Legislature's 'gut-and-replace' puts Thirty Meter Telescope at risk, DLNR seeks comment on aquarium trade, 100 rally at Capitol for pesticide ban, teachers want to limit tests, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Mauna Kea telescopes ©2018 All Hawaii News

‘This is not democracy’: Lawmakers slammed for skirting public input with telescope moratorium. As Hawaii waits to see if the Thirty Meter Telescope has a future here, a last-minute bill crafted in the state Legislature has many worried that lawmakers could end up forcing the next-generation observatory out of the state. Tribune-Herald.

Bill up for vote could 'spell the end' of Thirty-Meter Telescope. Supporters — and opponents — of the Thirty-Meter Telescope were surprised to learn about last-minute legislation that would stop all construction at Mauna Kea if the University of Hawaii doesn't meet certain requirements. Hawaii News Now.

Commercial aquarium fish collecting could be returning to Hawaii shores, following a five-month pause. A draft environmental assessment released Sunday by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources anticipates no significant environmental impact from the resumption of the practice around Oahu and Hawaii Island. West Hawaii Today.

About 125 activists rallied Monday at the state Capitol in support of a bill to make Hawaii the first state in the nation to ban the insecticide chlorpyrifos, a chemical that has been linked to learning disabilities and developmental delays in children. Star-Advertiser.

Rally held to protect students from pesticides. Hawaii News Now.

In support of Hawaii’s potential ban on chlorpyrifos and of stricter pesticide rules, several Kauai people added their voices to dozens who gathered at the capitol for Monday’s Keiki First Rally. Garden Island.

Bills that would have limited the cooperation between Hawaii police departments and federal immigration authorities appear to be dead for the this legislative session. The measures would have generally prohibited local police from stopping, questioning or arresting anyone based solely on an immigration hold, or detainer, or an immigration warrant. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Teachers Think Your Kids Are Taking Way Too Many Tests. The state Senate is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a teachers’ union-backed bill that would cap mandatory tests for students at four per year. Civil Beat.

Hawaii’s public school students boosted their reading scores substantially, but math performance slipped for eighth-graders in the 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress, according to results released late today in Honolulu. Star-Advertiser.

U.S. senators Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz paid tribute to former Sen. Daniel Akaka in Washington, D.C. Monday. KHON2.

The personal-finance website's "2018’s Tax Burden by State" analysis shows that taxpayers on the Islands have a total tax burden of 11.57 percent. Trailing only New York residents, whose total tax burden is 13.04 percent. Pacific Business News.

Military Spending: Feds shell out, Isles cash in. A new report on per-capita defense spending is another indication of Hawaii’s strategic position and hot economy at a time of ongoing financial expansion for the state and nation. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii technology and manufacturing businesses contributed more than $1 billion to the state’s economy, according to a study by the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation. Pacific Business News.

Was The ‘Button Pusher’ A Problem Employee? State Won’t Release Details. The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said the worker who sent out a false missile alert had a record of incompetency, but he disputes that. Civil Beat.

The Navy's longest-serving sub is about to retire. The USS Bremerton is getting a well-deserved retirement. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

A proposal to provide around 100 new or renovated affordable rental apartments in Waikiki as part of a planned tower on Kuhio Avenue is up for revision after the city adopted new affordable-housing requirements last week. Star-Advertiser.

Federal agent Christopher Deedy appeals to halt third trial in Waikiki fatal shooting. Deedy is asking the federal court to prevent the state from taking him to trial a third time for fatally shooting Kollin Elderts in a Waikiki McDonald’s restaurant. Star-Advertiser.

Christopher Deedy appeals third trial. KHON2.

Filthy Bathrooms At This Popular Beach Park Are Creating A Stir. Pokai Bay Beach Park has other health and environmental hazards, too. Civil Beat.

Oahu Publications Inc. has put up for sale its 147,000-square-foot print production facility in Kapolei and the 11.61 acres of land beneath it in a lease/buyback transaction to take advantage of increasing prices in the area. Star-Advertiser.

The median price of a condominium reached a new high in March, compared to last year, driven by the sales of nearly two dozen multimillion-dollar units, while sales declined slightly, according to statistics released by the Honolulu Board of Realtors. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii Island

The Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of State Parks and planner Belt Collins Hawaii will hold a community meeting on the recently released draft environmental impact statement for the Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park Master Plan.  West Hawaii Today.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation announces that plans are being developed to run a trial AM northbound contraflow lane on Keaau-Pahoa Road (Highway 130) from Kaloli Drive to Shower Drive. Big Island Now.

