Showing posts with label former President Bill Clinton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label former President Bill Clinton. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Legislature seeks to improve Farm to School program, Honolulu prosecutor wants big raise, Election Day may be out as a state holiday, Clintons visit Kilauea Volcano, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Bills to improve DOE’s Farm to School program moving forward. A host of bills moving through the state Legislature represent the latest effort in an ongoing movement to bring healthier, locally sourced meals to Hawaii’s public schools. Star-Advertiser.

A $500 State Tax Credit For School Supplies? Hawaii Teachers Say That’s A Good Start. Out-of-pocket expenses from pencils to lesson plans are a fact of life for educators. Civil Beat.

‘Life is not a standardized test’: Effort underway to change student assessments in Hawaii. Standardized tests measure a student’s ability to recognize and recall information, but when it comes to analyzing and applying what is learned in the classroom, a new type of testing called authentic assessments is gaining traction. Tribune-Herald.

Election Day May Soon Be Out As A State Holiday. Instead, Hawaii would establish a new holiday honoring native peoples on the second Monday of each October. Civil Beat.

Free Menstrual Products Proposed For State Buildings. Senate Bill 891 needs to clear a hearing in the Senate Ways and Means Committee by Friday to advance. Civil Beat.

Regulators Seek Public Input On Energy Projects In Hawaii. The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission is seeking public input in an effort to create social and economic fairness in the state’s energy system.  Civil Beat.

Lawmakers show support to expand solar access for low-income households. House Bill 949 earmarks funds for a solar energy storage system loan program. Hawaii Public Radio.

Biggest change in a century coming for HECO customers. A new pilot program rolling out in the summer is meant to save customers money, but it could cost some folks more. It’s called time of use, and it will change how much your electricity costs depending on when you use it. KHON2.

Visitor arrivals in Hawaii stronger than expected. Visitor arrivals in January recovered to almost 97% of 2019, and international arrivals hit their highest monthly level since the pandemic — but maintaining that momentum likely will hinge on arrivals from Japan recovering in time to offset the loss of some U.S. visitors if a U.S. recession materializes. Star-Advertiser.

Gov. Green declares 2023 the 'Year of Kāhuli' to bring awareness to endemic snails. What used to span over 750 species of snails, has dwindled to about 300 — due to habitat loss and invasive predators. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

Prosecuting attorney seeks pay raises. Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm wants a 17% pay raise. The pay increase requested by the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney for its elected leader would make Alm’s salary the same as a state Circuit Court judge’s, according to a Feb. 27 letter the department sent to the Honolulu Salary Commission. Star-Advertiser.

Mayor throws his weight behind big tax break for company proposing film studio on Oahu. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said a plan to build a new film studio in west Oahu will not only create high-paying jobs but will help diversify the island’s economy. Hawaii News Now.

With property taxes set to rise, Honolulu seeks advice on how to protect low-income families. To help guide policy, the Honolulu City Council on Tuesday got advice from Maui County, where over the last several years owner-occupants and homes with long-term tenants have received relief. Hawaii News Now.

Honolulu Fireworks Cases Almost Always Get Dismissed. Here’s What We Found About Why They Fizzle. A Civil Beat analysis shows 94% of citations are dropped, but the records paint a portrait of where police try to crack down and the alleged perps. Civil Beat.

Oahu coastal property setbacks could increase. Coastal property owners would be required to locate large homes and buildings farther back from the shoreline to protect public beaches and sensitive coastal ecosystems under a bill that unanimously passed the Honolulu City Council in February and is awaiting a decision by Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi. Star-Advertiser.

Puuloa Shooting Ranges To Be Moved Away From Shoreline. The U.S. Marine Corps said on Monday that four short-distance firing ranges at its Pu’uloa Range Training Facility will be moved inland to address concerns about erosion and potential lead contamination.  Civil Beat.

Wrongful death lawsuit filed in woman’s brutal killing just steps from police station. The estate of a woman who was brutally beaten to death at a bus stop just outside the Kapolei Police station has filed a wrongful death suit against the city. Hawaii News Now.

At a cost of $40M, large new wave pool on Oahu nearing completion. A standing wave pool being built in Ewa Beach is set to open next month, but not everyone is giving it a warm welcome. The “LineUP” at Wai Kai was originally scheduled to open this month. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Safer routes for all: Bill aims to revive program that improves safety of pedestrians. A transportation program aimed at improving the safety of Hawaii’s roads and sidewalks could return to the Big Island under a new bill in the state Legislature. Tribune-Herald.

Big Island tabbed for $73 million of DHHL’s $600 million. The Big Island’s share of $600 million appropriated to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands last year will be divided between two projects, according to the plan outlined in a report by the department. Tribune-Herald.

