Showing posts with label wages. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wages. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

Tourist reservations required for Diamond Head, Hawaii has nation's highest hotel rates, Hawaii CEO pay rises 20%, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2022 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Atop Diamond Head ©2022 All Hawaii News
Diamond Head to require reservations for tourists. As part of efforts to reduce congestion and visitor impacts at the iconic Diamond Head State Monument, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources will require out-of-state residents to make reservations to visit the popular site starting May 12. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now.

Proposal for $300 tax rebate still alive in Legislature. A potential $300 tax rebate for most Hawaii taxpayers faces one final hurdle in the state Legislature. Tribune-Herald.

New contracts give most Hawaii public union workers pay raises. At least 12 of the 15 collective bargaining units representing state and county workers in Hawaii have ratified contracts, according to information from the unions involved. Star-Advertiser.

The average childcare worker makes about $12 an hour. This bill aims to change that. State lawmakers are close to passing two measures aimed to addressing the shortage of qualified childcare workers. Hawaii News Now.

In another sign of economic rebound, average Hawaii CEO pay rose 20% last year. A Hawaii News Now review of company proxy statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission shows that the top executives of Hawaii’s largest publicly traded companies received an average pay increase of more than $750,000 in 2021. Their average take-home pay: $4.5 million. Hawaii News Now.

Ige’s Education Board Nominees Are A Step Closer To Confirmation. The full Senate must still vote to approve the two incumbents and three new members for a three year term. Civil Beat.

Bill to provide free period products at public schools advances.
Senate Bill 2821 would require the department of education and charter school commission to provide products such as tampons and pads at all school campuses. Members of the senate and house education committees met Friday to discuss a final version of the bill. Hawaii Public Radio.

Legislation would give landlords the OK to question tenants about assistance animals. Landlords and other property managers would be allowed to question the validity of assistance animals under a new bill passed by the state House and Senate on April 21. This would include therapy, comfort and other emotional support animals. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii’s Prison Oversight Commission Finally Gets A Staffer — 3 Years Later.
The lack of staff has effectively hobbled the work of the Hawaii Correctional Systems Oversight Commission. Civil Beat.

Waters: Hawaii Needs Congressional Rep In It For the Long Run. As one-term U.S. Rep Kai Kahele weighs a run for governor, Honolulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters said Hawaii deserves a federal representative who will live and work in Washington, D.C. for the next 20 years. Civil Beat.

Alaska Airlines to suspend Anchorage-Hawaii nonstop flights during summer, fall. Alaska Airlines says its canceling nonstop flights between Anchorage and Honolulu during the summer and fall, primarily because of limited staffing. Associated Press.

Cruise ship on Hawaii-San Francisco trip suffers COVID-19 outbreak. The San Francisco Department of Public Health confirmed there were 143 passengers aboard the Ruby Princess cruise ship who tested positive for the coronavirus during a round trip from San Francisco to Hawaii and back that ended April 11. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii hotels fetched nation’s highest daily rates in March. The occupancy rate at Hawaii hotels in March was fifth best among the nation’s top tourism markets for the first quarter in a strong rebound from 2021’s pandemic-­related downturn. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

HART board chair confident rail will get to Ala Moana. Colleen Hanabusa, chair of the Board of Directors for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation, said she still believed the train will ultimately run to Ala Moana Center and possibly even the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Hawaii Public Radio.

Another HPD commander prepares to leave as search for police chief drags on. There’s another major leadership change at the Honolulu Police Department as the search for a new chief drags on and crime is on the rise. The department’s third-in-command, acting Deputy Chief Lisa Mann, will retire June 1. Hawaii News Now.

With water restrictions possible, BWS eyes worsening drought with concern. With three public water wells shut down because of the Navy’s tainted water crisis, water restrictions this summer are a real possibility. And on Monday, Board of Water Supply members learned the weather is making the situation worse. Hawaii News Now.

