New hazards as lava enters ocean, Ige, Hirono, visit Big Island, Akaka memorialized, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Lava flow snakes to the sea PC: USGS

 Lava from active fissures near the Leilani Estates subdivision has completed a nearly 4-mile crawl to the coast of Hawaii Island and is pouring into the ocean at two separate points. Hawaii News Now.

Gov. David Ige returned to the Big Island on Sunday for an update about the emergency situation in lower Puna after lava from Kilauea volcano crossed Highway 137 and entered the ocean Saturday night. Tribune-Herald.

On Sunday, May 20, 2018, Sen. Mazie K. Hirono visited with Hawaii Island residents who have been displaced by volcanic activity in lower Puna. Big Island Now.

===MORE VOLCANO NEWS AT HAWAII ISLAND CATEGORY===

The late U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka was remembered Saturday not only as a national political figure but as a devoted father, a man of musical talent and a person of deep spirituality.  Star-Advertiser.

Akaka

'An amazing life': Hundreds gather to say aloha to the late Sen. Dan Akaka. Hawaii News Now.

Hundreds gather for US Senator Daniel K. Akaka's celebration of life at Kawaihao Church. KHON2.

The late U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka was memorialized Friday at the state Captiol in Honolulu, where was scheduled to lie in state for 24 hours. Pacific Business News.

SLIDESHOW: Hawaii Bids A Final Aloha To Sen. Daniel Akaka. Civil Beat.

Flooding renews interest in climate-change planning. Recent flooding in East Oahu and North Kauai, which sustained an estimated $20 million in damage, not including homes and businesses, has provided a glimpse of what climate change could look like and could add to the sense of urgency across the state. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

State bans swimming at Haseko lagoon. The water quality of a 52-acre basin at Hoakalei Resort residences in Ewa Beach is better than at popular swimming spots including Magic Island, Lanikai and Ko Olina. Star-Advertiser.

Work on beach groin awaits state funding. The crumbling Royal Hawaiian groin, between the Waikiki Sheraton and Royal Hawaiian hotels, is all that is keeping a prime section of Hawaii’s most visited beach from being swept away. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu’s Vanishing Crosswalks: Why The City Is Taking Them Out. The city has removed 34 crosswalks since September 2016, despite protests from some neighborhood groups. Civil Beat.

Lime said it is temporarily suspending its electric scooter-sharing service in Honolulu on Friday, following the city’s announcement that the company is in violation of state and city laws for failing to register the scooters as mopeds. Pacific Business News.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell vetoed a bill Friday that would have prohibited the administration from implementing bulb-outs, essentially curbside extensions, at five Chinatown locations. Star-Advertiser.

Several dozen people lined the sidewalk near the Duke Kahanamoku statue in Waikiki Saturday to protest the city’s awarding of a contract to run concession stands offering surf lessons and outrigger canoe rides to a new vendor, ousting a longtime business providing beachboy services. Star-Advertiser.

United Airlines Resists Honolulu Workers’ Effort To Unionize. Most employees in the Honolulu catering department are from islands in Micronesia and rely on flight benefits to go home. Civil Beat.

Three monk seals mysteriously die on Oahu. KHON2.

Hawaii Island

Early morning eruption belches more ash from Kilauea. Star-Advertiser.

Explosions continue at the summit of Kilauea, prompting warnings about the threat of ashfall that could reach nearby communities. Hawaii News Now.


On Sunday the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory issued a new Kilauea Volcano air quality warning — this time about “laze,” short for lava haze. Star-Advertiser.

“Laze,” the noxious, potentially deadly gas caused by hot lava hitting the ocean, could have a potentially widespread effect in lower Puna, according to a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory official. Tribune-Herald.

A volcano that is oozing, spewing and exploding on Hawaii’s Big Island has gotten more hazardous in recent days, with rivers of molten rock flowing into the ocean and flying lava causing the first major injury. Associated Press.

Volcano enters ocean, causes new health hazard of "laze". KITV.

The idea that Kilauea is normally a docile volcano that erupts lava flows has been altered due to recent research, scientists say. Big Island Video News.

Two-story lava wall cuts off parts of Highway 137, impacting thousands. Hawaii News Now.

Affordable rents will bring some Lower Puna residents back home. Star-Advertiser.

Three weeks after Mayor Harry Kim suffered his fifth heart attack, he’s moved behind the scenes but remains unapologetic about a comment he made during his last public appearance Monday. West Hawaii Today.

Kohala Councilman Tim Richards is attempting something that rarely happens in Hawaii County government — he wants to lower taxes. West Hawaii Today.

Kohala Councilman Tim Richards wants to zero out Mass Transit’s general fund budget, leaving county officials wondering how they will keep the buses running at all, much less on time. West Hawaii Today.

Maui


Gov. David Ige will be the third speaker in the Nisei Veterans Memorial Center Leadership Series of talks on June 9. Maui News.

Affordable housing is topic of forum. Maui News.

The state Department of Taxation reports that a Maui physician was arrested on Thursday for alleged tax violations. Maui Now.

Kauai

Kauai’s first medical marijuana dispensary got the green light Friday to begin sales on the Garden Isle. Star-Advertiser.

The Quest To Rebuild An Old Russian Fort On Kauai — And Meet Putin. But a UH archaeologist says the Russian presence was minimal — and any plan should focus on the fort’s place in Native Hawaiian history. Civil Beat.

Staff, board sought for new school. Garden Island.

Molokai

Friendly Isle residents cope with seed company closure. Loss of 78 Molokai jobs equivalent to nearly 2,500 on Maui, over 14,000 on Oahu. Maui News.