Showing posts with label Air Force. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Air Force. Show all posts

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Hawaii Marines, Air Force to lose $32M to Trump's border wall, Honolulu plastics ban advances, Maui injection well fight heading to Supreme Court, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2019 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Don Graves addresses Hawaii Marines ©2019 All Hawaii News
$32M in Hawaii military projects to be cut for U.S. border wall. A total of $32 million for security improvements to the back gate of Marine Corps Base Hawaii and an Air Force training facility at Hickam Field is being diverted for President Donald Trump’s border wall, the Pentagon said Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii, Guam To Lose Millions In Military Funding For Trump’s Border Wall. The casualties include stronger security at Kaneohe Marine Corps Base and a new machine gun range on Guam. Civil Beat.

Millions For Local Military Projects Diverted For Border Wall. President Donald Trump defunded two of Hawaii’s military projects to pay for his administration's southern border wall, including one project deemed high priority by the U.S. Marine Corps.  Hawaii Public Radio.

$32M for Hawaii military projects to be cut as Trump seeks money for border wall. The president’s plan to cut $3.6 billion slated for military construction projects in order to spend the money on fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border includes $32 million in cuts to “high priority” projects at military bases in Hawaii, officials confirmed. Hawaii News Now.

Trump to Defund Hawaii Military Projects. Big Island Now.

Case criticizes Trump over border wall funding. Hawaii U-S Congressman Ed Case lashed out at President Donald Trump -- over funding for a "Border Wall". By diverting money from the military, Case believes it'll cripple our country's security. KITV.

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Looming Recession Expected To Take A Bite Out Of State Revenues. A slew of tax legislation passed by the Legislature in 2019 was offset by tax breaks and will make little difference. Civil Beat.

Homeless Advocates Test Hawaii’s New Forced-Treatment Law. Some 30% of Hawaii’s homeless suffer from a serious mental illness. Civil Beat.

No bonus year for vehicle registrations. It was designed to be a super-easy service — but a computer glitch over Labor Day weekend means dozens of vehicle registrations — renewed at Safeway stores around the islands — have to be re-issued. KHON2.

Congressmen Ask Feds To Investigate Hawaii Tuna Money. A lack of adequate response from NOAA and Wespac have only raised more questions about how the money is managed. Civil Beat.


Oahu

Council advances wide-ranging plastics ban. An Oahu-wide food establishment ban on single-use plastics — from takeout containers, utensils and straws to carry-out bags — won the second of three needed approvals from the Honolulu City Council Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

Kealoha Cases Are Racking Up ‘Endless’ Taxpayer Legal Bills. The legal fees for one lawsuit alone break down to about 70 cents per Oahu resident. Civil Beat.

Honolulu Council OKs Funds To Shield Records Seized By Feds. Two council members who previously supported the funding voted no. Civil Beat.

Keith Kaneshiro not running for re-election amid federal probe, his attorney says. Embattled Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Keith Kaneshiro will not campaign for re-election next year, ending a total of 16 years in that office. Hawaii News Now.

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Bill calling for longer lifeguard hours advances. The Honolulu City Council on Wednesday gave preliminary approval to a bill that would require the city to keep lifeguards on the beach from sunrise to sunset, a policy that Council members and ocean services personnel said is long overdue. Star-Advertiser.

From dawn ’til dusk: City lifeguards push for plan ensuring extended hours. A proposal that would push the city to extend lifeguard hours is moving ahead at the Honolulu City Council, but critics worry about costs and recruitment. Hawaii News Now.

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Kailua board to vote on banning helicopter flights over the town. The Kailua Neighborhood Board is expected to vote this evening on a resolution seeking a ban of tour helicopters over the beach town. Star-Advertiser.

New proposal would increase penalties to stop reservoir trespassing. Reservoirs and watersheds are the source of our drinking water, but for years people have been using some of the Oahu’s reservoirs for fun. KHON2.

