KALOKO CHALET
KAILUA-KONA —
Funding for Big Island
Veterans Treatment
Court is making headway
in the state Legislature.
House Bill 1965 seeks
$105,912 to continue
the program by allowing
the Judiciary to convert
a temporary social
worker position into a
permanent position and
establish an additional
full-time social worker in
fiscal year 2018-19.
The money is needed
after a three-year
$300,000 federal grant
that funded the court
ended Sept. 30. Despite
federal dollars running
up and the state
Legislature failing to
pass funding for the
program in 2017, the
Judiciary has kept the
specialized court alive in
the 3rd Circuit.
Judiciary spokeswoman
Jan Kagehiro
said Friday that “while
we have had to scale
back the program, the
Judiciary and our dedicated
volunteer veteran
mentors remain committed
to keeping the program
going.”
According to testimony
from the Judiciary,
BIVTC has worked with
26 veteran participants
of which 10 have graduated
since the program
began in 2014. East and
West Hawaii would each
get one full-time probation
officers to oversee a
caseload of 20 veterans.
“Many of us either are
veterans, know of veterans,
and/or have family
or loved ones who are
veterans. Veterans have
served our country and
many have given their
lives and sacrificed much.
We all share the common
goal to support them in
their time of need and
provide them with the
best possible chance to
be a healthy and successful
part of our community,”
3rd Circuit Chief
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2018 WESTHAWAIITODAY.COM
KAILUA-KONA — Strong economy,
strong showing.
This weekend, the Kona-Kohala
Chamber of Commerce will host
its 13th annual Hawaii Island
Living+Design Show at the Sheraton
Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay,
and this year’s event is already proving
to be something special, with
nearly 40 vendors registered to take
part in the premier home show.
It’s also a special one because
the Chamber is celebrating its 50th
anniversary — as is sponsor West
Hawaii Today — and is offering free
event admission as well as awards
for best booths. Live radio D.J.
Darde Gamayo from KAPA FM will
spice things up from noon to 2 p.m.
Saturday, too.
HIGHWAY 190 — The
highway remains closed
this morning because of
the brush fire north of
Puuanahulu, and will
likely remain so for a
while.
Road closures are at
Makalei in Kailua-Kona
and the entrance to
Daniel K. Inouye
Highway in South
Kohala. Residents are
being allowed access;
however, all other motorists
must use Queen
Kaahumanu Highway.
“The road will be
closed for the foreseeable
future, as there’s still
smoke coming across the
highway,” said Hawaii
County Fire Department
battalion chief Ian Smith.
The decision as to
when the highway will
reopen will be made by
the DLNR’s Division of
Forestry and Wildlife,
Smith said, as the fire is
on state land. “They’re
the lead agency on this;
everyone is just supporting
them,” he added.
According to an aerial
survey Sunday morning,
Smith said, the fire has
burned an estimated 900
to 930 acres.
HILO — When it comes to
Maunakea, Mayor Harry Kim might
seem like a dreamer.
But he’s counting on not being the
only one.
More than three months after
Gov. David Ige gave him the green
light to pursue his vision of the
mountain as a symbol of international
cooperation, the pursuit of
knowledge and the Hawaiian people,
Kim said Thursday he is close
to selecting a committee to help him
make that a reality.
He declined to name the six people
chosen so far since the process
isn’t complete, but Kim said each
has to share his passion for resolving
the conflict surrounding the
mountain and better connecting its
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INSIDE
THE POWER
OF MUSIC
Ninth Halau O
Po’ohala recital
bridges 159-
year legacy
NHN, 5B
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71 DEAD IN
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Crash happened
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PAGE 3A
▼
HI 81 LO 68 WEATHER, PAGE 6A
VOL. 50, NO. 43 20 PAGES
Mulling Maunakea
MAYOR’S MISSION STATEMENT EMPHASIZES NATIVE HAWAIIANS’
CONNECTION TO THE MOUNTAIN, EXPLORATION
BY TOM CALLIS
HAWAII TRIBUNE-HERALD
The sunrise is seen from atop Mauna Kea. PAT AND
SHARI YATES/COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTORS
CHAMBER’S 13TH ANNUAL LIVING + DESIGN SHOW THIS WEEKEND LOADED
WITH VENDORS, OPTIONS FOR ANYONE WITH A PROJECT
WEST HAWAII TODAY
Karim El-Tawansu of Cutco, left, displays his
knives for Dan and Helen Dusschee at the Living
and Design Show at the Sheraton Kona Resort
and Spa at Keauhou Bay last year. LAURA RUMINSKI/
WEST HAWAII TODAY FILE
FIRE STILL A BURNIN’
SMOKE ACROSS HIGHWAY 190 CONTINUES ROAD CLOSURE
WEST HAWAII TODAY STAFF
SEE MAUNAKEA PAGE 6A
Hawaii County Fire Department firefighters watch a brush fire approaching Highway 190 Saturday
night. LAURA RUMINSKI/WEST HAWAII TODAY
SEE DESIGN SHOW PAGE 6A
Veterans treatment
court funding bill
moving forward
BY CHELSEA JENSEN
WEST HAWAII TODAY
cjensen@westhawaiitoday.com
SEE VETERANS PAGE 7A
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