Hotel occupancy grows, vacation rentals drop in November, Maui man admits buying 9-year-old girl, Mauna Kea summit road opens, Christmas Day storms wreak havoc on Oahu, Kauai, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Condos along the Ala Wai ©2019 All Hawaii News

Vacation rentals throughout the state see a dip in occupancy. Supply and demand for vacation rental units throughout the state were up year-over-year in November, but occupancy was down, according to the latest data from Hawaii Tourism Authority. Pacific Business News.

Hawai‘i hotels statewide reported growth last month compared to November 2018. According to the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide grew by 7.6% to $330.3 million, which is $23.2 million higher than last year. Big Island Now.

Recent deaths spur review of military base security. The Navy and Marine Corps are conducting a broad review of security measures in the face of insider threats, following three violent incidents at Navy bases since Thanksgiving, including the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard fatal shootings on Dec. 4. Star-Advertiser.

How A Nuclear Waste Site 2,800 Miles Away Became A Hawaii Priority. The Runit Dome in the Marshall Islands is cracked and in danger of spilling its radioactive contents into the Pacific Ocean. Civil Beat.

Oahu

City report claims housing shortage will end in 2028, but experts are skeptical. The report by the Department of Planning and Permitting said that population growth over the next several years will slow down while the inventory of known housing projects will grow significantly. Hawaii News Now.

Restored Wo Fat Building expected to breathe new life into Chinatown. Owners of the iconic Wo Fat Building are hoping that restoration of the 86-year-old landmark will serve as a catalyst for a badly needed makeover for the rest of Chinatown. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Prosecutors Keep Up Quest For Third Trial Against Christopher Deedy. The federal agent’s attorneys have argued another trial for manslaughter would violate the double jeopardy clause of the U.S. Constitution. Associated Press.

Rain and wind wreak havoc across Oahu, knocking out power to thousands and causing a mudslide. Oahu received slate-gray skies, steady rain and wind gusts for Christmas that knocked out power to more than 18,000 people, downed trees, power lines and closed the Pali Highway — again — as the result of a mudslide. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu’s NYE fireworks displays, rules and safety tips from HFD. The Honolulu Fire Department is reminding the public that the City and County of Honolulu’s fireworks ordinance allows the public to purchase and use firecrackers only. All other fireworks are illegal for consumer use on Oahu. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Increased police presence on Daniel K. Inouye Highway put department $3M over budget. The county is a little less than halfway through fiscal year 2019-2020, but five months of increased police presence on Daniel K. Inouye Highway near Maunakea Access Road has put the Hawaii Police Department over budget, a high-ranking police official told the Hawaii County Police Commission on Friday during the panel’s monthly meeting in Hilo. Tribune-Herald.

Both sides downplay likelihood of confrontation on Maunakea Access Road. County officials and protesters alike seem skeptical that a confrontation will occur at Maunakea Access Road on Thursday, but both sides remain cautious. Tribune-Herald.

Mauna Kea Summit Road Open Ahead Of Potential Sweep. The Mauna Kea Access Road on Hawaii Island is once again open to the public, but the situation on the mountain remains uncertain. Hawaii Public Radio.

PGV reconstruction efforts on schedule to be finished by end of 2019. Puna Geothermal Venture is expecting to return to operation by the end of this year and hopes to sell electricity in early 2020. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

A Maui man accused of “buying” a 9-year-old Thai girl and then sexually assaulting her when she was 14 will likely serve five years behind bars under a plea deal. In court papers, 76-year-old George Theros admitted that he had sex with the girl earlier this year while he was trying to smuggle her on a boat from Panama to Hawaii. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Storm rattles island. The storm that hit Kauai the night before Christmas knocked out power, closed bridges and roads, led to requests for water conservation and a brown water advisory, and people were urged to stay out of the ocean. Garden Island.

Historic theater and bridge damaged by flooding on Kauai. A flash flood warning for Kauai has expired following a morning of extremely heavy rain. Hawaii News Now.

Storms sandwiching Hawaiian Islands, Gabbard attacks Harris in debate, vacation rental law spurs Honolulu controversy, celebrities support Mauna Kea protest, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hurricane Erick, Tropical Storm Flossie projections NOAA storm tracker

Erick slowly weakening, but hanging on as Category 1 hurricane. Hurricane Erick continues to lose strength as it churns southeast of the Big Island, but forecasters are warning it could bring heavy rains and high surf to the islands starting Thursday. At 5 a.m. Thursday, Erick was packing winds of 85 mph, making it a Category 1 storm. It was moving west-northwest near 15 mph. Hawaii News Now.

