Police were looking for vandals who have struck Makiki Community Library several times since January, leaving the historic building covered in graffiti.

Some $2 million in renovations to the building were nearly complete when the culprits started spraying graffiti on the outside and inside of the library, which has been closed since 2005 for the work. Workers have painted over some of the graffiti, but much still remains.

City officials said it is unclear how long it will take to clean up the mess and complete the renovations. It is also not known how much the cleanup will cost.

The library is run by a community organization and is housed in a city building.

LIGHTNING BEHIND KAUA'I OUTAGES

A lightning storm last weekend caused significant damage to the power distribution system on Kaua'i, resulting in a string of power failures that continued for a week.

The Kaua'i Island Utility Co-op said it suffered several cases of equipment being damaged by lightning on Feb. 23 and 24.

An underground distribution circuit splice that had been damaged by lightning-caused surges failed yesterday morning, cutting off power in the Wailua area. Other outages were reported Friday, Saturday and Monday.

FIRE DAMAGES CHURCH CLASSROOM

Fire caused an estimated $50,000 in damage to a classroom at St. Anthony's Church in Kailua yesterday morning.

Firefighters had the blaze under control within minutes of the alarm. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

BACTERIA LEVELS HIGH AT LYDGATE

Heavy rains during the weekend on Kaua'i have resulted in high bacteria levels and debris at Lydgate Park. The debris has filled in two popular areas for swimming and wading and presents a danger to the public, the state Department of Health said.

Warning signs were posted yesterday, and County of Kaua'i staff will begin a cleanup effort. The public is advised to stay out of both the "big" and "small" pond area of Lydgate Park until further notice.

BIG ISLAND CRASH VICTIM, 63, DIES

A 63-year-old Kealakekua man died Wednesday from injuries sustained in a two-vehicle crash on Kauakini Highway, Big Island police said.

Police said Jerry Matias Sr. was driving a Chevy pickup truck that crossed the center line and collided with an oncoming Ford pickup.

Matias was killed. The other driver suffered minor injuries.