Hawaii Volcanoes National Park forever changed, Ing fined $15k for campaign violations, Ige signs bike, boats, vehicle bills into law, landmark decisions restores Maui streams, patient with Legionnaires' disease dies, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

During the helicopter overflight on June 18, crews captured this image of the growing Halemaumau crater viewed to the southeast. With Hawaii Volcano Observatory and Jagger Museum sitting on the caldera rim (right side, middle where the road bends to the left) it is easier to comprehend the scale of subsidence at the summit. The estimated total volume loss is about 260 million cubic meters as of June 15 PC:USGS

National Park Service staff moved its collection of artifacts and exhibit features from Jaggar Museum at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Tuesday due to all of the dramatic changes taking place at the summit of Kilauea. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission fined Hawaii Rep. Kaniela Ing more than $15,000 today for filing 23 false reports detailing his campaign contributions and expenditures dating back to 2011, using campaign funds to cover personal expenses and other violations of Hawaii campaign spending laws. Star-Advertiser.

State Rep. Kaniela Ing will have to pay more than $15,000 for violating the state's campaign finance law. In a hearing Wednesday, the Campaign Spending Commission determined the Congressional District 1 candidate committed 32 violations. KHON2.

Commission approves $15K fine against Kaniela Ing for campaign spending violations. Hawaii News Now.

Here’s The Spending That Got OHA Incumbents In Trouble. A state audit said Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees used their $22,200 per year personal allowances for questionable purposes. Civil Beat.

Officials from all four Hawaii counties will meet today through Saturday for the annual conference of the Hawaii State Association of Counties at the Sheraton Waikiki and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Garden Island.

Boat owners required to register vessels under new law. Governor David Ige signed HB 2596 (Act 48) into law, which requires certain vessel owners to apply for certificates of title within 20 days of becoming an owner, or establishing Hawaii as the state of principal use for the vessel. KHON2.

Governor David Ige signed HB 2215 (Act 46) into law, which requires drivers to allow at least three feet of separation between the driver's vehicle and the bicycle when passing or overtaking the bicyclist. KHON2.

Drivers beware: New law sets wide buffer zone for cars passing bikes. Hawaii News Now.

Gov. David Ige will sign a bill today that invests $500,000 into computer science education in public schools and creates opportunities for students to learn STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills. Tribune-Herald.

Governor David Ige signs a bill into law to rid public roads of abandoned vehicles. HB 2442, (Act 47), requires counties to take into custody any abandoned vehicle on a public roadway within 10 business days. KHON2.

In an effort to improve Hawaii’s public roads, Gov. David Ige signed a bill Wednesday that requires counties to remove abandoned vehicles within 10 days of their abandonment. Tribune-Herald.

Remains of U.S. service members missing from fighting in North Korea soon may be headed to Hawaii for testing and identification as part of early steps following the historic June 12 summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Star-Advertiser.

UH Scientist Reports Promising Development In Alzheimer’s Research. His discovery is leading to ongoing efforts to produce a drug that could reverse the effects of the disease. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Patient with Legionnaires’ disease dies. Health officials are scrambling to find the sources of bacteria that caused four cases of Legionnaires’ disease over the past month and resulted in one death in Honolulu. Star-Advertiser.

Patient with Legionnaires' disease dies, others may have been infected at hospital. KHON2.

A patient died from Legionnaires' Disease on Oahu. KITV.

Here’s A New Twist In The Honolulu Corruption Case. Recently unsealed court documents point to a questionable link between a suspect in a drug case and the Honolulu prosecutor’s office. Civil Beat.

The U.S. Military is considering Kuaokala Ridge near the U.S. Air Force Kaena Point Satellite Tracking Station or one of two sites at the U.S. Army's Kahuku Training area for its new Homeland Defense Radar - sensory radar designed to detect and classify radars. KITV.

Community Hears Proposals for New Missile Defense Radar. Hawaii Public Radio.

