Hanabusa files for congressional seat, Ohana inter-island flights on hold, 60 lbs of honeycomb in emergency siren, H-1 zipper lane expands, new cancer center director approved, rail amendments may be on Honolulu ballot, Maui hospitals in chaos, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

 

Hanabusa files nominations papers, courtesy Hanabusa campaign

Colleen Hanabusa formally launched her campaign Thursday to seek election to the U.S. House of Representatives representing urban Honolulu, a seat she held from 2011 to 2015. Star-Advertiser.

Colleen Hanabusa ended two weeks of speculation Thursday by officially filing to run for Congress. Civil Beat.

Former U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa says she decided to run for her old seat in Congress after former colleagues, including outgoing U.S. Rep. Mark Takai, asked her to run. Associated Press.

Commentary: Hanabusa ready to resume her climb up ladder in D.C. Star-Advertiser.

The race for Mark Takai's Congressional seat is shaping up. For the Democrats, the only recognizable names who've held office before and have filed the proper paperwork are Lei Ahu Isa and Colleen Hanabusa. KITV4.

Former U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa is looking to once again represent Hawaii’s First Congressional District, a seat she held from 2011-2014. KHON2.

With just days to go before the June 7 filing deadline, Duke Aiona is apparently considering three very different contests. Civil Beat.

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Hawaiian Holdings’ plan to expand interisland air cargo service under its Ohana by Hawaiian brand to Maui, Kauai and the Big Island has been delayed until later this year as the parent of Hawaiian Airlines waits for the Federal Aviation Administration to certify three ATR 72 turboprop aircraft purchased for the service. Pacific Business News.

The federal office of Housing and Urban Development is giving Hawaii an additional $1.3 million in rental assistance for veterans. Associated Press.

The state Office of Planning, in partnership with the state Office of Enterprise Technology Services, has made upgrades to the state’s geographic information system that take advantage of current advances in server-based GIS and cloud services, and improve data sharing, accessibility and cost-effectiveness. Big Island Now.

Oahu

The expected hiring of renowned colon cancer expert Dr. Randall Holcombe to lead the University of Hawaii Cancer Center could result in a substantial donation from local philanthropists that would infuse the cash-strapped research center with much-needed capital. Star-Advertiser.

The UH Board of Regents on Thursday approved Dr. Randall Holcombe as the new director. Holcombe currently serves as chief medical officer for cancer for the Mount Sinai Heath System in New York City. Hawaii News Now.

Honolulu voters haven’t had a real say regarding the rail project since the mayoral election of 2012, but that could change this fall. The Honolulu Charter Commission is moving forward with ballot measures that could give the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation board more power for now and ensure that one city agency — the Department of Transportation Services — handles the operations and maintenance of all public transit services when rail construction is finished. Civil Beat.

The Honolulu City Council passed the budget bills for the next fiscal year beginning July 1st. Hawaii Public Radio.

There is a proposal to close the Ala Wai Canal from the Ala Moana Boulevard Bridge to the Kalakaua Avenue Bridge during the IUCN World Conservation Congress, Sept. 1-10. The security matter will be considered at a meeting of the Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources June 9. Civil Beat.

H-1 Zipper Lane users will soon have two lanes to get into town instead of one — a move that state transportation officials hope will help to slightly ease the traffic congestion endured by thousands of West and Central Oahu commuters on weekday mornings. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii State Department of Health has issued a notice ordering the Haleiwa Beach House restaurant on Oahu’s North Shore to cease operations, saying its wastewater is spilling onto a neighboring property with a fish pond that children use for educational purposes. Pacific Business News.

The state ordered the Haleiwa Beach House restaurant to close after confirming that sewage was spilling from its wastewater system into a neighboring property near a fishpond frequently visited by children. Star-Advertiser.

The state has ordered Haleiwa Beach House to shut down because the eatery's septic system is spilling sewage on a property frequently used by children. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii

A charter amendment giving the County Council more control over department heads is moving forward. Department heads would have to come before the County Council for confirmation every two years, under a ballot amendment forwarded Thursday. West Hawaii Today.

The Windward Planning Commission has approved a Hawaii County Civil Defense request to release funds for an updated air quality model for the area surrounding Puna Geothermal Venture. The project will study the dispersion of hydrogen sulfide and other gases from the Pohoiki power plant. Big Island Video News.

