Hawaii County mayor lauded for wind-powered facility

Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim won honorable mention in the 2017 Mayors’ Climate Protection Awards for the county’s wind-powered water pumping facility, designed to minimize threats to endangered bats and seabirds.

“This is arguably the first time in Hawaii, and perhaps the nation, that a local government has developed such a wind-powered water-pumping facility capable of significant greenhouse gas reductions at no cost to the taxpayer,” the U.S. Conference of Mayors wrote in announcing the 2017 winners of the Mayors’ Climate Protection Awards.

Winners were announced Saturday at the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ 85th Annual Meeting in Miami. Kim was one of four large-city mayors receiving honorable mention. Four others got honorable mention in the small-city category.

The county awarded the project in 2013 to Lalamilo Windfarm Wind Company LLC. It opened in September 2016 with five turbines that generate 3.3 megawatts of electricity on 78 acres next to eight water wells in South Kohala. Shielded lighting was installed at downward angles to avoid attracting seabirds.

Hawaii island

4 are arrested in 2015 killing

Hawaii island police say they have solved the killing of a 71-year-old man who died nearly two years ago.

Police said on Wednesday that three men and a woman have been arrested in the death of Dolores Borja Valle, whose body was found in a coffee field off Keopuka Mauka Road in Captain Cook in Kona on Aug. 9, 2015.

Autopsy results determined he died of sharp and blunt force trauma to the head.

Charged with second-degree murder were Holualoa residents Eber Miranda-­Garcia, 27; Marlon Miranda-Garcia, 24; Himer Miranda-Garcia, 35; and Jessilyn Lokelani Hoohuli, 32. Three of the men are brothers.

Police said the arrests followed an extensive investigation, which included recent DNA results.

Hoohuli, Eber and Marlon Miranda-­Garcia were arrested Monday. Himer Miranda-Garcia was arrested Tuesday.

Maui

Ruling favors Hawaiian family

A jury returned a verdict in favor of a Native Hawaiian family in a case involving a land management and real estate brokerage firm’s attempt to claim ownership of a 3.4-acre parcel of land in Kauaula Valley in Lahaina.

The jury found Friday that Ke‘eaumoku Kapu and his family own the so-called kuleana parcel, which has been used for family burials.

Makila Land Co. — which is managed by West Maui Land Co. — has a large water pipe that runs over the parcel, Wailuku attorney Lance Collins said.

Collins, who represented Kapu along with attorney Bianca Isaki, said Kapu could trace the family claim back to the original 1848 awardee of the parcel. Makila Land argued it obtained its claim through another person — unknown to the family — who claimed to be related to the original awardee and sold the interest to Pioneer Mill in 1892.

Makila Land sought to claim ownership of the parcel in 2002. The court initially granted summary judgment on the company’s claim, which Kapu appealed. In 2007, the Intermediate Court of Appeals reversed that decision and sent the case back for trial, The Maui News reported.