Kona Mauka Rotary Club plans food drive
The Kona Mauka Rotary Club will be participating in a drive-through canned food drive with The Food Basket from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday in Kealakekua.
The club will be accepting canned food and monetary donations at Randy’s Huli Chicken and Ribs on the makai side of Highway 11.
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Prescription Drug Take Back Day coming up
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday and the Hawaii Police Department is encouraging members of the public take advantage of the opportunity to safely dispose of unused, unneeded, or expired prescription medications.
Tablets, capsules, and all other solid dosage forms of medication will be accepted from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Kona Police Station in Kailua-Kona and Ka Waena Lapa‘au Medical Complex parking lot in Hilo. New or used needles and syringes will not be accepted. Illicit substances are not a part of this initiative.
Having unused and expired medicine in the home increases the risk of prescription drug abuse and accidental poisoning. Proper disposal also helps reduce the risk of prescription drugs entering a human water supply or potentially harming aquatic life.
Those unable to take advantage of Saturday’s event can drop off prescription medications year-round at any of the department’s police stations.
For more information about the drug take-back program, visit www.dea.gov.
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Kiwanis awards scholarships to high school seniors
Kiwanis Club of Kailua-Kona announces that Reygenald Ines from Kealakehe High School and Leina’ala Medeiros from Hawaii Technology Academy are the recipients of its local $1,000 scholarships.
Ines plans to attend the Johns Hopkins University and major in science/medicine. Medeiros plans to attend the University of Hawaii at Manoa and major in natural resources and environmental management.
Ines is the son of Celeste and Rogelio Ines. Medeiros is the daughter of Kistra Okuna and Jim Medeiros.
Grants help improve energy efficiency at Salvation Army locations
The Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Wednesday announced it recently received 10 “Energy Relief Grants” totaling nearly $150,000 from Hawaii Energy. The grants are helping to improve energy efficiency at eight Salvation Army locations in the islands.
“We are incredibly grateful to Hawaii Energy for their support Corps and programs with these grants,” said Major Jeff Martin, Divisional Leader of The Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands. “With Hawaii’s high energy costs and, especially during these challenging economic times, these grants allow us to direct more of our operational funds to meet the needs of our communities across Hawaii.”
According to Brian Kealoha, executive director of Hawaii Energy, the assistance is estimated reduce energy costs for the nonprofit by $23,000 annually.
On the Big Island, the Kona Corps received nearly $17,000 for two commercial refrigerators and one commercial freezer.
Grants awarded on Oahu include $23,821 for new air conditioning units and LED lighting interior and exterior at Addiction Treatment Services; $25,000 for installation of walk-in cooler controls and smart thermostats at Camp Homelani; nearly $20,000 for a refrigerator and two freezers at Family Treatment Services; more than $16,400 to replace dozens of fans and upgrade exterior lighting at the Kaneohe Corps and nearly $17,400 for interior and exterior LED lighting at Kauluwela Corps. On Maui, the Kihei Thrift Store received $20,975 for interior and exterior LED lighting; the Lahaina Thrift Store over $3,000 for exterior lighting and an air conditioning unit; and $3,600 for interior and exterior lighting at the Lahaina Lighthouse Corps.
