Styrofoam ban advances, sports gambling considered, judge rules against non-solar water heaters, shipping costs rise, Mauna Kea ski video rankles, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Polystyrene 'styrofoam' takeout ©2019 All Hawaii News

Statewide styrofoam ban advances. A bill to ban styrofoam containers for take-out food -- statewide. KHON2.

The House Judiciary Committee today will consider a bill to legalize and regulate sports betting in Hawaii, which is now one of only two states in the nation that has no form of legalized gambling. Star-Advertiser.

Bail-reform legislation, seven years in the making, is moving rapidly through the Legislature. The bills would require public safety officials to make it easier for people to gain release if they are arrested for nonviolent crimes and are not a flight risk, requires consideration of a defendant’s financial situation before setting bail, and eliminates money bail for low-risk offenses. Civil Beat.

Judge: DBEDT must adhere to solar water heater mandate. Environmentalist and renewable energy advocates are hailing a court decision Tuesday ordering the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to follow state law mandating all new single-family homes include solar water heaters and to consider variances for gas water heaters only on a case-by-case basis. Tribune-Herald.

Court Ruling On Water Heaters Will Help ‘Protect The Climate’. The state has been wrongly approving too many gas hot water heaters in new homes, a judge says. Civil Beat.

Effort To Pump Up Voter Interest In Elections Goes Nowhere In Legislature. It looks like there will be no hearings for bills that would have advanced the top two primary vote-getters to the general election regardless of political party. Civil Beat.

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Legislature Seeks to Reform OHA Elections. State legislators have taken the first step toward overhauling the elections process for Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees. The Senate Hawaiian Affairs Committee started with campaign funding and the way candidates' names are listed on the ballots. Hawaii Public Radio.

The attorney for former Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee Rowena Akana said Wednesday his client will appeal a state Ethics Commission complaint that imposes a fine of more than $23,000 for 47 ethics violations. Star-Advertiser.

Former OHA Trustee Rowena Akana Hit With $23K Ethics Fine. Akana, who served on the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees for nearly 30 years, may also have to pay back more than $21,500 in gifts. Civil Beat.

Ex-OHA trustee who used office allowance for cable bills slapped with hefty fine. Former OHA trustee Rowena Akana must pay more than $23,000 in fines for accepting legal fees from Hawaiian heiress Abigail Kawananakoa and misusing her annual office allowance. Hawaii News Now.

Former Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee Rowena Akana must pay more $23,000 in fines. The State's ethics commission found that she committed 47 ethics violations. KITV.

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It was Agriculture Day at the State Capitol today inside committee rooms and outside on display tables. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii lawmakers want to fight mosquitoes ... with more mosquitoes. But introducing new insects could have adverse affects. Hawaii News Now.

Young Brothers LLC announced Wednesday it has received approval from the state Public Utilities Commission for its first significant rate increase in six years. Garden Island.

Rate increase for interisland service. The 4.3% rate increase is critical to allow Young Brothers to reinvest in its business and upgrade equipment to continue providing essential interisland cargo transport services. KHON2.

Gabbard Takes Heat On MSNBC Over Russia, Assad. As the Hawaii congresswoman escalates her bid for president, she’s already facing stiff questions from journalists on a number of issues. Civil Beat.

Gabbard on defense after more bad publicity. On national television on Wednesday, she was questioned about her positions on Syria and Russia and even the Ku Klux Klan. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Manoa board calls for pause in Ala Wai Flood Control Project. The Manoa Neighborhood Board unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday calling for a halt on an Ala Wai Canal flood control project to give stakeholders an opportunity to give feedback on a plan to add detention and catchment basins to the upper reaches of Manoa, Palolo and Makiki. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu home, condo prices, sales all declined in January for first time since 2010. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu housing inventory up, prices down. KHON2.

Developers to receive incentives. The Honolulu City Council is proposing a new bill that would ease building requirements for developers in an effort to increase affordable housing options. KHON2.

