UH Board of Regents approves Mauna Kea rules, Gabbard qualifies for DNC debate, Honolulu lifeguard hours extended, Big Island to ban county herbicide use, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Tourists view Mauna Kea telescopes ©2019 All Hawaii News

Controversial rules passed to protect Mauna Kea’s natural resources. The proposed Mauna Kea administrative rules were battered and bruised over eight hours of testimony Wednesday, but the University of Hawaii Board of Regents unanimously approved them anyway, with one substantial provision. Star-Advertiser.

UH Board of Regents Approve Mauna Kea Resolution and Rules. The University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents approved the latest draft of rules yesterday governing activities on Mauna Kea. Hawaii Public Radio.

UH regents amend, approve draft administrative rules for Maunakea. After eight hours of impassioned opposition from community members, the University of Hawaii Board of Regents ultimately voted Wednesday to amend and approve a draft of administrative rules governing Maunakea. Tribune-Herald.

UH Regents approve stewardship resolution, rules on management for Mauna Kea. The guidelines aim to limit the amount of vehicles and commercial activity on the mountain. Hawaii News Now.

UH regents approve resolution on Mauna Kea stewardship, proposed administrative rules. The University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents approved the latest draft of the administrative rules for University of Hawaiʻi-managed lands on Maunakea at a special meeting on November 6 on the UH Hilo campus. KHON2.

UH Board of Regents passes Mauna Kea administrative rules with one change. The UH Board of Regents has passed administrative rules related to Mauna Kea but has made one change: removing the section regarding group use registration. KITV.

UH Regents Approve Mauna Kea Admin Rules. The University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents voted unanimously in favor of the rules with one amendment after a marathon meeting in Hilo. Big Island Video News.

Regents agenda and rules (page 627) can be found here.

Mayor on Maunakea impasse: ‘If we work on it, we can do it’. Mayor Harry Kim remains steadfast in his commitment to finding a way forward as the standoff over the Thirty Meter Telescope on Maunakea continues. West Hawaii Today.

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Tulsi Gabbard qualifies for November presidential debate, defying predictions. Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has qualified for the November presidential debate, defying predictions that her performance last month in Westerville, Ohio, would mark the last time she would be on the national debate stage. Star-Advertiser.

Gabbard Qualifies For November DNC Debates. She has yet to meet the criteria for December, however. Civil Beat.

Gabbard meets criteria to participate in next Democratic presidential debate. Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has met the qualifying criteria for the next Democratic presidential debate and is poised to join nine other candidates on stage later this month. Hawaii News Now.

Gabbard Says She Won't Mount 3rd-Party 2020 Presidential Bid. Longshot presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard says she will not launch a third-party bid for the White House if she fails to secure the Democratic nomination. Associated Press.

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Judge Considers Whether To Allow Hawaii To Subpoena Airbnb. A judge on Wednesday ruled Hawaii tax authorities may subpoena Airbnb for records of its hosts as part of an investigation into whether operators of vacation rentals have been paying their taxes. Associated Press.

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Singapore Is An Affordable Housing Model, But Can Hawaii Follow? Hawaii’s challenges include divided state and county governments and no overall coordination. Civil Beat.

Housing experts weigh in on affordable housing plan based on Singapore’s model. State Sen. Stanley Chang wants to take a page from Singapore's public housing playbook and apply it to Hawaii's affordable housing shortage. Hawaii News Now.

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DOT has a long-term fix for Hawaii’s roads. The Department of Transportation has a solution that could double the life of their roads. It’s called stone matrix asphalt, a stronger and more flexible aggregate that could last up to 25 years. KHON2.

Flying into the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Midway Atoll appears out of the vast blue Pacific as a tiny oasis of coral-fringed land with pristine white sand beaches that are teeming with life. But on the ground, there’s a different scene: plastic, pollution and death. Associated Press.

Political Feuding Over The Border Wall Is Stalling Military Housing Reform. Grim housing conditions on military bases in Hawaii and elsewhere remain as Congress continues to argue over diverting military dollars to pay for Trump’s proposed border wall. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Council OKs extending workday of lifeguards. Lifeguard service on Oahu beaches will be extended to sunrise-to-sunset from the current 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. hours under a measure adopted by the Honolulu City Council Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

City Council votes to extend lifeguard hours, but the change won’t go into effect immediately. On Wednesday, the Honolulu City Council voted to pass Bill 39. It begins the process of extending lifeguard hours from sunrise to sunset. Hawaii News Now.

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New Ala Moana Pedestrian Bridge Planned Near Fatal Crash Site. Kakaako developers hope the new bridge will also serve as a “linear park” for pedestrians, similar to New York City’s High Line park. Civil Beat.

