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Hawaii Vacation Deals & News: May 9, 2012
Hop on this hammock to read today’s Hawaii vacation deals and news. – From my inbox, go! Airlines announced an inter-island flight sale with fares as low as $69 one-way to Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Kona and Hilo. The sale applies for travel through August 31, 2012. For this sale, you must book by midnight tonight. – Island Air has extended their sale of inter-island fares ($69 one-way) for travel dates through July 12. You must book by May 11, 2012. – The 20th World Fireknife Championship kicks off today at the Polynesian Cultural Center. You can peek in on the competition via livestream video . – A new Big Island accommodation, Lava Lava Beach Club , is about to open in the Waikoloa Beach Resort. I love the sounds of these cottages on the beach. From the press release: “Each of the four contemporary Hawaiian cottages were designed, constructed and decorated to reflect a toes-in-the-sand beach chic lifestyle. With 576 square feet of beachfront real estate found under roof, each cottage includes a private covered lanai, outdoor natural lava rock shower enclosure, a king size bed outfitted with luxurious linens, a punee (Hawaiian for day-bed) in the living room area and a kitchenette.” Rates start at $495 per night. – Costco members can get a heck of a deal at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort with five nights starting at $1,550. The package includes partial oceanview room, rental car, daily breakfast for two, 2-for-1 luau, car and room taxes plus a $100 resort credit. That works out to be $310 with room, car and breakfast combined. See more about this deal . – The Container Store has travel gear on sale . I’m going to go to stock up on Nalgene leakproof containers . They’re fantastic for travel. © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .
Continue reading...Hawaii beaches eroding, teachers to vote on strike, exploratory drilling to be allowed without environmental assessment, Maui mulls property tax hikes…
8. May 2012
Hanauma Bay (c) 2012 All Hawaii News Federal officials say most beaches on Hawaii’s most visited islands are disappearing. Associated Press. A new study that quantifies how quickly Hawaii’s beaches are being lost to erosion is arming researchers with information they hope will be used to protect the state’s shorelines. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii Republicans will be electing new national committee representatives at their state convention this weekend. Associated Press. A bill passed by the Legislature, which still requires final approval from Gov. Neil Abercrombie, calls for $500,000 for the elections office to design an online voter registration system. Civil Beat. When teachers take a second vote this month on a proposed contract they overwhelmingly rejected in January, they will also be asked whether to authorize a strike. Star-Advertiser. The Hawaii State Teachers Association launched a series of meetings on Monday about the contract offer its members previously rejected. Hawaii News Now. The Hawaii State Teachers Association held a meeting with its members tonight to discuss the benefits of a contract offer. KHON2. Wil Okabe has edged out Paul Daugherty in the race to be president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, unofficial election results show. Civil Beat. The state Environmental Council is set to vote on exemptions that would allow drilling of exploratory geothermal wells up to a mile deep without an environmental assessment. West Hawaii Today. Big Isle coffee growers are asking Gov. Neil Abercrombie to veto a bill that aims to do away with the state’s mandatory certifications of their coffee. Tribune-Herald. Ben Cayetano’s recent criticism of longtime Sen. Dan Inouye — that he’s out of touch with his constituents and doesn’t listen to them — is still reverberating. Civil Beat. Hawaii will receive $1.2 million of a $100 million civil settlement with 44 other states and the District of Columbia over allegations that global health care company Abbott Laboratories, Inc. marketed a prescription drug for uses not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the state Office of Consumer Protection said Monday. Star-Advertiser. The sale of KHON-TV and 12 mainland sister-stations to publicly traded LIN Television Corp. by New Vision Television is part of a deal that includes a $330.4 million purchase price and assumption of about $12 million in debt. Star-Advertiser. State roundup for May 8. Associated Press. Oahu FACT CHECK — Caldwell: Carlisle Raised Property Tax Rates — mostly true. Civil Beat. A driving instructor who arranged for illegal immigrants to get Hawaii driver’s licenses without taking the written and road tests is going to jail for three months. Star-Advertiser. Resubmerging a plastic sewage pipe that has floated to the surface of the Ala Wai Canal could take up to three