FCC advisors investigate false missile scare, FBI probes Honolulu prosecutor as Ethics Commission drops charges, big raises for Big Island mayor, County Council, federal complaint over Takai campaign account, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Cold War stockpiles on Oahu, courtesy HI-EMA

Gov. David Ige and Hawaii Emergency Management Agency Administrator Vern Miyagi will brief state lawmakers today on the ballistic missile attack false alarm that frightened residents and tourists across Hawaii on Saturday. Star-Advertiser.

Investigators with the Federal Communications Commission met with state officials and members of the media at the Diamond Head Emergency Operations Center on Thursday. Hawaii News Now.

Advisors from the Federal Communications Commission are in Hawaii looking for answers after Saturday's false alert. KITV.

Everything you need to know about Hawaii's false ballistic missile alert in one place. Hawaii News Now.

State’s missile alert program rife with problems, Kim says. Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim says the state needs to reassess everything about its missile warning program, not just what led to last week’s false alarm that caused panic across Hawaii.  Tribune-Herald.

In the alert’s aftermath, some seek comfort in guns, MREs and supplies. Star-Advertiser.

Heartbreaking moment on social media when man puts child down manhole during false missile alarm. KITV.

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Republican gubernatorial candidate John Carroll has dubbed Democratic Gov. David Ige as “Doomsday David” and is calling on him to resign in the wake of Saturday’s ballistic missile false alarm. Star-Advertiser.

A nonprofit campaign finance watchdog in Washington, D.C., has filed a formal complaint with the Federal Election Commission against the campaign treasurer for the late Congressman Mark Takai, alleging that Dylan Beesley “illegally converted the late Congressman’s leftover campaign funds to personal use.” Star-Advertiser.

Complaint Filed Over Use Of Late Congressman’s Campaign Funds. The Campaign Legal Center says Dylan Beesley illegally converted funds to his own use after death of U.S. Rep. Mark Takai. Civil Beat.

Residents are urged to help combat climate change. The Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report, adopted by the Hawaii Climate Commission at the end of December and delivered to the state Legislature, projects climate change-driven sea level rise of 3.2 feet over the next 30 to 70 years. Star-Advertiser.

Here’s How Climate Change Is Already Threatening Hawaii. We’ve seen flooded streets and washed out beaches, but even the birds, the animals and the forests are being affected by global warming. Civil Beat.

State says it is past time to address climate change. Garden Island.

New questions in homeless survey aimed at better understanding lives of those on streets. Hundreds of volunteers are gearing up to canvass the state next week in an effort to count every person living on the street. Hawaii News Now.

Coming soon: Online inspection reports for neighbor island restaurants. KHON2.

Solar installations surged in 2017 while permits declined. Solar installations across Hawaiian Electric Cos.’ service territories rose in 2017 by the most megawatts in five years even as the number of permits that were issued continued a multiyear downward trend. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii solar installations see largest gain in 5 years, driven by rooftop solar. Hawaiian Electric Cos. said it added more than 100 megawatts of solar energy across its service territories in 2017. Pacific Business News.

Civil Beat: The 2018 legislative session. KITV.

Thousands of native Hawaiians turned out for the Onipaa Kakou march yesterday. The event commemorated the 125th Anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

FBI corruption investigation targets city prosecutor. Honolulu prosecuting attorney Keith Kaneshiro is the target of an FBI investigation into corruption at the highest levels of law enforcement on Oahu. Hawaii News Now.

Katherine Kealoha cleared of ethics claims despite charges. The attorney for the man who filed an ethics complaint against embattled lawyer and Honolulu Deputy Prosecutor Katherine Kealoha has called for the removal of the leader of the Office of Disciplinary Counsel because he cleared Kealoha of wrongdoing. Associated Press.

Mayor’s Affordable Housing Mandate Loses Ground. A City Council committee agrees to incentives for developers, but hesitates to impose requirements to build affordable units. Civil Beat.

