thirty meter telescope

Opponents of the Thirty Meter Telescope project on Hawaii's Big Island have pulled out of their camp due to concerns over the spread of the coronavirus.

Opponents of Hawaii's Thirty Meter Telescope filed an appeal of a court ruling rejecting their argument that the project requires a substantial security bond before beginning construction.

The cost to build a giant telescope that's unpopular among many Native Hawaiians is now estimated to have ballooned by a billion dollars.

Updated: 2/20/20, 6:30 a.m.

Gov. David Ige returned from a Japan trip this week after reaffirming Hawaii's commitment to the Thirty Meter Telescope planned for Mauna Kea.

The governor told reporters Wednesday that he reassured the head of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology that Hawaii is committed to the rule of law and ensuring peaceful and safe access to the project site.

A panel of Hawaii lawmakers on Monday passed a resolution calling for the governor to convene a Native Hawaiian reconciliation commission, a step that comes after protests blocking the construction of one of the world's largest telescopes.

HILO — The decommissioning process for one of the Mauna Kea telescopes to be removed in the coming decade remains on schedule.

Protesters at the Mauna Kea Access Road removed barricades for the first time since July as the demonstrators against a giant telescope project shift their focus away from the construction site.

HILO — The Hawaii Police Department has gone $3 million over budget primarily because of the necessity of an increased police presence near the site of demonstrations at the Mauna Kea Access Road, an official said.

HILO — Hawaii has spent about $15 million to ensure safe access to Mauna Kea during an ongoing protest of a giant telescope project, the governor said.

Updated: Dec. 6, 9:19 a.m.

Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim says he’s concerned about the safety of protesters at Mauna Kea after the National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for Big Island summits. The notice is posted until at least 6 p.m. Friday afternoon. 

BARCELONA, Spain — The director of a Spanish research center said Wednesday that a giant telescope, costing $1.4 billion, is one step nearer to being built on the Canary Islands in the event an international consortium gives up its plans to build it in Hawaii.

The latest draft of proposed administrative rules for Mauna Kea has been released by the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents, which will take up the matter at a special meeting Wednesday in Hilo.

A plea deal was offered to protesters arrested on the Big Island during the first week of Mauna Kea demonstrations in July, state authorities said.

KAILUA-KONA — A Hawaii County attorney told an ethics panel he would not face conflicts by prosecuting cases arising from demonstrations against the building of a Mauna Kea telescope.

Honolulu police say parts of  Ala Moana Boulevard and Kalakaua Avenue will close Saturday afternoon for a planned march in support of the protest on Mauna Kea.

Updated: Sept. 26, 4:42 p.m.

In the wake of the arrest of 28 protesters Thursday blocking access to Waimanalo Bay Beach Park that officials wanted to redevelop, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell tweeted the city won't build a sports complex planned in the Sherwood Forest area.

Twenty-seven people pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of obstructing government operations related to the ongoing protest against the planned Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea, according to media coverage.

HILO, Hawaii — The state attorney general's office is ordering the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to provide information about how the agency is helping protesters blocking construction of a giant telescope.

To avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, the Hawaii attorney general's office will take over prosecution of protesters arrested for blocking construction of a giant telescope.

An unverified Twitter account has closely copied the appearance of the official Thirty Meter Telescope account and is sending out derogatory and culturally insensitive posts.

HONOLULU — Losing the Thirty Meter Telescope could mean losing billions of dollars in research funding over the next few decades, a senior University of Hawaii official said.

Oʻahu motorists should expect traffic delays Sunday morning heading west from Hawaiʻi Kai to Waiʻanae. 

Updated: Sept. 6, 1:45 p.m.

State officials Friday morning tore down a structure at the base of Mauna Kea that was unlawfully constructed on Department of Hawaiian Home Lands property.