Hawaii coffee production down, schools to get fresh food, new teaching methods, Ige signs industrial hemp bill into law, Honolulu council upheaval continues, Maui whistle-blower lawsuit tossed, senior living facility for Kona, big meth problem on Kauai, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Coffee drying at Ka'u farm  2016 All Hawaii News

Hawaii produced an estimated 34.7 million pounds of unprocessed coffee during the 2015-16 season, a 5 percent drop from the previous season, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Pacific Business News.

Farmers and vendors have until Wednesday to tell the state what locally grown fruits and vegetables they’d like to provide to public schools. The state is making a special effort to boost supply and demand for food from the islands in its cafeterias. Star-Advertiser.

Working through a selected group of 19 voluntary advisers, the governor has called for a “blueprint” to guide a revamping of the state’s public school system to improve outcomes for students. The public will have an opportunity to add its ideas at an all-day summit the group is hosting Saturday at the Hawai‘i Convention Center. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige on Thursday signed into law a bill that establishes a pilot program through the state Department of Agriculture allowing for the cultivation of industrial hemp and distribution of hemp seed “for purposes of agricultural or academic research.” Civil Beat.

Burgeoning grass-root groups are ramping up their campaigns for and against the proposed expansion of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument as President Obama weighs whether he should single-handedly create the world’s biggest marine reserve around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Civil Beat.

Billionaire Warren Buffett’s energy company has started doing a pilot program for a residential property manager in Hawaii, a spokeswoman for one of his companies confirmed to Pacific Business News this week.

Learning To Live In The Electric Century. Hawaiian Electric Co. saw its profits skyrocket as people began using newfangled electric appliances. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii Forest Legacy Program is seeking new projects that will protect working forest lands from the threat of conversion to non-forest uses. Applications from state and county agencies, conservation nonprofit groups and private landowners are due by Aug. 10 for funding in fiscal year 2018. Garden Island.

Oahu

Honolulu City Councilman Ikaika Anderson has lost his post as head of the Zoning and Planning Committee to Trevor Ozawa in a shakeup announced Thursday by Council Chair Ernie Martin. Civil Beat.

After being stripped of the chairmanship of the influential City Council Zoning and Planning Committee on Thursday, Council Vice Chairman Ikaika Anderson lashed out at the man who dumped him: Council Chairman Ernie Martin. Star-Advertiser.

Due to a scheduling conflict, Charles Djou said he is unable to attend the Hawaii Public Radio debate that was scheduled for Monday evening. That prompted Mayor Kirk Caldwell to issue a press release Thursday. Civil Beat.

Hawai’i Public Radio is cancelling its scheduled Honolulu Mayoral Candidate Forum on Monday, July 11. Hawaii Public Radio.

A popular local food item has been mentioned as a possible culprit in an outbreak of hepatitis A that has sickened 31 people on Oahu. But the state Department of Health said it isn't anywhere close to identifying a single source in what's become out of the larger food-borne disease outbreaks in recent memory. Hawaii News Now.

A campaign is raising funds for a solution to the Ala Wai’s pollution problem. Hawaii Public Radio.

Portions of Kewalo Basin remained closed Thursday after a sewage spill that went unreported for days. More warning signs went up and the state Department of Health took water samples. KHON2.

It was Christmas in July at Kakaako’s Next Step shelter, where homeless workers Thursday morning unpacked new, heavy-duty air mattresses and $30,000 worth of donated slippers and shoes. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

With a roomful of supporters at their back, former Mayor Harry Kim and former Senior Deputy Corporation Counsel Joe Kamelamela pleaded Thursday with the County Council to keep the county band in the county charter. West Hawaii Today.

A Kona senior living facility cleared a major hurdle Thursday, when the County Council unanimously granted $1.8 million in exemptions. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaiian Airlines’ new nonstop service between Kona International Airport on the Big Island and Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport will start on Dec. 20, the Honolulu-based airline said Wednesday. Pacific Business News.

Maui

A Second Circuit Court Judge has dismissed a lawsuit from a former Maui County employee who alleged that he had been retaliated against by his workplace. Justin Dobbs was a former liquor control officer trainee with the Department of Liquor when he was fired in 2011. Maui Now.

Ground is finally moving on the island's much-anticipated West Maui Hospital and Medical Center, as hospital officials announced Wednesday that a groundbreaking ceremony would be held for the facility Aug. 15 in Lahaina. Maui News.

The final half-mile length of the Kahului Airport access road from its intersection with Hana Highway through to the terminal area will open to traffic on July 23, state Department of Transportation officials said Wednesday. Maui News.

Kauai

In just five months, the Kauai Police Department saw a 150 percent increase of crystal methamphetamine in 2016 compared to the entire year of 2015. Garden Island.

A Kauai neighborhood association isn’t planning to do anything about Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s rock wall that has some residents grumbling. Star-Advertiser.

Kauai’s Civil Defense Agency is working with the state Department of Health to develop a statewide plan to get a handle on mosquito-borne diseases, including Zika. Garden Island.