Tropical Storm Flossie continues to charge toward the state on Thursday morning. At 5 a.m., the National Hurricane Center said Flossie was located 1,515 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California ― or 1,580 miles east of Hilo. Hawaii News Now.

UPDATE: Big surf of 15-20 ft arriving on the Big Island today as Hurricane Erick passes south. Erick continues as a hurricane but not for long. KITV.

UPDATE: Tropical Storm Flossie will slowly weaken as it approaches the islands. Flossie has winds at 65 mph. KITV.

11p Wednesday Update: Hurricane Erick continues to weaken while Tropical Storm Flossie’s track shifts slightly farther away to the north. KHON2.

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Tulsi Gabbard Attacks Kamala Harris In Presidential Debate. The Hawaii congresswoman has yet to qualify for the third round of Democratic debates, which made her performance Wednesday crucial. Civil Beat.

On debate stage, Gabbard skewers Harris over her criminal justice record. Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard engaged in a heated exchange with fellow presidential contender U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris on the debate stage Wednesday, claiming that Harris should apologize to the people she impacted with her criminal justice policies. Hawaii News Now.

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More Federal Dollars Are Flowing To Hawaii’s Rural Clinics. In just three years, nine more health clinics acquired Rural Health Clinic status from the federal government, allowing them to get higher reimbursement for Medicaid and Medicare patients. Civil Beat.

Feds: Hawaii Still Coming Up Short In Meeting Special Education Needs. Hawaii still needs assistance in implementing provisions of a federal law designed to improve services for special education students. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Crackdown on vacation rentals could hurt tourism. Oahu’s more restrictive short-term rental rules, which take affect today, have come to the attention of investors and economists who warn the county is in danger of not having enough lodging for visitor arrivals to continue to grow. Star-Advertiser.

City works to refine search for illegal vacation rentals as new regulations roll out. As Honolulu officials prepare to start “digital stings” on Aug. 1 to curb illegal short-term vacation rentals, they’re also working to improve their search for potential violators. Hawaii News Now.

Waikiki condo owners will sue to stop new law. the owners of at least one Waikiki condominium complex are preparing to ask a state judge to stop the city from enforcing the new vacation rental law against them. Star-Advertiser.




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Showdown Looms With Howard Hughes Over Parcels On Rail Route. Negotiations to compensate the Kakaako landowner for properties critical to the project have broken down, with the parties as much as $100 million apart. Civil Beat.


State to tow dozens of abandoned cars from Honolulu airport lots. The state says 60 cars that were abandoned at Honolulu's airport will be removed over the next several weeks. Hawaii News Now.

60 abandoned cars will be removed from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. KHON2.


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Rapid ohia death found on Oahu for first time. Rapid ohia death, the fungal disease that has killed millions of ohia trees across Hawaii, has been detected for the first time on Oahu. Star-Advertiser.


Devastating Rapid Ohia Death now found on Oahu. The Oahu Invasive Species Committee made the discovery in a remote area in the Koolau Mountains above Pearl City. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Actor Momoa lends star power to protests. Actor Jason Momoa added some star power to the daily noontime protocol for theThirty Meter Telescope protesters Wednesday, walking up the closed Mauna Kea Access Road to present an offering in front of a crowd of about 600. Star-Advertiser.

‘Aquaman’ star meets with TMT opponents; camp, telescopes prep for approaching storms. Tribune-Herald.

Mauna Kea Day 17 – Press Conference. On Day 17 of the scheduled start of construction on the Thirty Meter Telescope, opponents of the project – including Hollywood actor Jason Momoa – gathered to hold a press conference at the base of the Mauna Kea Access Road. Big Island Video News.

Hawaii actor Jason Momoa visited the TMT protest at the base of Mauna Kea on Wednesday, becoming the latest celebrity to do so. Hawaii News Now.

Scientists Report Missed Opportunities, Equipment Near Failure as a Result of TMT Protest. The telescopes on Mauna Kea are billion-dollar instruments that require daily maintenance to stay in good working order. As access restrictions continue for a third week, many are developing serious problems. Hawaii Public Radio.

Mauna Kea Hunting Closure Concerns Commission. The temporary closure of hunting on Mauna Kea was a topic of discussion Tuesday night at the Hawaiʻi County Game Management Advisory Commission meeting in Hilo. Big Island Video News.