Mysterious oily sludge in Halawa draws new attention ... and concern. A mysterious ooze that’s been bubbling up for decades in a Halawa parking lot is getting new attention from community leaders who are calling for its removal. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

2018 Kilauea eruption: Interim recovery strategy moves ahead. The County Council Finance Committee on Tuesday voted to recommend for full council approval an interim recovery strategy crafted using input from public, private, nonprofit and community sectors. Tribune-Herald.

Highway 132 Delays Due To Lava Heat Detailed. Public Works Director David Yamamoto gave the Hawaii County Council an update on the effort to recover the lava-inundated Highway 132 in Puna. Big Island Video News.

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Kona CDP protections made mandatory. At the request of South Kona/Ka‘u Councilwoman Maile David, the County Council on Wednesday unanimously amended the Kona Community Development Plan to change “should” to “shall,” making mandatory a section that previously read as a recommendation. West Hawaii Today.

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Rezoning applications for proposed housing development withdrawn. A contentious proposal for a housing development in Puueo has halted after developers withdrew rezoning applications Tuesday. Tribune-Herald.

Olson Trust Withdraws Puueo Development Application. An application for a proposed development in Puʻueo has been withdrawn, suddenly ending a months-long debate over a rezoning that made its way through the Planning Commission to the Hawaii County Council. Big Island Video News.

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Inouye sends second letter to officials urging action to end blockade of Maunakea. State Sen. Lorraine Inouye fired off a letter to Gov. David Ige and others — her second in a two-week span — urging something be done to end the blockade of Maunakea Access Road by activists protesting the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope. Tribune-Herald.

As TMT protest drags on, activists fear law enforcement action is imminent. A state senator from the Big Island says the governor and Hawaii County’s mayor should be ashamed for the situation on Mauna Kea. Hawaii News Now.

Maui


Two Sides Still At Odds Over Maui Water Case Bound For Supreme Court. As the legal dispute between Maui County and environmental groups barrels forward to the United States Supreme Court, people weighed in Tuesday at a Maui Council committee meeting on the case. Hawaii Public Radio.

Councilors hear injection well testimony into the night. Committee unable to get to decision-making. Maui News.

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MPD provides masks to officers in wake of recent brush fires. Move comes in response to a complaint of safety, health hazards. Maui News.

Maui jail guards met with ‘Hurt Feelings’ form for ‘whiners’. Maui correctional officers were met with a stack of “Hurt Feelings Report” forms when they showed up for work this week at the Maui Community Correctional Center — a joke that isn’t going over well six months after a major riot broke out at the jail that left some guards afraid for their lives. Star-Advertiser.

Pacific Media Group announced the promotion of Sherri Hamamura Grimes as Vice President and General Manager of its Maui Radio Operations. Maui Now.

Kauai

Approximately two dozen people showed up to the public hearing about proposed amendments pertaining to the rules and regulations governing boating activities at county beach parks on Tuesday morning. Garden Island.

Rice Street work on line. Drivers might be experiencing some frustration cruising along Rice Street right now but rest assured, it won’t last forever, county officials said. Garden Island.

Molokai

NTSB releases report outlining events leading to a 2017 helicopter crash on Molokai. Federal Investigators say there were strong wind gusts the night a Mauna Loa helicopter crashed off Molokai nearly two years ago. Hawaii News Now.

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Hot, hot, hot! Former IBEW employee admits to vote-rigging, unpermitted building erected near Thirty Meter Telescope protest camp, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2019 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Hawaii beach scene ©2019 All Hawaii News
A summer of record heat has some wondering: Is this the new normal? The heat records started stacking up in April. Hawaii News Now.

U.S. still has edge despite China’s advances, Pacific Air Forces’ head says. Despite a new study saying America has lost its “military primacy” in the Indo- Pacific due to a focus on the Middle East while China advanced its military capability, the head of Pacific Air Forces on Oahu said the United States still has the advantage. Star-Advertiser.

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Cultural Practitioners File Maunakea Petition. Another petition has been filed with the Land Use Commission regarding development on Mauna Kea. Big Island Now.

