Hearings officer gives thumbs-up for Thirty Meter Telescope, Kauai man gets 4 years prison for harassing monk seal, 3-hour wait in line for Dunkin' Donuts, Honolulu $1.5M in arrears in collecting subsidized rents, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Telescopes on Mauna Kea © 2017 All Hawaii News

The Thirty Meter Telescope received a positive recommendation from hearings officer Riki May Amano, buoying the beleaguered project’s chances less than a year from a self-imposed construction deadline. Tribune-Herald.

A former Hilo judge is recommending the controversial Thirty Meter Telescope project be granted a key state permit for work atop Mauna Kea, ending a lengthy contested case hearing that challenged the $1.4 billion project’s conservation district use permit. Star-Advertiser.

A construction permit should be granted for the Thirty Meter Telescope proposed for the summit of Mauna Kea on Hawaii Island, a hearings officer recommended Wednesday. Associated Press.

A retired Hawaii judge is recommending that the state land board approve a permit for the Thirty Meter Telescope, which would allow construction of the $1.4 billion observatory to proceed on a site atop Mauna Kea on the Big Island. Pacific Business News.

The hearing officer in the Thirty Meter Telescope contested case hearing has issued her decision, and is recommending a Conservation District Use Permit be granted, allowing the observatory to be built on Mauna Kea. Big Island Video News.

A former Circuit Court judge has recommended that the controversial Thirty Meter Telescope project be allowed to move forward atop Mauna Kea. Hawaii News Now.

A hearings officer is recommending that a construction permit be granted for a giant telescope planned for a Hawaii mountain summit that some consider sacred. KITV.

The contested case hearing officer for the Thirty Meter Telescope is recommending that the controversial project move forward. KHON2.

Read the judge's full 305-page Thirty Meter Telescope report here.

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Community Services Block Grants: $3.7M Funding Uncertain. A joint legislative committee conducted a hearing on the status of federal funding for impoverished residents throughout the state. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii residents can stay up-to-date on more than 170 highway and road projects with a new interactive online map unveiled this week by the state Department of Transportation. Star-Advertiser.

Matson Inc. plans to speed up its ocean cargo service to the Republic of the Marshall Islands early next year. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

A federal program administered by Honolulu to subsidize rents for low-income people has $1.55 million in delinquent accounts but doesn’t have a debt collector, according to a city audit released this week. Civil Beat.

Officials with Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s administration told the City Council Public Works, Infrastructure and Sustainability Committee on Wednesday that they will look at ways of expanding sewer capacity on Oahu in response to concerns that applicants for accessory dwelling units are being turned away because of the limitation. Star-Advertiser.

Two Honolulu City Council members have introduced legislation that would ban cigarette smoking in motor vehicles carrying children under 18. Star-Advertiser.

A new bill introduced by two Honolulu City Councilmen takes aim at smoking in vehicles while a minor is present. Hawaii News Now.

City council considers banning smoking in vehicles in presence of minors. KHON2.

Using an electronic device while crossing the street on Oahu will soon be illegal. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell is expected to sign into law Bill 6 Thursday, which bans pedestrians from using cell phones and other electronic devices while crossing the street. Hawaii News Now.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell will sign Bill 6 into law Thursday afternoon. The law makes it illegal to look at a cellphone or other electronic devices while crossing a street or highway on Oahu. KITV.

It could soon cost businesses more to sell alcohol on Oahu. That’s because the fee to hold a liquor license may be going up, in some cases double what it is now. KHON2.

Group Pushes Street-Level Rail For Honolulu. Salvage the Rail proposes ditching the over-budget elevated railway plan in much of the city. Civil Beat.

On Oahu, the latest report by the Honolulu Board of Realtors found there was 2.7 months of remaining inventory for single-family homes and 2.8 months of remaining inventory for condos, meaning that if no more listings came on the market, the homes would sell out in that amount of time. Those numbers have been less than three months for nearly a year. Pacific Business News.

Olomana golf course appeals to state, military on flooding and late rent. Star-Advertiser.

The Diamond Head Lighthouse that stands today has been a lifesaving navigational beacon for the past 100 years, preventing vessels from running aground on the jagged reef over which it presides. Star-Advertiser.

Hundreds of Honolulu residents waited up to three hours Wednesday morning to get their hands on freshly made Dunkin' Donuts at the company’s opening of the first Hawaii store in more than 10 years. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii Island

Smoke caused evacuation of the control room of the Keck 2 telescope atop Mauna Kea Wednesday afternoon. Tribune-Herald.

