Board seeks bridge over Ala Wai, dengue closes Waipio Valley, state lawmakers mull homelessness, budget, lottery, Kasich added to GOP ballot, Maui could swap hemp for sugarcane, DLNR warned not to hire officer accused of rape, Kauai advances barking dog ordinance, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Along the Ala Wai © 2016 All Hawaii News

The Waikiki Neighborhood Board is urging the city and state to kick-start a plan to build a pedestrian and bicycle bridge that crosses the Ala Wai Canal linking Waikiki to the University of Hawaii at Manoa and nearby neighborhoods. Star-Advertiser.

Homelessness And Housing Top Legislative Agenda. Fiscal accountability is also a major concern for majority Democrats and minority Republicans as the opening of their 2016 session nears. Civil Beat.

The joint Senate and House money committees conducted another pre-session budget hearing today and lawmakers focused on homelessness -- one of the key issues in the state. Hawaii Public Radio.

Powerball mania nationally is reigniting discussions about bringing the lottery to Hawaii. Hawaii News Now.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich is the third Republican presidential candidate to land on Hawaii’s caucus ballot. The March 8 vote already includes real estate mogul Donald Trump and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Civil Beat.

Growing issues with emergency sirens prompt state to take action. KHON2.

Is Hawaii Doing Enough To Oversee Commercial Tour Operators? It’s difficult for consumers to check up on tour companies, including their safety record or whether tour guides are qualified and trained. Civil Beat.

Oahu

The U.S. Labor Department has found the Honolulu Board of Water Supply violated federal labor law by routinely denying its investigators lunch breaks for a two-year period in a case that could have implications for government and private sector employers across the state. Hawaii News Now.

The head of the City Council’s Committee of Public Works, Infrastructure and Sustainability demanded answers Wednesday from the Department of Environmental Services to questions raised in a scathing report that found HPOWER’s contracts and procurement practices appear to have violated city policies and state procurement rules. Star-Advertiser.

The Honolulu City Council is closer to approving a five-year extension of a general excise tax surcharge to pay for cost increases on the municipal rail system, but there are still questions about just how much revenue will actually go to the project. Civil Beat.

The Honolulu City Council now has before it a new version of a bill that it hopes will satisfy federal funders to release needed money to pay rail contractors going forward. KITV4.

After a year of heightened debate over bike lanes in Honolulu, local transportation officials on Wednesday pitched to the public their latest plans to gradually make the city’s car-saturated urban core more bike-friendly. Star-Advertiser.

Staff at the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility in Kailua continues to rack up hundreds of thousands of dollars in overtime pay annually even though the number of inmates at the facility has dropped to just 23 youths, down from 80 to 90 several years ago. Star-Advertiser.

SunEdison Inc. is selling three of its major solar energy farms in Hawaii that are worth $350 million to a group that includes D.E. Shaw Group, Madison Dearborn Capital Partners IV LP and Northwestern University as part of a larger effort to get rid of $336 million of its debt. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii

Hawaii County Civil Defense announced Wednesday afternoon that it had shut down traffic access to Waipio Valley as a precaution in the ongoing fight against the dengue fever outbreak. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii County Civil Defense shut down the Waipio Valley Access Road and valley area to all traffic effective 2:30 p.m. today, and a message from the agency says the access will be limited to valley residents only. Big Island Video News.

The Honolulu Police Department recommended that the state not hire an officer who had been fired by the police force in 2012, but the Department of Land and Natural Resources did so anyway, according to information released Wednesday in a sexual assault case. Ethan Ferguson, 39, of Hilo was arrested last week and charged with multiple criminal counts for allegedly sexually assaulting a female minor while on the job Jan. 1 at a Hawaii island beach park. Star-Advertiser.

Top Hawaii officials say they knew accused rapist Ethan Ferguson had been fired by the Honolulu Police Department before offering him a job in 2013 to be a law enforcement officer on the Big Island. They hired him anyway. Civil Beat.

West Hawaii lawmakers polled this week generally seem to support the idea of a lottery here — with certain conditions to minimize societal damage and maximize the social benefit of gambling profits. West Hawaii Today.

This Saturday, a hui made of telescope operators and the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center will host the first official tour of the Kama‘aina Observatory Experience, a new program established exclusively for Hawaii residents. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Rep. Kaniela Ing (Kīhei, Wailea, Mākena) today announced via change.org that he and “hemp warrior” Rep. Cynthia Thielen (R-Kailua) are putting forth a bipartisan proposal to “transition HC&S’s cornerstone crop from sugar to industrial hemp.” Maui Now.

Two legislators are crossing party lines and a generational gap to join hands in support of rapid action to enable the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company to transition to hemp production as it ceases sugar cane farming later this year. Civil Beat.

Kauai

Barking dogs beware: the law could soon have some teeth when it comes to you, and your owners will be getting a notice from the Humane Society if you’re too noisy. Garden Island.