Hawaii students not ready for college, University of Hawaii unpopular, centers for Inouye, Obama, mulled, GMO labeling group opens Honolulu office, bus ad bill delayed, UH presidential candidates speak, Jones shipping act panned, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Workers put finishing touches on University of Hawaii at Manoa campus center © 2014 All Hawaii News

Amid educational reforms to better prepare Hawaii public school students for college and careers, the number of college-going graduates last year remained flat, and nearly a third of those who enrolled at the University of Hawaii weren't equipped to take entry-level math and English courses, according to a new report. Star-Advertiser.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa is one of the least popular schools in the country, according to an analysis by eCollegeFinder.org, an online resource for prospective college students. Civil Beat.

David Lassner says that while he's never aspired to be president of the University of Hawaii in his nearly 40-year career at the university, he thinks UH has the potential to be the leading public higher education system in the nation and welcomes the opportunity to try to make that happen. Star-Advertiser.

The future Daniel K. Inouye Center for Democratic Leadership will be more than just a museum and a space to house the late senator's congressional papers, including those from the Watergate and Iran-Contra scandals. Star-Advertiser.

Plans for President Barack Obama’s official library are years away from being finalized but the first request for qualifications has been announced by his foundation and Hawai’i’s team is putting together an initial proposal due next month. Hawaii Public Radio.

A national consumer advocacy and environmental group has opened an office in Honolulu in its efforts to pass a law in Hawaii that would require labels to be put on genetically-modified foods. Hawaii News Now.

A 30-member task force convened by Gov. Neil Abercrombie to address energy security in Hawaii says the state needs an exemption from the 1920s-era Jones Act that requires all goods shipped within the United States be transported by American-made and American-manned ships. Hawaii Reporter.

Hawaii lawmakers are following a national trend and challenging Gov. Neil Abercrombie to consider whether children convicted of first-degree murder should be treated differently from murderous adults. Star-Advertiser.

With campaign season in full swing, we’ll soon be hearing the usual well-meaning but ineffective admonishments and pleas about low voter turnout in Hawaii. Civil Beat.

Which Hawaii Representatives Got the Most Bills Passed? Civil Beat.

Among major climate change concerns and challenges already being felt in Hawai‘i and the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands are damage to coral reefs, decreasing freshwater supplies, increasing temperatures and greater stresses on native marine and terrestrial ecosystems, according to the 3rd U.S. National Climate Assessment released by the White House today. Hawaii Independent.

Strong earnings growth at its utility subsidiary was the main driver behind a 36 percent gain in Hawaiian Electric Industries' first quarter net income, the company reported Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.


Oahu

About 6 a.m. on Nov. 2, 2012, some 30 Honolulu police officers armed with rifles, handguns and shields broke down the side door of Kaneohe resident Paul Tam's home and searched for marijuana plants that officers claimed to have seen from a helicopter. After going through two houses on the property for about two hours destroying lights, doors and personal property, and ordering residents to lie face down on the ground, the officers discovered the suspected marijuana was actually a cluster of bamboo trees. That case, resolved for $70,000, was among several that the Honolulu City Council unanimously agreed to settle Wednesday at a cost of $3.67 million to taxpayers. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu police are investigating an assault on Oahu environmental activist Carroll Cox while he was looking into the alleged toxic dumping and misuse of land under the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Star-Advertiser.

The Honolulu City Council voted overwhelmingly in favor of a mayoral proposal Wednesday to place advertisements on the outside of city buses. The potential ad revenue, which could total million of dollars, is slated for bus service improvements. But Bill 69, which still needs further approval, could still be delayed for at least a year. Civil Beat.

Honolulu City Council members will likely defer until next year a final decision on Mayor Kirk Caldwell's controversial plan to raise money for bus routes by selling advertising on the sides of city buses. Star-Advertiser.

A new law aimed at reforming the Hawaii Community Development Authority, the state agency that manages development in Kakaako, is a victory for Kakaako residents who spent months protesting the approval of new high rises in their neighborhood last year. But despite their legislative success, development in Kakaako is likely to equal or exceed last year's pace, when the agency approved six new projects in the 600-acre district. Civil Beat.

Coral Crater Adventure Park, featuring a zipline course, off-road rides and a climbing wall, is being built in a 23-acre former Navy coral quarry owned by Hunt Cos. in Kalaeloa in West Oahu, the developer of the park told Pacific Business News.

Hawaii

Folks are getting wired in Ka‘u. Ten days worth of celebrations are ongoing on the smoky south flank of Mauna Loa as residents, visitors and growers celebrate the region’s budding coffee industry. West Hawaii Today.

A legislative appropriation of $618,000 has been released for the planning and design of a new campus for a charter school in Volcano Village. Big Island Now.

Maui

The long-awaited launch of Maui’s own Polynesian voyaging canoe, the Moʻokiha o Piʻilani, has been set for Friday, July 11, 2014, at Māla Wharf Boat Ramp in West Maui, according to a Hui o Waʻa Kaulua announcement. Maui Now.

