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Hawaii Legislature down to the wire, plastic bag fee unlikely this session, Obama declares Kauai disaster, Honolulu rail argued in court, Maui wind…
Hawaii state Capitol (c) 2012 All Hawaii News House and Senate conference committee members have just over a week to reach agreement on measures they want to see passed this legislative session. Associated Press. Hawaii’s first lady is joining environmental groups in calling on state lawmakers to take a vote on a bill that would charge a fee every time a shopper chooses a disposable paper or plastic bag. Associated Press. Once touted as one the biggest environmental measures of the year, a bill that would charge consumers for single-use bags at the check-out counter appears to be on its deathbed. Civil Beat. Senate Democrats Help Each Other Raise Campaign Cash. Civil Beat. An overhaul of Hawaii’s criminal justice and corrections system is moving forward at the state capitol. KHON2. Two bills that had proposed raising fees on state-chartered banks and other financial institutions have failed to pass the Hawaii Legislature — leaving the state’s Division of Financial Institutions with budget deficits in the coming years. Pacific Business News. Lawmakers approved a bill that will require cell phone or communication service providers to assist law enforcement agencies in determining the location of a cell phone in emergency situations. Maui Now. Incumbent Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa and her Republican challenger, former Congressman Charles Djou, are building their campaign warchests in anticipation of a November showdown. Civil Beat. Hawaiian Airlines flight attendants will see their wages rise by 15 percent over the next four years under the terms of a new contract. Star-Advertiser. A new educational exchange program is planned for students and teachers in the Asia Pacific region. Hawaii Public Radio. A little more than a year after the Times named Alvin Kuo Wong the Happiest Man in America, he’s now trying to create a nonprofit think tank devoted to happiness while continuing to run his company, which helps physicians cope with reduced medical reimbursements. Star-Advertiser. Oahu The city of Honolulu has agreed to pay $1.2 million for water quality improvements on the Waianae Coast to settle a state Health Department fine for dumping truckloads of concrete slabs into a West Oahu stream used by endangered Hawaiian birds. Associated Press. The state Department of Health and Honolulu have agreed on a $1.2 million settlement in one of Hawaii’s most controversial water pollution cases. Associated Press. The environmentalist who brought to the forefront one of Hawaii’s most controversial water pollution cases ever says the state’s $1.4 million fine against the city is an insult to taxpayers. KHON2. A motion to dismiss portions of a federal lawsuit challenging Honolulu’s $5.3 billion rail project was argued in court this morning, with U.S. Senior Circuit Judge A. Wallace Tashima to issue a ruling later. Hawaii Reporter. A Honolulu City Council committee has approved a measure that would ban commercial beach activities at Kailua and Kalama beach parks, seven days a week. Hawaii News Now. A majority of an estimated 200 people at a meeting at Kailua High School on Wednesday night told City Council members that they want a blanket ban of all commercial activity at the popular Kailua and Kalama beach parks. Star-Advertiser. The city will seize and sell a derelict three-story Waikiki apartment building if its owners do not pay the taxes on the property that has sometimes been used by squatters and drug abusers in recent years. Star-Advertiser. The city will spend nearly $1 million to renovate nine Waikiki public restrooms that residents, business owners and tourists have described as gross and, at times, unusable. Star-Advertiser. It’s Your Money: Council Spends on Travel and TVs. Civil Beat. Grand opening ceremonies were held Wednesday
Continue reading...Waikiki sand project bogs down, Akaka treated for dehydration, PGA announces Hawaii tourney, Maui sued for wastewater discharge, Big Island garbage…
17. April 2012
Waikiki Beach (c) 2012 All Hawaii News The state’s $2.2 million project to replenish sand on Waikiki beach is running behind schedule and crews are racing to finish it before the summer, according to state officials. KITV4. U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka was treated for dehydration on Saturday, but “is fine and headed back to work tonight,” a spokesman for the senator said today. Star-Advertiser. Sen. Daniel Akaka, 87, is “feeling good” after his family sought medical attention for him “out of an abundance of caution” over the weekend, a spokesman said. Civil Beat. Former Honolulu mayor Mufi Hannemann continues to be the leading fundraiser in the primary campaign for the open 2nd congressional district seat, although Honolulu City Council member Tulsi Gabbard is holding her own in the race for campaign cash. Civil Beat. Members of the Native Hawaiian community, legal experts and environmentalists gathered at Iolani Palace Monday to protest a Commission on Water Resources Management appointment. Associated Press. More than 100 organizations and individuals came together today to oppose Governor Abercrombie’s nomination of Ted Yamamura to the state Commission on Water and Resource