Relentless Kilauea volcano threatens more homes, emergency workers caught sleeping, Trump expands Oahu and Kauai emergency declaration, OHA trustee sues Ethics Commission, prostitution rises with RIMPAC, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

USGS scientist studies Kilauea volcano on June 25 PC: USGS

Fresh lava oozes in Kapoho Beach Lots, expands south along shoreline. Fissure 8 continues to be very active, feeding the lava channel flowing into the ocean in Kapoho. Star-Advertiser.

Fissure 8 Lava Flow is Expanding South. Hawaii Public Radio.

At least two more homes in Kapoho Beach Lots are expected to be damaged or destroyed today. Tribune-Herald.

Lt. Col. Charles Anthony, the voice and face of the state Department of Defense for nearly 24 years, is retiring and will become director of public affairs for Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Star-Advertiser.

Workers At Agency That Sent False Alert Were Seen Sleeping. Emails released by the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency also indicate concerns were voiced about how to cancel an alert. Associated Press.

The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency is holding open houses to educate the public on its plans for disasters such as hurricanes, tsunamis, severe flooding, and wildfires. KHON2.

The Trump administration has expanded its response to the April flooding on Kauai and Oahu to include federal disaster assistance for individuals. Star-Advertiser.

People whose homes were damaged or destroyed in April's historic flooding disaster will now be able to receive federal help. Hawaii News Now.

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Supreme Court Deals A Major Blow To Public Sector Unions. The high court rules that unions can’t force nonmembers to pay membership dues, saying it violates the First Amendment. Civil Beat.

Union leaders say they don't expect members to opt out after Supreme Court ruling. KHON2.

Economists: Public Employee Union Membership Is Bound To Drop. Compulsory union dues are a thing of the past due to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. But some say a pro-union culture in the islands will prevail. Civil Beat.

The U.S. Supreme Court decision that government workers cannot be required to contribute to labor unions came as no surprise to the state’s largest union, the Hawaii Government Employees Association. Star-Advertiser.

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Political Intrigue: What This Consultant Is Doing In Hawaii Is A Mystery. Strategies 360 won’t reveal a single client or issue it’s supporting in the islands. But the company has assembled a stable of well-known local talent. Civil Beat.

Republican gubernatorial contenders’ views differ in debate. If there is one thing that Andria Tupola and John Carroll agree on it’s that Gov. David Ige did a poor job handling Hawaii’s now infamous false missile alert. Star-Advertiser.

'Message of change': Republican candidates for governor square off in debate. Hawaii News Now.

Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee Rowena Akana had vowed to fight ethics charges filed against her, and on Wednesday she did just that, filing a lawsuit that aims to block the effort. Star-Advertiser.

The state ethics commission is now facing a new lawsuit from an Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee. Hawaii News Now.

Are Hawaii's government computers ready for ransomware? IT departments wage a constant battle to keep cyber threats out, safeguarding sensitive information and preventing services from shutting down. KITV.

69 public schools offer free summer meals. But most kids don't claim them. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii pesticide ban. Chlorpyrifos is a pesticide that’s in wide use around the world; it’s legal in 49 US States, and its use was legal in Hawaii until a couple of weeks ago, when Hawaii became the first state in the nation to ban its use. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

The Honolulu City Council Budget Committee on Wednesday advanced a resolution urging Honolulu’s rail board to seek a private partner to help build the final segment of the 20-mile transit line. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu City Council is considering a resolution designating Chinatown as a slum. It sounds ugly and negative, but it could bring federal help if it’s done. KITV.

City leaders consider criminal charges for monster home violators. Hawaii News Now.

Demand for prostitution increases in Honolulu while RIMPAC is in town. Honolulu becomes a home base to military members from 25 nations during RIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific. KITV.

Union kicks off hotel talks with rally. Organized labor took a beating on Wednesday in Washington, D.C., but you wouldn’t have known that by the show of force exhibited by the 1,500 Unite Here Local 5 hotel workers who kicked off bargaining talks with a rally Wednesday in Waikiki. Star-Advertiser.

Teacher Training on Houseless Students Conducted. There are an estimated 300 children in Hawaii believed to be houseless. Hawaii Public Radio.

Vietnam veterans to be recognized at Fort Shafter. Forty-six years ago this Friday, the 196th Light Infantry was the last U.S. Army combat brigade to leave Vietnam as part of the withdrawal from the war. Star-Advertiser.

A Pearl City restaurant shuts down after roach infestation discovered. The Department of Health has issued a red placard to Buzz's Original Steakhouse in Pearl City. Hawaii News Now.

Roach infestation shuts down popular Pearl City restaurant. KHON2.

Walmart is hosting a celebration at 7:45 a.m. today to recognize the grand opening of the Hawaii Walmart Academy and the program’s inaugural graduating class. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Looting and squatting in vacant houses is a growing problem in some of the Puna neighborhoods that have been evacuated and closed off to the public because of the Kilauea eruption, according to area residents. Star-Advertiser.

