Hawaiian monk seal, NOAA courtesy photo A proposal to expand federal protections for the endangered Hawaiian monk seal is facing major push back from the state. Civil Beat. A bill moving through the state Legislature could increase Hawaii’s minimum wage for the first time since 2007, but opinions are mixed as to whether elevating the wage floor would help or hinder Hawaii’s economic recovery. Associated Press. Gov. Neil Abercrombie compared Pro Bowl negotiations to having a gun held to the state’s head by the NFL, but later said, “We would like to continue to have (the game) and we’re going to do everything we can to make sure that comes about in a fashion that will make everybody very, very happy.” Star-Advertiser. NFL flags Hawaii governor’s Pro Bowl comments . Pacific Business News. Governor Neil Abercrombie made a surprise visit to the NFL’s Pro Bowl kickoff news conference to speak glowingly about the relationship between Hawaii and the NFL, after criticizing NFL owners earlier in the day. KITV4. Hawaii political committees that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of campaign money would be required to disclose the candidates their expenditures are attacking or supporting under a proposal moving through the Legislature. Civil Beat. Hawaii lawmakers are entertaining amendments to the state Sunshine Law to allow board members to attend public meetings, community events and professional association conferences without violating the open meetings law. Associated Press. Lawmakers will be briefed on the state of the Race to the Top program on Wednesday. Hawaii News Now. Hawaii Electric Co., and its subsidiaries on Maui and the Big Island, would no longer be allowed to generate electricity if they wished to sell it under a proposed bill from Rep. Denny Coffman. West Hawaii Today. A Hollywood hit is shining the spotlight on Hawaii’s film industry. “The Descendants,” which was shot in Hawaii, has captured five Oscar nominations. Lawmakers hope to cash in on the movie’s success by attracting new productions to the islands. Hawaii News Now. A recent report shows that Hawaii’s public pension fund ranked at the bottom among comparable funds for its investment returns over the past decade. Civil Beat. The state Department of Human Services says it has introduced a new food stamps benefits processing system to address an applications backlog. Associated Press. House Speaker Calvin Say and Senate President Shan Tsutsui said yesterday they are opposed to tax increases even though the State Council on Revenue lowered its state revenue projects by $130 million. Hawaii Reporter. Hawaii GOP Still Looking For CD2 Candidate. Civil Beat. Obama’s Blueprint for Energy, Defense Could Mean Jobs in Hawaii. Civil Beat. State roundup for Jan. 25. Associated Press. Oahu The City Council might consider reforms of some property tax exemptions, but reducing or eliminating the standard exemption for Oahu’s 144,000 homeowners would be a tough sell to the public in an election year, the Council’s budget chairwoman says. Star-Advertiser. The Honolulu City Council Budget Committee conducted a special public hearing yesterday on a controversial recommendation by an Advisory Commission to repeal nearly all of the property tax exemptions for O’ahu owners. Hawaii Public Radio. Gambling proponents are eyeing the convention center as a possible venue to allow gaming in the state. KITV4. Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle likely will seek Honolulu City Council approval for a “contingency plan” to raise additional funding for the Honolulu rail project if that becomes necessary. Star-Advertiser. The Honolulu Zoo is under fire over the entrance fee it charges students on school field trips. KHON2. Hawaii A group of Kona coffee growers hopes legislators pass a bill that would require businesses to more thoroughly describe the contents of coffee sold in Hawaii — a change that critics claim would increase the price. Star-Advertiser. American Motorists Insurance Co. will pay $12.5 million to Hawaii County as part of a proposed settlement agreement a series of lawsuits regarding the stalled Hokulia development. West Hawaii Today. The jobs are coming back, but so are the job-seekers. Tribune-Herald. Farmers, agricultural experts and educators gathered Tuesday in Hilo to help map the future of Hawaii’s agricultural industry and attract workers needed to run it. Tribune-Herald. The Hawaii Board of Education cleared the way Tuesday for the Laupahoehoe charter school to open its doors in July.