Management. Hawaii Independent. A bill that would have required new performance evaluations for Hawaii teachers has died a few weeks before the end of the state’s legislative session. Associated Press. Wrapping up a whirlwind four-day visit to the islands, the Dalai Lama visited with high-schoolers Monday and urged them to work to make a “happier future” through compassion and nonviolence, before heading to Kualoa Regional Park to bless the voyaging canoe Hokule‘a in preparation for a round-the-world sail. Star-Advertiser. The Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said Monday he didn’t know until his latest trip to Hawaii what exactly the word “aloha” meant. Associated Press. In an extraordinary ceremony at Kualoa Beach Park in Windward Oahu, the 14th Dalai Lama blessed and consecrated the double-hull wayfaring canoe Hokulea. Civil Beat. The Dalai Lama is visiting Hawai`i to discuss similarities between the Hawaiian spirit of Aloha and the Buddhist spirit of compassion towards others. Hawaii Public Radio . The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Division is discussing “concurrent jurisdiction” with the state this year, which means the federal agency may take over many of the state functions. However, both the state and federal government officials involved are refusing to release details about the plan. Hawaii Reporter. Hawaii Marines are fighting the drug trade in Afghanistan by using helicopters to conduct raids. Hawaii News Now. The PGA Champions Tour’s Pacific Links Hawaii Championship was officially announced during a press conference at the Plaza Club in downtown Monday with Hall of Fame golfer Greg Norman, who is playing in the event, singing Hawaii’s praises as a great location to tee off. Pacific Business News. State roundup for April 17. Associated Press. Oahu Hawaii Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz State Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz wants the city’s rail system to make money, or at least break even, and is pushing for a bill that would encourage urban development and redevelopment on land around planned transit stations. Star-Advertiser. About 30 powerful big business leaders formed a group, Move Oahu Forward, in February, with the backing of Hawaii’s Senior Senator Daniel Inouye, and announced their organization members today. They hope to convince the public the rail will improve Oahu. Hawaii Reporter. City work crews backed by Honolulu police officers are scheduled this morning to clear out the last of up to 200 people who have been living on a 1-mile stretch of vegetated beachfront just northeast of the public portion of Keaau Beach Park. It is the last large homeless encampment on the Waianae Coast. Star-Advertiser. With at least one loose boulder still perched above his Kalihi neighborhood, Keola Cachola made his first foray to the state Capitol on Monday in search of a sympathetic ear — and $250,000 to clear a hillside after two large boulders rumbled down and damaged homes Thursday night. Star-Advertiser. State officials said Monday they plan to do emergency work on the hillside above homes in Kalihi Valley that were damaged when several large boulders fell late last week. Hawaii News Now. An erosion problem at Ala Moana Beach is exposing a rocky coastline. Now the city is working on a plan to replenish the sand. Hawaii News Now. Hawaiian Airlines became the only carrier to offer year-round daily service between Honolulu and Fukuoka. Star-Advertiser. Work is under way to fix street lights along the H1 and H2 Freeways that have been out for years, after they were hit by copper thieves. KHON2. Hawaii A Hawaii County official on Monday acknowledged the county has already started sending most of East Hawaii’s garbage to the West Hawaii landfill, even as debate rages over the best solution to the island’s growing trash problem. West Hawaii Today. Hunters hired by the Big Island Invasive Species Committee bagged their first axis deer last Wednesday on the southern end of the island, signaling the start of an effort to eliminate their small but potentially destructive population. Tribune-Herald. Three Kailua-Kona public schools are getting nearly $7.8 million of overdue improvements. West Hawaii Today. Hawaii County elections officials are proceeding with elections preparations, including mailing updated voter registration cards, as though the state’s district maps are finalized. West Hawaii Today. Big Island woman accused of more than $2 million in false claims. Associated Press. Maui Four community groups filed a federal lawsuit today against the Maui County for alleged violations of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act at the Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation Facility. Maui Now. Four environmental groups filed a federal lawsuit Monday seeking more than $60 million in civil penalties to stop Maui County from continuing to discharge partially treated sewage into injection wells at the Lahaina Wastewater Treatment Plant. Star-Advertiser. A Maui artist will soon see Pope Benedict XVI as the pontiff blesses one of the Kihei man’s bronze Saint Damien sculptures in Rome on Wednesday. Maui News. Kauai The North Shore Lion’s Club served more than 700 pancake breakfasts Sunday at a fundraiser for scholarships, scouting, youth basketball and other programs supported by the nonprofit organization. Garden Island.