City seeks landowner incentives to build hundreds of affordable rentals. As skyscrapers were added to Honolulu’s skyline and “monster homes” sprouted up in residential neighborhoods, low rises in Makiki and Moiliili have decayed. Hawaii News Now.

City begins to condemn Palolo properties damaged by severe erosion. Hawaii News Now.

Mysterious Manoa Tree Hackers May Be Peddling Hallucinogenic Bark. Large gashes in acacia trees, whose bark is reportedly hallucinogenic, were first noticed in December by Manoa residents. Civil Beat.

The Honolulu Police Department met for its monthly Commission meeting and one of the topics that came up was recreational marijuana. KITV.

Sewer spills were at a historic low last year amid ongoing monitoring and proactive measures taken by the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Environmental Services. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

A bill to provide state funding for restoring lava-covered portions of Highway 132 cleared its first committee Wednesday at the state Capitol. The Senate Committee on Transportation voted unanimously in favor of Senate Bill 1298, which provides $15 million for restoration. Tribune-Herald.

At the request of the state Department of Health, legislators have shelved a bill that would have funded two ambulances for Hawaii Island, including one at the Makalei Fire Station. West Hawaii Today.

Pahoa pool reopens to the delight of area residents. For the first time in months, swimmers glided through the water at the Pahoa Community Aquatic Center on Wednesday morning. Tribune-Herald.

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Lawmakers and The Office of Maunakea Management said they were disturbed by a recent social media video that shows three individuals skiing and snowboarding on Puu Poliahu on Maunakea on University of Hawaii managed lands. West Hawaii Today.

Snowless Skiing On Mauna Kea Denounced. Big Island Video News.

The Office of Maunakea Management condemned a video posted to social media showing three individuals skiing and snowboarding down a revered volcanic cone on Mauna Kea that is managed by the University of Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

Video of skiers, snowboarders on Mauna Kea sparks outrage. KITV.

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People packed the room at the Grand Naniloa Resort to hear about the proposed Pacific Spaceport Complex-Hawaii and the environmental assessment process. Big Island Video News.

Dozens of residents crowded into a public meeting on Wednesday to learn about a proposal to build a satellite launch facility on the east side of the Big Island. Hawaii News Now.

Maui

A council committee on Tuesday advanced a recommendation of Michele McLean as director of the Department of Planning, but voted down the mayor’s appointment of Pat Wong as Corporation Counsel. Maui Now.

Planning’s McLean gets preliminary OK. Committee 5-4 vote comes amid claims of ‘prescripted’ process. Maui News.

Panel votes against Wong confirmation. Corporation Counsel choice second to go down in panel. Maui News.

A House committee holds a hearing on Friday to consider the holdover of revocable water permits, allowing for the continuation of water leases authorized in previous legislation. Maui Now.

VA one-stop facility is ‘progressing’. Still, local veterans have waited for more than a decade. Maui News.

Kauai

Bolstering the bridge. For weeks, Hawaii Department of Transportation workers in their yellow coats have been floating their barge through yellow barriers around the base of the bridge over Wailua River. Garden Island.

Tulsi Gabbard jumps into crowded pack of presidential contenders, public hearing today on temporary Honolulu City Council member, Maui council confirms Victorino administrators, $5k rebates for EV charging stations, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Tulsi Gabbard campaign photo

Tulsi Gabbard offers progressive platform at campaign kickoff. Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard officially kicked off her presidential campaign Saturday with an ominous message about an increasingly dangerous world in which the United States sits on the “precipice of nuclear war” amid worsening international tensions. Star-Advertiser.

Tulsi Gabbard On Running For President: ‘We Must Fight For The Soul Of Our Country’. The U.S. representative from Hawaii held her first public rally on Saturday in her quest to win the White House in 2020. Civil Beat.