Continue reading...4. January 2012
Mufi Hannemann (c) 2012 All Hawaii News Former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann stands out as the most socially conservative Democrat in the race for Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District, according to questionnaires that he and four other candidates filled out for Civil Beat. Civil Beat. Civil Beat Poll: Half of Hawaii Voters Say Delegation Works For Donors. Civil Beat. Former State House Representative Tom Okamura returns to the state legislature, filling the post left vacant by Blake Oshiro. Maui Now. A new state report aimed at considering ways to reduce student transportation costs estimates eliminating free school bus service for about 20,000 low-income students would save up to $18 million a year, while cutting service to most Oahu general-education students would save about $15 million. Star-Advertiser. Eliminating school bus service on Oahu is the quickest and most effective way to reduce Hawaii’s student transportation costs, school district officials say. Civil Beat. Computer problems caused a backup at the marriage licensing office at the Health Department Tuesday, on what was the first day couples could receive their official civil union license. KITV4. Citing privacy interests, the University of Hawaii won’t disclose the salary of new head football coach Norm Chow, other than to say that it’s somewhere between $392,142 and $935,544 per year. Hawaii Reporter. Hawaii recognized 13 same-sex couples as having legal civil unions as of Tuesday, and an additional 69 couples have applied for civil union licenses to have similar ceremonies performed within 30 days, the state Health Department said. Star-Advertiser. A task force representing mortgage lenders and borrowers is recommending changes to a state law enacted last year that effectively cut the number of foreclosures in half. Star-Advertiser. Hawaiian Electric Co. has asked the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission to approve a three-year program that would allow electric utilities to fund the installation of solar water heating systems for their residential customers, and recoup the costs from savings generating by the systems. Pacific Business News. Land Deal Could Be ‘Economic Engine’ For Native Hawaiians. Civil Beat. The extended comment period for changes proposed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on critical habitat for the Hawaiian monk seal expires Friday. Garden Island. The Occupy Wall Street Movement Across the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii Public Radio. State roundup for January 4. Associated Press. Oahu The long-awaited project to resupply Waikiki Beach with sand will take place over the next three months, but state officials say the disruption to beachgoers should be minimal. Star-Advertiser. Surf’s Up! City Workers Prepare For Big Waves. KITV4. Tom Berg, the often outspoken and at times controversial West Oahu councilman, announced his plans for reelection Tuesday. KHON2. Leeward Oahu councilman Tom Berg has hired a woman who just quit another city job because of an ethics investigation against her. KITV4. Pacific Resources Partnership and the organization Faith Action for Community Equity yesterday asked to join in the court case over Honolulu’s rail transit project, filing a motion in federal court in an effort to support the rail project. Star-Advertiser. Airport runway repairs to create noise for nearby residents. Hawaii News Now. Hawaii Council Chairman Dominic Yagong has turned up the heat on Mayor Billy Kenoi’s plans to operate a Hilo garbage sort station, accusing Kenoi of kowtowing to public-sector unions rather than looking out for the taxpayers’ best interest. West Hawaii Today. No federal money will be available for the Thirty Meter Telescope or its main competitor in this decade, the head of the astronomy division at the National Science Foundation told an influential science blog. Tribune-Herald. The Big Island — as well as the rest of the nation and much of the world — will continue to struggle economically in 2012, economists say. Tribune-Herald. Maui Massachusetts-based A123 Systems for the second time in a month announced plans to provide its advanced nanophosphate lithium ion batteries to help stabilize Maui’s power grid as fluctuating clean energy sources – and expensive renewable energy experiments and projects – become more common. Maui News. A gay Oklahoma City couple is happy to be on Maui and among the first couples to be joined in a civil union after a state law allowing such unions went into effect Sunday. Maui News. Kauai The Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife is planning to restore 105 acres of wetlands on Mana Plain Forest Reserve. Garden Island.