They sat empty for about three years, but initial registration numbers indicate the Queen Lili‘uokalani Trust’s two reopened Keahuolu Camping Program sites should be busy for a while. Tribune-Herald.

A group will be out near Queen Kaahumanu Highway on Saturday morning, likely holding signs that show their displeasure with a precedent-setting ban on fishing at Kaupulehu Bay. West Hawaii Today.

Nearly $100,000 for more spay-neuter coupons, and the deletion of contract language that appears to encourage the killing of animals are among changes to the Hawaii Island Humane Society contract with the county. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Maui County hospital executives said many of their 1,100 employees are using vacation and sick days in anticipation of ending employment under the public hospital operator, Hawaii Health Systems Corp. As many as 50 hospital workers are taking leave daily, leaving executives scrambling to hire temporary workers to fill the gaps. Star-Advertiser.

70,000 Bees, 60 Pounds of Honey Removed from Hive in Maui Siren. Maui Now.

The state Office of Elections is reminding candidates that the deadline to file nomination papers is 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. Maui News.

Kauai

The Kauai County Council unanimously voted Wednesday to defer a bill that would allow residents in the Lihue Planning District to construct rental units as part of their homes. Garden Island.

It’s the time of year when Kauai’s nocturnal seabirds start to lay their eggs. That means Kauai Endangered Seabird Recovery Project is once again out with its radar truck collecting data on the birds. Garden Island.

Kahoolawe

Six miles from the scenic beaches of south Maui sits a small, deserted island with a rich history and a big problem. The U.S. Navy used the barren island as a bombing range for decades starting in World War II. It later joined with the state and spent millions on cleanup, but they didn’t finish the job. Associated Press.

Hawaii lawmakers beef up budget to fight dengue and zika, Hanabusa takes over board of struggling Honolulu rail project, Maui homeless plan heads to court, thousands of octopus born at new facility, Tulsi mum on Sanders aspirations, cancer center future uncertain, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Worker sprays for dengue mosquitoes, courtesy Visionary Video

House and Senate negotiators agreed Thursday to allocate $1.27 million to help combat dengue fever, the Zika virus and other disease threats — funding that would allow the state to hire 20 additional people for vector control and other tasks. Star-Advertiser.

House and Senate lawmakers resumed state budget negotiations Thursday, agreeing to add 20 positions and $1.27 million for the state Department of Health’s fight against the dengue fever outbreak on the Big Island and the threat of the Zika virus. Civil Beat.

State lawmakers have agreed to a large increase in budget funding for vector control staffing in Hawaii, driven by concerns over mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever and Zika. Big Island Video News.

The state Department of Health Vector Control Branch will receive a boost in funding after an agreement made between House and Senate conferees while discussing the state budget on Thursday. Hawaii News Now.

In 2014, 87 percent of Hawaii households had a computer, and 81 percent of Hawaii households subscribed to broadband internet, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Star-Advertiser.

While U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard “felt the Bern,” and broke party ranks by resigning as vice chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee in February in order to back Bernie Sanders’ bid for president, Sanders’ camp has been quiet as far as whether Gabbard would join the Vermont senator as his running mate, should he win the nomination. West Hawaii Today.

Oahu

As the Honolulu rail agency’s new board chairwoman, former U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa must now help guide the largest public works project in state history as it faces growing financial uncertainty and eroding public confidence. Star-Advertiser.

Former Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa was named Thursday chairwoman of the board for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, a semi-autonomous city agency in charge of building Honolulu’s $6.6 billion, 20-mile rail line. Civil Beat.

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation or HART increased its construction funding request by more than 2.3 billion dollars for the next fiscal year. Hawaii Public Radio.

It’s no secret Oahu’s rail transit project struggles with money problem. Now, for the first time, the board overseeing the project could consider shortening the route. KHON2.

Hawaii News Now has learned that the Honolulu Board of Water Supply will have to move parts, if not large segments, of a large water main to make way for the $6.5 billion rail transit project.

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Six months after a mainland consultant issued a report outlining ways to turn around the financially struggling University of Hawaii Cancer Center, the Board of Regents has yet to take action, adding to lingering uncertainty around the research facility’s future. Star-Advertiser.

The University of Hawaii Cancer Center has selected one of its professors and program directors to be its new interim associate director as the current executive transitions back to the adjacent UH John A. Burns School of Medicine. Pacific Business News.

