Welcome to the News Year’s Day edition of Hawaii News Digest.
Top story: The fate of the Thirty Meter Telescope seems less certain than a decade ago when it was first proposed.
Views expressed in this Hawaii News summary are those of the reporters and correspondents.
Content provided by the “Honolulu Star-Advertiser” and the Associated Press.
Accessed on 01 January 2020, 1655 UTC, Post 20064.
Source:
https://www.staradvertiser.com/category/hawaii-news/
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HAWAII NEWS
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Ahead in 2020: Fate of TMT uncertain after 2-month stalemate
As 2020 dawns on Mauna Kea, the fate of the Thirty Meter Telescope seems less certain now than it did a decade ago when the billion-dollar-plus project was first proposed. Read more
Ahead in 2020: First rail segment to open by the end of year
If all goes according to plan, the first segment at the Ewa end of Honolulu’s $9.2 billion rail line will open to the public by the end of 2020, a major milestone for a troubled project that has been dogged by years of delays and billions of dollars in cost overruns. Read more
Ahead in 2020: Honolulu mayor’s race likely to dominate election
As Mayor Kirk Caldwell prepares to clear out the third-floor corner office at Honolulu Hale after eight tumultuous years, Oahu voters will be asked later in 2020 to choose his successor. Read more
More than 40 are rescued in a single day between Oahu’s north and west shores
Breezy tradewinds, mild temperatures and huge surf graced the islands on the last day of 2019. Read more
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Two males are charged in separate sexual assaults after the testing of rape kits
Two men have been charged with sexual assault on Hawaii island following a statewide effort to test hundreds of rape kits that for years sat unprocessed in county storage facilities. Read more
Traffic-related deaths top 100 for the year
The state was finishing up the year with a tally of 107 traffic-related fatalities as of Dec. 26, according to preliminary statistics from the Hawaii Department of Transportation. Read more
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2 indicted with murder of man found on Kailua trail
State prosecutors indicted two people Tuesday on charges of second-degree murder in the death of a 38-year-old man whose badly decomposed body was discovered in May in a wooded area along a Kailua hiking trail. Read more
4 passengers killed in Kauai helicopter crash identified as Swiss tourists
Kauai police today revealed the names of the four remaining passengers that died in Thursday’s tour helicopter crash in Kokee as they finalized recovery efforts this afternoon. Read more
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First statewide siren test of 2020 scheduled for Thursday
During this monthly test, all outdoor sirens will sound a one-minute attention alert signal in the form of a steady tone. Read more
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U.S. Coast Guard rescues paddleboarder off Maui
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a paddleboarder a mile off Ukumehame Beach Park today. Read more
Waimea forest purchased for $3.7M to keep in conservation
A large swath of land on Oahu’s North Shore, including the upper Waimea watershed, will now be protected as part of the state’s forest reserve, thanks to a recent acquisition. Read more
Bank stocks finish strong among local companies
Hawaii-based bank stocks struggled for much of 2019 as low interest rates cut into the margins they could make between lending money to borrowers and paying for customers’ deposits. Read more
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Cataluna: Complaining doesn’t make things better, — except for when it does
If the neighbors are lighting illegal fireworks next door, call and report it. Read more
Year in Review: Top 5 Hawaii news stories of 2019
From one of the largest public corruption cases in state history to a new airline entering the Hawaii market, these are the top five Hawaii news stories of 2019. Read more
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State suspends Office of Hawaiian Affairs audit over refusal to release records
State Auditor Les Kondo announced Monday that the Office of the Auditor has suspended its audit of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ limited liability companies because the OHA Board of Trustees is denying access to complete and unredacted minutes of its meetings. Read more
FAA records show Kauai pilot wasn’t certified for instrument flight
National Transportation Safety Board investigators on Monday flew over the site of a fatal sightseeing tour helicopter crash on Kauai, and will try, among other things, to get “boots on the ground” today, the lead investigator said. Read more
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Fishmongers say the ahi selection is plentiful this year but so are the crowds
It’s sashimi time, and the selection is good, according to markets across Oahu that are helping to supply the delicacy to ring in the new year. Read more
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Hawaiian Telcom paints over unsolicited Wyland mural on Maui
Hawaiian Telcom on Monday painted over an unauthorized mural that well-known marine artist Robert Wyland had painted on its Dickenson Street building in Lahaina over the weekend. Read more
Man suffers laceration to face in Ala Moana Center robbery
A robber pulled a knife on a 76-year-old man at Ala Moana Center Sunday afternoon, leaving with the man’s watch and bag and giving him a laceration on his face. Read more
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High surf warning keeps Honolulu Ocean Safety busy around Oahu
The city said 14 rescues were performed on the North Shore of Oahu today, with approximately another 1,500 preventative actions taken by lifeguards. Another 16 rescues were made in West Oahu, with around 3,000 preventative actions taken. Read more
Honolulu Museum of Art unveils new logo for 2020
Earlier in the year, HoMA began introducing its new brand by offering it on a few logo items in the museum shop. Read more