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Hawaii Super PACs begin fundraising, Hirono-Case Senate campaign heats up, Honolulu enforces smoking ban, Supreme Court may hear Hawaiian preference…
Congresswoman Mazie Hirono and Sen. Daniel Akaka courtesy photo Rep. Mazie Hirono’s campaign for U.S. Senate is releasing the results of a new poll that shows the Democratic congresswoman with an 18-point lead over Democratic rival and former Congressman Ed Case. Civil Beat. Former Congressman Ed Case: If Hirono Wins U.S. Senate Democratic Primary, Former GOP Gov. Lingle Will Beat Her. Hawaii Reporter. Campaigns for next year’s elections are getting under way and Hawaii is already seeing the formation of special political committees that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of campaign money. Civil Beat. The U.S. Supreme Court could announce as early as today whether the justices will review a case that could produce a landmark ruling on the legality of government benefits to Native Hawaiians under the Constitution’s equal protection clause. Star-Advertiser. Within the first minutes of the new year, clergy and judges may register online to perform civil unions, and within a short time will be able to unite same-sex couples in a legal relationship that grants them the same rights as married couples for the first time in Hawaii. Star-Advertiser. In less than a month, same-sex couples in Hawaii will become eligible for civil union status under a new law signed by Gov. Neil Abercrombie in February. Tribune-Herald. Hawaii’s Hurricane Relief Fund and Rainy Day Fund are supposed to be tapped only in true emergencies, such as a tsunami or hurricane. Hawaii Reporter. Hawaii’s media monopoly and the struggle for democracy. Hawaii Independent. Go Mokulele is returning to normal schedule Monday, three days after its fleet was grounded. KHON2. Google is spending several hundred million dollars to build a data center in Hong Kong and has plans to follow that up with two other Asian locations. Hawaii Public Radio. State roundup for Dec. 12. Associated Press. Oahu More international visitor arrivals boosted occupancy and room rates on Oahu to near record levels for October as the performance of hotels statewide improved. Star-Advertiser. For those hunkered down at the Occupy Honolulu encampment at the edge of Thomas Square, disenchantment with the direction in which government and corporate institutions have taken the world comes with an unwavering sense that their movement can improve the situation. Star-Advertiser. For the first time in more than four years, a Honolulu police officer has issued tickets to bar patrons for breaking the statewide smoking ban. KITV4. A plan that will serve as a guide to the state as it moves forward restoring Kawainui Marsh is starting to take shape. KITV4. Before many of us were even up Sunday, thousands hit the road in the 39th annual Honolulu Marathon. KHON2. Hyatt Hotels Corp. has opened the first of two towers at its new Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach hotel. Pacific Business News. Hawaii Jack Thompson, 61, is the last resident of Royal Gardens, the subdivision that has been inundated by lava since 1983. Tribune-Herald. On Jan. 10, 1976, Allen Castro, 25, and Danny Robinson, 21, met for the first time. Love quickly blossomed. Tribune-Herald. Maui Severed fiber optics cable disrupts communication on Maui. KHON2. Runoff from heavy rain has prompted state health officials to issue a Brown Water Advisory for Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii. Hawaii News Now. Kauai The state Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of State Parks announced Friday it auctioned all of the 16 available recreational cabin lots in Koke‘e and Waimea Canyon state parks in the first scheduled tier of the auction held Thursday at the Kaua‘i War Memorial in Lihu‘e. Garden Island. The earthquake and tsunami that rocked Fukushima Prefecture last March not only tragically devastated its small villages, it swept a legacy of junk into the Pacific Ocean. Garden Island.
