Fixing four bridges

HANAPEPE — If the weather cooperates, the historic 1911 Hanapepe bridge on Hanapepe Road over the Hanapepe River should re-open to vehicular traffic by the end of the month, said county Department of Water Engineer Dustin Moises Wednesday during a talk story session hosted by the Hanapepe Economic Alliance to a standing-room-only audience at the Hanapepe Recreation Center.

Mayor to KFD: cut overtime

LIHU‘E — The mayor’s office has ordered the Kaua‘i Fire Department to suspend most — if not all — overtime and nonessential expenditures after discovering, the administration said, that KFD had been forced to make $1.2 million in unplanned retirement payments due to “spiking” of overtime.

Death at Shipwreck Beach

PO‘IPU — A 64-year-old visitor from Massachusetts, Karen Smith, died on Wednesday around 10 a.m. after slipping and falling from a cliff while hiking north of Keoneloa Bay, also known as Shipwreck Beach, in Po‘ipu.

Money for Hawai‘i for coronavirus

LIHU‘E — U.S. legislators are working to get reimbursement for states that have spent money assisting in federal response to the coronavirus outbreak, and though there haven’t been any confirmed cases of the virus, formally known as COVID-19, in Hawai‘i, the state is mentioned in the request.

New avocado pest identified

HONOLULU — A new pest of avocado has been confirmed by state Department of Agriculture entomologists with the help of the University of Hawai‘i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources — Cooperative Extension Service.

Voyager film set for Waimea

WAIMEA — The Vaka Taumako Project of Pacific Traditions Society will be showing their film, “We, The Voyagers: Lata’s Children,” at the Historic Waimea Theatre on Monday, Feb. 17, at 1 p.m.

One man makes moves to clean up parks

KAPAHI — New community partnerships are forming on Kaua‘i thanks to one man’s tenacious pursuit of pristine county parks, and now the group is asking the County of Kaua‘i for money to help out with maintenance in their parks.

Warriors advance to Final Four at states

WAIPAHU — The Kapa‘a High School Warriors’ soccer team is one step closer to capturing back-to-back championships with a 3-1 victory over Makua Lani in the quarterfinals of the Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Queen’s Medical Center Boys Division II Soccer Championships.

KIF swimmers prepare for state meet

KIHEI — Kaua‘i High School freshman swimmer Kamaira Silva is confident entering her first-ever Hawi‘i High School Athletic Association K. Mark Takai Swimming and Diving Championship at the Kihei Aquatic Complex on Maui.

Happy Camper for Friday, February 14, 2020

OMG! The online auction for John Uyeno’s estate has been posted to Malama Auctions’ website (www.malamaauctions.com) under “John Uyeno Fine Estate Auction” that will take online bids only on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 17 and 18.

Tours, nature, history all-in-one book

There are lots of guides to the flora and fauna of Hawai‘i. Bird guides. Fish guides. Flower guides. Tree guides. Wildlife guides. Guides of all sorts, really. It seems that the individual guides are the vast majority of what is available, and for the person interested in the broader natural history & nature in general in Hawai‘i, options are limited, with most being out-of-print.

Science equals fun

More than 70 science projects in the Junior and Senior divisions attracted a big crowd to the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Center for the Kaua‘i Regional Science and Engineering Fair.