Monday, June 26, 2017

Aquarium bill, 14 others, face Ige veto; Onizuka memorabilia moving to Honolulu; Kona crab catch limits mulled; Kauai mayor returns budget unsigned; Big Island chief judge Ibarra retiring, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

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Gov. David Ige said Friday he will likely veto a bill that would severely curtail and eventually end the aquarium fish collecting trade in Hawaii, stating it would be premature to consider a ban before more studies are done. Star-Advertiser.

Gov. David Ige plans to veto 15 bills, including a proposal backed by environmental groups seeking to phase out the catching of aquarium fish in Hawaii. The governor similarly intends to veto a bill that critics feared would give public worker unions too much power. Civil Beat.

Governor Has Signed 48 Bills Into Law. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige plans to veto a bill that would forbid issuing new aquarium fishing permits. Associated Press.

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council recommended lowering the 2017 annual catch limit for main Hawaiian Islands Kona crab of 3,500 pounds. The previously recommended ACL for this fishery was 27,600 pounds. Maui Now.

Travel agents named Hawaii as the “destination with the highest client satisfaction” in TravelAge West’s Western Agents’ Vote of Excellence competition. Star-Advertiser.

A politically connected ship repair company has finally succeeded in a years-long lobbying campaign to get lawmakers to sweeten a special tax credit to subsidize the company’s relocation from state-owned waterfront land to make way for a new container terminal. Star-Advertiser.

The Board of Education has set aside $114,500 to cover merit-based raises ranging from 2 to 3.75 percent for senior Department of Education executives. Star-Advertiser.

On Saturday, pediatricians will be the last of the Hawaii Medical Service Association’s primary care doctors to undergo a change by which they will be paid a fixed monthly rate per patient in a practice instead of being reimbursed for each procedure or patient visit. Star-Advertiser.

The state unveiled a new website Friday aimed at helping track the hundreds of sex assault kits that still haven't been tested for DNA. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu


The agency overseeing the island’s financially troubled rail transit project is losing another key leader. Brennon Morioka, who’s worked nearly 4-1/2 years as the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s deputy executive director, submitted his resignation earlier this month. Star-Advertiser.

In a countersuit filed Thursday, the Blood Bank of Hawaii accuses the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation of acting “in bad faith” and “recklessly subjecting Hawaii’s blood supply to grave but unnecessary risks.” Star-Advertiser.

The Navy agreed it needs to do more to evaluate fuel and water flow modeling beneath and around the Red Hill fuel storage facility before a Dec. 8 deadline for a finalized fuel tank upgrade plan. Star-Advertiser.

Houses and condominiums here are being snapped up at a feverish pace as the summer home-buying season kicks off.  Star-Advertiser.

Oahu youths holding golf identification cards will be able to play golf for free at any of the six city-owned courses starting July 1 under a bill expected to be signed by Mayor Kirk Caldwell in the coming days. Star-Advertiser.

A year after the Ellison Onizuka Space Center closed its doors in Kona, the country's first Asian-American astronaut's legacy lives on through a new exhibit in Moilili. Hawaii News Now.

Japanese Cultural Center to get Onizuka memorabilia moved from Kona after airport expansion. Star-Advertiser.

The Board of Water Supply is responding to multiple main breaks that happened early Sunday morning. Hawaii News Now.

Several coastal areas were inundated with water Saturday as this month's round of king tides reach close to record levels. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Chief Judge Ibarra to retire after 28 years on bench. West Hawaii Today.

Should tourism helicopters fly only over the ocean instead of neighborhoods to decrease their noise? Or will that endanger lives — and the tourism industry? Tribune-Herald.

Fear of rat lungworm disease impacts Hawaii Island produce market. West Hawaii Today.

UniEnergy Technologies is planning to install a grid-scale energy storage system on the Big Island of Hawaii later this year. Pacific Business News.

Officials with Hawaii island’s Department of Water Supply said this week that North Kona consumers are largely ignoring the notice for mandatory 25 percent reduction in water use issued in January. Associated Press.

Maui

Five new contracts totaling nearly $8.3 million were awarded last month for air-conditioning and ventilation projects at Maui County public schools. Maui News.

An environmental impact statement preparation notice has been posted for a renewable energy conversion and sludge processing project at the Wailuku-Kahului Wastewater Reclamation Facility. Maui News.

The sustainability of the Waiehu Municipal Golf Course is on the agenda of the County Council’s Parks, Recreation, Energy and Legal Affairs Committee at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Council Chambers in Wailuku. Maui News.

VIDEO: Count Down to July 1st Maui Hospital Transition. Maui Now.

Kauai

County budget returned unsigned; council version goes into effect July 1. Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. said the newest version of fiscal year 2017-2018 budget does not adequately prepare the county for a sustainable future. Garden Island.

Two Hawaiian men at the center of a dispute to determine rightful ownership of 17 acres of Coco Palms resort property will be in court on Wednesday to hear the state’s response to their claim of kuleana land. Garden Island.

A lack of resources and a change in monitoring criteria caused the Environmental Protection Agency to mandate the state Department of Health’s Hawaii Beach Monitoring Program. The newly formed Beach Monitoring Program was aired out Wednesday at a meeting on Kauai. Garden Island.

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