Legislature honors fallen warriers, cops agree to stop having sex with prostitutes, Schatz and Hanabusa don't like each other, West Hawaii water wars, Maui mayor proposes $687M budget, Kauai GMO protesters to pay county for march, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii color guard, courtesy Sen. J. Kalani English

Four service members who made the ultimate sacrifice were honored today during a joint session of the state Legislature. This is the 10th year lawmakers have honored the fallen with the Hawaii Medal of Honor. KITV4.

Honolulu police told a key Hawaii lawmaker Tuesday that they’re OK with making it expressly illegal for officers to have sex with prostitutes, as long as undercover officers can still say they’ll have sex so they can make arrests. Associated Press.

Following a closed-door meeting Tuesday with a key Hawaii lawmaker, Hono­lulu police reversed their objection to a potential change in state law that would make it illegal for officers to have sex with prostitutes. Star-Advertiser.

A group protesting the possibility of legal marijuana in Hawaii told lawmakers Tuesday pharmaceutical companies would try to hook people on the drug. Associated Press.

National marijuana policy advocates returned to the isles for a second year to urge state lawmakers to take a common-sense approach on marijuana policy that focuses on science, public health and safety rather than legalizing or demonizing the drug. Star-Advertiser.

It's called Hula, a new app designed to provide your date with proof you're free of sexually transmitted diseases and thus help you "get lei'd." But while the app has earned some nationwide buzz for promoting STD testing and awareness, it is drawing fire from Native Hawaiians who describe it as disrespectful and insulting to their culture. Star-Advertiser.

Schatz, Hanabusa

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz says Rep. Colleen Hanabusa can be funny sometimes, but then struggles to find something else positive to say about the woman who is trying to take his Senate seat away. Hanabusa, for her part, doesn’t really have anything nice to say about Schatz except that he chaired Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in Hawaii in 2008. Civil Beat.

Incomes of Hawaii residents increased at the slowest pace in three years in 2013, although the pace of growth was faster than the nation as a whole, according to a report released Tuesday. Personal income in Hawaii rose 2.8 percent in 2013 from 2012, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported. That was down from annual growth rates of 3.7 percent in 2012 and 5.6 percent in 2011. Star-Advertiser.

Senate Bill 2682 would require 16 of the most powerful boards and commissions in Hawaii to make their financial disclosure forms public for the first time. Civil Beat.

Oahu

According to the U-S Census Bureau, nearly 40 percent of all single family homes on O’ahu were built in 1969 or earlier, and could experience delays when remodeled or demolished in the near future.   But, there’s a bill making its way through the legislature that could change all that. Hawaii Public Radio.

The great flood of 2008 dumped more than 12 inches of rain in a single day into Makaha Valley, forcing mud, water and debris through nearby homes and roads. Six years later, the state is unveiling a new study which concluded that found that there are no easy and inexpensive solutions. Hawaii News Now.

The entire board of CommonWealth REIT, the majority shareholder of Hawaii’s largest industrial landowner, has been removed and now the search begins for a new board, the Massachusetts-based real estate investment trust said Tuesday. Pacific Business News.

Brandon Cayetano, son of former Gov. Ben Cayetano and owner and operator of Hawaii All-Star Paintball and Airsoft Games, died early Tuesday at Straub Clinic & Hospital. The former governor confirmed the death. The cause of death has not been released. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Hawaii Island’s water supply is their baby, and they don’t want the federal or state government taking over its care, members of the county Water Board said Tuesday. In a unanimous vote, the Water Board agreed to draft a letter opposing a move by the National Park Service asking the state Commission on Water Resource Management to give the area served by the Keauhou Aquifer a state water management area designation. West Hawaii Today.

Students at 19 Big Island public schools began participating this week in the field test of a new English language and math assessment test. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii's largest ranch plans to talk to its neighbors about developing renewable energy and a small electrical grid for their area. Parker Ranch will present the preliminary findings of a study on the issue to the Waimea Community Association town meeting next week Thursday. Associated Press.

