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Bright Hawaii outlook for tourism, jobs; Maui telescope hearing officer fired, Pearl Harbor cutting three ships, no tax cut for Kauai, Abercrombie…
Coconut climber (c) 2012 All Hawaii News Some 626,367 visitors came to Hawaii last month and spent $1.09 billion, or about $183 per person per day, according to preliminary statistics released Thursday by the Hawaii Tourism Authority. February was the seventh consecutive month of arrivals growth for Hawaii’s visitor industry and the 23rd month of spending rises. Star-Advertiser. Total expenditures by visitors who came to Hawai’i in February 2012 rose 8.5 percent, or by $85.7 million, to $1.099 billion, according to preliminary statistics released Thursday by the Hawaii Tourism Authority. KITV4. Hawaii’s unemployment rate fell in February for the fourth consecutive month to its lowest level in three years, the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations reported Thursday. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has fallen to the lowest level in three years. KHON2. A group trying to mount a novel third-party presidential campaign has gained a spot on the Hawaii general election ballot this fall. Associated Press. Fulfilling a long-standing obligation, the state House is expected to vote today for a $200 million settlement between the state and the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs over OHA’s share of revenue from former crown lands since 1978. Star-Advertiser. Lawmakers are looking for guidance from the Abercrombie administration on controversial environmental legislation, but top officials are giving very mixed signals. Civil Beat. Legislation aimed at streamlining Hawaii’s construction permitting process could have broad environmental and cultural consequences, some state officials worry. Associated Press. There are about a dozen bills advancing in the legislature that waive environmental requirements for state and public projects.
Continue reading...New prisons slated for Oahu, Maui and Hawaii Island, rental properties face new fees, state bank, charter schools up for votes today, pay raises for…
29. February 2012
Halawa Correctional Facility The state Department of Public Safety wants to bring back to Hawaii all of its inmates on the mainland by reducing the in-state prison population by about 1,100 and building about 900 new spaces for them on Oahu, Maui and Hawaii Island. Star-Advertiser. If all goes as planned, officials from the Hawaii Department of Public Safety predict that 1,000 local prisoners incarcerated in two Arizona prisons could be home by 2015. Civil Beat. The other shoe dropped today in the state’s plan to bring all Mainland prison inmates back to Hawaii by 2015: construction of new prison facilities on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island to hold some 900 inmates. Hawaii Reporter. Aging facilities and a lack of bed space require Hawaii to house almost 1,800 of its 6,000 inmates in Arizona prisons. Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s administration and the state Legislature want the prisoners returned to Hawaii. Associated Press Owners of vacation rental properties in Hawaii are rallying support to defeat several bills they say would add thousands of dollars a year to the cost of renting out their places. Civil Beat. About 1,250 state workers will have their pay restored by 5 percent as of this Thursday, March 1. KHON2. A bill to overhaul Hawaii’s charter school system is up for a vote today in the Senate Ways and Means Committee, after legislators were urged to make changes in view of turmoil on a few charter campuses. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii House Democrats are considering whether to form a state bank. Hawaii Reporter. A University of Hawaii scientist said he expects heavy debris from the 2011 Japanese tsunami to reach small atolls in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands within a few months and the main Hawaiian Islands in about a year. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii teachers in schools targeted by Race to the Top reforms approved an agreement for extended learning time, a key element of a $75 million grant that the U.S. Department of Education has said is at risk of being lost. Tribune-Herald. Teachers can now apply to transfer to or from 19 schools that will offer longer instructional days and more teacher training next school year. Star-Advertiser. A bill that would require a permit to harvest sandalwood and any other native tree species deemed by the Department of Land and Natural Resources to be “of concern,” cleared the Senate Ways and Means Committee Tuesday morning. West Hawaii Today. Industrial employment in Hawaii grew by a half-percent last year, according to a trade publisher’s report released Tuesday. Star-Advertiser. State