In front of scores of supporters in Waikiki on Saturday and with hundreds more watching online, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard officially kicked off her 2020 presidential campaign, saying that she wants to “build a movement of peace at home and abroad that will fulfill the promise of America." Hawaii News Now.

Congresswoman Gabbard calls on supporters to join her in her bid for the presidency. KHON2.

Tulsi Gabbard officially announces 2020 presidential run. She is entering a crowded race for the presidency. KITV.

VIDEO: Tulsi Gabbard Kicks Off 2020 Presidential Campaign. Big Island Video News.

Tulsi Gabbard’s foreign policy stance sets her apart in crowded field. Star-Advertiser.

Tulsi Gabbard Kicks Off 2020 Campaign With $2 Million In The Bank. The Hawaii congresswoman will need to raise a lot more if she expects to compete with Democrat heavyweights such as Elizabeth Warren, who reported having $11 million in cash on hand. Civil Beat.

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The push to legalize pakalolo is building strong momentum this year, with more than two dozen state lawmakers introducing legislation to allow its recreational use by Hawaii adults. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii lawmakers kill plan to lower voting age. A key Senate committee scuttled a plan to allow Hawaii residents to begin voting in state and local elections when they reach the age of 16 but is moving forward with proposals for automatic recounts in close races along with another plan for statewide voting by mail. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii businesses looking to go green could get some help installing electric vehicle charging stations. Hawaii Energy and Ulupono Initiative are offering a limited-time rebate for installing or upgrading to EV charging station at workplaces and multi-unit dwellings. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai, Big Island Mayors Dubious About Raising Minimum Wage. Honolulu’s mayor supports the pay increase, but leaders of islands hit hard by disasters last year say now is not the time. Civil Beat.

Looks Like We’ll Still Be Using Private Prisons On The Mainland For A While. Legislative leaders who are trying to solve Hawaii’s prison crisis say it’s unrealistic to think we can move hundreds of inmates back here anytime soon. Civil Beat.

A bill wants to ban plastic rings that connect multiple cans of beverages. The legislation also intends to fine companies that make the rings. KITV.

Lawmakers introduce new bills to combat ticket scalpers and bots. KHON2.

Counterfeit coffee: Senate bill to re-introduce mandatory certification for green advances. Clearing the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment, Senate Bill 869 came one step closer Friday to reinstating a mandatory certification process for green coffee coming out of the state. West Hawaii Today.

Oahu

Honolulu City Council members have submitted their list of candidates to temporarily fill the District IV seat currently left vacant while a special election is pending. The council will be holding a public hearing on Monday, February 4, to consider names that have been submitted by the council members. KHON2.

Homeless flock to rest stop but few use social services. The number of homeless adults, children and pets using the city’s Punawai Rest Stop, a “hygiene center” in Iwilei, has steadily grown in less than a month of operation — from eight people on the first day to 174 on Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

A largely deserted piece of the former Barbers Point Naval Air Station in Kalaeloa is being prepared for re-population as part of a plan to build the first new homes in the area since the military base closed in 1999. Star-Advertiser.

A $2.08 million project to address cliff erosion and rock slides along two makai portions of Diamond Head is set to begin Monday. Star-Advertiser.

Many chafe at tourism growth. Once a secret spot for locals, Laie Point isn’t the most welcoming place for tourists. Star-Advertiser.

Higher-than-expected levels of the chemical chlordane in the soil beneath the former Henke Hall have delayed construction of the new Life Sciences building at the University of Hawaii at Manoa by nearly a year, and raised the cost of construction by nearly $4 million. Star-Advertiser.

Commentary: Wild attacks on high court could backfire on Trevor Ozawa. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Mayor Harry Kim signed a proclamation Friday announcing the county’s commitment to eliminating all traffic deaths and serious injuries on island roads. Tribune-Herald.