A dedication ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday for phase one of the Mohouli Heights Senior Neighborhood project. Big Island Now.

Maui

Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa unveiled his proposed budget for the 2015 fiscal year before the Maui County Council today. The mayor said the $687 million budget “hinges on whether or not the state is going to remove the Transient Accommodations Tax cap” that was imposed by the state a few years back to assist with a deficit. Maui Now.

Kauai

Organizers of the Mana March say they will cut a check to the County of Kauai — $5,627 to be exact — to offset costs incurred during the anti-GMO, pro-Bill 2491 event in September. Fern Rosenstiel, director of Ohana O Kauai, one of the organizations behind the protest and rally, said the money was raised through donations and that she will deliver a check in the next few days. Garden Island.

When the Kilauea Sugar Plantation was shuttered in 1971 after nearly 91 years in business, Malama Kauai co-founder Keone Kealoha said it didn’t take long for developers to eye the company’s former land for homes. Garden Island.

Hawaii Legislature recognizes fallen warriors, North Korea can't hit Hawaii, Senate passes higher budget than House, UH drops biolab plan, police rally opposes marijuana decriminalization, bomb threat closes Kauai courthouse, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Gov. Abercrombie honors military at Medal of Honor ceremony, courtesy photo

Gov. Neil Abercrombie and state lawmakers on Wednesday recognized 19 Hawaii-based members of the U.S. military who died in defense of their country. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii state House and Senate held a joint session to honor military service members who died in Iraq and Afghanistan. Associated Press.

No, North Korea can’t hit Hawaii. CNN.

Hawaii senators on Wednesday cut $140 million from Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s $23 billion biennium budget request, far less than the House did earlier this month. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii Senate Ways and Means Committee has announced a two-year state budget proposal that funds some of Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s key initiatives, including early childhood education. Associated Press.

The state Senate Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday outlined the Senate's draft of the state's two-year budget, restoring money sought by Gov. Neil Abercrombie for early childhood education, cash incentives for entrepreneurs, and information technology that was left out of the House's version. Star-Advertiser.

The Senate Committee on Ways and Means passed House Bill 200 with amendments today.  The Senate’s version of the bill is approximately $141 M less in general funds than Governor Abercrombie’s budget proposal. Hawaii Reporter.

Democrat Calvin Say has hired a Republican candidate who tried to defeat one of Say's own political opponents just last year. Civil Beat.

Law enforcement officers joined community groups and individuals at a rally at the state Capitol on Wednesday to show their opposition to a bill that would decriminalize possession of up to 20 grams of marijuana. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Police officers took a stand in the Capitol rotunda Wednesday afternoon, over a bill that would decriminalize marijuana. KITV4.

State Senators unanimously approved the measure, a move the men and women in blue say is not OK. KHON2.

A pair of resolutions to be heard today by the state House of Representatives are calling for the Department of Health Director Loretta Fuddy to head up a task force to study atrazine’s effects on humans. Garden Island.

The future of growing food in Hawai’i rests on the ability of farmers to continue making a living.   According to one UH study, farmers receive only 19 cents out of each dollar spent on locally grown produce and vegetables.  The rest of the money goes to packaging, marketing, refrigeration and transportation. Hawaii Public Radio.

A new study confirms what many reporters and taxpayer watchdog groups already know: Hawaii’s public records are difficult to get. Hawaii Reporter.

About 20,000 civilian defense workers in Hawaii are expected to get a reprieve from the 22 furlough days that were expected through September under sequestration. Star-Advertiser.

CBS said Wednesday that it is renewing “Hawaii Five-0” for a fourth season. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

University of Hawaii Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple has decided to drop plans to build an expensive, controversial bio lab in Kalaeloa, a project officially known as the Pacific Health Research Laboratory. Hawaii News Now.