Continue reading...20. December 2011
Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie, Budget Director Kalbert Young, courtesy photo
Continue reading...16. December 2011
Honolulu road construction (c) 2011 All Hawaii News Congress appropriated 840-Billion dollars in Federal Economic Stimulus money to States in February 2009. Did Hawai’i receive its fair share of that funding and who’s tracking it? Hawaii Public Radio . The state Department of Taxation placed several employees on administrative leave without pay this week following the discovery of an internal security breach of the department’s tax database. Star-Advertiser. Governor Neil Abercrombie’s administration is investigating unspecified wrongdoing in the state Tax Department. Hawaii Reporter. The State Attorney General is investigating allegations of security breaches at the tax department dating back several years. KHON2. Charter schools have been spending public money with little oversight — or accountability for student performance — and the lack of government monitoring has resulted in “unethical and illegal” spending and employment practices at some campuses, a scathing audit of Hawaii’s system of 31 charter schools found. Star-Advertiser. State Auditor Marion Higa issued a scathing report on Hawaii’s charter schools Thursday, calling out individual schools for potential fraud and criticizing the Charter School Review Panel. West Hawaii Today. A blistering report released Thursday by the Hawaii state auditor alleges little to no oversight of the state’s public charter school system. KHON2. For the first time in five years, Hawaii’s school bus companies have bid against each other for contracts to transport students to and from school. Civil Beat. Youth Correctional Facility Cleans Up Its Act. Civil Beat. Gov. Neil Abercrombie said Wednesday that he will appoint an interim successor for Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee Boyd Mossman “as soon as I can” and that whomever he picks will not be running for the seat in the November election. Maui News. State roundup for Dec. 16. Associated Press. Oahu Property values on Oahu rose slightly over the past year, giving the City Council and the Carlisle administration the expectation for some added revenue to work with as they craft a budget for the next fiscal year. Star-Advertiser. The tax bill for some landowners may increase slightly if the Honolulu city council keeps tax rate at the current level. KITV4. The pace of Honolulu’s economic recovery since the end of the recession ranks in the bottom 20 percent of the nation’s top 100 metropolitan areas, according to a report released Thursday by the Brookings Institution. Star-Advertiser. The University of Hawaii at Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine will receive a $13.2 million federal grant for its Bioscience Research Infrastructure Development for Grant Enhancement and Success project. Pacific Business News. First complaint filed under new city ordinance against personal property on sidewalks. Hawaii News Now. The Gas Company dedicated a new plant in Kapolei that can make “renewable natural gas” out of oils and fats from animal, fishing and farming waste. KHON2. Visitors to the Waikiki Aquarium got their first chance to see the aquarium’s newest resident Thursday. KHON2. Hawaii Five Hawaii County police officers were fired this year, a significant increase over last year, when no nonprobationary police officers lost their jobs for disciplinary reasons. West Hawaii Today. Hawaiians unloaded their mana’o on officials from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands about an initiative to get the longest-waiting beneficiaries off the homestead waiting list.
Continue reading...13. December 2011
Hawaiian fisherman (c) 2011 All Hawaii News The U.S. Supreme Court has left the door open to hear arguments in a case with potentially broad implications for government benefits awarded exclusively to Native Hawaiians. Star-Advertiser. Only about half a dozen people showed up at Wahiawa Recreational Center Monday night to hear the Office of Hawaiian Affairs explain the proposed Kakaako land deal to settle ceded-land payments with the state. Civil Beat. Hawaii’s 2011 legislative session was packed with debate over hot educational issues. And the new session, which begins January 18, promises to pick up where the drama left off. Civil Beat. An aide for Gov. Neil Abercrombie pleaded no contest Monday to a charge that he refused to leave a Waikiki bar in September. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii-based leaders of the 25th Infantry Division are scheduled to return from Iraq this weekend after a year-long deployment. Star-Advertiser. The earthquake and tsunami in Japan 9 months ago produced up to 25-million tons of debris. As HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports … scientists don’t know how much of that trash was swept into the Pacific Ocean … but they are now predicting it will begin landing on Hawai’i’s shores. Hawaii Public Radio. Many of Hawaii’s best known universities and high schools are vulnerable to having their names fall into the hands of the online pornography industry. KITV4. State roundup for Dec. 13. Associated Press. Oahu A group of World War II veterans say they were taken aback by how a production crew with the hit TV show Hawaii Five-0 treated them during a visit to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific last Friday. KHON2. It was the “ultimate disrespect” that left their “blood boiling.” That is how organizers of a ceremony for World War II veterans at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl describe the conduct of a production crew from the hit television series Hawaii Five-O. Hawaii News Now. Former Gov. Ben Cayetano and others who have joined in a lawsuit against the city’s rail transit project will be allowed to continue their court challenge, a federal judge ruled Monday. Star-Advertiser. Seven plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit against the City & County of Honolulu and the Federal Transit Administration over the city’s planned $5.3 billion rail project, received some good news today. Hawaii Reporter. Comment: What will rail and HOT lanes do for Honolulu? Hawaii Independent. A Hawaii couple on Monday received the first all-electric car delivered by Mitsubishi Motors to a retail customer in the Uniterd States. Associated Press. The company that operated Hawaii’s largest puppy mill pleaded no contest Monday to 153 counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty in Kaneohe District Court and faces sentencing in February. Star-Advertiser. Occupancy in Waikiki hotels in October helped Oahu set a revenue record, according to data released Monday by a tourism industry consultant company. Associated Press. The Department of Land and Natural Resources announced the opening of the Waikiki-Diamond Head Shoreline Fisheries Management Area O‘ahu to fishing for one year beginning January 1. KHON2. Hawaii Native Hawaiian beneficiaries who have lost hope of attaining homestead land after decades of waiting might soon get a chance through a new project. Star-Advertiser. The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands wants to award leases to beneficiaries who have been on the waiting list the longest. Tribune-Herald. The county Redistricting Commission has scheduled a special meeting Friday to review its County Council map after a West Hawaii Today article revealed that a last-minute change to the map benefited two County Council members by moving them into different districts. West Hawaii Today. Hawaii County’s Redistricting Commission will hold a special meeting Friday in Hilo to address alleged gerrymandering, its chairwoman said Monday. Tribune-Herald. A 30-year veteran of the Hawaii Police Department this week will be taking over the helm of Kona patrol operations. West Hawaii Today. Maui The Maui County Charter Commission will gather public comments on 21 proposed charter amendments at a series of meetings starting this week. Maui News. Maui led the state with the highest average daily hotel room rate in October, nearly $210, an 8.1 percent jump over the same month last year, according to the monthly report from Hospitality Advisors Inc. Maui News. An agreement reached Thursday between Hale Makua Health Services and United Public Workers-represented employees will help the agency keep its Wailuku facility open – at least for now. Maui News. Kauai A real-life variation of The Descendants movie is being staged in state Probate Court, where heirs to the Damon Estate, one of Hawaii’s wealthiest family trusts, continue to squabble over nearly $1 billion in land and other assets. Hawaii Reporter. County officials recently announced changes in two of the county’s real property tax relief programs — the circuit breaker and home exemption programs — are now in effect. Garden Island.
Continue reading...13. December 2011
Hawaiian fisherman (c) 2011 All Hawaii News The U.S. Supreme Court has left the door open to hear arguments in a case with potentially broad implications for government benefits awarded exclusively to Native Hawaiians. Star-Advertiser. Only about half a dozen people showed up at Wahiawa Recreational Center Monday night to hear the Office of Hawaiian Affairs explain the proposed Kakaako land deal to settle ceded-land payments with the state. Civil Beat. Hawaii’s 2011 legislative session was packed with debate over hot educational issues. And the new session, which begins January 18, promises to pick up where the drama left off. Civil Beat. An aide for Gov. Neil Abercrombie pleaded no contest Monday to a charge that he refused to leave a Waikiki bar in September. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii-based leaders of the 25th Infantry Division are scheduled to return from Iraq this weekend after a year-long deployment. Star-Advertiser. The earthquake and tsunami in Japan 9 months ago produced up to 25-million tons of debris. As HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports … scientists don’t know how much of that trash was swept into the Pacific Ocean … but they are now predicting it will begin landing on Hawai’i’s shores. Hawaii Public Radio. Many of Hawaii’s best known universities and high schools are vulnerable to having their names fall into the hands of the online pornography industry. KITV4. State roundup for Dec. 13. Associated Press. Oahu A group of World War II veterans say they were taken aback by how a production crew with the hit TV show Hawaii Five-0 treated them during a visit to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific last Friday. KHON2. It was the “ultimate disrespect” that left their “blood boiling.” That is how organizers of a ceremony for World War II veterans at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl describe the conduct of a production crew from the hit television series Hawaii Five-O. Hawaii News Now. Former Gov. Ben Cayetano and others who have joined in a lawsuit against the city’s rail transit project will be allowed to continue their court challenge, a federal judge ruled Monday. Star-Advertiser. Seven plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit against the City & County of Honolulu and the Federal Transit