Mauna Kea activists build illegal structure on lava field. Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim is asking the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to investigate and “take necessary and appropriate action” in connection with an unpermitted wooden building being constructed in a lava field near the Mauna Kea protest camp. Star-Advertiser.

State, not protesters, could face fines for unpermitted structure at Mauna Kea. Mayor Harry Kim told Hawaii News Now the county doesn’t know who built it so the property owner, the Department of Hawaiian Homelands, is responsible and could be fined more than $1,000 per day. Hawaii News Now.

DHHL Says It Will Remove Structure Near Puuhuluhulu When Resources Are Available. A building that has been erected on the lava field near Puuhuluhulu in the midst of the ongoing standoff over the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea has gotten the government's attention. Big Island Video News.

TMT protesters told ‘library’ under construction is unpermitted; protest leaders fear state plans to clear blockade in next 30 days. Tribune-Herald.

Protesters allege the state intends to send Hawaii National Guard troops to Mauna Kea. The activists blocking Mauna Kea Access Road announced Tuesday “there has been word” that the state will use Hawaii National Guard troops and out-of-state law enforcement officers in the next 30 days to clear the way for construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope to begin. Star-Advertiser.

Costs keep rising; County has now spent more than $3.6 million on TMT-related expenses. The standoff at Maunakea Access Road has now cost the county more than $3.6 million. Tribune-Herald.

Liliuokalani's Peaceful Approach To Foreign Aggression Set Stage for Kapu Aloha. The words kapu aloha have emerged in the ongoing conflict over Mauna Kea. Hawaii Public Radio.

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State health officials confirmed Tuesday that there was one case of measles reported in a Hawaii resident who got sick while traveling in another state. Officials did not provide any other details such as where or when that resident contracted the highly-infectious disease. Hawaii News Now.

New law to ease Albizia anxiety. Albizia trees create beautiful canopies across Hawaii’s scenery — but the introduced species is responsible for millions and millions of dollars in damage. KHON2.

To offset Hawaii’s carbon emissions, group seeks to plant 1M trees a year (with your help). The group behind an ambitious plan to offset all of the state’s carbon emissions by planting one million trees a year in the islands is asking for your financial support. Hawaii News Now.

University of Hawaii project aims to plant 11,000 trees to offset state’s carbon emissions. The University of Hawaii at Manoa is upping the ante for its Carbon Neutrality Challenge — an effort to offset the state’s carbon emissions — by planting a record number of trees next month. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiian Airlines Stock Slumping Amid Fears Of Competition. Southwest is bringing lower fares to Hawaii and new restrictions on Airbnbs are also creating uncertainty about future traffic. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Rail spokesman pleads guilty to conspiracy charge linked to his time at union. Russell Yamanoha, a former sportcaster who now serves as spokesman for the rail authority, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to a misdemeanor conspiracy charge linked to his time at an embattled Hawaii union. Hawaii News Now.

Former television sports anchor and current HART spokesman Russell Yama­noha pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court to conspiring to rig a union election when he was an IBEW Local 1260 official. Star-Advertiser.

Former Sportscaster and Lahainaluna Graduate Accepts Plea Bargain in Federal Conspiracy Case. Maui Now.

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Push to impeach Kaneshiro continues as he collects taxpayer-funded salary while on leave. Keith Kaneshiro is still being paid his taxpayer-funded salary: $177,000 a year while on leave. He even got a raise in July. Hawaii News Now.

Race to replace Kaneshiro as prosecutor takes shape. With the Honolulu prosecutor’s office in legal turmoil, the race to take over for Keith Kaneshiro is beginning to take shape. KHON2.

Attorney Megan Kau Announces Run For Honolulu Prosecutor. Former Prosecuting Attorney Peter Carlisle, who introduced Kau at her Tuesday press conference, said he is no longer considering running for his old office. Civil Beat.