Among proposed improvements at Ala Moana Regional Park are a widened walkway fronting the beach, more grass across the sprawling campus and new nonvehicular entry at the end of Piikoi Street. Star-Advertiser.

The clean-energy giant SunEdison, which owns a trio of incomplete renewable energy projects on Oahu, filed for bankruptcy Thursday. Civil Beat.

Hawaii

Kanaloa Octopus Farm, a recent startup at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority in North Kona, on Wednesday welcomed its first batch of cephalopod larvae, said Jake Conroy, president and CEO of the first commercial octopus farm in the U.S. The venture, which got underway in the summer of 2015, is looking to successfully rear octopus on land first for aquariums and someday supply the market. West Hawaii Today.

The University of Hawaii Board of Regents approved a recommendation Thursday to hire Nevada community college administrator Rachel Solemsaas for the open post at HCC. Solemsaas will replace outgoing interim chancellor Joni Onishi. Tribune-Herald.

Three years after Ka ʻUmeke Kaʻeo held its first high school graduation, the Big Island charter school has announced plans to temporarily suspend its high school program for the coming school year. Civil Beat.

After years of infighting between apartment owners, and trouble paying its bills, Country Club Condos is hoping to renew its image — starting with a new name. Now called Oceanfront 121, the association-operated building at 121 Banyan Drive is advertising itself as a “healthy place to stay and live” on Hilo’s waterfront, with rooms starting at $700 a month. Utilities are included. Tribune-Herald.

A Honolulu attorney is asking the state to find another hearings officer to oversee the next contested case for the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope over concerns of a conflict of interest. Associated Press.

Maui

The Maui County Council will be holding a public hearing on property tax rates for the upcoming fiscal year at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Council Chambers in the Kalana O Maui building in Wailuku. Maui News.

A proposal to build a campground for transient homeless in Lahaina is headed to 2nd Circuit Court after the state Land Use Commission unanimously decided Wednesday that it could not reconsider its previous ruling on the project's requirements. Maui News.

House and Senate conference committee members are set this morning to take up three bills that aim to help public hospital employees facing possible job disruptions when operations of Maui region facilities transfer this summer to the private Maui Health System, a Kaiser Foundation Hospitals LLC. Maui News.

First it was in, then it was out, and now it’s back in again. Alexander & Baldwin, the 145-year-old real estate developer and agriculture business, could be covered under House Bill 2501, a contentious water rights measure making its way through the Hawaii Legislature. Civil Beat.

Completed ballots for the Philippines national elections may be dropped off at the Maui County Business Resource Center in the Maui Mall from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, according to the county Department of Housing and Human Concerns Immigrant Services Division. Maui News.

Kauai

The police commission is investigating the Kauai Police Department after officers obtained a blood draw from a 25-year-old man involved in a car accident even though a judge denied a warrant request. Garden Island.

Mahina Anguay, principal of Waimea High School, won the Masayuki Tokioka Excellence in School Leadership Award Thursday Night. Garden Island.

Waimea High School Principal Mahina Anguay, who has linked classroom learning with real-life projects for students, received the $25,000 Masayuki Tokioka Excellence in School Leadership Award on Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

Obama vacation costs Honolulu Police Department $341,000 in overtime, state senator seeks tax hike to pay for universal long-term care, downed Marines to be honored today, council mulls $650k for Big Island homeless, experts recommend UH Cancer center go private, Kauai police bodycam laws, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Obama swimming during one of his Hawaii vacations (Associated Press)

The Honolulu Police Department says it spent about $341,000 in overtime costs to help protect President Barack Obama and his family during their annual winter vacation. The department said Thursday it's the highest amount during an Obama Hawaii vacation since he was elected president in 2008. Associated Press.

State Sen. Rosalyn Baker hopes to push through a bill this year that would add a 0.5 percent surcharge to the statewide general excise tax to help cover the cost of in-home health care services for seniors and the disabled. Star-Advertiser.

Citing a “public health crisis,” a state senator wants a half-percent surcharge on the general excise tax to fund elder caregiving. Civil Beat.

A Hawaii state senator plans to reintroduce a bill that would make the Aloha State the first in the nation to offer universal long-term care to elders. Pacific Business News.