Continue reading...Lingle, Hirono, rake in millions, Honolulu City Council trims rail budget, Department of Education seeks to divert $20M school funds to buses, Hawaii…
13. April 2012
U.S. Senate candidates Linda Lingle and Mazie Hirono Former Gov. Linda Lingle raised more than $1.3 million in the past quarter for her Republican campaign for U.S. Senate, outpacing U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono, who brought in more than $1 million for her Democratic campaign. Star-Advertiser. Former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann led all 2nd Congressional District candidates in fundraising in the first quarter of 2012, but City Councilwoman Tulsi Gabbard was close behind. Star-Advertiser. Campaign spending numbers for the the first quarter of this year are coming in. KHON2. Like quarrelsome cooks, state Representatives debated all day and into the evening yesterday on a diverse recipe of bills to be thrown into the final round of sausage-making in this year’s legislative session. Hawaii Reporter. “Fear and rhetoric” distorted the intentions of bills that would have moved public school teachers to a performance management system, and led to defeat of the measures, Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Jill Tokuda said Thursday in a passionate speech to her colleagues. Star-Advertiser. The Department of Education is looking at whether funds from other programs could be diverted to student transportation to cover an expected shortfall of about $20 million. Star-Advertiser. A bill that would overhaul Hawaii’s charter school system is headed to conference committee after approval by the House, despite strong resistance to a provision that would exempt such schools from the state Ethics Code. Star-Advertiser. Legislation aimed at regulating the harvest of opihi has been revived after dying in committee last month. Tribune-Herald. Cuts in the number of inspectors who check cargo and passengers entering Hawaii have some worried that more pests will get established in a state that is especially vulnerable because of its tropical weather and few natural predators. Associated Press. The state has filed seven lawsuits against banks and credit card companies that allegedly charge Hawaii customers for payment protection programs they don’t want or can’t qualify for. Associated Press. Dalai Lama Visit Inaugurates Peace Program. Civil Beat. The Dalai Lama will talk to students and participate in a panel discussion with Native Hawaiian leaders during a visit to Honolulu this weekend. Associated Press. Oahu The City Council Budget Committee on Thursday chopped more than $291 million from next year’s construction budget for the rail system before approving preliminarily the budgets for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation. Star-Advertiser. Despite some posturing, some threats and lots of questions for new rail chief Dan Grabauskas, the Honolulu City Council Budget Committee on Wednesday advanced three budget bills for the controversial project. Civil Beat. Honolulu Rapid Transit At a meeting that was more pep rally than political theater, mayoral rivals Peter Carlisle and Kirk Caldwell joined U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye to meet with construction workers anxious to begin work on the city’s $5.27 billion rail project. Star-Advertiser. The senior senator from Hawaii came to Waipahu on Thursday to assure anxious construction workers that Honolulu’s rail project is on track and has solid federal support. The only thing that can stop it, he said, is World War III. Civil Beat. U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle and mayoral candidate Kirk Caldwell made a joint pro-rail appearance this afternoon before construction workers on the project. Hawaii Reporter. Mayor Peter Carlisle and Kirk Caldwell made a joint appearance Thursday with