TMT opponents ask Japan to abandon the TMT project

Lawmakers hamstrung by their own law on special funds
The auditor determined that none of the 63 special funds that legislators wanted to create this session met the high legal bar they set for themselves in 2013. Civil Beat.

Leahi Hospital considered for quarantines
State officials are considering using Leahi Hospital in Kaimukī to quarantine any people who contract the coronavirus. Officials are also considering other underutilized facilities, including Wahiawa General Hospital. Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Local hospitals are ramping up their virus screening. KHON2.

Festival of the Pacific Arts & Culture postponed due to coronovirus concerns
Known as FESTPAC, the major international festival was scheduled to be held in June in Hawaiʻi. The traveling festival is hosted every four years by a different nation. Civil Beat. Honolulu Star-Advertiser. KHON2.

BLNR approves parks fee increase proposal
Land Board members on Friday approved unanimously a State Parks proposal to increase an array of parks-related fees in an effort to increase revenue. West Hawaii Today.

Weather dampens statewide whale count
Hundreds of volunteers counted 191 humpback whales on Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Maui and Hawaiʻi island over the weekend, but heavy rain and wind resulted in challenging sighting conditions. Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Garden Island.

Honolulu Ethics Commission scrubs financial disclosures from website
Public records in which Honolulu officials disclose their business interests, real estate holdings and family ties are no longer posted, and disclosures from past years have been deleted. Where there used to be at least two year’s worth of forms from Mayor Kirk Caldwell, his cabinet and Honolulu City Council members, the site directs people to the city clerk’s office where the documents can only be viewed in person. Civil Beat.

City seeks comments on proposed $3 fare and free transfers
The Honolulu transit fare review body wants to raise the price of a bus ride by 25 cents to $3, but provide free transfers between the rail and bus. The price for a single trip on the rail would also be $3 one way. Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

Glider tours get federal scrutiny after Dillingham Airfield crash
Several glider operators offer scenic air tours to customers on the North Shore. They’re not required to seek the same federal approvals as helicopter and airplane tour operators. Now Federal Aviation Administration officials say they’re re-examining whether such tours should be subject to the same certification. Civil Beat.

Tents in Old Stadium Park offer temporary stay to the homeless
Honolulu officials said tents could be part of the solution in tackling homelessness. Old Stadium Park is the new location for the Homeless Outreach and Navigation for Unsheltered Persons or HONU that hopes to take hundreds off the street. KHON2.