More Kahuku wind farm protesters arrested, Honolulu medical examiner ousted, Katherine Kealoha signs plea deal with feds, Maui mayor rejects injection well settlement, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Kahuku wind farm blockade PC: Choon James via Facebook

Honolulu police arrest more opponents blocking convoy to Kahuku wind farm. At least two dozen opponents of the Na Pua Makani project have joined themselves together with zip ties and duct tape in Kalaeloa in West Oahu. Hawaii News Now.

Arrests made in Wind Farm Protest in Kalaeloa. Demonstrators have gathered in Kalaeloa in an effort to stop wind farm construction equipment from being moved to Kahuku. KITV.

Police arrest wind farm protesters at Kalaeloa as turbine blades depart for Kahuku. About 70 Honolulu Police personnel and over 70 protesters against the Na Pua Makani wind farm project have gathered in Kalaeloa Sunday night for the first time after 55 protesters were arrested Thursday and Friday. Star-Advertiser.

Kahuku wind farm protesters prepare for long fight. Kahuku resident Kananiloaanuenue Ponciano settled in for a 12-hour shift yesterday at the Ku Kia‘i Kahuku campsite along Kamehameha Highway on the North Shore, the hub for protesters of a planned wind farm. Star-Advertiser.

With Eye On Mauna Kea, Oahu Isn’t Letting Protesters Stop Unpopular Projects. But the price for pushing through unpopular projects such as the Na Pua Makani wind farm is an enormous logistical effort to keep the kia’i at bay. Civil Beat.

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Where Do All Of Hawaii’s Recyclables Go? No One Knows For Sure. Hawaii is unlikely to get a recycling facility anytime soon, so your soda cans and water bottles must travel thousands of miles to be recycled. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Schools Are Making Progress In Career And Technical Education. Completion of a vocational education program was the only area where DOE students showed improvement in the 2018-19 school year. Civil Beat.

Researchers find second warship from WWII Battle of Midway. A group of deep-sea researchers looking for sunken World War II ships have found a second Japanese aircraft carrier that went down in the Pacific during the historic Battle of Midway. Associated Press.

Oahu

HART takes gamble on partnership plan for rail. The decision to use a public-private partnership to complete the Honolulu rail project has always been a bit of a gamble, but now the stakes are getting higher, and the city is all in. Star-Advertiser.

Katherine Kealoha Signs Plea Deal With Prosecutors. Her attorney said she signed a deal at the Federal Detention Center Sunday morning. Civil Beat.

Honolulu’s Chief Medical Examiner may be out of job. Dr. Christopher Happy has been the city’s Chief Medical Examiner since 2013. But according to City Council Chair Ikaika Anderson, the Mayor’s office is moving to terminate him. KHON2.

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Pilot project aimed at reducing Oahu’s homeless will start in Waipahu. A hub for homeless services will go up in the middle of Waipahu Cultural Garden Park — home to Hawaii’s Plantation Village. Star-Advertiser.

Roving homeless service center with inflatable tents to debut in Waipahu. In an effort to get more homeless people off the streets and into shelters, the state and city are teaming up to launch a mobile hub for temporary housing and services that will be open around the clock. Hawaii News Now.

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Once-Defeated Kaneohe Cemetery Expansion Plan Is Back. While many neighbors are mounting opposition to the new proposal, the expansion has vocal support from several Native Hawaiian organizations. Civil Beat.

City to consider limits for South Shore surfing contests. The city is considering setting limits for surfing contests at Oahu’s South Shore, where Olympian Duke Kahanamoku and his fellow Waikiki beachboys put the sport on the map. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

The debate over the Mauna Kea Access Road is likely to be brought up at this week’s Hawaiian Homes meetings in Hilo. A discussion on Act 14, which directly relates to the Mauna Kea Access Road disagreement, is on the agenda when the commission meets Monday. Big Island Video News.

Plea deal is offered to arrested TMT protesters. The state Attorney General’s Office has offered a plea deal to protesters who were arrested in July for blocking Maunakea Access Road that would dispose of their cases if each pays a $100 fine. Star-Advertiser.