weeks, but city officials reiterated Monday that the pipe is not leaking and poses no health risks. Star-Advertiser. Honolulu City Councilman Tom Berg has introduced a bill that would allow the city’s Department of Transportation Services to regulate roadside memorials through a permitting system. KITV4. Vandals desecrate Makaha Valley heiau. KHON2. It wasn’t much, but a 2.6 percent rise in April extended median price increases on sales of previously owned Oahu single-family homes to six straight months. Star-Advertiser. The Honolulu City Council is considering a bill to raise Summer Fun registration fees next year. Hawaii Public Radio. Camp for military kids loses funds. Star-Advertiser. Honolulu’s mayor and a traditional Hawaiian blessing welcomed visitors to the newly renovated downtown satellite city hall. KITV4. Hawaii some Big Island physicians, who have scrambled over the last couple years to secure supplies, say they have yet to receive any relief. Tribune-Herald. Sales of condominiums on the Big Island jumped 78 percent last month, and prices rose by 14 percent, while sales and prices of single-family homes there both showed small decreases, according to statistics from Hawaii Information Service. Pacific Business News. A West Hawaii contractor and a tile subcontractor must pay several hundred thousand dollars each to a South Kohala condominium association for defective construction. West Hawaii Today. Astronomers using a Hawaii Island telescope reported the discovery of one of the most distant protocluster of galaxies yet found. West Hawaii Today. Maui The Maui County Council’s Budget and Finance Committee is proposing property tax hikes to cover the county’s unfunded pension and health fund obligations and is expected to vote today on whether to advance the council’s budget to the full council. Maui News. A majority of Maui County council members gave their staff thousands of dollars in bonuses last year while hundreds of Maui County employees endured five-percent pay reductions. Hawaii News Now. Construction of the Maui Lani Center has been ongoing for months, with workers driving heavy earth-moving machines behind a black dust fence to ready the ground for construction of Safeway and other stores. Maui News. Kauai The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative is concerned that its messages aren’t getting through to its members. Pacific Business News. The road to Maha‘ulepu will be closed from Wednesday through Saturday as Grove Farm Co. crews perform road maintenance with the cooperation of Jas W. Glover and Wa‘alani Enterprises. Garden Island. Kaua‘i Community College will celebrate its spring commencement exercises Friday at KCC Performing Arts Center, marking the end of another school year at the Puhi campus. Garden Island. Molokai The state Department of Health announced Monday that it has fined Molokai’s Kanemitsu Bakery $90,000 for selling baked goods and other food products under unsanitary conditions. Star-Advertiser.
Continue reading...St. Regis Princeville Resort, Kauai
7. May 2012
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Continue reading...Hawaii Historic Preservation in danger of federal decertification, rail transit campaign gets nasty, Maalaea Small Boat Harbor expansion halted,…
7. May 2012
Kawa bay historic hale (c) 2012 All Hawaii News Despite improvements in some areas, the state agency that protects Hawaii’s historic and cultural sites still is plagued by major shortcomings and continues to face the possibility of decertification and loss of federal funding, according to a recent assessment by the federal government. Star-Advertiser. Who’s Giving Big Bucks to Our Senate Candidates? A snapshot of contributions to Linda Lingle, Mazie Hirono and Ed Case. Civil Beat. Sen. Daniel Inouye took a quick trip to Alaska last week to help Alaska Sen. Mark Begich raise some money for his re-election campaign. Civil Beat. Hawaiian Airlines is flying 13 percent more passenger miles than last year, after expanding capacity by the same amount. Hawaii News Now. A new documentary explores the causes of obesity, and some of Hawai`i’s top experts will discuss both causes and challenges. Hawaii Public Radio. State roundup for May 7. Associated Press. Oahu A temporary black sewer pipe surfaced Saturday in the Ala Wai Canal, but the pipe is not leaking or posing a health risk, the city’s Environmental Services Department said in a release. Star-Advertiser. According to the Environmental Services Department, an air bubble lifted a section of the 5,000-foot long pipe, exposing 100 feet on the surface of the canal near the Hawaii Convention Center Saturday afternoon. Hawaii News Now. The archery range at Kapiolani Park will remain closed for at least another month until the city Parks Department can conduct a public hearing to determine whether it should be closed permanently. Star-Advertiser. A proposal to stop nearly all commercial activity at Kailua Beach Park has Windward Oahu