Kauai might have a submerged volcano to its south, a would-be sister island that never emerged above the ocean. That theory should be proved or disproved in the year ahead as scientists test 363 volcanic rocks collected from the sea floor around Kauai, Niihau and Kaula islands and Middle Bank. If the lava rocks from a topographic bulge south of Kauai are as old as Kauai -- 5 million years old -- scientists might have to reconsider geological history.

"This Ain't Brain Surgery: A Conversation about Baseball and Life" with baseball great Larry Dierker will be at 6 p.m. Oct. 28 at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, 4364 Hardy St. on Kaua'i.

A reception will follow with Dierker, a National League Manager of the Year in 1998 and an all-star pitcher now sports commentator. He wrote "This Ain't Brain Surgery: How to Win the Pennant Without Losing Your Mind" and "My Team: Choosing My Dream Team from My Forty Years In Baseball."

The Kaua'i Department of Public Works Highway Maintenance Division has received an award from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Waimea flood control project being the Most Improved Maintenance (project) in the Honolulu district for Fiscal Year 2007.

The Waimea project was selected for this distinction from a total of 26 flood control projects under the jurisdiction of the Army Corps in an area that includes the state of Hawai'i, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas.

Some visitors describe the island of Kauai, Hawaii, as a place where time doesn't fly as fast and where you can enjoy the island's natural beauties and amenities without feeling rushed. And while this can be true, changes are on the rise. Two Kauai community landmarks are experiencing this change right now; one is being renovated and the other is being turned into a totally new concept.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Honolulu District has awarded an $18.7 million contract to Kiewit Pacific Co. for the Kikiaola Light Draft Harbor project on Kauai. It is a joint project of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. The project aims to eliminate breaking waves and increase harbor safety for boaters at Kikiaola on the southwest coast of Kauai by dredging deeper access channels and reconstructing existing breakwaters.

A newly installed "Enhanced 911" system will allow Kaua'i Police Department dispatchers to immediately pinpoint and digitally map the location of 911 calls made on most cellphones around the island. Before this technology was not available and it took much longer to attend to wireless callers and pinpoint their location.

Darryl Perry will take the oath to become Kaua'i's seventh chief of police and will serve as the leader of 125 sworn officers as well as a civilian staff.

Selected from a field of 66 candidates, Perry was given a conditional job offer last month by the Police Commission. He recently fulfilled the final requirements for the position, which included routine psychological and physical exams and a drug test.

For many around the globe, Hawaii sits as a beacon of golf vacation possibilities. Rich, tropical beaches combine with a visitor-friendly culture and more activities on and off the golf course than you could ever consider cramming into one trip.

But while Hawaii's golf scene is vast, for golf travelers looking to get the most golf out of their Hawaiian vacation, the island of choice is often Kauai.

In a clearing within Kauai Aadheenam's lush gardens, the ping, ping, pinging of metal chipping at stone can be heard over the sounds of bird calls. A half-dozen artisans from South India put the finishing flourishes on the Hindu monastery's legacy for the ages.