Monday, July 11, 2016

Native Hawaiian sovereignty movement slows, police killings rise, Ige holds education conference, special session looming for Maui medical privatization, shuttle returns to Kauai, Kalaupapa memorial proceeds, wind turbines concern energy advocates, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

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Albert Kahiwahiwaokalani Haa Jr. addresses U.S. Department of the Interior officials in 2014. ©2016 All Hawaii News
A plan with a timeline to raise $2 million and bring the newly created Native Hawaiian constitution to a ratification vote by the end of the year might have been a tad ambitious. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii police have shot and killed four people so far this year, twice as many as were fatally shot by officers during all of 2015, according to data collected by The Washington Post. Civil Beat.

Some 900 teachers, students, administrators, parents and community members answered Gov. David Ige’s call to add their voice to an ongoing conversation about improving Hawaii public schools by spending the better part of Saturday at the governor’s education summit. Star-Advertiser.

Some early childhood educators in Hawaii earn an unlivable wage while parents have few resources to pay for childcare. Associated Press.

Good government advocates have given their “Rusty Scalpel” award this year to state Rep. Chris Lee’s organic food tax credit bill. The ignominious award recognizes a bill that has had its contents substantially amended during the legislative session with limited opportunity for the public to comment or members of the Legislature to weigh in. Star-Advertiser.

The two sides of the Navy/Marine Corps amphibious coin — ship to shore via traditional watercraft and via aircraft such as the newer tilt-rotor Osprey — are a big focus of Rim of the Pacific exercises, and a growing interest for partner nations in the region. That importance is highlighted in the high-tech ships here for RIMPAC. Star-Advertiser.

First Hawaiian Bank on Friday filed its initial registration form for a new entity with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, a step toward an initial public offering for Hawaii's largest bank to become an independent publicly traded company. First Hawaiian Bank.

How HECO Helped Pull Hawaii Through The Tough Times. Hawaiian Electric played a key role in Hawaii’s economic recovery from the Great Depression. And then World War II hit the islands. Civil Beat.

 Oahu

The three men widely considered the top candidates for mayor of Honolulu each held fundraisers over the past two weeks. Civil Beat.

Understaffing for the City and County of Honolulu’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has become a chronic problem—ambulance units have to close for a shift because no one is available to run it. KHON2.

Hawaii nonprofit organizations are calling on federal officials to include members of the public in plans to build floating wind turbines off Hawaii's shores before they move forward with the projects. Associated Press.

Hawaii

Scientists say although progress has been slow during the past two days, the flow is still advancing. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory posted new photos. Big Island Video News.

A promise by developer Stanford Carr to walk a former council member through the planned Alii Palms subdivision was sufficient Thursday to convince the County Council Planning Committee to grant concessions for the 58-unit development. West Hawaii Today.

A Democratic primary challenger who identifies as being “old school” is facing incumbent Rep. Richard Onishi for the state House seat he has held since 2012 — District 3, stretching 56 miles from Hilo to Kau. Ainoa Naniole, a 36-year-old lawyer, is stepping into the political arena for the first time but says politics has always been in his sights. Star-Advertiser.

The Queen’s Health Systems announced Friday that Cindy Kamikawa has been appointed the next president of North Hawaii Community Hospital in Waimea. Pacific Business News.

Maui

The Hawaii Legislature may convene a special session to try to save a bill intended to help public employees at three Maui hospitals. Those employees risk losing their jobs in the privatization of those hospitals. Civil Beat.

On July 1, operational control of three Maui County public hospitals was supposed to have been transferred to health care provider Kaiser Permanente, sealing a historic public-private partnership that Gov. David Ige said would save the state $260 million over the next decade. Maui News.

More than 50 sign-wavers from the Hawaii Government Employees Association showed support Friday for their members at the three Maui County public hospitals affected by the state's privatization of operations. The sign-wavers along Kaahumanu Avenue in front of Queen Ka'ahumanu Center were urging Gov. David Ige to take a bill that provides severance and early retirement options to certain workers in the public hospitals adversely affected by the operational change off his veto list. Maui News.

The median sales price for Maui single-family homes edged higher by 1.1 percent to $657,000, up from $650,000. For a condo, the sales price jumped 8.2 percent to $384,000, up from $355,000. Pacific Business News.

Kauai

A Hawaii Dispensary Alliance report said Kauai may see between $1.5 million to $4.5 million of revenue generated from Green Aloha Limited, its sole medical marijuana dispensary, based upon the island’s 1,689 registered medical marijuana patients, during the company’s first 12 months of operation. Garden Island.

Floating wind turbines have been proposed for the 72-mile wide Ka’ie’iewaho Channel, which separates Kauai and Oahu and the environmental conservation group Life of the Land is calling for meetings on both islands to bring the public up to speed. Garden Island.

Starting Friday, the Hawaii Tourism Authority is bringing back the North Shore Shuttle Service, which rolled out in November 2014 and ran for six months. This time around, it’ll run through September. Stops include the Princeville Airport and Kee Beach. Garden Island.

Molokai

A proposed memorial years in the making is becoming a reality in Kalaupapa, providing a tangible place to remember the thousands of individuals who were sent to the settlement, many of whom were buried in unmarked graves. Maui News.

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