Administration over the city’s planned $5.3 billion rail project, received some good news today. Hawaii Reporter. Comment: What will rail and HOT lanes do for Honolulu? Hawaii Independent. A Hawaii couple on Monday received the first all-electric car delivered by Mitsubishi Motors to a retail customer in the Uniterd States. Associated Press. The company that operated Hawaii’s largest puppy mill pleaded no contest Monday to 153 counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty in Kaneohe District Court and faces sentencing in February. Star-Advertiser. Occupancy in Waikiki hotels in October helped Oahu set a revenue record, according to data released Monday by a tourism industry consultant company. Associated Press. The Department of Land and Natural Resources announced the opening of the Waikiki-Diamond Head Shoreline Fisheries Management Area O‘ahu to fishing for one year beginning January 1. KHON2. Hawaii Native Hawaiian beneficiaries who have lost hope of attaining homestead land after decades of waiting might soon get a chance through a new project. Star-Advertiser. The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands wants to award leases to beneficiaries who have been on the waiting list the longest. Tribune-Herald. The county Redistricting Commission has scheduled a special meeting Friday to review its County Council map after a West Hawaii Today article revealed that a last-minute change to the map benefited two County Council members by moving them into different districts. West Hawaii Today. Hawaii County’s Redistricting Commission will hold a special meeting Friday in Hilo to address alleged gerrymandering, its chairwoman said Monday. Tribune-Herald. A 30-year veteran of the Hawaii Police Department this week will be taking over the helm of Kona patrol operations. West Hawaii Today. Maui The Maui County Charter Commission will gather public comments on 21 proposed charter amendments at a series of meetings starting this week. Maui News. Maui led the state with the highest average daily hotel room rate in October, nearly $210, an 8.1 percent jump over the same month last year, according to the monthly report from Hospitality Advisors Inc. Maui News. An agreement reached Thursday between Hale Makua Health Services and United Public Workers-represented employees will help the agency keep its Wailuku facility open – at least for now. Maui News. Kauai A real-life variation of The Descendants movie is being staged in state Probate Court, where heirs to the Damon Estate, one of Hawaii’s wealthiest family trusts, continue to squabble over nearly $1 billion in land and other assets. Hawaii Reporter. County officials recently announced changes in two of the county’s real property tax relief programs — the circuit breaker and home exemption programs — are now in effect. Garden Island.
Continue reading...13. December 2011
Hawaiian fisherman (c) 2011 All Hawaii News The U.S. Supreme Court has left the door open to hear arguments in a case with potentially broad implications for government benefits awarded exclusively to Native Hawaiians. Star-Advertiser. Only about half a dozen people showed up at Wahiawa Recreational Center Monday night to hear the Office of Hawaiian Affairs explain the proposed Kakaako land deal to settle ceded-land payments with the state. Civil Beat. Hawaii’s 2011 legislative session was packed with debate over hot educational issues. And the new session, which begins January 18, promises to pick up where the drama left off. Civil Beat. An aide for Gov. Neil Abercrombie pleaded no contest Monday to a charge that he refused to leave a Waikiki bar in September. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii-based leaders of the 25th Infantry Division are scheduled to return from Iraq this weekend after a year-long deployment. Star-Advertiser. The earthquake and tsunami in Japan 9 months ago produced up to 25-million tons of debris. As HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports … scientists don’t know how much of that trash was swept into the Pacific Ocean … but they are now predicting it will begin landing on Hawai’i’s shores. Hawaii Public Radio. Many of Hawaii’s best known universities and high schools are vulnerable to having their names fall into the hands of the online pornography industry. KITV4. State roundup for Dec. 13. Associated Press. Oahu A group of World War II veterans say they were taken aback by how a production crew with the hit TV show Hawaii Five-0 treated them during a visit to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific last Friday. KHON2. It was the “ultimate disrespect” that left their “blood boiling.” That is how organizers of a ceremony for World War II veterans at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl describe the conduct of a production crew from the hit television series Hawaii Five-O. Hawaii News Now. Former Gov. Ben Cayetano and others who have joined in a lawsuit against the city’s rail transit project will be allowed to continue their court challenge, a federal judge ruled Monday. Star-Advertiser. Seven plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit against the City & County of Honolulu and the Federal Transit Administration over the city’s planned $5.3 billion rail project, received some good news today. Hawaii Reporter. Comment: What will rail and HOT lanes do for Honolulu? Hawaii Independent. A Hawaii couple on Monday received the first all-electric car delivered by Mitsubishi Motors to a retail customer in the Uniterd States. Associated Press. The company that operated Hawaii’s largest puppy mill pleaded no contest Monday to 153 counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty in Kaneohe District Court and faces sentencing in February. Star-Advertiser. Occupancy in Waikiki hotels in October helped Oahu set a revenue record, according to data released Monday by a tourism industry consultant company. Associated Press. The Department of Land and Natural Resources announced the opening of the Waikiki-Diamond Head Shoreline Fisheries Management Area O‘ahu to fishing for one year beginning January 1. KHON2. Hawaii Native Hawaiian beneficiaries who have lost hope of attaining homestead land after decades of waiting might soon get a chance through a new project. Star-Advertiser. The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands wants to award leases to beneficiaries who have been on the waiting list the longest. Tribune-Herald. The county Redistricting Commission has scheduled a special meeting Friday to review its County Council map after a West Hawaii Today article revealed that a last-minute change to the map benefited two County Council members by moving them into different districts. West Hawaii Today. Hawaii County’s Redistricting Commission will hold a special meeting Friday in Hilo to address alleged gerrymandering, its chairwoman said Monday. Tribune-Herald. A 30-year veteran of the Hawaii Police Department this week will be taking over the helm of Kona patrol operations. West Hawaii Today. Maui The Maui County Charter Commission will gather public comments on 21 proposed charter amendments at a series of meetings starting this week. Maui News. Maui led the state with the highest average daily hotel room rate in October, nearly $210, an 8.1 percent jump over the same month last year, according to the monthly report from Hospitality Advisors Inc. Maui News. An agreement reached Thursday between Hale Makua Health Services and United Public Workers-represented employees will help the agency keep its Wailuku facility open – at least for now. Maui News. Kauai A real-life variation of The Descendants movie is being staged in state Probate Court, where heirs to the Damon Estate, one of Hawaii’s wealthiest family trusts, continue to squabble over nearly $1 billion in land and other assets. Hawaii Reporter. County officials recently announced changes in two of the county’s real property tax relief programs — the circuit breaker and home exemption programs — are now in effect. Garden Island.
Continue reading...13. December 2011
Hawaiian fisherman (c) 2011 All Hawaii News The U.S. Supreme Court has left the door open to hear arguments in a case with potentially broad implications for government benefits awarded exclusively to Native Hawaiians. Star-Advertiser. Only about half a dozen people showed up at Wahiawa Recreational Center Monday night to hear the Office of Hawaiian Affairs explain the proposed Kakaako land deal to settle ceded-land payments with the state. Civil Beat. Hawaii’s 2011 legislative session was packed with debate over hot educational issues. And the new session, which begins January 18, promises to pick up where the drama left off. Civil Beat. An aide for Gov. Neil Abercrombie pleaded no contest Monday to a charge that he refused to leave a Waikiki bar in September. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii-based leaders of the 25th Infantry Division are scheduled to return from Iraq this weekend after a year-long deployment. Star-Advertiser. The earthquake and tsunami in Japan 9 months ago produced up to 25-million tons of debris. As HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports … scientists don’t know how much of that trash was swept into the Pacific Ocean … but they are now predicting it will begin landing on Hawai’i’s shores. Hawaii Public Radio. Many of Hawaii’s best known universities and high schools are vulnerable to having their names fall into the hands of the online pornography industry. KITV4. State roundup for Dec. 13. Associated Press. Oahu A group of World War II veterans say they were taken aback by how a production crew with the hit TV show Hawaii Five-0 treated them during a visit to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific last Friday. KHON2. It was the “ultimate disrespect” that left their “blood boiling.” That is how organizers of a ceremony for World War II veterans at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl describe the conduct of a production crew from the hit television series Hawaii Five-O. Hawaii News Now. Former Gov. Ben Cayetano and others who have joined in a lawsuit against the city’s rail transit project will be allowed to continue their court challenge, a federal judge ruled Monday. Star-Advertiser. Seven plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit against the City & County of Honolulu and the Federal Transit Administration over the city’s planned $5.3 billion rail project, received some good news today. Hawaii Reporter. Comment: What will rail and HOT lanes do for Honolulu? Hawaii Independent. A Hawaii couple on Monday received the first all-electric car delivered by Mitsubishi Motors to a retail customer in the Uniterd States. Associated Press. The company that operated Hawaii’s largest puppy mill pleaded no contest Monday to 153 counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty in Kaneohe District Court and faces sentencing in February. Star-Advertiser. Occupancy in Waikiki hotels in October helped Oahu set a revenue record, according to data released Monday by a tourism industry consultant company. Associated Press. The Department of Land and Natural Resources announced the opening of the Waikiki-Diamond Head Shoreline Fisheries Management Area O‘ahu to fishing for