Alcohol citations issued at sandbar

State conservation enforcement officers patrolling the newly created safety zone at Ahu o Laka sandbar in Kaneohe Bay issued one citation for alcohol possession Monday and gave eight warnings about safety equipment, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said.

The first weekend under the new ban on alcohol and disorderly conduct at the sandbar passed with relatively few enforcement actions.

Through the three-day weekend, officers issued three citations for alcohol, two citations for violating boating safety equipment requirements, one parking citation and one traffic citation, DLNR said.

Officials estimated that about 60 boats visited the safety zone Monday, about 10 more than on Sunday.

The ban is in effect for the next four months during three-day holiday weekends.

Hull breach ruins sailboat, ends sail

The Coast Guard picked up four boaters from Oregon who were rescued by a Hong Kong-based cargo ship over the weekend after their vessel ran into trouble between California and Hawaii.

The crew of the 30-foot sailboat sent out a distress call Friday after it hit a submerged object, causing the boat to spring a leak and damaging its rudder. The mishap took place about 665 miles southwest of San Diego during a voyage from Mexico to Oregon, the Coast Guard said.

Cargo ship OOCL Guangzhou responded to the distress call and launched a small boat to assist. The sailers and their pet cat abandoned their vessel and took refuge aboard the cargo ship. The sailboat sank, the Coast Guard said.

The boaters were transferred Sunday from the Guangzhou to the Oahu-based Coast Guard Cutter Galveston Island about 12 miles south of Oahu. The boaters were brought to Honolulu, where they caught a flight home, the Coast Guard said.

Get with the plan

The city invites Oahu residents, business owners, community groups and others to give their thoughts on possible revisions to the Oahu General Plan at a meeting Thursday at 6 p.m. at Mission Memorial Auditorium, 550 S. King St. Registration begins at 5:15 p.m. Go to honoluludpp.org and click on “Planning Info.”

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Downed line spurs traffic rerouting

A downed telephone wire on Kuhio Highway in Kapaa Monday morning prompted police to divert traffic in the area for about four hours.

The line was reported down at about 6:30 a.m. Kauai police redirected traffic headed toward Kawaihau Road from Kuhio Highway to Hauaala Road.

Hawaiian Telcom crews arrived on the scene at about 10:30 a.m. The obstruction was cleared and the road reopened just before 11 a.m.

Mayor praises new law that cuts permits

Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa said he supports a new state law that allows small commercial and residential projects to be built without having special management area permits.

House Bill 117, signed into law last week by Gov. Neil Abercrombie, raises the minimum value of projects — to $500,000 from $125,000 — required to get the SMA permits.

“I proposed and supported this change because state law needed to be updated for the sake of free enterprise,” Arakawa said. “For years the cost of materials and labor has risen, but this SMA permit threshold has remained the same.