deeply divided. Star-Advertiser. Honolulu ethics officials say in the past three years, they’ve investigated more than 240 allegations of ethical misconduct by city employees. That’s more than one complaint a week. Civil Beat. The PR campaign being waged by rail supporters and opponents of Honolulu’s $5.17 billion project has gone into a kind of ‘If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all’ mode. Pacific Business News. Idaho-based Mountain West Research group has been calling Oahu residents in recent weeks from a 213 area code, spreading nasty rumors about Honolulu mayoral candidate Ben Cayetano and Council Member Tom Berg. Both Cayetano and Berg oppose the city’s $5.3 billion elevated steel on steel rail project. Hawaii Reporter. Deputy attorney general Kevin Takata announced his decision to run for Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney. Takata is a career prosecutor and has dedicated his life serving the public and prosecuting crimes. Hawaii Reporter. Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and the whole Disney gang pulled into port in Honolulu Sunday as part of the Disney Wonder’s inaugural voyage to the Hawaiian Islands. KHON2. The Royal Hawaiian Band will receive the 2012 Industry Award from the Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii For several Big Island lawmakers, Hawaii’s $11.2 billion budget could be boiled down to one word: jobs. Tribune-Herald. The Office of Planning’s Coastal Zone Management Program is conducting two listening sessions this month on the Big Island to accept comments on the Hawaii Ocean Resources Management Plan, currently being updated. West Hawaii Today. The Ka‘u District Gym and Shelter recently moved a step closer to fruition with the release of a final environmental assessment finding the project will likely have no significant impact. West Hawaii Today. Maui Federal and state agencies are ending a decadeslong project that would have expanded Maalaea Small Boat Harbor, citing costs as well as opposition from community groups that maintained that the proposals would fail to protect the harbor from surges while destroying acres of coral and affecting the “Freight Train” surf break. Maui News. The Department of Land and Natural Resources has withdrawn plans to extend the breakwater in Ma’alaea Harbor, citing costs and community and enviromental
Continue reading...Hawaii Escorted Tour – 10 Days
4. May 2012
Call 1.800.330.8820 or click here to have a Hawaii Travel Specialist contact you about booking this Hawaiian Islands Adventure that will take you to Pearl Harbor, Waikiki Beach, Waimea Canyon, Kauai Coffee Company, Iao Valley Monument and a Polynesian Luau! Mention promo code CTWS
Continue reading...No ‘Hawaii Aloha’ in Legislature’s Sine Die, panel paves way for geothermal exploration without environmental assessments, governor rebuffs teacher…
4. May 2012
Hawaii Legislature (c) 2012 All Hawaii News The state House and Senate gave final approval Thursday to an $11.2 billion budget and a $3.2 billion outlay for capital improvement projects, taking measured steps to restore money cut from programs during the recession while investing in construction intended to prod economic recovery. Star-Advertiser. As Hawaii lawmakers closed out the 2012 legislative session, some remarked that it was the first time in years they hadn’t had to contend with a budget deficit in excess of $1 billion. Associated Press. State Budget Voted On Last Day of Legislative Session. Hawaii Public Radio. Bow tie sine die in the Hawaii House, courtesy photo It wasn’t all that long ago that the state Senate would join the state House of Representatives on the floor of the House to sing “Hawaii Aloha.” Civil Beat. If last year’s theme was “righting the canoe,” this year’s theme is all about investing in the economy and the future. With Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s symbolic canoe no longer in jeopardy of capsizing, he’s eased up on his mantra that we all need to paddle. Civil Beat. A proposal to connect Oahu and the neighbor island power grids with an undersea cable has cleared a legislative hurdle. Associated Press. A bill to create the regulatory framework for transmitting electricity between Hawaii’s islands via an undersea cable won approval from the State Legislature on Thursday and now heads to Gov. Neil Abercrombie, who is expected to sign Senate Bill 2785 into law. Pacific Business News. Despite a torrent of complaints from neighbor island and other environmentalists, the Hawaii Senate passed the controversial undersea cable bill. Civil Beat. http://hawaii.news.blogs.civilbeat.com/post/22348956720/interisland-undersea-cable-bill-headed-to-govs-desk Legislation Establishes Regulatory Framework for Developing, Financing, and Constructing Underwater Electric Transmission Cable. Hawaii Reporter. Legislators have voted to make fundamental changes to the state’s judicial system. They passed a law that streamlines prison and