Makiki man is convicted of trafficking underage girls. Marquis Green, who was 30 at the time of his crimes and claimed a Makiki address, was found guilty of two counts of sex trafficking, one count of first-degree sexual assault and one count of misdemeanor assault for trafficking a 15-year-old local girl in Waikiki in 2013, charging $150 per half-hour or $200 per hourlong encounter, according to court documents. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now. KITV4.

Amid progress in Chinatown, mayor hopes to focus revitalization efforts in Waikiki. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi says the city is making progress in its effort to revitalize Chinatown ― and he’s hoping to turn his sights on Waikiki next. Hawaii News Now.

Schofield Barracks soldiers helped shape new Army policies for parents. Two Schofield Barracks soldiers played a key role in crafting reforms in how the Army handles pregnant soldiers and new parents. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island


Affordable housing measures advance to council. A pair of bills moving through the County Council will carve out 1% of property tax revenues each year and dedicate the money to an expanded range of programs to increase affordable housing. West Hawaii Today.

County, mayor sued over Waipi‘o road closure. A community organization has filed a lawsuit against the county, Mayor Mitch Roth and Public Works Director Ikaika Rodenhurst, alleging the closure of Waipi‘o Valley Road to all but a handful of people is unlawful. Tribune-Herald.

Maui


Thousands Of Houses Are Empty On Maui.
Would Higher Taxes Change That?. An estimated 15,000 housing units — about 1 in 5 throughout all of Maui County — are vacant, according to 2020 census estimates. Civil Beat.

Maui lawmakers propose restrictions on vans, campers tourists are renting as lodging. There's a growing trend on Maui -- people are leasing out cars and campers for visitors to stay in. KITV4.

Major police bust on Maui fuels concerns about use of ‘ghost guns’.
The Maui Police Department’s Crime Reduction Unit and its Special Response Team raided a home in Kihei on Thursday morning and found crystal meth, fentanyl, heroine and other illegal drugs. They also discovered a 3D printer and parts needed to make ghost guns. Hawaii News Now.

409 citations, 41 warnings, and 2 arrests during MPD distracted driving campaign. The Maui Police Department’s Traffic Division issued a total of 195 citations for use of a mobile electronic device while driving during the department’s distracted driving awareness campaign last week. Maui Now.

Kauai

Plan approved for Wi-Fi in parks. The County Council unanimously approved a request to receive and expend $50,000 in state funds for a program providing 24/7 public internet access at seven parks throughout the island. Garden Island.


Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Sunscreen oxybenzone ban advanced to protect coral, 100 attend assisted suicide forum, Hawaii's county workers highest paid, Legislature mulls Affordable Care Act, Honolulu mayor pushes for general excise tax surcharge, spectacular lava poses danger to onlookers, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2017 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Hawaii coral © 2017 All Hawaii News
A proposed ban on sunscreen products containing oxybenzone, which includes most of the sun protection items currently on store shelves, was approved by the House Energy and Environmental Protection Committee on Tuesday. Civil Beat.

The House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection on Tuesday advanced a bill that would prohibit the sale of sunscreens containing the chemical oxybenzone. Garden Island.

The House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection today advanced House Bill 600, introduced by Representative Nicole Lowen (District 6, Kailua-Kona, Holualoa), which would prohibit the sale of sunscreens containing the chemical oxybenzone. Maui Now.

About 100 people attended a forum on physician-assisted suicide Tuesday in the state Capitol auditorium. Attendees heard details of House Bill 201 (Relating to Aid in Dying), listened to experiences from patients and doctors, and had some of their questions answered about the matter. Star-Advertiser.

Congress is taking steps to repeal part of the 2010 Affordable Care Act commonly referred to as Obamacare.   Hawai’i lawmakers are also advancing legislation to protect residents who might lose their medical coverage. Hawaii Public Radio.

Concerned about the dissolution of the Affordable Care Act, state lawmakers are introducing bills to merge into Hawaii law the consumer protections they consider the best parts of the federal program. Associated Press.