roundup for Feb. 29. Associated Press. Oahu The fight over a master planned community in Ewa that would displace more than 1,000 acres of prime agricultural land pits two former Democratic governors against Gov. Neil Abercrombie. Civil Beat. More than 300 rail supporters chanted, “Go rail go!” outside a meeting discussing alternatives to Honolulu’s rail project. Most of them came from unions touting the jobs the project will create. Hawaii News Now. Honolulu mayoral candidate Kirk Caldwell The Hawaii Government Employees Association and the United Public Workers announced their endorsement Tuesday of Kirk Caldwell for mayor of the City and County of Honolulu. KITV4. As general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Daniel Grabauskas was in charge of the nation’s oldest and fifth-largest public transit system. Now, he’s poised to take the helm of one of the nation’s newest rail systems as CEO of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation. Civil Beat. Sunday marks the long anticipated debut of the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra. Hawaii Public Radio. A 400-foot residential tower is planned for the corner of Kapiolani and Ward Avenue. KITV4. Hawaii Mayor Billy Kenoi’s upcoming budget, to be unveiled Thursday, will reflect property value revenues at their lowest level since he took office in late 2008. West Hawaii Today. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Hawaii Volcanoes National Park attracted more than 1.3 million visitors who spent more than $88.2 million in 2010, according to a new National Park Service report. Pacific Business News . A newly released study commissioned by the National Park Service shows that visitors to the four national parks and historical sites on the Big Island spent an estimated $122 million in the parks and surrounding local communities in 2010. Tribune-Herald. Hawaii County is taking the plunge into electric and plug-in hybrid cars. Tribune-Herald. Maui After months of discussion and debate, the Maui County Council’s Planning Committee advanced a bill to regulate short-term rentals Monday, voting 6-1 to recommend passage by the full council. Maui News. A proposal to mandate a merger between the Maui County Fire Department and the county’s Division of Ocean Safety was tabled Monday by the Charter Commission. Maui News. New Flood Maps May Mean Higher Flood Insurance. Maui Now . Kauai The Senate Judiciary and Labor Committee passed a resolution Tuesday urging Grove Farm Co. to consider a “win-win solution” to sell Koloa Camp land to tenants facing eviction on Kauai. Star-Advertiser. Although smart meters were not on the agenda for the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative board of directors meeting Tuesday, it was a topic of much discussion. Garden Island. Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and Police Chief Darryl Perry met on Monday night, a spokeswoman for the county confirmed Tuesday, but she offered no details about the meeting. Garden Island. Kauai’s Department of Parks and Recreation began pumping the storm water Tuesday that accumulated in the Poipu Beach parking lot following last weekend’s heavy rain. KITV4.
Continue reading...Kaneohe Marines’ kiss spurs Facebook debate, beach water monitoring funding could end as tsunami debris nears, Hawaii taxes the most services,…
28. February 2012
U.S. Marines Hawaii homecoming, courtesy photo A spontaneous kiss between a Marine just returned from Afghanistan and his male partner in Hawaii has become famous since a photo of the embrace emerged on Facebook during the weekend, drawing thousands of overwhelmingly supportive comments in a relatively new post-don’t ask, don’t tell military. Star-Advertiser. A Kaneohe couple wasn’t planning on becoming famous or making splashy headlines, but the pair’s happy homecoming has done just that. Hawaii News Now. A Marines homecoming photo from a Hawaii base has gained worldwide attention — two men kissing, just months after “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” was repealed. KHON2. The state with the highest score for “well-being” is Hawaii, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, a poll that surveys the physical, mental and emotional health of Americans. KITV4. State Budget Solutions, a nonprofit advocating for fundamental reform of state budgets, released their study on the states that tax the highest number of services. Topping the list was Hawaii with 160 services taxed, followed by New Mexico and Washington that tied for second place with 158. Hawaii Reporter. The latest plan for state House and Senate districts tweaks some boundaries to keep communities intact but does not change district lines in seven areas where incumbent lawmakers would have to run against each other this year. Star-Advertiser. The Hawaii Reapportionment Commission appears to