1 of 2 affordable housing bills moves. A City Council committee gave preliminary approval Thursday to one bill that’s considered a key component of Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s affordable housing strategy, but held off taking a vote on a companion measure. Star-Advertiser.

Officers At Bar Shooting Denied City-Paid Legal Defense. They were off-duty, out of uniform and drinking when HPD Sgt. Anson Kimura accidentally shot a bartender. Civil Beat.

At Kualoa Ranch, a real WWII-era bunker came in pretty handy this weekend. Hawaii News Now.

State Department of Health officials said this morning they are investigating a possible case of hepatitis A in a Mapunapuna restaurant employee. Star-Advertiser.

Volunteers collect 10,000 pounds of invasive algae from Maunalua Bay. KHON2.

Hawaii Island

Raises approved: Mayor, County Council, others get big hikes. The Salary Commission approved raises up to 34.6 percent Thursday, while a County Council member has introduced a charter amendment to slow down the money train. West Hawaii Today.

Neighbors push back against resort project. The Leeward Planning Commission Thursday held off on approving a slate of requests from Waikoloa BC, LLC, related to a proposed 40-unit resort development. West Hawaii Today.

A crowd showed up to the Leeward Planning Commission meeting in Kealakehe on Thursday to share their opinion on a small resort complex being proposed for the cherished sandy beach of Anaehoomalu. Big Island Video News.

Power generation up but number of Big Island permits down. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Haleakala sunrise reservations gone in minutes; tweaks considered. Waitlist, cancellation capability mulled but changes not likely soon because park lacks control over system. Maui News.

It’s been two days since the latest road work started on Tuesday on the Honoapiilani between Keawe Street and Kapunakea Street. Maui Now.

Aloha Recycling HI5 redemption centers reopened early Thursday afternoon after closing a day earlier over alleged late payment from the state Department of Health. Maui News.

Kauai

Coco Palms continued. Thursday’s continuance in the Coco Palms civil case was continued again to this morning because Hawaiian language interpreter Kumu Hina wasn’t present. Garden Island.

Fallout from false missile alarm continues, Trump praises state officials for taking responsibility, FCC, state to investigate, death threats to H-EMA personnel, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Cellphone false missile alarm,  Facebook screen capture

President Donald Trump praised Hawaii officials for taking responsibility for Saturday morning’s panic-inducing alert that mistakenly warned of an incoming ballistic missile. Star-Advertiser.

VIDEO: President Trump Talks About Hawaii Missile Alert Fiasco. Big Island Video News.

The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission issued a stinging rebuke Sunday to Hawaii’s emergency management as ripples from Saturday’s nuclear scare spread far and wide. Star-Advertiser.

The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission said today Hawaii did not have “reasonable safeguards in place” to prevent Saturday’s false alert of an imminent missile attack. Star-Advertiser.

False Alarm Fallout: Worker Reassigned And Trump Weighs In. Hawaii appears to lack “reasonable” safeguards, says the Federal Communications Commission chairman. Civil Beat.

Missile-alert mistake feeds doubts about a real emergency. A blunder that caused more than a million people in Hawaii to fear that they were about to be struck by a nuclear missile fed skepticism Sunday about the government’s ability to keep them informed in a real emergency. Associated Press.

The false alarm about an incoming ballistic missile that sent Hawaii into a panic this weekend threatened to turn into a major embarrassment for the state and its politically endangered governor, David Ige, as Hawaii officials moved to head off damage to Hawaii’s biggest industry, tourism. New York Times.

Frightened people are sometimes angry people, and there was plenty of outrage following Saturday’s false missile attack alert and the official response to it. That raises questions about potential political fallout for Gov. David Ige as he campaigns for re-election this year, and for Ige, the timing was bad. Star-Advertiser.

Governor pledges changes after false alert about inbound missile. Hawaii News Now.

In an interview on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018, on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) called on the State of Hawaii to immediately address the failures that led to the false missile alert and correct them. Big Island Now.

