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In the first moments of the Maui fires, when high winds brought down power poles, slapping electrified wires to the dry grass below, there was a reason the flames erupted all at once in long, neat rows — those wires were bare, uninsulated metal that could spark on contact... those wires were among miles of line that Hawaiian Electric Co. left naked to the weather and often-thick foliage, despite a recent push by utilities in other wildfire- and hurricane-prone areas to cover up their lines or bury them. Compounding the problem is that many of the utility’s 60,000, mostly wooden...

There was a time not more than a decade ago when we could expect disasters and potential disasters in America to be televised. In 2023, the most reliable sources for information are from our peers through social media and other channels. That’s why it’s unfortunate that the best coverage I could get on the fire that’s currently raging in Wahiawa near Honolulu in Hawaii is on Twitter: 🚨BREAKING – Another fire has started in Wahiawa, Honolulu, Hawaii 🔥😨

[Video] The video triggered fierce backlash online. HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A Big Island man is publicly apologizing after starting an uproar for posting a video of himself urinating on Mauna Kea. After a torrent of criticism, he told Hawaii News Now he learned a valuable lesson and now wants to work to help educate others. Travis Upright gave permission to share a video he recorded, asking for forgiveness. “I never meant to hurt anyone. I never meant to create so much harm but that’s no excuse. It still happened and I’m sorry,” said Upright. In the six-minute apology video, Upright...

The Thirty Meter Telescope is being built atop Mauna Kea, Hawaii's tallest mountain Illustration showing the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea on Hawaii's Big Island.Thirty Meter Telescope / via AP file HONOLULU -- Construction on a giant telescope will start again next week after lengthy court battles and passionate protests from those who say building it on Hawaii's tallest mountain will desecrate land sacred to some Native Hawaiians. State officials announced Wednesday that the road to the top of Mauna Kea mountain on the Big Island will be closed starting Monday as equipment is delivered. Scientists revere the...

A fierce debate is rumbling across the country, putting friends at war and families in turmoil. It is arguably the most divisive arguments of all time... The question of whether pineapple is an appropriate topping on a pizza is a controversial one. Last year an 18-year-old woman name Ali Johnson from Arizona posted on Twitter that her local pizza place refused to top her pie with pineapple, writing on her box that the choice was 'gross'.

Our solar system's first known interstellar visitor is likely even more alien than previously imagined, a new study suggests. The mysterious, needle-shaped object 'Oumuamua, which was spotted zooming through Earth's neighborhood last October, probably originated in a two-star system, according to the study. 'Oumuamua means "scout" in Hawaiian; the object was discovered by researchers using the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS), at Haleakala Observatory on the island of Maui. ... "It's really odd that the first object we would see from outside our system would be an asteroid, because a comet would be a lot easier to...

It’s the latest addition to its expanding international network and seventh Asian gateway destination. The departure of HA 807 followed gate side festivities that included Hawaiian music and hula, performance honoring the Taiwanese culture, traditional Hawaiian blessing, and presentation of lei to passengers boarding the inaugural flight. “The demand for service to Hawaii from the Taiwan market has been growing and we are delighted to respond to the strong interest by delivering our new non-stop service to and from Taipei,” Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO Mark Dunkerley said. “The Hawaiian Islands are the ideal midpoint destination, perfectly situated to offer...

The program, a linguistic time machine of sorts, can quickly crunch data on some of the earliest-known "proto-languages" that gave rise to modern languages such as Hawaiian, Javanese, Malay, Tagalog, and others spoken in Southeast Asia, parts of continental Asia, Australasia, and the Pacific. The speed and scale of the work is key here, as proto-languages are typically reconstructed through a timely and painstaking manual process that involves comparing two or more languages that hail from a shared ancestor. "What excites me about this system is that it takes so many of the great ideas that linguists have had about...

--SNIP-- The property is 6,000 square feet with 5 bedrooms, 6 baths and an contemporary Asian theme. Supposedly it was to be listed after the Obamas vacationed there last year for $7.9 million. It’s unknown if plans changed to sell the house or if the property just never sold. Either way, the Obamas are sure to have had a good time in this luxury beachfront home.

