Showing posts with label scuba. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scuba. Show all posts

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Feds seek clues in monk seal death, rail work to come in over budget, man charged in scuba attack, state seeks to foreclose Pflueger property, big tax hikes on Oahu, Kauai, Abercrombie, Ige, reveal plans for state, UH Manoa chancellor Apple gets walking papers, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands



NOAA courtesy photo
Kauai monk seal mom with pup prior to dog attack, courtesy NOAA
Federal and state officials have initiated an investigation and are asking for the public’s help on information on a deadly attack on an endangered monk seal on Kauai. David Schofield, NOAA’s Marine Mammal Health and Response coordinator, said this is believed to be the first monk seal killed by a dog in the main Hawaiian Islands. Star-Advertiser.

RK28, a local Hawaiian monk seal, spent all of Tuesday desperately scouring the beach and nearshore waters for her two-week-old pup. Garden Island.

The latest roundup of gubernatorial elections throughout the country by respected political expert Larry Sabato has put Hawaii’s governor’s race in the “toss up” category. Civil Beat.

State Sen. David Ige said his first priority if he is elected governor would be to submit a balanced budget and collect $450 million in unpaid taxes. Gov. Neil Abercrombie wants to prioritize affordable housing and smart growth. Associated Press.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie and state Sen. David Ige on Wednesday discussed in more detail what they would do if elected governor, while also throwing a few gibes at each other in what is becoming a tight Democratic primary. Star-Advertiser.

The day after their last two candidate debates, Neil Abercrombie and David Ige released their respective plans for the state, should one of them be favored by voters to be governor for the next four years. Civil Beat.

Rivals in the Democrat primary for governor, Neil Abercrombie and David Ige revealed dueling plans for the State just hours apart. Abercrombie calls his "Charting Tomorrow: A plan for a brighter future in Hawaii." Ige's is titled "David Ige's Action Plan: Engineering Hawaii's Future" or, as he put it, " what an Ige administration would look like if elected Governor." Hawaii News Now.

As longtime Democrats, Gov. Neil Abercrombie and Sen. David Ige largely share the same vision when it comes to things like public worker pay raises, transportation and agriculture. KITV4.

The Democratic candidates for governor revealed their action plans Wednesday, giving Hawaii voters more insight into their strategies. Both candidates are confident and committed to their plans and believe it’s more than just a campaign document. KHON2.

A new day in environmental protection? Analyzing the success of the governor's A New Day in Hawaii plan promise to protect Hawaii’s environment and resources. Hawaii Independent.

They are the children of Baby Boomers and the next generation of political leaders in Hawai’i.   They have the potential of being a powerful political force in the state if they get involved, run for office and vote. Hawaii Public Radio.

George Takei, the actor in the original Star Trek movies who played the beloved character, Hikaru Sulu, and has made his mark on the Hollywood scene with the saying "Oh my!" has joined a growing list of celebrities, politicians and activists endorsing Hawaii's Democratic candidates in advance of Hawaii's Aug. 9 Primary Election. Hawaii Reporter.

For the first time, the public is privy to the annual financial disclosure reports filed by members of the University of Hawaii Board of Regents. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau has amassed the largest number of social media followers among U.S. state tourism boards, according to a report by Skift, a travel intelligence company. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

Oahu homeowners hit with huge jumps in their property-tax bills continue to lash out at the way the city calculated the amounts. Some absentee owners of the island's most expensive residences are facing an annual tab approaching or topping $100,000. Star-Advertiser.

University of Hawaii President David Lassner handed UH Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple a termination notice late Wednesday afternoon, Apple announced Wednesday night, saying "I have been forced out as chancellor of UH Manoa." Hawaii News Now.

Tom Apple has been dismissed as chancellor of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, his attorney, Big Island lawyer Jerry Hiatt, said Monday night. He was offered a tenured faculty position at the UH medical school for an 11-month salary of $299,000. The university is also offering him a total lump sum payment of $100,000, including attorney’s fees. Civil Beat.