Continue reading...Army tests hypersonic weapon from Kauai, Hawaii economy limping along, state looks at regulating reef fish collecting, suicide rates up, APEC hosts’…
18. November 2011
Hypersonic weapon, military courtesy photo The Army on Thursday conducted its first flight test of a new weapon capable of traveling five times the speed of sound. Associated Press. Hawaii’s economy is expected to limp along with slow growth through 2012, economist Leroy Laney said Thursday in a forecast dampened by global economic woes. Star-Advertiser. Suicide Rates in Hawaii Climb. Hawaii Public Radio. Politico: Hawaii Senate Race Not Toss-Up. Civil Beat. State lawmakers didn’t support a statewide ban on the sale of aquarium fish this session but the issue isn’t going away. KITV4. The collection and sale of reef fish for aquariums is an industry that averages about $395,000 a year on Oahu… And provides jobs for about 40 commercial fishers – 15 are full-time. KHON2. The breakthrough ceded land settlement announced by the Abercrombie administration on Wednesday is the brainchild of two Honolulu attorneys with extensive experience in commercial litigation. Civil Beat. In another rejection of Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s position on the secrecy of judicial nominations, the state Judicial Selection Commission has decided to make public the names of all candidates for judicial appointment submitted to the governor and the Hawaii Supreme Court chief justice. Hawaii Reporter. Oahu Honolulu’s ban on keeping personal possessions on sidewalks is one step closer to becoming law, but in many ways the fight has just begun. Civil Beat. Members of Honolulu’s APEC Host Committee who represent some of Hawaii’s biggest companies and institutions have been told their personal information may have been stolen after security clearances were requested for them to meet with President Barack Obama Saturday night during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Star-Advertiser. The family of a Kailua man shot to death in a Waikiki fast-food restaurant filed a lawsuit Thursday against a State Department special agent charged with murder in the case. Star-Advertiser. Defense attorney: federal agent charged with murder acted in self-defense. Hawaii News Now. City Plans To Open Access To Popular North Shore Beach. KITV4. A City Council committee advanced permit requests for the $760 million expansion of the Hilton Hawaiian Village but asked property owners to try to work out differences before the measure comes up for a final vote next month. Star-Advertiser. A city employee and a driving instructor conspired to create at least three fraudulent driver’s licenses that were sold to foreign nationals who were in the United States illegally, according to an indictment returned Wednesday by a federal grand jury. Star-Advertiser. The State Land Use Commission will continue its hearings today on D.R. Horton‘s proposed “Ho‘opili” development in Honouliuli. Hawaii Independent. Hawaii The Leeward Planning Commission signed off on proposed changes to the special management area rules Thursday morning. West Hawaii Today. On Thursday, students at Waiakea Intermediate School gathered on the covered courts at the rear of the campus during their recess period to sign pledges to remain tobacco free, play games aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle, and to learn more about the dangers associated with smoking. Tribune-Herald. Maui Security officials at Kahului Airport have a new body scanner that doesn’t project invasive body images but is sensitive enough to detect a plastic bag in a jean pocket. Maui News. The Maui County Council Land Use Committee voted 6-2 Wednesday evening to recommend approval of the Kahoma Residential Subdivision, a fast-track, all-affordable housing project in West Maui. Maui News. Kauai A Hawai‘i Army National Guard soldier died Wednesday afternoon while on duty in the vehicle maintenance shop of the Hanapepe Armory. Garden Island. The disappearance of the corn maze from the Kaua‘i Halloween scene gave birth to an idea which blossomed into a community success. Garden Island. Molokai Castle & Cooke’s Rumbaoa to Head Molokai Ranch. Molokai Dispatch.