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Input sought on proposed solar project in Waikoloa. Developers of a 400- to 600-acre solar array proposed for Waikoloa are seeking input on the project they say will generate enough energy to power over 14,200 average households. West Hawaii Today.

South Point Wind Farm Requests License For Potential Bat, Petrel, Nene Deaths. Tawhiri Power LLC is requesting a 20-year Incidental Take License for the Pakini Nui Wind Farm on the island of Hawai‘i to permit incidental take of the Hawaiian Hoary Bat, the Hawaiian Petrel, and the Nene. Big Island Video News.

Kampachi Farms moving forward with macroalgae project in waters off Kona Coast. Kampachi Farms plans to begin testing next summer an underwater farm the mariculture company hopes will produce large quantities of limu — edible seaweed — off the Kona Coast. West Hawaii Today.

Home sales are down but prices are up. Home sales and home prices on the Big Island in the third quarter were neck and neck with those in the second. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Maui Mayor Michael Victorino will defy a County Council resolution and continue to pursue the county’s case before the U.S. Supreme Court over Lahaina injection wells. The mayor posted a letter on the county website Friday afternoon. Maui News.

House finance chair: New Maui jail a priority. Top House Finance Committee members visit island. Maui News.

Protest Signs Condemn Residential Construction for ‘Desecration’ of Iwi. The symbols express opposition to the construction of 60 new single-family homes for the last phase of The Parkways at Maui Lani due to the presence of iwi kūpuna, or human remains.  Maui Now.

Kauai

Agencies seek businesses’ help. The Federal Emergency Management Agency in partnership with the County of Kauai will be hosting Industry Day at the Kauai Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday, Oct. 23, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Garden Island.

Big boost for Hawaii cattle industry, Honolulu council mandates union labor, Hawaiian Airlines employees mull strike, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Cattle in Hawaii ©2019 All Hawaii News

Idaho CEO gives ranchers $1.5 million in “game-changing” move for Hawaii’s cattle industry. An Idaho CEO not only bought the entire O'ahu operation, but paid $1.5 million to the ranchers and several others who were owed money. KITV.

IRS Extends Relief for HI Farmers, Ranchers. The Internal Revenue Service has extended tax relief for Hawai‘i farmers and ranchers who were forced to sell livestock due to drought, flooding or other severe weather in recent years. Big Island Now.

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Hawaiian Airlines flight attendants picket in advance of a strike vote. Hawaiian Airlines flight attendants held a major labor demonstration Wednesday at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in advance of the first strike vote that the company’s flight attendants have taken in the carrier’s 90-year history. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiian Airlines flight attendants picket ahead of strike vote. Hawaiian Airlines flight attendants picketed at Honolulu’s airport Wednesday as they prepare for a strike vote next month. Hawaii News Now.

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Number of electric vehicles in state tops 10,000. The latest energy trend report shows Hawaii surpassed a milestone by logging its 10,000th registered electric vehicle some time last month — bringing the state a step closer to its goal of 100% renewables by 2045. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii now has over 10K electric vehicles on the road. According to a new report released by the State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, Hawai'i now has more than 10,000 electric vehicles on the road. KITV.

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Safety is top goal of makeover at state hospital. Nurse manager Robert Burns navigates his way through the pale hallways of the Hawaii State Hospital in Kaneohe with a partially blinded left eye from being injured twice in the same area during assaults while working with psychiatric patients. Star-Advertiser.

Rep. Gabbard Plays Up Military Service But Says Little About It. The Hawaii congresswoman says her experience helps qualifies her for the White House, but she has dodged repeated requests for details. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Honolulu Council Approves Labor-Related Agreement Measure. Honolulu councilmembers passed a measure Wednesday that opponents say favors labor unions and that supporters argue will guarantee jobs for local workers. Hawaii Public Radio.

Council OKs bill mandating union labor for city projects valued at least $2M. A bill requiring the city to hire unionized workers for major construction jobs valued at least $2 million won a 7-2 approval from the Honolulu City Council Wednesday despite lingering concerns from contractor groups. Star-Advertiser.