After months of planning and discussion, Hawaii County is moving forward with plans to clean up the Old Airport Park. West Hawaii Today.

A smarter, stronger, more reliable electrical grid is the goal of Hawaiian Electric’s modernization plan to be discussed during two public meetings next week on Hawaii Island. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Wide loads of materials for the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope will close Haleakala’s summit to visitors from 10 p.m. Tuesday through 2 p.m. Wednesday, according to an announcement from the National Park Service. Maui News.

County considering an expansion of ag park with former sugar land. Maui News.

Hawaiian Airlines is seeking candidates for customer and ramp service contract positions at Kahului Airport. Maui Now.

Building A ‘Farewell Place’ For Maui Pet Owners. A woman gathers a group of volunteers to construct a facility at the Humane Society where people can say goodbye. Civil Beat.

Kauai

A 20-year-old Eleele man has been sentenced to four years in prison for harassing a pregnant Hawaiian monk seal on Kauai. Star-Advertiser.

Fifth Circuit Judge Kathleen Watanabe on Wednesday sentenced 20-year-old Shylo Kaena Akuna of Lihue to serve four years in prison for harassing a critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal last year at Salt Pond Beach Park in Hanapepe, Kauai. Civil Beat.

A Lihue man accused of beating up a monk seal will serve four years in prison. Garden Island.

County approves collective bargaining agreement. Some Kauai council members do not believe it is the right time to approve firefighter raises. Garden Island.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources removed nearly 11 tons of garbage from the Napali Coast in ongoing efforts to clean up the area DLNR officials reported Wednesday. Hawaii News Now.

Kilauea lava flow returns to ocean, Hawaii delegate booted from DNC convention following inappropriate gesture, new telescope planned for Maui's Haleakala, battle over expanded marine zone brings out environmentalists, politicos, Honolulu mayor candidates spar over rail, pCard looms over Big Island mayoral race, cremated remains could form new reef, hepatitis speads, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Lava enters ocean, courtesy Capt. Shane Turpin, Lava Ocean Tours

Lava entered the ocean early Tuesday morning, just two months after emerging from a vent at Kilauea Volcano and beginning a steady flow toward the sea. It’s the first time lava has reached the ocean since August 2013. Star-Advertiser.

Lava began spilling into the ocean early Tuesday morning, sending a plume of volcanic gas skyward while adding new land to Hawaii Island’s southeast coast as waves crashed into 2,000-degree molten rock. Tribune-Herald.

The first video of the new lava ocean entry is already hitting social media, thanks to the tour guides who track Hawaii’s volcanic activity. Big Island Video News.

On Hawaii Island, lava from the erupting Kilauea volcano has reached the ocean. According to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, a flow that extends southeast of Puʻu ʻŌʻō entered the ocean at 1:12 a.m. Tuesday. KHON2.

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With thousands of government dignitaries, scientists, environmentalists, business leaders and possibly President Obama set to descend on Honolulu in a month for one of the world’s largest conservation conferences, a local fight over whether the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument should be expanded to further protect the marine ecosystem is escalating. Star-Advertiser.

Former Gov. George Ariyoshi said Tuesday that he doesn’t want “somebody from the outside” dictating how Hawaii residents can use the waters around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Civil Beat.

New Army Secretary Eric Fanning is in Hawaii with an agenda for his first Pacific tour that includes robotic technology, jungle training and ballistic missile defense. Star-Advertiser.

Several community groups and national environmental nonprofits have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Navy to prevent bombing and other live-fire training from occurring on the islands of Pagan and Tinian in the Mariana Islands in the western Pacific. Civil Beat.

A Hawaii delegate was removed from the Democratic National Convention and the Chair of the Democratic Party of Hawaii has issued a statement after the delegate, Chelsea Lyons Kent, District 27 Chair, appeared to make an inappropriate gesture during the vote to nominate the party's candidate. KITV.

Commentary: How not to send a unity message: File into the City of Brotherly Love and spend the first day of the Democratic National Convention booing each other. Star-Advertiser.

Commentary: The State Ethics Commission took another beating in court this month, when the Hawaii Supreme Court threw out the commission’s case against a Big Island charter school administrator who it had charged with numerous counts of conflict of interest and self-dealing. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Mayor Kirk Caldwell, former U.S. Rep. Charles Djou and former Mayor Peter Carlisle criticized one another for their respective positions on rail but failed to provide specific plans of their own during a forum Tuesday sponsored by the Rotary Club of Honolulu. Star-Advertiser.

