Hokulea homecoming celebrations continue, universal basic income studied by Legislature, anti-aging drug begins trials, Maui sugarmill sale begins, Honolulu lobbyists spent $200k, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Greeting Hokulea in Honolulu, courtesy Hokulea crew

No modern navigation instrumentation guided a Polynesian voyaging canoe as it followed the horizon during a three-year journey around the globe. On Saturday, thousands welcomed double-hulled canoe Hokulea home to Hawaii when it entered a channel off the island Oahu and tied up to a floating dock at Magic Island. Associated Press.

Hokulea homecoming celebrations continued on Sunday, one day after thousands welcomed home the voyaging canoe. Hawaii News Now.

Hokulea is home, but its mission continues. The Malama Honua Summit kicked off Sunday -- highlighting the world-wide voyage. KITV4.

Three-quarters of the world’s inhabitants, including those living in Hawaii, will be exposed to deadly heat waves by the end of the century unless greenhouse gases are not substantially reduced, according to a study published today in Nature Climate Change. Star-Advertiser.

A resolution adopted by the Legislature last session calls for a “basic economic security working group” to study universal basic income. Civil Beat.

The National Institute of Health has chosen a compound developed by a Hawaii-based business for an anti-aging research program. Hawaii News Now.


Hawaii spends slightly more on each public school student than the national average each year but far less on general administration than the national norm, according to a new report from the Census Bureau. Star-Advertiser.

The state Department of Taxation’s new computer system has generated so many complaints from taxpayers and raised so many concerns among lawmakers that the Legislature this year stepped in to halt the flow of new funding into the project. Star-Advertiser.

Rear Adm. John Fuller will relinquish command of Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific at 1 p.m. Friday to Rear Adm. Brian Fort. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 2.7 percent in May, a decline of 0.4 percentage points from 3.1 percent in May 2016. Pacific Business News.

About 49,000 Hawaii Medical Service Association members covered by small-business health insurance plans will see an average 2.1 percent rate hike July 1, the smallest increase since 2012. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Companies spent more than $200,000 to sway Honolulu’s elected officials last year, according to lobbying reports filed with the city Ethics Commission in January. Civil Beat.

 The state Department of Transportation has ended its agreement with the Department of Public Safety to have deputy sheriffs handle law-enforcement duties at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, and state Sen. Will Espero is questioning whether the move is payback for a lawsuit filed by the sheriffs’ union to block the state’s new contract with a private airport security firm. Star-Advertiser.

A landowner’s plan to develop 29 lots in the heart of Haleiwa town won its first approval from the City Council last week, and a community hearing is likely next for the contentious project. Star-Advertiser.

A developer calls it Serenity Gardens, but community reaction to a cemetery planned in a residential Kaneohe neighborhood has not been calm or soothing. Star-Advertiser.

The most expensive homes on Oahu are in the neighborhood of Kāhala. And the priciest ones of all are on Kāhala Avenue, a street of some changes over time. Hawaii Public Radio.

Winners of the Make the Ala Wai Awesome contest were announced Saturday at the opening ceremony of the World Youth Conference at the Hawaii Convention Center. Hawaii News Now.

The Honolulu Police Department and the city Prosecutor’s Office have seen an increase in their domestic violence caseloads in recent years but without a corresponding increase in successful prosecutions, a report released last week by city Auditor Edwin Young concludes. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Renters and owners of second homes, especially those in West Hawaii, are about to feel the sting of changes the County Council made to Mayor Harry Kim’s proposed property tax hikes. West Hawaii Today.

Time could be running out for The Villages at Aina Lea. After more than a quarter-century of false starts and litigation, all work at the South Kohala site has been ordered again stopped and Hawaii County has notified developer, Aina Lea Inc., it plans to start the county process of reverting the land’s zoning “to its original” (unplanned) or a “more appropriate designation.” West Hawaii Today.

The state Department of Transportation’s reconstruction project on Saddle Road is nearing completion. Tribune-Herald.

A contested case hearing on whether to let a proposed 306-unit timeshare development in Kahaluu move forward is unlikely to get resolved this year. West Hawaii Today.

Recent sewage leaks and high bacteria counts along the Keaukaha shoreline are the topics of discussion at this community meeting Thursday night. Big Island Video News.

When the Big Island Invasive Species Committee’s field crew heads out to take samples from ohia trees, no news is good news. Tribune-Herald.