parole requirements and could ultimately help reduce the number of Hawaii inmates in mainland corrections centers. Hawaii News Now. On Thursday, a subcommittee of the state Environmental Council heard from potential geothermal developers about why the State Land Department should be allowed to waive certain environmental regulations. If approved by the full 15-member Environmental Council May 17, the exemptions would allow the State Land Department to drop costly environmental assessments from geothermal exploration projects. KITV4. Bills to overhaul Hawaii’s early-learning system and charter school network easily gained passage at the Legislature on Thursday, with state lawmakers saying the proposed education improvements are long overdue. Star-Advertiser. The teachers union was moving forward Thursday with plans to hold a new vote on a proposed contract that teachers soundly rejected in January, despite the governor’s contention that the proposal has “no legal standing.” Star-Advertiser. The Hawaii State Teachers Association’s sudden decision Wednesday to put a rejected contract up for a re-vote by its members caught many off guard. Civil Beat. Hawaii voters support the rights of doctors to help terminally ill patients end their lives by better than a 2-to-1 margin, according to The Civil Beat Poll. Civil Beat. Kealoha in 2007, courtesy photo Gov. Neil Abercrombie is naming the slam poet known as Kealoha to be Hawaii’s first poet laureate. Associated Press. The Navy hospital ship Mercy, whose huge white hull is emblazoned with large red crosses, is on its way to Hawaii as it embarks on a 4 1⁄2-month humanitarian and civic assistance mission to Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia, officials said. Star-Advertiser. Capitalizing on strong demand for service to Las Vegas, Hawaiian Airlines said it is adding two more weekly flights to its Honolulu-Las Vegas service. KITV4. The statewide average price of gasoline dropped by about 4 cents from last week, the first significant price drop since December, according to the AAA Hawaii Weekend Gas Watch issued Thursday. Star-Advertiser. Former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann opened his Oahu campaign headquarters Thursday night. KHON2. Sen. Daniel Inouye (c) 2012 All Hawaii News Oahu The race for Honolulu mayor has drawn U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye into a verbal confrontation with former Gov. Ben Cayetano, who said the senator is “out of touch” on the issue of the city’s planned $5.27 billion rail transit project. Star-Advertiser. Hundreds of Kuhio Park Terrace and Kuhio Homes tenants will receive rent rebate checks from a class-action settlement reached with the Hawaii Public Housing Authority. Star-Advertiser. First Wind has filed a $15 million building permit for work on part of its 70-megawatt Kawailoa Wind Farm on Oahu’s North Shore. Pacific Business News. Honolulu’s director of environmental services estimates it will take seven years and at least $110 million to develop a new landfill on Oahu. Associated Press. Hawaii The island’s two planning commissions are making it easier for farms to lure and accommodate tourists. West Hawaii Today. The Windward Planning Commission is giving a community center in Kalapana Seaview Estates another chance to obey the law. Tribune-Herald. Hawaii Community College at Palamanui moved a step forward with the appropriation of state general obligation bonds that will help fund not one, but two phases of the long-awaited West Hawaii educational institution. West Hawaii Today. Doctors say they come to Hawaii Island for the quality of life, but money concerns show up in the top two tiers of priorities, according to a recently published survey of island clinicians. West Hawaii Today. Hawaii Sen. Malama Solomon Big Island state Sen. Malama Solomon will hold a series of community forums this month to talk about this year’s legislative session. Tribune-Herald. Maui Maui County is taking ownership of one of the last undeveloped shoreline parcels of a once famous and vast network of wetlands and fishponds between the mouths of Waiehu and Iao Streams. Associated Press. Some popular and environmentally sensitive areas of the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve could remain closed to the public for another year while the state continues work on a draft management plan for the South Maui reserve. Maui News. So far, 32 nene from Kauai have made their home on Maui after state workers last year started to remove at least several hundred of the geese near Kauai’s Lihue Airport to ensure that the birds don’t become flying hazards for aircraft. Maui News. Kauai After a North Shore resident disclosed earlier this week that recent test results pointed to high levels of metal pollution in Hanalei River and Hanalei Bay, state officials quickly dismissed the findings, saying they are unfounded and have created unnecessary fear and concern in the community. Garden Island.