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Bus ridership plummets, putting rail forecast in limbo. Honolulu’s rail system begins partial operation next year, with most of its riders expected to get to stations by bus. But a longtime decline in bus ridership had its worst drop ever this year. KHON2.

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Kealohas waive right to jury trial and continue negotiations. A federal judge on Wednesday granted Louis and Katherine Kea­loha’s request to waive their right to a jury trial on bank fraud charges as settlement negotiations continue in the corruption case. Star-Advertiser.

Judge Will Decide Kealohas’ Fate In Bank Fraud Trial. A federal judge approved the law enforcement couple’s waiver of a jury trial. Civil Beat.

Judge agrees to waive jury for the Kealohas’ bank fraud trial. A judge agreed to hold the bank fraud trial for the Kealohas without a jury. KHON2.

Federal judge, not a jury will decide whether or not Kealohas are guilty of financial crimes. Louis and Katherine Kealoha are accused of stealing from the trust funds of children Katherine had guardianship over. Katherine also faces identity theft and obstruction charges. KITV.

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Burial council finds ‘no cause for alarm’ on controversial Sherwoods project.  After a presentation by city project managers and contracted archaeologists on the controversial Sherwoods park development, the Oahu Island Burial Council advocated for updated testing and study of the area, but took no formal position on the project despite public pressure to take a stand against it. Hawaii News Now.

Burial Council accepts finding of no ancestral remains at Sherwood. The Oahu Island Burial Council said Wednesday it has found no reason to suspect any human burials exist at the site of a controversial construction project in Waimanalo. Star-Advertiser.

Crews repair 2 vandalized gravestones at Hawaiian Mission Houses’ cemetery. Two headstones that were damaged at Hawaiian Mission Houses’ cemetery in June were re-installed Wednesday. Hawaii News Now.

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How The Ala Wai Flood Project Illustrates The Challenge Of Adapting To Climate Change. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wants to protect the lower Ala Wai Watershed, which includes Waikiki, McCully-Mo’ili’ili and parts of Ala Moana, by constructing a series of basins to catch rainwater during a storm event and release it slowly over time. Hawaii Public Radio.

With calls for mental health emergencies on the rise, HPD launches intervention team. It’s made up of 58 officers ― all with specific training on how to defuse volatile situations that can turn deadly. Hawaii News Now.

Turtle species rarely seen in Hawaii makes an appearance on Kailua beach. A NOAA scientist recognized them as olive ridley turtles, typically found in Central America. Hawaii News Now.

Who Climbs Koko Crater? An Avid Hiker Wants To Find Out. A University of Hawaii public policy professor conducted a private study that he hopes will help city officials better manage one of Oahu’s most popular — and overrun — hiking trails. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

Ethics Board quizzes Roth. Armed with a letter from county Corporation Counsel Joe Kamelamela, an oral assurance from the state attorney general and his own understanding of the law based on readings provided by the state Office of Disciplinary Counsel, county Prosecuting Attorney Mitch Roth told the Board of Ethics on Wednesday he’s confident there would be no conflict of interest if he prosecuted protesters arrested on Maunakea. West Hawaii Today.

Prosecutor Goes Before Ethics Board On Alleged Mauna Kea Conflict. Mitch Roth is asking if his family being employed by institutions connected to the Thirty Meter Telescope project is a conflict of interest, as TMT opponents face prosecution. Big Island Video News.

Thirty Meter Telescope law enforcement costs top $9 million. The state and counties have spent at least $9 million on law enforcement costs related to the Thirty Meter Telescope standoff on Mauna Kea, according to numbers released by the Hawaii Attorney General’s office today. Star-Advertiser.

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Puna Geothermal Venture to drill new well as it prepares to resume operations. Eighteen months after lava flows sidelined Puna Geothermal’s power plant, the company is taking steps to restart operations. Hawaii News Now.