Continue reading...Abercrombie’s security pricey, India sends $158M for Thirty Meter Telescope, Kaneohe Bay to get busy, statewide apartment smoking ban sought, Lanai…
16. November 2011
Gov. Neil Abercrombie security (c) 2011 All Hawaii News Hawaii taxpayers paid at least $1.2 million for security personnel for the governor last year, Civil Beat has found. Civil Beat . Five years after a workplace smoking ban took effect in Hawaii, the next battleground in smoking regulation is being fought in the boardrooms of condominiums and apartments, a debate over whether to ban smoking inside apartment units. KITV4. The number of people who used homeless shelters or were helped by outreach services leveled off and may have even dropped slightly last year, after five years of increases, according to a report released Tuesday that looks at homeless services in Hawaii. Star-Advertiser. The number of homeless people in Hawaii receiving shelter and help from outreach programs declined by 3 percent — or 453 people — from fiscal year 2010 to FY 2011. Civil Beat. A proposed bill would allow the city to confiscate all personal belongings left or kept on public property for more than 24 hours. Civil Beat. A new Marine Corps study says airfield use at Kaneohe Bay is expected to increase 49 percent by 2018 compared with a 2009 “base-line” level of activity, as the Corps and Navy update aging aircraft and add new capability in a reflection of Hawaii’s growing importance in the Pacific. Star-Advertiser. A Water Resource Sustainability Conference is being hosted by the University of Hawai’i at Manoa this week. Hawaii Public Radio. Hawaii Medical Service Association, poised to raise rates again at the start of the year, posted earnings of $12.9 million in the third quarter, which continued its return to profitability but raised some eyebrows over the magnitude of its financial turnaround. Star-Advertiser. Two Hawaii resorts have made it on to the five-star list in the new issue of the Forbes Travel Guide, while six other hotels made the guide’s listing of four-star establishments. Pacific Business News. Hawaiian Airlines passengers will soon be able to travel from Honolulu to the Big Apple in one flight. Hawaii News Now. Torch bearer does his job, distracts Clinton, ends up in viral video. Hawaii News Now. Oahu Honolulu is the third most expensive college town in America when it comes to real estate. KHON2. City officials say they are pleased with the curbside recycling program that began in 2007 and went islandwide in May 2010, but are working to get more Oahu residents to put newspaper, bottles and other “mixed recyclables” into their blue bins. Star-Advertiser. The president of the Hawaii State Federal Credit Union has abruptly resigned, the latest sign that the governance of the state’s second-largest credit union continues to be beset by controversy and turmoil. Star-Advertiser. Honolulu Police Department Major Carlton Nishimura, already under indictment on federal extortion charges, now faces drug distribution charges following an FBI raid of his Waianae home last night. Hawaii Reporter. Richard Heinberg presented ideas at the Moana Nui summit based on more resilient, sustainable, and equitable communities. Hawaii Independent. Hawaii The Indian government is contributing around $158 million in high-tech components for the Thirty Meter Telescope. Tribune-Herald. A charter amendment to devote 0.25 percent of property taxes to maintain the land the county is purchasing with open space funds got a tentative nod Tuesday from a County Council committee. West Hawaii Today. Plans to transform North Kohala’s rural Akoni Pule Highway into a National Scenic Byway have been halted following an outpouring of community opposition to the designation. West Hawaii Today. Hilo Municipal Golf Course is a pretty good deal, with or without a proposed increase to its greens fees, said golfers there on Tuesday morning. Tribune-Herald. Maui Fresh out of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation conference on Oahu, Taiwan government officials spent Monday on Maui to honor Dr. Sun Yat-sen, a Chinese revolutionary leader who lived in Kula more than 100 years ago. Maui News. Members of the Maui County Charter Commission on Monday looked at some possible alternatives to the current system of County Council districts, but postponed a decision on the issue. Maui News. Kauai With Thanksgiving just around the corner, the Kaua‘i Community Alliance will host the Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week this week. Garden Island. The Department of Land and Natural Resources announced Tuesday that the Kaua‘i District Office of the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation has completed its relocation to Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor. Garden Island. Lanai More than 25 years ago, billionaire real estate tycoon David Murdock bought this bucolic Hawaiian island and promised to keep it as unchanged as a few high-end resorts and golf courses might allow. Civil Beat.