Heeia Kea Small Boat Harbor receives a $38,000 security camera from NBCUniversal. Star-Advertiser.

Heads up, hikers! The popular Lanikai Pillbox trail will be closed for 2 months. Hawaii News Now.

Simon Treacy, president of the Howard Hughes Corporation in Hawaii, announced the appointment of three industry veterans to new leadership roles at Ward Village, a 60-acre master-planned community in Honolulu. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

More than 1,000 Big Isle residents affected by Kilauea eruption register with FEMA. Star-Advertiser.

Eruption shows no signs of slowing. Preliminary estimates show it has produced about 145 million cubic meters of lava — more than the last two eruptions in the area. Tribune-Herald.

Lava 'bergs,' rapids and flows part of a bizarre new normal on the Big Island. Hawaii News Now.

Things aren't getting any easier for the thousands of Big Island residents who have been displaced by eruptions and lava flows in lower Puna. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii County officials continue to look for a safe way for the public to see firsthand the 2,000-degree river of lava racing 8 miles to the sea — a lava “viewing platform” that Gov. David Ige hopes would boost Hawaii island tourism. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to host free events amid eruptions, ash falls. Hawaii News Now.

Eruption Digest For June 20: More Vog Meetings, Citations, and Support. Big Island Video News.

About $1 million has been redirected within the Hawaii Police Department to cover overtime hours piling up as lava continues to flow in Puna. West Hawaii Today.

Lava’s ravages take a toll on residents’ mental health. Star-Advertiser.

While government is still talking about how to house people displaced by the eruption, a Big Island church has already broken ground on a new village for evacuees. Hawaii News Now.

Department of Health advises West Hawaii residents build clean air rooms inside homes. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii's Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in an appeal of a decision to grant a construction permit for a giant telescope planned for the state's tallest mountain. Associated Press.

The Hawaii County Council is considering a bill that would change the ethics code to state that officers and employees of the county government "shall be truthful." Big Island Video News.

Nearly $2 million will be coming to the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority as part of a U.S. Department of Energy program funding efforts to improve desalination technologies using solar power. West Hawaii Today.

The U.S. Department of Energy will award over $1.9 million in federal funding to the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority to test the viability of solar-thermal desalination on a commercial scale. Pacific Business News.

Maui

Landmark decision restores flow in 10 Maui streams after more than a century. A landmark decision was made Wednesday in the largest water rights case in the state. KHON2.

State Issues Decision on East Maui Interim Instream Flow Standards. Maui Now.

Taro growers, practitioners elated with E. Maui water rights decision. ­17 streams restored by commission to full, near-full flows for farming, habitat. Maui News.

On July 1st, a new law goes into effect in Maui County that makes it illegal to smoke or vape in vehicles with children under the age of 18 present. Maui Now.

Fire Chief Jeff Murray is retiring at the end of the month, ending more than 29 years with the department, including the last decade as chief. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauai watersheds are getting a boost thanks to $6.5 million in Capital Improvement Project funding from the Legislature. Garden Island.

Stream diversions are the topic for a meeting tonight at the Kauai Community College Performing Arts Center as the Commission on Water Resource Management meets with the public in a Wailua watershed fact gathering mission. Garden Island.

Starting today, the County of Kauai Transportation Agency will be operating two electric bus demonstrations on the Kekaha and Hanalei mainline routes free of charge. Garden Island.

RIMPAC battle lines forming. Garden Island.

Kilauea Volcano explosion caught on camera, legislative committee stuck on marijuana dispensaries bill, media access bill fails, committee approves Honolulu rail tax, smoking age law would be nation's first, Molokai leper colony could be a park, more news from all the Hawaiian islands

Explosion on Kilauea Volcano, courtesy Hawaii Volcano Observatory

A small explosive event at the summit of Kilauea volcano on Sunday afternoon was captured on camera. Big Island Video News.