Ironman World Championship prompts West Hawaii road closures. Road closures for the 41st installment of the triathlon will start going into effect Thursday morning in the Kailua Village area. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

New Kahului, Wailuku hotels in the works. Two separate, midpriced hotels may be coming to Central Maui in the near future, according to a recent Hawaii real estate agency study. Maui News.

Windward Hotel Near Kahului Airport Proposed for Completion in 2023. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement has been filed for the proposed 200-room Windward Hotel in Central Maui. Maui Now.

200-room Kahului hotel could open in about 3 years. Draft EIS responds to public concerns. Maui News.

BLNR to look into restricting access to West Maui reserve. State says rock climbers are impacting native plants. Maui News.

Kauai

Change in Black Pot traffic flow. The Department of Parks and Recreation said Wednesday that the traffic pattern for the Black Pot Beach Park parking lot will be modified starting Oct. 15. Garden Island.

Kauaʻi Utility Seeking Comment on Draft Environmental Assessment Covering Stream Diversion. Kauaʻi's power utility is seeking public comment on its draft environmental assessment covering diverting stream water to run the Waiahi hydropower plants. Hawaii Public Radio.

Honolulu rail to run over burials, Tulsi Gabbard to wed on Oahu, beaches eroding, Kauai pesticide dispute in court, VA delays longest on neighbor islands, Ige, Hirono address Big Island concerns, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Honolulu rail transit map, courtesy HART

Rail workers have reportedly uncovered 14 distinct sets of iwi kupuna, or ancestral human remains, in the path of Oahu's future rail transit line so far. This week island burial leaders endorsed a plan for most of those remains to stay protected where they lie. Star-Advertiser.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources is inviting the public to comment on a draft of its updated recreation plan. The department reviews the plan every five years to assess Hawaii's outdoor recreation needs and priorities. The review helps ensure Hawaii is eligible to receive federal grants. Associated Press.

Delays for medical appointments at Veterans Affairs facilities are shorter than the national average across much of Hawaii, but that's not true of the neighbor islands. Associated Press.

The Senate Water and Land Committee, chaired by Sen. Laura Thielen, has set a hearing for 2:45 p.m., April 17, to consider the appointment of Suzanne Case to lead the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Unlike Gov. David Ige’s last nomination for that job, Carleton Ching, this one is expected to clear the committee with ease and go on to pass the full Senate. Civil Beat.

A state House bill that aims to create a regulated medical marijuana dispensary system throughout Hawaii made progress Wednesday. West Hawaii Today.

If your state tax refund is taking longer this year, you have plenty of company. The state says processing those refunds is taking longer this year because there are new procedures to prevent tax fraud. KHON2.

Liquefied natural gas, which is scheduled to be shipped into Hawaii in bulk amounts for power generation purposes as a replacement to oil, is not economical for the state, the head of Par Petroleum, which owns Hawaii’s largest oil refinery, told Pacific Business News on Wednesday.

Oahu

Oahu has lost one-fourth of its beaches and of those remaining, about 70 percent are eroding. If state and county officials don’t start working to conserve what’s left of the sandy shoreline, most of the island’s beaches could disappear by the end of the century, say scientists. Civil Beat.

Wedding bells will ring as U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and fiance Abraham Williams tie the knot Thursday at a historic site in Kahaluu. Hawaii News Now.

Relocating Hawai’i’s largest prison is gaining support at the State Capitol.   Lawmakers are proposing land swaps and partnerships to minimize the use of taxpayer money. Hawaii Public Radio.

On Tuesday, the Senate Ways and Means Committee voted 8-2 to advance House Bill 134, which would extend the rail tax by five years, through 2027. It would also limit those tax dollars to building the project; the money wouldn't be used for operations. Star-Advertiser.

Humanity amid the savagery of war demonstrated 70 years ago in the Battle of Okinawa is being re-emphasized by the Battleship Missouri Memorial with a new exhibit on the kamikaze pilots whose suicide runs wreaked havoc on Allied ships late in World War II. Star-Advertiser.
 
Hawaii

The Honolulu-based Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii was cleared of wrongdoing by the Hawaii County Board of Ethics on Wednesday after the executive director apologized for what she called an oversight when she and two other employees failed to register as lobbyists. West Hawaii Today.