Former Deputy Prosecutor Megan Kau says she is running for Honolulu city prosecutor in 2020. Kau is the first person to publicly announce an intention to run for Honolulu city prosecutor in the next election. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Council seeks amendments to energy code. Concerns about the impact of a strict new energy code on the cost of housing had the County Council on Tuesday vowing to look at ways to minimize costs on the Big Island. West Hawaii Today.

Waimea’s Future Topic Of Town Meeting, Sept. 5. This week, Waimea will meet to talk about what the community wants it to be like in 10, 15, and 25 years, in an effort to help map the island's future. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Maui Crime Stoppers Offering Up to $1,000 for Information Regarding Recent Fires. Maui Now.

Imua’s Kokua Outreach to help residents sign up for health insurance. Uninsured and the underinsured are program’s focus. Maui News.


Kauai

Visitors try to bribe their way into Haena State Park. A new system for entry to Kauai’s popular Ha‘ena State Park requires visitors to purchase tickets online in advance and limits visitation to 900 people a day, down from an estimated 3,000 daily before flooding closed the road leading to the park in April 2018. Star-Advertiser.

Abandoned vehicles costing taxpayers. Broken down, picked apart vehicles left on the side of the road and other inconspicuous places around the island are an epidemic. Garden Island.

Molokai

Why Molokai Is The Least Developed Hawaiian Island. Even centuries before Captain Cook’s arrival, its resources were exploited by outsiders. Civil Beat.

Monday, February 6, 2017

Hawaii Legislature mulls decriminalizing prostitution, lawmaker seeks 'urine-free' zones, Air Force wants Kauai missile testing to resume, Honolulu train woes intensify, Kim may scrap compost plan, Maui airport expansion plan, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2017 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Hawaii Capitol © 2017 All Hawaii News
Hawaii lawmakers plan to tackle bills on for-profit universities, bathroom vandals and renewable energy in the upcoming week at the Legislature. Associated Press.

Complaints from residents and visitors about urine and feces left in public places have prompted state Rep. Gene Ward to introduce a measure to impose fines of up to $2,000 for repeat offenders who relieve themselves in certain spots. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii lawmakers are considering decriminalizing prostitution in the state after the speaker of the House introduced a bill that would also legalize buying sex and acting as a pimp. Associated Press.

A proposed law to require candidates for U.S. president and vice president to make their tax returns public before they can qualify for the ballot in Hawaii might turn out to be unconstitutional, and lawmakers are putting the issue on hold for the moment. Star-Advertiser.

Rep. Nicole Lowen of Kona’s 6th District has introduced a bill this session that would cap initial prescriptions for highly addictive opioids and benzodiazepines at seven consecutive days. West Hawaii Today.

Should Hawaii Become A Sanctuary State? Some elected officials and community activists are working to position Hawaii to better help people affected by Trump’s immigration policies. Civil Beat.

UH scientists ready to blaze a trail in microbiome quest. Star-Advertiser.

The state Public Charter School Commission is not fully meeting its statutory duties, in part because it lacks a strategic vision, a recently completed investigation by the Board of Education has found. Star-Advertiser.

A recent report reveals more Native Hawaiians die from cancer each year than any other ethnic group in Hawaii. KITV.

Nearly six years after the earthquake and tsunami event that devastated Fukushima, Japan, debris continues to wash up on Hawaiian beaches. Tribune-Herald.

Commentary: In Hawaii, it has become established practice that the Republicans murder their young attractive candidates. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

With rail facing its gravest fiscal crisis yet, a local cadre that once advocated bringing the elevated transit system down to street level in town is reviving that idea — and it’s taking its pitch directly to state lawmakers. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Rapid Transit---Maybe a Bus? Hawaii Public Radio.

Years after high-profile school shakeup at Kaiser High, details finally come to light. KHON2.

Oahu's construction market is operating at a blistering pace. That has some contractors cutting corners — and the fines are piling up. Hawaii Public Radio.

Construction of the long-awaited Nanakuli Public Library is expected to be finished by the end of summer, state officials say. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Pacific University is moving forward with plans to add more dorms and a student dining facility in downtown Honolulu. Hawaii News Now.