The cost of long term care in Hawai’i averages more than 10-thousand dollars a month, according to AARP.   And some lawmakers want to help. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii’s economy is on a normal growth path with a slowing tourism industry, but buoyed in part by improving labor and construction markets, economists told Hawaii lawmakers Thursday. Civil Beat.

Work-related deaths in Hawaii spiked in 2014, reaching the highest level since the federal government began tracking the number in 1992. Star-Advertiser.

At least 31 people died on the job in Hawaii during 2014, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Civil Beat.

The 12 Marines killed last week when two cargo helicopters collided and crashed on the North Shore will be remembered at a memorial service today. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

External consultants are recommending the University of Hawaii strongly consider changing the struggling UH Cancer Center to a semiautonomous business entity, co-owned and run with community hospital partners, to keep the research facility viable. Star-Advertiser.

A $5 million cash infusion plan for the University of Hawaii Cancer Center is already facing opposition from some lawmakers. Hawaii News Now.

Gov. David Ige is about to tackle an issue that’s been 100 years in the making. In his State of the State address slated for Monday, the governor is expected to unveil his plans for what to do with the Oahu Community Correctional Center, the largest jail facility in Hawaii. Civil Beat.

The state’s HI-5 recycling program was meant to be an incentive to recycle. But that’s getting a lot harder to do. KHON2.

The number of Oahu neighborhoods with a median single-family home price of $1 million or higher doubled in 2015 from the year before, with year-over-year price increases that ranged from 3 percent to 37 percent, according to local market report by the Honolulu Board of Realtors. Pacific Business News.

A new monthly event organized by Common Cause Hawaii is set to debut Monday evening at Manifest with a look at why the Legislature is important and the work that state lawmakers plan to focus on this session, which opened Wednesday. Civil Beat.

Hawaii

Broken glass, food containers and spray paint cans are among the leavings on the excrement-smeared floor of a little building that once represented big plans to combat homelessness in Puna. West Hawaii Today.

Attorneys for the parent company of the Hawaii Tribune-Herald are seeking to overturn a judge’s decision to seal a crucial court document in the case of a state law enforcement officer accused of raping a minor girl on a Hilo beach. Tribune-Herald.

After months of inaction because it couldn’t seat enough people to vote, the county Board of Ethics is getting reinforcements. West Hawaii Today.

State health officials identified six new cases of dengue fever Thursday, bringing the total number on Hawaii island to 230. Meanwhile, an entomology team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is returning to Hawaii this week to continue working with the state Department of Health on mosquito surveillance in the Kona area. Star-Advertiser.

A consultant hired by the state has finished a draft of alternatives for improving and managing the Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park. Those plans will be up for public scrutiny and comment later this month. West Hawaii Today.

Leaders of the Thirty Meter Telescope haven't said much since construction atop Mauna Kea was halted last April. But for the first time, we now know how much the company had already spent before protests blocked construction. Hawaii News Now.

The first Kama’aina Observatory Experience tour was held this Saturday, giving Hawaii Island residents a chance to visit the summit of Mauna Kea and see the world-class telescopes operating above the clouds. Big Island Video News.

George Yokoyama says he first got the idea of a botanical garden at Rainbow Falls 20 years ago while observing the arrival of visitors from his office at the Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Council across the street. Tribune-Herald.

A pack of mutt-loving locals is mulling ways to install more public off-leash dog parks throughout the Big Island. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Maui Republicans will hold their presidential caucus from 6 to 8 p.m. March 8 at five Maui locations and at sites on Molokai and Lanai. Maui News.

County Department of Liquor Control Deputy Director Traci Fujita Villarosa is seeking to become the next Liquor Control director, she confirmed Wednesday. Maui News.

For those of you who look over Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar’s 36,000 or so acres of Central Maui that won’t be growing sugar anymore this time next year and think that maybe we might start growing hemp on at least a portion of that land, there’s good reason to be optimistic. Really optimistic, if state Rep. Kaniela Ing, D–South Maui, gets his way. MauiTime.

Leila Hayashida, a former principal at Waihee Elementary School, has been named Central Maui complex area superintendent, the state Department of Education announced Wednesday. Maui News.

A multimillion-dollar social hall and office building project for the Portuguese Association of Maui and Maui Puerto Rican Association is expected to be completed by the end of March after a donation from a local business owner on Monday. Maui News.