When rebuttal time came at a Honolulu mayoral candidate forum Tuesday, Peter Carlisle acted like he didn’t have anything more to say about his opponents, Kirk Caldwell and Charles Djou. Civil Beat.

There are 8 candidates running for Honolulu Mayor who have never been elected to public office. Hawaii Public Radio.

Cedric Gates, a Democratic candidate running for state House District 44, said he felt shocked and disgusted after finding out Tuesday morning that some of his campaign posters had been defaced and spray-painted with a racial slur. Star-Advertiser.

The City and County of Honolulu is moving ahead with its effort to replace about 52,000 of its streetlights with more efficient LED lighting, a city spokesman confirmed to Pacific Business News.

A unique proposal for an artificial reef off Oahu’s west and southeast shores using the cremated remains of loved ones has created backlash from some community members. Hawaii News Now.

A Pacific Business News panel discussion featuring five leaders of Hawaii nonprofit organizations touched on raising money, collaborating with other groups and what qualities to look for in new board members.

Hawaii

The Ghost In The Big Island’s Political Machine. Billy Kenoi isn’t among the 13 candidates for Hawaii County mayor, but the incumbent’s credit card scandal looms over the race. Civil Beat.

A mayoral candidate who was shut out of several Big Island forums said he’s filed a complaint with the American Civil Liberties Union, believing nonprofits that sponsor forums are required to invite all candidates. West Hawaii Today.

Kai Kahele is the state’s newest senator, but he’s proving to be one of its most adept fundraisers. Campaign finance records show the District 1 Democrat, appointed by Gov. David Ige in February following the death of his father, the late Sen. Gil Kahele, raised $109,362.76 for his campaign during the first half of 2016. Tribune-Herald.

State Sen. Kai Kahele has passed along a controversial state land lease in Milolii to a relative. The state Board of Land and Natural Resources approved transferring the residential lease to Orasa Fernandez during its meeting Friday in Honolulu. Tribune-Herald.

Employees at a Waikoloa fast food and catering restaurant have been ordered to undergo blood testing after one employee tested positive for hepatitis A earlier this month. West Hawaii Today.

A Hawaii outbreak of hepatitis A has grown to 93 cases, including an infected sushi restaurant worker who might have exposed diners, the state's Department of Health said Tuesday.Associated Press.

A 32-year-old man convicted in May of damaging the statue of King Kamehameha the Great on Hilo’s Bayfront and stealing the top portion of the statue’s bronze spear during last year’s Labor Day holiday weekend was sentenced this morning to five years in prison. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

A year after vehement protests attempted to block construction of a solar telescope on Haleakala, plans are being made for another, smaller telescope in an existing building near the summit. Maui News.

Kaiser Permanente has hired seven new care providers for its facilities, including a pediatric hospitalist and family medicine physician on Maui. Maui Now.

Kauai

Hidden away in Kalaheo, about a quarter mile west of mile marker 12 on Kaumualii Highway, is a dirt road that leads to a property with a storied history. Garden Island.

Honolulu Zoo loses accreditation, sex trafficking bill opposed by sex workers and prosecutors, police body cams advance in Legislature, Kauai farm center created, Hawaiian Electric's Lau makes $2.7M, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Honolulu Zoo © 2016 All Hawaii News

The Honolulu Zoo has lost its accreditation with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the organization and the city announced today. Star-Advertiser.

The Honolulu Zoo could lose as many as 90 exotic animals on loan through animal exchange programs after the Association of Zoos and Aquariums this week denied the Waikiki facility’s request for re-accreditation. Star-Advertiser.

© 2016 All Hawaii News

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums has rejected the Honolulu Zoo’s request for re-accreditation. City officials recently met with AZA executive members, and were told their application was denied due to concerns about consistent funding from the city and private partners. Civil Beat.

The Honolulu Zoo has lost its accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Hawaii Public Radio.

© 2016 All Hawaii News

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums has denied Honolulu Zoo’s application for re-accreditation as it is worried about the institution's lack of funding from the city. Pacific Business News.

A panel of Association of Zoos and Aquariums executive members met with a team from the Honolulu Zoo this Monday in Omaha, Nebraska to consider the city’s application for re-accreditation of the Honolulu Zoo. KITV4.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums has denied the city’s application for re-accreditation of Honolulu Zoo. KHON2.