The daughter of Jolene Kapua-Allison, a 54-year-old Mountain View woman killed in an apparent murder-­suicide on Hawaii island, said her mother feared leaving her abusive husband, a police officer. Star-Advertiser.

Maui

The developers of the $100 million, 324-unit mostly affordable Wailuku rental project on Maui have resubmitted a draft environmental assessment to the state, two months after withdrawing the initial document that had been submitted last fall. Pacific Business News.

Maui Population Continues to Increase as Honolulu’s Declines. Maui Now.

The median price of a single-family home on Maui fell by 10 percent last month, while the median price of a condominium jumped 15 percent, according to the Realtors Association of Maui. Pacific Business News.

The Pacific Whale Foundation held a traditional blessing ceremony last month for its newest vessel, Ocean Guardian, at Maalaea Harbor. Maui News.

Kauai

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Has Few Friends On This Hawaiian Island. The social media mogul’s neighbors aren’t happy with his new island estate or, for that matter, Facebook in general. Civil Beat.

Aloha Angels sponsors 51 clubs, adopts 192 teachers.  Kauai has 12 public or charter elementary schools. However, school ends in the early afternoon and for many children there’s not much to do. Garden Island.

Pearl Harbor sub heading to Korea, state Legislature has full plate, new egg laws sought, protecting coral reefs, property taxes and vacation rentals irk Oahu, state won't fund Puna roads, Maui to mull flood plan, Kauai utility elects board, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

USS Columbus PC: Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Cynthia Clark, courtesy news.navy.mil.

A Pearl Harbor-based nuclear submarine is part of a task force set to conduct maritime maneuvers around the Korean Peninsula as tensions with North Korea remain heightened. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii lawmakers are planning to tackle proposals aimed at protecting coral reefs, boosting recycling and taking care of the state's growing elderly population. Associated Press.

Research shows connection between watersheds, reefs. Garden Island.

Reefs struggling: Foundation of life in Hawaiian custom. Garden Island.

Ag Department seeks relief from egg inspection mandate. Star-Advertiser.

Full disclosure: Ige, some legal experts raise flags about constitutionality of measures forcing presidential candidates to release tax returns. Associated Press.

A federal judge on Sunday rejected the U.S. government’s request to clarify his temporary order blocking President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban. KHON2.

Immigration issue is personal to Chin. Associated Press.

While the number of Hawaii public school students enrolling in college after high school continued to hover near three-fifths of last year’s graduating class, education officials say they’re encouraged that new data show students are better prepared for the rigor of college coursework. Star-Advertiser.

Veterans Choice, which was created in 2014 to address a national controversy over long wait times for VA appointments, still is marred by a convoluted bureaucracy — so much so that the department’s new secretary said a top priority is to simplify the system. Star-Advertiser.

Local animal rights activists are rallying behind legislation which they say is their last shot this year to bolster Hawaii’s dog tethering regulations. Tribune-Herald.

Commentary: Federal gov’s proposed belt-tightening will put huge squeeze on Hawaii’s budget. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Owners of properties classified as Residential A that are assessed at just over $1 million would benefit under a bill up for a final vote of the Honolulu City Council on Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

The spread of vacation rentals into neighborhoods is frustrating government officials and lawmakers who have spent decades trying to ensure zoning laws are upheld and taxes are collected. Star-Advertiser.

Sewage Spill That Closed Waikiki Beach. Honolulu says it will upgrade its procedures for handling storm water discharges two years after massive sewage overflows made national headlines. Civil Beat.

The Roots Project, part of the nonprofit organization Kokua Kalihi Valley, is spearheading an effort to make locally grown produce more affordable and accessible to Kalihi’s low-income communities. Civil Beat.

The U.S. Department of Defense awarded a $30 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, architect-engineering contract to Honolulu-based Design Partners Inc. for designing and engineering services for housing and other lodging type projects at various locations for the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Pacific’s area of responsibility. Pacific Business News.

Emotional Support Chickens Are Ruffling Feathers. A rise in questionable emotional support animals is concerning to condo associations and businesses that must accommodate them. Civil Beat.

Sculpture Brings Peace to Kaka‘ako. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii

The mayor’s office has asked the Hawaii Police Department to once again look at ways to possibly trim its budget, according to a financial report delivered to the Police Commission on Friday. West Hawaii Today.

An overlap of state and county jurisdiction is contributing to a continuing controversy between Kahauloa Road residents and kayak rental operators who use the boat ramp into Kealakekua Bay at the end of the road. West Hawaii Today.

