The vacant Catholic church that was the scene of a fire last week will be demolished, the city announced.
The city issued a demolition permit Friday to general contractor Yi-sun Chiu a day after fire damaged the basement kitchen at St. Patrick Church.
The property, owned by the Roman Catholic Church of Hawaii, has been boarded up for several years and has been a scene of criminal activity, neighbors reported.
Firefighters responded to the two-alarm building fire at 2117 Palolo Ave. on Thursday night.
A damage estimate was set at $1,000; fire investigators were unable to determine the cause of the fire.
Firefighters contained the fire where it started in the basement kitchen.
Since the church had been boarded up, firefighters had to break into the building to extinguish the blaze.
No one was in the building at the time of the fire.
Schools step up to feed kids this summer
Free meals will be served to children at about 70 public schools across Hawaii this summer.
The state Department of Education said Friday that most participating schools will serve breakfast and lunch on weekdays.
For a school to participate, at least half of its regular students must qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. The school also has to be offering a summer program, but students don’t have to take classes to get the meals.
Assistant Superintendent Dann Carlson says some students miss out on meals over the summer. He says he’s grateful so many schools stepped up to participate this year.
The Department of Education says the program will begin in early June.
West Hawaii marine reserve moves ahead
KAILUA-KONA >> A proposed 10-year moratorium on harvesting fish along 3.6 miles of West Hawaii coastline is moving forward with the goal of helping populations recover.
West Hawaii Today reports land and natural resources officials approved a marine reserve at Kaupulehu, protecting fish, the reef, coral and algae from removal up to 120 feet deep.
The plan has specific exceptions, and requires the attorney general’s approval and the governor’s signature.
Supporters say the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai and Queen Kaahumanu Highway opened access and led to the exploitation of reef in the area.
A plan for subsistence fishery management is also in the works.
Spread of mold at Hilo plant prompts move
Mold has forced Hawaii County employees out of an administrative building at the Hilo wastewater treatment plant.
The mold was found behind the walls and ceiling over the past few months as the county replaced the roof, which had been leaking for years, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports.
The building, built in 1990, houses a laboratory and break room.
Department of Environmental Management Director Bobby Jean Leithead Todd said a trailer was delivered last week as an alternative space. As a precaution, respirators are being offered to workers who use the building while the ceilings and walls are replaced.
Compliance Solution LLC, hired by the county, reported May 4 that mold was found on top of a bookshelf and blueprints, behind bulletin boards and in drywall and drop ceiling tiles.