have listened to public comment at recent community hearings and tweaked political boundaries — again. Civil Beat. The reapportionment commission presented yet another version of voting district maps to the public today. KHON2. The success of movies like “The Descendants” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” and TV shows “Lost” and “Hawaii 5-0″ have state lawmakers looking at ways to draw more productions to Hawaii. Associated Press. Hawai’i tourism officials provided an update for lawmakers today on areas they are targeting for the state’s share of foreign visitors. Hawaii Public Radio. Tsunamis generated by the magnitude-9 earthquake in Japan last March dragged 3 million to 4 million tons of debris into the ocean after tearing up Japanese harbors and homes. Associated Press. Federal funding to help Hawaii monitor beach water quality could dry up if President Barack Obama gets his way. Civil Beat. Two years after the state Civil Defense Division began an in-depth analysis of its response to a Hawaii tsunami warning in 2010, the final report has not been completed. Hawaii News Now. An environmental group has petitioned the federal government to outline what fines or other penalties it will impose on companies that fish within three marine national monuments in the Pacific. Associated Press. By an 80 to 20 percent margin, teachers in schools in the federal Race To The Top program have approved a new contract that will make them work longer, but will pay them more. Hawaii News Now. The well-known head of the Hawaii Solar Energy Association has been ousted from his position as board member and president of the trade group. Civil Beat. The family of Honolulu City Council member Tulsi Gabbard has been especially involved in her race for the 2nd Congressional District. Civil Beat. Rick Daysog, reporter for the Sacramento Bee and former reporter for The Honolulu Advertiser and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, is coming back to Hawaii to work at the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s State Energy Office. Pacific Business News. State roundup for Feb. 28. Associated Press. Oahu A group of property owners wants the Honolulu City Council to rescind a new law that has removed horses as “livestock” qualifying for a property tax discount. Star-Advertiser. Daniel Grabauskas’ largest construction project as chief of Boston’s transit system was more than 30 percent over budget and a year late. Civil Beat. A North Shore produce farm intends to become the first “urban farm” tenant in a community that developer D.R. Horton hopes to build in Ewa on some of Oahu’s best farmland. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii The zip line at the Honolii Mountain Outpost course recently built for Hilo-based eco-tourism company KapohoKine Adventures — had experienced a similar collapse prior to the accident that claimed the life of 36-year-old worker Ted Callaway. Tribune-Herald. The first of 13 co-defendants of The Hawaii Cannabis Ministry pleaded guilty in federal court Monday and has agreed to cooperate with the government in the drug-trafficking case. Star-Advertiser. Mayor Billy Kenoi’s principal political opponent is sponsoring a bill limiting a mayor’s ability to use county equipment and personnel to distribute newsletters six months before a mayoral election. West Hawaii Today. A lack of funding from the state Department of Transportation has put a long-awaited cargo storage facility at the Hilo International Airport on ice. Tribune-Herald. The long-sought Hawaiian Ocean View Estates well has been delayed by pump problems. West Hawaii Today. Maui Attempt to prevent solar telescope suffers blow. Maui News. A proposal that seeks to place a 10 p.m. limit on music, entertainment and dancing at the Kihei Kalama Village complex is drawing heavy discussion. Maui Now. Wailuku attorney, Tony Takitani is among the nine-member Judicial Selection Commission that will be tasked with filling the US District Court seat being vacated by the retirement of Judge David Ezra in June. Maui Now. Kauai Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative had already begun installation of smart meters Friday, without any notification to residents of this small senior citizen condominium development on Jerves Street in Lihu‘e. Garden Island. Heavy weekend rains led to a brown water advisory for all of Kaua‘i Monday, and also forced workers to open the Kikiaola irrigation ditch to empty treated wastewater into Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor to prevent flooding. Garden Island. Molokai With water levels in the Kualapu`u Reservoir reaching concerning levels and little seasonal rain in sight, members of the Molokai Irrigation System, which serves the bulk of the island’s agricultural and homestead users, are starting to prepare for the worst. Molokai Dispatch.
