Lawmakers target taxes, hospitals, restaurants and drunk drivers, Census seeks better representation, Chinatown and cherry blossoms celebrated, more

The state Senate is set to discuss a bill Monday to privatize Hawaii Health Systems Corp. as a nonprofit organization.

For some legislative observers, the very idea that lawmakers will raise your taxes had become more of a "fait accompli" even before the starting gun had been shot.

Impounding a drunk driver's car for a year and furthering the education of bartenders and servers at the core of two new bills being introduced to the state Legislature this year.

The ingredients in entrees served at restaurants across the state are the target of new legislation at Hawaii's Capitol.

Local census officials estimate Hawai'i lost out on $310 million in federal funding over the past 10 years because of "undercounting" in the 2000 census.

Maui's commercial real estate industry sure isn't as bad as on the Mainland, said veteran local leasing broker Ed Bello of Bello Realty Inc., who on a recent business trip to Colorado saw a bankrupt big-box store converted into a charter school and a former Blockbuster Video into a veterinary clinic.

The state is driving the adoption of electric and alternate vehicles through a variety of mandates and grants, but the push could add to costs at government agencies and businesses already grappling with the worst economy in decades.

The Year of the Golden Tiger will be celebrated this year in conjunction with Valentine's Day, an occurrence that happened only a few times during the past century. But don't let the added romanticism fool you.

Hawaiian Holdings Inc., the parent company of Hawaiian Airlines, has posted a profit for the fourth quarter and for full year 2009.

An idea to keep Waimea from falling off the map as the Big Island grew has become a full-fledged explosion of color and fun for Big Island residents.

Parents and school officials have long questioned whether Hawaii students are prepared for life beyond high school.

Consumers are changing the way they use energy, said Brad Parsons of Kauaians for a Bright Future.

The Chinatown art renaissance continues.

Drought extreme, Kauai bulldozes Native Hawaiian homes, state credit rating down, Fasi remembered, command center a white elephant, Big Island stores on Target, roll call on civil unions, more state news

The rainy season here is falling so far short of normal this year that Hawaii is the only state with a National Weather Service assessment of "extreme drought" status.

Several Native Hawaiian families had their dwellings bulldozed Thursday after county officials determined they were illegally erected on county park land along Wainiha Bay and Wainiha River.

Tapping into reserves and special funds such as the state's hurricane relief or rainy-day funds to help balance the state budget could contribute to a lowering of Hawai'i's bond rating, Moody's Investors Services said.

Moody's Investors Service lowered its outlook for $4.7 billion in Hawaii general-obligation bonds, saying the state is depleting budget reserves as a tourism slump reduces tax revenue.

Friends and foes of Frank F. Fasi yesterday remembered Honolulu's longest-serving mayor as a savvy politician who fought for the little guy and got things done, often with little regard for conventional practices.

Even as Mayor Hannemann pushes forward with rail transit today he's following in Frank Fasi's steps. Fasi was one of the first supporters of rail more than 40 years ago.

A high-tech, state-of-the-art emergency mobile command unit that cost $700,000 has sat idle for 2 1/2 years after it arrived in Hawaii.

State Rep. Joe Bertram III has declared bankruptcy for a second time, saying he is unable to cover medical expenses from an illness that hospitalized him last year.

The Kenoi Administration wants to sell another Hamakua parcel of land.

Target and Safeway were welcomed with a mixture of gratitude and relief Wednesday as representatives broke ground on the $60 million Makaala Center in Hilo.

The Kaloko Housing Program took incremental steps forward Wednesday, but county officials seem confident the affordable housing project will be serving residents by early 2011.

The Weekly asked each representative: How did you vote in the voice vote on Speaker Say’s motion to postpone House Bill 444? Here’s what they told us.

Casinos coming to Hawaii? Frank Fasi dies, education in a muddle, plastic bag ban bagged, biodiesel for the Big island, more news

Casino operations could take place on Hawaiian Home Lands under a bill that advanced out of the House Hawaiian Affairs Committee yesterday.