The PBS television home improvement show "Ask This Old House" will film in Hawaii for the first time for an episode that includes segments with a local woodworker and Oahu’s Mao Organic Farms. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii

Mayor Harry Kim says he is looking to scrap plans for a $10.3 million composting facility, citing concerns about its cost. Tribune-Herald.

Hopes are high in the Hawaiian homestead community of Pana’ewa that the county will cancel the contract for the planned East Hawaii Organics Facility. Big Island Video News.

Hawaii County police misconduct continues to remain relatively low, with two officers fired and eight others suspended without pay last year, according to an annual report released Thursday. West Hawaii Today.

The Counsel and Advocate representing the Hawaiian Kingdom in a recently initiated international fact finding proceeding spoke to a small audience at a Puna home on Friday evening. Big Island Video News.

Researchers say they need additional funding to learn more about a rapidly spreading fungus that has been killing native ohia trees on Hawaii’s Big Island. Associated Press.

Maui
The main runway at Kahului Airport would be extended by about 1,500 feet to 8,530 feet to accommodate fully loaded aircraft with direct reach to the Midwest, according to a recently completed update of the Kahului Airport Master Plan. Maui News.

New management is taking over the state-owned, dryland boat and trailer storage at Mala Wharf where a Lahaina man paid the state a fraction of its generated revenue and operated it for 35 years, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. Maui News.

Well before dawn each morning, throngs of tourists from around the world make their way to Maui’s tallest peak, a dormant volcano, to see what Mark Twain called the “sublimest spectacle” he ever witnessed. Associated Press.

Kauai

The Air Force wants to bring its weapons testing program back to the Pacific Missile Range Facility and a public comment period on the program closes Monday. Garden Island.

The fate of a bill that will give the county ownership over units in an affordable housing development will be decided Wednesday. Garden Island.

Forcing kamaaina families to sell their ancestral lands has been a provocative issue in Hawaii for more than a century, and that’s not changing just because the billionaire leader of Facebook has quit his litigation to acquire such land on Kauai. Star-Advertiser.

A property at the Kukuiula Development on Kauai’s South Shore recently sold for nearly $5 million to a descendant of a Cincinnati bank president, while another property in the master-planned luxury golf community was sold to a former Montana state senator, Pacific Business News has learned.

The Garden Isle has a new district court judge. Michael Soong was sworn into office on Jan. 3.  Garden Island.

Coco Palms to be restored by 2018. Garden Island.

Invasive parakeets are ruining crops and eliciting complaints from people on Kauai. Invasive species experts estimate the population has grown to more than 5,000 rose-ringed parakeets on the island. Associated Press.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Board of Education mulls teacher ethics policy, cops as criminals, county council tightens pCard rules, Hawaii Health Connector slammed in second audit, Maui picks electric co-op consultant, Kakaako homeless get eviction notices, officials mark 70th anniversary of WWII surrender, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2015 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Military aircraft in Honolulu © 2015 All Hawaii News
Air Force cost-cutting is resulting in the loss of four KC-135R refueling tankers in Hawaii and 152 active-duty personnel with the deactivation of the 96th Air Refueling Squadron and removal of personnel from support units, officials said. Star-Advertiser.

U.S. officials are gathering on a decommissioned battleship in Pearl Harbor to mark the 70th anniversary of World War II's end. U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz and U.S. Rep. Mark Takai of Hawaii will join U.S. Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Scott Swift at a ceremony Wednesday. Associated Press.

The state Board of Education decided Tuesday to hammer out a policy to ensure that public school teachers can chaperone students on educational field trips without having to pay their own way. The unanimous decision followed a sometimes testy exchange with Ethics Commission Executive Director Les Kondo, who assured board members that he thinks the situation is “fixable” and that part of the controversy stems from “misinformation.” Star-Advertiser.

