Repairs coming to Diamond Head summit, Waimanalo park opponents file lawsuit, feds pan Honolulu rail property purchases, Mauna Kea telescope decommissioning delayed, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Visitors crowd Diamond Head summit ©2019 All Hawaii News

State to demolish crumbling tower at Diamond Head State Monument. A year ago, the state Land Department started getting reports of the crumbling tower. Hawaii News Now.

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Opponents of Sherwood Forest construction threaten further legal action at rally in Waimanalo. An attorney for a group that opposes the city’s plan to develop a portion of Waimanalo Bay Beach Park said today he plans further legal action, including filing for an injunction to stop the project and for relief to get it returned to its pre-construction condition. Star-Advertiser.

Waimanalo Park Opponents Are Settling In For A Long Fight. Protesters returned to the site just two days after being arrested by police for blocking access to the area. Civil Beat.

More than a hundred turn out to support lawsuit to stop controversial park development in Waimanalo. Protesters lined the entrance to Waimanalo Bay Beach Park, also known as “Sherwood Forest,” Saturday morning. Hawaii News Now.

Protectors at Sherwoods in Waimanalo file federal lawsuit against the City. Those opposed to construction of a new playing field at Waimanalo Bay Beach Park, also known as Sherwoods, have filed a lawsuit against the City to stop the project. KHON2.

Protester arrested in Sherwood Forest confrontation says Mayor's plan is not compromise. Pilialoha Callahan says the fight over Sherwood Forest isn't over. KITV.

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Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman says he was diagnosed with pulmonary embolism. Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman has announced he was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism earlier this month, and is undergoing treatment. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Mayor Caldwell’s approval ratings drop to all-time low. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s approval numbers continue to slip to new lows as he approaches his final year in office — probably not exactly what a guy who is expected to run for governor in 2020 would want to see. Star-Advertiser.

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HART overpaid some property owners and shortchanged others. The Honolulu rail authority apparently shortchanged 16 tenants or property owners who were relocated to make way for the city’s 20-mile rail line, and made overpayments or ineligible payments to 28 other property owners, according to an intensive federal review of Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation relocation records. Star-Advertiser.

Feds Say Honolulu Rail’s Relocation Payments Are A Mess And Must Be Redone. HART first self-reported its “potential problems” last year. A new federal report shows just how bad those violations actually were. Civil Beat.

FTA: Honolulu rail project botched program to relocate homes, businesses. The federal government says the city’s $9 billion rail project botched its program to relocate homes and businesses along the route. Hawaii News Now.

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Kapiolani Boulevard is becoming a magnet for new hotel projects. No one is redrawing the edge of Waikiki, but a growing number of planned hotel projects on Kapiolani Boulevard promise to stretch the primary urban zone for vacation accommodations on Oahu. Star-Advertiser.

OCCC guard, deputy sheriff will not be prosecuted in fatal shootings. The state Department of Public Safety had zero fatal shootings in the past 10 years until Feb. 18, when a deputy sheriff shot in the back a small, disabled, homeless man who had been drinking beer at the state Capitol rotunda. Star-Advertiser.

Power bills topping $1,000 draw ire of residents at gated West Oahu community. Residents in a gated Ewa Beach community are demanding answers after they were hit with shockingly high electricity bills this month. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Board votes to leave UH-Hilo observatory in place — for now. The University of Hawaii’s Maunakea Management Board on Friday voted against decommissioning the former site of an educational telescope on Maunakea until there is a firm plan to reinstall the telescope elsewhere in Hawaii. Tribune-Herald.

Mauna Kea Board Fails To Advance Hoku Kea Telescope Decommissioning. The board did not approve a Notice of Intent to Decommission the small, educational telescope on Mauna Kea, although the TMT permit requires it to come down. Big Island Video News.

Mauna Kea CSO Decommissioning Update. The CSO Decommissioning Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment, and Hazardous Materials Report, have been approved by the Mauna Kea Management Board. Big Island Video News.

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Barry Taniguchi: ‘He had a tremendous amount of love and aloha for the community’. Since the passing of Barry Taniguchi on Sept. 20, plaudits for the late chairman and CEO of KTA Super Stores and condolences to his family have poured in from leaders of Hawaii’s business, government, health care, education and nonprofit sectors. Tribune-Herald.