Continue reading...Hirono, Cayetano top new poll, Speaker Say’s PAC rewards supporters, medical marijuana limits move forward, big profits but no rate increase for HECO,…
13. February 2012
Hawaii House Speaker Calvin Say (c) 2012 All Hawaii News A PAC run by House Speaker Calvin Say’s chief of staff gave $53,000 to House memebrs who supported him for speaker, according to its July 1 – Dec. 31 filing with the Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission. Civil Beat. U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono tops former U.S. Sen. Ed Case 56 percent to 36 percent in the Democratic race for U.S. Senate, and both have 20-point margins over former Gov. Linda Lingle, a Republican, in the November general election, according to most recent polling. Star-Advertiser. The Hawaii State Teachers Association has accepted Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s invitation to continue negotiating a new contract, but still does not plan to withdraw its labor complaint against the state. Civil Beat. Lawmakers are poised to advance the Abercrombie administration’s proposed ceded lands settlement with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Star-Advertiser. The state’s plan to fast-track $500 million in repair and maintenance money projects cleared a key hurdle Friday when it was approved by the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Hawaii Reporter. Hawaii Department of Education officials say they would have to end school bus service for 17,000 students if the Legislature doesn’t give them millions of dollars even beyond what the governor is seeking for school bus transportation next year. Civil Beat. A bill to tighten the state’s medical marijuana law has passed the second of three required floor votes in the state House of Representatives. Tribune-Herald. Hawaii is one of only two states – the other being Utah – that has no form of legalized gaming. If some lawmakers have their way, that will change, but anti-gambling forces in Hawaii are still strong. Hawaii Reporter. Hawaiian Electric Co. said Friday that it won’t seek a rate increase to make up for lost revenue from homeowners or businesses who have installed solar power systems in what it calls a “lost contribution to fixed costs.” Pacific Business News. Hawaii Electric Light Co. and its sister utilities together recorded a more than 30 percent bump in electric service income last year. Tribune-Herald. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded grants to five Hawaii farms to allow them to better market their goods and services. Hawaii News Now. The recession is being blamed for the state of Hawai‘i falling behind on processing an increase in applicants for food stamps, but there is also confusion over different compliance rates reported by state and federal agencies. Garden Island. A bill moving through the state Capitol seeks to regulate the use of all-terrain vehicles. KHON2. State roundup for Feb. 13. Associated Press Oahu If the primary for Honolulu mayor were held today, former Gov. Ben Cayetano would receive 44 percent of the vote, compared with 35 percent for incumbent Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle. Former city Managing Director and Acting Mayor Kirk Caldwell is at 16 percent, according to the poll conducted by Ward Research Inc. for the Star-Advertiser and Hawaii News Now. Star-Advertiser. Mayoral candidate Ben Cayetano last week raised the specter that Honolulu will go up to $7 billion in debt to pay for the city’s rail project. Civil Beat. Former Governor Ben Cayetano made his bid for office official Sunday by opening up his home base for his mayoral campaign. KITV4. Only 43% of those surveyed in a new poll think work should proceed on a $5.3 billion transit system and 53% want the project stopped. Hawaii News Now. An opponent of a construction project at Kawaiaha‘o Church is again asking a court to halt work and stop Honolulu’s oldest church from digging up human burials — the total of which has exceeded 230. Star-Advertiser. Honolulu firefighters spent much of Sunday battling a persistent fire at the University of Hawaii that destroyed payroll and other financial records for the entire 10-campus UH system. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii Hawaii County’s ability to alleviate traffic backups using camera monitoring systems was not used during Tuesday afternoon’s brush fire that closed one of Kailua-Kona’s main thoroughfares. West Hawaii Today. Some teachers and students at Big Island charter school plan a boycott. KHON2. Maui County officials say they are unable to account for how a longtime grant recipient is spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars. Maui News. Condominium owners at Sugar Cove have avoided fines for a beach nourishment project that state conservation officials said should have required a permit. Maui News. Maui’s state senatorial delegation applauded the passage today of The Invest in Hawai‘i Act of 2012 out of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Maui Now. Kauai Project Graduation leaders from each of Kaua‘i’s public high schools earned an ward of $500 each on Saturday from the Kaua‘i Association for Family and Community Education. Garden Island. Molokai Crack Down on Town’s Container Businesses. Molokai Dispatch.