Hawaii Sen. Dan Inouye at the Waipahu offices of rail contractor Kiewit Construction Co. to discuss the importance of the city’s $5.3 billion project with dozens of construction workers. KITV4. New Rail Chief Sees Himself as Intermediary Between Council, Feds. Civil Beat. No more coloring books, T-shirts, hats, lanyards, pens, pencils, backpacks and water bottles will be distributed by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation courtesy of city taxpayers to promote the city’s planned $5.3 billion elevated steel on steel rail project. Hawaii Reporter. The Haleiwa Farmers’ Market will be allowed to operate at its current site until the end of the month after getting a reprieve from state orders to leave. Star-Advertiser. The state is granting permission to continue the Haliewa Farmers Market through the end of the month. Hawaii Public Radio. Boulders tumbled down a Kalihi mountainside Thursday, smashing into three houses on Kula Kolea Place and narrowly missing four people in one of the houses. Star-Advertiser. A plan to replace the International Market Place, the Waikiki Town Center and the Miramar at Waikiki Hotel in the center of Hawaii’s main tourism district with a new retail, dining and entertainment complex will add 1,800 jobs, according to a draft environmental impact statement for the project. Pacific Business News. Chinatown business owners, neighbors, meet with police to discuss area’s drug problem. Hawaii Independent. Chinatown merchants demand answers after attack. KITV4. A state sheriffs deputy stationed at the District Court cellblock was indicted Thursday on sexual assault charges. Hawaii News Now. Board of Water Supply crews have completed work to fix a broken water main in Kailua. Hawaii News Now. Hawaii Hawaiian protestor Abel Lui Mayor Billy Kenoi and his staff plan to meet next week with Abel Simeona Lui and others who claim Native Hawaiian title to almost $6 million worth of Kawa Bay property Hawaii County has purchased for an oceanfront park. West Hawaii Today. Voters can expect to receive cards informing them of their voting districts in early summer, the Hawaii County Clerks Office announced Thursday. Tribune-Herald. Rising fuel oil prices pushed residential electricity rates higher in April on all islands except for Hawaii island. Star-Advertiser. A recent Public Utilities Commission decision has resulted in slightly lower electric rates. West Hawaii Today. Maui The University of Hawaii says it will begin construction of a controversial $300 million telescope atop Haleakala as soon as next month even though a critical permit has been challenged and a state board hasn’t ruled on the case yet. Civil Beat. Crews from the Community Work Day Program on Maui plan to assess reports of large tangled piles of netting and debris reported along the shoreline of the Waiehu Golf Course. Maui Now. More than a year after county officials first announced that four monkeypod trees would be removed along South Kihei Road, sparking a back-and-forth battle with tree lovers who wanted to see them saved, officials confirmed that they would accept the recommendation of the Kihei Community Association and leave the trees in place. Maui News . First-quarter real estate statistics released by the Realtors Association of Maui don’t draw a clear picture of what’s happening with the buying and selling of homes and condominiums in Maui County. Maui News. Kauai A 5th Circuit judge is considering a dismissal motion in a horse cruelty case as an attorney general’s appointed prosecutor takes over. Garden Island. Responding to safety concerns of county officials and the Kaua‘i Police Department, the Kaua‘i County Council on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution establishing a “no-parking” zone on the southerly shoulder of the County Access Road, by Vidinha Stadium soccer fields in Lihu‘e. Garden Island.