A bill raising the smoking age in Hawaii to 21 would put the state in the lead in national efforts to prevent nicotine addiction, but is worrying some young smokers whose habit would suddenly be forbidden in public. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii lawmakers have revived a bill to establish a medical marijuana dispensary system after conference committee negotiations collapsed Friday. A conference committee made up of Senate and House negotiators plans to reconvene Monday at noon to consider House Bill 321, according to a Senate press release emailed at 1:21 a.m. Saturday. Civil Beat.

When negotiations broke down Friday night over details of the marijuana dispensary bill, the Senate's Democratic caucus quickly gathered to sign a petition expressing their desire to see a bill pass this year. Senate Health Committee Chairman Josh Green, who was blamed by many for the failure of the dispensary bill, was then stripped of control of the measure. Star-Advertiser.

Two bills that would require Hawaii insurers to cover treatment for autism, orthodontic treatment and orofacial anomalies, passed conference committees Friday and are headed for a final vote by both chambers next week. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii lawmakers failed to advance a bill that would have given media personnel greater access when covering natural disasters like the June 27 lava flow. Sen. Lorraine Inouye, D-Hilo, who co-introduced the original measure on behalf of the Big Island Press Club and later resurrected it by having it inserted into a separate piece of legislation, said she was “disappointed” by the outcome and that the deciding factor was money. Tribune-Herald.

A $10,000 sewer conversion tax credit will allow 500 homeowners a year to defray the cost of converting from cesspools to sewer systems. The income tax credit with a $5 million yearly cap was approved in legislative conference committees on Friday. West Hawaii Today.

The Jones Act, its defenders argue, is a vigilant protector of American shipping. Opponents in Hawaii, by contrast, often paint the Jones Act as a primary driver of high prices.Civil Beat.

Visitor arrivals to the islands continue to be strong. But as much as we hear about record tourist numbers, not everything in the industry is as rosy as it may appear. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

A joint panel of state senators and representatives agreed to terms Friday to extend Honolulu’s 0.5 percent General Excise Tax surcharge for rail another five years beyond its Dec. 31, 2022, sunset date. Civil Beat.

The developer of a McCully condominium complex seeking a list of exemptions from city zoning land laws will get them — but only if it can provide more homes to families in lower income brackets. The City Council's Zoning and Planning Committee gave preliminary approval Thursday to Resolution 15-89, which exempts developers of the 180-unit Ohana Hale condominium complex from 17 requirements of Hono­lulu's Land Use Ordinance. Star-Advertiser.

If you ever wanted to learn more about the Honolulu Police Department’s policy on use of force, bias-based profiling or even its grooming standards, you can now do so simply by going to the agency’s website. On Friday, the HPD announced it has uploaded each of its more than 250 policies in order to increase departmental transparency. Civil Beat.

Honolulu police officers who discovered an alleged indoor marijuana growing operation while responding to a dropped 911 call in Hale­iwa conducted an illegal search, the state Intermediate Court of Appeals ruled recently. Star-Advertiser.

More people have been bicycling and fewer bikes are on sidewalks since Honolulu opened a 2-mile protected bike lane on South King Street in December, according to the city's deputy director transportation services. Associated Press.

Hawaii

The complaint against Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi over misuse of his county-issued purchasing card will go before the county Board of Ethics on May 13, when three Kenoi appointees will consider options against the mayor and his finance director. Star-Advertiser.

A call to explore moving the University of Hawaii at Hilo’s College of Pharmacy to UH-Manoa failed to gain traction in the Legislature this year, but the resolution’s sponsor says it’s a question likely to come up again. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Maui County Council Budget and Finance Committee members worked late Friday and into the early hours of Saturday to try to put the finishing touches on the panel's draft of the county fiscal 2016 budget. Maui News.

Time-share owners have filed 649 real property tax appeals with Maui County for the 2015 assessment year, the highest number of appeals for owners of properties in any of the 10 property rate tax classifications. Maui News.

The Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission had been hoping to receive at least $6 million from the state Legislature to maintain operations for the next two years, but lawmakers approved only $2 million for the commission in its biennium budget by Friday's legislative deadline. Maui News.

Kauai

Civil Air Patrol Col. Roger Caires has been appointed as the Kauai Composite Squadron commander, and Lt. Col. Ronald Victorino has been named as the squadron’s vice commander. Garden Island.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife is seeking public input and comments on a draft forest reserve management plan for Nounou and Kalepa Forest Reserves on Kauai. Garden Island.

Molokai

When the last of 16 Hawaii Hansen's disease patients dies, the National Park Service wants to allow more visitors to Kalaupapa National Historic Park and overhaul some buildings to accommodate them — but otherwise preserve the feel and history of the isolated Molokai peninsula that was home to 8,000 exiles afflicted with the disease also known as leprosy. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiian Airlines cuts legroom, chief elections officer could face reviews, Honolulu committee advances Hoopili development, snubs Malaekahana, new charter school approved, Maui hospital denied, Kaui forest to be burned for fuel, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaiian Airlines interior © 015 All Hawaii News

Hawaiian Airlines passengers won't be able to recline their seats on any interisland flights by the end of this year. The state's largest carrier said Thursday it is retrofitting the 18 Boeing 717 aircraft it uses on interisland routes with new lightweight seats that will reduce legroom by about an inch under a reconfiguration and allow the airline to add five to 10 more passengers on each flight. Star-Advertiser.

The state's chief elections officer would have to undergo a performance evaluation after each general election under a plan approved by the state Senate. The bill, SB 622, requires the Elections Commission to provide the written performance evaluation to the Legislature. Associated Press.

Despite concerns from the departments of Health and Human Services, Hawaii lawmakers are pushing forward bills that would help the adult care-home industry make more money while potentially compromising the quality of services provided to those most in need. Civil Beat.

A bill that would make an exception for married couples who do not receive Medicaid to live together in the same Community Care Foster Family Home is advancing through the state House of Representatives. Star-Advertiser.

As a mark of respect for the late former state Rep. Diana “Mele” Carroll, Gov. David Ige has ordered that the flags of the United States and State of Hawaii shall be flown at half-staff at all state offices and agencies, as well as the Hawaii National Guard, from sunrise to sunset Friday to recognize services held on Oahu and Sunday, which is the day services will be held on Maui. West Hawaii Today.

The commercial solar energy market in Hawaii has turned into a race of sorts, a race for businesses to get their systems in place before a federal tax credit sunsets at the end of 2016. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

The City Council Zoning and Planning Committee gave a preliminary thumbs up Thursday to one landscape-changing development scheme and a thumbs down to another one. A rezoning request for D.R. Horton Schuler Division's 11,750-home Hoo­pili project in West Oahu advanced 5-0. But Hawaii Reserve Inc.'s plan to develop a section of Malaekahana, between Laie and Kahuku, appears to be in serious jeopardy. Star-Advertiser.

The Honolulu City Council Zoning and Planning Committee approved a planning document for the North Shore on Thursday but amended it to remove a highly controversial new residential community at Gunstock Ranch in Malaekahana. Civil Beat.

Ho’opili, a major residential and commercial project on O’ahu cleared its first major hurdle today following the completion of public testimony before a Honolulu City Council Committee. Hawaii Public Radio.

A Honolulu City Council committee has advanced a proposed development in West Oahu. The council’s zoning committee gave the green light Thursday for Hoopili’s next step. KHON2.

One controversial housing development has hit a major roadblock, while another in Kapolei has been given the green light to go ahead.The Honolulu City Council's Zoning Committee approved Bill 47 without including Envision Laie, a proposal that would have included nearly 900 new homes at Malaekahana in the Koolauloa section of Windward Oahu. Hawaii News Now.

After more than four hours of testimony Thursday, the City Council’s Zoning and Planning Committee approved the removal of language from the Koolau Loa Sustainable Communities Plan that could have paved the way for 875 homes to be built on land at Malaekahana. KITV4.

