Poll shows Ige, Schatz, Takai in lead, super PAC money influencing local races, Honolulu council rethinks property tax hike, Apple to get high-paid teaching job, Cachola fined for campaign spending violations, 2 Hokulea crew flown for medical aid, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

David Ige, Neil Abercrombie © 2014 All Hawaii News

With barely a week to go before the primary election, state Sen. David Ige has a double-digit lead over Gov. Neil Abercrombie in the race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, a new Civil Beat poll shows. A majority of Hawaii voters surveyed statewide, or 51 percent, who say they will vote in the Democratic primary said they would vote for Ige, compared with 41 percent for Abercrombie. Just 8 percent said they are undecided.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz appears to have stretched out his lead over U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, according to the latest Civil Beat Poll. The survey of likely Democratic voters shows Schatz with a 49 percent to 41 percent edge on the congresswoman. Poll results also show Hawaii Rep. Mark Takai is now the frontrunner in a seven-way free-for-all for the Democratic nomination in the state’s 1st Congressional District.

Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui raised significantly more than his top challenger, state Sen. Clayton Hee, in the last month, but Hee holds the edge in available cash for the final stretch of the campaign. Star-Advertiser.

Political upsets are rare in Hawai’i and incumbent candidates, especially at the Congressional level, don’t usually lose to lesser- known challengers. Hawaii Public Radio.

This week Hawaii is presenting its own initiative on addressing climate, sustainability, renewable energy and natural resource management at the 45th Pacific Islands Forum, an annual gathering of more than 300 delegates from 16 independent and self-governing Pacific states with the stated goal of stimulating economic growth and enhancing governance, security and cooperation in the region through policy advice. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii residents need a household income of $122,175 in order to be happy, the largest dollar amount in the nation, according to a new study by Nerdwallet.com. Star-Advertiser.

2 seek medical attention as Hokulea, Hikianalia arrive in Cook Islands. KHON2.

Oahu
Candidates in two Honolulu City Council races are complaining about large sums of money being spent to defeat them by independent expenditure committees, also known as "super PACs," that are not limited by traditional campaign laws. Star-Advertiser.

State Rep. Romy Cachola agreed to pay a $2,496 fine to the state and reimburse his campaign $32,166 to settle a complaint filed against him by the Campaign Spending Commission. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu City Council members are seeking to provide relief to Oahu property owners caught off-guard by a hike in property taxes this year. Civil Beat.

University of Hawaii President David Lassner said former Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple's performance over the past two years raised serious red flags about his abilities to turn around a fiscal crisis, inspire his leadership team to carry out strategic goals, and champion the university's flagship campus. Star-Advertiser.

Fired University of Hawaii Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple will be reassigned to a tenured faculty post that would pay him nearly three times as much as the average professor in UH’s chemistry department, but it’s unclear whether he will stay at the university. Hawaii News Now.

Officials are urging people to stay out of windward Oahu waters because of a pair of false killer whales in appear in distress. Associated Press.

A new academic year that includes increased classroom time and assessments on a new national test aligned to more rigorous curriculum standards greets the more than 185,000 isle public school students returning to school Friday. Star-Advertiser.

The Kahala Hotel & Resort has been sold to Japanese-based Resorttrust Inc. for $300 million, which equates to $887,000 per room, the next-to-highest per-room price paid for a Hawaii hotel and the highest per-room price paid for an Oahu property. Star-Advertiser.

Castle Medical Center, Hawaii National Bank and Aerotek took top honors as Hawaii’s Healthiest Employers during a Pacific Business News event Thursday, for creating an atmosphere of health and wellness for their employees in the workplace.

Hawaii

A Honolulu political action committee has pumped tens of thousands of dollars into three Hawaii County Council campaigns, in each case eclipsing the money the candidates were able to raise on their own. West Hawaii Today.

Two of the three candidates vying for the County Council seat in District 9 expressed concerns about the likely results of a request for proposals to deal with Hawaii County’s garbage. West Hawaii Today.

A complaint alleging Hawaii County Council District 5 candidate Tiffany Edwards Hunt does not qualify to run in the Puna mauka election will not receive a formal ruling since it was filed after the June 10 deadline for candidate objections. Tribune-Herald.

The Hawaii Independent has sent a series of follow up questions to OHA trustee Bob Lindsey asking how the decision to back down from contesting the Thirty Meter Telescope sublease was reached.

Maui

The future of Hawaii’s young tech industry was at the heart of a tech town hall last week. Many of the 50 or so attendees were left wondering whether Mbloom, a Maui-based venture fund, would either become the poster child for Hawaii’s burgeoning success or its potential source of implosion. Civil Beat.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held today for the new Central Maui Regional Sports Complex located on 65-acres in the master-planned Waiʻale community. Maui Now.

An Idaho-based real estate and financing firm has completed a draft environmental assessment for a proposed 186-unit, affordable rental housing project in Kihei. Maui News.

The remnants of tropical system Wali battered the deteriorating 138-year-old Ka'ahumanu Church, leaving puddles and the church interior soaked before Sunday service July 20. Maui News.

Kauai

The state Department of Education says the closures of four Kauai public schools were necessary because the water system was compromised during a construction project in Hanamaulu. The Kauai Department of Water issued an advisory instructing residents to boil water. Associated Press.

The problems at Kauai Pasta started Wednesday when the restaurant closed two hours early after the water shut off in the middle of the evening rush. When the water came back on, it was murky. Garden Island.

Billy DeCosta says he is not what you may call “the typical politician.” While late Mayor Bryan Baptiste was still in office, DeCosta recalled a time when he and Waimea High School students built 12 picnic tables in three months after county officials provided the materials. Garden Island.