Pearl Harbor's 75th commemorated today, new U.S.-Japan relationship forming, Capitol Hill forum blasts Hawaii leadership for abusive fisherman labor conditions, Board of Education seeks transparent selection of new superintendent, book closes on Kenoi ethics, Maui sugar industry plans last haul, 200k gallon sewage spill at Ko Olina, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

USS John C. Stennis arrives at Pearl Harbor, courtesy U.S. Navy

Pearl Harbor ceremony: What you need to know. Star-Advertiser.

An American president in Hiroshima. A Japanese prime minister at Pearl Harbor. One longtime taboo has already fallen this year, and the other soon will. Associated Press.

More than 4,000 people, including hundreds of Pearl Harbor survivors, World War II veterans and their families, will gather Wednesday to mark the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor in a solemn ceremony aimed at honoring the legacy of those who served and remembering those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Hawaii News Now.

On Wednesday, Dec. 7, the U.S. Navy and National Park Service will co-host a joint memorial ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. KHON2.

The last of the survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack are passing from life, but their voices and stories aren’t disappearing. Civil Beat.

In observance of the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Tribune-Herald is republishing this article from 2001 that documented how the newspaper covered — or failed to cover, due to government censorship — the attack and its aftermath on the Big Island. Tribune-Herald.

For Pearl Harbor survivors, the attack of December 7th 1941 was a shared experience, but each story is an individual one. Hawaii Public Radio.

The Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort hosted more than 1,200 at a gala event on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the event that plunged the United States into World War II. Pacific Business News.

Survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor and other World War II veterans were wined and dined and honored at a special gala tribute on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the historic battle. Star-Advertiser.


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Former Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle will be returning to the islands. The Hawaii GOP tweeted Lingle will be the guest speaker at a pre-inaugural presidential gala, celebrating the election of Donald Trump. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii’s government leaders came in for withering criticism Tuesday at a Capitol Hill forum on abusive labor conditions for foreign fishermen employed as contract workers. Civil Beat.

Congress should act immediately to improve slavelike conditions for hundreds of foreign fishermen working in Hawaii’s commercial fleet, speakers at a congressional forum said Tuesday. Associated Press.

Uncertainty continues to loom over what a Donald Trump presidency will mean for the recently expanded Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and federal fishing policies in general. Civil Beat.

The state Board of Education on Tuesday approved an updated strategic plan that sets out expectations for public schools to do a better job of empowering students to set and achieve goals, prioritizing professional development and fostering innovation. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Board of Education considered a plan Tuesday for how it might proceed to replace state Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi. Civil Beat.

Oahu

More than 200,000 gallons of sewage spilled in Ko Olina. KHON2.

Golfers and a golf course are getting back into the swing of things. The Ala Wai golf course driving range is back open. KITV.

Sales of single-family homes and condominiums on Oahu soared by double digits in November, as the median price of a condo jumped by nearly 14 percent, according to statistics released Tuesday by the Honolulu Board of Realtors. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii

Mayor Harry Kim’s dream of making Mauna Kea a park didn’t come as a surprise to one telescope director, who said he shares Kim’s underlying philosophy. Tribune-Herald.

Newly sworn-in Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim put the focus on Mauna Kea during his inauguration speech, mentioning a "Hawaii Park" for the island's cosmopolitan people. Big Island Video News.

One day after the term-limited Mayor Billy Kenoi left office, the county Board of Ethics on Tuesday closed the book on his admitted misuse of his county-issued purchasing card by unanimously approving an advisory opinion acknowledging his admission and his promise that it won’t happen again. West Hawaii Today.

A candidate who hoped to be appointed to replace the late state Rep. Clift Tsuji says the vetting process for applicants for the job was unfair and is asking that Hawaii Democratic Party Chairman Tim Vandeveer investigate the process. Star-Advertiser.

Maui
Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. will wind down its operations over the next two weeks — with its last cane burn scheduled for Saturday and last cane haul to the Puunene Mill on Monday — as the plantation prepares to close its doors at the end of the year. Maui News.

Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar company is just two weeks away from the end of its final harvest. The company plans to commemorate the closure on Monday, Dec. 12, 2016 with a tournahauler bringing in the last load of sugarcane to the Puʻunēnē Mill. Maui Now.

Proposed rate increases for the Pukalani wastewater system are expected to become public and be sent to the Hawaii Public Utility Commission this week, according to the company that manages the system. Maui News.

Kauai

On the morning of Sunday Dec. 7, 1941, Ikito “Ike” Muraoka and his brother, Mitsugi, were hunting pheasants in Koloa, on Kauai’s south shore. Suddenly, they saw several strange looking warplanes flying overhead. Garden Island.