Property tax changes coming. Eliminating the solar water tax credit, reclassifying small agriculture lots to residential and repealing an obsolete program are three ways the county could generate revenue and make its property tax code more equitable, according to a report to be considered next week by the County Council. West Hawaii Today.

A public meeting will be held Wednesday in Hilo on a proposed spaceport. The informational open-house is part of the environmental assessment process for the small satellite launch facility the Alaska Aerospace Corp. is seeking to build on W.H. Shipman land. Tribune-Herald.

Big Island lawmakers have renewed their efforts to secure lifeguards for Kua Bay in North Kona. Two bills have been introduced in the Senate and another bill in the House to fund lifeguards at the popular beach site. West Hawaii Today.

A state Senate committee advanced bills Friday in support of a new boat ramp for Puna and demolition of the former Uncle Billy’s Hilo Bay Hotel. Tribune-Herald.

Hu Honua Bioenergy faces more litigation, while construction of its biomass power plant near Pepeekeo falls further behind schedule. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Hart to divest stake in company before joining mayor’s staff. Deputy planning director hopes to take up his new post mid-February. Incoming Deputy Planning Director Jordan Hart has not yet taken his position in the Michael Victorino mayoral administration as he works to divest himself of the company his father founded, which is involved in land-use planning and landscape architecture. Maui News.

Two more directors pass muster in council panel. Pearson for water, Teruya for finance are recommended. Maui News.

A council committee on Friday advanced recommendations in support of Jeffrey Pearson as director of the Department of Water Supply, and Scott Teruya as director of the Department of Finance. Maui Now.

Maui’s Mahi Pono to offer lots to local farmers. The company that bought a vast expanse of land in Central Maui from Hawaii’s last sugar cane plantation plans to kick off its new operations by offering lots to local farmers to grow their crops. Associated Press.

‘Hope and skepticism’: Mahi Pono reaches out to community. Mahi Pono officials making rounds; details about who they are beginning to emerge. Maui News.

Tearing up over famous onion’s end. Maui Pickled Products has sent its last shipment . Maui News.

Kauai

Hawaii may become the first state in the nation to get a new type of ground-based missile interceptor — in addition to the powerful $1 billion radar that’s already in the works — to better protect against North Korean missile attack.  A long-awaited Missile Defense Review recently released by the Pentagon calls for the Missile Defense Agency and the Navy to study the viability of “operationalizing” the Aegis Ashore missile defense test site on Kauai, either temporarily or permanently, with interceptor missiles. Star-Advertiser.

Home sales up, Realtors cautious. The total number of properties sold last month on Kauai is slightly higher than a year before, but some Realtors are saying those numbers are not necessarily a positive sign. Garden Island.

Top Hawaii Headlines: Tuesday morning edition

During these tough times, the state is con- sidering spending $500,000 applying to become a federally licensed spaceport.

Hundreds are expected to converge on Kapi'olani Park today to catch a glimpse of Japan's Emperor Akihito in his only public appearance during his three-day Hawai'i visit.

Paniolos and a master hula teacher will be among those welcoming the Japanese emperor and empress to Hawaii this week.

Public workers appear headed for at least a 5 percent pay cut for two years, but there is no indication from Gov. Linda Lingle that the concession would be enough to make up for a $750 million budget shortfall.

In what all sides described as progress, public-sector labor unions yesterday offered to take a 5 percent pay cut to help close the state's budget deficit, far less than what Gov. Linda Lingle has wanted but a sign that state workers are willing to sacrifice.

An estimated $47.3 million and six years' construction work are needed to reduce the threat of rockfalls harming motorists driving through the Hamakua Coast's three main gulches.

Some Hawaii school principals spent this week in Las Vegas for a conference, but the Department of Education didn't foot the bill.

In the management battle brewing over a picturesque location, condo owners have drawn their weapons while Hanalei Bay Resort’s management company pulls out its shield.

After riding a wave of prosperity, Maui County residents are struggling to cope with a recession that has swept through the islands