Monsanto settles $45M Hawaii lawsuit, Hawaii Supreme Court upholds Maui wildfire attorney fee caps, Pat Saiki remembered, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

 

Monsanto Co. settles lawsuit with Hawaiʻi over claims it contaminated state’s waterways, natural resources. Hawaiʻi has secured up to a $45 million settlement with Monsanto for polychlorinated biphenyl contamination of Hawaiʻi's waterways and natural resources. Big Island Now. Hawaii News Now. 

Will Courts Block Climate Suits By Hawaiʻi, Other States? New York’s “climate superfund” law has lost twice in court. A U.S. Supreme Court case could soon determine the fate of other efforts to make Big Oil pay. Grist.

HMSA’s Medicare Changes Could Increase Costs For Thousands. HMSA sent a letter to 16,000 kūpuna saying they will no longer have access to their current insurance plan. Civil Beat.

Former Hawaii congresswoman Pat Saiki remembered as political trailblazer. One of Hawaii’s most accomplished Republican political leaders, Pat Saiki, whose service in Congress and the state Legislature spanned four decades, died Wednesday in Honolulu. She was 96, and died peacefully from natural causes at home, according to family members. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii Public Radio.

State set to appeal $500,000 award to ex-HTA exec Choy. The state plans to appeal a jury verdict awarding former Hawai‘i Tourism Authority executive Isaac Choy more than $500,000 after jurors found he was retaliated against for whistleblowing and wrongfully terminated. Star-Advertiser.

A quick island trip will soon require more planning. Starting Saturday, Oct. 3, neighbor island travelers must check in and drop checked bags at least 50 minutes before takeoff, up from 30 minutes now. KHON2.

ʻUlu demand in Hawaiʻi is outpacing the supply — and there's a lot more room to grow. There's an increasing demand in Hawaiʻi for ʻulu, also known as breadfruit — resulting from years of public awareness campaigns and buy-in from many in the state. The Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative, which is made up of over 200 local farmers, said its annual production of the crop has grown to a peak of 230,000 pounds since it was formed in 2016 and grew closer to 20,000 pounds. Civil Beat.

Oahu

HPD May Have Shared Your License Plate Data With The IRS. The Honolulu police chief says the department will no longer share data with other agencies, but five months of data remain in the hands of the IRS. Civil Beat.

Got food waste? Get it in the green bin for Oʻahu's G.R.O.W. program. Beginning Oct. 1, the City and County of Honolulu will ask all Oʻahu residents using gray, blue and green bins to put all their food scraps — be it banana peels, chicken bones or plate lunches past their prime — in the green bin. Hawaii Public Radio.

Makiki building will house homeless teens, young adults. Renovations continue on a seven-unit, two-story apartment building in Makiki near Walmart and Sam’s Club that will house and train homeless teenagers and young adults who have aged out of Hawaii’s foster care system and have no place to live. Star-Advertiser.

Ex-Moanalua coach facing child porn charge accused of exploiting girl. A former Moanalua High School girls wrestling coach facing federal criminal charges for sexually exploiting an underage girl was reported to the Honolulu Police Department in 2012 after he allegedly kissed a 13-year-old Roosevelt High School student. Star-Advertiser.

Pālolo Valley sees rapid spread of invasive coqui frogs. State officials have been working to curb an infestation of coqui frogs in Pālolo Valley for almost a decade. In some cases, that means catching and removing the invasive frogs by hand. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Island

Data centers debate continues at county level. A bill aimed at prohibiting artificial intelligence data centers in Hawaii County through the creation of a new definition in the county code is undergoing review by the county’s two planning commissions before it is voted on by the County Council. Tribune-Herald.

Bowling alley, entertainment complex eyed for Hilo. The Windward Planning Commission on Thursday voted 6-0 to forward a favorable recommendation to the County Council for amendments to an ordinance regarding a commercial property that would allow KBXtreme to build a bowling alley and entertainment complex in Hilo similar to its Kailua-Kona facility. Tribune-Herald.

Commentary: In A Sea Of Mainland Grocers, A Taste Of Old Hawaiʻi. As national chains increasingly dominate Hawaiʻi’s grocery options, Big Island residents remain devoted to KTA, with its emphasis on locally grown food.  Civil Beat.

The Hōlei Sea Arch has collapsed. One of Hawaiʻi Island’s geological marvels is no more — the 90-foot Hōlei Sea Arch in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park has collapsed. Hawaii Public Radio. Big Island Now. 

Mokulele Airlines celebrates return of daily flights from Kona to Kahului. Mokulele Airlines has officially restored its direct air service between Hawaii Island and Maui. The first flight from Kona to Kahului since August 2023 took off Thursday at around 8 a.m. Hawaii News Now.

