Hawaii Legislature's opening day, Zuckerberg sues over Kauai locals, audit calls for midwife licensing, Native Hawaiian health, FBI raid update in Kealoha case, lawmakers question loss of school superintendent, Hard Rock Cafe leaves Maui, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii state Capitol © 2017 All Hawaii News

Today marks the opening day of the state Legislature, with the House and Senate scheduled to convene at the state Capitol at 10 a.m. Star-Advertiser.

State lawmakers are pushing for energy independence, easing the high cost of living and improving working conditions in the state’s commercial fishing fleet as they begin the 2017 legislative session. Associated Press.

Lawmakers interrogated several members of the Board of Education on Tuesday over the decision not to retain schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi, and demanded to know what prompted the call for a leadership change. Star-Advertiser.

Two groups of lawmakers wanted answers Tuesday as to why current Department of Education Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi is being replaced when the Board of Education has said she’s done a good job. Civil Beat.

The accounting practices of the State Public Charter School Commission came under scrutiny during a legislative budget hearing at the Capitol.  Civil Beat.

A plan to ease overcrowding in Hawaii jails by releasing nonviolent accused or convicted petty criminals hasn’t gotten off the ground yet, and might not have much impact when it finally takes effect because too few inmates will qualify. Star-Advertiser.

A state audit calls for all midwives to be licensed in Hawaii. KITV.

A group of health leaders is proposing public policy changes such as a minimum wage hike and public dental benefits for low-income residents in an attempt to reduce health disparities among Native Hawaiians with a higher proportion of chronic diseases. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii typically ranks among the top states when it comes to the health of its residents, but its indigenous population suffers disproportionately from diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and high incarceration rates. Civil Beat.

Senate president’s goals include rail, health care services. Garden Island.

Counties Again Seek Greater Share Of Hotel Tax, Lifeguard Immunity. Protection from civil litigation expires July 1 unless lawmakers act. Counties want lifeguards treated the same as some state workers. Civil Beat.

Counselor Involved In School Sex Case Now Works For State. Scott O’Neal didn’t admit liability but paid $750,000 to settle. The Department of Health said it could find no reason not to hire him. Civil Beat.

Women legislators across the country are launching a bi-partisan effort to address the opioid abuse epidemic.    Local lawmakers conducted a news conference today on their proposed legislation. Hawaii Public Radio.

The state Department of Health levied an administrative penalty of $2,800 against Safeway Inc. “for failure to submit payments and reports required of beverage distributors.” Tribune-Herald.

Oahu

The FBI raided another county building late last week as part of its public corruption case against Honolulu's police chief and his deputy prosecutor wife, Hawaii News Now has learned.

Hawaii Sen. Will Espero has added his name to the chorus of people urging the Honolulu Police Commission to hold off on inking a cash settlement with Police Chief Louis Kealoha, who is under federal investigation for corruption. Civil Beat.

What will police chief Louis Kealoha walk away with when his retirement becomes official? It’s a question the Honolulu Police Commission will answer at its meeting Wednesday. KHON2.

How Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell's pay stacks up against other big city mayors. Pacific Business News.

State officials say they’ll have to relocate the 450-foot-tall radio tower near the Kapalama Canal in the next several years to help make way for more harbor capacity — but where the tower will go hasn’t been decided. Star-Advertiser.

The City and County of Honolulu expects to select a company in the coming months that will replace about 52,000 of its streetlights with more efficient LED lighting, a city spokesman confirmed to Pacific Business News Tuesday.

State officials recovered an illegal 4-1/2-foot ball python over the weekend, the Department of Agriculture said. Star-Advertiser.

The first residents of a new apartment complex in Kapolei that feels like a hotel for seniors received a grand welcome along with a kahu’s blessing and a Champagne toast Tuesday as part of the project’s opening ceremony. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii
Mayor Harry Kim headed to Honolulu Tuesday, ready to meet, greet, request and repeat. West Hawaii Today.

Amidst concerns expressed by residents neighboring the planned East Hawaii Organics Facility in Panaewa, the mayor is taking another look at the enhanced mulching project. Big Island Video News.

Puna Councilwoman Eileen O’Hara interrupted a burglary at her Pahoa council office Monday when she found a man making himself a little too comfortable. Tribune-Herald.