Hawaii may return to the little grass shack, lawmaker seeks better vetting of state officers following rape, Honolulu incinerator procurement violations probed, bid window opens for marijuana dispensaries, Kauai to consider lobbying law, Bishop Estate to sell Waipio Valley, expert doubts NestEra purchase will happen, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Little grass shack, Hana, Maui, courtesy Forest & Kim Starr

State lawmakers are considering a unique solution to the housing crisis: They want to make it possible for people to live in traditional Hawaiian grass huts. Associated Press.

Hawaii lawmaker proposes grass huts to help homeless. KHON2.

A state senator is raising questions about the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ employment practices after the agency hired an officer who had been fired about a year earlier from the Honolulu Police Department and was arrested last week on allegations he sexually assaulted a female minor while on the job. Star-Advertiser.

A state law enforcement officer charged with five counts of sexual assault of a minor on the Big Island is a former Honolulu policeman who was fired in 2012 after falsifying reports and lying to investigators about his whereabouts when he was transporting an underage runaway. Civil Beat.

The vice president of the state Senate said he plans to introduce a bill in the upcoming legislative session requiring all state and county law enforcement agencies to list in a database all officers fired or forced to resign from their agencies. Tribune-Herald.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources will host a meeting Friday regarding the future of more than 80 commercial and industrial parcels in Hilo, but there is one site in particular expected to garner a lot of attention. Tribune-Herald.

The state Department of Health opened an 18-day bidding window today for companies interested in competing for medical marijuana dispensary licenses. Star-Advertiser.

NextEra Energy Inc. will not win state approval for its $4.3 billion buyout of Hawaiian Electric Industries, according to UBS Financial Services Inc., a Zurich-based investment research firm.Star-Advertiser.

NextEra Energy Inc.’s proposed $4.3 billion acquisition of Hawaiian Electric Co. won’t go through because of the current challenges the Florida energy giant is facing, according to a recent analysis by financial services giant UBS. Pacific Business News.

Several bills are being drafted to clarify the current mandatory peer review for accountants, according to the Hawaii Association of Public Accountants. Pacific Business News.

The U.S. Supreme Court started its January session today by listening to arguments in a case that could have huge ramifications for unions in Hawaii. Friedrichs V. California Teachers Association, challenges the ability of unions to collect mandatory dues. Civil Beat.

The number of two-year degrees awarded through the University of Hawaii’s community colleges has doubled in recent years thanks in large part to an initiative that tracks transfer students who move on without an associate degree. Star-Advertiser.

Measures Adopted To Protect Fishery Observers In Western, Central Pacific. Following another recent disappearance, a regulatory commission finally takes steps to discourage abuse of observers aboard fishing vessels. Civil Beat.

Oahu

A City Council committee will hold a public hearing Wednesday on findings from the city auditor that the Department of Environmental Services violated policies and procurement laws in awarding contracts to build and operate the HPOWER waste-to-energy plant. Star-Advertiser.

The Honolulu City Council enters the new year with push coming to shove on the $6.6 billion commuter rail project. For months, Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation officials have appeared before the full council and its budget committee urging the leaders to approve a five-year extension of the 0.5 percent general excise tax surcharge for rail. Civil Beat.

Mayor weighs in on alcohol park controversy. KITV4.

A Waialua bakery will pay a $6,000 settlement for food safety violations that prompted the state Department of Health to temporarily close the store. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Bishop Museum is committed to include Waipio Valley community members in the process as it works to find a new owner for its land within the historic agricultural community and popular tourist attraction, museum CEO Blair Collis said Monday. Tribune-Herald.

The commission charged with prioritizing county land purchases isn’t ready to commit to buying a popular Kaloko trailhead, despite advocates’ concerns the land could slip from the public’s hands. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii residents interested in seeing and learning more about the telescopes on Mauna Kea’s summit will soon get a closer look through a new program ready to launch on Saturday. Hawaii News Now.

Maui

After decades of petitioning and planning, the long-awaited Kīhei High School in South Maui broke ground off Pi‘ilani Highway at 9 a.m. this morning, Monday, Jan. 11. Maui Now.

When Don Medeiros was hired as the county's first transportation coordinator in 2002, there was no Department of Transportation and no public county bus system. Now, the man who had a hand in building both from the ground up is back at the helm of county transportation issues. Maui News.

Rep. Angus McKelvey and Sen. Rosalyn Baker will hold their annual Pre-Legislative Session Community Talk Story meeting on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, beginning at 10 a.m. at Kaunoa West Maui Senior Center in Lahaina. Maui Now.

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management, Solid Waste Division, announced that due to a staff shortage, a residential refuse collection route in the Kahului area was not picked up today. Maui Now.

Kauai

Kauai is the only county in Hawaii that doesn’t have an ordinance governing lobbying. On Wednesday, the county will be taking a first look at a draft for an ordinance doing just that. Garden Island.

Even though the county’s barking dog bill is back before the County Council for a second reading — the last step in the process before it becomes law — Councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura doesn’t believe there’s enough information to make a good decision. Garden Island.