State awarded $20M in federal funds for Ala Moana pedestrian bridge. Federal transportation officials have committed to $20 million in funding to help the state build a pedestrian bridge over Ala Moana Boulevard, according to U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz. Star-Advertiser.

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City Plastics Ban Bill Undergoing Changes But Businesses Want Statewide Approach. A bill banning single-use plastic items on Oahu has been moved back to a City Council committee for more discussion but that’s not stopping business owners from wanting a statewide approach to the issue.  Hawaii Public Radio.

Major project begins to tackle erosion hotspot on Oahu’s most famous shoreline. Crews have started working on a new fix for an erosion hotspot in Waikiki. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Herbicide ban advances. A ban on the county’s use of weedkillers in parks and along its highways advanced Wednesday on an 8-1 vote, although some members of the County Council asked for more clarification before its final vote later this month. West Hawaii Today.

Food Basket to receive nearly $1M to help low-income families. The Food Basket, Hawaii Island’s food bank, will receive nearly $1 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help more low-income families throughout Hawaii access locally grown produce and healthy food, it was announced Wednesday. Tribune-Herald.

Farmers market canopy to be constructed ‘soon’. While the actual building of a permanent canopy over Hilo Farmers Market’s produce area hasn’t yet started, a sign was posted saying construction will start soon. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

US Supreme Court Hears Maui Pollution Case As Mayor, Council Fight Continues. The high profile case is now in the hands of the justices, but if the Maui County Council gets its way a decision may never come. Civil Beat.

Justices Seem Uncertain About Reach Of Clean Water Act In Maui Case. The justices heard arguments Wednesday about whether a sewage treatment plant needs a federal permit when it sends treated wastewater deep underground, instead of discharging the sewage directly into the Pacific Ocean. Associated Press.

Supreme Court hears debate in Maui injection well case. Maui County Council members who tried to stop a case involving wastewater injection wells from being heard before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday say they still hope Maui Mayor Michael Victorino will withdraw the case before justices can come out with a ruling sometime next year. Star-Advertiser.

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Water supply impacted by redirection of river. County says plant shutdown coincides with fish kill incident. Damage to diversions and redirecting of stream flow in the Wailuku River reduced water intake to the county treatment plant to the point that it had to shutdown three times since Oct. 28, the county water director said. Maui News.

Special Counsel Sought in County’s Climate Change Lawsuit. The County of Maui is seeking to hire special counsel in a lawsuit that alleges fossil fuel companies are responsible for the impacts of climate change and rising sea levels. Maui Now.

Kahului Airport terminal expansion project under way. DOT submits SMA application for 27,300 square foot, 400 seat growth. Maui News.

DLNR completes new Maui annex building. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources held a blessing and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday to mark the completion of its new 8,000-square-foot Maui annex building, which will house four divisions. Maui News.

Two meetings on Pulelehua project set for Saturday. Community open house for the 304-acre Pulelehua community in West Maui will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. today and 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Princess Nahienaena Elementary School Cafeteria. Maui News.

Kauai

Bringin’ back the ‘o‘opu. For three years, hydrologist and water resources engineer Matt Rosener has been heading up a stream-restoration project in the North Shore Waipa watershed. Garden Island.

Molokai

CEO of Molokai’s only health center not stepping down despite residents’ demands. Tempers flared on Molokai Wednesday night at a meeting about the island's only health center. The CEO of the Molokai Community Health Center is resisting demands for her to step down. Hawaii News Now.

More Kahuku wind farm protesters arrested, Honolulu medical examiner ousted, Katherine Kealoha signs plea deal with feds, Maui mayor rejects injection well settlement, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Kahuku wind farm blockade PC: Choon James via Facebook

Honolulu police arrest more opponents blocking convoy to Kahuku wind farm. At least two dozen opponents of the Na Pua Makani project have joined themselves together with zip ties and duct tape in Kalaeloa in West Oahu. Hawaii News Now.

Arrests made in Wind Farm Protest in Kalaeloa. Demonstrators have gathered in Kalaeloa in an effort to stop wind farm construction equipment from being moved to Kahuku. KITV.

Police arrest wind farm protesters at Kalaeloa as turbine blades depart for Kahuku. About 70 Honolulu Police personnel and over 70 protesters against the Na Pua Makani wind farm project have gathered in Kalaeloa Sunday night for the first time after 55 protesters were arrested Thursday and Friday. Star-Advertiser.

Kahuku wind farm protesters prepare for long fight. Kahuku resident Kananiloaanuenue Ponciano settled in for a 12-hour shift yesterday at the Ku Kia‘i Kahuku campsite along Kamehameha Highway on the North Shore, the hub for protesters of a planned wind farm. Star-Advertiser.