County mulls options for housing of lava evacuees as grassroots efforts continue. During public meetings in Pahoa, Hawaii County officials have mostly been vague about what a housing plan for those displaced by the Kilauea eruption might look like. Tribune-Herald.

Ige’s comments create confusion over possible lava viewing site. Gov. David Ige said at a news conference Monday that a much-discussed lava viewing area might be built outside of the Puna district — comments that were clarified Wednesday by Ige’s staff. Tribune-Herald.

Ocean Robots Collect Data From Kilauea Flow. Big Island Now.

Incredible video captures the rescue of stranded farm animals from isolation on the other side of the giant lava channel flowing in Puna. Big Island Video News.

A bill authorizing the county to pick up abandoned vehicles on private roads soon will be back before the County Council after a unanimous endorsement Wednesday by the Environmental Management Commission. West Hawaii Today.

“Love Activates” is the theme for Saturday’s Hawaii Island LGBTQ Pride Parade and Festival in Hilo. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Maui Fire Chief Jeffrey A. Murray retires on June 30th, 2018, after 10 years at the helm of the department. Maui Now.

Maui Fire Department Chief Jeff Murray will retire Saturday after 29 years with the department. Star-Advertiser.

Maui County’s abandoned vehicles staff does not see many major problems with a new state law requiring counties to remove and dispose of abandoned vehicles along public roads within 10 business days of being declared abandoned. Maui News.

A new study includes two Maui locations on a top 10 list of the best ocean beach towns in the US. Maui Now.

Two Hawaii beach towns crack top 10 in new national ranking. Pacific Business News.

Maui County website lists legal vacation rental developments. Maui News.

Kauai

Biggest Local Election In A Generation. New political blood is assured as six candidates seek the mayorship and a whopping field of 24 seek posts on the County Council. Civil Beat.

Counseling, unemployment assistance and a Disaster Relief Center are all coming to Kauai, courtesy of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Garden Island.

There was no shortage of heroes in the aftermath of the storm that dumped a record-breaking four feet of rain on Hanalei in April. Garden Island.

Explosions expected at summit of Kilauea volcano, national park closing Friday, governor asks Trump for more help as geothermal plant at risk, Supreme Court sets Thirty Meter Telescope arguments, Kealoha trial scheduled, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Visitors at Kilauea volcano PC: J. Wei

The USGS issued an ominous warning Wednesday about Kilauea: Eruptions at the summit crater could trigger explosions so violent they fling 10-ton boulders as far as a half mile away and send ash columns miles into the sky. Hawaii News Now.

Geologists say the Big Island’s Kilauea volcano could erupt explosively and send boulders, rocks and ash into the air around its summit caldera in coming weeks. Associated Press.

Scientists with the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory told a packed Kilauea Visitor Center auditorium within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park that explosions are likely to occur at the summit in the near future. Big Island Video News.

Scientists update residents near Volcano on lurking dangers at Kilauea. KITV.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will close Friday and until further notice because of the possibility of an explosive eruption that could blast steam, rock and ash from the Halemaumau lava lake crater at the summit of Kilauea Volcano. Star-Advertiser.

Scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory are warning that the steady lowering of the Halemaumau lava lake at Kilauea volcano’s summit overlook crater indicates that explosive eruptions are possible in the coming weeks. Star-Advertiser.

Most of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will close Friday. Officials say it's possible for a steam-induced explosion to occur at the summit of Kilauea Volcano due to the receding lava lake. KHON2.

Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said Wednesday that a steady lowering of the lava lake at Kilauea volcano’s Overlook crater within Halemaumau “has raised the potential for explosive eruptions” that could happen as soon as next week, while officials from the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park said they would close the majority of the park on Friday in anticipation of such an event. Pacific Business News.

Gov. David Ige has asked President Donald Trump to declare a disaster declaration on the Big Island, which continues to grapple with ongoing quakes and lava flow from the Kilauea volcano. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige on Wednesday signed a presidential disaster declaration request, in which he asked U.S. President Donald Trump to declare the state of Hawaii a major disaster as a result of the ongoing eruptions of Kilauea volcano. Pacific Business News.

Gov. David Ige has issued a supplemental emergency proclamation for the 2018 Kilauea eruption that, among other emergency management functions, establishes lines of authority that will enable a more comprehensive response to changing and unpredictable risks posed by the current eruption. Big Island Now.

With some 50,000 gallons of potentially explosive solvent still sitting at the Puna Geothermal Venture power plant, Gov. David Ige on Wednesday signed an emergency proclamation giving him the authority to do what’s necessary at the plant to protect the community. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige on Wednesday signed a supplemental emergency proclamation due to the ongoing eruption of Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island that will, among other things, include the removal of hazardous material for Puna Geothermal Ventures. Pacific Business News.