Maui

Hawaii Supreme Court upholds Maui wildfire attorney fee caps. The Hawaii Supreme Court has rejected an appeal that was holding up initial payments to Maui wildfire disaster victims. Justices unamiously ruled Wednesday against three attorneys and one fire victim who appealed a state Circuit Court judge’s decision limiting fees of all attorneys representing 21,750 victims with claims in a $4 billion litigation settlement over damage from the Aug. 8, 2023, calamity, which killed 102 people and destroyed most of Lahaina. Star-Advertiser.

Maui Council refers 32 shoreline condo complexes’ hotel-rezoning to Maui Planning Commission. The Maui County Council voted 5-4 on Tuesday to ask the Maui Planning Commission to consider rezoning 32 vacation rental condominium complexes in Māʻalaea, Kīhei and West Maui from apartment to hotel use. The vote came a week after the commission recommended against most of an earlier batch of properties. Maui Now.

South Maui Growth Plan: More Delays Expected. The county is years overdue in updating its vision for the resource-stretched area. Civil Beat.

After wildfire burned Lahaina's library, community will get a temporary library soon. A 20-by-20-foot portable unit has been moved to Lahaina and will transform into a temporary library. The former Lahaina Public Library building was destroyed in the 2023 wildfire.  Hawaii Public Radio.

HECO Blackout: Half Of Molokaʻi May Lose A Summer’s Fish And Game. The utility plans to cut power for eight hours a day over much of the next week to upgrade its grid. Civil Beat. Hawaii Public Radio. 

The water system at Kalaupapa has been fixed, according to state health officials. But now, there’s a power outage. Thus, two Hansen’s disease patients and approximately 50 staff are still waiting to return to their homes at the settlement on Molokai. Star-Advertiser.

Maui News selects two journalists for fellowship. Two journalists living on Maui -- Yiming Fu and Allyson Whaley -- will give The Maui News a nice boost in its elections reporting this fall. The announcement comes after a three-person panel selected Whaley and Fu for the inaugural Maui Nui Media and Creativity Collaborative Investigative Elections Reporting Fellowship. The fellowship will fund seven weeks of original, investigative, print-first reporting focused on the candidates, issues and decisions shaping Maui County’s future in the mayoral and Maui County Council races. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauaʻi bill could help keep kūpuna home on their land. Some Hawaiian families could get a lower property tax rate, thanks to a new bill introduced in the Kauaʻi County Council. Measure 3008 would create a new property tax program called an ʻĀina Kūpuna dedication that would let Hawaiʻi families who can trace their land back to being continuously owned before statehood in 1959 pay a fixed property tax for 10 years. Hawaii Public Radio.

‘Devastated’ Kauaʻi Harbor May Take 5 Years To Fix, State Says. It could take up to five years — and roughly $19 million — to fully repair Port Allen Harbor on Kaua‘i’s Westside, which was home to dozens of boats used for commercial fishing and tours before Hurricane Lowell ripped through its breakwater. Civil Beat.

Hurricane Lowell shapes Kauaʻi Council races as candidates talk disaster response. All 14 candidates competing for Kauaʻi County Council seats gathered on the North Shore to discuss urgent issues regarding the island's emergency response after Hurricane Lowell. Kauai Now.

Amendment to clarify Planning Commission appeals process. Kaua‘i voters will decide in the Nov. 3 General Election on a proposed Charter amendment to clarify and expedite the Planning Commission’s appeals process. Garden Island.

June snowfall in Hawaii, Honolulu rail project short on cash, South Korean destroyers arrive ahead of RIMPAC, Island Air resumes Kona route, new Hilo pier advancing, Kauai affordable housing project commences, Maui citizen initiative fails to reach ballot, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Snow atop Mauna Kea, courtesy National Weather Service Honolulu

Mauna Kea had a white cap once again this week, if only briefly. A moisture-rich weather system brought a dusting of snow to the summit Monday as it drenched lower elevations on the windward side. Tribune-Herald.

About a dozen candidates are running for seats in the state Legislature this year who political observers say make up an emerging progressive faction within the Democratic Party. What constitutes a progressive agenda isn’t easy to define, but for John Bickel, one of the movement’s leaders, it means “standing up for the little guy against the corporate interests.” Star-Advertiser.

Two South Korean destroyers arrived at Pearl Harbor on Tuesday for the Rim of the Pacific war games, while other ships are also heading to Hawaii from around the region for the world’s largest international maritime exercise. Star-Advertiser.

The only Republican woman who Hawaii voters have ever sent to represent them in Washington, D.C., believes she has found the right candidate to follow in her stead. On Tuesday at GOP headquarters in Honolulu, Pat Saiki announced her pick: Shirlene Ostrov, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel. Civil Beat.

The fee Hawaiian Electric’s residential customers pay to finance clean-energy installations for low-income residents will decrease slightly starting in July. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu solar energy company Alternate Energy Inc. has reached a settlement with state regulators after allegedly misrepresenting information related to requirements for interconnecting solar energy systems, according to public records. Pacific Business News.

