Kaiser sues Queen's in contract dispute, Honolulu no sanctuary city, OHA trustees must pay back misused money, water buffaloes on Kauai, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Honolulu cityscape ©2019 All Hawaii News

Study: Average Honolulu resident would have to save for 40 years to afford a home. Urban Honolulu tied with San Francisco for the second-longest length of time a prospective homeowner would have to save up. Los Angeles was in the top spot -- at 43 years. Hawaii News Now.

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Kaiser sues Queen’s over billing. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc. filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against The Queen’s Health Systems, after the hospital provider said it intended to directly bill Kaiser members who receive emergency medical services at its facilities as of May 31. Star-Advertiser.

Kaiser Permanente Sues Queen's Health System In Contract Dispute. Kaiser Permanente Hawaii has sued the Queen's Health System in federal court after it said the parties failed to reach agreement over a hospital provider contract that expired last month. Hawaii Public Radio.

Kaiser files lawsuit against Queen’s following contract expiration at end of May. Kaiser Permanente on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against The Queen’s Health Systems after Queen’s told the health plan it will be billing Kaiser members for the balance of any emergency services it provides that aren’t reimbursed. West Hawaii Today.

Kaiser Permanente files lawsuit against Queen's Health System to protect patients from 'unfair billing practices'. According to Kaiser Permanente, it has filed a lawsuit in federal court against Queen’s Health System to "protect their patients from unfair billing practices." KITV.

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Ethics Commission forces several OHA trustees to pay back thousands. The state Ethics Commission has ordered several members of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees to pay back thousands of dollars in travel and meal expenses. Hawaii News Now.

As Hawaii Looks to Build Tech Industry, Attention Turns To Esports. Hawaii has long sought to diversify its economy and build up its tech industry. One area gaining ground at local colleges is the competitive video gaming known as esports. Hawaii Public Radio.

Push To Increase College Financial Aid Applications May Be Paying Off. Education officials hope this results in more graduating seniors enrolling in college this year, especially those from low-income families. Civil Beat.

This Texas Lawyer Flies Marshallese Women Through Hawaii For Black Market Adoptions. In texts and emails with adoptive parents, Dallas lawyer Jody Hall openly flouts laws restricting Marshallese adoptions in the U.S. Civil Beat.

The State Department of Defense put out a warning about a scam involving the late Hawaii U.S. Representative Mark Takai. A person is sending text messages to people using his photo. He claims to be Sergeant Philip Lee Alexander Junior, a soldier in the Army stationed in Syria. KITV.

Oahu

Bill to make Honolulu sanctuary city dies. Honolulu City Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi, who co-authored Bill 31, said there are no plans to move the bill beyond the approval it received on first reading June 5. Star-Advertiser.

Power Outage At Honolulu Airport Causes Travel Delays. For about an hour, security checkpoints at Terminal 1 were not operational and there was no electricity at the gates. Civil Beat.

Faulty transmission line blamed for power outage at Honolulu’s airport. A power outage shut down a large portion of Honolulu’s airport Wednesday morning, but it’s now back to business as usual. Hawaii News Now.

Charges dismissed against ousted principal. A state judge has permanently dismissed felony theft charges against the ousted director of the now-defunct Halau Lokahi Public Charter School because the state took too long to take the case to trial. Star-Advertiser.

‘An ongoing problem’: Kailua residents worry a stretch of road is too dangerous for pedestrians. Two people have been hit by cars in two days on the same road in Kailua. Hawaii News Now.

Injured man, 5 others cited for trespassing after rockfall at Sacred Falls. State conservation officers on Tuesday afternoon cited an injured Honolulu man, along with five others, for trespassing at Sacred Falls State Park following a rockfall incident. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Garbage diversion is the goal: Solid Waste Advisory Committee wraps up draft report. The newest crop of trash-talkers advocates the carrot, not the stick. West Hawaii Today.

Man indicted in crash that killed HFD veteran. A Kona grand jury met June 10 and indicted Christopher Raymond Helmlinger, 21, of Waimea, on charges of manslaughter and second-degree negligent homicide in connection with the May 22 multiple-car crash that took the life of David Mahon, a 49-year-old Kailua-Kona resident who had a lengthy career with the fire department. West Hawaii Today.

HMC adds cardiologist. Hilo Medical Center’s cardiac program has expanded once again, with the addition of a second interventional cardiologist. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Council budget in fact $43M more than mayor’s. Budget Chairwoman Keani Rawlins-Fernandez comments at news conference incorrect. Maui News.

On Hawaiian Kingdom, Maui County Goes Where Hawaii County Would Not. On May 15, Dr. Keanu Sai, a political science professor at the University of Hawaii, made a presentation to the Maui County Council regarding the status of Hawaii as an occupied nation State under international law. Big Island Video News.

Snake hitchhikes to Maui in Virginia visitor’s backpack. Maui police and state officials caught a small, juvenile snake that slithered out of a visitor’s backpack Monday night at a vacation rental in Pukalani. Star-Advertiser.

Stowaway Snake Found Slithering from Backpack of Maui Visitor. A small juvenile snake was captured after it was seen slithering out of a newly arrived visitor’s backpack Monday night at a Maui vacation rental in Pukalani. Maui Now.

Kauai

Rules ready when highway reopens. It’s going to be different for Kauai residents trying to get to Kee Beach for sunset or take a weekend hike to Hanakapiai. Garden Island.

Hanalei Initiative to launch North Shore Shuttle. It will begin running with the reopening of Kuhio Highway to the general public. Garden Island.

