Mauna Kea

Observatories on Hawaii's tallest mountain have shut down operations in response to the governor's stay-at-home order aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

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.

Hawaiʻi Island Mayor Harry Kim met with Thirty Meter Telescope officials this week to discuss next steps in resolving the Mauna Kea dispute.

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 — 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.

An independent audit of the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs has identified as much as $7.8 million in potentially fraudulent, wasteful or abusive spending.

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 University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents on Wednesday approved the latest draft of rules governing activities on Mauna Kea and a resolution that calls for a plan to improve management of the mountain.

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.

The state’s commitment to remove five existing telescopes on Mauna Kea to build the Thirty-Meter Telescope remains part of the effort to resolve the protest on the mountain. But most of these telescopes are still operating and even TMT opponents see the value of keeping them online until their lease expires.

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.

Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim issued his long-awaited proposal Monday to resolve the protest against the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea, calling for a "core group" of community members as a next step to provide future direction.