A 45-year-old man who is accused of shooting his sister in the leg is also charged with punching and breaking a bone in her face.

An Oahu grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday charging Jonathan Tien with two counts of assault against his 49-year-old sister and using a firearm to commit one of the assaults. The indictment also charges Tien with a third assault involving his 14-year-old niece. He remains in custody at Oahu Community Correctional Center.

State Circuit Judge Colette Garibaldi confirmed bail for Tien at $500,000.

Deputy Prosecutor Chastity Imamura told Garibaldi that Tien punched his sister at a Hawaii Kai address Friday during an argument. As Tien held his sister against the wall with his hands around her neck, the sister’s daughter intervened. Tien then grabbed his niece and threw her onto the sofa, and the girl bounced off the sofa and hit her head on the wall, Imamura said.

She said Tien then went into a bedroom, came back with a handgun and shot his sister.

The handgun is a semiautomatic pistol registered to Tien, Imamura said.

Maui

Upcountry short of water

Upcountry Maui residents are reminded that dry weather anticipated to last into fall has prompted a water shortage declaration.

The Maui Department of Water Supply said that under the current Stage 1 water shortage, which became effective July 18, water conservation efforts are in effect and water users are urged to:

>> To clean food in a bowl of water instead of under running water.

>> Collect excess water in a bucket for later use when running water to get it hot enough for bathing.

>> To flush toilets only when necessary and not for disposing trash.

>> Install low-flow fixtures by obtaining free low-flow shower heads, faucet aerators, toilet bags, and hose nozzles from the DWS Water Resources & Planning Division office at One Main Plaza, 2200 Main St., Suite 102, Wailuku (corner of Vineyard and Main streets, enter from the sidewalk) or call the division at 463-3110. Business hours are 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

For more information, see mauiwater.org.

Hawaii island

Leeward wildfire threat high

The threat of major wildfires for the leeward side of Hawaii island will remain high through October, forecasters said this week.

All other areas of the state can expect normal conditions through November, according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, which produces the forecast.

Sea surface temperatures around the islands are expected to remain above normal through November, helping to raise temperatures throughout the islands, the report said.

Lighter-than-normal rainfall in July allowed drought conditions to spread across parts of the Big Island, but normal rainfall is now expected, and the most critical drought conditions are expected to remain only in leeward areas of the island.