University of Hawaii at Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple says he was forced out as head of the UH system's flagship campus Wednesday, two years into his five-year appointment. Apple said he was removed "for alleged unsatisfactory performance" in his job. Star-Advertiser.

Will New Honolulu City Council Members Smooth Friction with Mayor Caldwell? Council Chair Ernie Martin is clearly the mayor's nemesis. But the Council as a whole frequently clashes with Caldwell. Soon it will have at least two new members. Civil Beat.

Construction bids for the first nine stations of Honolulu’s $5.16 billion elevated-rail project are likely to come in higher than originally anticipated and could cause the agency to dip into its contingency fund, Dan Grabauskas, executive director and CEO of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation told Pacific Business News.

Now that rail is becoming a reality many we spoke with have no idea where the route actually goes so we will show you the last seven stops in the more dense city center section starting here in Kapalama where 30 feet up will be a transit station. Hawaii News Now.

U.S. State Department Special Agent Christopher Deedy doesn't want the jurors in his murder retrial to have the option to find him guilty of manslaughter, and his testimony in state court Wednesday emphasized that. Star-Advertiser.

The Public Charter School Commission approved a new financial plan for Halau Lokahi Charter School on Wednesday, paving the way for the school to reopen on Aug. 14. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Lovell charged with misdemeanor for May scuba attack off Kona coast West Hawaii Today.

The state Department of Transportation is making completion of Saddle Road improvements a priority as it maps out projects to finish during the next four years with its share of federal funds. Tribune-Herald.

After several years of making do with old, high-mileage cars, the county administration stepped up its purchase of passenger vehicles this past fiscal year. West Hawaii Today

Maui

South Maui Challengers Align on Environmental Issues. Kihei Community Association membership gives new candidates the floor. Maui Weekly.

Kauai

State seeks foreclosure on Pflueger property. The state wants to ensure it will get the $4 million in interest and fines it assessed James Pflueger for damages caused by a mudslide that covered the Pilaa reef in 2001. Garden Island.

It has been over a week and a half since the County of Kauai sent out property tax bills to the owners of 33,370 individual properties on the island. And for most of that time, some Kauai County Councilmembers have said an influx of emails and phone calls have been coming in — on the other end, in many cases, are disgruntled property owners who have seen noticeable increases on their tax bills. Garden Island.

Three candidates vying for Kauai's 15th House District seat have varying views on the controversial issue of county oversight of the use of pesticides and growth of genetically engineered crops by large agribusinesses. Star-Advertiser.

Molokai

Picture this: a higher learning education center with a spacious auditorium, high-tech computer labs, larger classrooms and a grassy campus pavilion right here on Molokai. This long-awaited dream may become a reality for UH Maui College, Molokai now that the college has completed its Long-Range Development Plan. Molokai Dispatch.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Abercrombie vetoes $45M in school projects to balance budget, climate change panel created, Hawaii the worst for vets' clinic wait time, Fuddy brother sues over fatal plane crash, Puna residents sue to get their pot back, Hawaii County targets non-farming farmers, pension fund follies, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

screen capture June 9, 2014
Gov. Neil Abercrombie, Attorney General David Louie and Finance Director Kalbert Young
Gov. Neil Abercrombie said Monday that he will use his line-item veto authority and remove about $45 million in bond money for school facilities from the state budget to fix a miscalculation by the state Legislature. Star-Advertiser.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie today announced a plan to “address an inconsistency” of $444 million between the state budget bill and the bond authorization bill passed by the Legislature. Civil Beat.

An approximate $444 million inconsistency between the State’s budget bill and its bond-authorization bill is preventing each bill from being signed into law by the governor. Governor Abercrombie, together with Attorney General David Louie and Finance Director Kalbert Young announced a plan today to address the inconsistency. Hawaii Independent.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie is saying that Hawaii’s state budget is not balanced. Abercrombie said Monday that he will have to veto some of the Legislature’s proposed spending so that the numbers will add up. Associated Press.

