U.S. and Hawai'i state flags at state, county and federal buildings throughout Hawai'i will fly at half-staff today in honor of Sgt. Alexander Gagalac of Wahiawa, who was killed in Hawijah, Iraq, earlier this month.

Gagalac will be buried today at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl.

Gagalac, 28, was a graduate of Leilehua High School and attended Leeward Community College. He was assigned to D Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks.

TAX COLLECTIONS RUNNING HIGHER

The state collected $381.9 million in revenues in August, down from July but pushing the two-month total for the fiscal year to 11.1 percent higher than the first two months of the previous fiscal year.

General excise and use taxes — $220.5 million in August — are up 14.8 percent over last year. Hotel room tax collections — $24.5 million in August — are up 5.4 percent from last year. Individual income tax collections — $116 million in August — are up 4.7 percent from last year. And corporate income tax collections — $4.7 million in August — are up by 72.6 percent.

The state Legislature is closely watching the revenue picture because of concerns of an economic slowdown.

ACCURACY IN AID PROGRAM PAYS OFF

U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Nancy Montanez Johner yesterday presented a check for $567,407 to Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona Jr. for the state achieving high payment accuracy in the food stamp program in fiscal year 2006.

The ceremony took place in the governor's ceremony room.

The food stamp program is the cornerstone of the federal food assistance programs and provides crucial support to needy households and to those making the transition from welfare to work.

$1,100 STOLEN DURING BARBECUE

A 20-year-old man was arrested Tuesday after a 23-year-old woman told police the man confessed to stealing $1,100 from her Wai'anae home during a cookout Monday night.

The woman told police she had a number of friends come to her home for a barbecue party between 8:30 and 10 p.m. Monday.

She said the man was the only one to enter her home during the party.

The woman told police that she discovered the money was missing after the party and confronted the man the next day.

She told police the man admitted taking the money, gave $100 back and said he could not remember what happened to the rest. Police arrested the man Tuesday on suspicion of second-degree theft.

DUI ROADBLOCKS SNARING DRIVERS

The Hawai'i County Police Department is continuing to crack down on drunken driving with DUI roadblocks and patrols, which netted 20 DUI arrests from Sept. 18 to Sept. 24, police said.

Two of the drivers were involved in vehicular crashes and two were under the age of 21. This year there have been 966 DUI arrests compared with 918 during the same period last year, a 5 percent increase.

Police on the Big Island said there have been 1,536 major accidents this year compared with 1,849 during the same period last year, a decrease of 17 percent.

So far this year, there have been 29 traffic fatalities on the Big Island compared with 27 during the same period last year.