Kaʻū News Briefs Jan.15, 2025

Madame Pele is Back with her Fountains

Episode 4 of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption began Wednesday morning, Jan. 15. Lava fountains resumed erupting from the two vents that have been active in the eruption that began within Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea volcano on Dec. 23. Each episode of the eruption has been separated by pauses in eruptive activity lasting less than 24 hours to 12 days. More details are available at 

https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans-public/notice/DOI-USGS-HVO-2025-01-10T20:11:29+00:00.

 USGS photograph by M. Patrick

QUESTIONING PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEES AT CONFIRMATION HEARINGS IS A DUTY OF HAWAI'I SEN. MAZIE HIRONO. On Wednesday, Hirono, a senior member of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, questioned Pam Bondi, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be U.S. Attorney General.

Sen. Mazie Hirono questions nominee
for U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Image from Forbes

    During her line of inquiry, Hirono pressed Bondi on her fitness to serve as Attorney General to lead the Department of Justice,

    Before the questioning, Hirono said, "Ms. Bondi, I am focused on two things in my evaluation of President-elect Trump's nominees. The first is whether the nominee is qualified and experienced enough to do the job. The second is fitness to serve, which includes putting loyalty to the Constitution over loyalty to the President. Unfortunately in my view, many of President-elect Trump's nominees are lacking in at least one of these two requirements."
    "Ms. Bondi, your experience as a prosecutor is the kind of thing we would expect to see in a nominee for Attorney General," said Hirono. "But I do have questions and concerns about potential conflicts of interest, about whether you will keep DOJ's law enforcement responsibilities independent of the President's political whims, and about whether you will let facts and evidence guide your decisions."
    Hirono asked Bondi who won the 2020 presidential election. Bondi repeatedly declined to state that Joseph Biden won the election. Hirono said, "I can say that Donald Trump won the 2024 election. I may not like it, but I can say it. You cannot say who won the 2020 presidential election. It is disturbing that you can't give voice to that fact." 

   The Hawai'i Senator also said she has concerns about the Department of Justice's independence from politics in the upcoming Trump administration. After reciting several quotes from Trump regarding his views on undocumented immigrants and his description of those who broke into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 as patriots and hostages instead of felons, Hirono pressed Bondi on whether she agreed with Trump's statements. Bondi declined to agree with or condemn statements made by Trump.

    "You have an incoming President who said, 'I have the absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department,' and, in fact, President-elect Trump considers the DOJ to be his law firm," said Hirono during the exchange. "I think it is really important to us that the Attorney General be independent of the White House."
    Hirono also asked Bondi whether she would comply if President-elect Trump asks, suggests, or hints that she—as Attorney General—should investigate his perceived political enemies. When Hirono pressed Bondi on whether she would prosecute or investigate Jack Smith, Liz Cheney, or Merrick Garland after becoming Attorney General, Bondi declined to explicitly deny or confirm whether she would comply with Trump's request to investigate or prosecute any of the individuals listed.
    Video of Senator Hirono's question line can be found here.

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SEN. MAZIE HIRONO QUESTIONED DONALD TRUMP'S NOMINEE FOR SECRETARY OF DEFENSE Pete Hegseth on Tuesday. Hirono, who is elected to represent Kaʻū and all of Hawai'i in the U.S. Senate, is a senior member of the Senate Armed Service Committee, which is tasked to question the nominee before the Senate votes to approve or turn down the appointment.
    During her line of inquiry, Hirono questioned Hegseth on accusations of personal misconduct, sexual assault, and whether, if confirmed, he will be loyal to the Constitution or Donald Trump.

    

    She also said she is concerned about accusations of Hegseth regularly being drunk at work. Hirono asked Hegseth to commit, under oath, that he will resign if he drinks alcohol while serving as Secretary of Defense. Hegseth declined to make such a commitment, but claimed he will not drink if confirmed.
    "I'm not hearing an answer to my question so I'm going to move on," said Hirono during the exchange. "While you have made a commitment, you will not commit to resigning if you drink on the job."
     Hirono asked Hegseth whether his allegiance to President-elect Trump would take precedent over the oath he will make to support and defend the U.S. Constitution, if he is sworn in as Secretary of State.

