Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to reopen, lava stirs in Fissure 8, FBI targets Honolulu city prosecutor, flooding not covered in hurricane insurance, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

A team including National Park Service Geomorphologist Eric Bilderback log earthquake damage and assess stability along Crater Rim Trail. NPS Photo/Jon Christensen
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park ‘can’t wait to welcome the world back’. The plan to reopen Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Sept. 22 remains on schedule, with the park announcing several details of its scheduled reopening. Tribune-Herald.

Just when Kilauea's eruption seemed to be quieting down, new lava has covered the floor of the crater within the fissure 8 cone. Hawaii News Now.

Lava remains weakly active in the Fissure 8 cone in Leilani Estates, and continues to fill the deep crater, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported on Monday morning. Big Island Video News.

=====

Hawaii voters will have the opportunity in November to decide whether to revise the state Constitution for the first time in 40 years, but ongoing fears about what those changes might bring and the potential influence of money and special interests on the process continue to worry some. Star-Advertiser.

Brian Schatz Has Become A Big Shot In Campaign Fundraising. Hawaii’s senior senator isn’t on the ballot again until 2022, but he’s raised more than $2 million for fellow Senate Democrats in recent years. Civil Beat.

In Governor’s Race, Ige Has Huge Cash Advantage Over Tupola. The incumbent emerged from a bruising primary battle with more than $206,000 on hand. The Republican challenger has $11,700. Civil Beat.

Why The Hawaii Elections Office Doesn’t Do More To Encourage Voting. Federal voter-education dollars can’t be used to promote voting, and state elections officials say it’s not their job anyway. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Turns To Military In Search For More Teachers. The state received a $600,000 grant to help recruit current and former service members for new careers in island classrooms. Civil Beat.

Commentary: Be honest about schools tax before it goes on ballot. The four counties make a fair point in their lawsuit trying to stop a poorly written constitutional amendment that would allow the state to raid real property taxes purportedly to finance public education. Star-Advertiser.

United Airlines, the No. 1 airline flying to Hawaii, plans to invest $200 million in upgrades to Hawaii airports through 2027. Star-Advertiser.

F-22 alternative would save taxpayers money. When Hawaii Air National Guard F-22 Raptors fly out of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam at $62,000 per hour on training missions, that effort is hampered by a multitude of inefficiencies, a recent government report said. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

City prosecutor appears to now be focus of federal corruption probe. In a sign that the federal grand jury at the center of a years-long corruption probe is once again focusing on Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro, multiple current and former employees of his office were called to testify last week. Hawaii News Now.

The Hawaii Supreme Court on Friday dismissed an election complaint against state Rep. Romy Cachola that alleged election fraud and vote tampering in the District 30 primary. Civil Beat.

Rape Reports Spike On The UH Manoa Campus. University of Hawaii officials said the increase in reports wasn’t surprising because of new federal policies and heightened awareness. Civil Beat.

Opponents of The Kahala Hotel &Resort’s use of the beach for commercial purposes are ramping up efforts to protect the public shoreline. Star-Advertiser.

Kakaako road owner violating new law, state agency says. A 4-month-old Hawaii law aimed at resolving a vexing issue over the use of private streets in Kakaako is being put into action. Star-Advertiser.

The construction boom in Kakaako now appears to have shifted to Ala Moana. The already busy area near the shopping center could be seeing as many as eight new high rises in the coming years. KHON2.

Petitioners want Haseko’s lagoon opened to ocean. It was planned as a boat marina. Then it became a recreational lagoon with no swimming allowed. Star-Advertiser.

City to remove sand plug at Maili Stream at Ulehawa Beach Park. The city will be removing the sand plug at the mouth of Maili stream at Ulehawa Beach Park on Tuesday. KHON2.

Instead of spending the Labor Day holiday picnicking at the beach, thousands of hotel employees picketed the streets of Waikiki on Monday demanding better wages. Hawaii News Now.

Researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa have received a grant to study a new species of limu found only in the Hawaiian archipelago’s deep and dimly lit waters. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

More than 9 million gallons of waste and storm water was released from three sewer pumps as rainfall from Hurricane Lane caused them to overflow. Tribune-Herald.

Insurance won’t cover Hurricane Lane flooding, homeowners told. Flood coverage generally must be purchased from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program, and it can be pricey. Star-Advertiser.

Homeowners told hurricane insurance won’t cover flooding from Lane. Tribune-Herald.

Vacation rental bill: 16 tweaks recommended as bill heads to Planning Commission. Planning Director Michael Yee is asking the commissions to send a favorable recommendation on the bill with 16 suggestions for changes, some administrative in nature and some more substantive. West Hawaii Today.

Army training effects up for comment. A programmatic agreement that officials say will streamline and improve management of historic resources at two Army installations on the Big Island is up for public comment. West Hawaii Today.

Water bottling plant proposed. The proposed facility, located at the intersection of Piilani and Mililani Streets, will extract groundwater via 1,050-foot-deep wells and package such water for local distribution, according to a project assessment filed with the Hawaii County Planning Department. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Options mulled to reduce sediment flowing to reefs. Working to stem ocean runoff: West Maui residents favor natural alternatives over some man-made solutions. Maui News.

A candidate night hosted by the Haiku Community Association and Paia Town Association has been rescheduled to Wednesday, the association announced. Maui News.

County luxury hotels outperform rest in state. HTA reports average daily rate of $674.89 for luxury rooms in July. Maui News.

Volunteers are being sought for the 14th Annual Lahaina Town Clean Up to be held Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018. Maui Now.

Kauai

The County of Kauai, Office of the County Clerk, recently received a 2018 achievement award from the National Association of Counties “Engage, Educate and Enlighten the Community in the Legislative Process” Program. Garden Island.

Kauai United Way has secured $25,000 in federal funds for emergency food and shelter for our island, said Scott Giarman, executive director for the Kauai United Way. Garden Island.

Surfrider celebrates 34 years of service. In 2017 alone, volunteers with Surfrider Kauai retrieved enough litter from Kauai’s beaches to match the weight of two adult humpback whales. Garden Island.

No comments:

Post a Comment