Tour companies in Kona try to curb use of full-face snorkel mask. As concerns rise about the safety of full-face snorkel masks, more and more Hawaii Island tour companies are following the example of their island neighbors by banning the use of the masks on their boats. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Kahului Airport Ranked “Dead Last” in US for Traveler Satisfaction. Kahului Airport has the lowest satisfaction rating compared to similar-sized airports nationwide. That's according to a study from global marketing company J.D. Power, which ranked Kahului Airport last on a list of 16 “medium” airports throughout the country. Maui Now.

Pineapple perseveres on small farms on the Valley Isle.  It’s easy to see Hawaii’s connection to pineapple farming at Maui’s main airport, where plush toys, picture frames, candy and other items made in the oblong fruit’s image are for sale along with three-packs of the real thing for $29.95. Star-Advertiser.

Maui Emergency Management Agency Accidentally Calls County Residents. The Maui Emergency Management Agency accidentally called thousands of county residents from a (999) 999-9999 number shortly before 9 a.m. today. Hawaii Public Radio.

S. Maui families deal with flooded homes, debris. Families in a Maui Meadows neighborhood were dealing Saturday with the aftermath of a localized storm that dumped 1 to 2 inches of rain per hour over the area a day before, leaving homes flooded and debris in yards and on streets. Maui News.

Kauai

Maverick: ‘We want to be good neighbors’. Maverick Helicopters wants to spell out its side of a controversy surrounding aerial tours it started last year out of a small airstrip adjacent to the salt beds in Hanapepe. Garden Island.

Residents unhappy with state officials in poll, Ellison plans $340M Lanai project, Taniguchi dies, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii Capitol ©2019 All Hawaii News

Most Hawaii residents say state elected officials don’t care about them. A majority of Hawaii residents say the state is moving in the wrong direction and expressed little confidence in the state’s elected officials, a new Honolulu Star-Advertiser poll shows. Star-Advertiser.

Money the state budgeted for educational composting programs is given to an engineering company. Over the summer, eight public school principals wrote cover letters for what they thought was an application for grants to run their school composting programs. Star-Advertiser.

Tour operators start ban on full-face snorkel masks. The Pride of Maui, a company that offers snorkel tours and cruises, has recently announced it will no longer allow the use of full-face snorkel masks on its catamarans due to safety concerns. Star-Advertiser.

Is This The New Normal? Hawaii Wrestles With Record Heat. Climatologists are frustrated by the lack of action in response to manmade global warming, but there are some simple solutions that could provide relief. Civil Beat.

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University professor apologizes for making ‘inappropriate’ remarks. A University of Hawaii professor apologized Sunday for comments about the quality of education at Kamehameha Schools that he made during a symposium on the Thirty Meter Telescope. Star-Advertiser.

UH professor behind controversial comments against Kamehameha schools apologizes. The UH professor at the center of controversial comments against Kamehameha Schools has issued an apology. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Council won’t pay for HART employees’ lawyers. Rail authority employees who have been subpoenaed as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation into Honolulu’s train project will each have to hire their own lawyer if they think they need one, according to Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation Executive Director Andrew Robbins. Star-Advertiser.

City lawyers admit Council passed erroneous bill. A Honolulu City Council measure approving more money for a controversial and mysterious city contract with a California-based law firm contains erroneous information, a situation that could force Council members to redo their vote. Star-Advertiser.

DHHL Offers 37 Kapolei Homes To Native Hawaiian Beneficiaries. In an effort to reduce a long wait list for homestead lots, the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands offered 37 "turn-key" homes in Kapolei to native Hawaiian beneficiaries, the agency announced Saturday. Hawaii Public Radio.

Developer seeks record $35M for planned Kapiolani penthouse. The developer of the planned Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Residences tower announced Thursday that it intends to offer a penthouse for $35 million among 99 residential units that start at $3.5 million. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

KTA CEO Barry Taniguchi dead at 72. “The Taniguchi family would like share that Barry K. Taniguchi passed away Friday at The Queen’s Medical Center on Oahu, due to medical complications,” his family said in a statement to the Tribune-Herald earlier today. Tribune-Herald.

