Campaign season officially begins, Honolulu needs a mayor, Honolulu councilman under criminal investigation, Big Island councilman fights arrest, Maui councilman fights residency requirement, Superferry leaked red ink, more Hawaii news

The Hawai‘i Superferry was sailing under a facade of success in the summer of 2008 — boasting of record ridership — but it had already begun to shortchange the state on its monthly fees, according to an Associated Press review of Department of Transportation records. Associated Press.

Political hopefuls made their candidacy official for the state primaries and the general election Tuesday. KITV.

Hawaii's vastly outnumbered Republicans are looking to make a comeback this election year, with GOP candidates running in almost every legislative district of the nation's second-most politically monolithic state. Associated Press.

This year's election is drawing a lot of interest from both parties and today as many as three dozen more people became candidates in the nick of time. KHON2.

Former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann said yesterday that his chief executive experience as mayor of the state's largest city would shape his campaign for governor, but his opponent, former U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, dismissed that record as a failure. Star-Advertiser.

The feisty race for governor is on. Hawaii News Now.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann Tuesday became candidate Hannemann after he filed to run for Hawaii governor. KITV.

Neil Abercrombie also had harsh words for his democratic challenger in the governor’s race. KHON2.

As Mufi Hannemann leaves one political arena for another, Hawaii News Now asked three observers to grade his job performance as Honolulu's mayor. Hawaii News Now.

The Hawaii State Office of Elections released the completed list of all candidates for office on the filing deadline, Tuesday July 20. Hawaii News Now.

With a vacancy in the mayor's office created by Mufi Hannemann's resignation to run for governor, the City Council has scheduled a meeting tomorrow to set the date of a special election to fill the final two years of his term. Star-Advertiser.

North Kona Councilman Kelly Greenwell vowed Monday to fight charges after an altercation Saturday with police that Greenwell claimed left him "tethered to a post like a goat while being booked as a criminal." West Hawaii Today.

North Kona Councilman Kelly Greenwell has been arrested and released after getting into a "wrestling match" with a police officer who cited him for speeding Saturday in Kailua-Kona. Tribune-Herald.

The Lanai City hearing in the voter registration appeal against Maui County Council Member Sol Kaho'ohalahala concluded Monday, and now a decision is once again in the hands of the state Board of Registration for Maui County. Maui News.

The Department of the Attorney General  is leading a criminal investigation into mayoral candidate and City Councilman Rod Tam’s spending of city funds, Civil Beat has learned. Civil Beat.

Reading and math learning goals for Hawaii public schools are "mediocre" and "often vague," says a new national report that gives the state a "C" for its educational standards. Star-Advertiser.

Fishermen who use longlines to catch ahi, mahimahi and other fish off Hawaii should use a different kind of hook so they don't accidentally severely injure or kill a rare dolphin species, a federal advisory group said. Associated Press.

A beloved Kauai tradition may be going to the birds. Hawaii News Now.

A former military public affairs officer said she was trying to "inform and entertain" readers when she described Rim of the Pacific naval exercises as "snoozepac" and the "world's largest floating cocktail party" in a separate blog. Star-Advertiser.

The state Supreme Court has affirmed an earlier ruling saying the owners of Turtle Bay Resort must complete a new environmental study if they want to build thousands more hotel rooms on Oahu's North Shore. Associated Press.

A steadily moving lava flow remained about 100 yards from a Kalapana home Monday afternoon, and threatened four others as it continued to make its way eastward toward the ocean. Tribune-Herald.

The Kaua‘i County Council in 2008 budgeted hundreds of thousands of dollars for Kekaha to spend on community improvements in exchange for hosting the island’s only landfill for decades. Garden Island.

A study comparing the cost of trucking garbage to West Hawaii to expanding the Hilo landfill seems to have stalled with the departure of former Environmental Management Director Lono Tyson. West Hawaii Today.

A notice to proceed for design of Phase 2 of the Queen Kaahumanu Highway widening project was given July 7 to Goodfellow Bros. Inc. by the state Department of Transportation, but announced Monday, said Ed Brown, Goodfellow Bros. regional manager. West Hawaii Today.

Because of a staff shortage, trash was not collected as planned in parts of Kihei on Monday. Maui News.

Maui County is invalidating the environmental study for a plant that would treat water diverted from central Maui streams. Associated Press.

There were many people on Monday who wanted to connect to the past when sugar was king in Hawai‘i. Garden Island.

Hawaii Centers for Independent Living offers services to adults with permanent disability and now has an office open on Molokai. Molokai Dispatch.