5A
WEST HAWAII TODAY | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2015
FROM PAGE ONE
violence, dating violence
and other forms of sex
discrimination. The new
policy also is included on
the site.
Having a uniform
policy across the system
will cut down on con-
fusion and ensure that
complaints are dealt with
in a timely and efficient
manner, Rose said.
“Because we had so
many students and so
many victims of sexual
violence say, ‘I don’t want
to have to go to five dif-
ferent places to figure out
what to do if I’ve been
raped,’ we decided to roll
it all into one,” she said.
“One of my highest
priorities has been to
ensure that all of our
campuses
maintain
and promote safe and
respectful
environ-
ments for all students,
faculty, staff and visi-
tors,” wrote Lassner in
a letter to members of
the UH community. “To
that end, as we celebrate
the start of the fall 2015
semester, I am pleased
to announce the estab-
lishment of the Office of
Institutional Equity at
the UH System.
“This office will build
upon our foundation and
commitment to provide a
safe, nonviolent and non-
discriminatory commu-
nity for students, faculty,
staff and visitors across
the 10 UH campuses and
our community-based
learning centers. It will
be primarily responsible
for overseeing the feder-
al legislation concerning
Title IX and the Violence
Against Women Act, as
well as collaborative-
ly establishing system-
wide best practices for
responding to sexual
violence, sex and gen-
der-based discrimina-
tion, domestic and dat-
ing violence, stalking and
retaliation.”
The most recent
data available via the
UH-Hilo website shows
that four forcible sex
offenses were report-
ed on campus in 2011,
two of which occurred
in on-campus student
housing facilities. One
on-campus forcible sex
offense was reported in
2012, and one forcible
sex offense was reported
in 2013 in on-campus
housing.
Students, faculty and
staff on the Hilo campus
can get more informa-
tion at
/
titleix, or by contacting
the campus Title IX
coordinators: Jennifer
Stotter, 808-932-7641,
or
Kalei Rapoza 808-932-
7626, kaleihii@hawaii.
edu.
Email Colin M. Stewart at
cstewart@hawaiitribune-
herald.com.-
UH: Uniform policy
will cut down on
confusion, ensure
complaints are dealt
with in timely manner
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
IN BRIEF |
BIG ISLAND & STATE
Lane closures
scheduled
The following alternat-
ing single lane closures
will be in effect Tuesday
through Friday for roadway
improvements, from 8:30
a.m. to 3 p.m., unless oth-
erwise noted.
• Hawaii Belt Road in
both directions between
Jardine Road and Old
Mamalahoa Highway in
the vicinity of Kaawalii
Gulch
• Hawaii Belt Road in
both directions between
Jardine
Road
and
Puualaea
Homestead
Road in the vicinity of
Laupahoehoe Gulch
• Hawaii Belt Road in
both directions between
Kulaimano Road and
Kauniho Road in the
vicinity of Pepeekeo to
Hakalau
• Umauma Bridge in the
vicinity of Hakalau at mile
marker 16 in both direc-
tions over a 24-hour peri-
od, seven days a week
for bridge rehabilitation.
Travel speed on Umauma
Bridge is reduced to 20
mph, and vehicles that
exceed statutory size-
weight limits will be
reviewed on a case-by-
case basis upon applica-
tion of their respective
oversize-overweight vehi-
cle permits. Maximum
width for any vehicle with
permit passing over the
bridge is 12 feet.
Tropical Storm
Jimena producing
high surf
HONOLULU — Weather
forecasters
say
they
expect high surf from
Tropical Storm Jimena to
continue to affect Hawaiian
shores and a coastal flood
warning remains in effect
through Monday.
According
to
the
Central Pacific Hurricane
Center, large and power-
ful long-period swells will
produce hazardous and
potentially life-threatening
surf in the main Hawaiian
islands over the next cou-
ple of days, primarily along
the east and northeast fac-
ing shores.
Tropical Storm Jimena
is 555 miles northeast
of Hilo and is weakening
as it moves northwest at
10mph.
John Bravender, a mete-
orologist with the cen-
ter, said residents will be
spared from the typical
impacts from the storm
though.
“With this forecast,
we’re not expecting direct
impacts fromwind or wide-
spread heavy rain associ-
ated with storms,” he said.
However, residents can
expect to see some stormy
weather later in the week.
“We
are
expecting
another increase in trop-
ical moisture behind (the
storm) during the second
half of the week that could
lead to localized heavy rain
and potential for flooding,”
Bravender said. “But it will
be removed from Jimena
itself.”
Forecasters said this
hurricane season has been
exceptionally active.
“El Nino years tend to
be more active than nor-
mal for us and so far we’ve
already exceeded our sea-
son outlook,” Bravender
said. “An average hurricane
season is four to five trop-
ical cyclones. This year we
were expecting an active
season and our active sea-
son called for five to eight.
Jimena is No. 9, and we still
have a fair amount of time
left in hurricane season.”
The hurricane season in
the central Pacific is June 1
through Nov. 30.
Fire damages
Waimea warehouse
A fire Saturday in a for-
mer boat manufacturing
facility in Waimea is under
investigation, the Hawaii
County Fire Department
said in a statement.
Responding to a 12:19
p.m. Saturday alarm, fire
personnel arrived at the
former warehouse locat-
ed at the corner of Kahilu
Road and Pualahilahialanui
to find the approximately
16,000-square-foot facili-
ty 75 percent involved in
flames. The flames were
venting through windows
and the roof and several
vehicles were also on fire,
according to the depart-
ment.
The department noted
that the facility was known
to be in poor repair since
boat manufacturing ended
more than 10 years ago.
The facility was cluttered
and filled with boat-build-
ing fiberglass supplies,
boat molds and cardboard
boxes. Extinguishing the
fire was hampered by large
amounts of debris and
collapsed metal roofing,
according to the depart-
ment.
Firefighters were able
to save a small house-
type living area that was
semi-attached to the facil-
ity. No one was at the facil-
ity when the fire started,
according to the depart-
ment.
Damage was estimated
at $200,000. No one was
injured.
Section of spear
taken from Hilo
Kamehameha statue
Hawaii Island police
are seeking the public’s
assistance in locating
the top section of the
Hilo Kamehameha stat-
ue spear, taken from the
Wailoa State Park area.
The spear is described
as being made of bronze,
brown in color with some
oxidation, with a gold color
tip, and is approximately
6-feet in length and 1.25
inches in diameter. The
spear was last seen on
Saturday (Sept. 5) and
reported missing on today
(Sept. 6) at 2:48 p.m.
Police ask anyone with
information about this
incident, the identity of
the suspects or the where-
abouts of the stolen item
to call the department’s
nonemergency line at 935-
3311 or Officer Matthew
Lewis at 961-2213.
Those who prefer to
remain anonymous may
call the island-wide Crime
Stoppers number at 961-
8300 and may be eligi-
ble for a reward of up to
$1,000. All Crime Stoppers
information is kept confi-
dential.
By West Hawaii Today staff and
wire sources
Tropical Storm Jimena’s track is taking it away
from the Hawaiian Islands.
NOAA
