Storms sandwiching Hawaiian Islands, Gabbard attacks Harris in debate, vacation rental law spurs Honolulu controversy, celebrities support Mauna Kea protest, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hurricane Erick, Tropical Storm Flossie projections NOAA storm tracker

Erick slowly weakening, but hanging on as Category 1 hurricane. Hurricane Erick continues to lose strength as it churns southeast of the Big Island, but forecasters are warning it could bring heavy rains and high surf to the islands starting Thursday. At 5 a.m. Thursday, Erick was packing winds of 85 mph, making it a Category 1 storm. It was moving west-northwest near 15 mph. Hawaii News Now.

Tropical Storm Flossie continues to charge toward the state on Thursday morning. At 5 a.m., the National Hurricane Center said Flossie was located 1,515 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California ― or 1,580 miles east of Hilo. Hawaii News Now.

UPDATE: Big surf of 15-20 ft arriving on the Big Island today as Hurricane Erick passes south. Erick continues as a hurricane but not for long. KITV.

UPDATE: Tropical Storm Flossie will slowly weaken as it approaches the islands. Flossie has winds at 65 mph. KITV.

11p Wednesday Update: Hurricane Erick continues to weaken while Tropical Storm Flossie’s track shifts slightly farther away to the north. KHON2.

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Tulsi Gabbard Attacks Kamala Harris In Presidential Debate. The Hawaii congresswoman has yet to qualify for the third round of Democratic debates, which made her performance Wednesday crucial. Civil Beat.

On debate stage, Gabbard skewers Harris over her criminal justice record. Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard engaged in a heated exchange with fellow presidential contender U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris on the debate stage Wednesday, claiming that Harris should apologize to the people she impacted with her criminal justice policies. Hawaii News Now.

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More Federal Dollars Are Flowing To Hawaii’s Rural Clinics. In just three years, nine more health clinics acquired Rural Health Clinic status from the federal government, allowing them to get higher reimbursement for Medicaid and Medicare patients. Civil Beat.

Feds: Hawaii Still Coming Up Short In Meeting Special Education Needs. Hawaii still needs assistance in implementing provisions of a federal law designed to improve services for special education students. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Crackdown on vacation rentals could hurt tourism. Oahu’s more restrictive short-term rental rules, which take affect today, have come to the attention of investors and economists who warn the county is in danger of not having enough lodging for visitor arrivals to continue to grow. Star-Advertiser.

City works to refine search for illegal vacation rentals as new regulations roll out. As Honolulu officials prepare to start “digital stings” on Aug. 1 to curb illegal short-term vacation rentals, they’re also working to improve their search for potential violators. Hawaii News Now.

Waikiki condo owners will sue to stop new law. the owners of at least one Waikiki condominium complex are preparing to ask a state judge to stop the city from enforcing the new vacation rental law against them. Star-Advertiser.




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Showdown Looms With Howard Hughes Over Parcels On Rail Route. Negotiations to compensate the Kakaako landowner for properties critical to the project have broken down, with the parties as much as $100 million apart. Civil Beat.


State to tow dozens of abandoned cars from Honolulu airport lots. The state says 60 cars that were abandoned at Honolulu's airport will be removed over the next several weeks. Hawaii News Now.

60 abandoned cars will be removed from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. KHON2.


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Rapid ohia death found on Oahu for first time. Rapid ohia death, the fungal disease that has killed millions of ohia trees across Hawaii, has been detected for the first time on Oahu. Star-Advertiser.


Devastating Rapid Ohia Death now found on Oahu. The Oahu Invasive Species Committee made the discovery in a remote area in the Koolau Mountains above Pearl City. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Actor Momoa lends star power to protests. Actor Jason Momoa added some star power to the daily noontime protocol for theThirty Meter Telescope protesters Wednesday, walking up the closed Mauna Kea Access Road to present an offering in front of a crowd of about 600. Star-Advertiser.

‘Aquaman’ star meets with TMT opponents; camp, telescopes prep for approaching storms. Tribune-Herald.

Mauna Kea Day 17 – Press Conference. On Day 17 of the scheduled start of construction on the Thirty Meter Telescope, opponents of the project – including Hollywood actor Jason Momoa – gathered to hold a press conference at the base of the Mauna Kea Access Road. Big Island Video News.

Hawaii actor Jason Momoa visited the TMT protest at the base of Mauna Kea on Wednesday, becoming the latest celebrity to do so. Hawaii News Now.

