Memorial repairs progress
HONOLULU (AP) — Repairs to the USS Arizona Memorial in Honolulu are progressing, but officials have not yet set a date to reopen the tourist attraction.
The National Park Service plans next week to announce the reopening date.
A malfunction with the concrete dock’s anchoring system forced the closure of the memorial for the past 15 months.
Exceptionally high tides in 2017 are believed to have dislodged concrete blocks sunk into the sediment of Pearl Harbor and connected by chains to the dock.
Park employees Thursday installed a visitor ramp for walk-on visits to the 105-foot floating dock. Workers this week also reinstalled the memorial’s bridge spanning 30 feet and weighing 4 tons.
The more than $2.1 million repair also included the installation last month of 12 new straps to anchor the boat landing dock.
Nearly 1.8 million people visited the landmark in 2018. Park service spokesman Jay Blount said there has been “no point since May 2018 when this happened that there’s not been work being conducted” on the repairs.
Officials work to remove horse carcass
LIHUE, Kauai (AP) — Hawaii officials are seeking the best way to remove a horse carcass that’s lodged in beach rocks, a report said.
The dead animal on Kauai’s Aliomanu Beach is decaying near the shoreline.
Kauai County officials did not supply a timeline Wednesday, but said they are working on removal strategies with homeowners and animal specialists.
The horse appears to have been dead for several days, making removal “extremely challenging” due to deterioration, said Deputy County Engineer Lyle Tabata.
“Its location along the rocky shoreline prevents heavy equipment from reaching it,” Tabata said.
Under Hawaii law, clearing up debris or unsanitary conditions on shores and beaches above the high-water mark is the county’s responsibility.