Oahu communities roundly oppose Malaekahana development. At a press conference today, the opposition to Malaekahana development expressed their reasons for supporting zoning chair Ikaika Anderson's proposed amendments to Bill 47. Hawaii Independent.

Elected leaders at Honolulu Hale and the state Capitol have been watching closely to see how their colleagues across Punchbowl Street will respond to rail's budget crisis. Now at least one Hono­­lulu City Council member appears concerned that his chamber might have waited too long to weigh in on a rail tax extension. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Pacific Health, the state's largest medical provider, is exploring a purchase of all or part of the financially struggling Wahiawa General Hospital. Star-Advertiser.

Opinion: Oahu General Plan Provides Diversification and Sustainability. The Oahu General Plan is not perfect but it provides land-use diversification and sustainability for our small island home. Civil Beat.

Hawaii

The state’s only new charter school is set to open its doors in Ka‘u in July, following unanimous approval of its facilities Thursday by the Windward Planning Commission. West Hawaii Today.

Just over a year after North Hawaii Community Hospital merged with The Queen’s Health Systems, the Waimea facility is adding new equipment, rebuilding a management team and laying groundwork for stabilizing its workforce. Efforts to recruit badly needed doctors are also moving ahead, although more slowly than many would like, the hospital’s president Ken Graham told West Hawaii Today in an interview.

Christina (Tina) Neal has been chosen to serve as the new scientist-in-charge of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Neal succeeds Jim Kauahikaua, who served in the position for the past 10 years. West Hawaii Today.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's new scientist-in-charge is coming to Hawaii from Alaska where she has been mapping and studying active Alaskan volcanoes for more than two decades. Garden Island.

Home prices on Hawaii's Big Island rose by single digits in February, while sales of condominiums rose and sales of single-family homes fell, according to data released by Hawaii Information Service on behalf of Hawaii Island Realtors. Pacific Business News.

Maui

A Maui County Council committee decided Thursday to re-examine rules and guidelines in the county's transportation contract for residents with disabilities with Maui Economic Opportunity amid recurring complaints from riders. Maui News.

The state Health Planning and Development Agency has ruled against Regency Namakua's application to build a 40-bed skilled nursing and intermediate-care facility at the Maui Research and Technology Park in Kihei. Maui News.

Second Circuit Judge Joseph Cardoza and District Court Judge Adrianne Heely will hear Maui County's environmental cases when the new statewide environmental court program comes on line beginning July 1. Maui News.

Kauai

Legal costs and fees to defend County of Kauai officials in two lawsuits filed by county employees totaled a little more than half a million dollars before settlements were reached, according to documents obtained by The Garden Island.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources and private partners have launched a $1 million-plus project that aims to remove 15,000 tons of burned pine and eucalyptus trees, many of them dead and standing hazards, and then replant with healthy hardwoods, including a large section of natives such as koa. As part of the project, the logs will be hauled off to Kauai's new $90 million Green Energy biomass plant, where they will be burned to generate electric power. Star-Advertiser.

The state has started cutting down trees on 300 acres of Kauai forest reserve that were scorched by wildfire in 2012 and sending the wood to be processed at a new biomass-to-energy plant. Associated Press.

The median price of a single-family home on Kauai shot up by more than 46 percent in February as the median price on the North Shore passed $1 million, according to data released by Hawaii Information Service on behalf of the Kauai Board of Realtors. Pacific Business News.

Ige returns from Washington, state economy stagnates, marijuana decriminalization advances, power companies & military top polluters, Hawaiian Electric CEO makes $5.6M, good reviews for Honolulu police chief, Kauai auditor settles, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Ige at NGO conference, courtesy Governor's Office

Hawaii Gov. David Ige said Thursday that he met with several of members of President Barack Obama’s cabinet during his latest trip to Washington and talked about transportation funding, airports and Native Hawaiian sovereignty, among other topics. Associated Press.