    Hirono cited an example from 2020 when then-President Trump directed former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to shoot protesters in the legs in Downtown D.C., an order Esper refused.
    When pressed by Hirono, Hegseth declined to explicitly deny whether he would comply if Trump gave him a similar order. "That sounds to me that you would comply with such an order," said Hirono. "You would shoot protesters in the leg. Moving on."
    Hirono cited several Trump comments, including his refusal to rule out using military force to seize Greenland and the Panama Canal, his threats to invade Canada, as well as his intention to revoke the Department of Defense's current policy to allow servicemembers to be reimbursed for travel associated with reproductive health care, including abortions.
    Hirono also expressed concern over Trump's comments to use the military to enable the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. Hirono said it would be a decision that would significantly threaten military readiness and cost billions of dollars.
    Hirono told Hegseth, "I have noticed a disturbing pattern—you previously have made a series of inflammatory statements about women in combat, LGBTQ servicemembers, Muslim Americans and Democrats. Since your nomination, however, you have walked those back on TV and interviews, and most recently in your opening statements." Hirono told him, "You are no longer on Fox and Friends, Mr. Hegseth. If confirmed, your words, actions, and decisions would have real impacts on national security and our servicemembers' lives. There are close to three million personnel in the Department of Defense—$900 billion budget. I hardly think you are prepared to do the job."
    A video of Hirono's questioning of Hegseth can be found here.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com.

TROJAN BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM BEAT ST. JOE'S on Wednesday night, reports Trojan Athletic Director Jaime Guerpo. Kaʻū High scored 71 and St. Josephs scored 27. Trojan's top scorers were Daetin Castillio 14, Excel Bonoan 14 and Ryder Nakano 12. 

    In Girls Trojans Basketball, Kaʻū nearly defeated Pahoa, coming up just three points short. Pahoa scored 53 to Kaʻū 51. High scorers for Kaʻū were Jazmyn Navarro with 22 and Sky Pritchard with 16.

 

Kaʻū News Briefs Jan. 14, 2025

HAWAIIAN IMMERSION SCHOOL ORGANIZERS IN WAI'ŌHINU kicked off their Kū Hāweo Project

Conch blows for Kū Hāweo Project
Photo by Raylene Auli'i Fujikawa Moses

recently with a workshop for 14 keiki ages 0-5, and 11 mākua (parents) and kūpuna (elders). It will continue on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month.
    The immersion school organizing group Ke Kula Nā ʻĀʻaliʻi Kū Makani ʻO Kaʻū named the session Kū Hāweo Family Child Interaction Learning Program and said it demonstrated "the community’s commitment to revitalizing ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and cultural traditions. 

    The workshop, held in Wai‘ōhinu, focused on fostering family collaboration, deepening cultural connections, and integrating ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) into everyday life. Through interactive activities, storytelling, and cultural practices, participants began building a foundation for early learning readiness and a shared connection to the rich heritage of Kaʻū."

   Immersion school organizer and Alaka'i Raylene Auli'i Fujikawa Moses said, “We are excited and encouraged by the turnout and enthusiasm from our ʻohana. This is the first step toward creating a space where families can grow together in their knowledge of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and our cultural traditions.”
    She said that the Kū Hāweo program is a cornerstone of the school’s mission to establish a Hawaiian immersion preschool. 

    For more information about Kū Hāweo and how to get involved, contact kauhawaiianimmersion@gmail.com. Moses said, "Mahalo piha to all who participated and supported this important initiative. Together, we are strengthening the roots of our community and ensuring a thriving future for the next generation."

    The immersion school venue in Wai‘ōhinu is provided by the Gary & Apolonia Stice 'Ohana. See sticeohana.org.

Hawaiian immersion school beginnings at Wai‘ōhinu. Photo by Raylene Auli'i Fujikawa Moses

OPENING DAY OF THE 2025 HAWAI'I LEGISLATURE is Wednesday, with ceremonies at the state Capitol involving Kaʻū's state Senate member and Majority Leader Dru Kanuha and House of Representatives member Jeanne Kapela. They are both Democrats and their party leader is Derek Turbin.