After more than three months of debates and delays, the Hawaii Board of Education approved a Student Climate and Discipline policy Tuesday to guide schools in their use of Chapter 19 — state administrative rules governing school discipline issues. Civil Beat.

The state Department of Education expects that its budget to put air conditioning in more public schools will range from $2 million to $3 million this year — a tiny fraction of the estimated $1.7 billion the department says it will cost to cool classrooms across the state. Star-Advertiser.

A second state audit of the Hawaii Health Connector’s contracts with one of its main vendors further blasts the agency for a “multitude of missteps” that resulted in the abuse of public funds. Star-Advertiser.

The University of Hawaii has revised its policy on sexual assault on its campuses for the second time in six months, representing the latest effort to strengthen its response to reports of sex discrimination amid increased scrutiny from federal auditors and state legislators.Star-Advertiser

If you been to the airport lately, any airport in the state, you may have noticed a lot of construction. Some major projects are nearing completion while several others will soon get underway. KHON2.

A local health care consultant has organized a new group to represent Hawaii’s ambulatory surgery centers. Pacific Business News.

Ian Lind commentary: Dispute Muddies Already Confusing State of Sovereignty Claims. Two activists say the overthrown Hawaiian Kingdom still exists legally, but one is accusing the other of misrepresenting recent court rulings. Civil Beat.

Oahu

When Cops Become Criminals: Arrests of HPD Officers Point to a ‘Culture of Corruption’ Dozens of Honolulu police officers have been arrested over the past few years for crimes ranging from drunken driving and tampering with government records to sex assault and extortion. Civil Beat.

A case heard last year by Hawaii’s Supreme Court could change the landscape of how DUI stops are handled by police. KITV4.

City crews officially notified an estimated 20 to 25 homeless people living on the outskirts of the Kakaako homeless encampment Tuesday that they must be out within seven days, when anything they leave behind will be unceremoniously tossed in a dump truck as the city begins the long slog to clear out nearly 300 people over the next several months. Star-Advertiser.

Residents of a Honolulu homeless encampment that had grown to about 300 people have been warned that city crews are planning to clear part of the area. Associated Press.

City aims to clear houseless from Kakaako makai. Sit-lie enforcement will resume next week as the city makes a concerted effort to displace houseless families from their current encampment in the under-development neighborhood. Hawaii Independent.

Hawaii has one of the worst rates of homelessness in the nation, but U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz believes the answer is staring policymakers in the face: Put homeless people into housing through an approach called Housing First, something the state and city have embarked on but Schatz says not everyone has embraced. Civil Beat.

Honolulu city transit officials look to add a grid of protected bike lanes in the coming years to help better deal with the island’s crippling car traffic – and also to accommodate the future public bike-share and rail transit systems, they say. Star-Advertiser.

The state of Hawaii plans to install machines to reduce the time travelers have to wait in immigration lines when they arrive at Honolulu Airport. Star-Advertiser.

Small business owners give Honolulu an average C grade for business friendliness, according to Thumbtack’s annual Small Business Friendliness Survey. Civil Beat.

Hawaii may need to catch up to other states when it comes to employment, labor and hiring regulations, but some small business owners say the Aloha State is making strides in providing training and networking programs, according to a nationwide Thumbtack survey. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii

Hawaii County Council members are taking a tougher stance against abuse of county purchasing cards, known as pCards, following a high-profile lapse by Mayor Billy Kenoi. West Hawaii Today.

Six years after it was first proposed by Mayor Billy Kenoi, a package of ethics reforms was grudgingly advanced Tuesday by a County Council committee. West Hawaii Today.

Efforts to pursue public ownership of Hawaii Island’s electric utility came under fire Monday in testimony supporting the proposed $4.3 billion acquisition of the Hawaiian Electric companies. Tribune-Herald.

The Kamehameha Avenue reconstruction project is nearing completion, though motorists might have to wait until the end of the month before finally seeing all four lanes of the major Hilo thoroughfare reopen. The $13.2 million project, which began in March 2014, was most recently expected to be complete near the start of this month. Tribune-Herald.