Lawmakers debate funding demands for ‘safety net hospitals’ as one facility issues stark warning. Lawmakers are responding to an HNN investigation into failing infrastructure that’s threatening the future of Kona Community Hospital. They must now decide whether to hand over nearly $19 million for emergency repairs. Hawaii News Now.

Could an independent animal control agency help Hawaiʻi Island? The Hawaiʻi County Council is working with the administration to establish an independent animal control agency. Hawaii Public Radio.

Clintons trek around Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park during Big Island visit. The Clintons visited the park with their daughter Chelsea and her family, along with a security team. Big Island Now. Hawaii News Now.

Maui

Visitor Industry on Maui experiences continued recovery in January. There were 228,743 visitors to Maui in January 2023, up nearly 25% from the 183,278 visitors who arrived in January 2022, and down -2% from the 233,422 visitors who came in January 2019. Maui Now.

Green grants available for small-scale innovative environmental projects on Maui. The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management is soliciting grant applications for the Environmental Protection & Sustainability Division Grants Program, which includes a new Green Grants Program for small-scale innovative environmental initiatives or demonstration projects as well as the continuation of the Recycling Grants Program that the department administers. Maui Now.

Fuel tanks, aging DOT baseyard to get upgrades. Storage tanks not passing inspection and ‘need to be replaced as soon as possible’. Maui News.

Waiehu Municipal Golf Course to begin pilot online reservations program starting March 15. County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation staff will be at the golf course during the week of March 6 to assist golfers in setting up accounts for the online registration process. Maui Now.

Kauai

Visitor arrivals to Kauaʻi in January rebound to pre-pandemic level. Visitors spent $1.89 billion in Hawai’i during January 2023, which is 35 percent more than January of last year and 17% more than in pre-pandemic January 2019. Kauai Now.

Anahola Granola earns big state award. Anahola Granola was one of more than 25 honored at the 23rd annual Hawai‘i Entrepreneur Awards held Friday evening at Wai‘alae Country Club on O‘ahu. Garden Island.

Friday, February 24, 2023

Pay transparency advances in Legislature, Clintons visit Big Island, Honolulu City Council passes shoreline setback bills, Kagawa elected to Kauai County Council, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii Companies May Be Required To Disclose Pay In Job Ads. Senate Bill 1057 would require employers to list their hourly rates and salary rates on job listings. Civil Beat.

Former lawmaker Kaniela Ing prosecuted for missed deadline. Former state Rep. Kaniela Ing is in trouble again with the Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission, and this time he’s facing criminal prosecution and possible jail time for allegedly failing to file a mandatory campaign spending update on time. Star-Advertiser.

Rep. Gene Ward: ‘Reform Proposals Will Be Very Disappointing This Session’. The veteran GOP lawmaker thinks the one-party dominance of Democrats is a hindrance to efforts to bring more transparency to the Legislature. Civil Beat.

Preschool plan plagued by Hawaii’s teacher shortage.  Momentum is growing for Hawaii’s plan to create statewide access to preschool — but so are anxieties over how quality teachers for 465 new classrooms would be found amid a pervasive teacher shortage, as well as how private preschool providers would be able to attract more workers with higher salaries without pricing out tuition-paying families.  Star-Advertiser. KITV4.

After-school programs eye additional REACH dollars, in part to lower rates of juvenile drug use and crime. After-school programs could be getting a boost in funding after a bill unanimously passed the House Committee on Finance on Thursday. Tribune-Herald.

Oahu

Honolulu City Council unanimously passes 2 bills to combat rising sea levels.
Bills 41 and 42 will increase the shoreline setback rules for new buildings. Hawaii News Now.

DOE Hopes A $35 Million Kitchen In Wahiawa Will Improve School Lunches
And Give Farmers A Boost. The DOE plans for a centralized kitchen concept but local advocates say it's better to increase cooking capacity at individual schools. Civil Beat.

Kamalani Academy Charter School Expected To Close In June After Commission Vote. Kamalani Academy, a public charter school in Wahiawa, is expected to permanently shut its doors by the end of June after the Hawaii State Public Charter School Commission voted 5-1 Wednesday not to extend the school’s contract for several violations. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

National Guard to test Waiawa wells, spigots for ‘forever chemicals’.  The Army National Guard wants to test drinking water in parts of Waiawa for toxic PFAS “forever chemicals.” It’s investigating to see if residential water wells were contaminated from firefighting foam years ago. Hawaii News Now.

Pokai Bay Beach comfort station project to start.
The state will be working on improving the security to the comfort station (bathroom building) at Pokai Bay Beach Park. KHON2.