HI-EMA focused on regaining trust, employee reassigned after false missile alert. HI-EMA administrator Vern Miyagi prepares to face lawmakers at a briefing on Friday to discuss what happened. KHON2.

How would Hawaii handle a real attack? False alarm gave us a glimpse. Hawaii News Now.

How to shelter during a nuclear attack. The state says to shelter in place, but what does that mean, and why? KITV.

TIMELINE: What happened after false missile emergency alert was sent. KHON2.

Human Error Caused Ballistic Missile False Alarm. Governor David Ige confirmed Saturday during a news conference that the emergency alert system warning of an imminent ballistic missile attack on Hawaii was due to human error. Hawaii Public Radio.

Businesses criticized for turning people away after false missile alert. Hawaii's agency in charge of protecting people is now the target of death threats following Saturday's missile alert error. Hawaii News Now.

Tourism industry adjusts to impact of false missile alert to visitors. Officials in the tourism industry tell us hotels have emergency plans in place but Saturday’s false alarm was different. KHON2.

Hawaii officials take 38 minutes to cancel false incoming ballistic alert. It took Hawaii officials more than 30 minutes to correct as a “false alarm” sent to mobile phones Saturday morning warning that a ballistic missile was headed for the Islands. Pacific Business News.

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Homelessness, housing top agenda as lawmakers reconvene. Associated Press.

Homelessness Expected to Top 2018 Legislative Agenda (Again). Hawaii Public Radio.

Running for the top spot. Hanabusa says her ‘political journey leads me to this point’ Maui News.

Army to revive ship-killing mission with RIMPAC test. The Army this summer will test a capability it first prepared for in Hawaii more than 100 years ago: the ability to sink a ship at sea from the shore. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin, who is running for Congress, says he’s disappointed with his campaign manager following a news report raising questions about possible inappropriate payments from a congressional campaign account. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Military warning termed ‘wake-up call’ for Waikiki. Local nightspots a major part of Waikiki’s late-night economy despite a recent warning issued by the Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board informing service members of violent crime and other illegal activity in Waikiki. Star-Advertiser.

Consumer prices in Honolulu rose last year at the fastest pace since 2011, driven by sharp increases in the cost of gasoline and electricity. Star-Advertiser.

Body found near airport runway believed to be a stowaway, sources say. Hawaii News Now.

Holiday parade through Waikiki to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. An MLK Jr. Day parade sponsored by the Martin Luther King Coalition will begin at 9 a.m. It will feature 2,000 marchers, 100 vehicles, 20 floats and six marching bands. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Residents and visitors confused, frightened by missile warning. East Hawaii residents are still reeling after Saturday morning’s mistakenly sent missile threat alert spun the state into a panic. Tribune-Herald.

UH-Hilo launches ‘sticky’ retention initiative. The University of Hawaii at Hilo kicked off a new effort this semester designed to help manage student enrollment and boost retention. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

As legislative session nears, lawmakers talk about priorities. Highways, schools, housing and homelessness will be among Maui County lawmakers’ top issues as they begin this year’s legislative session on Wednesday. Maui News.

A draft environmental assessment has been completed for development of the Kaiwahine Village project, a 120-unit affordable rental housing project on nearly 9.3 acres in north Kihei. Maui News.

After two days of struggling to free a humpback whale that was caught in hundreds of feet of braided line off Maui, a federal team was able to remove the gear last week and received a show of gratitude — of sorts — with the whale repeatedly breaching. Star-Advertiser.

Entangled Humpback Whale Freed Off Maui. Maui Now.

Kauai

County eyes new rules for bus stops. The proposed rules state that county bus stops will be closed for use between the hours of midnight and 4 a.m.; that alcohol, drugs and cigarettes, including e-cigs, will be prohibited at county bus stops; that no structures will be erected within the bus stop or adjacent to the bus stop; and no person will occupy a bus stop in a way that inhibits full use by the public. Garden Island.

Money flows to watersheds. Kauai has more than 144,000 acres of land that are part of the island’s system of watersheds. Garden Island.