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Shark finning persists off Big Island. Marine biologists say they are alarmed by recent shark finning incidents on Hawaii island, citing photographs of two oceanic whitetip sharks with their fins hacked off, and that of a dead and gutted whitetip reef shark. Star-Advertiser.


Endangered sharks with fins cut off found gutted, dead off Hawaii Island. Hawaii News Now.

Concern raised over recent shark finning incidents. KHON2.

Sharks spotted finned and gutted around West Hawaii. Dive operators spotted two oceanic white-tip sharks alive with some of their fins cut off. KITV.

Maui

Still no evidence of big leak in Waikapu system. Spike in consumption could be due to higher usage. Maui News.

F-22 Raptor Training on Maui Aug. 1-3, Exhibit Aug. 2. The Hawaiʻi Air National Guard is flying over four F-22 Raptors from Oahu to Kahului Airport on Maui between Aug. 1 and 3, 2019. Maui Now.

Maui man charged, accused of buying young Thai girl and forcing her to have sex. A 76-year-old Maui man is in federal custody after he was accused of buying a 9-year-old girl in Thailand in 2014 and trying to smuggle her to Hawaii. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Kauai’s Ocean Safety Bureau will extend hours for Roving Patrol Units. Starting on Thursday, August 1, Ocean Safety officials will implement extended hours for its lifeguard patrol services islandwide. KHON2.

Building for the future. There’s a new building on Kauai made out of plastic marine debris and plastic household waste. Garden Island.

Tourism numbers down. Through six months, visitor spending on Kauai was a reported $961.9 million, down 5.7% compared to the same period in 2018. Visitor arrivals through June on Kauai totaled 686,236, down 1.7% compared to the first six months of 2018. Garden Island.

Kapaa medical clinic opens. Kauai Medical Clinic opened its new location at Kauai Village shopping center on Tuesday. Garden Island.

Hawaii Legislature mulls food, ethics, hospitals, poor, power; state senator backs off child sex comments; Kauai mayor trims budget; Maui tackles feral chickens, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii local food (c) 2013 All Hawaii News

Key industry leaders put together the Local Food Coalition several months ago to spearhead and back efforts to get farm-related legislation passed by state lawmakers this year. More than a dozen bills originating from the coalition, along with a few independent of the group, have passed the halfway point in the legislative session, crossing from the House to the Senate or vice versa. Star-Advertiser.

State lawmakers want to give the working poor some relief this legislative session through targeted tax credits, rent subsidies and upping the minimum wage. Civil Beat..

Members of the Hawaii Senate Health Committee have approved a bill that would explore whether some of the state’s public hospitals should become private. Associated Press.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz describes himself as a "pragmatic progressive" who has passion for Demo­cratic values but understands politics is about compromise. Star-Advertiser.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard discussed U.S. missteps in Iraq and the failure of the Department of Veterans Affairs to clear its backlog of obligations during an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday. Star-Advertiser.

With the rhetoric coming out of North Korea heating up and its military capabilities advancing, is Hawaii adequately protected? According to Denny Roy, a senior fellow at the East-West Center, parts of Hawaii and Alaska already may be in range of North Korean missiles, so it could make sense to add some anti-missile defenses here. Pacific Business News.

While the state's four mayors and county councils worry about retaining transient accommodations tax revenue, the counties also face another threat - the loss of half their current public utility franchise tax revenues. Maui News.

A proposal to legalize casino gambling in Hawaii is not likely to pass into law this legislative session. But elsewhere in the Pacific, the industry is growing—and this weekend marks a new level. Hawaii Public Radio.

Lawmakers last year granted themselves broad exemptions from the state ethics code in a move that was framed as an accident, an oversight made during the sometimes messy process of bill writing. But this year, efforts to fix it have so far proved fruitless. Tribune-Herald.

The union contract that helps keep police officer misdeeds under wraps is now in the hands of an independent arbitrator who is expected to release a decision soon. Civil Beat.

Lobbyists serving on the Mortgage Foreclosure Task Force could be cleared of potential ethics violations with the help of lawmakers. Tribune-Herald.

The House Labor Committee passed a bill Friday that strays from the Senate's approach to managing state funds needed to cover employee and retiree benefits in the future. Associated Press.

The Public Charter School Commission has approved a new contract with the state's 32 charter schools that is designed to measure their performance from year to year. Star-Advertiser.

