Barking Sands eyed for $1.98B ballistic missile system, resolution urges media restrictions on reporting suspects, whistleblower says FAA gave Southwest preferential treatment, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Pacific Missile Range Facility ©2020 All Hawaii News

Kauai military site named as possible site for $1.9B ballistic missile radar. The Missile Defense Agency is now also eyeing Kauai as a potential site for its planned $1.9 billion high powered ballistic missile radar. Hawaii News Now.

PMRF eyed for missile defense system. The U.S. Navy Pacific Missile Range Facility is being considered as a new location of a ballistic missile defense radar that would take up between 50 and 80 acres at Barking Sands. Garden Island.

Kauai, not just Oahu, now being considered for $1.9B defense radar. The Missile Defense Agency confirmed it is looking at the possibility of siting a $1.9 billion Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii at the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai instead of at one of several spots on Oahu that had been considered since 2018. Star-Advertiser.

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Hawaii lawmakers urge news outlets to use ‘no-notoriety’ approach. State Sen. Maile Shimabukuro of Oahu has introduced a pair of resolutions “encouraging the media, law enforcement, and information officers to adopt a no-notoriety approach to reporting on mass shooters and the perpetrators of other mass crimes.” Tribune-Herald.

Plenty Of Warning Signs But Few Treatment Options In Police Killer Case. Neighbors were well aware of Jerry Hanel’s bizarre behavior, but it’s hard to force unwilling people to get mental health treatment. Civil Beat.

Woman staying with Cain, Hanel Sunday says tragedy at Diamond Head was preventable. Sunday’s tragedy at Diamond Head that saw the deaths of two Honolulu Police Officers was the result of city and state agencies neglecting a warning about Jerry Hanel’s violence according to an acquaintance. KHON2.

Hawaii Eyes Closing Gun Loopholes, Bolstering Mental Health. Hawaii already has some of the nation's strictest gun laws, but the fatal shooting of two Honolulu police officers by a man his lawyer and neighbors believe had psychiatric problems has added new urgency to efforts to close gun control loopholes and bolster mental health care treatment. Associated Press.

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Democratic Party of Hawaii announces list of candidates appearing on ballot. Democratic Party of Hawai'i Interim Chair Kate Stanley announced the list of candidates who will appear on the ballot of Hawai‘i’s Party-run Presidential Primary. KITV4.

A dozen Democrats sign up for mail-in Hawaii party voting. A dozen candidates who are seeking the Democratic nomination for president have signed up and paid the filing fee to compete locally for delegates in what will be the Hawaii party’s first-ever mail-in balloting this spring to decide who will win the support of state Democratic Party members. Star-Advertiser.

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FAA gave Southwest Airlines special treatment for Hawaii flights, whistleblower alleges. Southwest Airlines received special treatment from the Federal Aviation Administration in expediting the approval process to begin Hawaii service last year, according to a whistleblower complaint. Star-Advertiser.

Whistleblower: FAA Improperly Rushed Southwest Approvals To Fly To Hawaii. FAA managers engaged in “abuse of authority” last year to help Southwest expedite service to the islands, according to a new Wall Street Journal report. Civil Beat.

Southwest responds after reports it got preferential treatment from the FAA to fly to Hawaii. Southwest Airlines says it followed all the rules to receive approval to fly to Hawaii. KHON2.

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Tour Helicopter Crashes — And Flights — Have Escalated In Recent Years. In Hawaii, 2019 was the deadliest year for tour helicopters in nearly two decades, with 10 people dying in two crashes, a Civil Beat review of federal records shows. Civil Beat.

Report: Fundamentals of Hawaii’s economy would need to change to ease cost of living. In a recent write-up, the Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawaii notes that residents are unlikely to get much relief from the price of paradise ― barring changes to the fundamental factors that drive high costs in the islands and modest incomes. Hawaii News Now.

Little relief from Hawaii’s high cost of living. Executive summary. University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization.

Volunteers gather for point-in-time count to get better sense of Hawaii’s homeless population. The point-in-time is a count of sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons on a single night in January that helps to determine the funding and resources that are committed to combating homelessness in our community. Hawaii News Now.