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A new version of a sex trafficking bill vetoed last year by Gov. David Ige was discussed before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, and it drew the same opposition as last year from Honolulu’s prosecuting attorney. Civil Beat.

Advocates for sex trafficking victims are saying Hawaii is long overdue to pass a bill banning sex trafficking. But some sex workers oppose the measure. Hawaii is the only state in the nation without a law that specifically bans sex trafficking. Hawaii News Now.

Body cams and dashboard cameras in police cars moved a step closer on Tuesday to becoming part of police operations in Hawaii. The House Judiciary Committee unanimously passed Senate Bill 2411, with two Republican members voting with reservations. Civil Beat.

Hawaii lawmakers have made changes to a controversial bill aimed at simplifying tax collections for transient vacation rentals to prevent the operations from being run illegally. Associated Press.

Connie Lau, president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc., received total compensation of $2.7 million in 2015, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.Star-Advertiser.

Discovery of long-lost Navy vessel ends years of searching. Star-Advertiser.

Scientists from Honolulu's Bishop Museum have helped document the existence of second bat species that once lived in the Hawaiian Islands. Associated Press.

Oahu

A federal jury found Honolulu police officer Landon K. Rudolfo guilty this morning of knowingly buying then selling a stolen vehicle. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s often-fractious relationship with most members of the City Council appeared to reach a new low last week, with some Council members calling him insincere and disrespectful during a public meeting. Civil Beat.

TheBus, the future rail line and Handi-Van are all moving closer toward sharing a “smart card” fare pass that Oahu riders would use for all public transportation. Star-Advertiser.

The Honolulu Authority of Rapid Transportation and the city’s Department of Transportation Services have awarded a $31 million contract to design, build, operate and maintain a new smart card pass system to INIT Innovations in Transportation, Inc. Pacific Business News.

Pushed out for rail, a Kakaako business owner fears he'll lose everything. Hawaii News Now.

At a time when airport security is at the top of people’s minds, the agency responsible for protecting our nation’s airports is experiencing its lowest staffing levels in years. KHON2.

Hawaii is facing a nearly $6 million funding shortfall to host the International Union for Conservation of Nation World Conservation Congress slated for September in Honolulu, an international event deemed the “Olympics of Conservation.” Civil Beat.

Hawaiian Airlines has received a temporary daytime slot by the U.S. Department of Transportation for travel this winter between Honolulu and Haneda International Airport in Tokyo. Hawaiian currently has less-desirable late-night arrival and departure times because of a 2010 U.S.-Japan Open Skies agreement that limited U.S. flights to between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. local time. Star-Advertiser.

The commander of the 25th Infantry Division, Maj. Gen. Charles A. Flynn, has been named a deputy commander of U.S. Army Pacific at Fort Shafter, the Pentagon announced last week in a slew of general officer changes for Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

With the announcement of its third class of physician residents last Friday, the Hawaii Island Family Medicine Residency Program has reached a milestone. For the first time since it began in 2014 as a means of addressing Hawaii Island’s doctor shortage, it will have a full complement of doctors: 12 in all. Tribune-Herald.

A new surcharge will hit water bills this summer as the Department of Water Supply strives to reduce its dependence on purchased power. The energy rate surcharge, set at 5 cents per 1,000 gallons of water, goes into effect July 1, and is expected to generate $460,000 the first year. West Hawaii Today.

State Representatives passed two resolutions through committee on Monday requesting stakeholders collaborate on the future stewardship and preservation of Waipi‘o Valley. Big Island Video News.

Burrowing beetles that colonize dead ohia trees and spread wood dust on the wind are being targeted as the likely cause of a swiftly spreading fungus that threatens the island’s forests. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

A bill that would allow Alexander & Baldwin to temporarily hold on to the rights to millions of gallons of water it diverts each day from East Maui streams survived a close vote in a key Senate committee Monday night. Star-Advertiser.

Most charges were dismissed Monday for four college students who had been awaiting trial after being arrested last year during a protest over the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope being built at the Haleakala summit. Maui News.

The wife of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders came to Maui on Monday and heard about the end of sugar - its lost jobs as well as the harms of cane burning - reached out to Native Hawaiians and offered advice to a community grappling with the issue of genetically modified organisms in food. Maui News.

Public meetings on proposed tuition increases for the University of Hawaii system - including the University of Hawaii Maui College, which would see annual rates rise $150 by the 2019-20 school year - will be held at 2 p.m. May 5 at the college and through Skybridge's two-way video to Hana, Lahaina, Molokai and Lanai. Maui News.