Former Honolulu Mayor Frank F. Fasi died last night in his Makiki home at the age of 90.

Two bills that advanced in the state House yesterday would let voters decide if the state Board of Education should be appointed by the governor.

U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie appears to be the favored son of attorneys, while Mayor Mufi Hannemann is the big winner among engineers and heads of companies.

How the University of Hawaii budget fares at the state Capitol is one of several factors that will determine how much tuition could go up at the 10 UH campuses, UH President M.R.C. Greenwood said yesterday after giving a first-ever State of the University speech before a joint session of the Legislature.

Grab those extra blankets - it's cold thanks to those north winds blowing in a big dry air mass after Tuesday's rain.

Too often in Hawaii's history, and today, people building on previously undeveloped land have damaged or destroyed archaeological sites, artifacts and iwi, or bones, said state Rep. Mele Carroll.

By a vote of 24 to 1, the state Senate confirmed former US Attorney Ed Kubo's appointment to be a Circuit Court judge.

Plastic bags don't litter the landscape; people do.

A new biodiesel plant that will produce 2.6 million gallons a year is planned for Keaau.

With one eye firmly trained on public safety, another on protecting local businesses and both hands firmly grasping the steering wheel, the Kaua‘i County Council on Wednesday passed an ordinance that will bar drivers from using handheld electronic devices.

The Hawaii County Council is considering impact fees on building permits as an alternative to the county's current reliance on "Fair Share" contributions from developers.

A Hawaii County Council committee heard from about two dozen people Tuesday night who testified that police are ignoring the voter-passed initiative making adult personal use of marijuana the lowest law-enforcement priority.

A Wailuku Elementary School teacher was arrested Tuesday morning after police reported finding crystal methamphetamine in a search of her Kahului residence.

A first grade teacher at Wailuku Elementary School teacher is facing serious drug charges.

State seeks to tax cash sales and the bag you take it home in, home sales up a bit, cell phone driving bans ineffective, federal money coming for rail, more news

Special state agents are scrutinizing businesses' cash sales in hopes of taxing some of the $2 billion in unreported transactions estimated to occur in Hawaii every year.

Hawaii state lawmakers are considering a proposal that would force customers to pay more at the grocery store.

Hawaii parents want school furloughs to end right now, but two state Senate committees are looking to the future to make sure Hawaii's public school children are never again robbed of any classroom time.

O'ahu's housing market started the year on a positive note, as the median price of previously owned single-family homes sold in January jumped 10.8 percent to $597,500 from $539,500 a year earlier.

Former U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo's chances of being confirmed by the state Senate as a Circuit Court judge improved yesterday when an influential senator who had opposed Kubo said he would likely vote for his confirmation.

The Federal Transit Administration has included funding for the Honolulu rail system in President Barack Obama's fiscal 2011 budget, in anticipation of the rail plan's clearing environmental review

A high surf advisory is in effect for north and west facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai and north facing shores of Maui.

Blocked wells have left Puna Geothermal Ventures falling behind on its contract with Hawaii Electric Light Co., plant manager Mike Kaleikini said Monday.

Maui Land and Pineapple Co. will cease paying for life insurance and medical coverage for all its noncontractual retirees.

While the Kauai County Council continues to tweak a proposed ban on handheld electronics for Kaua‘i drivers, a leading institute on highway safety reported last week that similar laws across the country have not resulted in a lower incidence of traffic accidents.

UH spring enrollment highest ever, lawmakers eyeing Hurricane Relief Fund for schools, political season kicks off and other top Hawaii news

The recession and a lousy job market continue to fuel enrollment at the University of Hawai'i, which yesterday reported its highest-ever student count for a spring semester.

The University of Hawaii reports opening enrollment for the 10-campus system for the spring 2010 semester was 55,761 students.

A Board of Regents subcommittee is recommending that the University of Hawaii take in more out-of-state students as a way to increase revenue and enhance UH's reputation.