Continue reading...New contract vote set for Hawaii teachers union, Honolulu mayoral candidates hold first debate, space tourism bills, $11.2B state budget up for vote…
3. May 2012
Hawaii schoolchildren at play (c) 2012 All Hawaii News Hawaii teachers will vote again on the contract settlement offer they overwhelmingly rejected in January, union leaders announced Wednesday night. Civil Beat. The teachers union announced Wednesday it will take another vote on a proposed contract overwhelmingly rejected in January, a decision a union leader said is “driven by the urgency to preserve” the state’s $75 million Race to the Top grant. Star-Advertiser. The Hawaii’s public school teachers union will be holding a number of “informational meetings” statewide for HSTA members in May. Hawaii News Now. The Hawaii Legislature will vote on the $11.2 billion state budget Thursday, the final day of the legislative session. KHON2. The state Office of Information Practices hopes a bill that would grant government agencies a new right to appeal open records decisions in court would give its orders more legal clout, yet open government advocates warn that it would delay public access to information. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii lawmakers are expected to pass two bills on Thursday that would bring the state closer to space tourism and even developing the moon. Hawaii News Now. Voters across Hawaii support the construction of underwater cables between some of the islands to transmit electricity from wind, geothermal or solar, according to The Civil Beat Poll. Civil Beat. A strong majority of Hawaii voters want the government to preserve more land and develop less of it. Civil Beat. Hawaii may once again look to its four-legged friends to help prevent the introduction of invasive species. Tribune-Herald. Hawaii’s four county mayors reminded residents Wednesday to always be prepared for natural disasters because they can strike unexpectedly any time of the year. Star-Advertiser. The film commissions of all four Hawai’i counties, the Hawai’i Film Office, and the Creative Industries Division of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism were recently honored with a collaborative award from the American Marketing Association. Hawaii Reporter. Ten million dollars is headed to the islands to improve community health care. The grants are part of the federal Affordable Care Act and the money will be used to reach more patients. Hawaii Public Radio. Hawaii gained a little ground this year in Chief Executive magazine’s annual survey of the best and worst states in which to do business. Pacific Business News. Oahu The three candidates vying for Honolulu mayor engaged in the first debate of the campaign season Wednesday night, touching on a variety of subjects but ultimately trying to score points against one another on the singularly contentious issue of rail transit. Star-Advertiser. In their first time on a stage together as mayoral candidates, Kirk Caldwell, Peter Carlisle and Ben Cayetano quickly established their roles. Civil Beat. Honolulu’s three mayoral candidates met Wednesday evening in their first debate of the election season, with the city’s $5.3 billion rapid transit project most of their attention. Hawaii Reporter. In their first Mayoral debate, Ben Cayetano, Peter Carlisle and Kirk Caldwell wasted no time getting to Oahu’s most talked about issue – rail. KHON2. FACT CHECK — Caldwell: Carlisle Raised Property Tax Rates. Civil Beat. The governor’s wife voiced her opposition, but the state Wednesday gave developers of a planned $380 million luxury condominium tower in Kakaako an exemption from a rule intended to preserve mauka-makai views. Star-Advertiser. Leeward Coast residents hoping to rid themselves of Waimanalo Gulch Landfill will have to wait awhile. KITV4. Sen. Daniel Akaka The University of Hawaii will award honorary degrees to Sen. Daniel Akaka and Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami at commencement ceremonies next week. Associated Press. The University of Hawaii at Manoa has confirmed a possible computer security threat that was found on campus. KITV4. Hawaii The state Public Utilities Commission has taken the first step toward approving a second geothermal plant on the Big Island. Tribune-Herald. Two groups opposed to floating fish farms are considering an appeal of a ruling by U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway that a federal agency was within its authority to grant an ocean aquaculture permit to a private research venture. Star-Advertiser. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has fined three Big Island businesses. Tribune-Herald. A push to make corporation counsel an elected position took another step forward Wednesday, as County Council members made several amendments to the proposal and scheduled a public hearing. West Hawaii Today. Kona International Airport will get some much-needed TLC with $10.4 million slated by the state Legislature to re-roof the open-airport’s main terminal early next year. West Hawaii Today. A popular performing arts center in Kalapana Seaview Estates is facing a possible shutdown today by the Windward Planning Commission. Tribune-Herald. Maui Maui County has purchased 64 acres of undeveloped property fronting Kaehu Bay, preserving the wetland and fishponds in a $996,000 deal brokered with the Trust for Public Land and other groups. Maui News. The County of Maui completed the $996,000 purchase of 64 acres of undeveloped coastal wetlands at Ka‘ehu Bay in Paukukalo. Maui Now. A community meeting to provide public input on the development of the 2012-2017 State Historic Preservation Plan will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Maui High School. Maui News. Hawaiian Airlines has added three new boarding gates to its Kahului Airport operations, with all flights using gates 11 to 21 in the center of the terminal. Maui News. Kauai State workers have removed 300 nene geese from the area around Kauai’s airport in the last few months to reduce the risk they will get in the way of airplanes taking off and landing. Associated Press. The North Shore Path, a project to connect North Shore communities through a path similar to Kapa‘a’s Ke Ala Hele Makalae path, is gaining momentum. Garden Island. Molokai An old guy from Molokai is flying to Oahu and helping to lead a charge for labeling. Molokai Dispatch.