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Hawaii officials urge doctors to be on alert as deadly coronavirus spreads from China. A deadly new virus from China has spread to the U.S., prompting federal officials to expand screenings for the illness at major airports across the country. Hawaii News Now.

No Coronavirus Cases Reported In Hawaii But Officials Advise Flu Shots. Hawaii health officials are advising residents to get flu shots to help in the detection of cases of coronavirus that has affected over 400 people in China and killed nine. Hawaii Public Radio.

DOH urges vigilance, not panic as deadly coronavirus spreads. State health officials are urging Hawaii residents to be vigilant but not to panic after a deadly new virus from China reached the U.S. West Coast in recent days. West Hawaii Today.

Health Department issues China virus medical advisory. The state Health Department sent out a detailed medical advisory for health care providers Tuesday to be on the alert for patients who traveled from Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, and may have pneumonia contracted from the novel coronavirus. Maui News.

State health department believes there's a small chance Coronavirus will be Hawaii bound. It's sill advising the community to be prepared. KITV4.

Hawai‘i Health Officials Offer Guidance on Novel Coronavirus Outbreak in China. The Hawai‘i Department of Health is providing guidance to healthcare providers in the state for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus outbreak in China, which already includes more than 300 confirmed infections and several deaths in China. Maui Now.

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Hawaii Doctors Hopeful Over-The-Counter Drug Can Fight Rat Lungworm Disease. The Hilo Medical Center is recommending people take pinworm medicine as a precautionary measure if they accidentally eat slugs or snails. Civil Beat.


Oahu

Street where violent rampage happened reopens, but a sense of normal is likely years away. Three days after a man’s deadly rampage in the Diamond Head area, dozens of displaced residents were allowed to return to their homes Wednesday. Hawaii News Now.

Power restored, roads reopened in Diamond Head neighborhood. A neighborhood in the Diamond Head area continues to repair itself after a tragic event struck on January 19. KHON2.

'Shell shock’: As residents return to Diamond Head, coping with memories among challenges. Three days after triple-murder suspect Jerry Hanel torched his neighborhood in a hail of gunfire, resident Gisela King returned to the home where she was stabbed. Hawaii News Now.

Outpouring of support for grieving HPD. The names of Tiffany Enriquez and Kaulike Kalama were added Wednesday to the Honolulu Police Department’s “Roll of Honor” plaque at the main police headquarters, joining 48 other officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Star-Advertiser.

Residents on Hibiscus Drive allowed to return to homes. Raymond Teruya Sr. had the widest smile Wednesday as he returned to his family’s Diamond Head home after police pulled down most of the crime scene tape that has surrounded Hibiscus Drive since Sunday. Star-Advertiser.

Landlord was quirky, caring. Lois Kiehl Cain was a quirky former belly- dancing University of Hawaii librarian who had a soft spot for taking in strangers to her home on Hibiscus Drive where they lived rent free, including defecting Russian fishermen, a family escaping Asia’s economic downturn and the man suspected of killing her and two Honolulu police officers on Sunday. Star-Advertiser.

Concerns discussed at Kaneohe cemetery expansion hearing. Supporters and opponents of a controversial Kaneohe cemetery expansion plan sounded off in about equal numbers Wednesday to start a quasi-judicial state hearing over whether forested conservation land can be developed with 30,000 new burial sites for Hawaiian Memorial Park. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

HELCO seeks OK to rebuild transmission lines to PGV. A public hearing regarding Hawaii Electric Light Co.’s application to construct portions of overhead transmission lines that will reconnect Puna Geothermal Venture to the HELCO grid will be held next week in Pahoa. Tribune-Herald.

County set to put limit on one load of refuse a day. The county will soon limit the amount of waste residents can dispose at county transfer stations in a single day. Tribune-Herald.

Bus depot land buy paused. The County Council put the brakes Wednesday on a fast-tracked land buy for a bus depot, for at least two more weeks while more information is gathered. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Court: County cannot redefine ‘real property’. Code changed to allow wind turbines to be included in tax assessments. The Hawaii Supreme Court said Tuesday that Maui County did not have the power to include wind turbines as “real property” when it taxed major wind farms on Maui. Maui News.

