Monday, May 18, 2015

Osprey safety concerns Japan as military games begin in Hawaii, Honolulu Osprey crash kills one, injures 21, bill closes more government records, teacher's union tosses votes, Kauai, Maui wrapping up county budgets, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

DoD photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Elizabeth Merriam, U.S. Navy.
U.S. Marine Corp amphibious assault vehicle splashes into the sea, Department of Defense photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Elizabeth Merriam, U.S. Navy
Amphibious military capabilities are on the agenda as the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy host defense leaders from around the Pacific in Hawaii this week. The first-of-its-kind meeting comes as territorial disputes over islands are growing more heated in the region. U.S. treaty allies Japan and the Philippines are expected to attend along with U.S. partners like Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. Altogether, 23 nations will join the meeting. Associated Press.

A fatal crash of a U.S. Marine Corps Osprey in Hawaii has renewed safety concerns in Japan, where more of the hybrid aircraft are to be deployed. Gov. Takeshi Onaga on the southern island of Okinawa said Monday that flights of Ospreys should be suspended until the cause of the crash is found. Associated Press.

One Marine died after an MV-22 Osprey aircraft crashed in a "hard-landing mishap" at Bellows Air Force Station in Wai­ma­nalo during a routine training exercise late Sunday morning. Twenty-one others were sent to three Oahu hospitals with varying degrees of injury following the 11:40 a.m. incident. Star-Advertiser.

A Marine Corps Osprey aircraft made a hard landing on Bellows Air Force Station near Waimanalo, Oahu on Sunday, killing one Marine and sending 21 other people to hospitals as dark smoke from the resulting fire billowed into the sky. Associated Press.

Honolulu firefighters and emergency crews are responding to a downed military aircraft at Bellows Air Force Station in Windward Oahu that killed one person and injured several others. Hawaii News Now.

Lawmakers have approved a new exemption to the state open-records law that allows government records to be withheld from the public if releasing that information "would create a substantial and demonstrable risk of physical harm" to a person. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii State Teachers Association's board of directors has rejected the results of ballots cast for a new union president and other state officers, and says it will redo the elections. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii State Teacher's Association held an election and then a runoff vote for union leadership positions, but the board decided not to certify either set of results. Some members are questioning the union's credibility. Civil Beat.

Oahu
The state said it’s close to identifying the source of what appears to be a chemical spill that led to a large fish kill in Pearl City discovered Friday. KHON2.

Robert ‘Bobby’ Bunda Stepping Down from HART Board. The former lawmaker has been overseeing the Honolulu rail project since 2011. He says he's leaving to spend time with family. Civil Beat.

Hawaii

Opposing sides have agreed to come together to discuss the controversial Thirty Meter Telescope project during a series of informational meetings beginning Tuesday. Tribune-Herald.

The Commission on Water Resource Management will be in Kailua-Kona next week to take up the petition to designate the Keauhou aquifer a state water management area. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Maui County residents will see lower property tax rates, but may be still paying more in taxes with rising property valuations. Maui News.

A tentative settlement has been reached in the Haleakala Trail lawsuit that will hand the state ownership of the old path to the summit, which runs through the middle of Haleakala Ranch lands. Maui News.

The 2nd Annual Startup Weekend Maui kicked off on Friday, May 15, with nearly 30 entrepreneurs pitching business startup ideas in front of an enthusiastic audience of 80-plus like-minded individuals at the Maui Economic Development Board’s Malcolm Center in Kīhei. Maui Now.

Two Maui startups got the chance to pitch their ideas to Silicon Valley investors during the third annual MaiTai Maui Tech Night at Maui Tropical Plantation on Wednesday. Maui News.

Kauai
The Kauai County Council wrapped up its decision-making process on Friday with a unanimous vote to cut $314,000 from the mayor’s proposed budget for the upcoming 2016 fiscal year. Garden Island.

James Pfleuger, the Kilauea property owner who was convicted for his role in the Ka Loko Dam break that killed seven people is now a free man. Garden Island.

Celebrity real estate deals on Kauai's North Shore abound: Slideshow. Pacific Business News.

Molokai

A bill to give the ailing Molokai ferry a subsidy to stay afloat for a little more than a month passed out of a Maui County Council committee Friday afternoon. Maui News.

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