Continue reading...Abercrombie’s State of the State emphasizes recovery, $2.8M for fired Honolulu whistleblower, federal judge cites Hawaii for slow food stamp…
24. January 2012
Gov. Abercrombie’s 2012 State of the State address, courtesy photo Gov. Neil Abercrombie said Monday that Hawaii has weathered the most difficult choices needed to balance the budget, urging lawmakers to leave the drama of the past few years behind and consider targeted investments to improve the state’s economic future. Star-Advertiser. Gov. Neil Abercrombie told the state Legislature on Monday that it’s time to move forward and leave behind the drama of the recent past, saying lawmakers have an opportunity to maintain economic momentum, bolster education and help provide older Hawaii residents better access to long-term support. Associated Press. The State’s Chief Executive says the worst of the Great Recession is behind us…and he’s committed to moving forward … Hawaii Public Radio. “We have started to turn the corner,” Governor Neil Abercrombie said while delivering his State of the State address Monday at the State Capitol. Hawaii News Now. Governor Abercrombie pledged Monday to keep Hawaii on the path of economic recovery during his second State of the State address. KHON2. Gov. Neil Abercrombie said Monday that he is asking state lawmakers for $10 million to consolidate all of Hawaii’s state technology under one office, and for another $2.9 million for the state’s Broadband Initiative. Pacific Business News. In his State of the State address, Neil Abercrombie made sure the Hawaii Legislature — especially leaders Calvin Say and Shan Tsutsui — understands his gratitude. Civil Beat. Gov. Neil Abercrombie in his State of the State address Monday touched on one of Hawaii’s hottest topics — sustainable and renewable energy. West Hawaii Today. Governor Neil Abercrombie reiterated his request for the Hawaii State Teachers Association to provide a new proposal for a contract in his 2012 State Of The State Address Monday. KITV4. Hawaii House Republicans Respond to Governor’s State of the State. Hawaii Reporter. One Year Later – 2011 State of the State Scorecard. Civil Beat. Governor Neil Abercrombie delivered his second state of the state address this morning, touching upon early childhood education, investment in infrastructure and moving forward on the state’s broadband initiative. Maui Now. A federal judge has issued preliminary injunction against the state of Hawaii for failing to process food stamp applications quickly enough. Civil Beat. The state will provide seed money to help the Queen’s Medical Center quickly launch an organ transplant facility to replace the one closed in the Hawaii Medical Center’s bankruptcy. Star-Advertiser. The Hawaii Supreme Court wants the state Reapportionment Commission to get out of court and get back to work, according to a tersely worded order filed Friday. West Hawaii Today. The leader of Hawaii’s teachers union said Monday he should have given members more time to consider a six-year proposed contract they overwhelmingly rejected last week, and has been “humbled” by the vote. Star-Advertiser. “I cannot think of a single thing we did not do to try to accommodate the concerns of the teachers union in this agreement,” Gov. Neil Abercrombie said at a press conference last week about the vote by Hawaii teachers to reject a tentative contract with the state. Civil Beat. The Hawaii chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving is calling the first year of the state’s ignition interlock law a success. Tribune-Herald. State roundup for January 24. Associated Press. Oahu The half-percent excise tax surcharge levied on Oahu residents and visitors has brought in more than $810 million so far to fund the Honolulu rail project, with collections continuing to run ahead of projections, the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation said Monday. Star-Advertiser. Paychecks for workers in Honolulu fall somewhere in the middle when compared to 405 other metropolitan areas in the nation. Pacific Business News. A woman who said she lost her job with the city for blowing the whistle on wrongdoing nearly ten years ago has been awarded a $2.8 million settlement by the Honolulu City Council. Hawaii News Now. A 2010 report commissioned by the Department of Environmental Services shows the city could recuperate tens of millions of dollars every year by charging Oahu residents for regular trash pickup. KHON2. Hawaii Seven Hawaii County Council candidates have so far filed declarations of intent to seek public funding as the second election year of the three-election-cycle pilot program begins. West Hawaii Today. Hunters and their supporters took to a Hilo street Monday to protest a state plan to ban hunting within 4,800 acres of public forest located south of Hilo. Tribune-Herald. Maui Students attending summer classes at the University of Hawaii Maui College will benefit from a reduction in tuition, following action taken by the university’s Board of Regents last week on Kauai. Maui News. The last in a series of community outreach meetings hosted by the Maui Charter Commission takes place this Wednesday in Pukalani. Maui Now. Maui County could streamline the way it grants millions of dollars to nonprofit agencies and eliminate the volunteer Grants Review Committee under changes being considered by the administration and County Council. Maui News. Kauai Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. will hold two community outreach meetings this week. Star-Advertiser. An update on the Victim Witness Program requested by the Kaua‘i County Council to the Office of Prosecuting Attorney last week turned into a heated, four-hour discussion, marked by the recusal of one council member and repeated interruptions for discussions with attorneys. Garden Island. More than two dozen people spent a couple of hours removing two large chunks of derelict netting which washed ashore during the recent storm at a Wailua beach. Garden Island.