Judge’s ruling shuts down vacation rental in Paia. Unpermitted Nalu Kai Lodge had $2.7M in fines, penalties. Maui News.

Kauai

Council amends TVR bill 2767. The Kauai County Council on Wednesday approved amendments to a bill that would increase property taxes for certain vacation-rental owners. Garden Island.

Recycling biz rising. James Higginbotham has been operating Kauai Community Recycling Service for 17 years, the last 10 at 962 Kipuni Way in the Arzadon Industrial Center next to Gather Federal Credit Union. Garden Island.

Space control squadron coming to Kauai, Airbnb to provide records to state, DHHL beneficiaries sound off at Senate hearing, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Antenna field in Barking Sands PC:National Institute of Standards and Technology

Space Control Squadron Approved For Barking Sands. The Air Force will create a high-tech unit to monitor U.S. satellites to support national security. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Air Guard adding new space control squadron. The Hawaii Air National Guard is expected to take on a new space mission with the Air Force announcing that the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai is the preferred location for a Pacific-based space control squadron. Star-Advertiser.

Kauai Selected As 'Preferred Alternative' For New Air Force Squadron. The United States Air Force has approved Barking Sands Pacific Missile Range Facility as the preferred alternative for the Air National Guard's Space Control Squadron. Hawaii Public Radio.

Air Force selects Kauai for new squadron charged with monitoring satellites. The Air Force will create a new squadron on Kauai to monitor U.S. satellites as part of the national security space mission, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz announced Monday. Hawaii News Now.

Air Force selects Kauai for new space squadron. The United States Air Force has approved Barking Sands Pacific Missile Range Facility as the preferred alternative for the Air National Guard’s Space Control Squadron. KHON2.

Space Squadron Destined for Kaua‘i. The United States Air Force will place its new space squadron on the island Kaua‘i. Big Island Now.

Space squadron settles on PMRF. The United States Air Force has approved the Barking Sands Pacific Missile Range Facility as the preferred alternative for the Air National Guard’s Space Control Squadron. Garden Island.

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Airbnb agrees to provide host records to state. Airbnb Inc. has agreed to provide Hawaii with records of many of its island hosts as the state tries to track down vacation rental operators who haven’t been paying their taxes. Star-Advertiser.

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Lawmakers Consider Fixes To Hawaiian Homelands Shortcomings. State senators may take up some legislative proposal put forward by beneficiaries of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act. Civil Beat.

DHHL beneficiaries urge restructuring of department. Major changes need to be made to the Hawaiian Homes Commission and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands before Native Hawaiians can be reconnected to their homelands, a series of speakers told a state Senate panel Monday in Honolulu. West Hawaii Today.

Beneficiaries Speak Out At Senate DHHL Meeting. Leaders from Hawaii Island homestead associations and beneficiary councils made the trip to Oʻahu on Monday to participate in a Department of Hawaiian Home Lands information briefing at the Capitol. Big Island Video News.

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Sex trafficking a big concern to tourism authority. Hawaii’s visitor industry is known for its aloha — but this week hoteliers and other members are learning to be less welcoming to sex traffickers whose $100 billion industry casts a dark shadow on this paradise. Star-Advertiser.

Training recognizes key role hotel industry could play in cracking down on sex trafficking. Experts say the vast majority of sex trafficking cases take place at hotels ― and Hawaii is no exception. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Hawaii Gas Faces Uncertain Future In State’s Renewable Energy Push. A bill to limit the use of natural gas in new homes could be a first step to broader bans, a gas company official says. Civil Beat.

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Waianae homeless camp to move inland. In the first project of its kind, the leaders of the 219-person homeless encampment known as Pu‘uhonua o Waianae next to the Waianae Small Boat Harbor announced Monday that they are in escrow to buy a 20-acre parcel of private, undisclosed agricultural land mauka of Farrington Highway where they plan to create permanent housing out of tiny homes. Star-Advertiser.

Homeless residents closer to creating their own community. A group of homeless residents on Oahu’s west coast is one step closer to creating their own community. KHON2.

