Blue Angels pyrotechnic drills will be noisy
Kaneohe residents might see a wall of fire and smoke and hear simulated artillery explosions from the runway Saturday and again Sept. 28 in preparations for the Navy’s Blue Angels Kaneohe Bay Air Show "Wall of Fire" pyrotechnical display later this month.
The short fireworks rehearsals will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday and noon Sept. 28.
Marine Corps Base Hawaii received approval from the state Department of Health to conduct special-effects displays to simulate bomb blasts and fires during rehearsals and when the Blue Angels and other high-flying acts take to the air over the Kaneohe base Sept. 29-30.
The rehearsals at Marine Corps Air Station at Kaneohe Bay will be conducted under controlled conditions with demolition experts and safety personnel on hand including aircraft rescue and firefighting, military police, airfield safety and explosive ordnance disposal, Marine officials said.
A similar five-minute pyrotechnical rehearsal Sept. 8 rattled windows and a few nerves.
State tax collections jump nearly 12%
State tax collections are up 11.9 percent through the first two months of the fiscal year, the state Department of Taxation reported Friday.
General excise and use taxes, the largest single category, are up 12.8 percent through August. Hotel room taxes are up 12.2 percent. Individual income taxes are up 7.8 percent.
The state Council on Revenues has projected 4.9 percent revenue growth for the fiscal year that ends in June.
NEIGHBOR ISLANDS
Attack by bird prompts lawsuit
A golfer is suing Maui County for a bird attack.
Ray Sakamura claims in his lawsuit that he was attacked by a large bird at the Waiehu Municipal Golf Course. He claimed he was golfing when a duck or goose charged him and bit his pant leg. He said he fell as the bird continued to attack and bit his hand. He said he suffered a back fracture.
The Maui News reported Friday that the lawsuit alleges the county allowed the bird to live on the property after it attacked other golfers and didn’t provide any warnings. Deputy Corporation Counsel Moana Lutey said the claim is meritless.
Park expansion meeting shifts
Kauai County has rescheduled a public meeting to Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Halawai ‘Ohana o Hanalei to discuss the acquisition of land to expand Hanalei Black Pot Beach.
The county recently acquired three parcels via condemnation to expand the beach park. The acquired land includes a canoe hale, restroom and boat wash-down facility with a water filtration system near a boatyard at the mouth of the Hanalei River.
