Hula Planet:What To Do In Hawaii

New quarter to feature volcano, Hawaii’s homeless chief resigns amid allegations, revenue forecast lowered, Honolulu Council seeks water authority,…

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

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Hawaii budget cuts imperil reading programs, adult ed, wet weather ahead, Maui, EPA to settle, Hilo pot minister may take plea deal, Mainlanders boost…

Waikiki Beach (c) 2011 All Hawaii News Mainland visitors helped boost statewide hotel performance in April despite a sharp decline in tourists from Japan. Star-Advertiser. An upper-level low and increasing moisture will bring the chance of heavy rain and thunderstorms through the state beginning with Hawai'i Island Sunday night and moving west. KHON2. Thirteen hula halaus danced their way down Kalakaua Avenue Sunday evening. KITV4. Hawaii is considering whether to start including nonresident members of the military when it redraws political boundaries this summer, a move that could help Republicans get elected in the Democrat-dominated state. Associated Press. When Gov. Neil Abercrombie on June 9 announced Terry Lock as the state's early childhood coordinator, it was the third high-profile appointment to his administration that did not require approval from the state Senate. Civil Beat. Two Hawaii state Senators who lost their bid for Lieutenant Governor in the 2010 Democratic primary were granted positions in the current administration of Hawaii’s new Democrat Gov. Neil Abercrombie. Hawaii Reporter. Federal aid trickles in to island businesses and homeowners still licking their wounds from March's tsunami. Star-Advertiser. The federal body responsible for managing fisheries around Hawaii and other parts of the western Pacific region is meeting this week to discuss catch limits on deep water bottomfish, opelu, lobster and other species. Associated Press. Aquaculture is supposed to take the pressure off ocean fish stocks and help avert a global food shortage, but Kohala resident and microbiologist Wendy Minor believes some forms of fish farming may be creating more problems than they are solving. West Hawaii Today. Maui County is considering a settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency over allegations that the county violated the Safe Drinking Water Act and the terms of its injection well permit at the Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation Facility. Maui News. Community school principals are developing a plan to save adult education, whose funding will be eliminated in a year, and say higher fees and fewer courses will almost certainly be the result. Star-Advertiser. A social service program that promotes reading in youth is scrambling to obtain funding to stay alive. Star-Advertiser. Plans for the West Maui Medical Center appear to have stalled, after a split between the partners on the project. Maui News. A University of Hawaii accounting professor will have to pay nearly $40,000 if he wants to see how much money the university spends on private law firms. Associated Press. More than a thousand nonprofits around the state have lost their tax-exempt status this year, and a handful of those are Molokai organizations, according to a list recently published by the Internal Revenue Service. Molokai Dispatch. For the third time, federal trial for marijuana minister Roger Christie and 13 others has been delayed, while a plea deal may be in the works. Tribune-Herald. Lately computers have been in the news because they have been hacked -- ones belonging to defense contractors or the personal pages of politicians. KITV4. The Maui Film Festival launches next week Wednesday, June 15th, with another stellar lineup of films. Hawaii Public Radio. No, Kujo’s is not closing, said Brenda Jose, the Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol coordinator. Garden Island.

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Hawaii lawmakers face civil unions, medical marijuana, appointed education board, state of the state, school librarians checking out, bank profits…

