Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Ige vetoes 13 bills including aquarium fish restrictions and lifeguard liability, Honolulu ordered to pay EMTs $1M overtime, Maui's $354.5M Makena Resort approved, THAAD missile test successful, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

courtesy photo Hawaii Governor's Office
Gov. David Ige veto news conference, courtesy photo
Gov. David Ige used his veto pen to reject 13 bills Tuesday, including a measure that would have limited and eventually shut down the aquarium fish collecting trade in Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Governor Vetoes Aquarium Fishing Bill, 12 Others. Gov. David Ige faced a heavy lobbying campaign from both sides on a bill phasing out commercial collection of fish for the aquarium industry. Civil Beat.

Gov. David Ige vetoed 13 bills Tuesday, including a measure providing limited liability protection for county lifeguards, as a law with broader protections sunset on June 30. Maui News.

Gov. David Ige took the podium, spending around 10 minutes directly addressing a few of the 13 measures he chose to veto on Tuesday’s deadline for such action. West Hawaii Today.

Governor David Ige vetoed a bill that would have stopped new permits for aquarium fish collecting on Hawaii’s reefs, ending weeks of last-minute lobbying on the issue. Big Island Video News.

The Clift Tsuji Act became law on Tuesday with a stroke of Governor David Ige’s pen, ending an emotional journey for Ryan Tsuji, who helped shepherd the biosecurity-related bill through the legislature in fulfillment of his father’s dying wish. Big Island Video News.

Gov. David Ige signed a bill into law Tuesday that requires liability insurance for childcare providers. Hawaii News Now.

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Hawaii is home to two of the three most popular U.S. senators, according to approval rantings (69 percent for Brian Schatz and 67 percent for Mazie Hirono) in a new survey published by Morning Consult. Civil Beat.

Hawaii has seen some improvement in its fiscal condition, according to a new study by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. The Aloha State was ranked 27th among the U.S. states for fiscal health, a significant improvement from last year’s ranking, where it was ranked 45th. Pacific Business News.

A ballistic missile target simulating an intermediate-range North Korean threat that was launched by aircraft north of Hawaii was successfully intercepted Tuesday by a defensive missile in a key test of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, officials said. Star-Advertiser.

In a video interview with aviation analysis site CAPA, Hawaiian Airlines CEO Mark Dunkerley gave an update on competition, partnerships and attractive markets for the Honolulu-based airline, claiming that China will soon overtake Japan as Hawaii’s largest tourism market. Pacific Business News.

A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employee has been bitten by an endangered Hawaiian monk seal while swimming at Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Associated Press.

Hawaii’s push to expand the list of relatives exempt from President Donald Trump’s ban on travelers from six mostly Muslim countries is bogged down in court, where it has bounced from a federal judge to a federal appeals court and back to the same federal judge. Associated Press.

U.S. Department of Justice attorneys urged a judge to deny Hawaii’s renewed attempt to expand the list of relatives exempt from President Donald Trump’s ban on travelers from six mostly Muslim countries. Associated Press.

Kaiser grad accused of affiliation with ISIS made first Federal court appearance. KITV.

Forecasters are keeping a close eye on a new tropical storm in the East Pacific that has the potential to impact the Hawaiian islands. It is far too early to tell what kind of effects, if any, Tropical Storm Fernanda  will have on Hawaii, but early computer models show a track that moves in a direction toward the islands. Hawaii News Now.

This week, you'll be seeing an edgy new commercial targeting the Mormon Church in Hawaii, questioning its business practices. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii is again ranked next to last among U.S. states for business. The islands are ranked first, however, for quality of life for the fifth year in a row, according to a study released Tuesday by cable TV network CNBC. Star-Advertiser.

Jurassic World filming comes to an end, film's stars leave Hawaii. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

A federal judge has ordered the city to pay paramedics, emergency medical technicians and their attorneys $1.16 million for unpaid and late-paid overtime in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Star-Advertiser.

There's an age-old problem in the valleys of Oahu, where experts estimate that more than 70,000 residents live in areas that have been geologically unstable since Hawaii’s peaks first burst through the Pacific Ocean. A legal battle over a landslide and sewer line break in the Nuuanu Valley is one example of the unstable ground many people live on. Civil Beat.

