Legislature mulls response to possible North Korea attack, $163M upgrade for Honolulu Harbor, lawsuit over water use in Kauai general plan, swimming warning after Maui sewage spill, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Native dancers at Kona luau © 2017 All Hawaii News

Culture and commerce are often seen as forces in conflict. But here in Hawaii, the culture is one of the driving forces of the state’s largest commercial sector – tourism. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii has ratcheted up its planning for a possible — but still very unlikely — North Korean nuclear attack on the isles to 100 kiloton yield from 15 kiloton as the threat from the rogue nation seems to escalate by the week. Star-Advertiser.

The State Emergency Management Agency provided a briefing on what residents and visitors should do in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack targeting Honolulu and Pearl Harbor. Hawaii Public Radio.

An informational meeting was held Thursday to brief the public on preparations and instructions in the event of a foreign attack. KITV.

Here's what the state wants you to do if North Korea attacks Hawaii. Get inside, stay inside and stay tuned. Hawaii News Now.

Attack siren tests on hold: More specific sound considered as part of state’s nuclear threat response. Tribune-Herald.

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The latest Republican move to repeal the Affordable Care Act and instead pay states to shape their own systems would hit Hawaii particularly hard, according to health care analysts. Civil Beat.

One big driver of Hawaii’s economy — construction — has been on a fairly consistent seven-year growth run. But that run is likely done this year, and some coasting near the current high level is expected for the next three years. Star-Advertiser.

Controversial Pesticide Remains Unregulated In Hawaii. The chemical dicamba appears to have caused widespread crop damage on the mainland but in Hawaii you can’t even find out whether it’s being used or where. Civil Beat.

OHA considers changing contract to award charter school funds, unsettling many. Hawaii News Now.

The man behind an in-flight scare in May has been deemed mentally fit for trial, the Associated Press reports. Hawaii News Now.

Airline capacity to Hawaii is projected to keep growing, but the number of seats being added is expected to slow and fares are projected to come down as carriers strain the limits of what the airport and hotels can handle. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Oahu’s second medical marijuana dispensary will open in early October, one block away from the island’s first cannabis retailer. Star-Advertiser.

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State invests millions for Honolulu Harbor upgrade. State officials said Thursday they plan to spend $163 million on phase one of the Kapalama Container Terminal Project. Hawaii News Now.

Space in congested Honolulu Harbor will be cleared to allow a prospective third major ocean cargo carrier to launch a new service from the mainland in 2020. Star-Advertiser.

Pasha Hawaii will be the exclusive operator of Honolulu Harbor's yet to be constructed Kapalama Container Terminal and TOTE Maritime will move in to Piers 1 and 2, currently operated by Pasha’s Hawaii Stevedores, which handles APL and NYK, according to the Hawaii Department of Transportation. Pacific Business News.

Harbor upgrades on track with new shipper. KITV.

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An Oahu grand jury today indicted a 69-year-old woman for stealing more than $5.7 million from the nonprofit Arc of Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

A grand jury Thursday indicted a 69-year-old woman for allegedly stealing more than $5.7 million from Honolulu-based nonprofit Arc of Hawaii. Pacific Business News.

A farm on Oahu's west side is getting a major financial boost from the Economic Development Administration that is expected to bring hundreds of jobs to Waianae. Hawaii News Now.

Dozens of descendants of Japanese soldiers killed in World War II visited Pearl Harbor on Thursday to pay respects to fallen American soldiers. Civil Beat.

MyGoCenter, a co-working space in Kapolei, is opening an expanded suite at the Kapolei Marketplace on Sept. 28. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii Island

Former County Councilwoman Brenda Ford announced her candidacy Thursday for the state House District 5 seat being vacated by Rep. Richard Creagan. West Hawaii Today.

The Kohala Ranch Water Company was hoping by Wednesday to have water running to the several developments it supplies exclusively. After suffering equipment issues, the new target date is sometime Saturday night. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

State Department of Health officials are advising people to stay out of the ocean north of Kahului Harbor because of a Wednesday morning sewage spill. Maui News.

About 62,500 gallons of wastewater overflowed Wednesday morning off of Kahului Beach Road in Wailuku, the county Department of Environmental Management reported. Maui News.