Lawmakers Debate Bills To Make It Easier To Evict People. Housing Committee Chairman Tom Brower says he hasn’t decided about measures to amend the landlord-tenant code. Civil Beat.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has decided to personally pay for her trip to Syria, following new stories about her trip sponsor being a backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Star-Advertiser.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard says she will “personally reimburse” all the costs of her recent week-long trip to Syria. Civil Beat.

New data released on Tuesday reveals county workers in Hawaii make the highest average wages in the nation, compared to employees from counties in other states. Hawaii News Now.

The Hawaii Democratic Party is pulling its business from First Hawaiian Bank in support of Dakota pipeline protests. Hawaii Public Radio.

A former Hawaii State Supreme Court associate justice has died. Justice Mario Ramil was sworn in in 1993, and served for nearly a decade. KHON2.

Oahu

If state lawmakers will agree to extend the half-percent excise tax surcharge on Oahu to provide desperately needed funding for the city’s rail project, the city would be willing to share the tax revenues from that surcharge with the state, according to a pitch made Tuesday by Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell and City Council Chairman Ron Menor. Star-Advertiser.

Funding of police chief’s severance raises dispute: Does the Police Commission have the authority to spend HPD money? Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiian Electric announced Tuesday it has revived three major solar projects on Oahu that it terminated last year not long before the company that was supposed to build them filed for bankruptcy. Civil Beat.

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded a $9.8 million military contract to a joint venture between Hawaii contractors Aulii Construction and Nan Inc., for work at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Pacific Business News.

The developer of a long-planned condominium project at the southern slopes of Punchbowl Crater in Honolulu is moving ahead with its development after filing building permits totaling $22 million. Pacific Business News.

A recent approval to build a seventh condominium tower at Ward Village is now on hold after the project’s developer filed objections to a few conditions imposed by a state agency regulating development in Kakaako. Star-Advertiser.

A man who got sick with Hepatitis A during last year's outbreak is demanding money from Genki Sushi and the chain's food suppliers, and he isn't alone. Lawyers are embroiled in dozens of cases related to the outbreak, including 3 class-action lawsuits. Hawaii News Now.

Maintenance issues persist in aging dorms at University of Hawaii at Manoa. KHON2.

New details about the investigation into the slaughter of 15 protected Laysan albatrosses at Kaena Point are contained in court documents filed by an attorney for one of the defendants. Civil Beat.

Hawaii

The chief of the Hawaii Fire Department and at least two department staff flew to the state Capitol this week to testify in favor of a bill that would add an extra ambulance in Puna. Tribune-Herald.

Just months after Hawaii County celebrated an $11.6 million upgrade to Mauna Kea Recreation Area, the county announced Tuesday the park has been closed until further notice. West Hawaii Today.

Scientists discovered they're dealing with not one but two strains of deadly fungus obliterating Ohi'a Lehua trees on the Big Island. KITV.

VIDEO: Spectacular “Lava Hose” Continues Plunge Into Sea. Big Island Video News.

A long, lateral crack in sea cliffs built by Kilauea Volcano has scientists worried about a second collapse into the ocean. Star-Advertiser.

Authorities are cracking down on visitors entering an off-limits area inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to get a closer look at the lava spewing into the ocean. National Park Service law enforcement officers have cited 28 people since a large delta collapsed a month ago, forming a fire hose of lava. Hawaii News Now.

Donation brings companion to Kona’s most famous, loneliest donkey. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

An empty bunk bed and two mattresses lying side by side on the floor — only steps away from the toilet — is a common sight in Maui Community Correctional Center cells originally designed for two inmates. Maui News.

Chancellor urges Legislature to establish $2.5M financial aid fund. Maui News.

The County of Maui Department of Environmental Management announced it is soliciting grant applications/proposals from the public for the use of available funds from the DEM Recycling Grant, Fiscal Year 2018. MauiWatch.

Kauai

Three free workshops on food safety and spoilage are being offered around the island as a part of a statewide effort to promote safe and healthy local food in schools. Garden Island.

Anthony Morita is new community relations sergeant. Garden Island.