Hawaii coffee production drops, Waikiki restrooms no longer 24/7, human remains could change Honolulu train route, Maui groups sue to stop development, endangered shearwater rebounding on Kauai, Kilauea lava lake popping, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii coffee cherries (c) 2012 All Hawaii News

Hawaii coffee farmers suffered production setbacks this past season due to bugs and dry weather, but higher prices offset some of the decline, according to a preliminary estimate in a government report tracking the industry. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Governor Gets F Grade in Cato's Fiscal Reform Study. Hawaii Reporter.

Hokulea, the famous Hawaiian canoe that has navigated the Pacific, will soon have a sister to help it sail farther than ever. Civil Beat.

In the almost five years he headed the University of Hawaii athletic department, Jim Donovan and his staff spent more than $800,000 in private discretionary donations on a wide range of goods and services, including taking staff members to the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament, paying for dinners to entertain donors and corporate sponsors, and hiring a limousine service to ferry Norm Chow around town when he was introduced as UH's new football coach, according to expenditure records. Star-Advertiser.

Documents released by the University of Hawaii show former UH Athletics Director Jim Donovan spent more than $622,000 of donated UH funds on travel, meals, drinks and other events for himself, his staff, the media, supporters and athletic boosters over the last four and a half years. Hawaii News Now.

State roundup for October 10. Associated Press.

Oahu

The city of Honolulu said it will no longer keep any public restrooms in Waikiki open around the clock, fueling debate over how the city's park closure law affects tourists and residents in the state's top destination. Star-Advertiser.

More human remains were found Friday and Saturday at two sites in Kakaako along the route of the city's rail project, and one of those sets of remains is a complete burial that might prompt the city to design the rail line around the site to avoid it. Star-Advertiser.

More human remains have been discovered along the Honolulu rail route. Civil Beat.

More human remains were found late last week during archaeological survey work along the route for Honolulu's rail-transit project, according to a report by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation. Pacific Business News.

More human remains have been found along Honolulu's rail route -- this time they include a completely intact burial. KHON2.

Archeologists surveying the 20-mile route of the planned Honolulu rail transit line over the weekend discovered what appears to be ancient Hawaiian burial sites in Kakaako. Hawaii Reporter.

Human remains were found at two sites on the route of the city's rail project in Kakaako on Friday and Saturday, according to the State Historic Preservation Division. KITV4.

The expansion at the Honolulu Program of Waste to Energy Recovery or H-POWER, which broke ground on Dec. 21, 2009, added another boiler capable of burning 300,000 tons of mass per year. Hawaii News Now.

A second attempt to force the Hawaiian Humane Society to announce publicly its intent to euthanize animals failed to garner enough support before the City Council Parks and Recreation Committee on Tuesday. Star-Advertiser.

The Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General has finished an audit looking into the improper screening of checked baggage at Honolulu International Airport. KHON2.

Former Hawaii Gov. and mayoral candidate Ben Cayetano has a knack of getting people to come to his defense.Civil Beat.

Aviation enthusiasts, history buffs and military veterans fear that Ford Island is under a new threat. The Navy plans to use a swath of the famous airfield for a solar power plant with 60,000 photovoltaic panels. Los Angeles Times.

The vog that obscured views over the long weekend lay in a heavy band over Oahu before largely dissipating Tuesday. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Hawaii County is owed more than $4 million in past-due landfill fees and sewer bills, a number that’s creeping upward even as Environmental Management officials implement new procedures to recoup the bad debt. West Hawaii Today.

For the last few nights, visitors to the Thomas A. Jaggar Museum overlook at the summit of Kilauea have been hearing constant “booming and popping sounds” from the glowing lava lake. Tribune-Herald.

Kona Community Hospital ended last fiscal year with $1.6 million in revenue, its first positive bottom line since 1997. West Hawaii Today.

A large metal container found on a remote Ka‘u shoreline last week, possibly debris from the Japan tsunami, may not be going anywhere soon. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Two environmental and cultural groups have gone to court to challenge the Maui Planning Commission's approval of a final environmental impact statement for the Honua'ula project in South Maui. Maui News.

Maui hotel rooms were occupied at a rate of 75 percent in August, a 3.9 percent increase over the same month in 2011, Hospitality Advisors reported. Maui News.

Widespread haze is in the forecast for yet another day as voggy conditions prevail across much of Maui. Maui Now.

Kauai

The Kaua‘i Planning Commission on Tuesday approved a farm-worker house at Ned and Marta Whitlock’s 28.5-acre organic farm in Moloa‘a. The Whitlocks are the first farmers on Kaua‘i to benefit from a  bill that the Kaua‘i County Council passed more than two years ago. Garden Island.

At least 11 breeding or prospecting pairs of ‘A‘o, or Newell’s Shearwater, have been recorded at the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge this year, the highest number ever found on the refuge. Garden Island.