Two House representatives from Maui joined colleagues in introducing resolutions this week that seek alternatives to a proposed inter-island undersea transmission cable system powered by wind generation on the outer islands. Maui Now.

Rep. Mele Carroll (13th District) voiced many Molokai residents’ concerns in Honolulu today, urging the Governor and the public utilities commission to find alternatives to proposed wind turbines and undersea cables on the island. Carroll introduced House Concurrent Resolution 189, which urges that island-specific alternatives be considered in order to reduce negative impacts on Molokai and Lana`i. Molokai Dispatch.

Sen. Slom explains controversial comment that "an underlying cultural problem here where some of our diverse cultures actually don't see any problem or any crime in having sexual relations with young children." UH Sociology Chair: No evidence child sexual abuse is viewed as acceptable in any social group, community. KITV4.

Oahu

The biggest beach replenishment project ever undertaken in the state is taking shape at Iroquois Point, where nine big T-shaped rock groins are going in along nearly a mile of shoreline. Star-Advertiser.

With nearly 460 units, the Ritz-Carlton Residences Waikiki Beach, also known as 2121 Kuhio, will go up right behind Kalakaua Avenue's luxury row. Hawaii News Now.

Starting next year, the American Cancer Society will discontinue its support of camp opportunities nationwide for children who have been diagnosed with cancer, including three camps in the islands, to focus more funding on cancer research. Star-Advertiser.

Aiea residents are one step closer to getting a new library. KHON2.

For 20 years Challenger Center Hawaii has been providing middle school students from across the state with the opportunity to experience simulated space missions, despite budget cuts two years ago that could have spelled the end for the learning center. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Protesters begin their walk toward downtown Hilo from the Kamehameha statue for the March in March to Evict Monsanto on Saturday morning. Hundreds of people protested Monsanto’s leasing of land in Hawaii to grow genetically modified food.Tribune-Herald.

Hundreds of Big Island residents took part in a “March to Evict Monsanto” this morning along Kamehameha avenue. Big Island Now.

The State of Hawaii is in negotiations with the US Army for a new lease for Pohakuloa Training Area. Hawaii Independent.

Maui

The Maui County Council gave first-reading approval Friday for $3.25 million in additional bond funding for the new Kihei police station over the objections of two council members who questioned the need for and the amount of the money. Maui News.

Maui County's administration has asked the Maui Humane Society to develop a response to the feral chicken problem that a county official said may be a "mild nuisance" now but could be "something worse" if it's not addressed soon. Maui News.

Tails were wagging and mouths were drooling as pooches and their owners excitedly waited for Central Maui's first off-leash dog park to officially open Saturday at Keopuolani Park. Maui News.

Kauai

Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. released Friday the county’s proposed $158.51 million operating budget for Fiscal Year 2014, which is $7.87 million less than the current fiscal year’s budget of $166.39 million. Garden Island.

The results of two studies regarding environmental health issues in Waimea that were funded by state and county agencies will be presented at an informational meeting this week. Garden Island.

The Kaua‘i County Council on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution supporting the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust’s efforts to secure a state grant to set in motion a planning process to acquire the Coco Palms Resort for the public benefit. Garden Island.

The public is invited to attend a presentation this week by representatives of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a Hanapepe levee project. Garden Island.

Molokai

Molokai has the highest unemployment rate in the state, but now there’s an economic bright spot on the island — a once-thriving coffee industry is making a comeback. Civil Beat.

Special report -- Naming Names: all the documents behind the 7 Hawaii Boy Scout 'Perversion Files'

Here are the links to the documents behind the Boy Scouts 'Perversion Files' for the seven Hawaii cases, courtesy of Kelly Clark Attorney at Law, a longtime advocate for sexually abused children.

Because sunlight is the best disinfectant.


Last    First    Date    State    City    Link

Dunham    Edward P.    1982/10/06    Hawaii    Wahiawa    Download PDF

Green    William L.    1966/04/12    Hawaii    Honolulu    Download PDF

Kamp    Michael William    1968/04/04    Hawaii    Honolulu    Download PDF

Kubic    Jerome W.    1965/09/13    Hawaii    Barber's Point    Download PDF

Strain    Gary L.    1983/06/16    Hawaii    Mililani Town    Download PDF

Wilson    Dale Edmund    1971/11/03    Hawaii    Honolulu    Download PDF

Zottoli    Joseph    1983/06/16    Hawaii    Honolulu    Download PDF