Kenneth Uemura, former vice president and chief financial officer at Hawaii Pacific University, has been appointed by Gov. David Ige to the state Board of Education. Civil Beat.

Federal judges from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals are in town this week and will hear oral arguments Wednesday for three lawsuits challenging county regulations on genetically modified farming. Civil Beat.

The Public Utilities Commission is considering Young Brothers Ltd.’s application to raise shipping rates by 4.36 percent, which will generate an increase in revenue by $3.13 million for the shipping company, according to a PUC public docket. Garden Island.

Oahu

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation is about to hit a cash crunch, and wants to borrow money that puts taxpayers on the hook. KHON2.

The rail isn’t going to make its way to Dillingham Boulevard any time soon, but HART is already meeting with businesses in the area to talk about what impact the project could have. KHON2.

Honolulu Mayor Candidate Profiles: Peter Carlisle. Hawaii Public Radio.

Honolulu Mayor Candidate Profiles: Charles Djou. Hawaii Public Radio.

The founder of a former Hawaii organization that encouraged the adoption of foster children has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for sexually assaulting two girls. The girls were 11 and 16 at the time of the assaults in 2011. Associated Press.

A special investigator's report on sex assaults at the Hawaii School for the Deaf and Blind provided chilling accounts of the way children were being treated and how the school's principal allegedly tried to cover up the scandal. Hawaii News Now.

It is the small Oahu village that time seemed to forget, and it looked like the city did too...until now. Varona Village was originally built for sugar plantation workers, but now its residents wonder who will live there in the future. KITV4.

Hawaii

Island Air flew from Honolulu to Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii for the first time in about four years on Tuesday, signaling an expansion plan that’s beginning to heat up. Pacific Business News.

Optimism blew in with Island Air’s first flight to Kona on Tuesday morning. West Hawaii Today.

The state initiative to upgrade Hilo’s port by constructing an additional pier remains on schedule, with the next significant construction step expected later this summer. Tribune-Herald.

A federal appeals court has upheld the convictions of Hawaii island marijuana advocate Roger Christie and his wife, Sherryanne, who contend that U.S. drug laws violate their right to freely exercise their religion. Star-Advertiser.

Attorneys for the county and for Kukuihaele residents opposing the county’s planned improvements — especially a fenced baseball park — argued Tuesday before Hilo Circuit Judge Greg Nakamura. Tribune-Herald.

Pahoa Village Road will be closed next week between Apa‘a Street and Post Office Road in order for the Hawaii Electric Light Company to relocate utility infrastructure and remove five utility pole protection measures that were installed in response to the June 27, 2014 lava flow. Big Island Video News.

Maui
There will be no citizen-driven initiative on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. Farmland voter initiative falls short on signatures. Maui News.

A partnership led by a Dallas-based real estate investment firm has purchased the 304-acre Pulelehua working-class housing community in West Maui from Maui Land & Pineapple Co. for $15 million. Maui News.

About 80 acres of sugar cane burned Sunday afternoon in an unscheduled fire in Haliimaile, fire and Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. officials said Monday. Maui News.

Kauai

A 54-acre piece of land near the intersections of Kuhio and Kapule highways is being converted into a housing development. D.R. Horton, a national home construction company, is partnering with Kauai County to develop Ho‘oluana at Kohea Loa, a neighborhood that offers both affordable housing options and single-family homes. Garden Island.

The Ocean Course at Hokuala, a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course on Kauai, is undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation. Pacific Business News.

About five months ago, the Hanalei Watershed Hui and several partners created Ahupua’a Explorations as way to engage, entertain, and teach the children of the North Shore when they weren’t in class. Garden Island.

Hawaii GOP holds convention, police chiefs leaving Maui and Kauai, Maui property taxes drop, Waikiki homeless hurting real estate market, OHA squabble continues, sea-level rise predicted, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

GOP convention, courtesy Hawaii Republican Party

Hawaii Republicans want to register 25,000 new Republican voters before the November election, hoping to expand the electorate and slowly weaken the Democratic Party's hold on state politics. Star-Advertiser.

Hundreds of Hawaii Republicans from around the state gathered to get "Back to Basics" in Kaneohe. That was the theme for the annual state convention for the GOP Saturday at the Koolau Ballrooms. Hawaii News Now.

As Pat Saiki took the stage to address delegates at the Hawaii Republican Party's state convention Saturday, the public-address system blasted "Takin' Care of Business" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Saiki, the party's new chairwoman, told delegates she would prefer the theme from "Rocky." Civil Beat.

At its state convention Saturday in Kaneohe, members of the Hawaii Republican Party marveled at what they see as major divisions and disarray in the Democratic Party of Hawaii. The hope is that contested primary battles among Democrats could help the GOP win a few elections. Civil Beat.