Kauai

It’s been nearly one month since the Kauai Police Department became the first in the state to implement body-worn cameras and legislators have taken notice. Garden Island.

Island Air is heading back to Kauai after less than a year’s absence. The state’s second-largest airline, which ceased flights to the Garden Isle in June amid a company restructuring, will restore service with six daily round-trip flights between Honolulu and Lihue on March 15. Star-Advertiser.

If you were wondering just how busy the Kauai Lifeguard Association was last year, these numbers tell a pretty good story: Garden Island.

A new law on Kauai allows enforcement officers to fine dog owners who don't control their dogs from incessant barking. KITV4.

Hawaii media focus on Kaiser Permanente workers strike, state senator admits falsifying tax records, House GOP outlines legislative priorities, UH Cancer Center aims to fix big problems, GMO lawyers try to limit opposition, Honolulu mayor popular, seawater to cool downtown condos, more government and political news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Kaiser Permanente Hawaii workers strike © 2015 All Hawaii News

Hundreds of workers at Kaiser Permanente Hawaii started a six-day strike Monday but made sure patients knew it was OK to keep their appointments with the state's largest health maintenance organization. nite Here Local 5, representing 1,900 Kaiser workers, organized a statewide strike following objections to what it calls low proposed wage increases and a proposal to eliminate guaranteed pensions for new employees. Star-Advertiser

Kaiser Local 5 members on strike. Kaiser Permanente's Local 5 workers have begun a 6-day statewide workers strike. Hawaii Independent.

Workers at Hawaii’s largest health care organization started a six-day strike early Monday, union spokeswoman Paola Rodelas said. Associated Press.

Members of the Local Union 5 began their six-day strike after labor disputes with health care giant Kaiser. KITV4.

Kaiser Permanente Local 5 workers on three islands are walking the picket lines as part of a six-day strike. The 1,900 workers include Kaiser receptionists, medical assistants and certified nurses aides. KHON2.

Six of Hawaii's seven House Republicans gathered Monday to introduce their latest caucus legislative package, a collection of bills touted as ways to encourage business across the islands, provide tax relief and better scrutinize the state's energy regulators. Star-Advertiser.

The seven Republican representatives in the 51-member state House will be pushing 20 bills this legislative session as part of their Minority Caucus package. The bills generally fall under three categories: creating jobs, lowering the cost of living and giving the government back to the people, Minority Leader Beth Fukumoto Chang said during a press conference Monday at the Capitol. Civil Beat.

Nearly 2,900 bills were introduced in the first week of Hawaii’s 2015 Legislative session. Associated Press.

A bill introduced in the Hawaii state Legislature would task the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs with licensing vacation rentals in the Islands. House Bill 825, introduced by Scott Saiki, D-McCully-Downtown, gives authority to the DCCA director to license transient vacation rental owners, as well as fine and investigate the actions of any vacation rental owner without a license. Pacific Business News.

Hundreds of people have asked the state to give them millions of dollars over the past year to cover claims such as potholes damaging cars, students suffering from food poisoning, prison guards assaulting inmates and public employees sexually harassing co-workers. But unlike larger claims that first go through the Attorney General’s Office and then to the Legislature where final approval is given during public hearings, claims settled for smaller amounts are quietly handled within the Department of Accounting and General Services. Civil Beat.

Senate bill would boost our food security. SB593 would require the Agribusiness Development Corporation to lease 50 percent of its land to local food production. Hawaii Independent.

Bill seeks to stop discrimination against Section 8 tenants. Associated Press.

A bill allowing schools to accept in-kind services in lieu of rent for use of their facilities was supported by Oahu pastors but opposed by the state Department of Education during a state Senate Education Committee hearing Monday afternoon. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii Health Information Exchange and Hawaii Health Systems Corp. have signed a data sharing agreement to make patient medical records available electronically to community health care providers and hospitals across the state. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii’s state run hospital system appears to be in dire financial straits. However, it does have new leadership in its CEO, Dr. Linda Rosen, who as Pacific Business News reports, has a lot of experience dealing with emergencies. Hawaii Public Radio.

Mercury levels in yellowfin tuna caught in the Pacific Ocean near the Hawaiian Islands have been rising at a 3.8 percent annual rate since 1998, according to a new study.Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Halfway into his first term, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell retains job performance approval from more than 2 out of 3 registered voters. Star-Advertiser.