Ninety-one percent of students at Kamalii Elementary School in Kihei are meeting or exceeding science standards, one of the highest percentages of student subject-area proficiency in the state, according to a performance report released Tuesday by the state Department of Education. Maui News.

Commentary: The announcement Thursday by County Council member Don Guzman that he will seek the office of mayor in 2018 adds yet another dynamic to that race. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauai County is creating a roadmap for the next decade of growth on the garden island, and it’s drawn a lawsuit claiming the plan doesn’t protect public trust resources. Garden Island.

The Hanapepe Stadium will be fully lit for Friday night football tonight, and the County of Kauai could be taking a legal risk doing it. Garden Island.

Molasses heading to sea, early campaigners seek state, county seats, waste-to-energy progressing on Maui, Kauai grapples with transient vacation rental rules, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor, KHON2 screen capture

An elite Coast Guard team that responds to oil and hazardous-material spills has been dispatched to Hawaii to offer its expertise in the response and cleanup of the 233,000-gallon molasses spill reported a week ago in Hono­lulu Harbor, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz announced Sunday. Schatz described the Pacific Strike Team, which is part of the Coast Guard’s National Strike Force, as the “cream of the crop.” Star-Advertiser.

Department of Health officials expressed pleasant surprise Saturday that Matson Inc.’s estimated 233,000-gallon molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor last week seems to be dissipating faster than predicted. Peering down at the dark blue water from aboard a boat Saturday, the state’s environmental health chief said it was looking good. Star-Advertiser.

A week after thousands of gallons of molasses spilled into Honolulu Harbor, the plume continues to wipe out marine life and hover close to shore. As the state determines whether to move from response to recovery mode, KHON2 took an aerial tour that showed we’re not out of the woods just yet.

Hawaii U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz says more than just a pipe failed when 1,400 tons of molasses spilled into Honolulu Harbor last week. Schatz says it's clear lawmakers have to look at how the system run by Matson Navigation Co. is regulated by federal and state officials. Associated Press.

A faulty pipe with a hole about the size of a fist was found at the end of Matson's barge at Honolulu Harbor on Horizons side. The pipe, Matson says, was not supposed to be in use at the time of the spill. Investigators are still trying to figure out how molasses got there. KITV.

On Saturday, a gaggle of cameramen and reporters boarded a tug boat at Pier 9 behind Aloha Tower to go on a tour of what's being called the largest marine disaster in the state’s history — a massive molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor. Civil Beat.

The molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor that has already caused the death of thousands of fish is now confirmed to be the cause of mass coral bleaching and death as well. Robert Richmond, University of Hawaii marine biology professor and director of Kewalo Marine Laboratory, told reporters that evidence of coral death was present not only within the harbor but also in the waters beyond it. HuffPost Hawaii.

Hawaii Pacific University’s Marine Mammal Stranding Program may no longer be able to pick up as many dead whale and dolphin carcasses from the beach because of federal budget cuts. The program lost $100,000 in federal grant funding, or two-thirds of its operating budget. Associated Press.

Hawaii Supreme Court Justice Simeon Acoba was recently selected to receive the Ninth Annual Dwight D. Opperman Award for Judicial Excellence from the American Judicature Society. Garden Island.

At Civil Beat we recently received a visit by several pro-GMO and pro-pesticide farmers. They argued that pesticides and GMOs are tools that farmers in Hawaii need to be competitive.

State roundup for September 16. Associated Press.

Oahu

The University of Hawaii’s flagship Manoa campus dropped two spots on this year’s U.S. News & World Report list of best colleges published last week. UH-Manoa ranks as the 158th-best school in the nation out of 201 rated public and private universities. Star-Advertiser.

The Honolulu Police Department pays hundreds of thousands of overtime for motorcades when dignitaries come to town. Civil Beat.

The Navy is placing a $10 million order for work to replace a 24-inch underwater waterline crossing Pearl Harbor. Associated Press.

A 2012 competition for a state House of Representatives seat was marked by negative mailers from a conservative Christian group. Now, Marilyn Lee is seeking to win her District 36 seat (Mililani Mauka, Mililani) back, criticizing her GOP opponent as out of touch. Civil Beat.