Continue reading...Interisland cable bill revived, Board of Education tries to stem $16M bus shortfall, cybercrime bills pass, newspaper circulation rises, Medicaid…
2. May 2012
Interisland cable, courtesy photo The state Senate on Tuesday revived a bill that would create a regulatory framework for an interisland electric transmission cable, a priority for Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s energy agenda. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii voters across the board oppose same-sex marriage, legalizing marijuana and rail. But those who vote regularly feel differently from those who don’t, according to The Civil Beat Poll. Civil Beat. The State Senate passed more than one hundred bills on the chamber floor today leaving more than 60 fiscal-related bills left to vote on Thursday, the last day of the session. Hawaii Public Radio. Hawaii lawmakers have approved a trio of bills aimed at preventing cybercrimes. Associated Press . Hawaii lawmakers have heard the exasperation of local hospital administrators eager for a change in how they’re paid for providing health-care services to Medicaid patients. Pacific Business News. The state House and Senate unanimously passed a bill Tuesday that would require business owners who lease land from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources to propose making “substantial improvements” to their facilities before being granted a new lease. Tribune-Herald. A complete overhaul of the state’s charter school system is poised for passage Thursday at the state Legislature, along with $500,000 to help smooth the transition. Star-Advertiser. An estimated 17 leadership and other positions at adult community schools will be eliminated when state funding for the campuses is halved next school year, but education officials pledged the range of adult education services offered by the state will remain the same. Star-Advertiser. The Hawaii Department of Education and its governing board are laying out an array of bandages to dress the wounds they anticipate after making severe cuts to student transportation services. Civil Beat. Over the next two weeks, the state Department of Education will search for ways to tackle a $16 million shortfall for student transportation without making big cuts to service. Star-Advertiser. A Board of Education committee was briefed Tuesday about various options to address a $16 million shortfall for student bus service for the upcoming 2012-2013 school year. KITV4. A day after news broke of one more Department of Education employee charged with stealing thousands of dollars from another public school, the DOE said it’s cracking down to prevent employees from stealing. Hawaii News Now. Hawaii’s open records agency is celebrating the fact that it has won government agencies a new right to appeal decisions compelling the release of public records. Civil Beat. State lawmakers announced that House Bill 1875 HD2 SD2 CD1, which amends the mortgage foreclosure law to provide additional protections for Hawaii’s homeowners, passed its final floor vote Tuesday before the full House and Senate. Associated Press. Transporting wild or feral deer between islands is a pen stroke away from being banned. Tribune-Herald. State senators will present the Hawaii Foodbank a check for $9,400 on Wednesday. Hawaii News Now. Oahu The City Council is considering rules governing First Amendment activities at parks more than 10 years after protesters filed a lawsuit because there was no process to determine where and how they could demonstrate against the 2001 Asian Development Bank conference. Star-Advertiser. A member of the Occupy Honolulu movement was arrested during a Lei Day celebration. The arrest then sparked a protest in front of the Honolulu Police Department’s main station this afternoon. KHON2. The commanding officer and senior enlisted sailor on the Pearl Harbor-based submarine USS Columbia were relieved of duties Tuesday for “shortfalls in professional performance” leading to a loss of confidence in their ability to serve in positions of command authority, the Navy said. Star-Advertiser. May Day was a major protest day for Occupy Wall Street activists throughout the country. Occupy Honolulu was not about to be left out. Civil Beat. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s total average circulation for its weekday newspaper grew by 6 percent since last year, according to semiannual circulation data released in the Audit Bureau of Circulation on Tuesday. Pacific Business News. Federal agents and police raided two homes and at least five businesses last night and today in an investigation of an alleged illegal lottery operation that caters to Honolulu’s Southeast Asian population. Hawaii Reporter. Honolulu named one of the world’s best travel spots. KHON2. Hawaii Hawaii County property values decreased by 3.6 percent over the past fiscal year, a figure so close to Mayor Billy Kenoi’s earlier estimate that he said Tuesday there will be little, if any, changes when he submits his final budget later this week. West Hawaii Today. Construction could begin in the fall on an $18.5 million, 100-bed skilled-nursing facility in Hilo. Tribune-Herald. A pilot program to truck garbage from Hilo and Puna transfer station sites has ended, a county Department of Environmental Management official said, and County Council members would like to keep it that way. Tribune-Herald. A measure prohibiting trucking trash from Hilo and Puna to the West Hawaii landfill passed from council committee unanimously, with little fanfare and no public testimony. West Hawaii Today. Opposition to re-appropriating $4 million to the Waimea Trails and Greenways project headlined a Hawaii County Council public hearing Tuesday evening that drew just five people commenting on the proposed fiscal year 2012-13 operating and capital budget. West Hawaii Today. The state budget set to be be finalized Thursday contains $50.4 million in capital improvement projects for West Hawaii, two state representatives said Tuesday. West Hawaii Today. Kona coffee farmers are asking the governor to veto a bill that removes mandatory certification requirements for Hawaii-grown coffee. Associated Press. Maui The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is awarding $10.1 million in grants to community health centers on Maui and the Big Island. Associated Press. The Community Clinic of Maui is the recipient of a $4.5 million grant made possible through new legislation outlined in the Affordable Care Act. Maui Now. Not very many people would be excited to be going on a garbage patch expedition. Maui News. Drug court pioneer retires. Maui News. Lahaina, Maui made a list of top 25 places in the nation released today by TripAdvisor. Maui Now. Kauai It has been a year since Governor Neil Abercrombie issued an emergency declaration to relocate a growing flock of endangered waterbirds from the Kauai airport. KITV4. House Bill 2100 appropriates $5,000 for bee hive research each county in Hawai‘i, including Kaua‘i County, and an additional $10,000 for UH Hilo, College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management. Garden Island. The Kapa‘a and Waimea swimming pools will be closed Thursday afternoon to allow staff to attend an island-wide meeting. Garden Island.