The state Department of Transportation’s response to Hawaii County’s request for release of $15 million appropriated for Puna roads could be summed up in two words — nice try. Tribune-Herald.

Kamehameha Schools remains in a holding pattern as it awaits approval of permits that will allow the organization to move forward with the removal of the Keauhou Beach Hotel, making way for a project-based educational complex dubbed Kahaluu Makai. West Hawaii Today.

Will Tiny Homes Help Big Island Farmers? Providing housing for farm workers is one way to attract employees. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii County Police Commission voted unanimously to approve a request for legal counsel for a former Hawaii County police officer charged with fatally striking a bicyclist. West Hawaii Today.

For the last six years there have been some nearly finished two-story town-home buildings overlooking distant ocean views at the Villages of Aina Lea, but completing and selling them has been an ordeal that recently became more challenging. Star-Advertiser.

Maui

A draft plan to ease flooding along South Kihei Road has taken almost 10 years to complete, but is close to fruition and scheduled to be presented to the public in the next several months. Maui News.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources will hold a public information meeting Thursday on sea level rise vulnerability and adaptation. Maui News.

Pukalani residents universally opposed sewer rate increases proposed by Hawaii Water Service Co., calling them “outrageous” and “unfair” during a Hawaii Public Utilities Commission hearing Thursday night at Pukalani Elementary School. Maui News.

Maui Waena Intermediate School’s new classroom building — more than a decade in the making — is finally open. Maui News.

State officers have blocked off a section of shoreline on South Maui after someone found an aging piece of unexploded ordnance among rocks near the ocean. Star-Advertiser.

Bill Backing Maui Grown Coffee Advances. Maui Now.

Kauai

Two Kauai County Councilmembers have concerns about the proposed budget for fiscal year 2017-18. Garden Island.

Some county employees may be getting an increase in salaries in the upcoming months. Garden Island.

Incumbent directors Dee Crowell and Allan Smith have been re-elected and join newly elected former board member Jim Mayfield to the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative’s (KIUC) Board of Directors. Garden Island.

Voters re-elected two members of the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative board of directors, and a former board member, according to results released Saturday. Star-Advertiser.

State officials say Kauai’s honeybee population is strong and healthy. Associated Press.

Timbers Kauai Ocean Club & Residences, the $800 million master-planned development on the unfinished Kauai Lagoons master-planned community, has begun sales for its mix of oceanfront and golf course homes, condominiums and townhomes. Pacific Business News.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have contributed $50,000 dollars to the Aloha Angels endowed fund, which supports Kauai’s teachers and students. Pacific Business News.

Many Hawaii homeless new arrivals, Abercrombie says same-sex marriage highlight of gubernatorial term, PAC spending case sent to prosecutor, Hawaii council advances e-cig ban, Kakaako construction gone wild, Maui could hike water rates in droughts, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Honolulu homeless © 2014 All Hawaii News

About 6 percent of Hawaii's homeless population — or about 600 people — arrived in the Aloha State in only the last 12 months, according to a new University of Hawaii report. In addition, about 16 percent of the homeless population — or about 1,600 people — told Hawaii social service workers they became new residents within the last five years. Star-Advertiser.

Opponents of a proposal to put in place the city's "sit-lie" ordinance in business districts across Oahu plan to hold rally at Hono­lulu Hale starting shortly before midday Thursday to urge Mayor Kirk Caldwell to veto the bill passed by the Honolulu City Council. Star-Advertiser.

A Statewide Homeless Awareness Conference on O’ahu is scheduled for Friday. It will bring service providers and government agencies together to look for viable solutions. Hawaii Public Radio.

An immigration reform proposal expected to be unveiled by President Barack Obama today could protect hundreds of undocumented immigrants living in Hawaii from deportation. Civil Beat.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Wednesday described the legalization of same-sex marriage as his proudest accomplishment as governor and said he wished he had done more to convince the public of the need for shared sacrifice near the end of the recession. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Attorney General David Louie plans to appeal a court’s decision requiring the release of financial disclosure statements of certain state board members, which is expected to keep the records private while that lengthy process plays out. Civil Beat.

Opinion: Hawaii Needs to Spread a Little Digital Aloha. Our new governor should take steps — even if they're costly — to drag the islands’ computer systems into the modern world. Civil Beat.