Governor Neil Abercrombie announced Monday he will have to veto about $45 million in Legislative-approved spending in order to balance the state's budget. Hawaii News Now.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie held a news conference Monday to highlight differences between the state's capital improvement bill and the bond authorization bill that accompanies it. KITV4.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie plans to veto proposed spending by the Dept. of Education to balance the state’s budget. The governor said Monday that the budget bill and bond authorization bill are supposed to balance, but they don’t, and signing off on the budget bill as is would be illegal. KHON2.

Veterans in Hawaii had the longest wait time in the nation to secure a first appointment with a physician at a VA Medical Center in Honolulu or on the Neighbor Islands, according to an audit released by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday. Pacific Business Journal.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs data released today indicates Hawai’i veterans have the longest waiting period from the time they apply for health care to their first appointment to see a physician. Hawaii Public Radio.

To address Hawaii’s vulnerability to climate change, the state has taken what advocates say is a key step toward responding to coastal flooding, erosion and decreased supplies of fresh water. Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed House Bill 1714, now known as Act 83, to fund the collaboration of various Hawaii agencies and community members to gather information on areas of the state that will be most affected by sea level rise. Civil Beat.

The state is seeking regulatory approval to move forward with a plan that will allow utility customers in Hawaii to finance renewable energy investments. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii is looking to move forward on a green financing program aimed at allowing more residents and businesses to install clean energy systems such as solar. Pacific Business News.

The plane crash that killed state Health Director Loretta Fuddy was caused by a faulty engine, according to a lawsuit filed Monday by Fuddy's brother. Star-Advertiser.

If taxpayers wanted to know how the millions of dollars the Hawaii Employees’ Retirement System collects are being invested and who’s doing the investing, a visit last July to the glitzy Ritz-Carlton in Honolulu would have supplied some answers. Civil Beat.

When you own real estate worth $892 million it’s almost impossible to visit every piece of property on a regular basis. That’s a situation facing trustees of the Hawaii Employees’ Retirement System – with one exception: City Financial Tower in downtown Honolulu. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Local Veterans Affairs officials claimed after an inspection of Hawaii clinics last month that there were no significant scheduling issues, but findings released nationally Monday showed Hono­lulu had the worst delays for new patients in the entire VA system. Star-Advertiser.

After spending nearly three months fighting to save his $22 million proposal to tackle homelessness from cuts by the Honolulu City Council, Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s administration finds itself in a peculiar predicament. Civil Beat.

Hawaiian Electric Co.’s plan to build a $42.4 million, 11.5-megawatt major solar energy system on 41 acres near its Kahe Generating Station in West Oahu now has a draft environmental assessment for its project. Pacific Business News.

U.S. State Department Special Agent Christopher Deedy is renewing his request to have a state murder charge against him dismissed, based on his claim that he was performing his duties as a law enforcement officer under federal law when he fatally shot Kollin Elderts in a Wai­kiki McDonald's restaurant in 2011. Star-Advertiser.

A Hauula man has sued the Honolulu Police Department over the use of excessive force and claims the department withheld key evidence that would have kept him out of jail. Hawaii News Now.

The King Kamehameha Celebration Commission is asking the public to donate plumerias for Wednesday's lei-draping ceremony after its chief supplier was hit hard by recent rainfall. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

The county tax division last week sent out letters to the first crop of property owners taking the agricultural tax break with no evidence of farming going on. West Hawaii Today.

Two lawsuits have been filed in Hilo Circuit Court against the county and police by Puna residents who claim their marijuana was illegally confiscated even though they held medical marijuana cards and were in compliance with the law. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii County’s prosecuting attorney says his office has received a report on a May 8 incident in which one scuba diver allegedly ripped another diver’s breathing apparatus out of her mouth. West Hawaii Today.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources wants to hire an architect to help it envision what redevelopment could look like on three Banyan Drive properties. The leases for the properties, which include Uncle Billy’s Hilo Bay Hotel, Country Club Condo Hotel and Reed’s Bay Resort Hotel, each expire in March. Tribune-Herald.

It’s taken longer than anticipated, but the moth — deemed the state’s best hope of controlling the invasive fireweed that has invaded massive areas of Hawaii pastureland — has become established, a state Department of Agriculture official said Thursday evening. West Hawaii Today.