Hawaii business executive Duane Kurisu and a host of dignitaries broke ground Tuesday on Kurisu’s ambitious vision to use public and private resources to erect permanent homes near Sand Island for 150 homeless families — or 600 adults and children. Star-Advertiser.

The first-ever public-private partnership was launched today on Oahu to provide permanent housing for homeless families. Hawaii Public Radio.

A state representative and at least one community leader are accusing Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s administration of stalling on a long-discussed road improvement project in the upper part of Kalihi Street. Star-Advertiser.

A state lawmaker wants to see Kalihi Street widened so drivers will slow down, particularly where the it curves. KHON2.

Changes to Honolulu plastic bag ban will hurt a local family business. KITV.

A Honolulu ZIP code has come in at No. 6 in the nation on a list of the most expensive ZIP codes by state, according to GoBankingRates.com. Pacific Business News.

It's never been a secret that Honolulu has some traffic issues, and now Honolulu has been ranked as the seventh-worst city for driving in a newly released study by WalletHub. Pacific Business News.

Honolulu had the 10th-most cranes in operation in the country at the start of the year, signaling a significant growth in construction projects, according to the 2017 Rider Levett Bucknall Crane Index. Rider Levett Bucknall is a global construction cost management, project management and advisory company based in Hong Kong. Star-Advertiser.

Traffic was shut down on both sides of the Pali Highway around noon Tuesday as a woman threatened to jump from the highway on the Kailua side of the tunnel, Honolulu police said. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Part of Hawaii Island’s ambitious legislative package to revitalize two areas in Hilo was pulled back from the brink Tuesday when Gov. David Ige issued his final list of vetoed bills. Tribune-Herald.

More senior citizens are on the waiting list for units at a housing complex under construction in Hilo than the total number of units the complex eventually will offer. The second phase of construction at Hilo’s Mohouli Heights Senior Neighborhood, which is intended to provide high-quality, affordable housing for low-income senior citizens, is on track for completion in October. Tribune-Herald.

North Hawaii residents packed the Waimea School cafeteria Tuesday anxious to hear from administrators of The Queen’s Health Systems and North Hawaii Community Hospital in the wake of reports of layoffs at the hospital. West Hawaii Today.

The Pacific Tsunami Museum in Hilo is asking for the public’s help with finding missing parts from a beloved sculpture at the corner of Kamehameha Avenue and Kalakaua Street. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii Island Pictures Future in Film and Video. Hawaii Public Radio.

Colin “Bud” Love, a community champion and longtime per diem judge, died July 1. Love died peacefully at his home at the age of 81. West Hawaii Today.

Maui


With a lawsuit against the project settled, the Maui Planning Commission unanimously approved a special management area use permit Tuesday for the $354.5 million mixed-use Makena Resort. Maui News.

A senior affordable housing project is being proposed for development in Kahului at the intersection of Kane and Vevau Streets. Maui Now.

Last month’s auction of Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co.’s mill equipment will be the last time the former company’s assets go on the auction block, company and auction officials said Tuesday. Maui News.

A Maui Community Correctional Center guard told an inmate she would lose her work furlough privileges if she reported having sexual contact with him, the woman testified Tuesday. Maui News.

Maui’s residential real estate market sizzled in June as home prices and sales achieved double-digit percentage gains from the year-earlier period. Star-Advertiser.

Sales increased by double digits on Maui last month for single-family homes and condominiums, growing 21.2 percent and 11.8 percent, respectively, according to the Realtors Association of Maui. Pacific Business News.

Kauai

The Opaekaa Road bridge is on the road to being replaced and the single-lane bridge’s character won’t change much, thanks to input from the community. Garden Island.

Kauai Community Recycling Services, who owns and operates the HI5 bottle redemption center in the Arzadon Industrial Park in Kapaa, has changed the schedule of this facility. Garden Island.

Broken television sets, dilapidated tires and other past-their-prime household items dotted the grounds around Wailua Reservoir before Lori Stitt took action. Garden Island.

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