Continue reading...New quarter to feature volcano, Hawaii’s homeless chief resigns amid allegations, revenue forecast lowered, Honolulu Council seeks water authority,…
6. January 2012
Kilauea Volcano caldera (c) 2012 All Hawaii News Hawaii Volcanoes National Park’s East Rift Zone will grace the face of an America the Beautiful Quarter to be released this summer. West Hawaii Today. Hawaii’s homeless coordinator, Marc Alexander, has resigned effective today, less than a year on the job and just days after the state acknowledged receiving an allegation that he had a sexual relationship with a woman while he was a priest. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii’s homeless coordinator resigned “to attend to personal matters” two days after he was asked to respond to allegations of sexual misconduct as a priest, according to an anti-religion activist. Civil Beat. Alexander made news in January, 2010 when he abruptly left the Catholic Church where he served as Vicar General of the Catholic Diocese of Honolulu to lead the effort to solve Hawaii’s homeless crisis. Hawaii News Now. The state Council on Revenues on Thursday scaled back its forecast for state revenue growth this fiscal year, which will reduce an anticipated surplus and require Gov. Neil Abercrombie to adjust his budget and financial plan. Star-Advertiser. Council On Revenues Downgrades Hawaii Forecast By 3 Percent. Civil Beat. The State Council on Revenues lowered its General Fund projection yesterday … 4 full percentage points less than what was forecast in September. Hawaii Public Radio. A bill aimed at curtailing the use of the Kona coffee name by coffee blenders will soon be introduced in the state Legislature. West Hawaii Today. Gas prices are rising again after 11 consecutive weeks of declines, according to the AAA Hawaii Weekend Gas Watch. Star-Advertiser. U.S. Military in Hawaii: ‘Bright Future Ahead’ Civil Beat. The confluence of China’s military rise, a shift in global trade to the region, a budget crunch and the end of the Iraq war underscore the importance of a U.S. military presence in Asia and the Pacific — but have not made the future any clearer for Hawaii-based military commands and the state’s sizable defense industry. Star-Advertiser. The big question on many people’s minds during The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii ’s 11th Annual Military Partnership Conference Thursday was how the United States’ focus on the Pacific would impact the Aloha State given the uncertainties with new leadership in North Korea, China’s increasing military and economic might, and impending defense cuts. Pacific Business News. The state Office of Information Practices will
Continue reading...Bag ban passes Big Island council, $75M in Race to the Top funds at risk, 14 Hawaii tax employees face criminal charges, Oahu top island getaway, more…
22. December 2011
Following Maui and Kauai’s lead, the Big Island on Wednesday became the third county to adopt a ban on merchants giving out plastic bags. That leaves Honolulu as the only Hawaii county without such a ban. Civil Beat. Hawaii County shoppers can expect free plastic shopping bags at the cash register for just one more year, following the passage Wednesday of a bill restricting their availability. West Hawaii Today. When it comes to protecting the environment, reducing litter and preserving landfill space, the County Council has left Mayor Billy Kenoi holding the bag. Tribune-Herald. An Education Department official on Wednesday admonished Hawaii for its “unsatisfactory” performance under a $75 million federal grant the state won last year in a high profile competition and said it was placing it under “high risk” status, meaning the state is in danger of losing the money if it doesn’t make improvements. Associated Press. Citing “unsatisfactory performance” and concerns about whether future pledges can be met, the federal government has placed Hawaii’s $75 million Race to the Top grant on “high-risk” status, which means the money may be lost if progress isn’t made. Star-Advertiser. Middle-school boys and girls in some low-performing schools on Oahu and Hawaii island next fall will begin playing in small, after-school sports leagues as part of a larger effort to improve the lives of 3,700 students. Star-Advertiser. 