State health officials are trying to find the source of an E. coli outbreak on Oahu that has sickened nine people and hospitalized four. Star-Advertiser.

A highly infectious strain of the E. coli bacteria is continuing to spread on Oahu, but state health officials still can't pinpoint the source of the outbreak. Civil Beat.

With a 10-day supply of food in its Honolulu warehouse and the Easter holiday weekend approaching, the Hawaii Foodbank is putting out a call for canned goods and monetary donations. Star-Advertiser.

The Polynesian Cultural Center will hold a grand opening for two new attractions on Friday that cost the nonprofit organization more than $25 million to create. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii

Mayor Billy Kenoi will get a $22,000 raise and other county officials will get up to 19.8 percent raises under a salary adjustment plan proposed Wednesday by the Hawaii County Salary Commission. West Hawaii Today.

Modernization efforts at the open-air, traditional Hawaii-feel Kona International Airport are on the horizon. West Hawaii Today.

Big Island hunters brought a reminder to the Hawaii County Council Wednesday about how voters here feel about aerial hunting and protecting hunters’ rights. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

More than three decades in the making, the Lahaina bypass highway opened to traffic Wednesday. Maui News.

Dozens of farmers, ranchers, gardeners and other residents voiced their disapproval during a County Council committee hearing on a bill that would give the water director, with the consent of the mayor, the power to impose higher rates during water shortages and to penalize those who violate drought directives. Maui News.

Dropping off your cardboard, newspaper and nonredeemable glass and plastic bottles at some neighborhood county recycling centers may become a thing of the past under a proposal by Mayor Alan Arakawa. Maui News.

County police departments across the state will increase efforts to deter distracted driving during an upcoming campaign that begins next week, officials said. Maui Now.

Kauai
An early morning bomb threat disrupted business for more than an hour at 5th Circuit Court Wednesday. Garden Island.

Obama a shoo-in in Hawaii, state Elections Office to handle Hawaii County elections, state Senate continues to grill university officials, Oracle's Ellison to make Lanai a sustainability laboratory, Hawaii to benefit from visa-free travel for Taiwanese tourists, state shoulders 3rd highest debt, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

President Obama, former Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle, 2009 courtesy photo

The state that provided President Barack Obama his largest margin of victory in 2008 likes him over challenger Mitt Romney 62 percent to 30 percent. Civil Beat.

Hawaii will likely welcome more visitors from Taiwan now that the U.S. has eliminated a visa requirement for Taiwanese citizens, state officials said Tuesday. Associated Press.

The first major boom in Taiwanese travelers to Hawaii as a result of the nation's newfound visa waiver status should start to hit next spring. Star-Advertiser.

A new study found that Hawaii has the third-highest per-capita state debt in the nation, with each person’s share of the state debt standing at $29,062. Pacific Business News.

Senators took the University of Hawaii's Board of Regents members to task Tuesday for failing to play a stronger role in holding UH administrators accountable and for keeping questions about the institution's direction behind closed doors. Star-Advertiser.

State senators began a briefing investigating the University of Hawaii's failed Stevie Wonder concert Tuesday by admonishing a lawyer hired by UH for not providing them an answer to a key question: a complete breakdown of the costs incurred because of the concert fiasco. Hawaii News Now.

Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple was greeted with skepticism and, at times, derision Tuesday by a state Senate panel looking into the University of Hawaii's handling of the ill-fated Stevie Wonder concert and its fallout. Star-Advertiser.

The special Hawaii Senate hearings into the University of Hawaii following a botched Stevie Wonder benefit concert clocked in at seven and a half hours ending late Tuesday. Civil Beat.

State senators investigating the failed University of Hawaii Stevie Wonder benefit concert appearance today repeatedly questioned why UH officials and attorneys have withheld information from the public. Hawaii Reporter.

There's a new price tag being put on the table for the cost of the botched Stevie Wonder concert at UH Manoa. At the second senate hearing into the matter, senators say the fallout has now topped $1.1 million dollars. KHON2.