Rocky’s monk seal pup born on Waikīkī beach gives birth to her own pup Uʻi Mea Ola. On Jan. 28, 2023, Kaimana gave birth to the first pup of 2023 in the main Hawaiian Islands.  Kauai Now. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.  KITV4

Hawaii Island

State seeks public feedback on proposed location for HVO.  Big Island residents are encouraged to provide feedback for a proposed new facility for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory at the University of Hilo campus. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News.

Failing infrastructure threatens future of only hospital that serves West Hawaii. Leadership at Kona Community Hospital is asking the Legislature for nearly $19 million — money to fix utilities that are falling apart. Hawaii News Now.

Proposal to release wasp to fight CBB advances. The release of a parasitoid wasp from Africa to assist in the fight against the invasive coffee berry borer moved one step closer to taking place Thursday. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaiʻi Council Advances Animal Control & Protection Agency Bill. Bill 22 - which will create a new “Animal Control And Protection Agency” - passed first reading at the Hawaiʻi County Council on Wednesday. Big Island Video News.

Clintons attend blessing of new parish center on Hawaii Island. Former President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton are in Hawaii. The Clintons attended the blessing of a new parish center at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Kailua-Kona. Hawaii News Now.

Merrie Monarch Ho’ike tickets on sale Sunday. Tickets for this year’s Merrie Monarch Festival Ho‘ike will go on sale at 9 a.m. Sunday at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium box office in Hilo. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Military Contracts Honolulu Company To Clean Up Haleakala Fuel Spill. The military is still in the process of working to clean up 700 gallons of diesel spilled at the summit last month. Civil Beat. Hawaii Public Radio. Maui Now. Maui News.

Maui Paves The Way For Organic Section At Kula Agricultural Park. The Maui County Council is setting aside 260-acres of the county's agricultural park for organic farming. Civil Beat.

Maui man accused in alleged $146M Ponzi scheme. A 25-year-old Wailuku man is accused of defrauding investors of more than $2 million through his role in a $146 million Ponzi scheme that took money from investors who thought they were buying futures in foreign currency or gold exchange rates, according to a federal civil enforcement action alleging fraud and misappropriation. Star-Advertiser.

Kauai

Ross Kagawa fills in vacant Kauaʻi County Council seat.  After a trickle down of vacancies, the Kauaʻi County Council voted in former Councilmember Ross Kagawa to round out the seven-person body. Hawaii Public Radio. Kauai Now. Garden Island.

Hawaii Spent Decades Developing Community-Managed Fishing Areas. Lawmakers May Undo That. When overfishing badly depleted stocks off Kauai’s northwestern shore, subsistence fishermen and their families teamed with environmental regulators to draw up new rules designating Haena as Hawaii’s first Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area. Civil Beat.

Heavy rains cause 100,000 gallons of wastewater to spill at Kauai treatment plant
. The state Department of Health said heavy rains earlier this week caused thousands of gallons of wastewater to spill at the Poipu Water Reclamation Plant. Hawaii News Now.

Monday, July 17, 2017

Call for sprinkler law follows five-alarm high-rise fire, former President Clinton visits Hawaii, no tech in high tech park, Oahu medical marijuana patients increase, Kauai studies bus plan, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands



Civil Beat YouTube video

 A five-alarm fire Friday at the Marco Polo condo is expected to spark renewed debate over a long-standing question of whether the city should require Oahu condo projects built before sprinklers were mandated in the mid-1970s to install them. Star-Advertiser.

The deadly fire at the Marco Polo building sparks a renewed push for sprinkler systems to be installed at condos and apartments. KITV.

If Honolulu is to require owners to install fire sprinklers in all pre-1975 residential buildings, it will involve heavy lifting to persuade the state Legislature to update the state’s fire code, according to a retired Honolulu fire official. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell on Friday called for legislation requiring the retrofitting of older residential high-rises with fire sprinklers after a blaze in Honolulu killed three people. Civil Beat.

The fire that killed three people at the Marco Polo Apartments condominium tower in Honolulu could have been less severe if the building had a sprinkler system in place. Pacific Business News.

At least three people died and 12 were injured Friday in a fire at a Honolulu high-rise that was not equipped with sprinklers, authorities said, and hundreds fled the giant condominium complex as smoke billowed from the upper floors. Associated Press.

Relatives of the three people killed in Friday's highrise fire are opening up about their devastating loss. Hawaii News Now.

Twenty six stories up. Island News got a first look inside the Honolulu high rise that was on fire for nearly 10 hours. KITV.

Estimated 40-50 units "total losses" following Marco Polo high-rise fire. Fire investigators were still on scene at the Marco Polo Apartments on Sunday, working to determine what caused the massive high-rise fire that injured dozens, and killed three. KITV.

How you can help victims of Marco Polo highrise fire. KHON2.