Potential new site for Wai'anae homeless village worries Piliuka Place residents. The 10-acre homeless village near the harbor has a deal in escrow to purchase a new site, about 20 acres of agricultural land further inland. KITV.

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Kalaeloa Water Company customers told to use alternative water sources immediately until further notice. The taps are running again in West Oahu, but Kalaeloa Water Company customers are warned not to start drinking it just yet. Hawaii News Now.

Katherine Kealoha’s ‘Alison Lee Wong’ resurfaces in bizarre court filing. Hawaii News Now tracked down the bank employee after her business card was included in a federal court motion for a Kauai woman who seems to have ties to Kealoha. Hawaii News Now.

Women Make Great Cops. Now HPD Wants More. Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard is hoping to achieve a force that is half female. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

Mauna Kea Board Wants Deferral Of UH Regents Resolution. On Wednesday, the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents will consider a Maunakea stewardship resolution, but UH's Mauna Kea Management Board is not happy with the proposal. Big Island Video News.

Most Mauna Kea arrestees reject plea deal, citing ‘moral and sacred obligation’. Trial scheduled for December 20. Hawaii News Now.

Hawai'i County Vacation Rentals Draw Hundreds of Neighbor Complaints. Hundreds of owners on the Big Island are seeking exemptions to operate short-term vacation rentals legally in residential neighborhoods but their neighbors have flooded officials with letters of objections. Hawaii Public Radio.

Council committee to talk animal control. After a Hawaiian Acres woman was attacked by unrestrained dogs in October, a Hawaii County Council committee will look into ways to improve the county’s animal control laws. Tribune-Herald.

Palace readies for restoration. Repairs to a seawall damaged by high surf this summer and site improvements are planned for Hulihee Palace in the heart of Kailua Village. West Hawaii Today.

Baltimore Clean-up activist hits Big Island. Conservative activist and Baltimore Clean-up organizer Scott Presler is coming to Hawaii Island to speak in support of President Trump and what can be done in the local community by ordinary citizens. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

The Stakes Are High As Maui Wastewater Case Heads To US Supreme Court. The lawsuit has drawn attention from environmental groups, fossil fuel interests and the Trump administration, which is backing Maui County. Civil Beat.

Visitors on Maui Spent $5B in 2018. More tourists came to Maui in 2018 than the previous year- and they spent more too. Maui Now.

For 2 decades, Valley Isle business key to Maui’s emergency response. MFD doesn’t own its own helicopter. So for nearly two decades, the department has had a contract with the company to handle air operations. Hawaii News Now.


Kauai

Finalists set in chancellor search. Two finalists for the Kauai Community College chancellor position have been selected by the chancellor search advisory committee and will participate in a final round of interviews that includes public forum for each candidate. Garden Island.

Lanai

MECO to recoup charges from Lanai solar farm. Battery issue leads to $360,000 in overpayments; customers to benefit. Maui News.

Prison commission off to slow start, Oahu landfill expansion irks neighbors, record-setting $15M settlement in cop traffic fatality, UH regent chair wants university to take lead in Mauna Kea standoff, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Kulani prison ©2019 All Hawaii News

New Prison Oversight Commission Is Off To A Slow Start. The Hawaii legislature created a prisons oversight commission this year to help fix the broken corrections system and head toward a therapeutic model, but not much has happened since the governor gave his stamp of approval in July. Civil Beat.

New Trump Administration Proposal Threatens SNAP Benefits For Thousands of Hawaii Residents. The Trump Administration wants to change the eligibility requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as food stamps. Hawaii Public Radio.

State won’t pursue bank on $150M loan commitment to Hawaiian Home Lands. Amid mounting political pressure to force Bank of America to make good on a 2-decade-old commitment to provide $150 million in home mortgage loans to beneficiaries of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Hawaii’s Office of the Attorney General says there appears to be no legal basis for the state to actually pursue the matter. Star-Advertiser.

Wanted: 2,000 Workers to Fill Health Care Jobs In Hawaii. The Healthcare Association of Hawaii’s first workforce assessment found vacancies at health care facilities for a wide variety of jobs from medical assistants to phlebotomists. Civil Beat.