What did you know, when did you know it, and why can't we get straight answers to our questions? That sums up the seven and a half hours of grilling of University of Hawaii regents and other highly paid people in-charge. KITV4.

Former state Sen. Anthony Kai Ung Chang, described as a statesman who was instrumental in shaping Hawaii environmental laws, died Tuesday morning. He was 68. Star-Advertiser.

State roundup for October 3. Associated Press.

Oahu

The Honolulu City Council budget committee passed a resolution tonight to authorize the sale of 12 rental housing complexes to a private company. KHON2.

Honolulu mayoral candidate Ben Cayetano’s alternative to elevated rail has a $1.8 billion budget, which is $700 million more than the cost estimate he revealed last week. Civil Beat.

Bright Light Marketing is closing its downtown Honolulu office by mid-December while its staff of five public relations executives continue on as independent contractors, according to a letter sent to clients from the firm’s Owner/President/CEO, Lynette Lo Tom. Pacific Business News.

Eight Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipients, in town for a convention of the war heroes, paid tribute Tuesday to four World War II aviators who were at one time based at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa and singled out for bravery "above and beyond the call of duty." Star-Advertiser.

Governor Neil Abercrombie welcomed more than 50 of the nation's 81 living Medal of Honor recipients at Washington Place on Tuesday night. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii

The state will take over operations of the Nov. 6 General Election in Hawaii County, state Chief Election Officer Scott Nago announced Tuesday. West Hawaii Today.

The state Office of Elections will take control of the November general election in Hawaii County, an unprecedented move that reflects a lack of confidence in Hawaii County Clerk Jamae Kawauchi. Star-Advertiser.

State elections officials say they will take back oversight of Election Day voting on the Big Island because problems relating to the Aug. 11 primary have not been adequately addressed. Civil Beat.

State shakes up Big Island County elections office. KITV4.

Jim Waugh and Charlene Prickett say they want to find a “third way” to resolve a dispute over a trail to Papaikou Mill Beach that runs through their property. Tribune-Herald.

A group opposed to plans to modify the Lower Hamakua Ditch with plastic pipe today gained the support of several members of the County Council. Big Island Now.

Faced with the loss of funding from its parent agency, the Joint Astronomy Centre is offering to anybody interested a rare opportunity to take over a working Mauna Kea telescope. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

It'll be at least another year before landowner Alexander & Baldwin turns over a 50-acre plot in Kahului to Maui County officials for affordable housing, a community center and park. Maui News.

The County of Maui is the recipient of a distinguished budget presentation award for the 2012 Maui budget document. Maui Now.

A Hawaiian Airlines flight enroute from Seattle to Kahului today returned safely to Seattle after pilots received a "low quantity" indicator for the jetliner's hydraulic system, a Hawaiian Airlines spokesman said. Maui News.

Kauai

A sewage spill estimated to be between 50 and 100 gallons of raw wastewater shut down a Hanapepe pump station and closed Hana Road on Tuesday. Garden Island.

Office of Youth Services Executive Director David Hipp, on a letter dated Friday to the Kaua‘i County Council, denies he had advised the county Office of Prosecuting Attorney to stop referring youth to Hale ‘Opio’s Kaua‘i Teen Court program. Garden Island.

A busload of students from the Boys and Girls of Hawai‘i took advantage of the week-long break from school to participate with Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr., Tuesday during the Walk and Talk Story with the Mayor program. Garden Island.

Containers that once transported goods to and from the islands will be converted into new homes on Kaua`i. Educators and community leaders are teaming up to create a self-sustaining community with recycled homes, renewable energy and community aquaponics. Hawaii Public Radio.

Lanai

Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison spoke publicly about the island of Lanai Tuesday for the first time since buying the Hawaiian island in June, saying he plans to turn it into a laboratory for sustainability. Pacific Business News.