Continue reading...Big boost in Hawaii tourism spending, interisland mega-yacht coming to Molokai, Honolulu woman wants to ban smoking in public housing, Hawaii supports…
26. October 2011
Convict tang congregate on Hawaii coral reef (c) 2011 All Hawaii News Up to 20 million tons of tsunami debris floating from Japan could arrive on Hawaii’s shores by early 2013, before reaching the West Coast, according to estimates by University of Hawaii scientists. Associated Press. Total visitor spending rose almost 20 percent to top $1 billion in September, as visitors from the West Coast, Japan and Canada increased their average daily spending, the Hawaii Tourism Authority said Tuesday. Pacific Business News The University of Hawaii Board of Regents is scheduled to approve a proposal that would increase tuition on all campuses over the next five years. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii’s Future Leaders: Where Are They? Civil Beat. A disabled woman at a Honolulu public housing complex wants the state to ban smoking at all 6,000 of its housing units across the state, and she’s considering legal action to make that happen. KITV4. The Civil Beat Poll: Hawaii Supports APEC. Civil Beat. Oahu Governor Neil Abercrombie tomorrow will unveil a new plan to create jobs and build new housing in the Kakaakao area of Honolulu. Hawaii Reporter. State prisoners and Department of Transportation landscaping crews are busy clearing homeless people and their belongings from 17 different areas along Nimitz Highway and the H-1 Freeway that will be seen by delegations attending next month’s Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. Star-Advertiser. Mayor Peter Carlisle and City officials today dedicated the Middle Street Intermodal Center, located at the intersection of Middle Street and Kamehameha Highway and adjacent to the existing Kalihi-Palama Transit Facility. Hawaii Independent. Waikiki merchants are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the first wave of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation or APEC meeting attendees in less than two weeks. Hawaii Public Radio. A group that saves prostitutes from sex trafficking fears women working the street could double during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. It said evidence is already out there. Hawaii News Now . A recent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Ko Olina developer Jeff Stone includes a description of the resort as ‘providing casino facilities.’ KHON2. Hawaii Multimillion-dollar state construction projects expected to generate Big Island jobs actually have triggered layoffs. Tribune-Herald Five years after the Kiholo Bay earthquakes, the Department of Water Supply is down to one final repair project. West Hawaii Today. A group claiming Native Hawaiian rights to property Hawaii County is trying to buy on Kawa Bay had its case sent back to state court Tuesday, when a federal judge decided he had no jurisdiction over the issue. West Hawaii Today. Maui The state will pay considerably more for property management services at a troubled Maui affordable housing project under a six-month non-bid contract that took effect last week, according to procurement records. Hawaii Reporter. Charter Commission members on Monday killed a proposal that would give the mayor powers to hire and fire the fire chief, but they supported a plan to move county ocean safety officers under the authority of the Maui fire department. Maui News. Kauai State workers, environmental groups and students joined forces Tuesday morning at Lydgate Park to release several endangered seabirds back into the wild. Garden Island. Molokai A blessing was held on Molokai on Tuesday for an interisland mega-yacht that will start making regularly scheduled cruise voyages this week. KHON2. Members of the Hawaii Legislature and guests will be visiting Molokai on Wednesday, Nov. 2 to hear from island residents about a wind farm proposed for Molokai. Molokai Dispatch.
Continue reading...Hawaii Civil Defense chief quits in protest, Honolulu preps for APEC, still clearing homeless, state seeks inventory of land, natives, Hawaii County…
5. October 2011
Mauna Kea telescopes courtesy photo This is the first time that a Nobel Prize has been awarded for astronomy on Mauna Kea. Associated Press. Sen. Daniel Inouye confirmed to Civil Beat Tuesday that he hopes that Rep. Mazie Hirono will defeat former Congressman Ed Case in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate next year. Civil Beat. Ed Teixeira, who served as state Civil Defense Division vice director for 12 years through seven federally declared major disasters and under three governors, said a proposed organizational change and complaints about his management style are the basis for his sudden resignation Tuesday. Star-Advertiser. The Vice Director of Hawaii State Civil Defense abruptly resigned Tuesday morning. KITV4. The state will put on hold a statewide review of schools for possible consolidation while the Board of Education studies the best way to determine whether a campus should be considered for closure. Star-Advertiser. What was supposed to be a routine revote on Hawaii’s graduation policy Tuesday turned into a showdown between school board members and the Department of Education. Civil Beat. As part of the latest efforts to fight bullying, a series of student-produced public service announcements promoting safe schools will be hitting the airwaves. Hawaii Independent. Hawaii prisoners are growing 25 percent of the produce consumed at the state’s seven prisons. Civil Beat. State Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz isn’t surprised that the state of Hawaii does not have an accurate inventory of lands in the public trust. Tribune-Herald. A new $6 million round of venture capital funding will provide a major push in the campaign to develop commercial