Showing posts with label laws. Show all posts
Showing posts with label laws. Show all posts

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.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Civil unions bill is dead again




HONOLULU – There is a saying that no bill is dead while the Legislature is in session, and one establishing civil unions is no exception.

But the Hawaii Senate killed it a second time today, failing to pull it from a deadlocked committee by an 18-6 vote.

HB 444, which would give same-sex couples all the rights and responsibilities of traditional marriage, already passed the full House and has been languishing a month in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Senate Majority Leader Gary Hooser, a Kauai Democrat who is running for lieutenant governor, has been instrumental in keeping the bill alive. He said the bill has been bottled up in committee by a 3-3 vote, and it’s up to the full Senate to move it forward.

“This is a fundamental issue of the fundamental rights of people,” Hooser said.

Several opponents of bringing the bill forward said they weren’t opposed to civil unions, but they wanted the legislative process kept clean.

“Today is a day when there will be no winners. When one individual is denied rights of others, we all lose But there is a tomorrow,” said Sen. Jill Tokuda, D-Kailua, Kaneohe.

The issue has raised a community reaction like no other in recent memory, with groups on both sides holding candlelight vigils, picket lines and demonstrations.

Several times today, Senate President Colleen Hanabusa had to shush a rowdy standing-room-only crowd, while hundreds more people milled around in the Capitol rotunda, lining up for peeks through the glass into Senate Chambers.

Almost 70 percent of Hawaii voters in 1998 passed a constitutional amendment allowing the state Legislature to define marriage as between a man and a woman. A 1997 law allowed same-sex couples to register as “reciprocal beneficiaries,” including hospital visitation rights, authority to sue in wrongful death cases and inheritance and property rights.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Laws aim for quieter neighborhoods


HONOLULU -- Car alarms, leaf blowers, construction. Neighborhood bars. Motorcycles.

Noise pollution is a big problem on Oahu, and every year lawmakers try to do something about it. And every year, they fail.

This year’s crop of bills includes SB 605, addressing low-frequency noise in particular, setting decibel standards for night and authorizing the state Department of Health and county Liquor Commission to enforce them.

Many residents favor noise control.

“Loud late-night noise continues to polarize our community. Residents want a healthy neighborhood, one that includes them being able to sleep in their own homes at night,” said Susan Lebo, a resident of Chinatown Gateway Plaza in testimony.

Both the Department of Health and the Honolulu Liquor Commission oppose the legislation, saying they don’t have the money to enforce new rules.

SB 466 tackles leaf blowers, making it unlawful to operate them in a residential neighborhood, except between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on any day except Sunday or a federal holiday, and between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday or a federal holiday.

“We generally favor a quieter environment. We appreciate that some people dislike noisy leaf blowers/yard equipment,” said Dr. Chiyome Leinaala Fukino, director of the Department of Health. “Noise can be a nuisance and disturb sleep, even if it does not reach the levels that cause hearing damage. (But) There are also practical considerations in achieving a quieter environment.”

Recognizing the futility of trying to pass a law, Sen. Carol Fukunaga and other senators have created a resolution instead. SCR 62 tackles car alarms by requesting vehicle owners to turn them off or make them less sensitive.

“The activation of a single audible motor vehicle alarm system can disturb and awaken hundreds of area residents,” the resolution states.