Rail map, courtesy Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation |
HART dragging its feet on rail audit, Les Kondo says. The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation is offering “less than full cooperation” with an audit that was ordered up by state lawmakers of the $9 billion Honolulu rail project, according to Hawaii State Auditor Les Kondo. Star-Advertiser.
The United States on Thursday returned the remains of 64 fallen South Korean soldiers to its ally in the largest such repatriation ever from the Hawaii-based lab that identifies missing service members from past wars. Star-Advertiser.
In repatriation ceremony, US returns remains of soldiers killed in Korean War to SKorea. Hawaii News Now.
U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono’s re-election campaign is apologizing for sending a fundraising email referencing the sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Hawaii News Now.
Hirono: Kavanaugh’s attack on Democrats ‘off the wall’. U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono called Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s fiery denouncement of Democrats during his statement before the Senate Judiciary Committee “pretty off the wall” for a nominee being vetted to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court and said it showed that women and victims of sexual assault still aren’t being treated the way they should be. Star-Advertiser.
$125 million in April storm recovery funds remain largely unspent. It was supposed to be a recovery windfall: $125 million in state emergency money, mostly for Kauai, to help the Garden Island and parts of Honolulu recover from a major flood events this spring. KHON2.
Presidential disaster declaration approved for Hurricane Lane damages in Hawaii. The cyclone didn’t make landfall in Hawaii, but did leave behind a lot of damage. Hawaii News Now.
President Donald Trump approved the state’s request for a major disaster declaration for areas affected by Hurricane Lane. The declaration provides federal funding to local governments and some private organizations to help recover from storm damage on the Big Island, Maui and Kauai. Tribune-Herald.
Top 20 jobs in Hawaii are...More people in Hawaii work in retail than in any other industry. KHON2.
REPORT: Top 20 Jobs Employing the Most Workers in Hawaii. Big Island Now.
Oahu
The Hawaii Convention Center is aiming to complete nearly 20 capital improvement, repair and maintenance projects totaling about $26 million through 2024. Pacific Business News.
Owner of Cromwell’s offers to give cove to state for free. If the privately owned man-made swimming cove between Diamond Head and Black Point is something the state wants preserved, then the state should own it. Star-Advertiser.
Cops and Social Workers Join Forces To Get Homeless Help — And Off The Street. But low-level offenders, who were supposed to get services instead of jail time, still aren’t eligible for the new program. Civil Beat.
A Native Hawaiian woman and her husband filed a lawsuit Thursday against Kamehameha Schools over access to their home behind a North Shore retail complex developed by the trust. Star-Advertiser.
An elderly couple in Haleiwa is suing Kamehameha Schools for failing to keep its roads accessible. KITV.
Power restored after two large outages on Oahu. HECO restored power to some 8,630 customers across Oahu this afternoon. Hawaii News Now.
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell hopes to bring well-known individuals with ties to Hawaii such as as former President Barack Obama, Bruno Mars and Oprah Winfrey to next year’s U.S. Conference of Mayors, which will take place in Hawaii for the first time in more than 50 years. Pacific Business News.
Hawaii County
Workers and employers negatively affected by the Kilauea eruption in lower Puna are eligible for employment relief through a federal grant program. Tribune-Herald.
Mauna Kea’s summit could be closed to private vehicles, large religious ceremonies and playing in the snow under rules the University of Hawaii wants to implement on public land it leases atop Hawaii’s tallest mountain. Civil Beat.
Cultural practitioners, astronomy supporters, and recreational users were in agreement on Wednesday night. During a hearing in Waikoloa, everyone who spoke (8) testified in opposition to the new administrative rules proposed for Mauna Kea. Big Island Video News.
County Council Proposes Amendments to County Charter. Big Island Now.
Maui
Shoreline setback rules draw ‘line in the sand’. Proposal takes sea-level rise into consideration. Maui News.
Lahaina property on auction block. Previously listed for nearly $8.5 million, a 3,726-square-foot, three-bedroom home at 1421 Front St. in Lahaina will be sold to the highest bidder online next month. Maui News.
Kauai
Sea level rise has already triggered flooding and coastal erosion on Kauai, with king tides reaching record levels and experts mobilizing communities to plan for the future. Garden Island.
Safer streets coming soon. Five years ago, after a series of workshops, the public sought improvements to the Kawaihau, Hauaala and Mailihuna roads intersections. Garden Island.
Tropical Storm Lane delayed plans to fix a sinkhole under Kahiliholo Road, where April floods washed a large portion of the road away. Work should now start in the second week of October. Garden Island.