Demolition of two Pahoa landmarks — the Akebono Theatre and Luquin’s Mexican Restaurant — started Tuesday afternoon following a late-night blaze that heavily damaged both buildings Sunday. Tribune-Herald.

The Hawaii Police Department and residents of Puueo have taken steps toward the creation of a neighborhood watch to help address ongoing concerns about crime and drug use in the area. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

The titles, membership and duties of each committee were finally decided at 9:30 p.m. Monday after the Maui County Council unanimously approved a proposal to create four committees with seven voting members and four with nine voting members. Maui News.

Closed for months following massive flooding in September, Iao Valley State Monument and Kepaniwai Park are both expected to re-open this year, county and state officials said. Maui News.

A peek through the windows of Lahaina’s Hard Rock Cafe on Thursday afternoon shows that the Front Street landmark has been closed and cleaned out after a 26-year run. Maui News.

Kauai

Lawsuit: When Facebook’s co-founder Mark Zuckerberg paid around $100 million for 700 acres of rural beachfront land on Kauai two years ago to create what Forbes magazine described as a secluded family sanctuary, he actually acquired a not-so-secluded property. Close to a dozen small parcels within Zuckerberg’s Kauai estate are owned by kamaaina families who have rights to traverse the billionaire’s otherwise private domain. Star-Advertiser.

When the Legislature opens today, a slew of key issues await Kauai legislators. Garden Island.

With today’s opening of the 2017 Hawaii State Legislative session, some on Kauai are redirecting the spotlight to restricted use pesticides. But the agribusiness industry is waiting for the opening of the session to take up the issue. Garden Island.

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing regarding the departmental draft of the General Plan update. Garden Island.

Kenoi found not guilty in theft trial, HART executive director to be Hanabusa's chief of staff, PACs fuel fight in Honolulu mayoral race, Maui council defers polystyrene bill, building permit gripes in Hilo, Kauai fishnets feed H-Power, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Kenoi hugs supporters after acquittal, pool photo by Hollyn Johnson/Tribune-Herald

In a stunning and unanimous verdict Tuesday, a Hawaii island jury took 24 hours to find Mayor Billy Kenoi not guilty of all charges related to personal and alcohol purchases that Kenoi billed to the county — and later repaid — from 2011 to 2015. Star-Advertiser.

Mayor Billy Kenoi was acquitted of all remaining charges Tuesday in his criminal trial in Hilo Circuit Court. Tribune-Herald.

Jurors have found Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi not guilty of all theft charges against him. Civil Beat.

A Big Island jury found Mayor Billy Kenoi not guilty on all counts today on his alleged misuse of his county issued purchasing card. Hawaii Public Radio.

The decision, read in a Hilo courtroom at 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, declared Kenoi not guilty on all counts. The mayor mouthed the words “thank you” to the jury. KHON2.

Not guilty. That's the verdict a jury handed down in Mayor Billy Kenoi's theft trial. KITV.

Mayor Billy Kenoi is not guilty. Big Island Video News.

Hawaii Island Mayor Billy Kenoi has been found not guilty on all counts for his alleged misuse of his county-issued purchasing card in a trial that questioned whether spending hundreds of dollars on whiskey and pineapple juice is a legitimate government expense. Associated Press.

The most sensational example of how Mayor Billy Kenoi used his county purchasing card never made it into the courtroom. Star-Advertiser.

Billy Kenoi’s future in politics is a hot topic again after the Big Island mayor was acquitted on all counts in his felony theft trial. Hawaii News Now.

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Mike Formby, acting executive director of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, will become Colleen Hanabusa’s chief of staff if she wins the general election Tuesday to fill the seat left vacant by U.S. Rep. Mark Takai, who died from cancer in July. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Board of Education voted Tuesday afternoon to begin the search for a new schools superintendent to replace Kathryn Matayoshi. KHON2.

Hawaii voters have an opportunity to change the state’s constitution in ways that would affect how surplus tax revenues are used and the threshold for jury trials in civil cases. Civil Beat.