Isles have second-longest wait time for transplants, national study finds. Hawaii had the second- longest wait time for organ transplants in 2018 with 22.5%, or 250, of patients waiting five years or longer, according to a new study by HealthTestingCenters.com, an online company based in Florida that markets lab testing directly to consumers. Star-Advertiser.

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Regents Chair Wants UH To Take Lead In Solving Mauna Kea Conflict. The chairman of the University of Hawaii Board of Regents says he'll call for the university president to lead the effort to resolve the conflict on Mauna Kea and planned construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope. Hawaii Public Radio.

University of Hawaii regents chairman speaks up for TMT resolution. Benjamin Kudo, chairman of the University of Hawaii Board of Regents, wants the university and its president to lead efforts to bring people together to resolve the impasse at Mauna Kea over the Thirty Meter Telescope. Star-Advertiser.

Torn By TMT Conflict, Chairman Of UH Regents Silent No Longer. The UH Regents chairman calls for a stop to "the attacks, mischaracterizations, [and] mistruths" and make the resolution of the ongoing conflict a top priority. Big Island Video News.

Classes take toll on Maunakea camp numbers during week. The demonstrators occupying Maunakea Access Road have thinned to a skeleton crew after the start of the school year, but students and teachers still find time to return to the mountain. Tribune-Herald.

Oahu

12 Queen’s doctors fired in a shift to new contractor. A dozen local doctors at The Queen’s Medical Center are out of jobs today after the hospital hired a mainland firm that has come under fire for its controversial billing practices. Star-Advertiser.

A dozen doctors have lost their positions after a Honolulu hospital switched to a new employment contractor, officials said. Associated Press.

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False police report at center of new retaliation allegations against prosecutor’s office. A new claim of retaliation by the Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has surfaced. The latest comes from an employee who says the administration made a false police report to get back at her. Hawaii News Now.

Plans for the expansion of a construction debris landfill riles some Nanakuli residents. A vigorous construction industry on Oahu has accelerated plans to expand a special landfill in Nanakuli where some residents regard the facility as a scourge in their community. Star-Advertiser.

Helicopter flights over USS Arizona Memorial criticized as being ‘disrespectful’. The USS Arizona Memorial attracted another big crowd on Labor Day. But in the air, traffic was also heavy. Hawaii News Now.

Bill To Expand City Lifeguard Coverage Headed For Public Hearing. A proposal to expand lifeguard hours at Oahu beaches remains alive despite concerns that arose at a City Council committee meeting Thursday. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Island

Hawaii County to pay $15.1M to settle police-involved crash. Hawaii County has agreed to pay a $15.1 million settlement to the family of a Michigan man hit and killed by a police patrol car, officials said. Associated Press.

Internet speeds up: Kona outpaces Hilo, but averages still lag most of the state. West Hawaii Today.

Council committee to learn about International Energy Conservation Code. A humorous homespun video about a serious topic is slated to be aired Tuesday at a County Council committee meeting as the legislative body takes its first stab toward making local modifications to the International Energy Conservation Code. West Hawaii Today.

DLNR looking at new boat ramp site within Pohoiki Bay. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Puna fishing community are continuing to discuss possible solutions to the landlocked Pohoiki boat ramp. Tribune-Herald.

New CEO takes reins at Hawaii Island Humane Society. Charles Brown, a 49-year-old Pittsburgh native, has worked in animal shelters for more than two decades, “starting as a kennel cleaner and working my way up.” Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Maui County Running Out Of Time To Settle Clean Water Act Case. Next week the council will weigh whether it should stop a legal appeal from reaching the U.S. Supreme Court. Civil Beat.

Water panel OKs permit to remove some EMI diversions. Move is latest step in ongoing work to restore stream flowThe state water commission has given East Maui Irrigation Co. the go-ahead to to take down the next series of stream diversions that it once used to transport water to the central valley to feed sugar cane crops. Maui News.