Kauai
Seventy-five acres of prime farmland, ceded by the county to a community-based not-for-profit organization will become an agricultural center. Garden Island.

Democratic voters in Kauai have an opportunity to show their patriotic spirit when they cast votes for their party favorite Saturday as part of the presidential preference poll. Garden Island.

Hawaii DOT sues for failed traffic computer system, Honolulu council may re-vote on rail following ethics charges, homeless veto overturned, Maui telescope protesters want jury trials, Kauai to keep council term limits, WWII anniversary commemorated, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii dad with children © 2015 All Hawaii News

Fathers are better dads in Hawaii. At least that’s what it looks like in some key areas, according to a new study on fatherhood in Hawaii, which found that island dads are better off than their mainland counterparts in education, employment and income. Star-Advertiser.

The state Department of Transportation is seeking “tens of millions” of dollars in damages from an information technology consulting company that allegedly defrauded the state in a failed contract to set up a new computer system for the state Highways Division. A lawsuit filed Wednesday also alleges the company, Ciber Inc., “used lobbyists and exercised inappropriate political influence” to persuade the state to continue making payments to the company, and to counter pressure from state transportation officials who were trying to enforce the terms of the contract. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Ciber Inc., alleging that the consulting firm “defrauded the State and engaged in other misconduct.” The state is seeking tens of millions in damages, including more than $8 million in fees it said it paid to Ciber, according to a press release from the DOT. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation has filed lawsuit against Ciber Inc. alleging the consulting firm defrauded the state and engaged in other misconduct on a project to implement new software for the department’s Highways Division. Associated Press.

More than 700 people attended the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the official end of World War II on Wednesday aboard the battleship Missouri, where the Japanese surrender was signed on Sept. 2, 1945. Star-Advertiser.

U.S. officials gathered on a decommissioned battleship in Pearl Harbor to mark the 70th anniversary of World War II’s end. U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz and U.S. Rep. Mark Takai of Hawaii joined U.S. Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Scott Swift at a ceremony Wednesday. Associated Press.

The state Public Utilities Commission wants to know how Hawaiian Electric would be affected if, hypothetically, there was a major disaster at one of NextEra Energy’s nuclear reactors in Florida. Civil Beat.

The acquisition application that NextEra Energy Inc. and Hawaiian Electric Co. sent to Hawaii regulators in January doesn't apply anymore, the head of the Florida utility giant’s Hawaii operation said. Pacific Business News.

Hilo Hattie, one of Hawaii's well-known retailers, has laid out its reorganization plan to to pay off some of its creditors and bring the company out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy for a second time after selling its Nimitz Highway headquarters to the landowner last month. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

Honolulu City Council Chairman Ernie Martin said he's considering holding a re-vote on nearly a dozen rail transit-related bills tainted by ethical conflicts by former city Councilmembers Romy Cachola and Nestor Garcia. Hawaii News Now.

An estimated 20,000 Oahu homeowners would soon be able to create second housing units on their properties that they can rent out to people after the Honolulu City Council approved a bill Wednesday that allows for accessory dwelling units. Star-Advertiser.

For the second time in recent months, the Honolulu City Council voted Wednesday to override Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s veto of a bill that expands Oahu’s “sit-lie” ban — this time to two Chinatown pedestrian malls. Star-Advertiser.

Sit-lie bans on Oahu are poised to expand to two Chinatown pedestrian malls in downtown Honolulu.  The City Council voted 7-2 Wednesday to override Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s veto of Bill 44, which extends the sit-lie prohibition to College Walk Mall and Kila Kalikimaka Mall. Civil Beat.

The Honolulu City Council overturned the Mayor’s veto today on a ban on sitting and lying in downtown malls Hawaii Public Radio.

Kakaako homeless camp attracting flies. Flies breeding in rotting garbage, human waste. KITV4.

Last week, as Gov. David Ige’s leadership team continued to mull over how to address Oahu’s homelessness crisis, a new idea emerged: to use portable, modular buildings — originally designed as classrooms — to temporarily house homeless people. But, if history is any indication, Ige and his colleagues will likely have to contend with some stiff community resistance before they can put any of the portables to use regardless of where they decide to put them. Civil Beat.

Lawyers representing Ewa Beach homeowners and the developer they sued disagreed in court Wednesday over the move to develop a recreational lagoon instead of a marina in the Ocean Pointe and Hoakalei area. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii regulators — for the third time — delayed making a decision on a “glass rule” for Kakaako high-rise projects regarding an issue with developer OliverMcMillan’s Symphony Honolulu mixed-use condominium tower, a spokeswoman for the developer confirmed to Pacific Business News.