Community concerns are leading to a route to school that doesn’t include discarded needles and speeding traffic in Kailua-Kona. West Hawaii Today.

As Hurricane Ignacio moved further away from the Big Island Tuesday, keeping impacts from the storm minimal, Hawai’i County Civil Defense Administrator Darryl Oliveira sat down with Big Island Now to address the busy hurricane season.

Maui
Maui County has chosen Oklahoma-based Guernsey to study the possibility of breaking away from Maui Electric Co., the county’s Office of Economic Development said Tuesday. Pacific Business News.

Maui has hired an Oklahoma-based firm to study utility options for the community to give it a better sense of whether the proposed $4.3 billion sale of Hawaiian Electric Industries to NextEra Energy is in the county’s best interest. Civil Beat.

State and county lawyers are facing off in a legal rumble over whether the Maui County Council can keep secret minutes from a closed-door Aug. 14, 2013, strategy discussion regarding an investigation of the old Wailuku Post Office demolition. Maui News.

The Maui Police Department is seeking public input by way of a citizen survey to help the department evaluate public attitudes and opinions pertaining to the level of law enforcement services provided. Maui Now.

More than 100 fans were donated to Maui public middle schools Monday as Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui and Goodfellow Bros. teamed up to try to bring some cool relief to schools that have seen temperatures of more than 90 degrees in their classrooms since school began in late July. Maui News.

Kauai

The Kauai County Council will discuss today a request from the county attorney to authorize an initial payment of up to $50,000 to retain special counsel to defend a Kauai police officer charged with negligent homicide in a pedestrian death. Garden Island.

Around 15 people helped clean up 75 acres in Kilauea recently in the name of transforming a makeshift dumping grounds into a community garden. Garden Island.

Molokai

The Molokai ferry adopted its new sailing schedule Tuesday in hopes of cutting mounting deficits of about $40,000 a month, but the changes may come at the expense of traveling Molokai High School athletic teams, officials said. Maui News.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Permits required for Kaena Point, Air Force to stay strong in Hawaii, Rosen to head state hospital group, Big Island man busted with 85 marijuana plants, electric rates drop on Oahu, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Panorama of the Ka'ena Point Trailhead (also the end of the Dillingham Highway) on O'ahu's North Shore (past Mokule'ia Beach). You can park here and continue to Ka'ena point on foot just a few miles up!
Kaena Point panorama, courtesy Alaska Dave
After consulting with a community advisory group, the Department of Land and Natural Resources will implement a vehicle access permit system for the roads at Kaena Point State Park Reserve’s Mokuleia section. Civil Beat.

Ignoring signs, damaging natural resources and causing erosion. That's what the Department of Land and Natural Resources says careless drivers are doing at Ka'ena Point. KITV4.

Kaena Point has long been a favorite place for off-roading. Now, the state is hoping to get a better handle on vehicles in the area. In the coming weeks, a gate will be put up that can only be opened by people who have permits. KHON2.

Hawaii Department of Human Services officials say that their plan to reduce funding for medical coverage for roughly 7,500 adult migrants from the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and the Marshall Islands will save the state roughly $21.5 million while maintaining vital health care coverage. Star-Advertiser.

The Air Force is reducing its ranks overall due to budget cuts, but staffing in the Pacific will remain at 100 percent due to the re-balance to the region, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said Monday. Star-Advertiser.

The Air Force’s top boss said Monday she hopes to make all jobs in the service open to qualified women in the next year and a half. Seven jobs in the service are closed to women, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James told reporters during a visit to Hawaii on Monday. Associated Press.

Opinion: Hawaii stands to lose nearly 50,000 people, more than 25,000 jobs and $1.35 billion in total economic impact by 2020, if we do not step up to keep thousands of soldiers and their families here in the islands. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Health Systems Corp. announced Monday afternoon that Linda Rosen, M.D., M.P.H., will be its new chief executive officer. She will start her new position with HHSC on Dec. 16. West Hawaii Today.