Mahi Pono LLC hopes former sugar plantation land will yield signature crops. Mahi Pono LLC, the partnership that bought 41,000 acres of mostly fallow Central Maui farmland last year after Alexander & Baldwin Inc. quit growing sugar cane there in 2016 after 146 years, is focusing on ordinary white, yellow and red potato varieties as part of its first new piece of an ambitious diversified agriculture development plan. Star-Advertiser.

Kauai

Kauai rocket launches help protect equipment. Two launches last week from Barking Sands, Kauai, will help rocket scientists ensure that critical onboard components don’t fail under the force of liftoff, Sandia National Laboratories announced. Star-Advertiser.

New Kapaa medical clinic blessed. The Kapaa clinic has been operating since July 30 after relocating from its former location in the Kapaa Shopping Center, but the public opening ceremonies and open house were already scheduled. Garden Island.

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Volunteers round up 300 invasive tilapia on Na Pali Coast. Fishermen from across Kauai teamed up with state employees over the Labor Day weekend to round up and remove hundreds of black-chin tilapia from Nualolo Bay on the Na Pali Coast. Star-Advertiser.

DLNR, fishermen tackle the black-chin tilapia invasion on Kauai’s North Shore. Fishermen partnered with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources this Labor Day weekend in an effort to catch invasive black-chin tilapia on Kaua’i’s North Shore. Hawaii News Now.

DLNR teams up with Kauai fishermen to tackle tilapia invasion. According to the department's Division of Aquatic Resources, thousands of Black Chin Tilapia are filling Nualolo Bay. KITV.

Navy holds first Hawaii hearing on missile test proposal, Honolulu police begin bodycam testing, Hagar selling Maui estate, Big Island bus ridership drops 30%, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

A Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block 1B interceptor missile is launched from the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70) during a Missile Defense Agency and U.S. Navy test in the mid-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo)

Some seek to block Navy's bid to continue training in Hawaii waters. In a public meeting Monday evening at the Oahu Veterans Center, the community had a chance to weigh in on the Navy's Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Hawaii News Now.

Environmental and cultural concerns expressed over proposed US Navy training exercises. The US Navy officials hosted the first of several public meetings in Hawaii regarding its Environmental Impact Statement on testing and training operations in the waters off Hawaii and Southern California. KITV.

A rare joint exercise of three U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups — a combination wielding massive firepower — will occur in coming days in the Western Pacific as part of a pressure campaign on North Korea by the Trump administration. Star-Advertiser.

Nuclear shelter-in-place plan could keep parents, students separated for days. As nuclear rhetoric and missile tests continue from North Korea, Hawaii emergency officials say be ready to “Get inside, stay inside, and stay tuned.” KHON2.

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Two months after U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa announced her plans to run for governor, candidates looking to fill her seat in Congress are starting to emerge. Star-Advertiser.

Events to mark 100th anniversary of the death of Hawaii’s last monarch, Queen Liliuokalani. Hundreds of churches around the state are expected to toll their bells 100 times at 8:30 a.m. — the time of day Liliuokalani died on Nov. 11, 1917. Star-Advertiser.

Ancient Hawaiian Tradition Threatened by Invasive Bug. The hala or pandanus tree can grow up to 30 feet tall and is characterized by its long, sharp and spiny leaves. Those trees are now being attacked by an invasive predator. And the cultural practitioners whose traditions depend on hala are feeling the impact. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

Seventy-seven Honolulu police officers Monday began testing body-worn cameras in a 30-day pilot project, making the Honolulu Police Department the last in the state to use the cameras. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Police Officers Begin Testing Body Cameras. HPD has outfitted dozens of officers with the technology as part of a 30-day pilot program. Civil Beat.

The Honolulu Police Department started testing body cameras Monday. KITV.

Criminal Case Against Kealohas Puts Brakes On Uncle’s Suit. The lawsuit filed by Gerard Puana will have to wait while the case against his niece and her husband continues, a judge rules. Civil Beat.

Defense attorneys in Kealoha corruption probe face heat over questionable practices. Legal experts say questions surrounding the attorneys for the former police chief and his deputy prosecutor wife are extremely troubling. Hawaii News Now.