Kauai
More than $80 million in capitol improvement project funding was secured for the island on the final day of the legislative session Wednesday at the state capitol, Kauai lawmakers said. Garden Island.

A divided Kauai County Council committee approved a budget proposal by Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. that could lower the amount of property tax revenues set aside for public access and open space projects next year. Garden Island.

Schatz-Hanabusa contest tight, smokers to be ejected from public housing, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands scrutinized, state to keep chunk of transit tax, Inouye's legacy continues, Abercrombie stumps on islands, preschool plan falters, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Brian Schatz, Colleen Hanabusa vie for U.S. Senate seat

Though myriad factors will come into play in Hawaii Rep. Colleen Hanabusa’s campaign against Sen. Brian Schatz, from Hawaii’s demographics to fundraising, much of the campaign will hinge on what happens in the halls of Congress over the next several months. Civil Beat.

Governor's legislative defeat puts tots in educational bind. The state's intent was to phase out junior kindergarten — launched in 2006 for late-born 4-year-olds — while rolling out a plan for publicly funded universal preschool. Hawaii is one of 11 states without state-funded preschool. Star-Advertiser.

Dozens of tenants are leasing more than 38,000 acres of mostly undeveloped land from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for as little as pennies per acre monthly, with the deals administered through a revocable-permit program plagued by lax oversight and selective enforcement, a Star-Advertiser investigation has found.

For several years, Robin Danner has been a persistent critic of top administrators at the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Star-Advertiser.

Although the state Legislature is a part-time institution, most lawmakers will say their work does not end when the gavel comes down on closing day. Star-Advertiser.

The Legislature this week approved a record-setting $24 billion biennium budget that includes funding for operations and capital improvement projects for fiscal years 2014 and 2015. Hawaii Reporter.

Tenants caught smoking three times or more in apartments or common areas at any of the state's 85 public housing properties could be evicted under a tough new smoking ban effective this month. Star-Advertiser.

Reason TV sat down with Ken Schoolland, professor of economics at Hawaii Pacific University  to talk about the Jones Act, federal legislation that restricts foreign-flagged ships from engaging in commerce in domestic shipping lanes. Hawaii Reporter.
 
Oahu

A measure that would have reduced how much money the state pockets in exchange for collecting the tax used to fund Hono­lulu's rail project died in this year's legislative session. Star-Advertiser.

According to the disclosure forms filed with Congress, in 2010 lobbyists — many of them defense firms seeking defense contracts — reported making $449,000 "honoree donations" to the Pacific Aviation Museum, all in honor of the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii. Civil Beat.

There are mystery men — or women — inside Honolulu Hale. And by not telling us who they are Mayor Kirk Caldwell is violating a state law that requires disclosure of the names of government employees.  Civil Beat.

Hawaii can expect to see its very first Olive Garden restaurant on Oahu at the 1.4-million square-foot, $500 million Ka Makana Alii mixed-use regional shopping center in Kapolei, according to the head of DeBartolo Development. Pacific Business News.

It's the final chapter for east O'ahu's biggest bookstore -- the Barnes & Noble Booksellers at Kahala Mall will soon be closing. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii

Hawaii County is emerging from five years of economic doldrums that saw construction projects plummet, with contractors, consultants and labor unions now looking forward to a slower, more sustainable rise in development. West Hawaii Today.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie was in Hilo Sunday on part of a three-day Neighbor Island tour to announce he’s running for reelection in 2014. Tribune-Herald.

Funding for the Kona Judiciary Complex and the Hawaii Community College at Palamanui top two West Hawaii legislators’ lists of capital improvement project successes this session. West Hawaii Today.

Festival celebrates Ka'u coffee's growing stature. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa said Friday that the difference between his $574 million budget proposal and County Council Budget Committee Chairman Mike White's $551 million basically status-quo plan is a long-term versus a short-term view of the needs of Maui County. Maui News.

The Legislature passed a bill directing state officials to pursue buying a scenic stretch of coastal land from Maui Land & Pineapple Co. to protect the area from possible development and shore up company pension obligations. But the bill was passed without a budget appropriation, making acquisition questionable. Star-Advertiser.

Eddie Would Go documentary set to open Maui’s film festival. Maui News.

Kauai

The Kauai Visitors Bureau is presenting an event at a San Diego mall next weekend to promote tourism to the Garden Island just a few weeks ahead of Alaska Airlines’ launch of its nonstop service between San Diego and Lihue. Pacific Business News.

Reports that airlines are scaling back flights to Hawai‘i this summer have alarmed some who fear it will hurt tourism, but others say it’s cyclical and does not present a serious concern. Garden Island.

Kaua‘i Therapy & Wellness and In Home Services opened a new site Wednesday during a Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting ceremony. Garden Island.

Molokai

Stacy Helm Crivello joined Maui County Council as the Molokai representative in January. A few months into her new role, Crivello answered questions from the Dispatch about serving as a county councilmember. Molokai Dispatch.