Scientists Report Missed Opportunities, Equipment Near Failure as a Result of TMT Protest. The telescopes on Mauna Kea are billion-dollar instruments that require daily maintenance to stay in good working order. As access restrictions continue for a third week, many are developing serious problems. Hawaii Public Radio.

Mauna Kea Hunting Closure Concerns Commission. The temporary closure of hunting on Mauna Kea was a topic of discussion Tuesday night at the Hawaiʻi County Game Management Advisory Commission meeting in Hilo. Big Island Video News.




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Shark finning persists off Big Island. Marine biologists say they are alarmed by recent shark finning incidents on Hawaii island, citing photographs of two oceanic whitetip sharks with their fins hacked off, and that of a dead and gutted whitetip reef shark. Star-Advertiser.


Endangered sharks with fins cut off found gutted, dead off Hawaii Island. Hawaii News Now.

Concern raised over recent shark finning incidents. KHON2.

Sharks spotted finned and gutted around West Hawaii. Dive operators spotted two oceanic white-tip sharks alive with some of their fins cut off. KITV.

Maui

Still no evidence of big leak in Waikapu system. Spike in consumption could be due to higher usage. Maui News.

F-22 Raptor Training on Maui Aug. 1-3, Exhibit Aug. 2. The Hawaiʻi Air National Guard is flying over four F-22 Raptors from Oahu to Kahului Airport on Maui between Aug. 1 and 3, 2019. Maui Now.

Maui man charged, accused of buying young Thai girl and forcing her to have sex. A 76-year-old Maui man is in federal custody after he was accused of buying a 9-year-old girl in Thailand in 2014 and trying to smuggle her to Hawaii. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Kauai’s Ocean Safety Bureau will extend hours for Roving Patrol Units. Starting on Thursday, August 1, Ocean Safety officials will implement extended hours for its lifeguard patrol services islandwide. KHON2.

Building for the future. There’s a new building on Kauai made out of plastic marine debris and plastic household waste. Garden Island.

Tourism numbers down. Through six months, visitor spending on Kauai was a reported $961.9 million, down 5.7% compared to the same period in 2018. Visitor arrivals through June on Kauai totaled 686,236, down 1.7% compared to the first six months of 2018. Garden Island.

Kapaa medical clinic opens. Kauai Medical Clinic opened its new location at Kauai Village shopping center on Tuesday. Garden Island.

Veterans Day commemorated on all the Hawaiian Islands, GOP lost by widest margin since statehood, Bruno Mars donates 24k Thanksgiving dinners, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Veterans Day parade in Hilo, Hawaii ©2018 All Hawaii News

Veterans Day: what's open and closed. Monday is a federal, state and county holiday and those respective offices will be closed. KHON2.

Veterans Day event honors armistice of World War I. Sunday is Veterans Day, and its also the 100th anniversary of the end of The Great War. KITV.

Remembering Hawaii's Role in The Great War. Hawaii Public Radio.

HIFF film "Voices Behind Barbed Wire" details Japanese-American internment in Hawaii. A movie made in Hawaii screens at the Hawaii International Film Festival on Monday. "Voices Behind Barbed Wire" explores the personal stories of Japanese-Americans living in Hawaii interned at Sand Island and Honouliuli on Oahu, and on the mainland. KITV.

Navy’s only drone submarine hunter arrives at Pearl Harbor. A 132-foot robot warship that arrived at Pearl Harbor for testing as a submarine hunter is “creating a new paradigm for Navy surface forces,” the U.S. Pacific Fleet said. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii GOP lost by largest margin since statehood. When Republican state Rep. Andria Tupola lost to Gov. David Ige by nearly 29 percentage points in last week’s general election, it was the most dramatic drubbing in a gubernatorial race in state history. Star-Advertiser.

160,000 Pounds Of Marine Trash From Papahanaumokuakea. NOAA displayed tons of plastic and other debris collected in the remote Northwest Hawaii Islands, where the trash threatens wildlife and coral. Civil Beat.

UH scientists doubt space object has alien origins. When the first space object from beyond our solar system was discovered from Hawaii last year, there was a lot of playful speculation about whether it was an alien spacecraft. Star-Advertiser.

On the day of his final concert in the islands, Bruno Mars announced that he will provide 24,000 Thanksgiving meals to Hawaii families in need. Hawaii News Now.