Chairman and C.E.O. of KTA Super Stores Barry Taniguchi dies. According to the company, the 72-year-old died of cardiac arrest Friday night. Hawaii News Now.

Remembering Barry Taniguchi. A generational community staple has passed away. KHON2.

Hawaii Leaders Issue Statements On Death Of Barry Taniguchi. Big Island Video News.


CEO of KTA Super Stores Dies. Barry K. Taniguchi, board chairman and CEO of KTA Super Stores, died Friday, Sept. 20, 2019, at The Queen’s Medical Center on Oahu as a result of medical complications. Big Island Video News.

KTA Superstores CEO, Barry Taniguchi, dies. Many are mourning the loss of a major community leader. Barry Taniguchi, the CEO and board chair of KTA Super Stores. KITV.

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County receives extension for Highway 132 work. The Hawaii County Department of Public Works has received a three-month extension from the Federal Highway Administration to complete reconstruction of Highway 132 in lower Puna, although the department anticipates work will be finished well before the new deadline. Tribune-Herald.

PGV officials discuss ongoing facility repairs at meeting. Puna Geothermal Venture is continuing its work toward recovery, plant officials said during a community meeting Wednesday afternoon in Pahoa. Tribune-Herald.

Big Island wind farm allowed ‘incidental take’ of 3 endangered species. Pakini Nui Wind Farm operator Tawhiri Power LLC’s request for incidental take of three endangered species has been been approved by state and federal officials. West Hawaii Today.

DHHL lets delinquent lease swell to $242,000. The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for years allowed a Big Island man to make sporadic lease payments on a parcel in Hilo, with the past due amount eventually growing to six figures. Star-Advertiser.

‘Standing up for our rights’: 28 of those arrested at TMT protest plead not guilty. Twenty-eight of the 38 people arrested on Mauna Kea during the first week of the Thirty Meter Telescope protest in July made their first appearances in court Friday. Hawaii News Now.

Maui

Maui Council Approves Water Pollution Settlement But Mayor May Have Final Word. The Maui County Council voted 5-4 on Friday to settle a Clean Water Act lawsuit headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. But a last-minute revelation from county attorneys has set up a showdown between councilmembers and Mayor Michael Victorino. Hawaii Public Radio.

Stranded Whales Suffered From Lung Abnormalities. All five of the pygmy killer whales that died after stranding themselves on Sugar Beach last month had abnormal lungs and lymph nodes, according to a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Maui Now.

NOAA: Whales that stranded themselves on Maui appeared to have infections. The pygmy killer whales that stranded themselves on Maui last month had some degree of lung abnormalities and enlarged lymph nodes, NOAA researchers said. Hawaii News Now.

Program improves Maui area’s security and maintenance. Like many places in Hawaii, Maui has seen a growing number of vagrants, the mentally ill, substance abusers and homeless on the streets, and nowhere is the problem more apparent than Wailuku town. Star-Advertiser.

Maui judge, lawyer among finalists for Circuit judgeship. Second Circuit Deputy Chief Judge Kelsey Kawano and Wailuku attorney Lance Collins are among four nominees for a vacancy on the 2nd Circuit Court bench. Maui News.

Kihei Beach Cleanup Clears Over Hundred Pounds of Trash. Hawaiian Paddle Sports organized the effort for International Coastal Cleanup Day, an annual world-wide effort that rallies nearly 12 million volunteers to remove over 220 million pounds of trash from waterways and beaches. Maui Now.

Kauai

Thousands in federal funds set aside for Kauai’s Veterans Cemetery. Kauai’s Veterans Cemetery in Hanapepe will be getting thousands of dollars in federal funding for an expansion. Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz announced the funding Saturday. He said the cemetery will get nearly $310,000. Hawaii News Now.

Thousands in federal funds set aside for Kauai’s Veterans Cemetery. Kauai’s Veterans Cemetery in Hanapepe will be getting thousands of dollars in federal funding for an expansion. Hawaii News Now.

Lanai

Larry Ellison plans 30-year, $340 million project for Lanai. The billionaire who owns nearly all of Lanai is moving forward with another piece of a broad plan to diversify the economy on the island where luxury tourism reigns. Star-Advertiser.