A Hawaii County ethics complaint filed against Mayor Billy Kenoi and Finance Director Deanna Sako over Kenoi's use of his county-issued purchasing card will be handled by the Maui County Corporation Counsel's Office "to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest," Hawaii County Corporation Counsel Molly A. Stebbins said Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

“I want to take full responsibility of the issues of the government pCard,” Kenoi started off during this 16 and a half minute press conference, shared with us courtesy Hawaii News Now. The press conference was held on April 1, 2015 on Oahu. Big Island Video News.

Gov. David Ige panned state management of the Keauhou aquifer, called for quicker action on federally funded highway projects and praised his most recent pick to head the department that oversees state lands on Wednesday. Speaking at a Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Ige also explained that he’ll use a weeklong “time-out” on the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope to carefully listen to all sides. West Hawaii Today.

U.S. Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden and U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono got a firsthand look Wednesday at two major problems facing Hawaii Island’s forests as they stood on a dirt road near Pu‘u Kali‘u in Puna. Tribune-Herald.

The principal of Honokaa High and Intermediate School is under fire from some teachers and parents and is the target of a rare-but-significant class-action grievance filed by the public school teachers' union. Hawaii News Now.

The first phase of construction for 118 Department of Hawaiian Homelands’ units in Kona will take a few months longer to finish than originally expected. The Lai Opua Village 4 Akau Subdivision project in Kealakehe should be complete by September as opposed to this summer, DHHL project manager Jeff Fujimoto said. Fujimoto said the delay is due to the discovery of lava tubes in the area. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

A Hawaii Senate joint committee on Wednesday approved an amended House bill that would allow Maui state hospitals to enter a business partnership with a private entity. Pacific Business News.

The Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce hosts Maui Police Chief Tivoli Faaumu this Tuesday at the Maui Tropical Plantation. MauiTime.

Kauai

A trial is underway in a lawsuit by a group of Kauai residents who are suing a major seed company over genetically modified crop fields they say blow pesticide-laden dust onto their homes. KITV4.

It's all about dust — red dust. That's the focus of a dispute between some Waimea, Kauai, residents and GMO seed producer DuPont Pioneer, the residents' lawyer said Wednesday in opening statements of a civil trial. Star-Advertiser.

Libraries are never out of date, said Lani Kawahara, branch manager at the Kapaa Public Library. Garden Island.

Solar panel credits dim Hawaii recovery, Hirono-Lingle debate shows strategies, rail proponents ask Supreme Court to reconsider, Hawaii County sued for defamation, Honolulu PD opens Facebook site to comments, Kauai settles discrimination claim, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Honolulu solar panels courtesy photo

In a sobering message to Gov. NeilAbercrombie and the state Legislature, the state Council on Revenues on Thursday downgraded the state's revenue forecast because of the cost of a renewable-energy tax credit. Star-Advertiser.

It's a case of "green," turning the bottom line "red." Or at least that's a fear of number-crunching economists on the Council of Revenues. KITV4.

U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono says former Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle is key to Republican plans to take over control of the Senate, while Lingle says Hirono hasn’t mastered issues she’d need to vote on as a U.S. senator. Associated Press.

Former Gov. Linda Lingle on Thursday depicted U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono as ineffective in Congress and unprepared for a role in the U.S. Senate, while Hirono said Lingle is campaigning as bipartisan but would vote with national Republicans who do not share Hawaii's values. Star-Advertiser.

In their first meeting since winning their party's nomination Linda Lingle and Mazie Hirono squared off in a face to face debate that at times got testy. Hawaii News Now.

Mazie Hirono, the Democrat, talked a lot about Republicans while Linda Lingle, the Republican, said very little about either party in the first of five debates in their U.S. Senate race. Civil Beat.

A forum hosted by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce Thursday grew contentious as Democratic U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono squared off against her Republican rival for U.S. Senate, former two-term Gov. Linda Lingle. KITV4.

Hawaii's candidates for U.S. Senate faced off this afternoon in the first of several showdowns between now and November's general election. KHON2.