14 employees of the State Tax Department are under investigation by the State Attorney General’s office for possible criminal wrongdoing. KITV4. Hawaii’s ethics rules sure seem to be resonating with lawmakers. Several turned away bottles of wine given as a holiday gift from a solar-energy company. Civil Beat. President Barack Obama will have to come up with an action plan to address the economic impact of Pacific migration in Hawaii and other states and U.S. territories. Star-Advertiser. State roundup for Dec. 22. Associated Press . Oahu Yahoo! News has named Oahu the top island getaway in the U.S. in the latest episode of Wanderlust, the travel series on Yahoo! News. KHON2. A new Kakaako booking and warrants building for the state Sheriff Division is proving to be more convenient for both deputies and the public. Star-Advertiser. The state sheriffs division has opened a new booking and warrants facility in Kakaako, a more convenient and less threatening location has resulted in more people turning themselves in there, according to public safety officials. KITV4. Just how popular is the camping permit window at the Wahiawa Satellite City Hall? Civil Beat. Hawaii Medical Center’s approximately 990 employees are getting some help from the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations in navigating the unemployment rolls they soon will find themselves on when HMC shuts down its two Oahu hospitals in the next few weeks. Pacific Business News. Mordechai Orian, CEO of Global Horizons, who is facing charges relating to the alleged trafficking of farm workers from Thailand to America, was set to go to trial on February 7. Civil Beat. The following letter by John Bond of Save Ewa Field alleges potentially damaging construction being done at the historic Ewa Field, owned by the U.S. Navy and leased to developers. Hawaii Independent. Twenty-five thousand soldiers from Schofield’s 25th Infantry Division headquarters served in the Iraq War. Hawaii News Now. Hawaii With more than a quarter of Big Island children not knowing where their next meal is coming from, the Hawaii County Council on Wednesday unanimously passed a nonbinding resolution asking the administration to give the Food Basket an emergency $500,000. West Hawaii Today. Hawaii County is making headway in its effort to make the much-needed Ka’u District Gym and Shelter a reality in Pahala. West Hawaii Today. Federal officials want to hear the public’s comments on a wilderness review and legislative environmental impact statement for the Hawaiian and Pacific Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex. West Hawaii Today. Maui A U.S. District Court jury has acquitted Maui County of liability in a civil suit brought by the family of a homeless man who died in the Lahaina lockup in 2008. Maui News. The Maui Fire Department will begin processing firecracker permits this week while public fireworks displays have been scheduled in South Maui, Hana and on Lanai. Maui News. Owners of a cruising yacht that Molokai protesters turned back earlier this month in Kaunakakai Harbor announced Tuesday that they reached an agreement with opposition and authorities to resume their Molokai tours, at least temporarily, next month. Maui News. Kauai If Kaua‘i County Council Chair Jay Furfaro is right, the administration could be facing a budgetary shortfall of $2.64 million. Garden Island. The County of Kaua‘i has released its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for fiscal year 2011, which began July 1, 2010, and ended June 30, 2011. Garden Island. A blessing and groundbreaking for the next segment of Ke Ala Hele Makalae, the multi-use path, was held in Kapa‘a this morning at Gore Park near Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital. Garden Island.
