Kauai's last sugar harvest, University of Hawaii battles cuts, other state and local news

Gay & Robinson, Inc. announced Wednesday that “subject to favorable weather, the last sugar cane grown by the company will be processed by the mill in late October.”

Kauai Mayor Carvalho, Jr.'s Reaction: "I can't express how saddened I am for the employees and their families and for all of Kauai to see our last remaining sugar plantation close its doors for good. Although we all knew it was coming, that doesn't make it any easier."

University of Hawaii at Manoa colleges and departments are being asked to cut up to 6 percent more from their budgets because faculty labor contracts have not yet been settled.

The second attempt to pass a bill that would outlaw single-use plastic bags from the Kauai’s retail establishments came up short Wednesday, but frustrated proponents said they remain resolute and confident in their ability to push it through.

As coral reefs continue to die off from environmental stresses, including global warming, the Waikiki Aquarium has come up with a unique way to help preserve this pivotal part of the ocean.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs will eliminate 28 of its 178 positions as part of a new strategic plan outlined yesterday.

A 17-member task force formed to help the city decide the future of the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium remains highly divided going into its final meeting today, in which members will vote on whether the 82-year-old landmark should stay or go.

The federal government has issued a revised plan to protect the Laysan duck, the most endangered waterfowl in the country.

As the Pacific Tsunami Museum looks back on its 15-year history, it is telling that the first meeting of its board of directors was canceled due to an evacuation and tsunami threat from the Kuril Islands.

Economists use a bit of "alphabet soup" to create visual representations of economic downturns and recovery, says Hawaii Pacific University professor Leroy Lane.

The Maui Planning Commission denied three petitions to intervene in the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa's $250 million expansion application Tuesday.