The first U.S. Senate candidate forum for the General Election was conducted today by the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce. Hawaii Public Radio.

Fired up and ready to go four years ago, Hawaii delegates to the Democratic National Convention were just as enthusiastic Thursday night after President Barack Obama laid out his vision for the next four years in accepting his party's nomination for another term in the White House. Star-Advertiser.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs is an important, quasi-state agency with a huge kuleana — protecting Hawaii's native people and environmental resources and a growing financial portfolio. OHA's nine trustees have a great deal of autonomy. On Nov. 6, five of those seats are up for election. Civil Beat.

Initial unemployment claims in Hawaii decreased by 22.4 percent last week, according to data released Thursday by the Department of Business, Economic Developments and Tourism. Pacific Business News.

State Sen. Donna Mercado Kim has refused a University of Hawaii Board of Regents request to postpone a Sept. 24 hearing into the Stevie Wonder concert debacle. Star-Advertiser.

State Senator Donna Kim expects University of Hawaii President M.R.C. Greenwood and former UH Manoa Athletics Director Jim Donovan to appear before a special senate committee that is looking into the “Wonder Blunder” fundraising fiasco at Manoa. Hawaii Reporter.

The 22nd Annual Hawaii International Tropical Fruit Conference kicks off September 13-16 at the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus on Oahu and continues with a free mini gathering on Maui, Kauai and the Big Island. Maui Now.

Hawaii tourism goes authentic: What's not Hawaiian. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

The Honolulu Police Department has changed its Facebook posting policy after a federal lawsuit claimed the department arbitrarily deletes posts and bans those who make comments that are unfavorable to the department. Associated Press.

Lawyers for the city of Honolulu are asking the Hawaii Supreme Court to reconsider its unanimous decision that shut down construction on the city's $5.26 billion rail line. Star-Advertiser.

Attorneys for Honolulu are asking the Hawaii Supreme Court to reconsider its recent ruling that effectively halted construction on the $5.26 billion Honolulu rail project and could result in millions of dollars in added costs. Civil Beat.

The City and County of Honolulu has filed a motion for the Hawaii Supreme Court to reconsider its August ruling on the rail project. Pacific Business News.

An opponent of a construction project that has displaced close to 600 burials at Kawaiaha‘o Church is seeking a court injunction to stop work given the recent Hawaii Supreme Court decision that halted the city's rail project. Star-Advertiser.

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled against an appeal by the owners of the Pacific Beach Hotel of unfair labor practice charges, an enforcement order, and a second injunction. Hawaii News Now.

In a one-minute commercial that hit the airwaves this week, Honolulu mayoral candidate Kirk Caldwell's wife Donna Tanoue gets personal. Civil Beat.

Dozens of artists, musicians and street performers in Waikiki have been arrested in recent weeks in response to numerous complaints. KHON2.

Hawaii

Two fired elections employees have filed defamation lawsuits against Hawaii County, the county clerk, the chairman of the County Council and a county-contracted private investigator, alleging information was leaked about an investigation into drinking parties and a private business operation at the elections warehouse that led to their termination. West Hawaii Today.

The Hawaii County elections administrator and a former senior elections clerk, who were fired in January, have filed separate defamation and negligence lawsuits against County Clerk Jamae Kawa­uchi, Council Chairman Dominic Yagong, the county and a private investigator. Star-Advertiser.

Elections Administrator, Patricia Nakamoto, and former Senior Elections Clerk, Shyla Ayau, filed separate defamation and negligence lawsuits. Hawaii Reporter.

Two employees fired by embattled Hawaii County Clerk Jamae Kawauchi filed defamation lawsuits against her, County Council Chairman Dominic Yagong, and the county on Wednesday. Hawaii News Now.

Two former Big Island election workers have filed lawsuits against the county and county officials alleging defamation and negligence. KHON2.

The state should establish a “mechanism” to monitor the readiness of the counties to conduct an election and to intervene if necessary, the Hawaii County Council declared on Thursday. Tribune-Herald.