Continue reading...Honolulu No. 2 vacation destination, lawsuit challenges election maps, zip lines not regulated, Lanai hunters miffed at film crews, Maui council…
9. April 2012
Waikiki (c) 2012 All Hawaii News Honolulu was second on a list of the top five summer land vacation destinations led by the home of Disney World, Orlando, Fla., and that included Rome, London, and Anaheim, Calif., home to Disneyland. Pacific Business News. A state legislator and five registered voters filed a federal lawsuit Friday charging that the state Reapportionment Plan violates the U.S. Constitution by excluding some 108,000 temporary residents who are military members, military dependents or university students from out of state. Star-Advertiser. Six Oahu residents filed a lawsuit Friday in U.S. District Court in Honolulu, challenging the constitutionality of the new state House and Senate maps. West Hawaii Today. A lawsuit filed Friday asks a three-judge federal court to enforce the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution and require the State to count all residents of Hawaii. (commentary) Hawaii Reporter. Building on the marquee value of movies such as “The Descendants” and television shows like “Hawaii Five-0,” state lawmakers are discussing whether to enhance tax credits for film and digital media production and offer new incentives to hire local workers. Star-Advertiser. A Senate bill to regulate the zip line industry died last week, about six months after a worker plunged 100 feet to his death in Paukaa near Hilo and another was critically injured when a tower toppled and the 2,300-foot zip line went slack. Star-Advertiser. An eye-catching display at the State Capitol aimed to draw attention to the problem of child abuse in Hawaii. KITV4. Charles Djou Former Congressman Charles Djou is back from the war zone in Afghanistan and is focused on his race for Congress. Hawaii Reporter. For Tulsi Gabbard, reward found in ‘serving others.’ Maui News. Wil Okabe and Paul Daughtery want to be president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association for different reasons. The former wants to continue the work he started three years ago when first elected to the position. The latter would like to see a profound shift in the union’s direction. Civil Beat. Employer-picked doctors not independent, critics claim. Injured employees receive evaluations from doctors hired by employers or insurers. Star-Advertiser. Oahu In the weeks since two Hawaii polls showed the public opinion has turned against the controversial Honolulu rail project, council members — particularly those on the ballot this year — have asked sharper questions and expressed doubts about the future for rail transit. Civil Beat. Starting Monday, HART CEO Dan Grabauskas, the highest paid city employee officially begins his new gig with a salary, plus bonuses, totaling $322,000. Hawaii News Now. Some roads around downtown Honolulu will have lane closures as archeological survey work continues on the city’s rail transit project.
Continue reading...Honolulu spills sewage despite EPA agreement, smoking ban coming to public housing, Hawaii Senate advances $11B state budget, state misses out on…
3. April 2012
Honolulu’s Ala Wai canal (c) 2012 All Hawaii News More than a year after a major settlement between the Environmental Protection Agency and the city of Honolulu to address the thousands of gallons of raw sewage that flow into Oahu’s waterways annually, the volume of spills has not abated. Civil Beat. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Monday to advance a bill to prohibit smoking in and around Hawaii Public Housing Authority buildings. Star-Advertiser. A Senate panel approved Monday its version of the $11 billion supplemental budget bill that focuses on education and core services along with key provisions of Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s New Day initiative. Star-Advertiser. Legislature Keeps Dogs in Restaurants Bill Alive. Hawaii Public Radio. Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Monday nominated seven Hawaii business leaders to fill seats on the Hawaii Tourism Authority, including two with ties to land use and development. Pacific Business News. Governor Neil Abercrombie today made more nominations to several boards and commissions including the Hawai’i Tourism Authority and the Land Use Commission. Hawaii Reporter. Hawaii is among the few states to not take advantage of a federal incentive program estimated to distribute as much as $80 million to Medicaid providers for the establishment of electronic health records. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii Doctors Form Aid In Dying Advisory Council. Civil Beat. Wind energy is at the top of the list of energy sources that Hawaii should be tapping to meet its renewable energy goals, according to a recently released federal study. Civil Beat. Starting Aug. 1, nearly all ships en route to Hawaii will be required to switch to cleaner burning fuel as part of an treaty known as the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships.That’s expected to raise the price of shipping a 20-foot container to Hawaii by an average of $18. KITV4. The Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association is screening candidates to replace President and CEO Mufi Hannemann should he leave the job as his campaign for Congress heats up. Star-Advertiser. Oahu The Sierra Club, Hawaii’s largest grassroots environmental organization, is re-considering its position on the city’s $5.3 billion rail transit project. Hawaii News Now. The first of four candidates to be the next chancellor of the University of Hawaii-Manoa arrives today with the firm belief that Manoa needs to retain the chancellor’s position to help drive Hawaii’s economy. Star-Advertiser. It’s an important week for the future of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Starting Wednesday, candidates for the position of chancellor will begin visiting the campus. Hawaii News Now. Hundreds of Kaneohe based Marines and sailors are on their way to Australia. KHON2. Hawaii The out-of-state bidder who scooped up all 16 Hamakua land parcels that were put out for leases has withdrawn his option on eight of the smaller parcels, saying he wants to make them available for local farmers. West Hawaii Today. If work on the second phase of the Queen Kaahumanu Highway widening project had begun when the Department of Transportation initially expected, and had construction taken the two-and-a-half years the DOT estimated at the time, drivers would have four lanes of highway all the way to Kona International Airport by now. West Hawaii Today. The zip line tower collapse that claimed the life of construction worker Ted Callaway on Sept. 21 was “immediate and catastrophic,” according to a report by an independent engineering firm. And, it appears it may have been preventable. Tribune-Herald. In an annual competition hosted by the Roasters’ Guild of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), three coffees from Ka’u were among the top 10 judged, earning them the coveted title Coffee of the Year for 2012. Associated Press. Maui The County of Maui is pleased to recognize the Water Resource & Planning Division for being one of the first government agencies to receive the Hawaii Green Business Program Award. KHON2. With hula, chanting and song, family members and friends paid tribute Sunday to late Native Hawaiian leader and kahu Charles Kauluwehi Maxwell Sr. Maui News. A dozen dogs died after their kennel in Waikapu was intentionally set on fire Sunday night, fire officials said. Maui News. Mainland Condo Owner Objects to Vacation Rental Bills. Maui Now. Kauai The Kaua‘i County Council today begins a series of daily budgetary review meetings lasting at least until April 19 on the mayor’s proposed $161.21 million operational budget for fiscal year 2013. Garden Island. State To Pay $210,000 For Fatal Kauai Wreck. Driver was drunk, high and missed a turn, but lack of lighting and an old bridge contributed. Civil Beat. The Kauai police commission plans to file a complaint in court to ask for judgment on who has the authority to supervise and discipline the police chief. Associated Press. The controversy over whether the mayor has authority to intervene with any department heads appointed by county commissions was the focus of a public hearing by the Kaua‘i County Charter Review Commission on Monday. Garden Island.
Continue reading...Tourists prefer Neighbor Islands, $198 roundtrip to Japan draws crowds, Hawaii Dems reject ex-Lingle staffer, private school tuition rises,…
2. April 2012
Hawaii black sand beach (c) 2012 All Hawaii News Hawaii visitor surveys, handed out on airplanes, show a growing number of visitors intend to spend their entire vacations on a single neighbor island. Hawaii News Now. Average hotel room rates in Hawaii rose 4.7 percent last week, year over year, while occupancy rates increased by 4.8 percentage points, according to Hospitality Advisors LLC and Smith Travel Research. Pacific Business News. Hawaii’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has fallen to the lowest level in three years. Associated Press. On Sunday, H.I.S. Hawaii travel agency released its lowest deal ever to Japan, $198 round-trip flight on Hawaiian Airlines to Osaka, tax included. The agency said that same flight can average $1,100. KITV4. Mufi Hannemann Democratic Congressional candidate Mufi Hannemann held a fundraiser March 21 with prominent Republicans on Guam. Civil Beat. Laura Thielen is denied opportunity to run as Democrat for state Senate. KHON2. A new provision in the charter school reform bill would exempt the public charter school system from the state Ethics Code, despite a recent auditor’s report that lambasted a few charters for unethical and improper spending and employment practices. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii Gov Remains Defiant on HSTA Standoff. Civil Beat. Hawaii Legislature on the Downhill Slide. Hawaii Reporter. The state House has passed a resolution protesting routinely higher retail shipping costs to Hawaii and Alaska. Associated Press. Hawaii’s largest private schools will increase tuition by 3 to 6 percent in the 2012-13 school year, with increases at several schools slightly larger than what parents paid this school year. Star-Advertiser. A decades-long dispute between the state and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs came to a close Friday with applause, a standing ovation and lots of hugs. Associated Press. The census asks all Hawaii residents for their martial status.