A state board is still not sure what to do about a developer building a condominium tower in Kakaako with glass siding that doesn’t comply with a rule governing development in the area. Star-Advertiser.

The hot and humid weather has taken a dangerous toll at our schools. A teacher at Ewa Beach Elementary School drove herself to the hospital Tuesday for heat exhaustion. KHON2.

Hawaii

The Hawaii County Council wants Congress to sponsor a constitutional amendment curbing the ability of corporations to pump unlimited money into elections. West Hawaii Today.

A team of Hawaii and mainland scientists is seeking to take out some of the uncertainty surrounding lava flows as part of a three-year study that could help Hawaii Island residents decide when they should evacuate. Tribune-Herald.

The Hawaii County Department of Water Supply is working to repair Halekii deep well after it failed on Monday. The breakdown has customers in South Kona on water conservation. West Hawaii Today.

Kuleana and Lanakila Mangauil. The third part of our profile on the Mauna Kea movement leader examines Mangauil’s interpretation of his duty to protect the land, his people's culture and their right to self-determination. Hawaii Independent.

Maui

Two Kihei residents have petitioned the state Department of Health for stricter rules and greater oversight of agricultural burns - including cane burning by Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. - that call for the health director, not the farmer, to make daily calls on whether to burn or not. Maui News.

Fourteen of the 20 protesters arrested July 31 at the Central Maui Baseyard are asking for jury trials on charges of failing to disperse when a convoy of wide-load trucks was leaving to deliver parts for the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope at the Haleakala summit. Maui News.

The DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife has just released a draft management plan for the Nakula Natural Area Reserve on Maui that is expected to help guide restoration and management activities there for the foreseeable future. Maui Now.

Kauai

Term limits for councilmembers will stay in place. As expected, a plan to repeal term limits fell one vote short in the Kauai County Council on Wednesday. Garden Island.

Hawaii schools seek more money, Office of Hawaiian Affairs spends beneficiary funds protesting Thirty Meter Telescope, Maui chancellor undecided about Haleakala telescope, bikeshare coming to Honolulu, councilwoman seeks Ethics Board change, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Google screenshot of Duke Kahanamoku tribute

In celebration of the 125th anniversary of Duke Kahanamoku’s birth, Google changed its search banner in his honor. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii public schools could see a boost in funding next school year under a committee's recommendation to increase the state's pot of per-pupil funding by $26.5 million.Star-Advertiser.

First-Ever Head of Hawaiian Education Foresees ‘Revolutionary’ Changes Dawn Kaui Sang’s new role brings big challenges as she looks to redefine language immersion programs and make sure every student in the state learns about Hawaiian culture — something long mandated by a constitutional amendment but with “varying degrees of implementation.” Star-Advertiser.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs spent almost $5,000 to support a massive public demonstration in Waikiki earlier this month, one focused on land use in the islands in general but opposition to the Thirty Meter Telescope in particular. Many organizations contributed to the march. What’s different about OHA’s support is that it is a quasi-state agency using money designated for Native Hawaiian beneficiaries. Civil Beat.

Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. and NextEra Energy Inc. might be forced to respond to further questioning about their proposed $4.3 billion merger. In a Wednesday filing with the state Public Utilities Commission, the Hawaii Division of Consumer Advocacy requested the PUC subpoena HEI President and Chief Executive Officer Constance Lau and NextEra Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer James Robo to compel their testimony. Tribune-Herald.

Oahu

The Honolulu Police Department plans to launch a program that would provide first responders with medical, health and other information on callers to help improve response times. Star-Advertiser.

Bike-share programs can be found in major cities all over the world, and soon one will debut in Honolulu in May 2016, but the president of Bikeshare Hawaii says, although it’s meant to ease traffic and promote fitness, riders say there are still concerns.KHON2.

The Blood Bank of Hawaii could soon find itself free of the threat of eminent domain for its main donor site in Kalihi — and in a better position to negotiate with Honolulu rail officials. Star-Advertiser.

With just nine days left before the deadline, the Ka Iwi Coast Coalition announced they had raised the $500,000 needed to buy the 182 acres mauka of the Ka Iwi Shoreline. KITV4.

After being in the works for nearly two decades, the Culinary Institute of the Pacific in Hawaii is slated to break ground within the next month after receiving the necessary building permits needed to begin construction. Pacific Business News.