The Hawaii County Council will revisit its electricity code later this month to address complaints from contractors. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaiian Airlines has the weight of several elected officials — including Gov. Neil Abercrombie and Sen. Daniel Inouye — behind its application for a direct Kona-Haneda, Japan, flight, an official said Thursday. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

The state Land Use Commission on Thursday unanimously approved allowing three parties to intervene in the commission's review of whether or not the landowners developing two proposed shopping centers in Kihei have violated land-use conditions placed on the property. Maui News.

A former Wailuku Main Street Association board chairman said he felt "vindicated" Wednesday after the release of a scathing state attorney general's report confirmed the organization had failed to produce pertinent information to its directors, as he originally alleged. Maui News.

A 2nd Circuit Court judge granted a motion Wednesday to lift parts of a temporary restraining order in the ongoing case over operations at the troubled Ritz-Carlton Club and Residences at Kapalua Bay. Maui News.

Kauai

The County of Kaua‘i has agreed to another settlement with a former deputy prosecuting attorney. Garden Island.

Kauai County paid $120,000 to settle a claim by a former prosecutor who said she was racially harassed because she is Caucasian, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

A federal civil rights agency says Kauai County Prosecutor Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho likely harassed a white lawyer who worked for her based on her race. Civil Beat.

The Office of the Kaua‘i County Auditor released the results of a county road maintenance program audit on Wednesday, noting deficiencies in management and non-permitted use of roads resources. Garden Island.

The Kaua‘i Fire Department on Wednesday received unanimous approval from the Kaua‘i County Council to go ahead with a one-time federal grant to temporarily address a shortage of firefighters in the Lihu‘e Fire Station. Garden Island.

Many local residents may not realize this, but Kaua‘i is the headquarters of the only congressionally chartered botanical gardens in the nation. Garden Island.

Kilauea Volcano gets its own quarter, crowds fight new state land development corporation, Kauai budget out of balance, state Senate committee to look into UH blunders, 579 burials found at Honolulu church construction site, Maui hospital mulls partnership with Banner Health, Supreme Court dismisses election protest, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii volcano quarter courtesy photo

The United States Mint is unveiling a new quarter depicting a Hawaii volcano eruption. Associated Press.

At a rain-drenched ceremony near the national park’s visitor center, Superintendent Cindy Orlando, U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye and David Croft, plant manager of the U.S. Mint in Denver, tipped their ceremonial calabashes and poured out $500 in newly minted quarters onto a koa platter, inaugurating the ceremonial rollout of what could be a red-hot collector’s item. Tribune-Herald.

Sen. Daniel Inouye joined U.S. Mint Plant Manager David Croft and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando Wednesday in launching the new Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Quarter. KITV4.

Environmentalists, Native Hawaiian leaders and University of Hawaii students crowded a state office building conference room Wednesday night to demand the repeal of the newly created Public Land Development Corp. Star-Advertiser.

The fledgling movement to abolish the Public Land Development Corporation caught fire Wednesday night during a public meeting in Honolulu about the draft rules to regulate the government agency charged with partnering with private companies to develop state lands. Civil Beat.

Hundreds of people showed up at a public hearing regarding proposed rules for the Public Land Development Corporation, formed under a new state law that would allow private development on public land. Hawaii News Now.

An overflow crowd gathered Wednesday night to protest a new law giving the state the ability to sell or lease public lands to developers. KHON2.

A special state Senate committee has been formed to look into recent management blunders at the University of Hawaii. Hawaii Reporter.

Relief has begun to arrive for many Hawaii homeowners threatened by foreclosure under a settlement between the five largest U.S. mortgage lenders and the state and federal government. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii attorney general's office says consumers in the state could receive up to $300,000 in compensation under a nationwide settlement with three of the country's largest book publishers over price fixing allegations. Associated Press.

The state's embattled historic preservation division suffered another blow last week, with the Hawaii Supreme Court ruling that the agency had violated its own rules in allowing the city to begin construction on Honolulu’s rail project without completing an archaeological inventory survey for the entire route first. Civil Beat.

