Waste water flows into Palolo Stream

The state Department of Health is posting warning signs and collecting water samples from Palolo Stream after an estimated 1,000 gallons of waste water overflowed on to a vacant lot at 3472 Kaau St. near 9th Avenue.

The Clean Water Branch said Tuesday night that a grease blockage caused the spill of about 2,000 gallons, half of which entered the stream through a storm drain.

The incident was reported at 6:45 p.m. after waste water flowed from a manhole when a 6-inch terra cotta pipe clogged, the city Department of Environmental Services said. City crews cleaned, disinfected and deodorized the area.

The public is advised to stay out of the stream.

Ex-inspector charged with ID theft

A former state Department of Labor inspector is facing charges that he used other people’s names and personal information to verify inspections he didn’t perform.

An Oahu grand jury returned an indictment last week charging Hervie E. Messier, who was an inspector with the Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health Division, with 10 counts of identity theft in the third degree. The crime is a class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Messier used the personal information of 10 people from October 2007 to January 2008, according to the indictment.

He prepared false inspection reports and put their names, addresses and telephone numbers on the reports without the people’s permission, said Vince Kanemoto, deputy state attorney general.

"He wasn’t doing those inspections," he said.

Messier also claimed mileage reimbursements, Kanemoto said.

The state said Messier no longer works for the department as an OSHA inspector. His last day on the job was March 31, 2008.

Star-Advertiser staff

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Ex-humane society chief keeps silence

LIHUE » Rebecca Rhoades isn’t saying why she stepped down last week as executive director of the Kauai Humane Society.

Rhoades has told the Garden Island newspaper that she can’t comment on advice of her attorney.

The organization’s interim executive director, Orianna Skomoroch, has also declined to comment, saying Rhoades’ wishes must be respected.

Rhoades says she’s proud of what the Kauai Humane Society accomplished over the past 10 years.

The executive director of the Hawaii Humane Society, Pamela Burns, says Rhoades’ departure is "a huge loss for the people and animals of Kauai."

$225,000 grant boosts Head Start

Maui Economic Opportunity Inc. says a $225,000 federal grant has been awarded to help improve child care in Head Start classrooms.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds will pay for Early Learning Mentoring Coaches for Head Start teachers in Maui County. The mentoring coaches will help instruct Head Start teachers on how to improve their curriculum and children’s cognitive skills.

The funds will also pay for a relief teacher and an aide to take over Head Start classes while the teachers take part in the mentoring program. The Head Start program, which helps children 3 to 5 years old, falls under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and provides educational and health needs for low-income children and their families.

Maui Economic Opportunity operates 15 Head Start sites on Maui and Molokai along with another site on Lanai operated by a partnering agency.

Star-Advertiser staff and Associated Press