More than 100 foreign fishermen who work on Hawaii longline vessels that bring in tuna and swordfish to Honolulu piers have been sent back to their countries by U.S. Customs and Border Protection over the past decade for offenses such as drinking alcohol, performing work that they are not authorized to do, or straying too far from the piers. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

More than $2.5 million has been spent in the Honolulu mayoral campaign since the Aug. 13 primary election, about half of it from independent political action committees seeking to sway voters both for and against incumbent Mayor Kirk Caldwell. Star-Advertiser.

Super PACs Raise Over $1 Million In Honolulu Mayor’s Race. Two political action committees favor Kirk Caldwell while a third, funded by engineer Dennis Mitsunaga, is backing challenger Charles Djou. Civil Beat.

Until now, the money and the people behind an anti-Kirk Caldwell political action committee has been kept secret. Hawaii News Now.

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A new Hawaii Army National Guard unit took delivery of three Black Hawk medevac helicopters Friday at Kalaeloa Airfield, paving the way for a new capability within the islands’ reserve force. Star-Advertiser.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources says it expects to hire two more employees at Kaena Point State Park Reserve to better protect nesting albatrosses that were attacked last year and help curtail other violations. Civil Beat.

As the supply of housing continues to diminish on Oahu, the cost of renting continues to climb, according to a report released Tuesday by real estate consultant Ricky Cassiday. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii

It’s been a little more than a year since the county beefed up its staff and overhauled its building permit review process in an effort to speed up permits. But about a dozen people — primarily design professionals and construction contractors — on Tuesday laughed off a Public Works official’s contention that things are much better now. West Hawaii Today.

After being approved by Hawaii County Council late last month, a plan to improve connectivity in Upper Puna is now in the hands of the Mayor’s Office and the Department of Public Works. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Two proposals that would extend the ban on plastic bags to reusable ones and polystyrene food container products in Maui County were deferred Monday afternoon by a County Council committee. Maui News.

Most of the content in Mayor Alan Arakawa’s five bills aimed at curbing behavior by homeless people, such as going the bathroom in public or drinking in parks, is already enforceable by other county or state laws, said Maui County Prosecuting Attorney John D. Kim on Monday. Maui News.

An investigation of Hawaiian Airlines baggage handlers accused of stealing items from checked luggage in Maui has widened. Hawaii News Now.

Major Maui solar farms starting construction within weeks. Pacific Business News.

Kauai

A former psychiatric social worker at Kauai Community Correctional Center was forced out of her job for trying to protect female inmates from a warden who allegedly subjected them to sexual humiliation and discrimination, her attorney told jurors at the start of trial in her lawsuit Tuesday. Associated Press.

Protecting Earth’s oceans is paramount to survival on Kauai and two local organizations are providing an opportunity for residents to have a say in preserving their place. Garden Island.

It took just seven months to fill up another 20-foot Matson container with nets scavenged from Kauai’s beaches, and Saturday the debris will be shipped to Oahu. Garden Island.

Lanai

 Hokama faces political rookie for Lanai seat on the council. Maui News.

Kenoi takes stand in own defense, new schools superintendent coming, congressional shoo-ins raise money, new director for embattled rail authority, Maui to mull polystyrene food containers, venture capitalist buys Kauai estate, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Mayor Billy Kenoi testifies during his trial Wednesday in Hilo Circuit Court. Pool photo HOLLYN JOHNSON/Tribune-Herald

Mayor Billy Kenoi testified during his own criminal trial Wednesday that he made personal purchases on his Hawaii County credit card but denied trying to steal public funds. Tribune-Herald.

Mayor Billy Kenoi spent four hours on the witness stand Wednesday defending alleged personal charges to his Hawaii County-issued pCard that Kenoi said were for legitimate county purposes at a time of economic uncertainty. Star-Advertiser.

The trial of Mayor Billy Kenoi entered its fifth day on Wednesday. The mayor – who in March was indicted by grand jury for two counts of felony theft, two additional counts of misdemeanor theft, and one count of false swearing – took the stand in his own defense this morning. Big Island Video News.

Big Island Mayor Billy Kenoi took the stand at his felony theft trial Wednesday, telling jurors that he thought it was OK to use his county credit card for personal charges as long as he paid taxpayers back. Hawaii News Now.