Rights clash amid dispute over mural. Native Hawaiians are entitled to control their identity, while federal law protects artists’ work from alteration. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

A contract to develop a 50-megawatt geothermal project on the Big Island, which some say could cost up to $200 million, is expected to be awarded soon by Hawaii Electric Light Co., Pacific Business News has learned.

Kohala residents will have a new option starting Saturday when they want to fly to Maui or Oahu. That’s when Mokulele Airlines’ new service from the Waimea-Kohala Airport begins. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Waste, energy plant proposal to come before council shortly. Mayor Alan Arakawa's administration is finalizing negotiations with California-based Anaergia Services for the proposed Central Maui waste-to-energy plant, county officials said Tuesday. Maui News.

Former Maui County Council Members Danny Mateo, Mike Molina and Joe Pontanilla are considering campaigns next year to reclaim council seats they relinquished because of term limits. Maui News.

A Public Utilities Commission investigative proceeding on the feasibility of an undersea power cable between Maui and Oahu has drawn comments and interventions from Maui County, environmental groups and developers seeking the job of laying a high-voltage cable 112 miles long and as deep as 2,100 feet. Maui News.

An early morning siren malfunction on Maui and Molokai was caused by a mechanical issue related to a recent upgrade of the siren warning system, officials with the Maui County Civil Defense Agency announced this afternoon. Maui Now.

The Maui Department of Water Supply announced the two-day shutdown its Kamole Water Treatment Plant on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 16 and 17, 2013.The shutdown is being implemented as contractors work on the final phases of a capital improvement project ensure reliability during times of drought, and save on electrical costs. Maui Now.

Kauai

Twelve percent of transient vacation rentals on file on Kauai have appealed a denial for a permit-renewal. Currently, 10 percent of the island’s TVR inventory is assigned to a contested case hearing, and this number could increase as more appeals are sent to a hearings officer. Garden Island.

A Kilauea resident says he was exposed to pesticides while driving with his windows down as he passed a DuPont Pioneer agricultural field in Lihue Wednesday morning. Garden Island.

Hawaii fights for conventions, Matson apologizes for Honolulu Harbor molasses spill, UH brings back employee under fire for bid favoritism, accidental sirens on Oahu, Maui and Kauai, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Gov. Neil Abercrombie promotes Hawaii, file photo

Gov. Neil Abercrombie had wanted to host the nation’s governors for their annual summer meeting in two years. He found out Wednesday the governors will be going to West Virginia instead. The problem? Hawaii is one of the world’s most exotic destinations but also a place where public officials go at their own risk. Few states depend on one industry to fuel their economy as much as Hawaii relies on tourism. Yet state officials must constantly defend Hawaii as a venue for conferences involving public officials who are vulnerable to criticism back home that they took a taxpayer-financed junket. Stateline.

The man at the center of a procurement scandal at the University of Hawaii has returned to work. Brian Minaai, associate vice president for Capitol Improvements since 2008, has been on paid leave for nearly eight months as the state attorney general investigated allegations of favoritism in the procurement of construction projects. Hawaii Reporter.

Sweeping education reforms that Hawaii and other states promised in return for millions in federal Race to the Top dollars are "unrealistic and impossible" to achieve, a new report issued Thursday argues. Star-Advertiser.

Mastering the art of the field trip — that’s one skill that doesn’t get much attention in college teacher preparation programs. Civil Beat.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie plans to force state lawmakers’ hands, pledging to call them into special session on Oct. 28 to vote on whether to legalize gay marriage. Hawaii already has a reciprocal beneficiaries law and a civil unions law, but Abercrombie wants a special session to pass a gay marriage bill now. Hawaii Reporter.

Between 2000 and 2002, Hawaii was spending less than the rest of the country on energy, when compared to the gross domestic product. But the positions were reversed and energy spending has out-paced the national average. Civil Beat.

Hawaiian Airlines won't be the only carrier flying nonstop between Honolulu and Beijing next year. Air China has issued a notice that the state-owned carrier will begin three-days-a-week service between the two cities beginning Jan. 21 as part of its winter schedule. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii State Civil Defense officials have confirmed that the emergency warning sirens that sounded overnight on Oahu, Maui and Molokai were accidental and that there is no alert at this time. Hawaii News Now.