In a first pass at resolving teacher furloughs, the Legislature yesterday moved ahead on bills that would divert money from the Hawai'i Hurricane Relief Fund but delayed action on a proposal to increase taxes or take money from the rainy day fund.

A state Senate committee on Monday approved taking millions of dollars from the state's hurricane relief fund to reduce the number of public school furlough days.

Three state Senate committees passed two bills to end budget-cutting closures at public schools and restore instructional days by taking money from the Hurricane Relief Fund.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann has declined to formally announce whether he is running for governor, but his exploratory committee has raised $2.3 million and already spent $300,000.

Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann is still not an official candidate for governor, but his unofficial campaign treasury is the richest of the potential candidates.

Election officials report brisk business across the state with potential candidates taking out nomination papers to run in the 2010 election.

The 2010 election season is officially underway as Monday marked the first day candidates can start filing for office.

The last time Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann introduced a measure limiting plastic bags, the administration vetoed it as being too broad.

A mobile medical van could be serving South Kona and Ka'u residents within months, following 10 years of effort by state Rep. Bob Herkes.


Organizers are calling it Waikapu's "Field of Dreams."

Monk seals in peril, NOAA grant to aid marine research, PUC in dispute, honked horn sets off deadly McDonald's drive-through crash, more news

The 2009 Hawaiian monk seal breeding season produced the fewest pups in at least 10 years as the highly endangered marine mammal species continued its slide toward possible extinction.

A $1 million-a-year grant has been awarded to the University of Hawaii Kewalo Marine Laboratory for five years by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to work with Pacific islanders on land-sea interactions and damage to coral reefs, recreational and fishery resources.

High-ranking military officials opened a gate separating Hickam Air Force Base and Naval Station Pearl Harbor yesterday, starting the process of combining management support at their installations.

A dispute within the three-member Hawai'i Public Utilities Commission threatens to compound problems at the agency, which is already slow at making decisions because of staff and budget cuts.

A honked horn appears to be what set people off in a McDonald's drive-thru, leading to a crash that killed a young woman Sunday.

Water tanks are running dry, lawns are turning brown and the scant rain that has fallen this month is doing little to help.

A mobile medical van could be serving South Kona and Ka'u residents within months, following 10 years of effort by state Rep. Bob Herkes.

With a high cost of living and a tiny economy of limited job prospects, survival on Lanai has never been easy.

Dog owners have only one option when it comes to a place where they can throw Frisbees with their best friends.

Gay photo display in Capitol draws controversy, train off to slow start, Kaloko Dam costs county big, Kubo's confirmation in jeopardy, other state news

The civil unions bill could live or die Friday after the state house meets behind closed doors to decide if they'll hold a vote on the issue. In the meantime, photographs featuring gay and lesbian couples are on display inside the state capitol creating its own controversy.

The governor's appointment of former federal prosecutor Ed Kubo to an Oahu Circuit Court judgeship is uncertain after a Senate committee deadlocked on approving his nomination.

The start of construction on Honolulu's planned $5.3 billion commuter rail project could be delayed several months as Gov. Linda Lingle examines details of the city's financial plan which she said appear "shaky at best."

Some lawmakers are betting that Hawaii residents heading to Las Vegas or other gambling meccas might be willing to pay $10 now to avoid paying state taxes if they win big later.

Kaua'i County will pay $7.5 million as its portion of a $25 million out-of-court settlement following the 2006 Kaloko dam disaster that killed seven people and caused widespread damage, the county announced yesterday.

Home sales are coming back, but other real estate indicators are still in the tank.

The Department of Environmental Management plans no new fees or fee increases in the 2010-111 budget it will submit to the Hawaii County Council this spring.

The much-discussed and long-desired five-year update to the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan got one step closer to becoming official county policy Wednesday — but not without some controversy.

It is a sad fact that the Kalaupapa Hansen's disease settlement is losing patients every year, down to less than 20 today, said state Sen. J. Kalani English, whose district includes the island of Molokai.

Navigating Hilo's Bayfront may soon become easier and more fun than ever.