Hawai‘i Island Mayor Billy Kenoi testified in his own defense Wednesday. The criminal trial against the Big Island mayor for the alleged misuse of his government issued purchasing card entered its fifth day. Kenoi took the stand, appearing emotional, as he recounted his family and upbringing in Kalapana. Hawaii Public Radio.

Big Island Mayor Billy Kenoi's theft trial continued Wednesday in Hilo with several witnesses taking the stand, which included Kenoi. KITV.

Day five of testimony in Big Island Mayor Billy Kenoi's theft trial continued in Hilo Wednesday with the mayor taking the stand. KITV.

Hawaii Island Mayor Billy Kenoi took the stand in his own defense Wednesday. KHON2.

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The state Board of Education will search for a new schools superintendent to succeed Kathryn Mata­yoshi when her contract ends June 30. Star-Advertiser.

Kathryn Matayoshi is apparently on her way out as superintendent of Hawaii’s public school system. Civil Beat.

Kathryn Matayoshi's tenure as the state schools superintendent appears to be coming to a close. Hawaii News Now.

More Hawaii public school students are meeting or exceeding national science benchmarks, but achievement levels on the exam known as the “Nation’s Report Card” still trail national averages, results released Wednesday night from 46 states show. Star-Advertiser.
 
Shoo-In Candidates For Congress Raise Nearly $1M, Spend More. Brian Schatz, Tulsi Gabbard and Colleen Hanabusa are not worried about losing this year, but they are making moves for their future. Civil Beat.

All three members of Hawaii’s congressional delegation scored high marks on the Food Policy Action’s National Food Policy Scorecard, which ranks lawmakers’ votes on issues relating to food safety and access, farm subsidies, animal welfare, labeling requirements and the effects of food production on the environment. Star-Advertiser.

Howard Hughes Corp. plans to distribute $1 million to Hawaii community organizations for a second time through a foundation it established in 2014 with an initial $1 million donation. Star-Advertiser.

U.S. commercial fishermen hauled in 2.5 million pounds more bigeye tuna last year than they did in 2014, landing almost all of it out of Honolulu, according to a federal report released Wednesday. Civil Beat.

Oahu

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s new interim director, who’s expected to be announced today, will inherit a rail agency that has seen high turnover among managers and board members in the past two years. Star-Advertiser.

Valuable properties are left unused to make way for rail. According to a report from the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, it wants to keep buying land, even though construction is still years away. KHON2.

Proposal Asks Voters To End Council Earmarks For Nonprofits. The Honolulu City Council approves millions in extra funding for nonprofits, but the mayor frequently holds back the money. Civil Beat.

Two key state lawmakers say they plan to try again to pass legislation requiring all moped riders to wear helmets in the wake of Tuesday’s fatal accident near the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus. Star-Advertiser.

An online map showing what areas on Oahu are experiencing power outages is live. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Members of the Banyan Drive Redevelopment Agency voted Wednesday to approve a draft conceptual plan that will guide future action on the Hilo peninsula, particularly in terms of developing additional hotel capacity. Tribune-Herald.

How ya gonna keep ‘em in prison, after they’ve worked down on the farm? West Hawaii Today.

A Big Island native and former editor of West Hawaii Today resigned from his CEO post of the U.S. Space Foundation on Monday, about three weeks after coming under fire for making crude Facebook comments about Hillary Clinton. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

The use of reusable plastic bags and polystyrene food containers in the county will be considered on Monday, Oct. 31, at 1:30 p.m. in Maui County Council Chambers. Maui Now.

Native Hawaiian activists confronted U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials about Wailuku Water Co. permits to repair damage in Iao Valley from the Sept. 13 flood at a forum in Wailuku and in a separate action requested that the agency revoke the water company’s permit for emergency work in the Wailuku River. Maui News.

The Maui Planning Commission on Tuesday approved a state Land Use Commission special permit for Lona Ridge in Wailuku Heights, an action that moves the property one step closer to being able to host commercial events, such as weddings, workshops and corporate and nonprofit receptions. Maui News.

Hospitals’ future a focus for both candidates in District 8 contest. Maui News.

Farming a primary concern in District 13 matchup. Maui News.
Kauai

An executive at one of the world’s largest and most active venture capital firms has purchased a Hawaii estate for $5 million, Pacific Business News has learned.