Gov. David Ige took advantage of his recent trip to Washington, D.C., to make a direct pitch to President Barack Obama, encouraging him to choose Hawaii as the location for his presidential library. Ige briefed reporters Thursday about his trip to the National Governors Association Winter Meeting last week as well as a variety of meetings he held with Cabinet members, including Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy. Star-Advertiser.

Gov. David Ige took time Thursday to debrief reporters on his recent visit to Washington, D.C., highlighting his meetings with President Obama, federal officials and other governors. Civil Beat.

Gov. David Ige on Thursday released the names of the people on his transition team who have been advising him on key decisions to appoint members of his Cabinet, including the highly controversial nominee Carleton Ching. The governor’s transition team includes Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui; former vice president of Hawaiian Electric Co. Robbie Alm; real estate attorney Gordon Arakaki; Ige’s campaign manager Keith Hiraoka; University of Hawaii vice president Dan Ishii, who served as an assistant to former Gov. George Ariyoshi; Ige’s longtime office manager Joyce Kami; the governor’s Chief of Staff Mike McCartney; and Lorrie Stone, a land use attorney who is married to developer Jeff Stone. Civil Beat.

Gov. David Ige sent state senators a letter Thursday urging them to support Castle & Cooke lobbyist Carleton Ching to lead the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority says the number of travelers visiting the islands declined 0.6 percent last month over the same month a year ago. Spending by travelers dropped 2.5 percent. Associated Press.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority has set a target of hosting nearly 8.6 million visitors this year, up from the 8.3 million who came last year, despite a dip in January arrivals. The board also set a goal to increase visitor spending to $15.58 billion in 2015. Star-Advertiser.

It's going to be 2014 all over again for the state economy. Hawaii is expected to continue its moderate expansion this year with nominal gains in visitor arrivals, steady labor market improvement and additional income growth, the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization said in a report set for release Friday. Star-Advertiser.

Possession of an ounce or less of marijuana would be punishable by a fine of not more than $100 under a decriminalization bill that is moving through the state Senate. The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday unanimously approved Senate Bill 879 to allow Hawaii to join 19 other states and the District of Columbia that have decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana. Star-Advertiser.

If Senate Bill 879 becomes law, getting busted with an ounce or less of marijuana would no longer be a petty misdemeanor. Hawaii News Now.

A bill that would relax the state's annual motor vehicle safety check requirement to allow vehicles on the neighbor islands to be inspected just once every two years has won the approval of the key House Consumer Protection Committee. Star-Advertiser.

A full suite of bills related to aquarium fishing continues to move ahead at the state Capitol, and several are set to be heard in the House Committee on Judiciary today. West Hawaii Today.

No Political Pedigree: Can Tulsi Gabbard’s Top Advisor Succeed in D.C.? Many questions surround the Hawaii congresswoman's pick of Kainoa Penaroza as her new chief of staff, mainly his lack of political experience that the job demands. Civil Beat.

It looks more and more like the Obama Presidential Library is headed for Chicago. But Honolulu could play the role of the second city. Hawaii News Now.

Thirty-five Hawaii facilities — mostly power companies, fuel industries and the military — combined to release 3 million pounds of toxic material into the islands' air, water and land in 2013, representing a 12 percent increase from the year before, according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Star-Advertiser.

Award-winning journalist Naomi Klein blamed Hawaiian Electric Co. for limiting the progress of solar energy during a motivating speech Thursday evening at the University of Hawaii. Civil Beat.

Constance Lau, the president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc., received $5.6 million in total compensation in 2014, more than the $3.8 million in compensation she received the previous year, according to the Honolulu-based firm's 2014 annual report released Thursday. Pacific Business News.

KHON2 has learned the state is issuing an order to Hawaiian Electric following the utility’s decision not to approve solar applications.

The nominating committee for state water commission members is accepting applications for one open position. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources said Wednesday the four-year term for the position begins on July 1. Associated Press.

