High-surf advisory in effect after deluge

The National Weather Service canceled a flood advisory Sunday evening after heavy rain drenched Windward, Central and Leeward Oahu for much of the day.

At 4:18 p.m. radar showed heavy rain falling in Kahuku, Waikane, Kaneohe, Maunawili, Waimanalo, upslope from Fort Shafter and along the southeastern portion of the Koolau mountains, the weather service said.

Nearly 3 inches of rain fell at the Wilson Tunnel Sunday morning.

A high-surf warning is still in effect until this morning for north- and west-facing shores of Kauai and Niihau and for north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai and Maui.

The weather service predicts a light east-to-southeast wind flow over the islands and adjacent waters this week, focusing clouds and showers over windward portions of the islands, mainly during the morning and evening. Showers might also develop over leeward areas during the afternoons and evenings as sea breezes converge over the isles.

UH education programs get $1.5M grant

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded a $1.5 million grant to the University of Hawaii to support Project Laulima, which aims to merge the College of Education’s elementary and special-education programs over the next five years.

Benefiting from the grant will be the college’s Institute for Teacher Education, Elementary and Early Childhood Program, the Department of Special Education and the Center on Disability Studies.

"It is no longer an option to prepare teachers who are not trained to teach the children in today’s elementary classrooms, both those with and without disabilities," said Amelia Jenkins, chairwoman of the special education department.

The college was one of nine institutions in the nation to receive this special-education program improvement grant.

"With this new program we will be able to serve and prepare teachers for tomorrow’s classrooms," said elementary program Director Donna Grace, who will lead the project with Jenkins and college Dean Chris Sorensen.

For more information,visit coe.hawaii.edu/about/ stories/DOE_SpedGrant.

HIFF awards Golden Orchid to ‘Patang’

The Golden Orchid Award at the Hawaii International Film Festival has been given to "Patang," a movie that weaves together the stories of six people transformed by the energy of India’s largest kite festival.

Festival jurors say the film is sensual and subtle, and draws viewers into a romanticized and joyous India where old and new manage to coexist.

The festival said in a news release Thursday that director Prashant Bhargava was presented with a crystal award in recognition of his work.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Students will aid bird release

More than 45 fourth-graders from Wilcox Elementary School on Kauai will gather at Lydgate Park on Tuesday morning to help release young ao, or Newell’s shearwaters, back into the wild as part of the annual E Ho‘opomaika‘i ‘ia na Manu ‘A‘o event.

Joining the children will be Wilcox teachers Alicia Miyashiro and Tamra Martin; Brooke McFarland, André Raine and Emily Haber of the Kauai Endangered Seabird Recovery Project; and Mele Brewer of the Kauai Humane Society.

Distracted during their flight from the mountains to the open ocean by bright lights and other threats, Newell’s shearwater chicks often fall out of the sky and would die without the aid of people. The number of birds rescued this year was not specified.

Since 2007, E Ho‘opomaika‘i ‘ia na Manu ‘A‘o, or "Blessings to the Shearwater Birds," has turned the release into an educational opportunity for young schoolchildren.

Fun program seeks workers

Kauai County officials announced Friday that job appli­ca­tions are being accepted through Dec. 2 for the Winter Fun Program.

High school students ages 16 and older, college students and adults can apply for recreation aide positions. Site manager positions are open to college students and adults.

Employment will run from Dec. 19 to 30.

Applications can be filled out and submitted online or downloaded from the county’s website, www.kauai.gov, or picked up in the Lihue Civic Center, Moikeha 105.

Those selected for employment will be required to pass a drug-screening test and criminal background check.