Continue reading...Federal judge lets Hawaii Family Forum intervene in gay marriage case, Legislature focuses on spending bills, near-miss over Oahu investigated,…
1. May 2012
Honolulu gay rights rally (c) 2012 All Hawaii News A federal judge ruled Monday that the Hawaii Family Forum can intervene against a legal attack on Hawaii’s marriage laws. KITV4. With Gov. Neil Abercrombie opposing the request and his state Health Director Loretta Fuddy supporting it, a federal judge granted a motion Monday by the Hawaii Family Forum to intervene in a court case and defend Hawaii laws banning same-sex marriages. Star-Advertiser. A federal judge says the Christian organization Hawaii Family Forum may participate in a legal case addressing the issue of gay marriage. Associated Press. After a weekend of budget negotiations, House and Senate committee members agreed on Monday to focus spending on public health and safety, social services and education. Associated Press. In their last act under an extended deadline, state lawmakers agreed Monday to provide $11.6 million for social service programs, restoring some of the money that had been cut during the recession. Star-Advertiser. With the wrangling over the state budget complete, Hawaii is poised to infuse more than $3 billion worth of construction projects into the economy over the next year. Civil Beat. Hawaii lawmakers want to expand early learning opportunities statewide. KHON2. U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa Civil rights activist Mitchell Kahle and his friend Kevin Hughes filed a Circuit Court lawsuit Friday against former Senate President Colleen Hanabusa over Kahle’s ouster from the State Capitol after he objected to opening the Senate session with a prayer. Star-Advertiser. An overhaul of the state’s 1-year-old foreclosure law is expected to pass the Legislature today. Star-Advertiser. Senate lawmakers have shelved a controversial bill that would have banned health insurers from serving on the board of the state’s new health insurance exchange. Star-Advertiser. Seventeen million dollars. That’s the hole the Hawaii Department of Education has to fill in its school bus budget. On Tuesday the Board of Education is expected to hear an official recommendation from the department on how to cover the shortfall. Civil Beat. State roundup for May 1. Associated Press. Oahu A mistake by an air-traffic controller resulted in two jets being put on a collision course as they approached Honolulu International Airport in January. A Hawaii News Now investigation revealed the incident was never reported to higher ups at the Federal Aviation Administration, resulting in an FAA probe and the retirement of the longtime head of air traffic control in Hawaii. Hawaii News Now. Architecture and engineering students at the University of Hawaii at Manoa will have the chance to design and engineer homes at a state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands subdivision in Kapolei, under agreements signed Monday by UH President M.R.C. Greenwood and Hawaiian Homes Commission Chairman Alapaki Nahale-a. Star-Advertiser. Former Gov. Ben Cayetano Both former Gov. Benjamin Cayetano, a candidate for Honolulu mayor, and Honolulu City Council Member Tom Berg who is up for re-election, are reporting push polls are targeting their campaigns. Hawaii Reporter. A Honolulu City Council committee gave preliminary approval Monday to a bill that would make it easier for transit officials to tap up to $450 million via low-interest city loans, but not before several Council members demanded more details. Star-Advertiser. It’s actually more expensive to grow food locally than to import it from California, according to Honolulu mayoral candidate Kirk Caldwell. Civil Beat. TJ Maxx is getting an early start for the opening of its new Hawaii store on Thursday. Pacific Business News. A series of community meetings is scheduled for this week to discuss the rail project proposed for Honolulu. The meetings will be held in communities along the proposed route from Kapolei to Ala Moana Center. Hawaii Public Radio. Tucked away in a secure location in Pearl City, microbiologists at the Department of Health’s State Laboratory Facility monitor a wide variety of public health risks. Hawaii News Now. Hawaii There will be no raises, but no pay cuts, either, for top Hawaii County executives this year, following a unanimous vote Monday by the county Salary Commission. Salaries for County Council members will be dropping a little in December, however, under the plan. West Hawaii Today. Hilo International Airport should be slightly less noisy in 2015, according to a state Department of Transportation report. The agency’s draft Noise Exposure Map is projecting a small drop drop in air carrier and general aviation flights that year, when compared to 2010. Tribune-Herald. The anticipated opening date for the Ane Keohokalole Highway has been pushed back another month, from some time this month to mid-June. West Hawaii Today. Maui Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa doesn’t want his county to have more than a dozen hostess bars. Associated Press. Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa No additional hostess bars will be allowed in Maui County, as Mayor Alan Arakawa recently signed off on administrative rules to leave a hostess bar cap in place at 12 establishments. Maui News. Retailers located near the intersection of Lahaina’s Front and Prison streets are bracing for temporary road closures next month when Maui County begins work on sewage lines. Maui News. The combination of smart people and serious money made the day-long conference focused on the future of plug-in electric vehicles a memorable event. Maui News. Kauai Federal Emergency Management Agency officials arrived on Kaua‘i Monday to help island agencies apply for as much as $1.65 million in federal aid available in the wake of the violent storms in March. Garden Island. Justin Kollar After running unopposed in her first election in 2008, Kaua‘i County Prosecuting Attorney Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho will have at least one opponent in the 2012 race. Carvalho will face Deputy County Attorney Justin Kollar. Garden Island. A long awaited Hawaii Supreme Court ruling has affirmed Kuleana Rights, a Hawaiian law established 160 years ago that assures property owners with land located within a larger private property owned by someone else have the right to access their property. Hawaii Reporter.
Continue reading...Money problems threaten Pisces V, Hawaii Historic Preservation Division in trouble again, newspaper lobbies for legal ads, toxins polluting Hanalei…
30. April 2012
Pisces V launch, courtesy photo Mere weeks after filmmaker James Cameron plunged to the deepest reaches of the ocean and at the same time that China is testing a new submersible in undersea mining grounds 600 miles south of Hawaii, federal funding is in jeopardy for the only two U.S. deep-diving research submersibles in the Pacific. Star-Advertiser . The state agency charged with safeguarding Hawaii’s historic and archeological treasures is in such disarray that the federal government is threatening to revoke its certification and funding. Civil Beat. Nearly four dozen bills have received lifelines under an extended deadline at the state Legislature, including a bill that would provide money to preserve a safety net of health, human services and education programs. Star-Advertiser. In Lazarus-like fashion, the Hawaii Legislature on Sunday resurrected 47 measures that had failed to meet a Friday deadline. Civil Beat. A handshake just before 3 a.m. Saturday ended the state’s budget impasse. Associated Press. There is an agreement on the state’s $11.2 billion budget. But it took lawmakers negotiating into the early morning hours to hammer out the deal. KITV4. Lawmakers say they were happy negotiators were able to come to a compromise and say time is critical. KHON2. Hawaii lawmakers passed out a number of bills in advance of a 6 p.m. internal deadline on Friday, but the $11.2 billion budget bill wasn’t among them. Associated Press. Organizations offering services to Hawaii’s needy have had their budgets slashed by 19 percent since the financial crisis hit in 2008, and they’ve lost 16 percent of their staff, an advocacy group for the poor said Tuesday. Associated Press Administrators at the 18 public schools trying out a new teacher evaluation system need as much as three hours per teacher to conduct the comprehensive observation that is a central component of the process. Star-Advertiser. The state Legislature will vote this week on a bill that would overhaul Hawaii’s charter school management structure. Associated Press. The Honolulu Star Advertiser’s bid to keep monopoly control of non-judicial foreclosure newspaper ads has failed at the Legislature and a key state senator said she was “appalled” by the newspaper’s lobbying tactics. Hawaii Reporter. The details still may be unclear about how many Marines could be headed to Hawaii after a U.S. and Japanese agreement to transfer 9,000 of them out of Okinawa was reached this week, but contractors anticipate that it could mean more work here to house the additional troops. Pacific Business News. Hawaii Christian Coalition presents its annual Prayer at the Capitol May 3, Thursday 6:30-8:00pm State Capitol Auditorium. Hawaii Reporter. Na Maka O Ka ‘Aina is an independent video production company that has documented social and environmental struggles in Hawai’i since the 1980’s.
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9. May 2012
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