Prosecutors have charged a man accused of punching a turban-wearing man while yelling racially-charged insults. Brock R. Stainbrook, 35, of Seattle has been charged with malicious harassment and fourth-degree assault in the Aug. 24 incident at the 7-Eleven store on Fourth and Denny. According to the statement of probable cause, Stainbrook abruptly threw change on the ground, then punched the victim on the side of the head. Stainbrook then allegedly yelled, "You're not even American, you're Al-Qaeda. Go back to your country." A store employee then intervened and told Stainbrook to leave the store, the document said.Stainbrook allegedly broke a...

He kissed my mother. She loved it. Even though she was on stage with a dozen other “grandmothers,” she waited patiently for her turn to receive a kiss from singer Don Ho. We were at the Cinerama Reef Towers Hotel in Honolulu for the Don Ho show, filled with music, dancing and comedy. Audience participation was a major part of Ho's show, and bringing the grandmas on stage brought shrieks of laughter throughout the room.

A new poll to freep. This one doesn't usually get hit by Freepers and they do occasionally report on poll results on the local news. Do you think 1st Lt. Ehren Watada should face a court martial for refusing to go to Iraq?

Ancient Hawaiians started building their monumental temples at least three centuries earlier than previously thought, a new study suggests. They also spent more time building them, renovating and constructing new temples in waves depending on the island's political situation. "This research provides conclusive evidence that the Maui temple network grew and expanded over a period at least five centuries," said Michael Kolb, an anthropologist at Northern Illinois University and author of the study. "It's clear that the temple system evolved as part of a long trajectory of social and political change that also saw a shift from ancestral to sacrificial...

By Diana Leone dleone@starbulletin.com The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council will ask for continued commercial fishing in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, despite a presidential order yesterday that will ban it in a large region declared as a monument, a council member says. Westpac council member Edwin Ebisui said the council thinks fishing is "palatable and consistent with a monument or reserve." "Westpac's position is and has been that the two fisheries going on up there (bottom-fish and pelagic) have been for years absolutely consistent with marine protection," Ebisui, Hawaii member of the council, said yesterday by telephone from a meeting...

By Diana Leone dleone@starbulletin.com President Bush is expected to announce in Washington today that he wants to make the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands a national monument. In doing so, Bush would establish permanent protection for the 1,400-mile-long, 100-mile-wide section of the Hawaiian archipelago and coral reefs, a move that environmental groups, native Hawaiians and others have been seeking for years. "Building on all the work that was done in the last five years under the marine sanctuary process, the president has decided to elevate the designation of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands area to national monument status," said a statement released yesterday...

GOP concerns prevent bill from being heard this week A bill to start the process of recognizing native Hawaiian sovereignty has been blocked in the Senate, according to Hawaii Sen. Daniel Akaka. In a meeting with reporters in his Washington office today, Akaka said he has been told by Republican Senate leaders that the bill will not move this week. In reaction, Hawaii’s senior Sen. Daniel Inouye asked the Senate Democratic leaders to prepare a “motion of cloture,” which could force the entire Senate to vote on the bill either next week or when the Senate returns from its August...

FALLUJAH, Iraq » After three days of measurable progress, American forces trying to take full control of Fallujah are confronting an insurgent force that has renewed energy. And as American and Iraqi forces spread their grip across the city, the constant skirmishes of close urban combat and burst-in searches door to door are revealing more about insurgent tactics, including sleeper cells. Last night, forces braced for a significant counteroffensive by Iraqi rebels -- an effort coinciding with the "Night of Power," an annual Islamic holy day marked by intense spiritual devotion, which is said to cleanse sins and determine...

Webcasting of Hawaiian music likely to end, thanks to new fees By HARRY EAGAR Staff Writer KAHULUI — Webcasting of Hawaiian music from Maui is about to end, victim of both a decision on royalty payments announced on Thursday and the fact that advertisers are not yet ready to support it. That hits both commercial webcasters, like Pacific Radio Group, and non-commercial enthusiasts like L.D. Reynolds of Hawaiian Jamz. Pacific Radio Group’s KPOA Hawaiian station has been webcasting, but President Chuck Bergson says it will suspend the online programming in July. Part of the reason is a royalty decision by...