Gov. David Ige issued a new emergency declaration Wednesday to move 60,000 gallons of high flammable chemicals from Puna Geothermal Venture by the end of tomorrow. Tribune-Herald.

Gov. David Ige took action Wednesday to mitigate risks to Puna Geothermal Venture in light of Kilauea Volcano's latest eruption. KHON2.

After helping with relief efforts following two major disasters in the past month, the Red Cross of Hawaii is dealing with complaints about the way it manages donations. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Former Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha and his deputy prosecutor wife Katherine Kealoha will stand trial on bank fraud charges in November, then stand trial again in March with four former members of the Honolulu Police Department’s elite Criminal Intelligence Unit on charges accusing them of staging the theft of their mailbox and lying about it. Star-Advertiser.

Taxi Companies vs Uber and Lyft Showdown at Honolulu City Council. The Honolulu City Council is considering a measure to regulate ridesharing companies. Hawaii Public Radio.

New law enacts tougher penalties for drift racing. Star-Advertiser.

A bill stopping the city from installing bulb-outs at two key Chinatown intersections won a narrow 5-4 approval from the Honolulu City Council Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s largest shopping center had been warned about unsafe conditions on its property 11 years before one young man was killed and another severely injured there in 2016, but it chose to do nothing about it, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

The families of two men who fell through a railing at Ala Moana Center in 2016 are now suing the property owner for ignoring concerns they say could have prevented the incident. Hawaii News Now.

Lawsuit filed against Ala Moana in deadly railing accident. KHON2.

Honolulu police are on the verge of launching an urgent care clinic in Chinatown, where homeless people can see a doctor for free. Hawaii News Now.

Why This Church Breaks The Law Every Sunday. South Shore Christian Fellowship is racking up daily fines for operating in an agricultural area. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

There will be no county surcharge on the state general excise tax this year, following action Wednesday by the County Council. West Hawaii Today.

The Hawaii Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on June 21 regarding the appeal of the conservation district use permit for the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on the summit of the Big Island’s Mauna Kea. Pacific Business News.

Water system again down four wells, no restriction yet in effect for North Kona. West Hawaii Today.

State Representatives and Senators to visit Puna lava flow areas. KHON2.

Volcanic activity subsided in Puna on Wednesday evening, but there was little hope for a length reprieve amid new warnings about the potential of explosive eruptions at Kilauea's summit crater the likes of which Hawaii hasn't seen in nearly a century. Hawaii News Now.

A 15th fissure brought lava to the doorstep of Lanipuna Gardens on Wednesday while an ash cloud at Kilauea’s summit warned of more dangers to come. Tribune-Herald.

In addition to the threat of explosive eruptions at Kilauea’s summit, new vents and the wrath of lava, Hawaii island residents also have acid rain to worry about. Star-Advertiser.

Homeowners Face Insurance Dilemma in Lava Prone Areas. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Island police arrested a Pahoa man in connection with the burglary of a home in the Leilani Estates Subdivision, which is an area covered by an Emergency Proclamation declared by the Mayor's Office as of May 3. KHON2.

5 Tips to Protect Your Lungs From Volcanic Ash. Maui Now.

A number of relief efforts are ongoing to support residents affected by the Kilauea volcano eruption in Leilani Estates. Tribune-Herald.

The Hawaii Community Foundation, together with Anderson-Beck Fund, Jack’s Fund and the Darrin & Darien Gee Family Fund, established the Hawaii Island Volcano Recovery Fund to aid Big Island residents impacted by the recent Kilauea volcano eruption. Pacific Business News.

A charter school near Leilani Estates is relocating to escape lava and fumes like the rest of its neighbors, and another charter more than 25 miles away in Hilo also decided to pick up and move because of the threat of tsunami. Star-Advertiser.

Maui

Haleakala Visitors Generated $69.8 Million for Maui Economy in 2017. Maui Now.

Too much of a good thing becomes invasive. Related to the common soybean, glycine was introduced to Hawaii after a massive kikuyu grass dieback in the 1970s, according to the Maui Invasive Species Committee. Maui News.

Kauai

The public had a lot to say Wednesday evening during a public meeting regarding improved bus service and the installation of new charging stations for electric cars across the island. Garden Island.

Renters and home and business owners with National Flood Insurance Program insurance have four chances to get questions answered about policies and claims starting Monday during meetings scheduled throughout Kauai. Garden Island.

The mid-April deluge that damaged hundreds of homes and halted tourism on the farthest reaches of Kauai’s North Shore has revived a red-hot debate over whether vacation rentals should be allowed to operate in hazardous zones. Civil Beat.

A man has been arrested for allegedly killing a green sea turtle on Kauai.  Hawaii News Now.