State Department of Transportation officials say that due to safety and maintenance concerns, they plan to soon replace Maipalaoa Bridge, which spans Maili Stream. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Kohala Councilwoman Margaret Wille wants to see a larger, more independent Board of Ethics, and she’s working on a charter amendment to do just that. Wille said she’s sponsoring a bill for a charter amendment to change the current selection process from a five-member board appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the County Council to a nine-member board with each council member appointing a representative, subject to confirmation by the full council. West Hawaii Today.

For nearly five years, James Borden has been a fixture of Kinoole Street. His signs’ messages have ranged from anti-President Obama invectives and anti-Islam rhetoric to a more recent anti-abortion focus, the latter a result of what Borden recently deemed a “spiritual prompting.” Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii’s Makai Ocean Engineering has completed the world’s largest operational ocean thermal energy conversion power plant at its facility in Kona on the Big Island. The OTEC plant, which produces electricity from the ocean using the temperature difference between deep, cold and warm water surface seawater, marks the first plant of its kind to be connected to a U.S. electrical grid. Pacific Business News.

An ex-Kamehameha Schools Hawaii employee fired almost a year ago for alleged improper use of a purchasing card is suing the private school, claiming she was wrongfully terminated. Tribune-Herald.

One year after Tropical Storm Iselle toppled hundreds of albizia trees and caused millions of dollars of damage in Puna, the fast-growing tree species remains a major threat not only on Hawaii island, but across the state. Star-Advertiser.

Maui

The chancellor of University of Hawaii Maui College calls educational grant funding the college receives from construction of the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope "a good thing," even as the telescope is facing stiff public opposition, including protesters who are among the college's faculty and students. Maui News.

Speaking the same day as eight activists were arrested last week protesting the ongoing construction of the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz sought a middle ground in which the beliefs of protesters are respected while the rule of law is upheld. Maui News.

The chancellor of the University of Hawaii Maui College says he is grateful for the grant funding the school receives from construction of a controversial solar telescope, but that overall he is neutral on the issue. Associated Press.

Mayor Alan Arakawa and his administration will hold a series of community meetings in September and October to receive comments and suggestions for the proposed budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year. Maui News.

Kauai

Uluwehi Falls kicked back on Wednesday after two weeks without water. “The waterfall has miraculously begun to flow again,” Kevin Katzmann, owner of Wailua River Guides, told The Garden Island Thursday. “The waterfall is flowing stronger this morning than it has in weeks.” Garden Island.

Due to press malfunctions, there will be no delivery of Sunday's print edition of The Garden Island.

Hawaii economy perking, state, county offices closed for Statehood Day, feds troubled by Honolulu's homeless children, Kauai term limits repeal doomed, Mauna Kea Thirty Meter Telescope conflict in court, Oahu senator violated ethics code, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Shoppers in Waikiki © 2015 All Hawaii News

Hawaii’s economic expansion is shaping up to be better than the state expected. Accelerated growth, more tourists, higher spending, increased construction permits and low unemployment were among the encouraging indicators in separate reports issued Thursday that showed the state is headed in the right direction. Star-Advertiser.

The construction industry in Hawaii continues to boom, with the value of private building permits issued during the first half of 2015 increasing by about 37 percent as compared with the same period a year ago, according to a new report by state economists. Pacific Business News.

Occupancy at Hawaii hotels increased on all islands last week, while the statewide average daily rate rose 2 percent, according to the weekly report from Hospitality Advisors LLC and STR Inc. Pacific Business News.

County and state offices will be closed on Friday, Aug. 21, in observance of Statehood Day, which is a state holiday. KHON2.

How serious is discrimination against Micronesians living and working Hawaii? Very serious, and it is found in our schools, our hospitals and clinics. It is also having a direct impact on Micronesians trying to find affordable housing and steady work. So said a dozen officials, social workers and community activists who shared their views at a hearing at the Hawaii State Capitol on Thursday. Civil Beat.

In an apparent effort to rein in speculation about her ambitions, U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard announced Thursday that running for vice president of the United States “is certainly nothing I’ve ever thought of doing.” Star-Advertiser.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard says she’s open to the idea of running for vice president next year. The two-term Hawaii congresswoman said during a visit to Kauai on Wednesday she would consider an offer from a presidential candidate to join his or her ticket, the Garden Island newspaper reported. Civil Beat.