From paving pot holes to showing his support for bicycling commuters and picking-up trash, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell appears to be everywhere, and that face time with the community has translated into a favorability rating of 64% -- according to our Hawai'i News Now - Star Advertiser poll.

State Sen. Brickwood Galuteria admitted Monday that he has improperly claimed a rental property in Palolo as his primary residence and will likely have to pay back taxes on the nearly $1.8 million home. Civil Beat.

A University of Hawaii task force charged with reviewing operations at the financially struggling UH Cancer Center says a "flawed and incomplete" business model is preventing the center from achieving its mission to reduce the burden of cancer through research and education. Star-Advertiser.

A report critical of the University of Hawaii Cancer Center is leading to a call at the State Legislature to either sell or lease the research facility. KHON2.

An overwhelming majority of Oahu residents has no intention of using bike lanes, but they sure like the idea of getting someone else to use bicycles to commute — especially along Hono­­lulu's new King Street "Cycle Track." Star-Advertiser.

As local lawmakers struggle to find solutions to Hawaii's housing crunch, a local charity is demonstrating what out-of-the-box thinking could look like. Faith Action for Community Equity, or FACE, has set up a 20-foot-by-8-foot shipping container on the grounds of Honolulu Hale that can house a family of five. KITV4.

The Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning project, which expects to start construction this fall on the system to cool Downtown Honolulu office buildings and condominium towers with cold water from the ocean, may be expanding to cool the scores of high-rise condos being built nearby in the growing Honolulu neighborhood of Kakaako, the project's CEO told Pacific Business News.

A 42,000-gallon jet fuel spill reported Jan. 21 is likely due to a weld failure on the bottom of an above-ground storage tank at a Sand Island tank farm, which supplies fuel to Hono­lulu Airport, the tank operating company said. Star-Advertiser.

The U.S. Coast Guard plans to honor a Honolulu-based cutter's 45 years of service during a decommissioning ceremony. The Honolulu-based Cutter Rush is being replaced by the Cutter Sherman. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Attorneys representing groups suing Hawaii County over its restrictions on genetically modified crops want the county to defend itself without help from national advocacy groups such as Earthjustice and the Center for Food Safety. West Hawaii Today.

About 20 Kaiser Permanente employees marched Monday morning in front of the Hilo clinic as their labor union kicked off a six-day strike.Tribune-Herald.

Gov. David Ige released Monday $4 million in general obligation bond funds appropriated by the Legislature to finance construction of various improvements to the Waimea District Regional Park. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii County Department of Environmental Management will begin charging a new tipping fee on March 1 to businesses that deposit green waste at recycling facilities in Puuanahulu and Hilo. Revenue from the new fee will help finance an expansion of green waste recycling services across the island.West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii County’s police and fire departments intend to maintain comparable coverage in lower Puna if the June 27 lava flow forces them to abandon their main posts on Highway 130. Both share a joint campus on the makai side of the highway outside Pahoa that remains about 0.36 miles from the flow’s stalled tip. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

The county Department of Environmental Management ended its 2-year-old curbside recycling pilot program Sunday, despite calls from South Maui residents to keep its "3 Can Plan." Maui News.

County of Maui in even more trouble with federal Clean Water Act. MauiTime

Kaiser Permanente workers on Maui took to the streets Monday as part of a statewide, six-day strike against the health care provider that is stuck in a labor contract dispute. Maui News.

Construction is underway in Kihei on what's believed to be Hawaii's first home built with hemp fiber insulation, according to those involved in the project. Maui News.

Kauai

Are the pesticides being used by Kauai’s biotech seed industry impacting the health and environment of the island and its residents? And if so, how? Those are the main questions nine Kauai residents have been tasked with answering over the next year as members of a newly formed Joint Fact-Finding Group. Garden Island.

A former Kauai state senator and her siblings are defendants in a trust fraud case filed by their mother in 5th Circuit Court. Evelyn Ohai Fernandes, 87, individually and as trustee of William Ernest Fernandes and Evelyn Ohai Fernandes Revocable Living Trust, is suing four of her children and grandchildren regarding five properties near old Kapaa town that were transferred into a trust. Garden Island.

Hawaii’s rainy season has been lacking something it usually has plenty of: Rain. Garden Island.