At its state convention today in Kaneohe, the Hawaii Republican Party approved a policy resolution that includes language urging the state Department of Education to stop teaching the sex-ed curriculum Pono Choices. Civil Beat.

The dustup between Office of Hawaiian Affairs CEO Kamana'opono Crabbe and his bosses, the OHA board of trustees, has caused a mighty ruckus in the Hawaiian community since May 9. Star-Advertiser.

Commentary: The chaos created in the Office of Hawaiian Affairs by CEO Kamana'opono Crabbe has squashed what little credibility existed for the Native Hawaiian Roll, Kana'iolowalu. It's time to halt this failed project before we dump potentially hundreds of millions in public resources into a settlement with Hawaiians that settles nothing. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii lawmakers on the money committees ponied up $3 million this session to create a public preschool program next school year for a few hundred 4-year-olds. But the money committee chairs decided last-minute to prohibit the state from using any of the $3 million allocation for that final option, an increasingly popular preschool alternative known in education circles as family-child interaction learning. Civil Beat.

Commentary: Will Lawmakers Ever Do Anything About Lobbyists? Civil Beat.

A new report released last week says Hawaii should prepare for severe impacts resulting from global climate change, including rising temperatures sea levels, coastal erosion and diseased coral reefs. Garden Island.

Officials are investigating a disease affecting a native species of sea urchin that’s being used to control invasive seaweed at Kaneohe Bay. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources said Friday the disease is affecting collector urchin called hawae in Hawaiian. Associated Press.

Children in Hawaii with stubborn cancers that resist conventional treatment will soon have a chance to try a groundbreaking approach that matches medicines to the molecular makeup and mutations of their individual tumors. Star-Advertiser.

Tyler Crowley, one of the top startup mentors in the world, is looking to ramp up Hawaii’s startup scene with a grassroots effort being spearheaded by several stakeholders in the state. Pacific Business News.

The famous voyaging canoe Hokule'a and her sister vessel Hikianalia left Oahu Saturday evening around sunset for "Malama Honua", a three-year voyage around the world to spread a message of global sustainability and the importance of caring for our oceans. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Oahu Democrats on Sunday declared a University of Hawaii-West Oahu instructor eligible to challenge state Rep. Sharon Har, whose opposition to marriage equality has upset many of the party's gay-rights and progressive activists. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Prosecutor Agrees More Transparency Better In Police Shootings. The U.S. Army Pfc. Gregory Gordon police shooting case still raises questions about the lack of transparency regarding what happens after officer-involved shootings in Hawaii, as well as other police incidents that result in a suspect’s death. Civil Beat.

The Honolulu Ethics Commission has found probable cause of ethics violations by a city employee involving accepting gifts and a misuse of sick leave. Hawaii Independent.

A 33-year-old madam who operated her elite prostitution business from Portlock, one of Hawaii’s most prestigious neighborhoods, for about a decade, said her list of clientele included a former member of Hawaii’s congressional delegation, judges, a deputy prosecutor and celebrities. Hawaii Reporter.

The current wave of Waikiki hotel investment, which peaked at $1.1 billion in transactions last year, will peter out if local government cannot solve the challenges caused by the district's swelling homeless population, say Hawaii real estate and tourism industry officials. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Fire Department rescue personnel spent a busy weekend assisting several people stricken with heat-related illnesses on Oahu trails. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

David Ige says he’s been listening to Hawaii residents as he ramps up his campaign for the Democratic party nomination to run for governor. People in West Hawaii have a lot to say about harbors, hunting and other Department of Land and Natural Resources issues, Ige said Friday, a week after his first visit to Hawaii Island as a candidate. West Hawaii Today.

When Hilo resident Stanley Martin was 13 years old, he was diagnosed with leprosy, taken away from his mother, and transferred to Molokai where he would be cut off from the outside world until he turned 25. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

The Maui County Council on Friday approved a 3 percent across-the-board property tax rate reduction that still is expected to bring in about 6.4 percent more in property tax revenues this fiscal year due to rising valuations. Maui News.

Maui Police Chief Gary Yabuta is retiring in the next two months to take a new position with a federal anti-drug trafficking task force. The police department said Friday Yabuta will become the Director of High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas for Hawaii. Associated Press.

Dirt bikes etch network of trails into W. Maui slope. Sport that has gained popularity in recent years damaging isle resources. Maui News.

Governor Neil Abercrombie announced the release of $1.5 million for the Upcountry Maui Watershed project, and $200,000 for improvements to the Molokaʻi Irrigation System. Maui Now.

Kauai

Police chief to run for Kauai County Council. Darryl Perry said he is reaching the end of his police career. Garden Island.

Kalaheo Clinic closing. Budget woes leave HHSC looking to fill $39 million shortfall. Garden Island.