With Eye On Mauna Kea, Oahu Isn’t Letting Protesters Stop Unpopular Projects. But the price for pushing through unpopular projects such as the Na Pua Makani wind farm is an enormous logistical effort to keep the kia’i at bay. Civil Beat.

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Where Do All Of Hawaii’s Recyclables Go? No One Knows For Sure. Hawaii is unlikely to get a recycling facility anytime soon, so your soda cans and water bottles must travel thousands of miles to be recycled. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Schools Are Making Progress In Career And Technical Education. Completion of a vocational education program was the only area where DOE students showed improvement in the 2018-19 school year. Civil Beat.

Researchers find second warship from WWII Battle of Midway. A group of deep-sea researchers looking for sunken World War II ships have found a second Japanese aircraft carrier that went down in the Pacific during the historic Battle of Midway. Associated Press.

Oahu

HART takes gamble on partnership plan for rail. The decision to use a public-private partnership to complete the Honolulu rail project has always been a bit of a gamble, but now the stakes are getting higher, and the city is all in. Star-Advertiser.

Katherine Kealoha Signs Plea Deal With Prosecutors. Her attorney said she signed a deal at the Federal Detention Center Sunday morning. Civil Beat.

Honolulu’s Chief Medical Examiner may be out of job. Dr. Christopher Happy has been the city’s Chief Medical Examiner since 2013. But according to City Council Chair Ikaika Anderson, the Mayor’s office is moving to terminate him. KHON2.

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Pilot project aimed at reducing Oahu’s homeless will start in Waipahu. A hub for homeless services will go up in the middle of Waipahu Cultural Garden Park — home to Hawaii’s Plantation Village. Star-Advertiser.

Roving homeless service center with inflatable tents to debut in Waipahu. In an effort to get more homeless people off the streets and into shelters, the state and city are teaming up to launch a mobile hub for temporary housing and services that will be open around the clock. Hawaii News Now.

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Once-Defeated Kaneohe Cemetery Expansion Plan Is Back. While many neighbors are mounting opposition to the new proposal, the expansion has vocal support from several Native Hawaiian organizations. Civil Beat.

City to consider limits for South Shore surfing contests. The city is considering setting limits for surfing contests at Oahu’s South Shore, where Olympian Duke Kahanamoku and his fellow Waikiki beachboys put the sport on the map. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

The debate over the Mauna Kea Access Road is likely to be brought up at this week’s Hawaiian Homes meetings in Hilo. A discussion on Act 14, which directly relates to the Mauna Kea Access Road disagreement, is on the agenda when the commission meets Monday. Big Island Video News.

Plea deal is offered to arrested TMT protesters. The state Attorney General’s Office has offered a plea deal to protesters who were arrested in July for blocking Maunakea Access Road that would dispose of their cases if each pays a $100 fine. Star-Advertiser.

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Input sought on proposed solar project in Waikoloa. Developers of a 400- to 600-acre solar array proposed for Waikoloa are seeking input on the project they say will generate enough energy to power over 14,200 average households. West Hawaii Today.

South Point Wind Farm Requests License For Potential Bat, Petrel, Nene Deaths. Tawhiri Power LLC is requesting a 20-year Incidental Take License for the Pakini Nui Wind Farm on the island of Hawai‘i to permit incidental take of the Hawaiian Hoary Bat, the Hawaiian Petrel, and the Nene. Big Island Video News.

Kampachi Farms moving forward with macroalgae project in waters off Kona Coast. Kampachi Farms plans to begin testing next summer an underwater farm the mariculture company hopes will produce large quantities of limu — edible seaweed — off the Kona Coast. West Hawaii Today.

Home sales are down but prices are up. Home sales and home prices on the Big Island in the third quarter were neck and neck with those in the second. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Maui Mayor Michael Victorino will defy a County Council resolution and continue to pursue the county’s case before the U.S. Supreme Court over Lahaina injection wells. The mayor posted a letter on the county website Friday afternoon. Maui News.

House finance chair: New Maui jail a priority. Top House Finance Committee members visit island. Maui News.

Protest Signs Condemn Residential Construction for ‘Desecration’ of Iwi. The symbols express opposition to the construction of 60 new single-family homes for the last phase of The Parkways at Maui Lani due to the presence of iwi kūpuna, or human remains.  Maui Now.

Kauai

Agencies seek businesses’ help. The Federal Emergency Management Agency in partnership with the County of Kauai will be hosting Industry Day at the Kauai Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday, Oct. 23, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Garden Island.