The State Department of Agriculture released a report finding pesticide levels near Waimea Canyon Middle School to be safe, but pesticide-regulation advocates aren't buying it.
On Monday evening, March 16, 2015 at about 8:16 p.m., Honolulu police officers responded to the area of South King Street fronting Iolani Palace on a report of a male wearing dark-colored clothing and running in the middle of the roadway, acting erratically. Officers closed South King and Richards Streets throughout the incident.
According to police, the male refused to leave the roadway, continuously running away and evading the officers as they approached him. OC pepper spray was used but was ineffective as the male continued to remain on the roadway. An electric gun was deployed twice but was also ineffective. The male tripped and fell while trying to run away, at which time officers were able to gain control of the combative male and placed him under arrest. The male was escorted to the sidewalk when he suddenly became unresponsive.
The Emergency Services and Honolulu Fire Departments responded to the scene. The male was transported via ambulance to the Queens Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Captain Rade Vanic, a spokesperson for HPD, told the Independent that there is no cause of death available at this time.
The debate over the recently released House Republican budget proposal has revealed that the United States military—one of he top polluters in the Pacific—is, in fact, very aware of the reality of climate change.
The full Hawaii Senate will vote on Carleton Ching's nomination to DLNR tomorrow.
Last week, during a pair of lengthy committee sessions on March 11 and 12, Senator Laura Thielen’s Committee on Water and Land voted to recommend that the full Senate reject the governor’s nomination of Carleton Ching to head the Department of Land and Natural Resources. The vote was 4-1-2, with Senators Thielen, Russell Ruderman, Gil Riviere and Maile Shimabukuro voting yes on the recommendation to reject, Sen. Les Ihara voting yes with reservations and Senators Sam Slom and committee vice-chair Brickwood Galuteria voting against the chair’s recommendation to reject.
The full Senate will vote on whether to adopt the committee’s recommendation or to overturn it (meaning Ching’s nomination would be accepted) at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow during the floor session. It’s expected to be a very close vote.
Public opposition to Carelton Ching’s nomination is widespread and outpaces support for the nomination by at least 9-1, but the developer community has come out in strong support of the nomination. Ching has spent most of his career as a prominent lobbyist for developer Castle & Cooke, has spent the last decade sitting on the board for pro-development lobbying organization the Land Use Research Foundation and has the support of the Building Industry Association of Hawaii. Ching’s lack of qualifications and history of pro-development lobbying is discussed in detail on episode three of Archipelago Media’s The Backchannel podcast, found here.
One of the bills on the last minute hearing agenda commits $100 million in state bonds to promote a motorsport center on parkland determined eligible to be declared a National American Battlefield by the National Park Service.
Commercial take-over of conservation districts is wrong in Mānoa and throughout the state, residents say.
At a town hall meeting in early March, Mānoa Senator Brian Taniguchi told residents he was “inclined to oppose” the confirmation of Carleton Ching because the nominee did not appear to have the necessary qualifications to head the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Now, days before the senate is to vote on the nomination, Sen. Taniguchi is telling residents he is undecided.
“We are here today to let Senator Taniguchi know that his constituents care deeply about this vote and that he has our support in voting down an unqualified candidate,” said Dale Kobayashi, a member of the informal Save Mānoa Valley movement, at a press conference held at the Capitol. “We don’t know what kind of deal the Senate is brokering on Mr. Ching’s behalf, but we do know how politics works in Hawaii. This confirmation definitely feels like business-as-usual.”
“Save Mānoa Valley” was formed in response to DLNR’s decision to significantly expand commercial activity in the conservation district at the back of Mānoa Valley. The new commercial venture seeks to rival the Polynesian Culture Center with nightly luau events targeting 430,000 tourists a year.
“This is our home, not some kind of vaudeville act,” said Jeremy Lam of Save Mānoa Valley and President of the Mānoa branch of The Outdoor Circle. “As taxpaying residents, we expect the DLNR to protect our conservation districts from exactly this kind of excessive commercial use.”
“Unfortunately, this is the type of profit-over-environment decision-making Carleton Ching seems inclined to make if confirmed to head DLNR,” Kobayashi added. “That is why Save Mānoa Valley is asking the Senate to oppose the confirmation of Carleton Ching.”
“We are a quiet residential community, blessed with an amazing natural area nearby. This area is most certainly not a piece of dirt!” said Hector Vanegas, an active Mānoa resident. “We do not want to see this public resource exploited for someone’s private gain, especially when it is us who will suffer the debilitating increase in tourists, big bus traffic and waste water pollution.”
“We want to DLNR to reconsider the permit given to Paradise Park and want to protect other communities in Hawaii from suffering this same burden,” he added. “Our natural beauty is not a brand to be exploited.”
Uber Hawaii's recent social media cry for protection against what it characterizes as crippling government regulation is going way uber the top for a $17 billion company that is, in fact, just another big business trying to maintain its profit margin.