Superstar Bruno Mars ends his historic “24K Magic World Tour” Sunday night in his hometown of Honolulu, and will provide meals to 24,000 Hawaii residents in need during the Thanksgiving holiday. KITV.

Bruno Mars donates 24K Thanksgiving meals to Salvation Army. He may have wrapped up his 24K Magic World Tour shows in Hawaii on Sunday, but Bruno Mars performed a different kind of 24K magic that will last beyond his final show at Aloha Stadium. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s plan to address large-scale houses — as well as two alternate proposals — will be aired by the full Honolulu City Council for the first time at its meeting Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

State grants Kahala resort continued use of public beach. A decision by the state Board of Land and Natural Resources could mean that the Kahala Hotel &Resort can now legally use more of the public lands adjacent to its property for commercial purposes. Star-Advertiser.

About 2,000 gallons of wastewater spilled into a storm drain that drains into the ocean today at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, a Navy Facilities Hawaii spokeswoman said. Star-Advertiser.

Navy officials reported Sunday a large wastewater spill adjacent to the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard facilities on base. The Navy says the spill was reported around 7:10 a.m. near Bravo Pier 13. Hawaii News Now.

Nanakuli charter school once hailed as educational leader in upheaval amid financial woes. For years, Ka Waihona o ka Naauao in Nanakuli has been dedicated to academic excellence and Hawaiian culture for its 600 students. Hawaii News Now.

The developer of Ward Village in Kakaako took the tiniest of steps recently to reach a major milestone: declaring its first “sold out” condominium tower. Star-Advertiser.

A major Hawaii printer is closing its commercial printing business and laying off 93 people in part because of tariffs the U.S. slapped on imports of Chinese paper. Associated Press.

Hagadone Hawaii to shutter commercial printing operations, lay off 93 workers. The printing press, which is owned by Idaho-based The Hagadone Corporation, cited rising costs due to increased import tariffs and the shift of local commercial print jobs and publications to the Mainland as the primary reasons. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii Island

A proposal under consideration for the 2020 ballot would cut the county open space land fund by half and allow the County Council to suspend the fund in emergencies or when too much money accumulates. West Hawaii Today.

The state Department of Health will hold a public informational meeting and hearing Wednesday on the Hu Honua Bioenergy plant being built at Pepeekeo. Janice Okubo, a DOH spokeswoman, said public meetings aren’t required for the applications, and are being held in response to a high amount of public interest. Tribune-Herald.

Makeshift checkpoint erected near beach park. Wayson Ioane was tired of people driving into the area near Lehia Beach Park at the end of Kalanianaole Avenue to take drugs. Tribune-Herald.

The number of Big Island middle and high school students who report using drugs and alcohol is higher than state averages, according to new statistics from the 2017 Hawaii Youth Risk Behaviors Hawaii School Health Survey. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaiian Ethos can’t confirm opening date, sets sneak peek of Kona dispensary for December. After substantial delays, Hawaiian Ethos has begun growing medicinal cannabis for distribution from its Kona location. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Wahine power breaks up the old boys club. In a historic first, women take the majority of the next Maui County Council. Maui News.

Money matters. Candidates reflect on the green that oils political campaigns. Maui News.

Maui’s home prices approach record high. The median price of single-family homes jumped 15.8 percent to a near-record $774,223 from $668,675 in the year-earlier month, according to new data from the Realtors Association of Maui. Star-Advertiser.

Gas prices on Maui have been rising. According to the AAA Hawaii Weekend Gas Watch. AAA Hawaii reported that the average gas price in Kahului on Thursday was $4.21. Maui Now.

Kauai

The first phase of construction for the Lihue Town Core Mobility and Revitalization project will begin Tuesday and work will continue on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., according to the Department of Public Works and Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. Garden Island.

‘New era in agriculture’. Agriculture is more than digging a hole in the ground and planting something, said Judith Rivera, Corteva Agriscience Hawaii research lead Friday at the dedication and blessing of a new lab building in Kekaha.Garden Island.

Kauai oceanfront estate sets new record for Hawaii residential properties with $46M sales price. The sale of a 15-acre oceanfront estate with a 10,000-square-foot home above Secret Beach on the North Shore of Kauai has closed for $46.1 million, the highest price for a Hawaii residential property so far in 2018, and a new all-time record for a residential property in Hawaii. Pacific Business News.