one year beginning January 1. KHON2. Hawaii Native Hawaiian beneficiaries who have lost hope of attaining homestead land after decades of waiting might soon get a chance through a new project. Star-Advertiser. The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands wants to award leases to beneficiaries who have been on the waiting list the longest. Tribune-Herald. The county Redistricting Commission has scheduled a special meeting Friday to review its County Council map after a West Hawaii Today article revealed that a last-minute change to the map benefited two County Council members by moving them into different districts. West Hawaii Today. Hawaii County’s Redistricting Commission will hold a special meeting Friday in Hilo to address alleged gerrymandering, its chairwoman said Monday. Tribune-Herald. A 30-year veteran of the Hawaii Police Department this week will be taking over the helm of Kona patrol operations. West Hawaii Today. Maui The Maui County Charter Commission will gather public comments on 21 proposed charter amendments at a series of meetings starting this week. Maui News. Maui led the state with the highest average daily hotel room rate in October, nearly $210, an 8.1 percent jump over the same month last year, according to the monthly report from Hospitality Advisors Inc. Maui News. An agreement reached Thursday between Hale Makua Health Services and United Public Workers-represented employees will help the agency keep its Wailuku facility open – at least for now. Maui News. Kauai A real-life variation of The Descendants movie is being staged in state Probate Court, where heirs to the Damon Estate, one of Hawaii’s wealthiest family trusts, continue to squabble over nearly $1 billion in land and other assets. Hawaii Reporter. County officials recently announced changes in two of the county’s real property tax relief programs — the circuit breaker and home exemption programs — are now in effect. Garden Island.
Continue reading...23. November 2011
Hilo homelessness (c) 2011 All Hawaii News Homeless service providers say they haven’t seen much of a drop, if any, in the number of people coming to them. Civil Beat. The Abercrombie administration intends to tighten eligibility and reduce benefits for adults in QUEST, eliminating an estimated 3,000 people from the state’s health plan for the poor, but has walked back limits on hospital stays that would have been the most restrictive in the nation. Star-Advertiser. Swag of Our Governors. Civil Beat. Awaiaulu, Inc., a local non-profit organization, is seeking 3,000 volunteers from around the world to participate in a unique nation-building initiative that aims to make 60,000 pages of Hawaiian-language newspapers accessible via the Internet. Hawaii Reporter. The Hawaii Supreme Court Tuesday denied a request by retired car dealer James Pflueger to review a state appeals court ruling that upheld manslaughter charges against him in the deaths of seven people killed after the 2006 Ka Loko Dam breach. Star-Advertiser . The state Public Utilities Commission has approved Hawaiian Electric Co.’s Feed in Tariff Tier 3. Pacific Business News. Oahu The Pacific Beach Hotel, its owners, and its management, face penalties after a federal contempt of court citation for failure to rehire fired union organizers with back pay. Hawaii News Now. The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) wants to inform drivers that archaeological survey work continues in the urban Honolulu area for the rail transit project. Hawaii Independent. Hawaii Kai residents will see their sewer bills go up 14 percent under a rate increase approved Monday by the Public Utilities Commission. Star-Advertiser. The Outdoor Circle is taking a new, hard-line stance against the city’s planned elevated rail transit system, calling the rail project the biggest threat to Oahu’s landscape in the group’s 100-year history. Star-Advertiser. For the past two years, the city has been trying to get an exploding feral pig problem under control at Hoomaluhia Botanical Park in Kaneohe. KITV4. Business owners will meet tomorrow to discuss a possible lawsuit over losses during the APEC summit. KHON4 . Hawaii The first group of low-income residents will move in to the Kaloko Housing units as early as Dec. 1, HOPE Services Hawaii CEO Brandee Menino said Tuesday. West Hawaii Today . As the Hawaii County Council plans its 10th meeting on a new county building code, Council Chairman Dominic Yagong is asking architects, contractors, owner-builders, trade unions and anyone else with an interest to submit amendments to make construction safe and more affordable. West Hawaii Today. Police say they’ll conduct islandwide DUI checkpoints over the Thanksgiving weekend as part of the national campaign “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.” Tribune-Herald. Maui Hawaii and Japan on Tuesday agreed to build a smart grid on Maui to demonstrate how solar, wind and other renewable energy sources can be integrated into an electrical grid. Associated Press. Governor Neil Abercrombie announced a project that will invest $37-million-dollars in smart grid technologies on Maui. The entire project is being funded by Japan. Hawaii Public Radio. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources Board approved “pretty much the final piece of the puzzle” for the expansion of the Kaheawa wind farm, said First Wind spokesman Kekoa Kaluhiwa. Maui News . Kauai Makeover and renovations for the former Lihu‘e Courthouse will follow historic guidelines because the building is listed on the Hawai‘i Register and the National Register of Historic Places since 1981. Garden Island.