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Why Is A High-Tech Agency Building A Center For Cops And Rescue Workers? The project raises questions about whether the Hawaii Technology Development Corp. is stepping away from its mission and legislative mandate. Civil Beat.

Hawaii’s unemployment rate remains below three percent. And while that’s good news for the state’s economy, it’s creating a challenge for many businesses that are struggling to find good help. Hawaii Public Radio.

New care home law is called ‘a facade’. When Gov. David Ige held a bill-signing ceremony last week for a new law that aims to cut through the red tape that blocked certain elderly couples from living together in the same licensed care home, the one couple it was specifically designed to help was conspicuously absent. Star-Advertiser.

Officials, community say defunding tsunami detection system penny wise and pound foolish. West Hawaii Today.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton toured the Hokule‘a at Sand Island Sunday, about a month after the Hawaiian voyaging canoe’s return from its three-year journey around the globe. Star-Advertiser.

The 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, was seen on Oahu this weekend giving a speech, dining at a presidential favorite spot, and touring the Hokulea. Hawaii News Now.

Former President Bill Clinton is in the islands. KHON2.

Fernanda remains a category 3 hurricane according to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center. The storm is churning in the East Pacific as gradual weakening is expected over the next 48 hours. Hawaii News Now.

Big Island still has most medical marijuana users, but Oahu’s percentage grows. Hawaii Island historically has contained the lion’s share of medical marijuana patients, but that trend could gradually be changing, data released Friday by the state Department of Health indicates. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii teens who use e-cigarettes are more likely to have asthma, according to the latest research by the University of Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Honolulu rail leaders are laboring to maintain public confidence in the project, yet their decision to defer an audit that would investigate how its price tag nearly doubled and its schedule got pushed back six years has critics crying foul. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu inflation is heating up as the state’s economy continues to grow. Star-Advertiser.

This Group Is Helping The Needy By Rescuing Tons Of Food. Though the nonprofit typically relies on grants, Aloha Harvest is looking to the city of Honolulu in hopes of a contract. Civil Beat.

Statue to bring the aloha of Don Ho back to Waikiki. Don Ho, Hawaii’s best-known entertainer, is returning to the International Market Place on Aug. 13 — what would have been his 87th birthday. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

The latest chapter in the ongoing audit review of the management of Mauna Kea arrived in the form of a new report this month. Big Island Video News.

Court dates have been set for the 48 adults cited July 8 for trespassing into the closed Kohala Forest Reserve and Kohala Restricted Watershed. Tribune-Herald.

A father, mother and maternal grandmother are in custody for allegedly starving a 9-year-old Hilo girl to death. Tribune-Herald.

Big Island Crime Problems Seem Bigger On Social Media. Hawaii County crime isn’t on the rise. But the prosecutor says residents are justifiably upset by a clogged criminal justice system. Civil Beat.

While signs have been posted at some beaches in recent months warning beachgoers of high bacteria levels in the water, those counts don’t necessarily mean waters are contaminated with sewage. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii County real estate trends continued ticking upward as the first half of the sales year came to a close, with the busy market leading to increases in new construction as existing inventory is bought up. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Unlike some politicians who’d grab the center of attention at a public event, shaking every hand within reach, Gov. David Ige was characteristically laid-back recently when he visited Maui for a senior housing groundbreaking ceremony in Pukalani and a visit to Kula Hospital. Maui News.

Portions of the Kanaio Natural Area Reserve will be closed on dates in August and September while the state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry and Wildlife conducts animal control via aerial shooting from helicopters. Maui News.

After serving under eight Maui County prosecuting attorneys and appearing before 13 2nd Circuit judges during a career that spanned 40 years, Deputy Prosecutor John Tam has retired. Maui News.

The Mayor’s Office of Economic Development announced that it has issued more than $2 million in grants to various local organizations during the second half of fiscal year 2017. Maui Now.

Sen. Rosalyn Baker inducted the Maui Chamber of Commerce’s new and existing board members for the 2017-18 term on June 2 at the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa in Kaanapali. Maui News.

Kauai

The County of Kauai’s Transportation Agency will be holding islandwide, public information and community comment sessions on the Kauai Bus Short-Range Transit Plan starting this week. Garden Island.

The County of Kauai’s Transportation Agency will be holding islandwide, public information and community comment sessions on the Kauai Bus Short-Range Transit Plan starting this week. KHON2.

Soon, folks will have a way to get from Kawaihau Road to the rest of Kauai’s coastal path via a 1,000-foot boardwalk. Garden Island.

$6.6M for Mahelona hospital projects. Remodeled rooms for residents, upgrades to nurse stations are among the plans. Garden Island.

New enclosure last step to recovery for native seabirds. Garden Island.