Kauai climbs ‘The Hill’. Kauai’s contingent sent to this week’s “Hawaii on the Hill” in Washington, D.C., was on a mission of aloha. Garden Island.

Water buffaloes arrive on a Kauai farm. Kauai farmer Don Heacock has four new additions taking up residence on his 25-acre farm — water buffaloes from Arkansas that he considers a dream come true. Star-Advertiser.

Lobbyist spending #fail at Legislature, Slom to seek old Senate seat, Kaneshiro loses bid to drop impeachment case, Big Island councilwoman violated ethics code, Maui mayor vetoes parts of budget, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Today is King Kamehameha Day, a state holiday. King Kamehameha statue lei draping, file photo ©2019 All Hawaii News

Spending Big On Lobbying Didn’t Guarantee Success At Legislature. Opponents of taxes on real estate trusts and vacation rentals couldn’t kill the bills last session, while a retirement savings program was rejected despite AARP support. Civil Beat.

Ige Extends Emergency Declaration on Homelessness. Governor David Ige issued a third supplementary emergency proclamation that extends the disaster emergency relief period for homelessness across the state. Maui Now.

Sam Slom Wants To Be A State Senator Again. He is challenging incumbent Stanley Chang in 2020 for the Hawaii Legislature seat. Civil Beat.

A controversial Hawaiian scholar comes under fire amid calls for an investigation. The state Office of Consumer Protection has made a criminal referral for controversial Hawaiian scholar David Keanu Sai, saying he has committed a felony. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Judge denies request to drop petition to impeach Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro. Honolulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro’s request to have an impeachment petition against him thrown out on procedural grounds was denied Monday. Star-Advertiser.

Judge Refuses To Dismiss Kaneshiro Impeachment Case. The Honolulu prosecutor, who is on paid leave after receiving a target letter in a federal criminal investigation, tried to get the case thrown out on procedural grounds. Civil Beat.

Judge Declines To Throw Out City Prosecutor Impeachment Petition. A state judge on Monday dismissed a motion that aimed to toss out an impeachment petition against Honolulu City Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro. Hawaii Public Radio.

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City Council Considers Measure To Make Honolulu A ‘Sanctuary City’. A proposal would prevent police from honoring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainment and information requests in many cases. Civil Beat.

Tensions run high as Waimanalo residents spar over Sherwoods development. At a community meeting Monday night, there were tears, flaring tempers and police as the community argued over the development. The Waimanalo neighborhood board passed a resolution Monday night urging the city to stop the construction of a new athletic field immediately. Hawaii News Now.

Nanakuli residents at wits’ end over volatile homeless camp on federal property. Illegal campers in Nanakuli have once again taken over a piece of land owned by the federal government. Hawaii News Now.

Court for homeless defendants moves to Kaneohe. The idea is to help clear minor offenses from an overbooked court calendar and, perhaps more important, connect the “participants” to social service agencies that staff each court session helping the participants find jobs, get back their IDs and a whole array of services including housing. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Puna Councilwoman Ashley Kierkiewicz violated the county ethics code when she didn’t disclose a potential conflict of interest in a bill being considered by the County Council, the Board of Ethics ruled unanimously Monday. West Hawaii Today.

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Relocating Hawaii Island’s Pohoiki Boat Ramp cheaper than rebuilding, state says. Engineers have recommended that building a new boat ramp, rather than excavating a new channel through the black-sand beach, is a less costly alternative for Pohoiki Bay in Lower Puna, state officials said today. Star-Advertiser.

DLNR: New Boat Ramp For Puna Costly, ‘Challenging’. The Pohoiki Small Boat Ramp was closed after the 2018 Kilauea eruption. Civil Beat.

Engineers recommend new boat ramp for lower Puna. More than a year after Pohoiki boat ramp closed because of the Kilauea eruption in lower Puna, engineers have recommended that rather than reopen the existing ramp, a new boat ramp be built. Tribune-Herald.

New Boat Ramp For Puna Recommended At Malama Flats, Not Pohoiki. The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources says engineers have identified an alternative location for a boat ramp in Puna, following the 2018 eruption of Kilauea that blocked the Pohoiki boat ramp with a new black sand beach. Big Island Video News.

Engineers recommend new boat ramp vs. re-opening Pohoiki. Representatives from Sea Engineering Inc. are saying that installing a new boat ramp is a better option. KITV.

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Queen’s Health Systems, Kaiser agreement expires. The Queen’s Health Systems hospitals are no longer considered participating providers within Kaiser Permanente’s network after an agreement between Kaiser and The Queen’s Medical Center expired toward the end of last month. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Mayor Victorino Uses Line-item Veto to Strike a Dozen Provisions. Mayor Michael Victorino line-item vetoed the Maui County Council’s fiscal 2020 budget on Monday, providing a measured reduction of what he called the “council’s record-high $823.47 million spending proposal.” Maui Now.

State recruiting guards from other islands to help Maui jail. Staffing levels at the Maui Community Correctional Center have grown so bad that the state is trying to fly in guards from other islands to help out with shifts, according to a June 4 internal memo from Nolan Espinda, director of the state Department of Public Safety. Star-Advertiser.

Bottle by bottle, an upcycled zero-waste facility takes shape. Research station aims to help farmers move toward regenerative practices. Maui News.

Spitting Caterpillars From Asia Are The Latest Threat To Native Insects On Maui. People are urged to be on the lookout for the newcomer to Hawaii, which adds to the problems already hindering the rarely seen Kamehameha butterfly and host plants. Civil Beat.

Kauai

Kauai heads for the ‘Hill’. The vibes are great for the sixth annual Hawaii on the Hill. Garden Island.