Continue reading...Hawaii Medal of Honor ceremony honors war dead, Honolulu Civil Beat editor heads to Washington Post, Legislature mulls state bank, mandatory sick…
29. March 2012
Hawaii Medal of Honor ceremony, courtesy House Majority Office Hundreds of people gathered at the State Capitol Wednesday to remember 24 servicemen with Hawaii ties who died during the past year in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hawaii News Now. The annual Hawaii Medal of Honor ceremony is more than just a time to recognize and honor fallen troops. It’s a time for friends, colleagues and loved ones of the dead to gather, console and connect with each other, to be reassured that those close to them will not be forgotten, and to be welcomed into the island ohana. Star-Advertiser. courtesy House Majority The families of two dozen fallen service members received the Hawaii Medal of Honor on Wednesday. It was a chance to thank them and their loved ones for protecting our country. KITV4. Abercrombie: Environmental Critics Are ‘Apocalyptic Naysayers’ Civil Beat. Large private sector employers without labor contracts would have to provide workers with up to five days a year in paid sick and safe leave under a bill approved Wednesday by the state Senate Judiciary and Labor Committee. Star-Advertiser. Should the State of Hawaii open up its own bank? Some lawmakers want to saying it will stimulate economic growth and development.
Continue reading...Kona lava graffiti removed, raises for Honolulu officials, council, rate hike for health insurer HMSA, Kauai in top 10 for film locations, still no…
28. March 2012
Kona lava (c) 2012 All Hawaii News Less white coral graffiti decorates the lava on the shoulders of Queen Kaahumanu Highway these days. West Hawaii Today. Families of fallen war heroes have been invited to a special joint session of the state Legislature on Wednesday. Associated Press. March is almost over and still no Republican candidate in the open 2nd Congressional District race. Civil Beat. Two good government advocacy groups are taking state Sen. Rosalyn Baker to task over her conduct of a confirmation hearing Friday. Civil Beat. Lawmakers question UH Manoa Chancellor’s necessity. KHON2. Hawaii Medical Service Association plans to raise health insurance premiums for roughly 84,000 small-business members by 3.8 percent after posting a more than eightfold profit to $43.8 million in 2011. Star-Advertiser. The State Department of Education is being put to the test.
Continue reading...Kona lava graffiti removed, raises for Honolulu officials, council, rate hike for health insurer HMSA, Kauai in top 10 for film locations, still no…
28. March 2012
Kona lava (c) 2012 All Hawaii News Less white coral graffiti decorates the lava on the shoulders of Queen Kaahumanu Highway these days. West Hawaii Today. Families of fallen war heroes have been invited to a special joint session of the state Legislature on Wednesday. Associated Press. March is almost over and still no Republican candidate in the open 2nd Congressional District race. Civil Beat. Two good government advocacy groups are taking state Sen. Rosalyn Baker to task over her conduct of a confirmation hearing Friday. Civil Beat. Lawmakers question UH Manoa Chancellor’s necessity. KHON2. Hawaii Medical Service Association plans to raise health insurance premiums for roughly 84,000 small-business members by 3.8 percent after posting a more than eightfold profit to $43.8 million in 2011. Star-Advertiser. The State Department of Education is being put to the test.