Turbin noted that Wednesday will mark the first day a woman becomes Hawai'i Speaker of the House. She is Nadine K. Nakamura, a Neighbor Islander from Kaua'i. 

Senate Majority leader Dru Kanuha represents Kaʻū and beyond. 

    Turbin called Opening Day "a unique opportunity for our residents across the state to meet their lawmakers and share their priorities for the session ahead. In past years, hundreds of people have gathered at the Capitol to advance initiatives ranging from rebuilding the Lāhainā community to addressing affordable housing to advancing human rights. During the event, the House and Senate will deliver opening remarks and set the tone for the next four months. After the Pule and ceremonial roll-call, representatives will return to their offices to greet 
their constituents."
    Turbin said the Democratic mission includes the aim to "protect our diverse communities." To connect with legislators, visit https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/. To learn more about Opening Day and to engage in the legislative process, visit the Public Access Room at https://lrb.hawaii.gov/par/. This resource offers
free seminars, workshops, and tools to help participate, track legislation, and offer testimony.
    To learn more about Senate member Kanuha and to communicate with him, visit

House member Jeanne Kapela represents Kaʻū and beyond.

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/legislature/memberpage.aspx?member=184&year=2025. Kanuha is Majority Leader and serves on the Senate Committees of Education, Housing, Triansportaion & Culture & the Arts and Ways & Means.
To learn more about House member Kapela representing Ka'u and to communicate with her, visit https://www.repkapela.com/. Kapela serves on the Education, Higher Education and Labor Committees.
To learn more about the Democratic Party and its platform, visit https://www.hawaiidemocrats.org/. To learn more about the Republican Party and its platform, visit https://thehawaiirepublicanparty.com/. To learn more about the Green Party and its platform, visit https://www.greenpartyofhawaii.org/.
To register to vote, visit https://olvr.hawaii.gov/

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com.

 

Kaʻū News Briefs Jan. 13, 2025

GOODFELLOW BROS WILL BEGIN STAGING CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS AND MANPOWER by the end of this month to begin installation of new wastewater collection lines and a sewer plant for Pāhala. Goodfellow and County of Hawai'i held a meeting Monday evening in Pāhala that drew about a dozen people in order to get to know the community, to explain noise and traffic impact and to give contact information to the public for any concerns and information on timelines and details on the project.

     The streets affected by the $31 million project are Pīkake, Huapala, Maile, 'Ilima, Hala, Hīnano and Hau where buildings are served by the old plantation sewer lines that cross from property to property for collection and delivery into now-illegal gang cesspools.

     The setup will involve establishing a baseyard along the mauka side of Maile Street between the old community clubhouse and Kawaiki - the old cane haul road. The baseyard will host construction materials and heavy equipment, along with a mobile office.

     Construction will involve much excavation, with digging and rock breaking with jack hammers to create the trenches for sewer lines in streets, some of them more than five feet deep. 

    The jack hammering noise will be limited to the hours of 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays and 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Fridays, though less noisy activity is expected to go on from 7 a.m. on the workdays.  The project is expected to last about 18 months. Other noise includes back up alarms on the machinery and the loading and unloading of materials. A water truck will be used to keep down dust.

     Representatives of Goodfellow said that there will be an attempt to keep one lane open on all affected streets. Traffic direction, signage and other onsite assistance will be provided. Trenches dug in the day will be filled before end of work, and where necessary, covered with metal plates for safety. Goodfellow representatives asked the community to encourage youth and everyone to stay away from equipment, whether or not it is in use, for the safety of residents and the construction crew. 

     The project will not only establish sewer lines on streets, it will also install lateral lines into yards for hookups. Three weeks notice will be given to homeowners before work begins on any property, said Goodfellow representatives. When the wastewater system is completed, the old sewer lines in the town will be abandoned.

     Goodfellow reps promised regular project updates and notification in media, including The Ka'u Calendar and its online platforms.

    The wastewater treatment  plant will be established at the corner of Maile Street - the pine tree lane - and Highway 11, extending to the macadamia processing plant.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com.