Rupert Rowe says the Kaneiolouma heiau complex in Poipu represents the storied history of Hawaii. Garden Island.

Kauai County Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr. will be the keynote speaker at the Lihue Business Association’s annual meeting at Duke’s Canoe Club today. Garden Island.

Humpback whales taken off endangered list, new butterflyfish discovered off Hawaii, state school chief gets good reviews, housing market tightens, OHA spends to boost image, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Humpback whale, Danielle Cholewiak, NOAA

 Federal authorities took most humpback whales off the endangered species list Tuesday, saying their numbers have recovered through international efforts to protect the giant mammals. Associated Press.

Scientists have named a new species of butterflyfish discovered in the deep reefs of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument after a veteran Kona diver who has assisted in collecting reef fishes in the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands for numerous scientific studies and educational displays. Star-Advertiser.

Pete Basabe’s Butterflyfish

Scientists from Bishop Museum and NOAA have published a description of a new species of butterflyfish from deep reefs of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Maui Now.

Here Are The Actions The IUCN Is Considering Taking. The IUCN kicked off its Members’ Assembly deliberations this week in which more than 1,300 members will debate issues like wildlife trafficking and protecting the rights of indigenous people. Civil Beat.

A potentially game changing new tool for business has been launched at the World Conservation Congress in Hawai‘i.  It’s called the Natural Capital Protocol and was tested with over fifty companies including Coca-Cola, Dow, Nestlé, and Shell. Hawaii Public Radio.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources is urging the public to be cautious when choosing sunscreen. Hawaii Public Radio.

The Department of Education is considering a proposal to seek from legislators next year a $50 million boost in per-pupil funds aimed at helping public schools narrow achievement gaps between high-needs students and their peers. Star-Advertiser.

For the third consecutive year, Kathryn Matayoshi is exceeding expectations in her role as Hawaii Department of Education superintendent, according to the Board of Education’s annual job performance evaluation. Hawaii News Now.

Schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi for a third straight year received high marks on her annual performance evaluation by the state Board of Education. Star-Advertiser.

The State Public Charter School Commission will undergo a performance review following a “pattern of well-founded complaints” from multiple charter school leaders, the state Board of Education decided Tuesday during its regular meeting. Tribune-Herald.

A quasi-governmental agency that has sometimes received negative press has hired a major public relations firm to improve how people think of it. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has retained the services of Honolulu-based Stryker Weiner & Yokota. The $293,969 contract is for a two-year period. Civil Beat.

Oahu

The City Council is expected to approve a $6 million settlement of a lawsuit brought by a man who was severely injured when his motorcycle was struck by an on-duty Honolulu Police Department officer’s SUV. Star-Advertiser.

A plan to build a 36-story luxury condo and hotel across the street from the Hawaii Convention Center is facing resistance from affordable housing advocates on the eve of its final vote before the Honolulu City Council. Civil Beat.

A controversial resort development in Ewa Beach prompted tempers to flare at the Honolulu City Council on Tuesday. Hawaii News Now.

Thousands of homeless patients frequent Hawaii hospitals, many of whom have chronic health conditions that often lead to costly emergency room visits and repeat admissions. Star-Advertiser.

Areas closed for rail construction may no longer reopen as businesses struggle to survive. KHON2.

Condominium sales surged on Oahu during August while median sales prices jumped for both condos and single-family homes, according to a Honolulu Board of Realtors analysis of Multiple Listing Service data. Pacific Business News.

Oahu "desperately" needs more housing inventory to meet high demand, the president of the Honolulu Board of Realtors said Tuesday. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees met on Oahu Tuesday, and Mauna Kea was on the agenda. Big Island Video News.

Hawaii County is nearing the end of the waiting list for its geothermal relocation program more than four years after it saw a surge in applicants. Joaquin Gamiao-Kunkel, deputy planning director, said offers are pending with the last two of the 39 applicants. Tribune-Herald.

Residential home sales on Hawaii Island are continuing along an upward trend for the first half of 2016. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

From 2012 – 2014, 90% of the Department of Health’s water quality samples collected on Maui failed to meet state standards for nutrients, bacteria, and turbidity (a measure of water clarity). Program leaders say these results, combined with other data, raise concerns about the health of Maui’s coral reefs. Hui O Ka Wai Ola, a citizen science, coastal water quality monitoring program was launched under a joint effort from the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council, The Nature Conservancy, the West Maui Ridge to Reef Initiative and University of Hawaiʻi. Maui Now.