Pay raises totaling $1 million for nearly 200 University of Hawaii executives will take effect retroactive to July 1 following a unanimous vote Thursday by the university’s Board of Regents. Star-Advertiser.

Connecting the electric grids on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island needs to be continued to be looked at, the head of the Hawaii Energy Office told Pacific Business News in a recent exclusive interview. The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission is in the midst of a review process to determine if an undersea cable would be in the public interest.

No new cesspools could be installed in Hawaii if state Department of Health rule changes are adopted by Gov. David Ige. Maui News.

Oahu

The head of the state Ethics Commission said Thursday State Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland has ignored his advice for five years that her involvement as the organizer of a popular children's event breaks the ethics code. Hawaii News Now.

The head of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness drove through the Kakaako homeless encampment this week and called it “one of the larger ones I’ve seen.” Star-Advertiser.

Peter Boylan is best known in Hawaii as a political operative, the former deputy chief of staff to the late U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye and campaign spokesman for former U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa’s failed Senate bid last year. But as of Monday, Boylan is the Honolulu City Council’s housing coordinator, a newly created position aimed at helping the Council address the city’s lack of affordable housing. Civil Beat.

Honolulu’s Department of Planning and Permitting should speed up permitting for state public housing projects, members of the City Council Zoning and Planning Committee said Thursday. The panel passed a resolution introduced by Council Chair Ernie Martin that urges the agency to work closely with the Housing Authority to minimize unnecessary delays in permitting. Civil Beat.

Alongside the lush and steep windward coast of the Hawaii island of Oahu researchers are creating images of coral reefs that are in danger of dying because of warm ocean waters. They are taking high-definition 360-degree panoramic images of the reefs and using them to monitor and study the health of corals over time. Associated Press.

The developer of a luxury condominium on the corner of Kapi’olani Boulevard and Ward Avenue is awaiting a crucial and, potentially costly, regulatory decision next month by the State. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii

The struggle for access to Mauna Kea continued Thursday during a hearing in Judge Ronald Ibarra’s Environmental Court. The case is a challenge to the emergency rule preventing people being on the access road or within one mile of either side from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. and prevents camping supplies being held in the area. West Hawaii Today.

The University of Hawaii must move more quickly to adopt the administrative rules that will empower it to govern the island’s highest summit. That’s according to Oahu Rep. Andria Tupola, who made the case in Kailua-Kona on Thursday that the Office of Mauna Kea Management must take decisive action. West Hawaii Today.

The Intermediate Court of Appeals has ruled that a charter school employee in Hilo violated the state ethics code by ordering and approving purchases for the school from his family businesses and is liable for $10,000 in fines levied by the state Ethics Commission. Star-Advertiser.

A dedication ceremony for a unique keiki playground took place at the Mauna Kea Recreation Area on Monday. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Eight protesters were arrested early Thursday after police said they found trees, rocks and glass on the roadway ahead of a convoy of telescope parts and materials traveling to the 10,000-foot summit of Haleakala. Star-Advertiser.

A total of eight people were arrested overnight during a demonstration against the ongoing construction of the Daniel K Inouye Solar Telescope atop Haleakalā. Maui Now.

Thirty Meter Telescope opponents, who continue to maintain a small camp near the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station, joined protesters on Maui as they attempted to block construction of a solar telescope. Tribune-Herald.

Two Wailuku patrol officers involved in a fatal shootout on Lower Main Street in June are back at work on full duty, after being found fit to return to their jobs, police officials said Wednesday. Maui News.

Kauai

Council Vice-Chair Ross Kagawa expects to come up one vote short in his quest to repeal term limits. Garden Island.

Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr. returned a bill to repeal Kauai’s barking dog ordinance to the County Council on Thursday, unsigned. Garden Island.

State regulators said Thursday that a Hanalei River restoration project site does not appear to have discharged large amounts of sediment into Hanalei Bay as a result of heavy rainfall earlier this week. Garden Island.

A blessing was held Thursday to mark the opening of Kolopua, a workforce-housing complex in Princeville. Garden Island.

The Haena State Park of the future could include controlled entry, a 900-person daily visitor cap and beach access by way of an elevated boardwalk. More than 200 people gathered at the Hanalei School cafeteria Wednesday to hear Kimi Yuen, senior associate with contractor PBR Hawaii, explain the vision mapped out in a plan geared at renewing the park’s emphasis on Haena’s cultural and historical significance while resolving issues pertaining to large crowds, lack of parking and too much traffic. Garden Island.