Hawaii's visitor industry continued to heat up in July, with arrivals and spending gains contributing to what continues to be one of the hottest summers ever. Star-Advertiser.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie announced the release of more than $52.5 million for Capital Improvement Projects last week, including funds for a $2.2 million Transpacific Cable Project. Maui Now.

Kawika Crowley, the Republican nominee for Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional seat, pledged Wednesday to put up a strong fight against Democrat Tulsi Gabbard despite being homeless and receiving no financial support from his party. Tribune-Herald.

Oahu

An excavation team has found nearly 600 sets of remains in the very spot where the historic Kawaiahao Church plans to build a multi-purpose center, and Hawaiian activists say it's one of the largest burial discoveries in state history. Hawaii News Now.

It would cost $2.5 million to return TheBus service to what it was before the city began imposing cuts earlier this year, but routes could not be restored until March 2013 even if money were available, according to Wayne Yoshioka, director of the city Department of Transportation Services. Star-Advertiser.

The parallels between Hawaii Superferry and Honolulu rail are obvious. Civil Beat.

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation … or HART … has stopped all new construction on the City’s $5.2 billion rail project. But as HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports … HART reached out to business and community leaders yesterday with a message of reassurance. Hawaii Public Radio.

The city of Honolulu chose to include only two single-toilet restrooms designated for bus drivers only in the new $19 million Alapai Street Transit Station. Honolulu Advertiser.

Ka’ena Point, Oahu’s wild and windswept northwestern tip, is the ancestral gathering place for souls of the dead, from where they jump off into the next world. Now it has new resonance as the first piece of land in Hawaii that is being allowed to revert to the way our islands were thousands of years ago, when there were no people, the only mammals were seals and bats, and tens of millions of seabirds flocked in from all over the world to nest.  Honolulu Weekly.

Hawaii

The Hawaii Supreme Court has dismissed a Puna candidate’s election protest, the third of four protests filed in the wake of the Aug. 11 primary election that the court has dismissed. West Hawaii Today.

The state would spend more than half a billion dollars in upgrades at Kona International Airport in the next decade, if it constructs all of the projects listed in a recently released draft environmental impact statement. West Hawaii Today.

Cleaning up the broken pipes, metal waste and other debris from the ocean off the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority is more than a pipe dream for Mark Barville. West Hawaii Today.

Big Island delegate Dylan Nonaka has been given a stage role on the final night of the Republican National Convention. Stephens Media.

A new open market on a Hawaiian Home Lands parcel in Puna has been ordered to shut down by the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

The Hawaii Health Systems Maui Regional System Board of Directors has begun discussions with Banner Health, one of the country's largest nonprofit hospital systems, to explore a public-private partnership for medical facilities including Maui Memorial Medical Center. Maui News.

Maui and the state overall continued to enjoy healthy gains in the tourism sector last month. Maui News.

The Grand Wailea could be under new ownership before the end of the year as the hotel's owners seek to auction off assets and emerge from bankruptcy protection. Maui News.

Kauai

“There is no money missing,” was the mantra in Council Chair Jay Furfaro’s presentation to the rest of his colleagues at the Kaua‘i County Council meeting Wednesday, when the council’s Committee of the Whole unanimously approved two bills to address an imbalance in the budget for Fiscal Year 2013, which started July 1. Garden Island.

The Kauai County Council is working on two bills aimed at correcting a budget imbalance that occurred during the fiscal year 2013 budget deliberation process. KHON2.

The Kaua‘i Planning Commission on Tuesday gave the County Department of Water the green light to proceed with drilling for an exploratory well and with the construction of two half-million-gallon concrete water tanks in Kapahi. Garden Island.

Kaua‘i Community College surpassed the 1,500-student mark Monday, said Cammie Matsumoto, director of community relations and special projects. Garden Island.

Molokai

George Peabody, editor of the Molokai Advertiser-News, emailed several members of the Martin Luther King Jr. Coalition, the African American Heritage Foundation of Maui, and the Hawaii NAACP on Aug. 25 requesting copies of their birth certificates. Civil Beat.