The major walkway along the coastline of Wai‘ānapanapa State Park in East Maui will be replaced beginning today, Sept. 6, 2016. Maui Now.

Kauai

The euthanization of five kittens by the Kauai Humane Society has upset some community members, while those who work within the nationwide animal shelter sector say KHS’s actions are acceptable. Garden Island.

Tiger sharks come to Hawaii to give birth, House Democrats meeting on gay marriage, school superintendent to get raise, OHA slammed in audit, Honolulu solar reaching limits, judge dissolves Maui Main Street association, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

University of Hawaii tiger shark study

A new study has found female tiger sharks migrate from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to the main Hawaiian islands during fall pupping season — a period that historically coincides with a higher frequency of shark bites in Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

A recent University of Hawaii and University of Florida study backs up what Hawaiians knew for centuries about sharks. Hawaiian oral tradition held that the number of sharks in waters around the main Hawaiian Islands increased in late summer and early fall. The study, which will be published in the November issue of Ecological Society of America’s journal Ecology, tracked tiger sharks for seven years, noting where the animals moved between the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and the main islands. West Hawaii Today.

A quarter of the mature female tiger sharks near the remote coral atolls of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands leave for the Main Hawaiian Islands in the late summer and fall, swimming as far as 1,500 miles, according to new research from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the University of Florida. Associated Press.

A new study shows that female tiger sharks depart from the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands toward the main Hawaiian islands in the late summer and fall, during pupping season, researchers said. Maui Now.

Matayoshi

The Board of Education plans to ask lawmakers to lift the salary cap that has kept schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi's annual pay at $150,000 since her hiring three years ago. Star-Advertiser.

Democrats in the state House plan to meet with Gov. Neil Abercrombie and the attorney general today to discuss a draft of gay marriage legislation as Abercrombie considers whether to call a special session on the issue. Associated Press.

Governor Neil Abercrombie can call a special session on gay marriage and expect to pass it, according to a detailed Civil Beat analysis of conversations with legislators and a look at secondary sources. But it will be a close call. Civil Beat.

Economic growth in the current fiscal year is expected to remain steady but could slow down due to uncertainties over looming military action in Syria, a potential federal government shutdown and impact of the Affordable Care Act on small businesses, state economists said Thursday. Although a specific numerical forecast from the state Council on Revenues was awaiting final calculations, the panel's new chairman said the overall tenor of discussions indicated a conservative approach for the coming year. Star-Advertiser.

An audit of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs says the agency needs to improve management of real estate holdings and do a better job of monitoring grants it awards. Associated Press.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs' vote in favor of buying the Gentry Center violated the agency's own investment policy, the State Auditor says. The audit, released Wednesday, hits the agency pretty hard for its inability to manage its own land holdings to make money and to ensure oversight of its grant program. Civil Beat.

The state auditor is looking into Hawaii’s 13th largest landowner, the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The land management infrastructure of the agency charged with serving native Hawaiians is “inadequate, unable to support the office’s growing portfolio nor any future land involvements,”acting State Auditor Jan Yamane said in a 64-page report to the Legislature. Hawaii Reporter.

As President Barack Obama continues to press his case for punitive U.S. military action in Syria, at least two of Hawaii's four-member, all-Democratic congressional delegation say they are opposed to such intervention, while the others are skeptical that the move would accomplish its intended goals or advance U.S. interests. U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa and U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz have gone on record this week opposing U.S. action against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, which the U.S. has blamed for an alleged Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack in a rebel-held suburb of Damascus. Star-Advertiser.

The introduction of an Oahu-based president for Phoenix-based Mesa Air Group Inc.’s interisland subsidiary airline go! may be a sign the airline is solidifying its Hawaii operations. Pacific Business News.

State roundup for September 6. Associated Press.

Oahu

Hawaii's solar energy boom has grown to the point where rooftop photo­voltaic panels are providing all of the electricity consumed during some daylight hours in about 13 percent of Oahu neighborhoods, the Hawaiian Electric Co. said. While HECO is taking steps to integrate more solar energy, that could result in added costs for some new solar customers. Star-Advertiser.