applications for research being done at the University of Hawaii. Star-Advertiser. Oahu The Honolulu City Council is set to decide on whether to install surveillance cameras across Oahu for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Associated Press. State officials spent $180,000 in manpower and an additional $20,000 in disposal fees to clear 90 homeless people and more than 60 truckloads of their belongings from the H-1 freeway viaduct in August through September. Star-Advertiser. The city cleared out a homeless camp in Haleiwa on Monday, a move they say will only force them to another area where they’ll likely be more visible. KHON2. If Honolulu City councilmembers approve turning over the city traffic cameras to Police to help with APEC security, city officials are planning to use other tools to get information out about traffic tie-ups. KITV4. Boaters at the Ala Wai harbor have some big decisions to make in the next few weeks. Hawaii News Now. The dismissal of criminal charges against topless protestors Jamie and Tess Meier shows the need for improved police training in advance of expected protests at the APEC conference next month, the ACLU said today. Hawaii Reporter. Professional Training Hawaii LLC was issued a notice of violation and order from the state Department of Health for multiple violations of Hawaii’s asbestos training and certification regulations. Pacific Business News. The Army’s study of live-fire training effects on marine life harvested for food near Makua Valley “was a meaningful evaluation” except for two ways, a federal judge in Honolulu ruled. Associated Press. The non-profit Kanu-Hawaii conducted its Eat Local Challenge last month. Nearly 600 people signed up to choose island grown over imported food …even if it costs more. Hawaii Public Radio. Hawaii A resolution seeking a pilot vote-by-mail program for Hawaii County advanced in a County Council committee Tuesday over the objections of a minority worried it would limit voter choices. West Hawaii Today. Having already banned transgenic taro, smoking in parks and texting while driving, the County Council now has deer in its headlights. Tribune-Herald. Drought conditions in most of West Hawaii are likely to continue, a hydrologist at the National Weather Service said. West Hawaii Today. Maui With the nisei veterans of World War II slowly passing into history, those who care about them have focused their efforts on honoring their legacy and chronicling their fight for their country and Japanese-Americans everywhere so that future generations will remember their “go for broke” heroism and their impact on the nation and the world. Maui News. Kauai Last year former Kaua‘i County Council Chair Kaipo Asing, finishing his last term as a council member after 28 years of public service, noted that some real estate developers are clever in the ways they find loopholes in laws. Garden Island. Tuesday was a time of thanks and aloha at the site of the former Kekaha Sugar Mill. Garden Island.
Continue reading...Kamehameha festivities on all islands, HSC: shoreline belongs to the public, cables from Molokai and Lanai to feed power-hungry Oahu, brushfires on…
11. June 2010
President Obama signs King Kamehameha Day proclamation This year marks the 200th anniversary of King Kamehameha’s unification of the Hawaiian Islands, and Honolulu festivities that kick off today to celebrate the monarch will be accordingly bigger, breathing new life into gatherings that have in recent years struggled to secure funding and volunteers. With the theme “E Ho‘okahi Ka Mana‘o, Ho‘okahi Pu‘uwai, Ho‘okahi Ke Aloha” (Be of one mind, one heart, one love), Lahaina’s Na Kamehameha Commemorative Pa‘u Parade and Ho‘olaule‘a will be held Saturday, June 12. The public owns lands formed along the Hawaii’s shoreline decades ago that are now above the beaches, according to a Hawaii Supreme Court ruling this week that left intact a lower court’s decision. Most sectors of Hawaii’s economy are starting to grow again but it will take years to recover the tens of thousands of jobs that were wiped out during the recession. Six more Hawaii state parks will soon begin charging parking or entry fees to visitors and tour companies Hawaii is planning to lay power cables along the ocean floor to connect yet-to-be-built wind farms on the gusty and rural islands of Molokai and Lanai to power-hungry Oahu. The state administration is moving ahead with its long term plans to use less imported oil to meet Oahu’s power needs. The state Com- mission on Water Resource Man- agement has ordered 12.5 million gallons of water per day be restored to the Na Wai Eha streams, about one-third of the water that was being considered for restoration a year ago. Honolulu City Council members said a proposed ban on smoking at Oahu bus stops will address a loophole in city law. Plumes of smoke began billowing into the air in the subdivision of Ocean View late Thursday afternoon. Maui firefighters appeared to have gained the upper hand Wednesday in battling a wild-land blaze that had consumed an estimated 5,800 acres of brush in the West Maui Mountains above Maalaea. The state’s leading business organization is urging Gov. Linda Lingle to veto House Bill 444, the civil unions measure. Hawaii County’s first Furlough Friday is just three weeks away, and department heads are attempting to minimize the effect on the public. Big Island taxpayers spent $470,000 extinguishing three fires in South Kona earlier this year, Fire Chief Darryl Oliveira said Wednesday. Nearly four years after earthquakes damaged West Hawaii reservoirs, the completion date for one of the most severely damaged locations has been pushed back — again. In October, Hawaiian Airlines will begin a twice-weekly, nonstop service between Kahului and Las Vegas The farm-worker-housing bill seemed to have reached the end of its rope Wednesday.