Photo (c) 2011 All Hawaii News The Office of Hawaiian Affairs spent $3,192,547 on lobbyists for the Akaka bill — legislation that has failed to pass since it was first introduced 10 years ago. Civil Beat. Governor Neil Abercrombie will deliver his first State of the State address Monday morning. KHON2. Hawaii Public Radio will carry Governor Neil Abercrombie's first State of the State address to the Hawaii legislature on Monday. Hawaii Public Radio . Civil Union Bills to be Heard Tuesday. Hawaii Reporter . A state Senate committee is set to consider legislation that would grant the governor authority to appoint members of the state Board of Education. Associated Press . Medical Marijuana Expansion Proposed. Senators Want More Patients To Have Easier Access To Medical Pot. KITV4. U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono says more than 20,000 seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries in Hawaii have received $250 checks to help cover the gap in their prescription drug coverage. Associated Press. Honolulu officials are asking a state commission for an extension on a deadline to shut down the city-owned Waimanalo Gulch Landfill. Associated Press . City Council members Stanley Chang and Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo hope to get answers this morning on how to prevent future disasters at the city's only landfill like the Jan. 13 release of unknown amounts of medical waste onto Oahu's Leeward beaches. Star-Advertiser. The Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Health and have opened an investigation into the January 13 landfill breach that sent an estimated 7.5 million gallons of contaminated water and an unknown amount of toxic soil, trash, fecal matter and human medical waste into west Oahu’s ocean waters. Hawaii Reporter. Keeping up with maintenance difficult for government. West Hawaii Today. State Rep. D. Mele Carroll and three other Maui candidates could be fined for failing to file required campaign spending reports for the 2010 election. Maui News. Kahuku Wind (KW), the first wind farm Oahu has seen in over 20 years, will be going live in February when the clean energy goes directly into the grid to Oahu’s homes and businesses. Hawaii Independent. Hawaiian Airlines on Friday announced a corporate restructuring that involves eliminating 30 nonunion jobs and creating approximately 50 new ones. Pacific Business News Following a public meeting last August, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) will be holding a second public hearing regarding proposed amendments to the rules and regulations of the State Land Use Conservation District. Molokai Dispatch. Big Island school librarians are increasingly checking out, without any renewals in sight. Tribune-Herald. There's a proposal to create a campground for the homeless at Sand Island state park. KITV4. Bank of Hawaii, second largest Hawaii bank, has logged a $40.6 million fourth quarter profit, up $100,000 from the same quarter a year earlier despite lower revenue, and cited a slowly improving Hawaii economy. Hawaii News Now. Ocean lovers can spy on parrotfish, monitor water quality and participate in other scientific research through a program that aims to enlist the community to help protect a West Maui reef. Maui News. Kaua‘i Community College is offering an all-new training program in the fundamentals of tropical agriculture. Garden Island. A former B-2 stealth bomber engineer from Hawaii convicted of selling military secrets to China is due to be sentenced in federal court on Monday. Associated Press. A Florida man who pleaded guilty to federal charges of bilking four Hawaii investors out of $250,000 and scores of others in a Ponzi scheme is set to be sentenced. Associated Press. A Maui man who spent nearly 20 years in prison in the rape of a woman during a burglary is getting a fresh chance at freedom after his original convictions were overturned based on new DNA evidence. Star-Advertiser . A circuit court jury found the woman who beat a peacock to death not guilty of animal cruelty late Friday afternoon. KITV4. Vidinha Stadium received a major makeover over the last several months. Garden Island. With no confirmed sightings of Kimberly Jacobs since her 2008 disappearance, many who knew the Waikiki woman say the time had come to accept that she is gone. Hawaii News Now.

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Medical Marijuana Cooking 101

For high quality playback: www.isseiproductions.com The FarmAssist offers a lesson in cooking for medical marijuana patients

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Senate reconsiders GET tax hike, candy to be banned from schools, Royal Hawaiian Band dodges budget bullet, state seeks Obama presidential library, …

State Sen. Donna Mercado Kim says her financial plans call for balancing the state budget without raising the general excise tax. Candy and ice cream sales would be banned at Hawaii public schools under a measure that's close to passing the state Legislature. President Barack Obama should put his future presidential library in Hawaii, where he was born and raised, according to state lawmakers. The 174-year-old Royal Hawaiian Band is safe for now. Barring an agreement between the state and the teachers union and funding from the state Legislature, next year's school calendar will include 17 furlough Fridays — leaving a total of 163 instructional days — under a recently approved public school calendar. In a bid to crack down on longtime problem areas for prostitution, the Honolulu City Council is considering a bill that would target johns by impounding their cars. Chinese and Korean visitors, two key targets for growth in the state's recovering tourism industry, find plenty to like about Waikiki but say the night life is lacking. Honolulu police on Monday evening, caught a Hawaii State Hospital escapee with a violent record. The federal health reform plan preserves Hawaii's pre-paid health care act of 1974 which has insured 92 percent of the state's population. Family and friends of Nicole Scherzinger gathered in Makaha Valley to watch the premiere of season ten of "Dancing With The Stars." Administrators are working to continue Hilo Medical Center's transformation from its humble beginnings as a small-town hospital to a major regional health care provider. A new farmers market will open in less than two weeks, bringing aquaculture products grown at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority in North Kona to the public one Friday over the next four months. Admittedly, the traffic mitigation plan to extend Waiale Road to Honoapiilani Highway will take a little imagination on the part of some people to envision, Maui County officials said this week. The body of 58-year-old Kaua‘i resident Rodney Ahn found in Kalalau Valley last month prompted a state Department of Land and Natural Resources employee to raise questions about funding cutbacks, which he said are hurting the agency’s ability to perform its job.