The nonprofit Hawaii Agriculture Research Center in Kunia on Oahu plans to build a 500-kilowatt solar photovoltaic facility on two acres of land owned by the center and Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc., according to a City and County of Honolulu Planning Commission public hearing notice. Pacific Business News.

Honolulu motorists will no longer be able to phone in payments when parking at stalls equipped with the city's "smart" meters. Star-Advertiser.

Disturbing surveillance video of babies falling onto train tracks greeted board members of the Honolulu Authority of Rapid Transportation today. Civil Beat.

An exasperated crowd of more than 200 North Shore residents crammed into a school cafeteria Thursday night in hopes of hearing immediate answers to the growing Laniakea Beach traffic woes. But with no state Department of Transportation officials in attendance and no clear way forward presented to fix the problem, the community meeting, organized by state Rep. Richard Fale, quickly devolved into a chaotic series of outbursts from frustrated residents. Star-Advertiser.

The city's biggest ever sewer tunneling project will soon cut an underground hole from Kaneohe to Kailua. The ten-foot-wide pipe meets the mandate ordered by federal agencies to upgrade Oahu's wastewater collection. Hawaii News Now.

Anyone passing through the Ala Moana area can’t miss the rumble of demolition at what used to be the Sears wing. We wanted to know where the large piles of rubble end up, and what’s the plan for an even bigger building boom ahead? KHON2.

A Waipahu High School track coach never sexually assaulted a member of his team, but became the target of "teenage revenge" by a girl upset that he stopped coaching her, a defense attorney said Thursday in the opening of the coach's trial. The prosecutor, however, told the jury that Erik Tamura violated the girl's trust and the teenager testified that Tamura molested her at school and once at her home during her sophomore and junior years in 2010 and 2011. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

The Hawaii County Council passed a bill Thursday expected to help increase housing in downtown Hilo. The bill allows apartment buildings with a unit density higher than 1,000 square feet per unit to get away with fewer parking spaces. Tribune-Herald.

The state Department of Transportation is anticipating construction of a new cargo yard for Hilo Harbor to resume later this month. Work on the $10 million cargo yard, to support a new 602-foot-long pier, was suspended last spring after petroleum-based contaminates were found in the soil. Tribune-Herald.

Generous public support and an untiring effort by the Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation has led to more than $100,000 for the Hawaii County Fire Department. West Hawaii Today.

A long day of testimony on two proposed laws prohibiting Genetically Modified Organisms on Hawaii Island was held on Wednesday. A crowd filled the chamber at the Hawaii County Council’s Public Safety & Mass Transit Committee meeting. Hours of passionate discussion stretched the hearing into the evening hours; some of the most interesting discussion happened outside, after the meeting was over. Big Island Video News.

Maui

The embattled nonprofit Wailuku Main Street Association Inc./Tri-Isle Main Street Resource Center was dissolved Wednesday morning by a 2nd Circuit judge. Maui News.

Although plans for two controversial South Maui malls have been scrapped, developers of former ranch property in north Kihei still want some retail development on the site, including national clothing stores and restaurants currently not found on the island. Maui News.

Similar to what is occurring on other islands, gains in Maui's visitor industry are now filtering through the rest of the island's economy, a top local economist said Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

While tourism remains the driving factor in Maui County’s economy, continued growth in commercial construction, real estate and jobs will further assist the county in its economic recovery. Maui News.

The business outlook for Maui is positive in the next year, according to economists who spoke at the 39th Annual Maui County Business Outlook Form, held Thursday, Sept. 5, at the Maui Beach Hotel in Kahului. Maui Now.

Kauai

The Kauai County Council met with county attorneys Thursday morning behind closed doors to discuss legal aspects of Bill 2491. The bill requires disclosure of pesticide use and genetically modified organisms, creates 500-foot buffer zones for large ag operations and imposes a temporary halt to the expansion of fields of GMO crops. Garden Island.

The big news to report in our first column of the school year is that Kauai Community College has been honored with a ranking of 16th in the country among 700 community and junior colleges by Washington Monthly, a prestigious journal of public policy based in the nation’s capital. Garden Island.