Continue reading...Keiki on board — no smoke in car now law on Big Island, Hawaii Five-O coming back to TV, Lingle weighs in on congressional race, Abercrombie opens…
18. May 2010
Gov. Linda Lingle has rebuked claims made by Hawaii’s three former governors, who said Sunday electing republican Charles Djou to Congress would not bode well for the state’s congressional delegation. Smiling candidate? Check. Photos with keiki? Yep. Red, white and blue background? Uh-huh. Prominently placed “Contribute” button. Duh. Hawaii elections officials are reporting that almost 41 percent of the ballots mailed to registered voters in the contest for Hawaii’s vacant congressional seat have been returned. The delay of state refund checks has been lifted, somewhat. Gov. Linda Lingle said yesterday that she would release most tax refunds sooner than expected because revenue collections have improved as the state’s economy improves. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Neil Abercrombie opened his West Hawaii campaign headquarters Sunday evening in Kailua-Kona, where he encouraged people to “break away from the false comfort of the status quo” and help change the current political climate. Even though it has not been announced by CBS, a revamped version of “Hawaii Five-0″ will finally see the light of day as part of the network’s upcoming fall season lineup ‘Hawaii Five-O’, take two! In showbiz slang, the Five-O pilot has been picked up. When the owners of KGMB9, KHNL and K5 television stations launched Hawaii News Now in October, they characterized the deal as a newsroom merger and not as an ownership change. A bill signed into law yesterday expands the list of felony charges that prosecutors can levy against a suspect without going through the grand jury process. Local anti-smoking advocates are applauding a new Big Island law that prohibits smoking in a vehicle when a minor is present. The former general manager of a city parking concessionaire told KITV4 two city officials and co-workers helped a former city parking lot manager steal $250,000 from two city parking lots. At the Big Island Regional Underwater Remote Operating Vehicle (ROV) Tournament, held Saturday at the University of Hawaii at Hilo Student Life Center Pool, Hilo High student Quintin Watanabe prepares to launch his team’s underwater robot. A new Kihei high school, a second Wailuku elementary school, a replacement cafeteria at Paia Elementary and a bigger one at Lahainaluna High School are the Maui District’s big-ticket items moving forward soon, a top state Department of Education official said recently. What can you do with $287? That is the fine for having an illegal tint on an automobile as stated in the citation book used by Kaua‘i Police Department officers.