Oahu

The city prosecutor's office is now tasked with deciding whether criminal charges are warranted in connection with two complaints related to the 2012 mayoral campaign activities of the Pacific Resource Partnership Political Action Committee. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu prosecutors will decide whether to file criminal charges against the Pacific Resource Partnership’s political action committee for failing to disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars spent during the 2012 mayoral campaign, among other violations. The state Campaign Spending Commission voted 3-1 Wednesday to refer two complaints against PRP to city prosecutors. Civil Beat.

A global engineering and design firm that holds three Oahu rail project contracts has purchased a rival company that holds the contract to oversee the design firm's work, forcing city officials to look at ways to resolve an apparent conflict of interest. Star-Advertiser.

The former lead prosecutor in the gambling, money laundering and racketeering case involving arcade sweepstakes machines is facing possible sanctions for failing to show up in state court Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

Pearl Harbor is getting a fourth Virginia-class submarine next week, adding to the high-tech firepower the Navy has said will accompany the rebalance to the Pacific. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii developer Stanford Carr's Keauhou Lane project, which includes 388 residential units in a 400-foot high-rise tower, along with 35 townhouse units in a 42-foot mid-rise tower, is slated to start construction in late March or early April. Pacific Business News.

Better coordination between landowners, developing a business improvement district and subsidizing retailers were some of the ideas tossed around at a town hall meeting in Downtown Honolulu that focused on the pedestrian experience in the growing Honolulu neighborhood of Kakaako. Pacific Business News.

Opinion: Imagining Kakaako — How Our Hearts Lead Us Astray. The area is developing all too quickly thanks to public/private cooperation on steroids and the lack of urban vision. Civil Beat.

Reece Huculak-Kimmel has become known as the million-dollar baby. The 11-month-old Canadian girl was prematurely born at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children on Dec. 10 and her parents are now responsible for a $950,000 bill that insurance won't cover. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

A bill prohibiting the use of electronic cigarettes anywhere smoking traditional cigarettes is banned moved ahead Wednesday to its final vote, after attempts to first amend, then delay, the measure were batted away by a County Council majority. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii County’s Civil Defense chief said he will continue to assess whether road restrictions should be lifted as the June 27 lava flow remains calm near Pahoa. Tribune-Herald.

US House Panel Gets Volcano Hazard Update. Reps. Hanabusa and Gabbard were among those at the congressional hearing that included testimony from Hawaii officials. Civil Beat.

The June 27 lava flow took centerstage Wednesday during a Congressional subcommittee hearing on volcano monitoring in the United States. Tribune-Herald.

The comptroller for the state Department of Accounting and General Services has joined the lineup of opposition to placing the Keauhou aquifer under the control of the state’s water commission. West Hawaii Today.

Two top administrators of the state Department of Health’s Adult Mental Health Division appeared in a Hilo courtroom Tuesday to explain delays in performing a mental examination for a woman jailed several months for relatively minor offenses. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Members of the council committee on water resources today passed a bill on first reading that seeks to establish special water rate actions and conservation measures during times of water shortages and drought. Maui Now.

Lahainaluna High School staff, students, supporters and local politicians have formed a Lahainaluna Boarding Department Working Group to sustain the historic and nearly 200-year-old program that has been hit with funding problems and the phasing out of traditional and lucrative farming programs. Maui News.

Kauai

The Kauai County Council soundly defeated a proposal encouraging Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.’s administration to create a low-interest loan program that would help residents upgrade their cesspools to septic systems on the heels of imminent changes to state Department of Health rules on wastewater. Garden Island.

NOAA probes grant fund misuse in efforts to delist green sea turtle, University of Hawaii could lose deep-sea submersibles, cost of militarization, affordable housing mulled for Honolulu, lava forces plans for new road routes, new sirens for Kauai, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Green sea turtle in Hawaii © 2014 All Hawaii News

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has directed the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Wespac) to investigate the extent to which federal grant funds might have been misused by council staff members involved in preparing the pending petition to remove the Hawaiian green sea turtle from the federal list of threatened and endangered species. Civil Beat.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa is in danger of losing its two deep-water submarines unless the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory, the program that runs the subs, can come up with $3 million in the next month. Pacific Business News.

Opinion: The true cost of Hawaiʻi’s militarization. A thorough examination of the costs and benefits of housing the U.S. military dispels the mythos that Hawaiʻi would not survive without it. Hawaii Independent.