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Feds give Hawaii $125.7M for roads, health insurers ailing, Maui sewage spill from tsunami still lingers, bank robbers active on Oahu, businesses to…

Hawaii received $125.7 million of the $26.6 billion allotted nationwide for highways under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the White House announced yesterday. Hawaii Medical Service Association, reeling from a $64.4 million loss in 2009—its worst annual loss ever—is requesting an average 7.8 percent small-business rate increase for its most popular health plan and said it is making a fundamental change in the way it reimburses its medical providers. The Hawaii Medical Service Association plans to raise premiums by an average of 7.8 percent for roughly 11,000 small businesses that buy health insurance for their employees. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Hawaii sustained a $7 million loss in the fourth quarter amid declining revenue as more members lost their jobs and enrolled in the state's Quest program for low-income individuals. The robbery of a Central Pacific Bank branch in Makiki yesterday makes the seventh bank heist of the year, nearly double the number reported at the same time last year. It was another cool, but noisy night of high winds. Monday's monthly siren test also tested emergency sirens that reportedly didn't fire on Saturday. Relief is on its way for thousands of Hawaii employers now facing close to a 1000 percent increase in their unemployment insurance taxes. Developer DW Aina Lea has about a month left to complete 16 affordable housing units at the Aina Lea project in South Kohala. A day after a small tsunami generated by a giant earthquake in Chile just kissed Hawaii's shores, Maui county officials were still advising the public to stay out of some ocean areas because of sewage spills. The Point at Po‘ipu’s timeshare management company said Monday that complaints about rising maintenance fees are based on a “fundamental misunderstanding” of the business, promising a lawsuit against the most vociferous owners within a week.

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Lucky we live Hawaii: Ahi, fireworks, Obama, Palin, Pelosi, Limbaugh and Rove and all the day’s news

A number of companies and hotels will offer pyrotechnics shows around the state on New Year's Eve as part of celebrations. Maui might get more crackle and pop this New Year's Eve. Dry conditions prompt fireworks warning Beginning at midnight, employees at Tanioka's Seafoods and Catering in Waipahu were to begin cutting large blocks of ahi into thin slices. The pre-dawn work today is in anticipation of the morning arrival of scores of customers who ordered sashimi for New Year's. President Barack Obama continued his low-key holiday vacation, spending several hours at the secluded North Shore home of a high school friend. Karl Rove, a senior advisor and top political strategist to former President George W. Bush, is scheduled to appear at the state GOP's annual Lincoln Day dinner in February, local Republicans said Wednesday. Rush Limbaugh, the conservative talk radio host, is "resting comfortably" in the Queen's Medical Center after suffering chest pains, his program said in a statement. In stark contrast to Sarah Palin, whose Hawaii vacation was photographed and touted in the press, Speaker Nancy Pelosi is enjoying a very private luxurious time at the Four Seasons Hualalai resort on the Big Island. Crime in Honolulu rose nearly 6 percent in the first half of 2009, even as it fell nationwide. Despite an initial rejection by the governor ... a proposed agreement to reduce the number of teacher furlough days is still alive. Hawaii County is moving forward with its revised version of a $1.4 million upgrade to Reed's Bay Beach Park in Hilo. Firefighters continued to build a fire break around the Kealakekua Ranch fire Tuesday, West Hawaii Battalion Chief Reuben Chun said. Many Hawaii County property owners are abusing agricultural tax exemptions and not paying their fair share of taxes, according to the chairman of the Real Property Tax Board of Review. The voters’ rejection in 2008 of a proposed charter amendment that would have loosened ethical restrictions does not impact how the law is interpreted, county officials have determined. Do you walk three miles to and from work everyday? Would you expect a 7-year-old to? A recent study has thrown new light on the previously underestimated extent of pre-contact Hawaiian agriculture, particularly in dry lee areas of the Big Island.

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