Continue reading...Bag ban passes Big Island council, $75M in Race to the Top funds at risk, 14 Hawaii tax employees face criminal charges, Oahu top island getaway, more…
22. December 2011
Following Maui and Kauai’s lead, the Big Island on Wednesday became the third county to adopt a ban on merchants giving out plastic bags. That leaves Honolulu as the only Hawaii county without such a ban. Civil Beat. Hawaii County shoppers can expect free plastic shopping bags at the cash register for just one more year, following the passage Wednesday of a bill restricting their availability. West Hawaii Today. When it comes to protecting the environment, reducing litter and preserving landfill space, the County Council has left Mayor Billy Kenoi holding the bag. Tribune-Herald. An Education Department official on Wednesday admonished Hawaii for its “unsatisfactory” performance under a $75 million federal grant the state won last year in a high profile competition and said it was placing it under “high risk” status, meaning the state is in danger of losing the money if it doesn’t make improvements. Associated Press. Citing “unsatisfactory performance” and concerns about whether future pledges can be met, the federal government has placed Hawaii’s $75 million Race to the Top grant on “high-risk” status, which means the money may be lost if progress isn’t made. Star-Advertiser. Middle-school boys and girls in some low-performing schools on Oahu and Hawaii island next fall will begin playing in small, after-school sports leagues as part of a larger effort to improve the lives of 3,700 students. Star-Advertiser. 14 employees of the State Tax Department are under investigation by the State Attorney General’s office for possible criminal wrongdoing. KITV4. Hawaii’s ethics rules sure seem to be resonating with lawmakers. Several turned away bottles of wine given as a holiday gift from a solar-energy company. Civil Beat. President Barack Obama will have to come up with an action plan to address the economic impact of Pacific migration in Hawaii and other states and U.S. territories. Star-Advertiser. State roundup for Dec. 22. Associated Press . Oahu Yahoo! News has named Oahu the top island getaway in the U.S. in the latest episode of Wanderlust, the travel series on Yahoo! News. KHON2. A new Kakaako booking and warrants building for the state Sheriff Division is proving to be more convenient for both deputies and the public. Star-Advertiser. The state sheriffs division has opened a new booking and warrants facility in Kakaako, a more convenient and less threatening location has resulted in more people turning themselves in there, according to public safety officials. KITV4. Just how popular is the camping permit window at the Wahiawa Satellite City Hall? Civil Beat. Hawaii Medical Center’s approximately 990 employees are getting some help from the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations in navigating the unemployment rolls they soon will find themselves on when HMC shuts down its two Oahu hospitals in the next few weeks. Pacific Business News. Mordechai Orian, CEO of Global Horizons, who is facing charges relating to the alleged trafficking of farm workers from Thailand to America, was set to go to trial on February 7. Civil Beat. The following letter by John Bond of Save Ewa Field alleges potentially damaging construction being done at the historic Ewa Field, owned by the U.S. Navy and leased to developers. Hawaii Independent. Twenty-five thousand soldiers from Schofield’s 25th Infantry Division headquarters served in the Iraq War. Hawaii News Now. Hawaii With more than a quarter of Big Island children not knowing where their next meal is coming from, the Hawaii County Council on Wednesday unanimously passed a nonbinding resolution asking the administration to give the Food Basket an emergency $500,000. West Hawaii Today. Hawaii County is making headway in its effort to make the much-needed Ka’u District Gym and Shelter a reality in Pahala. West Hawaii Today. Federal officials want to hear the public’s comments on a wilderness review and legislative environmental impact statement for the Hawaiian and Pacific Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex. West Hawaii Today. Maui A U.S. District Court jury has acquitted Maui County of liability in a civil suit brought by the family of a homeless man who died in the Lahaina lockup in 2008. Maui News. The Maui Fire Department will begin processing firecracker permits this week while public fireworks displays have been scheduled in South Maui, Hana and on Lanai. Maui News. Owners of a cruising yacht that Molokai protesters turned back earlier this month in Kaunakakai Harbor announced Tuesday that they reached an agreement with opposition and authorities to resume their Molokai tours, at least temporarily, next month. Maui News. Kauai If Kaua‘i County Council Chair Jay Furfaro is right, the administration could be facing a budgetary shortfall of $2.64 million. Garden Island. The County of Kaua‘i has released its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for fiscal year 2011, which began July 1, 2010, and ended June 30, 2011. Garden Island. A blessing and groundbreaking for the next segment of Ke Ala Hele Makalae, the multi-use path, was held in Kapa‘a this morning at Gore Park near Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital. Garden Island.
Continue reading...Hawaii tax database breached, scathing audit of charter schools, Honolulu property ticks up, recovery slow, Hawaii County fires five cops, big airport…
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...U.S. Supreme Court studying Hawaiian preference lawsuit, WWII vets irked by Hawaii Five-0 crew at Punchbowl, Hawaii County commission to mull…
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.
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