A temporary restraining order filed against Kamehameha Investment Corp. was lifted late Thursday, after the organization reached a settlement with the woman who filed the complaint. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Maui High grads launch third game app. Maui News.

Kauai

U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa voiced her support for Rim of the Pacific during a recent visit to Kauai. Garden Island.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

House passes $12.1B budget, GOP chair steps down, Bar says why Wilson unfit for Supreme Court, Hawaii council must allow free speech of GMO foes, Waikiki condo goes higher, scuba spearfishing ban in trouble, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2014 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Legislative budget hearing file photo (c) 2014 All Hawaii News
The state House approved a $12.1 billion state budget Wednesday for the next fiscal year, meeting a legislative deadline to pass a budget bill on to the Senate. Associated Press.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie rallied reporters to the Capitol Wednesday so he could send a message to the public that the state Council on Revenues’ significantly downgraded economic forecast is no cause for alarm. The council on Tuesday lowered its January projection of 3.3 percent growth in general fund revenues down to zero for 2014. The council also dropped its forecasts for 2015 and 2016 to 5.5 percent and 5 percent, respectively. This means the state government will have almost $1 billion less to spend over the next two years than it expected, completely recasting the budget debate. Civil Beat.

The Legislature passed the executive budget today, setting in motion deliberations throughout the Capitol on funding for the remainder of this year and next.  This on the heels of the Council on Revenues downward projection of economic growth. Hawaii Public Radio.

In advance of legislative "crossover" last week, the House and Senate collectively passed more than two-dozen bills creating or amending tax credits to benefit various industries. In the wake of the Council on Revenues prediction on Tuesday that the state is expected to receive $180 million less revenue this year than initially anticipated, it's unlikely that many of the tax credits will become a reality in 2014. But House Finance Committee Chairwoman Sylvia Luke said that despite the lowered economic forecast, the proposals are still up for discussion. Civil Beat.

Michael Wilson
Wilson and Abercrombie
The Hawaii State Bar Association rated Circuit Judge Michael Wilson "unqualified" for the state Supreme Court because of concerns about his work ethic, professionalism, the propriety of his conduct toward professional women, and his ability to serve at the level of the state's highest court. Gregory Markham, the president-elect of the bar association, explained the reasons in a letter on Wednesday to the state Senate Judiciary and Labor Committee. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii State Bar Association on Wednesday submitted additional testimony on Judge Michael Wilson's nomination to the Hawaii Supreme Court that raises more specific questions about whether he is qualified and suitable to be an associate justice. Civil Beat obtained a two-page letter, sent from the bar association's President-elect Greg Markham to state Sen. Clayton Hee, chairman of the Senate Judiciary and Labor committee, which just last week voted unanimously to send Wilson's nomination to the full Senate for a final vote.

The Hawaii State Bar Association said Wednesday that it rated Circuit Judge Michael Wilson — Gov. Neil Abercrobmie’s nominee to an associate justice post on the Hawaii Supreme Court — as “unqualified,” based on negative comments from a number of bar members who cited "work ethic concerns, a lack of professionalism in the workplace and questions concerning the propriety of conduct toward women in professional contexts, and the ability to serve at the level of a Supreme Court justice." Pacific Business News.

David Chang, the chairman of the Hawaii Republican Party, will step down to concentrate on military and business commitments, sources say.  Former congresswoman Patricia Saiki is expected to be named the new party chairwoman. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, but according a report by a public policy research organization, Hawaii’s welfare wage is more than four times that amount. The study, conducted by the Cato Institute, claims that in 2013, a mother with two children in Hawaii received an average of $60,590, or $29.13 an hour. But is that number accurate and is it fair to taxpayers? KHON2.

The Hawaii Department of Education recently announced the launch of a bold plan to significantly cut down on energy costs by outfitting schools with alternative energy technologies including solar and wind. But the “Ka Hei” initiative, as it’s being called, hinges largely on schools’ ability to connect proposed solar systems to the electrical grid, which is a problem in many parts of the state because of what the Hawaiian Electric Company describes as over-saturation issues. Civil Beat.