The Hawaii Health Systems Corp.'s board of directors has appointed Linda Rosen as chief executive officer of the public hospital system effective Dec. 16. Star-Advertiser.

New car and light truck registrations will rise about 8.8 percent in 2014, according to a forecast from the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

The Arizona Memorial ticket scandal has been brewing for a year but so far, the man at the center of the controversy, Frank Middleton, remains on the job. Two internal reports by the National Park Service show that Middleton and other memorial officials were aware that tickets intended to be distributed to the public for free were being diverted to tour companies that charged visitors anywhere from $39 to $89. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu customers will see the lowest electrical rates in more than a year this month as residential bills dropped more than $10 due to reductions in fuel prices. Star-Advertiser.

Sources tell Always Investigating that Honolulu city bus workers were involved in a long-time scheme to clock in and out for a staffer who barely showed up. The timecard scheme is said to have taken place at a maintenance yard of TheBus and centers around a mechanic. KHON2.

A plan to allow more Oahu homeowners to create second dwellings on their lots is gaining momentum at Hono­lulu Hale. Star-Advertiser.

Last summer, developers of seven new luxury condo buildings at Ala Moana held a groundbreaking for their $300 million project. Amid calls for more affordable developments in Kakaako, these “ultra luxury” towers are rising quietly without the need for public hearings or any units set aside for moderate or low-income people. That wouldn’t happen under Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s proposed islandwide housing strategy. Civil Beat.

A march, rally and sit-in were held at University of Hawaii's Manoa campus Monday to protest proposed budget cuts rumored to target teaching assistants and other areas that affect graduate students. Star-Advertiser.

The YMCA of Honolulu is making another move to get out of the housing business on Oahu by offering to sell or lease two historic Manoa residence halls occupied by University of Hawaii students. Star-Advertiser.

The YMCA of Honolulu Central branch across from Ala Moana Center will temporarily close on Feb. 28 for a redevelopment project that will result in a smaller Y building next to a 128-unit condominium on its 1.8-acre property on Atkinson Drive. Pacific Business News.

Homeowners in the Ewa communities of Ocean Pointe and Hoakalei are complaining that the man-made recreational lagoon serving their communities contains algae. Civil Beat.

Hawaii

Farmers will have to dedicate their property to agricultural use a minimum of three years to get tax breaks, under a bill to be considered today by the County Council Finance Committee. West Hawaii Today.

A perennial battle between aquarium fish collectors and conservationists will be played out in County Council chambers today, as a council committee takes up a measure regulating the transport of fish off-island. West Hawaii Today.

A 26-year-old Naalehu man accused of possessing 85 marijuana plants and 52 pounds of dried marijuana will stand trial on a half dozen felony charges, a Kona District Court judge ruled Monday afternoon. West Hawaii Today.

The June 27 lava flow offered little for geologists and Civil Defense officials to observe Monday around Pahoa as it focused its activity miles upslope from the town it has left on edge for the past few months. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

For years, Hawaii's public hospitals have relied on state subsidies to offset the rising cost of health care. That’s especially true on the Neighbor Islands.  But now hospitals are receiving less funding from the state, and on Maui, administrators are looking at other options. Hawaii Public Radio.

Now that the state has completed its acquisition of Lipoa Point from Maui Land & Pineapple Co., the state Department of Land and Natural Resources is calling on the public to be diligent stewards of the land. Maui News.

The Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety today announced the promotion of five fighters including Firefighter III Chad Pacheco to the rank of Captain. Maui Now.

Kauai

The Kauai Invasive Species Committee confirmed that an unfamiliar plant growing along Kuhio Highway near Kalihiwai Bridge is an invasive mule’s foot fern. Garden Island.

A construction zone accident has led to a lawsuit seeking medical and other damages. Narciso Nicolas, of Honolulu, is suing William Waialeale and his employer, Robert’s Tours and Transportation, Inc., for injuries incurred while working on Kokee Road in 2012. Garden Island.