Following the recommendation of Hawaii County inspectors, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources has made the decision to close Pagoda Hilo Bay Hotel immediately and vacate the hotel. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

An inspection for potential buyers of the former Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co.’s processing plant will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday. Maui News.

A Lahaina Department of Public Works crew defied its supervisor following September’s torrential rains and flooding and risked further environmental damage from brown-water runoff, the department’s former chief of field operations and maintenance charges in her federal whistleblower lawsuit filed this week against Maui County. Maui News.

Kaiser Permanente Hawaii plans to spend more than $50 million on three Maui County hospitals as the biggest privatization effort in state history finally comes to fruition following a one-year delay. Star-Advertiser.

Having adequate doctors, access to services for non-Kaiser Permanente members and the possibility of reopening adolescent mental health services were some of the issues brought up during a public meeting Friday. Maui News.

The Maui County Council approved the 49-unit Makila Kai project in Launiupoko on a 6-2 vote Friday. Maui News.

The county Department of Water Supply has announced the winners of its eighth annual Water Conservation Poster Contest and of its first Source Water Protection Video Contest. Maui News.

Experts say elder abuse is happening in all settings. Conference focuses on signs of a problem, prevention tactics. Maui News.

Kauai

Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. sent the upcoming year’s budget back to to the council unsigned. Garden Island.

Kauai County Council Chair Mel Rapozo will give an overview of the county’s fiscal year 2017-18 budget at the Lihue Business Association meeting, 7:30 to 9 a.m. Thursday at Duke’s Canoe Club. Garden Island.

The Kauai County Council will host the annual Hawaii State Association of Counties conference Monday and Tuesday at the Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu. Garden Island.

The public has a chance to hear about the new approach to recreational water quality in a meeting set for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Kauai District Health Office Conference Room in Lihue. Garden Island.

Kauai residents are grateful for Tropic Care services. Between Monday and Wednesday, 1,661 patients visited the clinics, and Tropic Care provided 8,015 procedures. Those numbers already surpass those from last year, said Lauren Guest, public health preparedness planner for the Hawaii State Department of Health. Garden Island.

University of Hawaii unveils longevity drug, Trump travel ban back in Honolulu court today, Marines digging up WWII remains, protestors camp at Kauai Coco Palms site, state taxpayers get low ROI, Kakaako development controversy, Maui hospital money may return to budget, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

David Watumull, Cardax Pres and CEO; Bradley Willcox, MD; Richard Allsopp, PhD. during news conference, courtesy University of Hawaii

A gene associated with longevity shifted into high gear in mice fed a diet rich in astaxanthin, a pigment and antioxidant, holding out promise of a possible anti-aging therapy for humans, University of Hawaii medical school researchers announced Tuesday. Star-Advertiser.

The University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine and Honolulu-based life sciences company Cardax Inc. have announced the results of an animal study evaluating the effectiveness of the naturally-occurring chemical astaxanthin that holds promise in anti-aging therapy. Pacific Business News.

University of Hawaii

Researchers at the University of Hawaii John A Burns School of Medicine believe they've cracked the code as to why some live longer than others. KITV.

University of Hawaii researchers are touting a potential breakthrough in the study of aging. UH researchers and a local business teamed up to find out if a natural compound could affect the so-called "longevity gene" in mice. Hawaii News Now.

University of Hawaii reports Astaxanthin can activate the FOX03 “Longevity Gene” in mammals. News Release .

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President Donald Trump’s reversal of President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan does not bode well for Hawaii’s burgeoning renewable energy industry. Pacific Business News.

A federal judge in Hawaii who temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban planned to hear arguments Wednesday on whether to extend his order until the state’s lawsuit works its way through the courts. Associated Press.

Hawaii will be back in federal court Wednesday to argue against President Donald Trump's revised travel ban. Hawaii News Now.

A House bill that would eliminate the use of fossil fuel vehicles on Hawaii’s roadways by 2045 hit a speed bump in the Senate on Tuesday. The Senate Committee on Ways and Means deferred HB 1580, which would establish the 2045 target. Star-Advertiser.

Military and Veterans Affairs officials are digging up the remains of 94 unidentified Marines and sailors killed on a remote atoll in the Pacific during one of World War II’s bloodiest battles. Star-Advertiser.