Creating homeless encampments to alleviate the state’s growing problem of homelessness is a bad idea, according to a 2012 report submitted to the Legislature by the Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness, a 24-member task force created by Gov. Neil Abercrombie and composed of state and city officials, homeless providers and community leaders. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell wants to revamp the city’s affordable housing policy to provide more rental spaces and more units that low-income people can afford. Civil Beat.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell's ambitious plan to bump up Oahu's affordable-housing count by more than 4,000 in the next five years is already generating myriad questions and a lot of discussion from City Council members and homebuilders alike, just as he predicted. Star-Advertiser.

14 years of disciplinary data compiled and analyzed by Civil Beat shows the Honolulu Police Department has a long history of leniency with cops found to have threatened, beat or otherwise hurt significant others and family members.

A group of lawmakers chided the Honolulu Police Department on Thursday for its handling of a possible domestic abuse case involving a police sergeant that was captured on video. Star-Advertiser.

The Board of Water Supply is getting heat after a city audit report said rates should go down. KHON2.

The State Department of Health is investigating the underground release of thousands of gallons of oil on Sand Island. It was found in a construction trench on the street that leads to the Keehi Boat Harbor. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii

Crews started building two alternate routes Thursday as a lava flow continued its advance toward Pahoa and Highway 130. Tribune-Herald.

Lava concerns on Hawaii's Big Island are shifting from it reaching a sparsely populated subdivision to it crossing over a heavily used highway. Associated Press.

Work crews began clearing the first of two little-used dirt roads on Hawaii island that may be pressed into service if lava should overrun the main highway into and out of the lower Puna district, where 8,000 people would otherwise be trapped. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii County officials are considering issuing an evacuation notice for Kaohe Homesteads after the June 27 lava flow changed direction Wednesday. Kevin Dayton, executive assistant to Mayor Billy Kenoi, said Thursday morning such an order could come within the next 24 hours. Tribune-Herald.

As the lava flow from Kīlauea Volcano’s Pu’u ‘O’o Vent continues to advance toward Ka’ohe Homestead and Pāhoa Village, Hawai'i County Civil Defense is addressing some basic infrastructure needs. Hawaii Public Radio.

Marijuana ministry advocate Roger Christie emerged from four years in federal custody Thursday and said he's looking forward to his first hit of marijuana -- "when I'm legally allowed to do so." Star-Advertiser.

Saturday’s grand opening of the new Hilo High School gymnasium has been put on hold as one of the final parts of the project has yet to be completed. Big Island Now.

Maui

A group that supports GMO farming on Maui has filed a lawsuit in Second Circuit court seeking the removal of a GMO initiative from the November ballot. Maui Now.

Kauai

Timeshare owners on Kauai will receive a temporary reprieve from higher property taxes, at least for the next year. Garden Island.

Kauai has nine new civil defense sirens thanks to a statewide modernization program. Star-Advertiser.

Submarines, trains and weinermobiles top news

A state with a warrior tradition yesterday welcomed a 21st- century combatant to its shores: the Virginia-class submarine USS Hawai'i.

The state welcomes the USS Hawaii, the first "Virginia-class" attack submarine to be stationed in the Pacific. This vessel is part of the Department of Defense's strategy to address growing threat in the region.

The family of Navy Lt. Shane Allen made a special, last-minute trip to Pearl Harbor to greet him as he and the rest of the crew of the USS Hawaii arrived at their new home port.

The Union Public Workers Unions and Gov. Linda Lingle's administration went to the state Labor Relations Board on Thursday over the threat of layoffs and ongoing labor negotiations.

The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile's recent O'ahu visit did not cut the mustard with the Outdoor Circle.

Honolulu's planned elevated commuter rail project likely will come in at close to the budgeted price and within five months of the anticipated completion date, according to a report by project oversight consultant Jacobs Engineering.

The University of Hawaii Board of Regents got some good financial news yesterday, learning that researchers brought in $414 million last year and that the UH Foundation raised more than $336 million after its recently concluded six-year Centennial Campaign.

A major California lettuce grower has recalled about 22,000 cartons of romaine lettuce over concerns that the product may be tainted with salmonella.

Drivers must wait several more months for a new mile-long roadway that will trim minutes off the commute between Wailuku and Kahului.

Heavy summer rains led to flash flood warnings Thursday, soaking anything outdoors and twice closing the Hanalei Bridge.

After almost three hours of discussion Wednesday, the Hawaii County Council tentatively agreed to turn the clock back to its June 16 meeting where it voted to reorganize leadership positions.

Despite the economic downturn, Hilo's fledgling residency program to bring doctors to the Big Island is moving ahead -- its survival due to an outpouring of donations from the community.