 will have a HI 5¢ can and bottle fundraising drive Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the school's parking lot.
Proceeds will go toward the school's 2007 Project Graduation, an all-night party that provides students with a safe, drug- and alcohol-free graduation celebration.
Additional recycling drives are scheduled May 20 and June 3. Call 261-1361 or e-mail kailua2007@hotmail.com.