State struggles to provide services to students with autism. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii is one of the worst states in the country for taxpayer return on investment, according to a new report by WalletHub. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

More than 100 concerned citizens have asked Gov. David Ige to reject a list of nominees sent to him by the City Council for filling two board seats on a state agency regulating development in Kakaako, following an unusual selection process last week. Star-Advertiser.

Several dozen people attended a public hearing held Tuesday on proposed changes to rules for producing affordable housing in Kakaako, but the state board contemplating the overhaul wasn’t there to listen. Star-Advertiser.

The state agency in charge of managing development in Kakaako held a public hearing Tuesday to take testimony on highly criticized proposed rule changes that seek to make housing in the urban district more affordable. There was just one problem: Not a single board member showed up. Civil Beat.

The state is proposing to change affordable and work force housing rules for Kaka’ako. Hawaii Public Radio.

Honolulu police, SWAT, fire fighters and paramedics responded to a barricade situation just before sunset Tuesday, to house on Paakai Street in Honakai Hale on Oahu's leeward coast. KITV.

A security guard at Honolulu International Airport fatally shot a family's dog on Tuesday evening, after the pet apparently got loose in an open area. Hawaii News Now.

Nesting native bird delays multimillion-dollar project in downtown Honolulu. KHON2.

Large-scale Hawaii sugar cane farming ceased in December after 181 years with the closure of a Maui plantation that once was among more than 150 in the islands. But deep in a Windward Oahu valley, a vestige of the industry remains deeply rooted. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii State Federal Credit Union, one of the largest credit unions in the state, is selling the former Acme Fender & Paint Shop property it purchased in 2014 in the Honolulu neighborhood of Kakaako that was supposed to be its flagship branch, Pacific Business News has learned.

Demand for the Waikiki Community Center’s preschool has grown so much that the nonprofit is closing its longtime thrift store next month to allow its keiki program to expand. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii


The Coast Guard is requiring boaters to keep their distance from the Kamokuna Kilauea lava ocean entry where lava flows into the sea. Tribune-Herald.

A significant segment of Kona coffee farmers and the largely immigrant population they employ are unnerved by recent reports of increased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity on Hawaii Island. West Hawaii Today.

A national comparison of counties released early this morning reveals troubling news about Hawaii County’s teenagers and young adults. Seventeen percent of 16- to 24-year-olds in the county are not in school or employed, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which funded the report. Tribune-Herald.

The county Water Board gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a $54.2 million operating budget and $26.3 million capital improvement budget after a public hearing where no members of the public testified. West Hawaii Today.

Contracts for three different water well repair projects in North Kona were approved by the Hawaii County Board of Water Supply on Tuesday. Big Island Video News.

The 82-year-old owner of Ahualoa goat farm puts it up for sale. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

State lawmakers said Tuesday that funds for the future operation of three Maui County hospitals under Kaiser Permanente likely will be returned to the budget, after the House Finance Committee removed it earlier this month, concerning hospital officials. Maui News.

The most recent little fire ant infestation in Kapalua in November appears to be under control as the ant population has not spread to nearby areas, an official with the Maui Invasive Species Committee said Wednesday. Maui News.

A groundbreaking scientific data collection program to expand the measuring of water quality off 18 West Maui shoreline sites has been forged between the state Department of Health and Maui community groups involved in the protection of the island’s nearshore waters. Maui News.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources has issued a notice of animal control activities and temporary closures of Maui forest reserves and natural area reserves on six dates. Maui News.

Commentary: Plan to close golf course spells doom for Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa. Star-Advertiser.

Kauai

A group has taken up residence on the Coco Palms property, saying they are descendants of people who once called the area home. The  unexpected protesters are not expected to delay the project. The $175 million hotel is expected to open by the end of 2018. Garden Island.

The state is looking into another dumping ground for Kauai’s waste this week after numerous reports and complaints. The spotlight is on an unencumbered state parcel at Wainiha on Route 560 between mile marker 7 and Alamihi Road, and some are dubbing the area “The Wainiha Landfill.” Garden Island.

Kauai residents say the General Plan needs to address affordable housing and future growth. Garden Island.

Allan Smith, James Mayfield and Dee Crowell were installed Tuesday as directors for Kauai Island Utility Cooperative. Each will serve a three-year term and join six other board members governing Kauai’s energy cooperative. Garden Island.