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Red Flag Warning canceled for Hawaii

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow)- The National Weather Service in Honolulu has canceled a Red Flag Fire Warning for Leeward areas off all Hawaiian Islands.

Winds were expected between 15 to 25 miles per hours, with gusts of up to 40 miles per hour. Relative humidity may be as low as 45 percent.

A Red Flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures will create rapid fire growth potential. A red flag warning does not predict new fire starts.

Copyright 2012 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

Man sentenced to 20 years in Makaha bus stop death

WAIANAE, Hawaii (AP) - A driver who was suspected of being drunk when he plowed his vehicle into a West Oahu bus stop shelter and killed a 3-year-old boy has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Potasi Uta Jr. was sentenced Wednesday in state court after pleading guilty to negligent homicide and fleeing the scene of an accident. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser says the 44-year-old man will begin serving his sentence after he completes time remaining on a 10-year sentence for a 2004 burglary conviction.

Ashton Brown died at the bus stop alongside Makaha Beach in March. 4 of his family members were also injured. His father was across the street setting up camp for the reportedly homeless family.

Prosecutors say Uta was drunk at the time of the crash.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

UPDATE: Crash survivor mourns wife's death near Honokai Hale

HONOKAI HALE, OAHU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Family members came together to mourn the loss of a beloved mother and wife who was killed while waiting to cross the street.

Oscar Barcena said he rode the bus to pick his wife up from work at Foodland in Kapolei on Saturday, just as he did every night.

"We would be celebrating our 34th anniversary next month," Oscar explained. "She was a loving wife. She's good to me."

According to police, the two were hit after an SUV ran a red light and swerved to avoid a stopped vehicle. The Barcenas were waiting to cross Farrington Highway at Laaloa Street, at approximately 9:54 p.m., right across the street from their home in Honokai Hale.

Elena Barcena, 56, was taken to Pali Momi Hospital in critical condition, where she later died.

Oscar sustained a head injury and scrapes on his body. He was released from Queen's Medical Center today.

Shark sighting closes Depots Beach in Nanakuli

© Honolulu Ocean Safety

NANAKULI (HawaiiNewsNow)- Lifeguards posted signs warning the public to stay out of the water at Depots Beach in Nanakuli on Saturday afternoon after an aggressive ten foot shark was spotted feeding on fish near the shore.

The signs were posted at approximately 12:15 p.m.

Department of Ocean Safety officials say that the signs will remain posted until the end of the day.

Copyright 2012 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

Record number of seabirds hatch after predator-proof fence installed

Photo source: DLNR

KAENA POINT, OAHU (HawaiiNewsNow)- The Department of Land and Natural Resources Friday announced a record number of ua'u kani, or wedge-tailed shearwater seabirds, hatching at the Ka'ena Point Natural Area Reserve. Success is due to a predator proof fence, funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and installed by the state in early 2011 that keeps out non-native predators like cats, dogs, mongoose, rats and even mice.

"The success of the fence is astonishing. We are beginning to see how abundant our native ecosystems can be when restored to their natural state without predators," said Marigold Zoll, manager of the DLNR O'ahu Natural Area Reserves.

"Since the fence installation, the hatching ua'u kani population has more than doubled from a previous high of 1,556 birds in 2007, to 3,274 in 2012," said Dr. Lindsay Young, biologist with Pacific Rim Conservation, who is studying seabird populations at Ka'ena.

EXCLUSIVE: UH to sell portion of West Oahu campus to Catholic Church

KAPOLEI, OAHU (HawaiiNewsNow)- The newly opened UH West Oahu campus is facing future financial shortfalls, and Hawaii News Now has learned that university officials are selling a large portion of land at the campus to the Catholic Church to help make ends meet.

Real estate experts say the deal, which includes part of the 500 acres that UH owns on the makai side of the H-1 Freeway, will be beneficial to both parties.

"I think it's a smart move, to subdivide or take some of the land out and sell it because it recoups some capital they spent for infrastructure and allows for grading and other development of other sites," said Mike Hamasu, Research Director at Colliers International.

The university has already sold a six-acre parcel of the West Oahu campus to Tokai University in a six million dollar exchange.

Man beaten with tree branches in serious condition

WAIANAE (HawaiiNewsNow)- A 47-year-old man was taken to the hospital in serious condition after he was reportedly beaten by several people with tree branches early Tuesday morning.

Emergency Medical Services say it happened around 12:30 a.m. on Plantation Road in Waianae.

No other details are currently available.

Copyright 2012 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.