Oahu

Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha's handling of an incident involving an off-duty officer captured on video punching a woman at a Wai­pahu restaurant may have negatively affected his annual review, but the Hono­­lulu Police Commission still rated his 2014 performance as above average. For the third year in a row, the Police Commission determined Kealoha "exceeds expectation" in his annual review. Star-Advertiser.

According to  Dan Grabauskas, the executive director and CEO of the Honolulu Authority of Rapid Transportation, contract termination would set the city back $1.4 billion on top of the $1.3 billion that's already been spent. Then there are contract obligations at another $400 million and an estimated $100 million to tear down what's already been built. The grand total equals $3.2 billion, or about half what the rail project is now projected to cost. KITV4.

Despite City’s Sit-Lie Crackdown, Homeless Aren’t Moving Into Shelters. Instead, they're moving to other parts of the island as the city enforces bans on sitting and lying on sidewalks in Waikiki and business districts throughout Oahu. Civil Beat.

Bill 82 would create the Waikiki Beach Special Improvement District, where private sector funds would be collected for restoration and improvement projects. However, it's in the language--and the district boundaries---of the bill, where opposition is fervent. Hawaii News Now.

Honolulu inflation remained far below its historical average and finished 2014 below the U.S. rate for the first time in 13 years, according to a report released Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Star-Advertiser.

A hotel could be part of a new mixed-use project being planned for the corner of Kapiolani Boulevard and Atkinson Drive in Honolulu across from the Hawaii Convention Center and near Ala Moana Center, the developer told Pacific Business News.

In his State of the City speech Tuesday, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said he wants to tackle that negative perception of the island's parks by pumping $2 million for park refurbishments into the 2016 budget he will submit to the Hono­lulu City Council on Monday. Star-Advertiser.

The University of Hawaii Athletics Department is dealing with a projected $3.5 million deficit. But the department received a big donation from an unknown angel. An anonymous donor has given the athletics department $1.2 million. KHON2.

Hawaii

Some landscape companies are crying foul over a new county policy requiring them to truck their green waste to the Puuanahulu or Hilo landfills and pay a tipping fee to dispose of it. The requirements and tipping fee have been on the books since 2005, but Mayor Billy Kenoi’s administration delayed implementing them during the recession. The law is slated to go into effect Monday. West Hawaii Today.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s chief scientist will step aside next month to focus on research. Associated Press.

Naalehu will lose its only grocery store today after Island Market shuts its doors. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

A monthlong debate among Maui County Council members over whether to confirm the appointment of Maui County Prosecuting Attorney John D. Kim may come to a head at a special council meeting scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Tuesday. Maui News.

Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. has grown sugar cane in Central Maui for more than a century, but a company official said Wednesday that the last sugar plantation in Hawaii is now looking to move into biofuel production. Maui News.

Hawaii’s last sugar cane plantation wants to transition to growing plants for energy. But it hasn’t found another crop that grows as well as sugar cane in a variety of soils or one that can stand up to Maui’s strong winds. Associated Press.

Hawaii's last remaining sugar plantation might not stay a sugar plantation for long. An official with Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company says it has been looking into diversifying its crop, possibly moving more toward biofuel. Hawaii Public Radio.

The infestation of little fire ants in Nahiku is unlike any other in the state - and that may mean that eradicating one of the world's worst invasive species is hopeless if it's not dealt with quickly, an international ant expert said. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauai County Auditor Ernesto Pasion has reached a settlement in his retaliation and whistleblowers complaint against the county. Garden Island.

Kukui Grove Center installed a combination recycle and trash solar-powered system Wednesday in the food court area fronting the Starbucks Coffee and Jamba Juice  — making the shopping center the first in Hawaii to make the transition to such high-tech waste reducing bins. Garden Island.

The Garden Isle saw the biggest increase in visitor arrivals in January while overall traffic to the state was down slightly compared to the year before, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Garden Island.