NEW TECH, FORTIFIED INFRASTRUCTURE, REDUCING HAZARDS AND EXPANDING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS will help Hawaiian Electric "significantly reduce the risk of a wildfire started by its equipment," according to Hawaiian Electric, which released its new Wildfire Safety Strategy document on Monday, after submitting it to the Public Utilities Commission on Jan. 10.
   The three-year safety blueprint is an expansion of a plan first created by Hawaiian Electric in 2019 and updated in 2023 in the months after the August 2023 windstorm and wildfires on Maui. "The enhanced plan, which was filed for review by the Public Utilities Commission, underscores the recent emergence of

Read the Wildfire Safety Strategy plan at
https://www.hawaiianelectric.com/
documents/safety_and_outages/wildfire_safety/
2025-2027_wildfire_safety_strategy.pdf

extreme weather events as requiring a coordinated effort by many organizations and supportive public policy to keep communities safe," says the Hawaiian Electric statement.
    "Our 2025-2027 expanded wildfire safety strategy builds upon our past work and that of many others. It is not just a technical roadmap, it is our shared and steadfast commitment to a safer, more resilient Hawai'i," said Shelee Kimura, president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric. "We are thankful for the hundreds of stakeholders and partners – local, state and federal agencies, elected officials, landowners, businesses, community organizations, customers, peer utilities, and expert advisors – who have contributed to wildfire prevention efforts, including the work that has resulted in this plan. Through collective action and thoughtful approaches, Hawai'i can create a fire-safe environment for generations to come."
    The cost of the 2025-2027 plan is estimated at about $450 million, including $137 million budgeted for work in 2025. Some of the cost is already funded through existing programs, including a federal grant for grid resilience received in 2024. The company plans to continue refinement of the program and the long-term cost and scope of work are subject to change. Additional federal funding is being pursued, reported the utility company.
    The 179-page strategy was filed with the PUC on Jan. 10 for its review and acceptance. Many of the initiatives described are already underway, including this work completed in 2024:

    Replaced and upgraded 2,124 wood poles; Tested 5,805 poles; Replaced more than 23 miles of older overhead lines with new, more resilient lines; Installed 3,177 single-phase fault current indicators, which allow crews to more quickly locate disturbances on lines in high-risk areas;
    Installed 3,558 sparkless fuses, which help reduce the risk of ignition; Changed 213 substation relay settings to shut off power quickly if a disruption is detected.
    Hawaiian Electric also installed 53 weather stations in wildfire-prone areas on four islands to provide key information about wind, temperature and humidity to help the company better predict and respond to fire weather conditions. The weather stations, mounted on utility poles, provide meteorological data that will help the company decide whether to activate and deactivate a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS)
Installed 44 artificial intelligence-assisted high definition wildfire detection cameras
Installed 680 new lightning arrestors
    Hawaiian Electric listed additional initiatives to be completed in the next three years to include:
    Ongoing grid hardening, asset inspections and vegetation management focused on areas with medium to high risk of ignition.

    Deploy covered conductor in the highest risk areas. Covered conductor is heavy-duty insulating material placed on power lines to help prevent bare wires from sparking if they touch another line or fall to the ground.

    An initial undergrounding of about two miles of overhead power lines in critical safety areas in Lahaina with a community working group convened to provide area-specific knowledge and input;
    Replace, upgrade and strengthen poles and equipment;
    Enhance inspections of electrical assets;
    Expand hazard tree removal, create wider rights-of-way for vegetation clearing;

    Installing more weather stations and hazard-detection cameras;

    Add more weather stations and install additional standard AI-assisted video camera stations to enable 100% camera viewshed coverage of all high and medium wildfire risk areas;

   Create a wildfire-focused Watch Office that will monitor media reports, internal and external weather products and field reports to provide more situational awareness within Hawaiian Electric;
   Implement an operational wildfire risk model to inform real-time decision-making and refine the company's PSPS program.

   Hawaiian Electric promised ongoing engagement with stakeholders and communities and to continue convening Wildfire Safety Working Group meetings to bring experts together and share best practices;

and to continue partnerships with local organizations to host community events, reach individual residents and share resources.

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