Hawaii
University of Hawaii faces backlash over $285m Navy research deal
The University of Hawaii (UH) has faced backlash over the poised renewal of its $285 million Navy research deal.
Despite critics calling for the university to end its partnership with the Navy, which began in the early 2000s, its Board of Regents unanimously passed a motion on Friday allowing administrators to finalize the renewal of the school’s contract with the U.S. military worth up to $285 million over 10 years.
Supporters of the Applied Research Laboratory—which is the name of UH’s U.S. Navy University-Affiliated Research Center (UARC)—say it creates well-paying jobs conducting research with important civilian applications, while critics say the university shouldn’t be involved in a partnership that includes work for the military, some of which is classified.
Critics are particularly concerned about the U.S. Navy, which is the laboratory’s sponsor, following back-to-back fuel spills at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawaii in 2021. The first fuel spill event in late November 2021 contaminated the Red Hill drinking water well, which affected about 93,000 U.S. Navy water system users.
Vassilis Syrmos, UH’s vice president for research and innovation, told The Associated Press (AP) that the recent backlash reprises one that started when the university began its partnership with the Navy nearly two decades ago.
“The catastrophic event at Red Hill brought all those feelings up again,” he said. “There is no way to sugar coat this thing.”
Benny Marty via Getty Images
Meanwhile, the UH student senate passed a resolution demanding the university end its partnership with the military.
Momi Bachiller, a fourth-year student of molecular cell biology and Hawaiian language who serves as a student senator, said it’s disheartening to students that administrators are pushing forward with the contract renewal despite its opposition.
“We are stakeholders, but they don’t respect us,” Bachiller told the AP.
The Applied Research Laboratory founded in 2008 focuses on ocean science, astronomy, optics and renewable energy. It is one of five UARCs across the country that researches critical Navy and national defense technology. The other UARCs are located at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Washington, Pennsylvania State University and the University of Texas at Austin.
The laboratory is a major source of funding for UH. Last fiscal year, the Department of Defense (DOD) provided roughly $65 million of about $625 million in so-called extramural funding the university received for research, according to Syrmos.
Syroms told the AP that Native Hawaiian students and residents are leading the outcry against the DOD.
“It’s a movement,” Syrmos said. “It’s a Native Hawaiian renaissance against the DOD presence. It’s real, and I don’t think it’s going away.”
Punia Pale, the student government treasurer, was one of the handful of students senators who testified against the research contract at Friday’s Board of Regents meeting.
“These lands should be returned to the Hawaiian people, and they should not be used for research that serves the U.S. military interests – especially when such interests have historically oppressed Indigenous people around the world, currently now Palestine,” Pale said during his testimony, in an apparent reference to U.S. support of Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza.
Meanwhile, in a presentation to the Board of Regents earlier this month, Syrmos quoted UH’s former president, David McClain, who recognized the controversy of the UARC but said researchers should be able to pursue their interests.
“Because of the inherent diversity and need for freedom of inquiry which in my view does and should characterize the academy, I tend to be biased in favor of measures to support the individual scholar no matter how popular — or even more importantly, how unpopular — his or her research interests,” McClain is quoted as saying.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
Hawaii
First 5 Hawaii is a comprehensive online resource that helps families with young children find and connect to state and federal programs and services.
Honolulu (KHON2) – Navigating the many programs and services available for young children can be overwhelming, but First 5 Hawaii is making it easier for families to find the support they need.
Designed for families with children from birth to age 5, First 5 Hawaii is the state’s first comprehensive online resource that helps connect parents and caregivers with state and federal programs they may qualify for.
By answering a few simple questions, families can quickly discover resources tailored to their specific needs.
The website serves as a one-stop shop, partnering with 18 state and federal programs to help connect families with services such as preschool, child care assistance, health coverage, nutrition programs including WIC and SNAP, parenting support, developmental screenings, and special needs services.
Parents can also explore age-appropriate activities, child development information, and helpful parenting resources.
What sets First 5 Hawaii apart is its personalized eligibility screening tool.
Instead of searching multiple websites and applying for programs one at a time, families can use a single resource to identify benefits they may qualify for across early learning, health care, nutrition, housing assistance, and more.
Even families who aren’t sure they qualify are encouraged to give it a try. The online eligibility screener is free, confidential, and only takes a few minutes to complete.
Many families are surprised to learn they may be eligible for programs they didn’t know existed.
By bringing trusted resources together in one convenient location, First 5 Hawaii helps remove barriers for busy parents and makes it easier to access services that support healthy child development during the most important early years of life.
To learn more or complete the eligibility screener, visit the First 5 Hawaii website.
Three convicted sex offenders were arrested on Hawaii Island last week for allegedly failing to comply with sex offender registry requirements.
Multiple law-enforcement agencies conducted checks in Kona on registered sex offenders who had been identified as potentially out of compliance with the state’s Sex Offender Registry laws, according the Department of the Attorney General.
As a result of the three-day operation, several individuals were brought back into compliance, and three West Hawaii men were arrested for allegedly failing to comply with the requirements.
The three men who were arrested are Joseph Debus, 56, of Kailua-Kona, Garth Coleman, 53, of Holualoa and Alexsandr Skelcey, 34, of Kailua-Kona.
Debus was convicted of second-degree sex assault in Hawaii in 1993 and sentenced to five years probation with a year in jail. Coleman was sentenced to 20 years in prison for first-degree assault in 2000 after a jury trial in Hawaii. And Skelcey was convicted in Michigan in 2012 of assault with intent to commit sex assault.
“Sex offender registration requirements exist to protect our communities and ensure law enforcement knows where convicted offenders are living,” Tom Alipio, chief of the AG department’s Investigations Division, said in a press release. “Compliance operations like this send a clear message that we will actively monitor the registry, investigate violations and work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold offenders accountable when they fail to meet their legal obligations.”
HPD Chief Reed Mahuna said, “Operations like this allow us to verify that offenders are maintaining strict compliance with registration laws and those who aren’t will be addressed immediately. We will continue to leverage these multi-agency partnerships to keep our island communities safe,”
Members of the public can look up publicly available offender information and subscribe to notifications at sexoffenders.ehawaii.gov/coveredoffender/.
Anyone with information regarding a registered sex offender who may be violating registration requirements is encouraged to contact the Department of the Attorney General’s Investigation Division at (808) 586-1240 or their local law enforcement.
A brush in North Kona, near the Ulu Wini Apartments, has closed a portion of Hina Lani Street, between Route 190 and Ane Keokalole Highway.
According to Hawai‘i Island police, the road is expected to be closed for the next three hours and motorists are advised to avoid the area.
Hawai‘i Fire Assistant Chief Chris Carvalho confirmed at least two engines, two brush trucks, Chopper 2 and a medic vehicle responded to the blaze that started in some bushes.
No evacuations or injuries have been reported at this time.
At 11:09 a.m., an AlertWest camera, installed by Hawaiian Electric in wildfire-prone areas, showed smoke billowing above the Keahuolu Courthouse. As of 12:06 p.m., that smoke appears to have dissipated.
This is a developing story. More information will be provided as it becomes available.
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