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Waialua sunflower farm to hold open house. DuPont Pioneer, which recently merged with the Dow Chemical Co., held a media tour Monday at its 2,000-acre Waialua property, one of Hawaii’s largest farms. Star-Advertiser.

Waimanalo Tent-Dwellers: A Different Kind Of Homelessness. People living in a roadside encampment receive an unusual amount of community support, because many of them are longtime residents. Civil Beat.

Carbon monoxide poisoning linked to 2 Marco Polo deaths. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu home prices creep higher. For single-family houses, October’s median sale price edged up 1.3 percent to $752,000 from $742,000 in the same month last year. Star-Advertiser.

Home sales on Oahu saw a “healthy uptick” in the number of sales in October, compared to the same month last year, as the median price of a single-family home and condominium nudged up slightly, according to a report by Honolulu-based real estate firm Locations LLC. Pacific Business News.

Ward Village condo sales aid developer’s profit. Howard Hughes Corp. earned $27 million from condominium sales at Ward Village in the third quarter, according to a financial report the company published Monday. Star-Advertiser.

The Howard Hughes Corp. has sold nearly 90 percent of the 1,381 condominium units the developer is building at its Ward Village community in Honolulu and last month repaid a $195.3 million construction loan on the Waiea and Anaha towers there, the company said Monday in its third quarter earnings report. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii Island

House Finance Committee checks in on state investments in West Hawaii. Members of the state House of Representatives Finance Committee were in town Monday to take a closer look at some of the projects they’ve recently funded throughout West Hawaii, including the major overhaul at the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport. West Hawaii Today.

Big Island bus ridership has dropped by almost a third over the past four years, mostly due to unreliability of an aging fleet, consultants said Monday. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii County Talks Vacation Rental Rules. Local and state lawmakers discussed possible regulations for the growing vacation rental industry during last week's county council committee meeting. Big Island Video News.

Demolition of Uncle Billy's Pagoda Hotel uncertain. A hotel sitting vacant in Hilo will remain that way for at least the near future. Hawaii News Now.

October home sales soar on Hawaii's Big Island. Home sales on Hawaii’s Big Island soared in October, with increases of more than 25 percent from a year ago for both single-family homes and condominiums, but the median price of a condo fell by more than 25 percent, according to data provided by Hawaii Information Service on behalf of Hawaii Island Realtors. Pacific Business News.

Cyanotech earns $475K in second quarter. Hawaii island microalgae producer Cyanotech Corp. more than quadrupled its fiscal second-quarter profit in large part through a $900,000 reduction in legal fees. Star-Advertiser.

Maui

Victorino to run for mayor. Former Maui County Council Member Mike Victorino officially announced his intention on Monday to run for mayor in what is shaping up to be a competitive battle in 2018 to succeed Mayor Alan Arakawa. Maui News.

Kaanapali development met with resistance from Maui residents. Hundreds of people packed Lahaina Intermediate School Monday night to question the landowners and developers behind the Kaanapali Golf Courses Revitalization Project. Hawaii News Now.

Puunene Shopping Center filling up. Planet Fitness, Massage Envy and Ulta Beauty to open outlets on Maui. More retailers are flocking to the Puunene Shopping Center with pet store Petco opening its doors Monday and farm-to-table restaurant Fork & Salad slated to open early next year. Maui News.

Rocker Sammy Hagar is selling the 10-acre Maui estate he bought more than 20 years ago after searching for a place to relax in Hawaii following a world tour with Van Halen. Pacific Business News.

Kauai

KIUC issues request for qualifications for solar-hydro project on Kauai's west side. The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative last week issued a request for qualifications for its Puu Opae Energy Project on the Garden Isle's west side. Pacific Business News.

Kauai condo sales nearly double in October, median prices up by double digits. The number of condominiums sold on Kauai in October nearly doubled, when compared to the same month last year, while sales of single-family homes rose by more than 30 percent and median prices in both categories increased by double digits, according to data provided by Hawaii Information Service on behalf of the Kauai Board of Realtors. Pacific Business News.

Kids can earn money, recognition on the floor of the state House of Representatives, and a chance to mingle with legislators through a statewide contest running now through Jan. 31. Garden Island.