Kamehameha’s
Frederick joins
exclusive company
SPORTS, B1
Friday, June 22, 2018
A conflict of interest?
TMT arguments center on hearing officer’s
membership to ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center
Guardsman By MICHAEL BRESTOVANSKY
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
reflects on
time spent in
eruption zone See GUARDSMAN Page A10
Index
Big Isle History B5
Classified B6
Comics A8
Commentary A4
Issue No. 173
22 Pages in
2 Sections
Today’s
weather
Page A2
Community A7
Crossword B5
Cryptoquote B5
Dear Abby B5
Horoscope B5
Nation A5
Obituaries A2
Religion A7
Sports B1
State A3
Surf Report A2
World A11
Internet
Visit us on the Web at:
www.hawaiitribune-herald.com
UH President
David Lassner,
left, TMT Executive
Director Ed
Stone, center,
and Hawaii land
board Chairwoman
Suzanne
Case, listen to
arguments in
court on
Thursday in
Honolulu.
Associated Press
HONOLULU — The
Hawaii Supreme Court
heard arguments Thursday
in an appeal that could
determine whether an
embattled multi-nation
telescope project
can be built
on a mountain
Native
Hawaiians
consider sacred
or have to
move to a backup
site in Spain’s Canary
Islands that’s less desirable
to scientists hoping to use
the instrument for groundbreaking
discoveries.
Much of the arguments
centered around whether
it was a conflict of interest
for a hearings officer who
made a key recommendation
KILAUEA ERUPTION
Mauna Loa
alert level
reduced
to normal
Kilauea continues to
experience ‘collapse
explosions’ at summit
Hawaii Island residents will
have only one volcano to worry
about. At least for now.
The U.S. Geological Survey
lowered the alert level for Mauna
Loa on Thursday from “advisory”
to “normal” as seismic activity
returns to background levels.
USGS’ Hawaiian Volcano
Observatory raised the level nearly
three years ago as the volcano
showed signs of awakening from
its slumber. From 2014 through
2017, geologists measured higher
rates of shallow earthquakes
and ground deformation consistent
with magma entering the
volcano’s shallow reservoir.
But geologists say seismic activity
has been at background levels for
the past six months and the threat
of an eruption has been reduced.
Asta Miklius, HVO geophysicist,
said the magma will be
stored until it cools or becomes
part of the next eruption.
“If magma is still available, we
might not want to rely on having a
long period of increased seismicity
Salary Commission postpones raises as Kim seeks budget cuts
As the reality of the
county’s budget crisis sank
in Thursday, Mayor Harry
Kim held an emergency
Cabinet meeting seeking
$5 million in cuts, and the
Salary Commission voted to
postpone discussion
of a new
round of top
officials’ raises
until August.
Kim, released
from the hospital
and back
at work Thursday morning
after suffering his sixth heart
attack Saturday, said department
heads are following his
instructions to identify cuts
in their budgets by the end
of this week. He said he’s
leaving the recommendations
up to the departments in
conjunction with the Finance
Department, although he
and the County Council
have ultimate authority.
“The departments know
their budget needs,” Kim said.
Kim, however, isn’t
satisfied with many of the
possibilities being discussed,
such as closing swimming
pools on weekends and
curtailing hours for gyms
and county facilities.
“Services to the public are
the last to be cut,” Kim said.
HOLLYN JOHNSON/Tribune-Herald
Major Jeff Hickman stands on Pohoiki Road near the intersection of Highway 137 as fissure No. 8 erupts behind him
Thursday during a media tour escorted by the Hawaii National Guard.
In a different light
Major Jeff Hickman has had
nine days off since May 7.
Every other day, Hickman
said, has been spent managing
public and media access to the
lower Puna eruption zone in
his capacity as Hawaii National
Guard public affairs officer.
Wednesday, however, marked
Hickman’s final day of his Big
Island deployment. After making
more than 50 tours into the eruption
zone with media and Civil
Defense groups, Hickman said he
has seen more of the eruption than
By JENNIFER
SINCO KELLEHER
Associated Press
AMANO
See TMT Page A10
By TOM CALLIS
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
See ALERT Page A6
By NANCY COOK LAUER
West Hawaii Today
See CUTS Page A6
INSIDE
• The general excise tax hike is
coming back in a special June 29
County Council meeting. PAGE A6
KIM
/www.hawaiitribune-herald.com