Drivers, get ready to pay more for your vehicle’s safety check. The state wants to raise the yearly inspection fee by as much as 36 percent. It’s even higher if you ride a motorcycle. KHON2.

State roundup for September 13. Associated Press.

Oahu

Matson Inc. officials said Thursday that the shipping company did not have a response plan for a molasses spill, even though its vessels export as much as 2,000 tons of the viscous liquid each week to the mainland from a pipeline at Honolulu Harbor. Star-Advertiser.

Matson apologized Thursday for Monday's molasses spill disaster and said the company will not "run from responsibility. Hawaii News Now.

The massive molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor this week has placed a spotlight on a little know sector in Hawaii agriculture industry. Hawaii's molasses is produced by a single plantation -- Alexander & Baldwin Inc.'s Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. -- which makes about 50,000 tons of molasses each year on Maui. Hawaii News Now.

Four days after a Matson pipeline broke spilling 233,000 gallons of thick, syrupy molasses into Honolulu Harbor and killing thousands of fish and other sea creatures, a Matson executive stood in front of the harbor perspiring heavily.  Civil Beat.

It’s been 4 days since a devastating molasses spill caused by a ruptured pipeline erupted into the waters of Honolulu Harbor, killing thousands of fish and marine life. Matson, the company responsible for the spill, says it's still grappling with a course of action. Hawaii Public Radio.

A $1.5 million state grant to Damien Memorial School, a private sectarian school, is unconstitutional and may be withheld, state attorneys say. The funding —approved by the Legislature this year as a grant-in-aid included in the state budget — is under review by the Governor's Office. Star-Advertiser.

The future of Aloha Beer Co., which closed its Honolulu brewery restaurant for renovations in July, is up in the air as the company works out tax and organizational issues. Pacific Business News.

A bill rezoning 576 acres of agricultural land in Waipio for Castle and Cooke's large-scale Koa Ridge project was given a preliminary approval by the City Council Planning Committee late Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Hawaii County is asking a 3rd Circuit Court judge to allow it to intervene to help defend Bobby Jean Leithead Todd’s position as Environmental Management director after discovering that Councilwoman Brenda Ford’s petition challenging her relies on a relatively obscure legal premise that prevents the county from doing so. West Hawaii Today.

The Board of Land and Natural Resources will consider giving the Naniloa Volcanoes Resort a lifeline today as a new owner is sought to take over the beleaguered operation on Hilo’s Banyan Drive. Tribune-Herald.

A buyer for Big Island Carbon LLC, which filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy late last year, may emerge in the next couple of months, according to former CEO Rick Vidgen. Pacific Business News.

A civil suit filed Monday in Delaware alleges that the owners of the Hu Honua Bioenergy plant currently under development in Pepeekeo attempted to defraud the former majority owner of the project by attempting to back out of an agreement to pay a sum of $5.5 million following state approval of a power purchase agreement with Hawaii Electric Light Company Inc. Tribune-Herald.

Incredible video is making its rounds online showing a tiger shark being caught off-shore at Honokohau Harbor on Hawai'i Island.  Reaction to the YouTube clip has been fierce, as a great majority of the comments come from people who can't believe what they're watching and want justice – some even calling for revenge. Hawaii News Now.

Maui

The Chair of the state’s Senate Health Committee will host a talk story session at the Maui Memorial Medical Center on Friday. Maui Now.

Prices for single-family homes and condominiums in Maui County showed strong growth in August with median prices at $585,000 and $420,000 respectively, the Realtors Association of Maui reported earlier this week. Maui News.

Officials with the Maui Civil Defense Agency on Maui reported a siren malfunction early this morning in various parts of the island. Maui Now.

A Pacific Whale Foundation catamaran was removed Wednesday morning from the shoreline near McGregor Point after striking rocks early Tuesday morning, a U.S. Coast Guard official said. Maui News.

Kauai

The Department of Water will resume its discussion on the Kahili Horizontal Directionally-Drilled Well and Energy Savings Project during a special board meeting Tuesday. Garden Island.

U.S. Reps. Colleen Hanabusa and Tulsi Gabbard announced that Hawaii will receive more than $17 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation for airport improvement projects statewide. About $3.5 million will go for the State of Good Repair Program, which will purchase replacement buses for Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai counties. Garden Island.