HB1889, known as the Homeless Bill of Rights, is widely supported, but not by some of the very people whom it would supposedly protect. Hawaii Independent.

Lawmakers in the state House and Senate are making another attempt at Jones Act reform. The maritime law requires shipping vessels traveling between U.S. ports be American built, owned and manned. Critics say this leads to high transportation costs for Hawaii. Tribune-Herald.

A state senator Wednesday called for the University of Hawaii to investigate whether it gave Oceanic Time Warner Cable company "preferential treatment" in extending a sports television contract. Hawaii News Now.

On Tap at the Hawaii Legislature: March 13. A selective list of bills, resolutions, hearings, briefings and events for Thursday at the state Capitol. Civil Beat.
 
Oahu

A developer's much-debated request to raise the height limit on a Kuhio Avenue hotel-condominium tower received a 9-0 approval from the Honolulu City Council on Wednesday, despite opposition. California-based PACREP2 LLC will now get to build its 280-unit tower at 2139 Kuhio Ave. up to 350 feet, instead of the standard 300 feet allowed within the Waikiki Special Design District, after the Council approved Resolution 14-38. Star-Advertiser.

About 1,000 community members from the Aikea Movement, a job preservation effort organized by Unite Here Local 5, are expected to rally at Honolulu Hale on Thursday in support of Bill 16, which seeks to preserve hotel jobs by requiring property owners to obtain a permit if they plan to convert 20 percent or more of their hotel rooms into condominiums.Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiian Electric Co. is pursuing an interim plan to bring liquefied natural gas to Oahu in shipping containers, while pressing ahead with a longer-term strategy to import bulk supplies of LNG to replace the fuel oil it burns in many of its power plants, a top HECO official said. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Several measures that critics say are thinly veiled attempts to undo West Hawaii’s scuba spearfishing ban are advancing through the state Legislature. House Concurrent Resolution 65 passed out of the Ocean Marine Resources and Hawaiian Affairs Committee on a unanimous affirmative vote. Rep. Faye Hanohano, D-Puna, chairs the committee and cosponsored the bill, which calls for a statewide, appointed task force to consider fishery rules. West Hawaii Today.

You might not like what they have to say, but you have to let them say it. That’s the gist of a memo sent out last week to County Council members following an incident at the Feb. 19 council meeting where a testifier was cut off when he attempted to criticize Monsanto Corp. and Hilo Councilman Dennis Onishi for supporting genetically modified crops. West Hawaii Today.

Two Big Island renovation projects received funding to proceed from the state Wednesday, when Gov. Neil Abercrombie released a total of $64.7 million for capital improvement projects across the state. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Because it failed to submit information that certified it as a nonprofit organization, the Lanai Community Health Center will not receive $866,546 in federal funds, setting back its progress of constructing a new facility for a year. Maui News.

The Kula man who led the more than decadelong fight by substitute teachers to obtain back pay received his partial settlement check in the mail Tuesday. Maui News.

An estimated $72.6 million of matching state and federal grants for a Kīhei-Upcountry Highway are included in the 2014 supplemental budget that was advanced by the state House of Representatives, according to information released by Representative Kaniela Ing of Maui. Maui Now.

The Recycling Center at the corner of the Kahekili Highway and Makaʻala Drive in Waiehu will close on Monday, April 7, 2014, due to illegal dumping and infrequent use, county officials announced today. Maui Now.

Hawaiian Airlines is accelerating the start of its new service between Los Angeles and Maui. The new start date for the flights between Los Angeles and Kahului will be May 2. The airline says the start date is moving up a month in response to strong demand. Associated Press.

Kauai

Debralynn DeSilva Carveiro may not have a lot of degrees on paper, but the Hanapepe resident said she makes up for it through life experiences gleaned by raising a family and running her home-based “adult novelty items” business. And that is what the mother of six children and grandmother of 12 said she brings to the table in her run for mayor in this year’s election — her second run for a county office. Garden Island.

The Kauai County Council passed a measure Wednesday asking state lawmakers and the Department of Land and Natural Resources to cease all legislation seeking to regulate coastal and marine resources around Niihau. Garden Island.