Hot, hot, hot! Former IBEW employee admits to vote-rigging, unpermitted building erected near Thirty Meter Telescope protest camp, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii beach scene ©2019 All Hawaii News

A summer of record heat has some wondering: Is this the new normal? The heat records started stacking up in April. Hawaii News Now.

U.S. still has edge despite China’s advances, Pacific Air Forces’ head says. Despite a new study saying America has lost its “military primacy” in the Indo- Pacific due to a focus on the Middle East while China advanced its military capability, the head of Pacific Air Forces on Oahu said the United States still has the advantage. Star-Advertiser.

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Cultural Practitioners File Maunakea Petition. Another petition has been filed with the Land Use Commission regarding development on Mauna Kea. Big Island Now.

Mauna Kea activists build illegal structure on lava field. Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim is asking the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to investigate and “take necessary and appropriate action” in connection with an unpermitted wooden building being constructed in a lava field near the Mauna Kea protest camp. Star-Advertiser.

State, not protesters, could face fines for unpermitted structure at Mauna Kea. Mayor Harry Kim told Hawaii News Now the county doesn’t know who built it so the property owner, the Department of Hawaiian Homelands, is responsible and could be fined more than $1,000 per day. Hawaii News Now.

DHHL Says It Will Remove Structure Near Puuhuluhulu When Resources Are Available. A building that has been erected on the lava field near Puuhuluhulu in the midst of the ongoing standoff over the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea has gotten the government's attention. Big Island Video News.

TMT protesters told ‘library’ under construction is unpermitted; protest leaders fear state plans to clear blockade in next 30 days. Tribune-Herald.

Protesters allege the state intends to send Hawaii National Guard troops to Mauna Kea. The activists blocking Mauna Kea Access Road announced Tuesday “there has been word” that the state will use Hawaii National Guard troops and out-of-state law enforcement officers in the next 30 days to clear the way for construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope to begin. Star-Advertiser.

Costs keep rising; County has now spent more than $3.6 million on TMT-related expenses. The standoff at Maunakea Access Road has now cost the county more than $3.6 million. Tribune-Herald.

Liliuokalani's Peaceful Approach To Foreign Aggression Set Stage for Kapu Aloha. The words kapu aloha have emerged in the ongoing conflict over Mauna Kea. Hawaii Public Radio.

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State health officials confirmed Tuesday that there was one case of measles reported in a Hawaii resident who got sick while traveling in another state. Officials did not provide any other details such as where or when that resident contracted the highly-infectious disease. Hawaii News Now.

New law to ease Albizia anxiety. Albizia trees create beautiful canopies across Hawaii’s scenery — but the introduced species is responsible for millions and millions of dollars in damage. KHON2.

To offset Hawaii’s carbon emissions, group seeks to plant 1M trees a year (with your help). The group behind an ambitious plan to offset all of the state’s carbon emissions by planting one million trees a year in the islands is asking for your financial support. Hawaii News Now.

University of Hawaii project aims to plant 11,000 trees to offset state’s carbon emissions. The University of Hawaii at Manoa is upping the ante for its Carbon Neutrality Challenge — an effort to offset the state’s carbon emissions — by planting a record number of trees next month. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiian Airlines Stock Slumping Amid Fears Of Competition. Southwest is bringing lower fares to Hawaii and new restrictions on Airbnbs are also creating uncertainty about future traffic. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Rail spokesman pleads guilty to conspiracy charge linked to his time at union. Russell Yamanoha, a former sportcaster who now serves as spokesman for the rail authority, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to a misdemeanor conspiracy charge linked to his time at an embattled Hawaii union. Hawaii News Now.

Former television sports anchor and current HART spokesman Russell Yama­noha pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court to conspiring to rig a union election when he was an IBEW Local 1260 official. Star-Advertiser.

Former Sportscaster and Lahainaluna Graduate Accepts Plea Bargain in Federal Conspiracy Case. Maui Now.

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Push to impeach Kaneshiro continues as he collects taxpayer-funded salary while on leave. Keith Kaneshiro is still being paid his taxpayer-funded salary: $177,000 a year while on leave. He even got a raise in July. Hawaii News Now.

Race to replace Kaneshiro as prosecutor takes shape. With the Honolulu prosecutor’s office in legal turmoil, the race to take over for Keith Kaneshiro is beginning to take shape. KHON2.

Attorney Megan Kau Announces Run For Honolulu Prosecutor. Former Prosecuting Attorney Peter Carlisle, who introduced Kau at her Tuesday press conference, said he is no longer considering running for his old office. Civil Beat.

Former Deputy Prosecutor Megan Kau says she is running for Honolulu city prosecutor in 2020. Kau is the first person to publicly announce an intention to run for Honolulu city prosecutor in the next election. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Council seeks amendments to energy code. Concerns about the impact of a strict new energy code on the cost of housing had the County Council on Tuesday vowing to look at ways to minimize costs on the Big Island. West Hawaii Today.

Waimea’s Future Topic Of Town Meeting, Sept. 5. This week, Waimea will meet to talk about what the community wants it to be like in 10, 15, and 25 years, in an effort to help map the island's future. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Maui Crime Stoppers Offering Up to $1,000 for Information Regarding Recent Fires. Maui Now.

Imua’s Kokua Outreach to help residents sign up for health insurance. Uninsured and the underinsured are program’s focus. Maui News.


Kauai

Visitors try to bribe their way into Haena State Park. A new system for entry to Kauai’s popular Ha‘ena State Park requires visitors to purchase tickets online in advance and limits visitation to 900 people a day, down from an estimated 3,000 daily before flooding closed the road leading to the park in April 2018. Star-Advertiser.

Abandoned vehicles costing taxpayers. Broken down, picked apart vehicles left on the side of the road and other inconspicuous places around the island are an epidemic. Garden Island.

Molokai

Why Molokai Is The Least Developed Hawaiian Island. Even centuries before Captain Cook’s arrival, its resources were exploited by outsiders. Civil Beat.