Continue reading...Legislature passes budget avoiding GET increase but grabbing high-tech credits, veil of secrecy drawn over business complaints, tourism looking up,…
28. April 2010
State lawmakers on Tuesday passed a $10.2 billion budget that included many fee and tax hikes, but avoided an increase in the general excise tax. The Hawaii legislature passed a flurry of bills Tuesday, covering everything from fireworks to requests for President Obama’s birth certificate to shark fin soup. More than 60 other bills also passed the final House and Senate votes Tuesday. With Furlough Fridays on their minds, lawmakers took steps to ensure a minimum number of instructional days for public school students while leaving it up to voters to decide on a measure aimed at increasing accountability in the system. A conflicted state Senate, under threat of potential lawsuits, voted yesterday to end a high-technology tax credit program early and temporarily suspend investors’ ability to claim the credits to help with the state’s budget deficit. Gov. Linda Lingle is saying no to oil barrel tax increases, plus jumps in traffic abstract fees and estate taxes. As expected, Gov. Linda Lingle on Tuesday vetoed the state Legislature’s attempt to block her from reorganizing the state Department of Human Services. State lawmakers on Tuesday passed legislation that would shield from public view thousands of complaints about real estate agents, contractors, doctors, barbers and other licensed professionals. Hawaii lawmakers have passed a constitutional amendment proposal that would mandate an appointed Hawaii State Board of Education. A rebound in Hawai’i’s visitor arrivals and spending gathered momentum in March, boosting sales at many businesses. Hawaii’s two largest newspapers, the Honolulu Advertiser and the Star Bulletin will be merging. What many have feared is about to happen, Honolulu will become a one paper city. Hundreds of employees will be laid off and the Advertiser staff is expected to take the biggest hit. Black Press, the Canadian-based parent of the 128-year-old Honolulu Star-Bulletin, received approval yesterday from the U.S. Justice Department to conclude its purchase of its longtime rival, The Honolulu Advertiser. Property tax increases would be blunted, and transportation programs and social service grants would get a boost, under a budget proposed Monday by Maui County Council Budget and Finance Committee Chairman Joe Pontanilla. The University of Hawaii at Hilo has announced five finalists for the university’s top job. Residents have until Friday to turn in their obsolete televisions, computers and other electronic waste without charge to the drop sites in Hilo and in Kona. The Hawaii visitor industry has rolled out a package of incentives it hopes will persuade Japan Airlines officials not to cancel a daily flight between Narita International Airport and Kona International Airport. In-car smoking ban raises legal questions The Hawaii County Department of Water Supply manager said he’ll welcome an investigation into the contract process for an Ocean View well project. A federal jury Monday found Kevyn Paik, 47, and James Alan Duarte, 48, both of Kaua‘i, guilty of multiple wire-fraud and mail-fraud offenses involving the award and performance of contracts for work at the Hanalei Wildlife Refuge, a federal press release states.
Continue reading...Honolulu Hale pushing tax hikes, Hawaii renters pay the most, Big Island bans smoking when kids in car, H1N1 hits Maui school, more top Hawaii news
22. April 2010
A 3-cent increase in the tax on gasoline and a 30-cent hike in the real property tax rate for non-occupant homeowners advanced yesterday as Honolulu City Council members crafted their budget with a wary eye on lawmakers in the state Legislature. After 8 hours of testimony, Honolulu City Council members are still in disagreement over the city budget. At a time when Hawai’i families are weathering pay cuts and job losses, here’s more gloomy news: The income needed to afford a modest two-bedroom rental in the Islands rose by nearly $3,000 this year to $64,396 annually — $26,000 more than the national average, a report on housing affordability shows. State House and Senate leaders will likely turn to the state’s Hurricane Relief Fund to eliminate teacher furloughs after budget negotiators agreed last night to remove furlough money from the state budget draft. Hours after a breakthrough agreement yesterday to give counties the option to ban fireworks, lawmakers learned that the deal could fall through because of an obscure rule governing the negotiations. State lawmakers on Wednesday agreed on a bill that is poised for final approval to allow the counties to come up with their own fireworks prohibitions stricter than the state’s. The Honolulu City Council has endorsed a proposal to support federal recognition for Hawaiians. Pakalolo was the hot-button topic Tuesday when Police Chief Harry Kubojiri and other top cops met with the public in Volcano Village. Police will have greater access to downtown Kailua-Kona next month when officers begin patrolling the Alii Drive area on mountain bikes. It probably won’t be enforced, proponents conceded, but a ban on smoking in cars when kids are present will be the law following a Hawaii County Council vote Tuesday afternoon. An outbreak of H1N1 in two classrooms at a Maui elementary school has prompted state health officials to remind residents of the continued need to be vaccinated against the virus.
Continue reading...Akaka Bill under fire, Historic Preservation Division risks federal funds, rail still at issue, islands struggle with tax hikes, state gaga over…
25. March 2010
Gov. Linda Lingle has sent a letter to all 100 U.S. senators, reaffirming her opposition to the latest version of a bill that would allow native Hawaiians to create a sovereign government, but Hawaii’s two senators predict the bill will pass without her support. The Native Hawaiian community and the military have often been at odds over the use of land across the islands.
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12. December 2011
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