Texting while driving targeted
HONOLULU (AP) — Texting while driving a commercial vehicle in Hawaii could result in a fine up to $2,750.
The House Transportation Committee passed that proposal with amendments Wednesday morning, and deferred until Feb. 13 House Bill 2355, which would make unauthorized texting while driving punishable by at least a $100 fine. All Hawaii counties already have laws prohibiting texting while driving. Honolulu’s law imposes a $147 fine and Maui’s fine ranges from $100 to $250, depending on the driver’s prior offenses.
On Kauai, a first offense nets a $50 fine. Only that county’s texting ordinance would have to be adjusted if the proposed state fine passes.
BOE pushes for evaluations
HONOLULU (AP) — A Hawaii Board of Education committee has approved proposals for new evaluations for teachers and principals.
The board wants to move to the new evaluation system by July 2014. The proposals approved Tuesday by the board’s Human Resources Committee would take into account student academic growth to make decisions about salaries, tenure and dismissal.
The full board must still vote on the issue, which has been a sticking point for the Hawaii State Teachers Association. The union rejected a contract agreement that included performance measures in January.
Officer killed in crash honored
HONOLULU (AP) — The Honolulu Police Department’s final salute to an officer who recently died in the line of duty involved a funeral motorcade and flowers dropped out of a helicopter.
Wednesday’s motorcade wound its way from Borthwick Mortuary to department headquarters to honor 28-year-old Officer Garret Davis, who died last month after his patrol car was hit from behind when he stopped to help a stalled vehicle on a freeway.
At headquarters, a 21-gun salute was sounded, “Taps” was played and flowers were dropped onto the street from a hovering police helicopter.
Endangered snails released
HONOLULU (AP) — Army biologists are releasing 300 kahuli tree snails into the heart of Oahu’s Waianae mountains to help the endangered species.
U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii says the snails were released Wednesday into an enclosure about the size of a basketball court.
The new snail home is designed to keep out kahuli predators like the rosy wolf snail, Jackson chameleons, rats and mice.
The snails have spent the past two years at a University of Hawaii laboratory while the enclosure was built.
Army staff built the enclosure with the help of state and federal agencies and conservation specialists from New Zealand.