Continue reading...15. November 2011
UPI pool photo Politicking in his boyhood home, President Barack Obama told supporters Monday that everything they worked for and that the country stands for is on the line in his 2012 re-election bid, warning of a bleak America should a Republican win. Associated Press. Early indications are the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference might not have drawn 20,000 visitors nor added $165 million to the economy as forecast, but it likely gave Hawaii something of more value: a new image. Star-Advertiser. President Barack Obama announced on Monday at a campaign fundraiser on Oahu’s Leeward Coast that his wife Michelle and daughters Malia, 13, and Sasha, 9, will be returning “shortly” to Hawaii during the Christmas and New Years holiday – and he hopes to join them as well. Hawaii Reporter. After spending three days in Hawaii, President Barack Obama is expected to depart the islands at about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. Hawaii News Now. Coming back to Hawaii was more than just a stop for high-level diplomacy for President Barack Obama. Star-Advertiser. First lady Michelle Obama spent her last day in Hawaii Monday promoting a nationwide effort to help veterans and military spouses find jobs in a speech at a job fair at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Pacific Business News. First Lady Michelle Obama met veterans and military families today at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Hawaii Public Radio. A state judge ruled Monday that Gov. Neil Abercrombie must disclose the names on Judicial Selection Commission candidate lists used to make appointments. Star-Advertiser. It was nearly a year ago that Gov. Neil Abercrombie appointed Sabrina McKenna to the Hawaii Supreme Court without revealing the other finalists for the job. Civil Beat. The achievement gap between Hawaii’s public school special education students and their peers is wider than the national average, partially because they are isolated more than they should be, an evaluation agency reported this week. Civil Beat. A new report that raises questions about the transparency of special-education funding and argues there are “strong disincentives” for moving disabled students into general-education classrooms will be used as a guidebook for making big changes through the coming year as to how special-education services are administered, state officials said. Star-Advertiser. Oahu APEC helps local business land big deal. KHON2. The Ka Pua project, initially proposed for Makaha Valley, is now being considered for Maili on land owned by the Department of Hawaiian Homelands. KITV4. Hawaii Medical Center said it has found a new lender and potential buyer, averting the possibility that the bankrupt operator of hospitals in Liliha and Ewa, formerly known as St. Francis, will have to shut down. Star-Advertiser . Hawaii Roughly 18 months after Hawaii County failed to attract a single purchase offer for its Paauilo properties, its attempt to lease the 718 acres of former sugar cane land has generated more than 40 requests. Tribune-Herald. Banyan’s Beach in North Kona has surfed to the top of the priority list for county acquisition next year. West Hawaii Today. Maui The site of a massive proposed wind farm in West Lanai where hundreds of archaeological and cultural sites have been identified has been named one of the state’s “most endangered historic places” for 2011 by the Historic Hawaii Foundation. Maui News . Purchasing and rehabilitating foreclosed homes, developing “clean and sober” rental units and renovating affordable apartments in Wailuku are among the projects proposed for the county’s Affordable Housing Fund this year. Maui News. Kauai The type of treatment an addict pursues often reflects the willingness to overcome the addiction with support, experts say. Garden Island.
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25. January 2012
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