Continue reading...Hawaii libraries doing more with less, geothermal energy coming to Maui, Case renews Hirono debate challenge, state DOE prepares for federal Race to…
23. March 2012
Hawaii state public library (c) 2012 All Hawaii News The budget for Hawaii’s State Public Library System has been steadily shrinking over the past five years, while demand for an array of library services has gone up. Civil Beat. Former U.S. Rep. Ed Case, in his Hilo hometown Thursday for a fundraiser, renewed his call for U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono to debate him prior to the August primary for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. West Hawaii Today. Ed Case The contest to replace U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Akaka is on, as former Hawaii congressman Ed Case became the first candidate to file nomination papers at the Office of Elections on Thursday. Associated Press. US Senate candidate and former Congressman Ed Case officially files his nomination papers for election at 10 a.m. today. Maui Now. State House lawmakers advanced a bill Thursday that would temporarily give the governor the power to exempt specific types of state construction projects from environmental review if the potential impact is minimal. Star-Advertiser. A bill with the potential to scuttle the state’s pending $200 million land transfer to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs was reluctantly approved today by the state House Judiciary Committee. Hawaii Reporter. The State Auditor’s office will be zeroing in on potential problems in the way the Hawaii Department of Education contracts with school bus companies and how the agency monitors the service once it’s in place. Civil Beat. The city of Honolulu says its bus system might be unable to accommodate the big influx in ridership expected if the Department of Education eliminates school bus service on Oahu next school year, as is being discussed in a worst-case scenario. Star-Advertiser. The Hawaii State Department of Education will attempt to highlight various accomplishments when federal officials visit to examine the state’s Race to the Top progress. Associated Press. The Hawaii State Department of Education is preparing for a visit from the U.S. Department of Education next week to examine the state’s Race To The Top progress. KITV4. Feeling it got shorted out of a lucrative government contract with Hawaii, four years ago Election Systems & Software challenged the state’s decision to award a contract for e-voting machines to another company. Civil Beat. A Hawaiian monk seal removed from the wild because he was attacking fellow monk seals pups is moving to the mainland. Hawaii News Now. Stephen Schatz, the public schools’ assistant superintendent of strategic reform says Hawaii is making progress. Star-Advertiser. Oahu Honolulu mayoral candidate Kirk Caldwell Six labor unions announced Thursday their endorsement of former city Managing Director Kirk Caldwell for Honolulu mayor. Star-Advertiser. The Hawaii Community Development Authority, a state agency that administers 660 acres in Kakaako, 3,770 acres in Kalaeloa and 400 acres in Heeia, is pursuing the construction of the tallest building in the state — the 650-foot 690 Pohukaina. Civil Beat. The future of the 600-acre Kakaako district was the focus of a panel discussion sponsored by the Hawaii Venture Capital Association and Think-Tech. Hawaii Public Radio. The shakers and movers of Kakaako, past, present and future, gathered at a power lunch at the Plaza Club Thursday. KITV4. The University of Hawaii System has narrowed the search for chancellor of its Manoa campus to four candidates, each of whom will visit the campus next month and make presentations to students, faculty, staff and the community. Pacific Business News. Cancer radiation treatment specialist Dr. John Lederer will be able to continue using oncology radiation facilities at the Queen’s Medical Center, but the other five doctors at Pacific Radiation Oncology will not, under a preliminary injunction issued this week by a federal judge. Star-Advertiser. More than 1200 people are expected to show up at Magic Island Saturday. KHON2. Hawaii Some Hawaii County Council members are questioning why Mayor Billy Kenoi hasn’t acted on eviction orders a judge granted more than three months ago to clear almost $6 million worth of county-owned Kawa Bay property of people living there. West Hawaii Today. A former County Council apparently hired a special attorney without legal authority to do so. West Hawaii Today. The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline reached a record high of $4.669 in Hilo on Thursday, according to AAA Hawaii’s daily fuel gauge report. Star-Advertiser. The community is invited to attend The Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce’s annual focus luncheon with this year’s speaker Governor Neil Abercrombie on March 29 at Keauhou Beach Resort. West Hawaii Today. Maui Drilling could begin next year on test wells for a geothermal energy project on Haleakala. Maui News. The public will have a chance to provide input on the County’s Fiscal Year 2013 Budget during a series of district meetings planned over the next several weeks. Maui Now. Gov. Neil Abercrombie has signed another disaster proclamation that expands his earlier proclamations to include Maui County. Associated Press. Members of the Maui Canoe Club collaborated with a nurse at the Maui Memorial Medical Center to develop a CPR method that could be used within the confines of a canoe. Maui Now. Kauai Karen Ikemoto being Kaua‘i’s first Librarian of the Year was reason for Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. to declare Thursday as Karen Ikemoto Day on Kaua‘i. Garden Island. Retired police officers on Kaua‘i have found support from within as an organization of people that worked together to make the island safe. Garden Island. Molokai Lynn DeCoite, owner of two Molokai businesses, has been appointed by Gov. Neil Abercrombie to the state Board of Agriculture’s Maui County seat. Maui News.
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19. April 2012
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