Kawaiaha’o Church lawsuit hearing delayed
A hearing on a lawsuit contending that Kawaiaha’o Church plans to build a multipurpose building on top of graves in violation of a state permit was postponed from Friday to Tuesday at 8:30 a.m.
A temporary restraining order preventing construction remains in force.
The suit was filed Nov. 18 by Paulette Kaleikini, contending the church was disregarding conditions imposed by the state Department of Health and Department of Land and Natural Resources to remove human burials from the construction site.
The church sought a change to its permit, reasoning that leaving burials in place would be less disruptive.
Circuit Court Judge Edwin Nacino is hearing the case.
Sunetric will light up Santa display
Kailua-based Sunetric is providing the solar panels and battery storage system that will be used to power one of the displays at this year’s Honolulu City Lights celebration at Honolulu Hale.
The nonprofit Blue Planet Foundation is producing the "Santa Goes Solar" display, a diorama of Santa’s workshop and village made largely with Lego pieces. The Honolulu City Lights celebration runs Dec. 3-31.
The display will be constructed by members of the Lego Enthusiasts Association of Hawaii, with members of the University of Hawaii Solar Decathlon Team Hawaii engineering its array of LED lights. The display will be powered by a solar canopy producing 3.6 kilowatt-hours a day with a battery pack storing up to 6.9 kilowatt-hours for nighttime use. Sunetric’s donation includes hours of engineering, design and construction work, as well as more than $5,000 in materials.
California firm bids for waste disposal pact
A California-based company said it plans to submit a proposal to dispose of ash from Honolulu’s waste-to-energy power plant by converting the residue into environmentally friendly construction materials.
Officials from IBA Green Inc., a subsidiary of publicly traded Pioneer Exploration, said Friday the company would use its patented technology to treat the toxic ash and render it inert. IBA Green said the bid was made in response to a request for proposals from the city.
"We believe that our technology and the resulting building material byproducts can address several issues facing Honolulu, not the least of which is the immediate reduction of toxic incinerator bottom ash from being deposited in the landfill," said Angelo Scola, IBA Green’s chief executive officer. "That same ash once treated can then safely be converted into nonhazardous eco-friendly building materials, thereby reducing some of Honolulu’s dependency on expensive imported building materials and providing the municipality additional revenue."
The city’s waste-to-energy plant at Campbell Industrial Park, also known as HPOWER, generates enough electrical energy to power 50,000 homes. The city is adding a third boiler and making other improvements that will boost its generating capacity to be able to serve 75,000 homes.
Chevy Volt battery catches fire again
WASHINGTON » Federal officials say they are investigating the safety of the lithium-ion battery in General Motors Co.’s Chevrolet Volt after a second battery fire following crash-testing of the electric car.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday that three Volt battery packs were crash-tested last week. In one instance the battery caught fire afterward, and in another the battery emitted smoke and sparks. In May a fire erupted in the battery of a Chevy Volt that had been damaged during a government crash test three weeks earlier. Last week’s tests were an attempt to replicate the May fire.
NHTSA has opened a formal safety defect investigation of the batteries.
General Motors officials said previously that government officials didn’t follow the carmaker’s protocols for storing post-crash batteries.
ON THE MOVE

Prudential Locations has hired Michelle Mossman as its newest real estate agent. She has 15 years of experience in multiple capacities in the industry, including employment with Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties.
YMCA of Honolulu has named Jennifer Townsend executive director of the Leeward YMCA. She will be responsible for overseeing special events and fundraising activities, managing day-to-day operations and overseeing a staff of 105 at the 45,000-square-foot facility. Townsend has worked in various management positions at YMCA for more than 12 years.
The Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows has named Ryan Fitzgerald as its hotel manager. His past positions include director of rooms at Kahala Hotel & Resort and Mauna Lani Bay.